Muse 010: February Edition by Multnomah University

ISSUE 010 FEBRUARY 2013

MUSE

THE

LOST

ART

LOGIC

h TABLE OF CONTENTS h

MUSE ABOUT US f

Designer’s Thought - Matthew Howen

— FEATURES —

Muse is an online publication produced by the students for the students at Multnomah universit y. The views Expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Multnomah Universit y Muse is published the first monday of the month during the school year For more information or to submit: Multnomahmuse@gmail.com

Editor: Makenzie Halbert kenzie.halbert@gmail.com Designer: Matthew Howen mattmattmatthowen@gmail.com

Facuty Advisor: Cornelia Seigneur cornelia@corneliaseigneur.com

Letter from the Editor - Makenzie Halbert

The Lost Art of Logic - Quincy Robinson

— INSIDE MU — Alumni Feature: Hannah Glavor - Makenzie Halbert

— PERSPECTIVES — A Haven is Hard to Find - Jamie Loos

Love Letters - Makenzie Halbert

— ARTS & CULTURE — Photos by Elizabeth Anglin

I am Beginning to See... - Matthew Howen

Poetry by Anne Partridge, Tyler Griffin, and Tammy Brown

A Time to Embrace - Laura Griffith

Breakfast with Beau - Beau Stumberg

The Portland Wall - Charlie Piehler

Lit Snip

Break the Block

Campus Events

Editor: Makenzie Halbert Designer: Matthew Howen

Photos by Matthew Howen

Contributors:

TOP ROW QUINCY ROBINSON CHARLIE PIEHLER TA M M Y B R O W N BOTTOM ROW LAURA GRIFFITH BEAU STUMBERG TYLER GRIFFIN A N N E PA RT R I D G E NOT PICTURED ELIZABETH ANGLIN JAMIE LOOS

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Letter from the Editor

Welcome back readers to a new semester and a new edition of Muse. As always, I am thankful for faithful readers and I hope that as I continue to address you each month, dear readers, I can begin to call more of you writers. So here it is, I am asking you to write. Don’t write because we keep pestering you to, or because you feel it to be your duty in some way. Write if you have something to say, something that you haven’t been able to stop thinking about, something that has sparked conversations

Photos by Matthew Howen

among your friends or something you want to bring attention to . I urge you not to allow doubts about whether what you have to say is relevant or helpful or pertinent or worth sharing; if you have something to say, we want to hear it. If you don’t feel like you’re much of a writer, I urge you to try writing something that’s not for a class, not for credit and put your notions about your own writing to the test. I am not saying that to be a supporter of this publication you must write. To make a magazine, yes, writers are necessary but we also need readers, engaged readers. In some way, I am asking you to respond. Help us grow this magazine into

something that better reflects this student body. Write us an email, submit a response article, or comment on a specific article on our blog. Our vision for Muse is only attainable through responsive readers and writers and we made that part of our vision because we know Multnomah students to be those type of readers and writers. I hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue. If you don’t enjoy reading it then I believe there to be only one response: do something to change it. Afterall, it is our hope that this magazine be as much yours as it is ours. Makenzie

Designer’s Thought I want to introduce new forms of expression in this issue. Of course it’s not new but it’s new to us. There is nothing wrong with interviews, opinion pieces, reflective poetry, or short stories with nonhuman narrators (see November issue) but there is more out there. I’m not a neophile, I am just convinced that a publication like Muse has potential that has been largely unexplored at this point. My contribution this month involves a non-scientific glimpse of starlight and a thought exercise to make

us all feel small. It is my attempt at breaking bounds. I included some conclusions but even those need to be interpreted. I hope more comes from less. There are some things in life in which consistency is the most desirable and most pleasing quality — let crashing waves, arriving seasons, and afternoon naps ever be the same. Where variety is allowed and pleasing and liberating, let us expand.

Matthew

LO Photos by Matthew Howen

TH E

LO ST

ART

OGIC

By Q ui n c y Ro bi n s o n

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj LOGIC IS THE FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE The brilliant political philosopher Allan Bloom said: “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative. If this belief is put to the test, one can count on the students’ reaction: they will be uncomprehending. That anyone should regard the proposition as not self-evident astonishes them, as though he were calling into question 2+2=4… They are unified only in their relativism and in their allegiance to equality.” Even as a student at a Christian University, the latter statement echoes true. Truth now is less about what the evidence suggests and much more about how one feels about a certain theological position or thought. But is there not a system that always yields viable evidence for a position? Can anyone’s opinions be verified? In the midst of cultural subjectivism as an absolute, this question needs to be met with a resounding “yes”. In fact, logic is the foundation of all truth; Nothing can be known as true and nothing can be reasonable without logic being its master. Perhaps you have heard as I have from a peer, pastor, or professor that God is illogical because he does miracles or that God can make a square circle and make 1+1=7; because God can do anything. But they are wrong! They lack a clear understanding of truth and logic. The only reason we know of truth is because of logic; otherwise, how can this be verified?

Truth now is less about what the evidence sug gests and much more about how one feels about a certain theological position or thought.

Now, I understand that this statement is strong but nonetheless, it is true. There exists a familiar Greek word: logos. Many of us understand this as the “word” but in other contexts it also means logic. An interesting observation is that alogos means “without reason, contrary to reason”. What I am saying is that logic itself comes from God. In fact, the world was created by the “word” which was also “logic”. It is my conviction that logic comes from God just as love comes from God and as equivalently as God is love, he is logic; therefore, he can never be illogical. But what is logic? Is it just God?

