Volume 101 Issue 20

The Collegian Walla Walla University

Volume 101

Issue 20

13 APR 2017

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WHY Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M LEAVING THE CHURCH

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STUDENT MISSIONS

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#THECOLLEGIAN

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science

DEAR READER,

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I hope you enjoyed our April Fool’s Issue. We If you would be interested in responding to the thoroughly enjoyed writing and designing it. This week’s feature or any of the other great articles we have in issue features analyzing the relationship of Millennials this issue, you can send any comments, questions, or and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although it contributions to aswwu.collegian@wallawalla.edu or would have been interesting to look at both perspectives matthew.moran@wallawalla.edu. If you are interested in of those who have left the church versus those who working for The Collegian next year, be on the lookout for haven’t left the church, we will only be focusing on those applications online. who haven’t left the church in order to avoid potentially As always, enjoy and IPFY (i.e. I’m praying for you) incriminating those who chose not to be part of the every day! church. While The Collegian is dedicated to representing many diverse thoughts and viewpoints, we are a part of a Seventh-day Adventist institution and, as such, want to be sensitive to the church that is a core component of this university.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MATTHEW MORAN

CONTEXT

Perspective

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Table of Contents | 02 News | 03 Week in Forecast | 04 ACA/SM | 05

editor-in-chief Matthew Moran assistant editor Abigail Wissink Creative Director Frank Ramirez Head Copy editor Sophia Rich Life editor Micah Hall backpage editor Lauren Wahlen

columnist Joni Harris

news writers Kyler Alvord Lauren Epperson

Fashion writer Angelica Chan

food writer Mason Neil feature editors Michael Jensen Ysabela Ramirez Bryndilynn Goodlyn humor writer Micah Hall religion writer Vixie Bailey opinion writer Yvanna Hammen-Alvarez

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Feature | 06 Devotional | 09 Religion & Humor & Senate | 10 Opinion & #thecollegian | 11

layout designers Anna-Marie Vargas Claudia Curtis Geoffrey Lopes Hannah Chebeleu

Copy Editors Katherine Beckner Amelia Pekar

LIFE

Devotional writer Christina Moran

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Column & Collegian Wisdom | 12 Creative Writing &Culture | 13 Fashion & Food | 14 Science | 15 Sunny Side Up | 16

If you are interested in contributing to The Collegian, speak with one of our illustrious staff members. The Collegian is enhanced by regularly incorporating a wide range of campus perspectives.

Culture/travel writer Darling Su ACA/SM Editor Stephanie Septembre Science writer Jordan Brooks Creative writing editor Mac Ford global service writer Daniel Villarreal

Cover Credit: ASWWU The Collegian is the official publication of ASWWU. Its views and opinions are not necessarily the official stance of Walla Walla University or its administration, faculty, staff, or students. Questions, letters, and comments can be sent to aswwu. collegian@wallawalla.edu or matthew.moran@wallawalla.edu. This issue was completed at 1:00 A.M. on Thursday, April 13 , 2017.

Office Manager AnneMarie Vixie distributor Victoria Ico

The Collegian | Volume 101, Issue 20 | 204 S. College Avenue, College Place, WA 99324 https://issuu.com/aswwucollegian

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NEWS CONTEXT 3

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SEEKS STUDENT SUPPORT KYLER ALVORD NEWS WRITER

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n the age of information, all eyes are on the media as the country continually awaits the next political scandal.

Congressional approval ratings remain unacceptably low—at 24 percent according to a March Gallup Poll—yet incumbents rarely lose reelections. In the Walla Walla Valley, political discord prevails, and local residents have already organized five politically-motivated rallies since Jan. 20, including the “Where’s Cathy?” protest, where demonstrators accused Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of failing to make time for her constituents. In the wake of skepticism toward eastern Washington’s representative, Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart feels confident that he could better serve the 5th Congressional District of Washington state, which includes Spokane and Walla Walla.

In December, only a month after McMorris Rodgers’ fifth reelection, Stuckart declared candidacy for the 2018 congressional race. The district includes a significant eastern portion of the state, spreading from the Canadian border down to the Oregon border, and Stuckart has a lot of ground to cover if he wants to unseat his opponent. “I believe very strongly that we’ve ignored a lot of problems over the last 20 years in our country. …I don’t think we’re

getting accurate representation from our representatives,” he said. “You can come in and try to say you have all the answers and that’s not true. Until you’ve really met people around the district, I don’t think you know the full scope of the needs.” In order to map the concerns of constituents, Stuckart’s team set a goal to knock on 150,000 doors throughout the district before the election.