WHAT IS LOGIC? According to Aristotle, the founding father of western logic: “It is the function of the wise man to know order”. According to the Scottish Logician William Minto: “Clear and consistent thinking, a mastery of the perplexities

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj and ambiguities of language, power to detect identity of meaning under difference of expression, a ready apprehension of all that a proposition implies, all that may be deduced or deduced from itwhatever helps to these ends must be of perpetual use. “To purge the understanding of those errors which lie in the confusion and perplexities of an inconsequent thinking”. In other words, logic is simply the study of right reasoning. Without it we could never know when we have good reasons to believe anything. Having reason(s) could be described as the ability to use logic properly to acquire good evidence. So, reason is evidence and logic is the law unto which none of the rules can be broken. You become illogical if your evidence or reason breaks the law. During my time here at Multnomah I have spoken to many students and at this point would like to answer some of the most pertinent questions as well as refute some misunderstandings about logic. You could study different types of logic why chose the one Aristotle created? This is true, we could study many different types or modes of logic, but the foundational axioms are the same. Plus Aristotle did not invent logic anymore than Euclid invented geometry. Aristotle only helped to discover it. Is everything subject to logic? No. Only questions of truth are subject to logic. Logic is the law maker, the thing that gives humans rules for proper rational judgments. However, logic still says nothing about emotive expressions because how we feel is neither true nor false.

WHAT DOES LOGIC HAVE TO DO WITH GOD? I have also encountered those who believe that logic doesn’t really apply to God. This is indeed very scary. For if God’s word and message are illogical or even can be illogical, then what hope do we have as Christians to rightly understand it? “But what about the doctrines of our Christian faith,” they say. These too are not victims to logical fallacies. Just because something is a mystery doesn’t automatically make it irrational. God is the basis of all logic. All truth is found in God. He

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj has created the reality that we know and in which we have discovered the laws of logic. He has structured the world in such a way that these laws cannot be denied. However, we did not know God first and then learn logic from him. In order of being, God is first. But in order of knowing, logic leads us to all knowledge of God. Having such a high view of logic puts logic before God. Not true. We all use logic in the learning process of knowing who God is, yet this doesn’t imply that God came after logic. Just as love came from God so did logic. Did you love your mother before you knew of the love of God? Or was it the love of God first that caused you to love your mother, so that until that moment of intellectual epiphany you were indifferent toward her? By no means! You loved her before you knew of the love of God. Same with logic, it comes first for us to know about God; yet without God it wouldn’t exist. So in order of knowing, logic has to come first. In order of being, God is first. God gave humans the ability to learn about him through this concept of logic.

It is my conviction that logic comes from God just as love comes from God and as equivalently as God is love, he is logic; therefore, he can never be illogical.

Using human logic makes God subject to our finite logic. First of all, this statement presupposes that logic is something that we created. We must remember that logic flows from God just as his moral nature (which can never be changed) and so too the laws of logic. Secondly, God is not the one that we are examining it is rather the statements said about him; and we check to see if what is said of God is true or false. And so in examining the statements that people make about God (e.g. “God is evil”), we judge by a standard approved by him rather than a standard divorced from who he is. Doesn’t the Bible say that God can do the impossible? Doesn’t that mean he is not bound by logical limitations? God can certainly do what humans cannot; though even God cannot do what is truly impossible. By definition, to be human is to have some limitations like raising the dead, walking on water, etc. Even Jesus (in his humanity) was limited. But God, who has created life and observed the laws of gravity, can cause someone to walk on water. Howbeit, this doesn’t mean that God can actually do the impossible; for instance Hebrews 6:18 says it’s impossible for God to lie, James 1:13 says God cannot be tempted. It’s impossible for God to do evil. Therefore, God cannot make a triangle with two sides and neither can anyone else because those things are self contradictory and thus logically impossible. In fact, those ideas cannot even be imagined. God does miracles and in doing so breaks the laws of nature all the time. Why can’t God break the laws of logic like he does for

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj the laws of nature? This question presupposes that the laws of nature and the laws of logic are actually the same. Natural law isn’t really a law at all; it only tells us and scientist how things do work not how things ought to work. Whereas the laws of logic are much like the moral law that flows from God’s nature; which tells us how we ought to live regardless of all other factors. So the laws of logic tell us how we ought to reason to find truth. But some of the most important Christian doctrines involve contradictions, like the Trinity, and the Incarnation of Christ. We must first understand the difference between a contradiction and a paradox. A contradiction is a statement that is both true and false at the same time in the same sense. So saying God is three persons yet one person is a contradiction or that Christ is both human and divine in one nature. Whereas a paradox seems contradictory at first glance but can still be true. For instance consider the old saying: “must go back to move forward”. So what is paradoxical about the doctrine of the Trinity is that we say God is three persons yet one being; and that Christ Jesus has two separate natures (divine and human) joined together in what is called the hypostatic union. My brothers and sisters, we should be encouraged that truth is not relative and that we can reach truth. It is God’s desire for his children to use logic as a method as real and as true as his love for his people. Logic is found everywhere in science, philosophy, mathematics, and even the creation of art. Reject postmodern thinking, master logic, think well and it will be clarity for your mind and honesty for your heart because when you learn to think well you begin to realize that much of your fogged thoughts came from a lack of good reasoning skills and evidence. However, the fact that we really don’t know much at all shouldn’t refrain us from moving forward. One of the main encouragements for me is that truth is never fading, it always remains the same and so the truth that we learn on this earth will be just as true when we arrive on the other. Even though I must say that truth is verified by logic, it is not the only way that we can discover truth; for it can come in many different shapes and sizes. “We come to know the truth, not only with reason, but also with the heart. It is through the latter that we know first principles, and it is in vain that reason can try to deny them. So the skeptics who try to do nothing else, labor ineffectively. We know we are not dreaming, but however unable we may be to prove it rationally; our inability doesn’t do anything but expose the weakness of our reasoning faculty, and not the uncertainty of all our knowledge.” -Blaise Pascal Quincy Robinson, Junior, Biblical Languages Major