According to Stuckart, there are a few particular problems that need to be addressed for the good of the region.

“Climate change is one of those issues where we can’t even get to the point in national politics where we admit that we have a problem,” he said, “but if you look at eastern Washington specifically, the climate is affecting wheat prices right now because the quality of wheat [fluctuates] depending on what the climate is.” In his political career, Stuckart has focused a large portion of his efforts on environmental, human rights, and worker rights concerns. “I have a proven track record that when I’m in office, I can get things done,” he said. “I’m the most successful legislator in the city of Spokane in our legislative branch in the last 20 years.” Despite passing progressive policies in an area that many consider red, Stuckart received 63 percent of votes in his latest city council president election.

Alexander Scott, who graduated from Walla Walla University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in history, was selected as Stuckart’s manager for the two-year

campaign. Scott broke the millennial stereotype in college by exploring politics on all levels. By the age of 19, he was elected to College Place City Council, and seven years later, he graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law with a juris doctor. Now, Scott and Stuckart are taking steps to ensure that young people in the district get engaged as the next election approaches—and some of those steps involve visiting college campuses and fighting for millennials’ futures.

“Young people growing up in the United States are living in one of the first generations that’s ever not expected to have a higher standard of living than their parents. That’s a problem,” Stuckart said. “If you’re a millennial, then you understand that even if you get a degree from a four-year institution or a two-year institution, you’re saddled with debt. It’s very hard to get ahead. …Somebody needs to be out there fighting for [you].” Stuckart believes that until representatives open up about these problems, solutions won’t be found. “If we just sit back and say that everything is fine, I think we’re ignoring all of the fears that you’ve had growing up as a young person.”

Students spend the majority of their college careers away from home, yet few engage with their college town politics.

Congressmen have the capacity to influence economic and social policies, and elected representatives will have a say in the lives of college students. In the midst of constant

THE INQUISITR

political debate, it’s important that students know how they can shape the discussion— whether it’s through researching candidates, supporting a campaign, or simply registering to vote.

Millennials pride themselves on making decisions independent from established parties, and this quality could prove damaging for incumbent representatives like McMorris Rodgers, who has won reelections based on her strong attachment to the Republican Party. Stuckart is running as a Democrat in a largely conservative district, but his goal to be a champion for the people could close the gap created by a partybased system. “I don’t know if party matters as much as authenticity and listening to people,” Stuckart said. “I believe that the country and the betterment of the people [should] trump party politics.”

Temporary students and permanent residents of Walla Walla can continue rallying together against government decisions, but the biggest impact comes from marks made on the ballot. It’s up to the voters to research candidates and ask tough questions before Election Day arrives. Candidates rely on volunteers, and those who aren’t registered in the 5th Congressional District can still influence the 2018 election by donating time and energy to a campaign.

ATTENTION ARTISTS: LAUREN EPPERSON NEWS WRITER

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uring Alumni Homecoming Weekend the Atlas will be hosting a silent art auction to raise money for Hope in the Hills, the organization ASWWU Global Service has been spending the year raising money for so that refugees in Rwanda can attend school.

Art submissions are needed in order to make this event possible. Artists can submit up to three photos and five art pieces. If artwork sells for more than $40, 50 percent will be given back to the artist.

We hope to raise money for the refugees while also showcasing some of our very own student artwork and talent.

Please email sarah.fandrich@wallawalla. edu to submit work.

ASWWU

4 CONTEXT WEEK IN FORECAST

WEEK IN FORECAST FRIDAY

THURSDAY

PIXABAY

SATURDAY

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Spring Jam Auditions 2-5 p.m. Sign up online

Easter Crepes 12 p.m. Caf

Tri-College Etiquette and Professionial Dinner 6-8:30 p.m. Young Ballroom at Whitman College

Women’s Softball: Double Header vs.

Washington State University 2-6 p.m. WEC

Holy Week Easter Celebration: Pastor Alex Bryan 8 p.m. University Church

Holy Week Easter Celebration: Pastor Jenn Ogden 8 p.m. University Church

Holy Week Easter Celebration: Paddy McCoy 8 p.m. University Church

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

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PIXABAY

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Women’s Softball: Double Header vs.

University of Idaho 12-4 p.m. WEC

Spring Jam Auditions 6-9 p.m. Sign up online

Student Recital 7 p.m. in FAC Auditorium

Holy Week Easter Celebration: Paul Dybdahl 8 p.m. Mt. Hope

Coming up

Full-year registration opens for Graduate, Senior, and Junior students

Afters Concert April 22

Spring Jam and International Food Fair May 7

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A WORD FROM STUDENT MISSIONS MICHAEL KAINER CONTRIBUTOR

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he question that was posed to me is how my mission experience has strengthened my faith in God. When it comes to faith, the word itself means having the ability to trust even when you can’t see the full effect of your work.