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Hannah Glavor, a December 2010 graduate from the Intercultural Studies program, is a former Multnomah student who is following faithfully what she believes to be the call on her life in terms of ministry and her passion for songwriting. Photo by Matthew Howen Hannah sat down with me to tell me about some of the things she’s learned along the way as well as what she’s been doing since graduation. Right after graduating Hannah began an internship at Imago Dei in the worship and arts department. She held the internship for two years and this January was hired as the Worship and Arts ministry assistant where she spends her time networking, arranging and composing music, leading worship teams, and meeting up and working with artists in the Portland community. Amidst her time as an intern, about a year ago, Hannah began to take her own music career more seriously. During her involvement in music ministry, both at Imago Dei and while at Multnomah, Hannah had spent time writing music and doing small acoustic shows with just her and her guitar (occasionally accompanied by her brother Tim) but wasn’t actively pursuing a musical career. In the summer of 2011 Hannah launched a kickstarter to fund the recording of her first EP. When the album was released in February 2012 Hannah played her first show with a full band--Hannah Glavor and the Family Band--and has been working to get her music out to the broader Portland audience.

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj I asked Hannah why she made the shift with her musical endeavors and what made her want to start sharing her music on a greater scale and focusing her efforts. Hannah stated: “The shift came from a healing on my identity and me believing I actually had something worthwhile to offer. I allowed myself to dream and pursue it...As I am healing and growing and resting in the identity of being someone who Christ has called me to be, which is more than a musician, I can step boldly into these places that I have the freedom to go as I’m leaning into Christ. I have no idea if my efforts will be successful, I hope so, but in resting in that identity there’s a boldness and confidence to aim higher because I no longer believe I deserve lower. I don’t think we have to sell ourselves short, if Christ has called us to something higher we should live higher, not for the sake of “making it” but for the sake of being who we’re created to be.” Hannah writes from a place of vulnerability often writing songs about where she is at personally and as a message to herself while trying to communicate a broader message of hope. Her lyrics are gospel-centered but presented in a way that is, in her words, accessible. Hannah and her band play their folk-inspired, vocallydriven music mostly in bars and small venues. More often than not, and excluding the following of friends and fellow-Multnomah students that attend shows, they are playing in a secular environment to an audience that may or may not know Jesus. With that in mind, I asked Hannah how her music is typically received in these environments considering the lyrical content.

have made it as full on my own without the community effort... There’s a level of trust there as well as a level of risk but it also allows musicians to have ownership of what they’re creating. I was able to see other people in my band take flight and become their own artist through their exploration of what they can add to the sound. They’ve been given the freedom to grow as they invest in something that they’re excited about too.” Hannah believes the new EP to be more authentic to her journey and more specifically about what she was experiencing. The lyrics contain a weightiness that she believes needed to be present to better represent the very personal message she hopes to convey. The title of the EP, Halcyon, is, for Hannah, representative of something both broadly applicable and well as personal. “I first heard the term ‘halcyon’ in a hymn called, “Jesus Savior, Pilot Me”, which was a very meaningful song in a very dark season for me. The term is taken from a phrase “halcyon days” which is a nautical term denoting a time of anticipated calm after winter’s worst storms...I chose it because I think it represents well the time period in which I wrote the songs...It doesn’t mean that the storms cease or the darkness goes away but the beauty in it is that Christ is always present...It captures well the message of hope I want to communicate.” As my time with Hannah came to a close I asked her if anything she had learned at Multnomah had influenced the ministry she is currently involved in and the goals she has for herself. She described herself as coming to Multnomah with a “heart for the marginalized” but her season at Multnomah truly fostered that in her.

“Generally people respond well because it’s something that’s accessible and there’s a universal beauty in what we’re creating...I don’t want to write music for the sake of patting myself or other Christians on the back. I want to write music that instills hope, and that is something we’re all in need of regardless of whether or not we’ve been able to put a name to that hope. So I think that in me being honest and authentic with my experience, there’s something that’s relatable. I’m trying to create something that’s beautiful and good because of the beauty and the good that’s been done in my life.” As Hannah has focused her efforts she has been able to record two EPs. The first one, O My Wandering Heart was released last February and her latest EP, Halcyon, was just recorded last month and will release later this year. I asked Hannah to elaborate on the recording of the new EP and the vision behind it. “We’re coming into our own as a band and we are developing a sound that’s truly us. It feels good to be able to share something we’re really proud of and that we worked hard on collaboratively...It was a collaborative musical effort and I couldn’t

“My time at Multnomah helped me to define a healthier missional theology and a means of engaging in life holistically and walking with people in life holistically that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.” To find out more about Hannah’s music and her latest endeavors, visit her band facebook page here. http://www.facebook.com/ hannahglavormusic?ref=hl To listen to her music and to get a free download, you can go here. http://hannahglavor.bandcamp.com/album/o-my-wandering-heart Makenzie Halbert, Senior, English Major

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GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG a haven is hard to find GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

A UNIVERSITY VAN PULLS INTO A PUDDLED PARKING LOT OF A RUN-DOWN MANSION IN SOUTHEAST PORTLAND. SIXTEEN EXPECTANT STUDENTS EMERGE ON THIS DREARY FRIDAY NIGHT WITH INSTRUMENTS IN-HAND.

THEY GO INSIDE TO PRAY.

Photo by Jamie Loos On January 24, this was the experience for George Fox students who came to a new prayer space started half a block north of Reed College. The Haven, located at 5120 SE 28th Avenue, is a set aside place to pray and worship Jesus without distractions. The stream of worship music, scriptures graffitied on the wall, and towering seven foot cross point people to God alone. A prayer space near Reed College? Here’s the story... In Spring 2008, the tiny Christian group at Reed called “Oh For Christ’s Sake” fell apart. This was the second time Intervarsity Christian Fellowship staff, Michael and Sarrah Lynne Havens, witnessed this happen. On Tuesday nights when the group used to meet for bible study, Michael sat alone looking out the large arched windows of the chapel and prayed. The next semester, God brought four new students and one sophomore into the group. I was one of those new students who came to Reed not knowing what God had in store, but happy to be there. After a rocky freshmen year at University of Southern California and my parents filing for divorce, God provided me with full financial aid and a fresh start at Reed. During my years as a Reedie, God continued to be faithful. Upon graduating in 2011, I felt Him nudging me to stay and continue serving “Oh For Christ’s Sake.” Meanwhile, Intervarsity informed me of an exciting, but unlikely possibility: an abandoned mansion that might become

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj THE QUESTION THEN AROSE: HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THIS 8,000 SQ. FT. HOUSE FOR GOD’S GLORY?

WE PRAYED AND THREE THINGS BECAME CLEAR: INTENTIONAL LIVING COMMUNITY, PRAYER SPACE, AND A COFFEE SHOP.

available for ministry use. Located within walking distance from campus, the Lambert House was a 1940’s estate owned by Reedwood Friends Church.

I hadn’t a clue how to start a prayer space, but I had a passion for it. Whenever I went home to Los Angeles, I’d always visit Isaac Bar Jonah my high school youth leader from First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. He did ministry with a prayer house in Pasadena, California where we’d spend hours. I always left spiritually refreshed and with a deeper sense of God’s love.

I prayed that God would give us that house. Starting in the Summer 2011, any students or Christian who wanted to pray for Reed walked the campus with me. Then I’d take them to the dingy old house to pray. My neighbors and I started regularly meeting in a backyard shed to pray for this and other local needs. We prayed for a year, asking God for the Lambert House.

Flash forward to January 2013: Rainy night, a George Fox van pulls up to the Lambert House. Our prayer space kicked off with students from Reed, Portland State University, George Fox, Lewis & Clark College, and Pacific Northwest College of Art gathering for worship. The music, cross, and wall of scriptures created an environment pointing to one thing: Jesus. Thank God, Isaac Bar Jonah flew up. I didn’t know how to arrange the space, but it was ready when the students arrived. To honor the Havens’ faithful service at Reed, we called it “The Haven” and told students the story.

The Quaker church informed Reed College and apartment developers that the house was available if they’d like to make an offer. From March until May 2012, we heard nothing. Given the potential buyers’ large capital funds and interest in the prime location, it didn’t look good for us. I felt confused and broken-hearted. This dream seemed so unlikely despite the hope that God had stirred in my heart. I didn’t want to work in ministry long-term, so pursuing new career options weighed heavily on my mind.

In the most unlikely of places and ways, God is raising up a prayer movement in Portland. Particularly, we feel God calling us to utilize The Haven as a gathering place for students to pray. Multnomah University students, come join us! Worship God and intercede for your campus at The Haven. Come paint and build too because we can’t do all the work on our own.

But then the impossible happened: neither the college, nor the developers made an offer. This was no small miracle! The Quaker church started renting the house to my boss from Intervarsity. In June 2012, my neighbors (from the shed) and I praised God in the side yard, then started painting, scraping, and fixing.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Psalm 19:21).His purposes will not be stopped. He will get all the glory. This is why I share this story.

The question then arose: how do we maximize this 8,000 sq. ft. house for God’s glory? We prayed and three things became clear: intentional living community, prayer space, and a coffee shop.