For the past five months, I have been an elementary and high school teacher on the island of Majuro. For the first semester I was teaching P.E. for all grades but recently took on doing computer classes in order to relieve some pressure for a colleague of mine. At our school, the subject areas children have the most trouble with are math and English, so I have also taken it upon myself to hold tutoring sessions in the afternoons to see if I could help bring their grades up. With these responsibilities, along with helping out in the church, it seems like such a large load to carry, but in actuality most of my work has built up gradually.

At the beginning of the year, my biggest issue was keeping my head above water. The older kids were inordinately

quiet and hated my jokes. The younger kids were out of control and couldn’t even sit still long enough for me to explain myself. Sometimes it would take 15 minutes to get through my lesson plans and the rest of the time I was scrambling for ways to keep their attention. Realities were coming at me from all sides, but God was teaching me my first lesson: patience.

coming to class crying before they even stepped in the gym? Now more than anything I not only wanted their respect but their trust. I began to re-evaluate my tactics and try building relationships with my students. Slowly but surely the second lesson was taking its shape: love.

Finally, we have made it to where I am now. All of my classes have their

“My righteous anger had been established, and I was sure that every child knew that when they came to class I meant business.”

Towards the second quarter I had taught everyone to fear me. My righteous anger had been established, and I was sure that every child knew that when they came to class I meant business. But this was the point where I started feeling empty. The children were obeying what I said, but where was the fun during our activities? Why were so many first graders

set procedures. Students know my temperament and have grown accustomed to the way I run my classes. I have stopped concentrating on discipline and more on the lessons that I teach. Now I’m starting to figure out that some problems here cannot be fixed, and I’ve been forced to focus my energy on creating something that is sustainable. I want my work here to

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have a lasting impact, and that means that I have to keep myself extremely organized in order to make the most use of my time.

This has been my current and what I believe to be the final lesson God has been teaching me: endurance.

Paul mentions the race of endurance that we Christians have to run on this Earth. In my mission year it has been in search of purpose and understanding. For you it might be to make sure you pass all your classes this quarter. Whatever it may be, our purpose is one but our missions are many. God has sent us on a journey where each of our individual paths will converge at the same point. You and I may never meet in this lifetime, but when we get to heaven it won’t matter that we never knew each other. What the whole universe will want to know is how God worked through us to deliver his message of salvation. And when you think of it that way, our lives seem so short in comparison to the greater lifetime we will experience with Jesus.

6 CONTEXT FEATURE

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WHY I’M LEAVING THE CHURCH BRYNDILYNN GOODLYN FEATURE EDITOR MATTHEW MORAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER All my friends are heathens, take it slow.

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n a world where at least a quarter of the adult population in America claims to be religiously unaffiliated,1 and at least 48 percent of Millennials qualify themselves as “post Christian” (more than any other generation before them),2 this line from Twenty One Pilots’ “Heathens” seems quite fitting. To be considered “post Christian” means that the person claiming this title is rejecting the title of Christianity, not necessarily the teachings of Christ.3 Rainer Research did a study that showed that 70 percent of the Millennial youth that grew up in churches left by the time they were 22 years old, and 80 percent by the time they were 29.4 Obviously, in our generation, it’s not the popular choice to remain in or connected to the church.

Why are so many people, especially those of our generation, leaving the church and the title of Christianity behind?

Several studies show that the reason these “Dones”—the nickname given to unchurched Millennials—are leaving is less because they don’t believe in God or Jesus and his teachings, and more because they don’t see

how the church is a representation of these things. This is a convincing argument in a day and age where it seems that we hear more about church politics in church than about Jesus. In the face of this, and all the other convincing arguments to leave, why should we consider staying? This week, we will look at the reasons for why some of us are [not] leaving the church—and, in particular, the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Perhaps one of the largest arguments against the Adventist church is the amount of judgmental people who use church doctrines to persecute others.

Conservative Adventists have created a “toxic and oppressive” atmosphere where anyone who differs from their worldview is ostracized and criticized.5 In a study on how Millennials view the church, Jan Sigvartsen admits that young adults don’t necessarily disapprove of the church’s fundamental beliefs but rather “how they were presented or explained to them.”6 Thus, many young adults turned away from the church because of the way the church has treated them.