The Haven 5120 SE 28th Ave . Portland, OR 97202

Birch Rubens, Intervarsity area director for Oregon, started construction on the residential side as an expert carpenter. I started studying prayer spaces and coffee houses. Brandi Miller, an Intervarsity intern, joined the ministry at Reed that summer. A recent Willamette University graduate, she had previously managed a coffee shop. Each with needed skills, God brought us together!

havenprayerhouse@gmail.com Regular Hours:Thursday’s 6-10 p.m., Saturday’s 12-8 p.m. By Jamie Loos, Reed College Graduate

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Love Letters

BY MAKENZIE HALBERT

There is no form of communication that compares to the receiving of a handwritten letter. Photo by Matthew Howen A piece of paper that has been handled, toiled over, and cared for by another person; a person who took the time to choose their words carefully, reproduce them in ink, and send to someone they hold dear. A letter is a reminder that convenience, proximity and efficiency are not prerequisites for a relationship. A handwritten letter always carries more weight than the meaning of the words on the page. The stroke of the handwriting, the choice in stamp or envelope, the details included, all of these mean more than the words that already have the power to change the trajectory of someone’s day. There is something to be had in between the lines of ink and there is something that would feel wrong about casting such a letter into the same pile of bills, coupons and catalogs most people receive endlessly. It is then most unfortunate that we are a generation who is generally unfamiliar with this means of communication. It is something worth exploring, something worth taking the time for because to lose it completely would be to lose an art form. This was the feeling of Hannah Brencher, a woman of our generation who was unwilling to let this art form fall by the wayside. In a recent broadcast she stated, “The mere fact that somebody would even just sit down, pull out a piece of paper and think about someone the whole way through with an intention that is so much harder to unearth when the browser is up and the iPhone is pinging and we have six conversations rolling in at once, that is an art form.”

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj It was this attitude, combined with her upbringing of receiving handwritten letters from her family members and a crippling bout of depression, that birthed a dream and a calling for her generation. In the midst of her own aimlessness she returned to a form of communication that had brought her so much peace and love when she was growing up: she wrote the world letters. She wrote hundreds of love letters and tucked them around New York City and she wrote about it on her blog. As her dream began to grow she took her letter writing to a new level. Hannah stated, “I posed a kind of crazy promise to the internet: that if you asked me for a handwritten letter, I would write you one, no questions asked.” For a year she did this and the response she received was heartbreaking and inspiring. A year ago she allowed her dream to reach an even greater audience when she started The World Needs More Love Letters. More Love Letters is a non profit organization comprised of young people from Hannah and our generation. In a TED talk broadcast in November 2012 Hannah said of the letters, “Most of them have been written by people who have never known themselves loved on a piece of paper. They could not tell you about the ink of their own love letters. They’re the ones from my generation the ones of us that have grown up into a world where everything is paperless and where some of our best conversations have happened upon a screen.” The organization has found a way to take advantage of a world propelled by social media sites in order to lift up and encourage those who are hurting. The organization’s website is essentially an open forum to submit requests for love letters for those in need of encouragement and a little extra love as well as a resource for those wishing to become involved through writing letters. Hannah shares a few stories of the impact she has seen these letters have on people around the country. If you have four minutes and 35 seconds, take a look at her TED talk here. http://talentsearch.ted.com/video/Hannah-Brencher-The-worldneeds

It is then most unfortunate that we are a generation who is generally unfamiliar with this means of communication. It is something worth exploring, something worth taking the time for because to lose it completely would be to lose an art form.

She has put a lost art form back into the hands of a generation which often places efficient communication above purposeful communication and is urging them to take the time and write these letters because she has seen them change the lives of people who are hurting, alone, and in need of something more personal than a mass text message sent out on holidays, or a facebook friend request. To get involved or learn more about Hannah’s venture you can go to this website here. http://www.moreloveletters.com/get-involved/ By Makenzie Halbert, Senior, English Major

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PHOTOS by

ELIZABETH ANGLIN

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I am b egi n ni ng to

see poi nts of li ght i n th e

e ve ni n g by Matthew Howen Photo by Belgravias

Imagine that a point of light can be represented by one inhumanly long string, perfectly linear, tight from a gas ball to a human pupil — the vacantly black looking circle that lets light in. Another human pupil, let’s say one thousand miles east of the first one, can see the same star. Let’s imagine that there is a similar string of light meeting that pupil. The first string cannot be the second, it must meet its pupil as the second must meet its pupil. There are two pupil-string-star constructs.

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Now let’s imagine a dense line of people, each with their own pupils, in between the two previously mentioned pupil-string-star constructs. One foot apart, standing heel to toe, there could fit 5,279,998 moderately sized people, and if they all close one eye — for the sake of math — we would have an even 5,280,000 pupils. Of course, there would need to be an equal amount of strings added to represent the points of light hitting all these new pupils. Once all these people open both eyes there will be 10,560,000 pupil-string-star constructs. From the pupil-end of the strings, let’s move to the star-end of the strings. Proxima Centauri is the nearest star besides our sun: it’s not even bright enough to see without a telescope. At 4.24 light years away#, the Earth would look like nothing in particular, a thin white disc at best. The collection of ten million strings spanning one thousand earth miles on the pupil-end would look like a single string from Proxima Centauri. Now to embrace complexity: a star can be seen from every direction. So let’s take one string and, by swinging it around while keeping it taught with a space marker on the end, we’ll mark out a circumference around the star. But since we can’t just make one thin ring, we’ll have to make it an expansive sphere — let’s call it the megasphere. The ten million strings are now multiplied beyond the eye’s ability to perceive. If we station one space person, with an average of two pupils, on every square foot of the mega-sphere, with one pupil-string-star construct per eyeball... let’s continue—there is great potential in the written word. One star has the consistent company of other stars. The stars we see in the evening are all in our galaxy — maybe there are 200 billion of them#. Our galaxy has neighbor galaxies, and its neighbors have neighbors, all with stars and pupil-string-star constructions of their own (there are not enough pupils). There will always be more light in the world than there are pupils to perceive it. It is no small thing to let there be light. Matthew Howen, Senior, English Major

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2013 New Year’s Resolution

A Complex Notion

Another year over, another 365 days done At midnight this morning a New Year was rung A moment spent in reflection and all the year had brought From the highs to the lows and the lessons in taught The next moment spent on plans and new expectations Making new resolutions to form new foundations As the plans were being formulated and the check list made A third thought flashed and a new thought weighed While today starts the beginning of a new year Thirteen was the number we were expecting to appear Thirteen comes after twelve and was the next in line Maybe such a thought with our resolutions should intertwine No new practices set in place, no need for another false start But a continuation of the journey, entering into its next part As thirteen follows twelve the New Year follows the prior The next foot lifted from the firmly planted first that you may go higher May this next year be not a new start but merely the next step And all the lessons learned from the prior year be kept My news year’s resolution this year is to continue to grow To continue to work on the seed that was planted that I may one day sow To continue to listen and be willing to learn To continue to put in place resolutions in turn To continue down the road on which I have been placed To continue to run with endurance this race To continue to fall in love with my Father everyday To continue to him only gives my heart a way To continue to become who he wants me to be To continue to live this life as a “we” 2012 came and from it I have learned 2013 comes and with it a step to be earned Looking forward to the year and the next step that it brings Continuing forever to live for the glory of my King

A complex notion will I give to a heart too big for his big Rib cage

Anne Partridge, Junior, Educational Ministry Major

Tyler M. Griffin, Freshman, History Major

For a smile; A laugh That tears the diaphragm The breathing muscle Is almost dried up His soul weary His eyes nearly shut Soul scratching skin For escape To a higher place Than earth and dust Past the books Of nonsensical woes Past the dogmatic post-modernistic prose! Past the dimensions of time and space To bear a regal and forgiving face! Past the wounds of words And mummified scars! Beyond Bettlegeuse, Canus Majoris And other man made stars! To a place where sweat does not meet the neck Where toil does not lead to heck Where no one feels Like the must choose a sect

Sweet, Sweet Love

Tammy Brown, Sophomore Elementary Education Major Or something Where faces don’t frown When you shake them hips HEATHEN! LIAR! HERETIC! No! Those won’t be your names but, SAINT! LOVER! CHILD! THE FORGIVEN DAME! And those lips Which have been forcibly shut Will finally be opened to pronounce That a mighty Lion is about to pounce And make His reign-in and out! His holy judgment Scrubbing and dissecting Every Terror. Your Terror. Error will find a new name. Perfect. Perfect Redemption. Clean. Relax. Chill. Laugh. SMILE! Rest. Finally. Rest.

Lord, you make me feel like I’m light as a feather, but strong like a warrior. You fill my heart with your unconditional love. My life is full of joy that only comes from you. You stir up the passion in my heart, And ignite the flame when it grows dim. Lord, you fill my steps with grace. I run to you and you open your arms so wide. With you, there’s nothing I can’t do. You blow my mind with your goodness. Your love is not based on a contract or conditions, but on the openness of my heart. I’m speechless in your presence. And, you fill up my senses. Daddy, I sit on your knee, and you lavish me with your love. Your ways are indescribable. Everything you touch turns to pure gold. You look me in the eyes, And tell me that I have beauty beyond measure. You know everything about me, Yet you still love me. You love me and not just what I do. Your love is breathtaking. Your ways are mysterious. You are unbelievably amazing. You spoke into the darkness and said, “let there be light!” You looked at me and spoke and said, “let there be life!” You are amazing and I am in awe of you. There’s nothing you CAN’T do.

A TIME TO EMBRACE PT. 1 FICTION BY LAURA GRIFFITH

Photo by Belgravias

The air was hot and heavy; smoke hung in a layer just below the ceiling. The hum of a large fan mixed with the din of twenty voices and the faint sound of music in the adjacent studio. A thin girl with light blond hair opened the street door, allowing a cool breeze and a shaft of natural light to enter the dark room. “Hey, boss!” called one young man. “Sophie’s here!” The music in the studio stopped and a middleaged man wearing an orange T-shirt emerged. “Hi, Sophie,” he said to the blond girl. “Glad you could make it.” “Hey, George,” she said, her soft voice like a kitten’s belly. “I’ve only got about an hour.” “Then let’s get started,” he said, leading her toward the studio. To the crowd of people lounging in the main room, he said, “While we’re working, why don’t you guys air it out a little in here?” A bearded man stumbled toward him and hiccupped. “And get Todd a cab.” “Yes, boss,” they chorused.