Unfortunately, we cannot deny these claims and simply must say we are sorry.

The church is supposed to be a representation of Christ and his teachings.

The church is supposed to be “God’s fortress [and] His city of refuge” in a confusing world.7 In ancient Israel, cities of refuge were places where sinners could be protected from the harsh punishments of the law. Even people who “murdered unintentionally”

could “seek asylum” in these cities of refuge.8 The church is supposed to be a place where every sinner can find safety and a place to explore their spiritual journey. The church has failed to live up to these expectations and uphold the love and acceptance as exemplified in Christ.

Despite the church’s failure in reflecting the love of Christ, people should recognize that church is simply a community of broken people. Church is like a “bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes.”9 Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost” and it is lost human beings that make up the church.10 Many people in the church have disguised themselves in a cloak in false humility and tried to pretend that they were worthy of the merits Christ gives to the church. However, at the end of the day, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”11 None of us are worthy of the gift of salvation. We shouldn’t be going to church for the people because if we are to focus on broken humanity, we will constantly be disappointed.

We stay in the church because we believe in the vision for what this church can become. As Alex Bryan reiterated in his sermon towards the beginning of the year, Adventism has the potential to be at the forefront of major relevant subjects that excite Millennials. The church’s beliefs in caring for the land, economic justice,

community, peace, diversity, health, critical thinking, acceptance, and, ultimately, the peace as found in Christ would truly be attractive to many people and revolutionize the world. If we leave the church, we abandon all the beliefs and possibilities that a large organization like the Seventh-day Adventist Church has. By staying in the church, we can play a part in helping our church realize its full potential. While this may seem impossible at the moment, we are supposed to be Christ’s hands and feet to a church that desperately needs to rediscover their mission. If we stay in the church, we can be the small mustard seeds that will grow into mature leaves that will be for the “healing of the nations.”12

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/11/ religious-nones-are-not-only-growing-theyre-becoming-more-secular/ 2 https://www.barna.com/research/five-trends-among-theunchurched/ 3 www.danielharper.org/resourcea.htm 4 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theologyintheraw/2015/09/ why-are-millennials-leaving-the-church-in-droves-part-1/ 5 http://leavingsda.com/seventh-day-adventist-cult/ 6 http://www.adventistreview.org/1510-51 7 https://text.egwwritings.org/publication.php?pubtype=Book&bookCode=RC&lang=en&pagenumber=196 8 https://theisraelbible.com/cities-of-refuge/ 9 https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/42042272searching-for-sunday-loving-leaving-and-finding-thechurch 10 Luke 19:10, KJV 11 Romans 3:23, KJV 12 Revelation 22:2, KJV 1

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FEATURE CONTEXT 7

ALDEN THOMPSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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dventism is a strange creature—but it’s my spiritual home and I like it a lot.

I’ll list six points on the positive side but also three on the negative. After all, like any church, Adventism is a zoo. Perhaps echoing Frederick Buechner, someone has compared church to Noah’s ark: “If it weren’t for the storm outside, you could never stand the stench within!” 1 The Collegian editor suggested that I address the issue in two parts. The first is a straightforward commentary on why I’m not leaving the church. The second is more tangential, more tantalizing. Under the heading, “Rediscovering Worship,” it is a narrative on a special interest of mine, Morning Worship, a daily event meeting each weekday morning in Heubach Chapel.

But first let me tell you why I’m not leaving the church.

1. Deeply religious people need a spiritual home. Some years after his conversion, C. S. Lewis described his tussle between belief and disbelief: “Just as the Christian has his moments when the clamor of this visible and audible world is so persistent and the whisper of the spiritual world so faint that faith and reason can hardly stick to their guns, so, as I well remember, the atheist too has his moments of shuddering misgiving, of an all but irresistible suspicion that old tales may after all be true. . . . Believe in God and you will have to face hours when it seems obvious that this material world is the only reality:

disbelieve in Him and you must face hours when this material world seems to shout at you that it is not all.”2 Even though Lewis is one of my favorite authors, on this point we are far apart. I suspect that I’m hard-wired for faith. The war between belief and disbelief as Lewis describes it finds no answering chord in my soul. Yet I still crave a spiritual home where I can ask my questions and still worship God with like-minded believers. For me, Adventism is that home and I’m not leaving.