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Entering the studio, George rubbed his hands together and said, “Let’s get to work.” “We’re doing ‘Runaway Train’ today?” Sophie asked, thumbing through a stack of chord charts. “Yeah, we’re gonna try to get it right this time,” George replied, shutting the door. “That’s your mic there, Sophie. Alright, guys, make me proud.” The drummer counted off, and the band started playing. The music had definite symphonic metal tones, but some electronica seemed to have influenced it as well. Sounds of an orchestra flowed from one synthesizer while futuristic, nondescript noise came from the other. Electric guitar backed the music, but the pounding bass drum seemed most prominent. As Sophie’s low, clear vocals began, George smiled, leaning back in his seat and admiring his lead vocalist. “Sorry, guys, but I have to run,” Sophie announced about an hour later. “Come on, just one more run through,” George said. “We can do it this time.” “I already gave you one more run through,” Sophie said, taking off her headphones. “I have a job interview and I can’t be late.” “You’re going to a job interview in that?” the drummer asked skeptically, eyeing her ripped jeans and slouchy Killers t-shirt. “Of course not,” she snapped. “I’m going home to change.” Opening the studio door, she said, “Sorry, George, but I gotta run.” “It’s all right, Sophie,” he replied, dropping her keys in her hand. “We still on for tonight?” The corner of her mouth twitched as she said, “Sure thing, boss,” and passed through the front room, leaving a chorus

of good-byes behind her. At a corner bar on 12th Street, a cab was parked on the curb. In the backseat, the beautiful blonde was applying red lipstick. “Meess, you going to pay and leave?” the cab driver asked, turning to look at her. “I must go.” “Yes, yes, I’ll get out,” she said impatiently, capping her lipstick, dropping it in her purse, and tossing some money over the seat. She opened the door of the cab and stepped out onto the warm sidewalk. Smoothing her hair, she walked into the bar. “Fashionably late, Sophie?” George said, sliding off his barstool and approaching her. “Always,” she replied. “How did your interview go?” “I think I got the job,” she said smoothly. “Does it always reek like this in here?” “It’s just cigarette smoke,” George answered. “I don’t smoke.” “Neither do I, but in my business, you get used to it.” Sophie smiled and said, “Only in your end of the business, George.” “What do you mean?” “I doubt producers at Columbia Records encounter as many chain smokers as you do.” “They don’t encounter as much talent, either.” Sophie shrugged and propped herself on a bar stool. “Are you gonna be available to work tomorrow?” George asked. “It’s Saturday,” she responded. “We need to finish the record.” “I’d rather not work on Saturday.” “If you insist,” he said, sighing. “I’d also rather not talk about work tonight,” she added, smiling. “Let’s

talk about something else.” So they did. All night, until finally they each caught cabs home. As Sophie was applying her makeup the following morning, her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she ascertained that it was her potential boss, Jonathan, calling. “Hello?” “Sophie?” “Yes.” She applied a second coat of mascara. “I was wondering if you could come in and do some work for me this afternoon.” “Then, I got the job?” “Of course,” he said with a little snicker. “What time should I come in?” “About two? And maybe you’ll be off by six.” “Will do,” she said. “See you then.” And he hung up. “Work on Saturdays,” she muttered, opening her closet and pulling out a sophisticated skirt and blouse. “Work clothes,” she added, wrinkling her nose. (End of pt. 1, read the next two parts in the next two issues of Muse, or read it now at: willowtreewords. blogspot.com )

Laura Griffith, Sophomore, English Major

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QBREAKFASTQ C with Beau C O By Beau Stumberg

In my previous reviews (and in the true nature of any Portlander) I have avoided many well-known breakfast joints in town for the purpose of attempting to give Multnomah exposure to some of the great breakfast restaurants our city has to offer. Photos by Matthew Howen

In almost any conversation you have with a Portlander with regards to breakfast, names like Gravy, The Screen Door, and Jam are likely to come up and with good reason. These restaurants, along with a handful of others, are staple brunch locations because they have pushed the envelope with their styles of food, maintained good service, and have simply been around long enough to know what the Northwest is looking for in its breakfast. Most of these brunch spots have a similar feel in terms of menu: fried chicken, locally cured meats, gravy, french toast with a twist, and most things related to southern comfort food. Among these, and usually towards the top of the Portland favorites list, is Pine State Biscuits.

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I have had a few conversations where I have heard others suggest or I myself have referred someone to Pine State for breakfast the response usually being “It’s a place all about biscuits?” with a smirk, I simply reply yes (and usually throw something in there about fired chicken and bacon). Yes it is a place dedicated to the biscuit, and when I say dedicated I mean it. These people have produced what may be the perfect biscuit, then taken simple, seemingly trivial foods like chicken, cheddar cheese, and bacon and combined them in such a way that on any given morning you’re going to see a line out the door and down the side walk. The small southeast location on Belmont, which from my understanding is the original (their second location being on northeast Alberta), is about half the size of Rogers, and the seating area is only half of that. Behind the counter a cohort of people bread chicken, bake biscuits, and put sandwiches together. Standing in line, looking at the menu, you are confronted with the choice of what you want on your biscuit; fried chicken, bacon, eggs, apple butter, pulled pork, fried green tomatoes, and flank steak are among a few of the options. The biscuits, when served, are about the size of your fist and are flaky, buttery goodness. Top that with fried chicken and gravy--you’ve got magic.

These people have produced what may be the perfect biscuit, then taken simple, seemingly trivial foods like chicken, cheddar cheese, and bacon and combined them in such a way that on any given morning you’re going to see a line out the door and down the side walk.

Considering that the Belmont location is only three miles from campus and most of the things on the menu are around $7, why would you not go there? Another notable thing about Pine State is that it has been on the food channel and mentioned in multiple national publications. Some of you will leave Portland and return home, to a place where the food channel will never visit; friends, this is your chance. For those of you who rarely get off campus and are content dreaming of home cooking until May, stop that right now! Go engage the culture of Portland and fill your belly with delicious things along the way. http://www.pinestatebiscuits.com/ Beau Stumberg, Junior, Psychology Major

Photos by Matthew Howen

THE PORTLAND WALL v I am in love with art. I love viewing art, and I especially love viewing the artwork of my friends.The Portland Wall actually began in Seattle three years ago with my roommate at Seattle Pacific University. By the end of our sophomore year we had over 80 pieces of art in our dorm room. When I decided to attend Multnomah University, I knew I did not want to let the wall die out. So I took 10 of my favorite pieces and started a wall-plant here in Portland. Even though I may not have the artistic abilities I would like, I am able to enjoy the gifts and creativity of my friends all around Portland who do have that ability. Whether they are sketches of dreams, landscape paintings, or pictures of bikes, they have become a sense of enjoyment for me as I view them everyday. The Portland Wall has taken its time to develop. So far it is composed of over 30 pieces of art from friends, family, and complete strangers. I hope it continues to grow. So much so that it outgrows the wall in my room. Only time will tell what The Portland Wall will become. But as of right now, I am thankful for what it is. Feel free to contact me if you are interested in making a contribution to The Portland Wall! I would be honored to showcase your creativity. charlie.a.piehler@ gmail.com Charlie Piehler, Senior, Pastoral Ministry Major

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lit snips For this month’s Lit Snip, we have chosen a novel that can be read cover to cover in an afternoon: Sandra Cisneros’ House on Mango Street. Maybe it’s the form of the novel--short one to three page vignettes that build on one another-or maybe its the seemingly everyday events that create an undeniable sense of relatability for the reader but there is something about this book that makes it difficult to set down. There are always books to be read and we sympathize with those whose reading list seems to never stop growing. We also understand that amidst a mountain of required text, even when your brain is in need of a break, it is difficult to devote yourself to a mentallydemanding and time-consuming novel. Though Cisneros’ book is brief, it yields profound conclusions and the poetry meets prose narrative is well worth your time. So here’s another taste and another suggestion. Matthew and Makenzie

They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them. Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city. From our room we can hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t appreciate these things. Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger. This is how they keep. Let one forget his reason for being, they’d all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep, trees say when I sleep. They teach. When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be. Excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’ House on Mango Street

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---BREAK THE---

BLOCK

Portland International Film Festival

February 7-23 Drawing an audience of over 35,000, the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) is the biggest film event in Oregon, premiering more than 100 international shorts and feature films to Portland audiences each February. Audiences can experience a variety of parties, visiting artists, and plenty of festival adventure taking in this feast of cinematic fare. www.nwfilm.org

Portland Center for the Performing Arts Free Noontime Showcase:

Sack Lunch Concerts February 6, 13, 20, 27: Noon

February 11, Noon Antoinette Hatfield Hall, Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Pianist/composer Sally Harmon joins bass player Frank Gruner for romantic music to get you in the mood pre-Valentine’s Day. And what’s more romantic than free? Bring your lunch and enjoy a midday performance. It’s an all-age-appropriate show.

Free concerts every Wednesday at noon -- typically classical music at The Old Church -- a public events and performance space in Portland’s West End 1422 SW 11th Avenue

pcpa.com

theoldchurch.org

Portland Jazz Festival

Talk:

February 15-24

“The Problems of Equivalency in Translation”

The Portland Jazz Festival’s mission is to promote jazz in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland Jazz Festival is an annual, multi-venue series of jazz events presented each February within the downtown area of Portland, Oregon.

February 7th, 4:30 pm

www.pdxjazz.com

Larissa Naiditsch is a faculty member in the linguistics department of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Sponsored by the Russian department. Reed College, Eliot 207

EVENTS ON CAMPUS HOMECOMING

SAVE THE DATE MARCH 11-16, 2013

LOVING THE SAVIOR

A HOMECOMING CELEBRATION: Mark your calendars and save the date for our Homecoming 2013 Celebration. The Multnomah Alumni Association invites you to come home to Multnomah the week of March 11-16, 2013.This year’s Homecoming celebration will have something for everyone, and is especially meaningful as we close out Multnomah’s 75th Anniversary year. If you were a part of last year’s celebration, you know this event is one that you will not want to miss.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK TO INCLUDE: t t t t t t

Alumni awards chapel Class and affinity reunions Faculty appearances Student-Alumni activities Alumni Banquet Multnomah vocal performances

We look forward to seeing you and celebrating our rich heritage together as we continue to fall in Love with the Savior.

1.877.9ALUMNI WWW.MULTNOMAH.EDU/HOMECOMING

Career Services Workshops All workshops are only 45 minutes long and are located in the Student Services Conference room, 2nd floor of JCA Student Center. Resumes and Cover Letters February 6th at 12:30 pm February 8th at 10:00 am Job Search and Networking March 13th at 12:30 pm March 15th at 10:00 am Interviewing April 3rd at 12:30pm April 5th at 10:00 am Resumes and Cover Letters April 24th at 12:30 pm April 26th at 10:00 am

Day of Prayer and Praise March 8th

Spring Talent Show

Thursday March 14th @ 7pm, sign-ups start this month.

Preview Weekend March 14th-15th

Faith and Culture Writers Connection

April 5th-6th. Visit the conference facebook page for more information http://www.facebook. com/FaithCultureWriters

Beautiful Response

April 15th-19th during chapel, talk to Beau Stumberg for more details.

Day of Outreach April 22nd

MUSE

Photo by Matthew Howen