2. Jesus is my guiding star. I believe Jesus is the clearest revelation of God. It’s a captivating picture, given us by the four Gospels in our Bible. Many devout conservatives, however, find it difficult to take seriously the differences between the four narratives, feeling that they must somehow harmonize all details into some master scheme. A famous example of such harmonizing comes from Harold Lindsell, former editor of "Christianity Today," who took three full pages in his Battle for the Bible to show that Peter denied his Lord six times and the cock crowed three times!3 Gratefully, Adventism, largely through the writings of Ellen White, has bequeathed to us a view of Scripture that allows us to root around in the four Gospels, reveling in the differences between them, rather than trying to press them into some predetermined harmony. I like that a lot.

3. Adventism allows me to see the same God in both Testaments. Right now I’m brewing up an article with the title “The God of Sinai holds the little children in his arms.” At Sinai, God said that any animal or person who got too close to the mountain must be killed.4 By contrast, Mark tells us that Jesus actually got angry when the disciples tried to keep the children away from him. And Jesus, the God of Sinai, took up

the children and held them in his arms.5 A church that allows us to grapple with those contrasting images is a good home for me.

4. A secular age demands a close analysis of sacred (inspired) texts. Devout evangelical Christians declare that the original biblical manuscripts are without error of any kind, a claim that can easily be disproved—unless one is so in awe of God that one cannot ask questions about the Bible. Adventists believe that Ellen White was inspired like the Bible writers, but with quite a different role. Like Elijah, Elisha, and Nathan, she stood outside of canonical circles, but still inspired, according to our Adventist forbearers. Adventists have Ellen White’s original manuscripts and a model that she has bequeathed us, which allows us to see the differences between manuscripts and between authors and still believe, indeed, to believe more whole-heartedly.

5. God is Judge and Father. Scripture portrays God as both Judge and Father.

Which is more important? That depends.

But Adventism allows us to see both pictures while realizing that it is the Father who accepts us as his children. Again, Ellen White’s writings allow us to trace her development from fear to joy in God’s presence, which is, in a sense, a movement from Judge to Father. Perfect love casts out fear.6 I am grateful that I belong to a church that allows us not only to experience the loss of fear, but also to trace the steps by which one moves from fear to joy.

6. The Sabbath is a gift. Adventists have often seen the Sabbath as a test. But we have good reasons for seeing it as gift. As G. K. Chesterton put it, “All goods look better when they look like gifts.”7 I’m grateful for a community that has enabled me to see the Sabbath as one of God’s good gifts.

But now for the downside: 1. Authoritarianism. My church too easily slips into an authoritarian mode.

According to my Bible that’s beastly behavior. We can do better.

2. Women in Ministry. My church has been far too slow in recognizing the value of women in ministry. A woman was central in the founding of our church. Why do some Adventists try so hard to keep women subordinate to men? I’m puzzled and concerned.

3. Loneliness. In some ways this is a puzzling downside, for I noted under number one above that I have found Adventism to be a spiritual home where I feel like I belong. At the same time, however, I have often felt a deep sense of loneliness in the church because of the twin forces that drive me: an eager desire to explore and the impulse to worship. It’s not easy to find kindred spirits who bring those two together. The explorers tend to be less interested in worship and the worshipers tend to be less interested in exploring. But perhaps I am expecting too much. After all, William Zinsser, editor of “Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir,” noted in the book's preface that “loneliness is the universal plight.”8 In that same book, Alfred Kazin quotes E. B. White as saying that when he moved to Maine from Manhattan, he found himself “homesick for loneliness,” the kind of loneliness he had experienced in Manhattan.9 And on that note, I transition to the second part of my narrative and a topic that has gripped me for a number of years: corporate worship, especially as represented

by Morning Worship in Heubach Chapel.

8 CONTEXT FEATURE

REDISCOVERING WORSHIP ALDEN THOMPSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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everal times during my years at WWC/ WWU, I have participated in efforts to establish something like “College Prayers” on our campus, a time when administrators, faculty, and students could meet for singing, prayer and worship. Until The Collegian editor gave me this assignment, however, I was only vaguely aware of the tradition elsewhere, though I knew that it had virtually disappeared even from campuses that retain a Christian identity. And many campuses have not only seen “College Prayers” disappear, but their Christian identity as well.

When I was academic dean at WWC (1986-1990), for example, the dean at Whitworth College in Spokane told me that of all the Presbyterian campuses founded in America in the late 19th century, Whitworth was the only one that retained a distinct religious identity. Whitman College, across town, is one of those former Presbyterian colleges. Within the last year, it changed the name of its athletic teams from “Missionaries” to “Blues.” Will it someday erase even more of its heritage by removing the name Whitman as well?

Student attitudes both reflect and reinforce the secularizing impulse. Some years ago at a scholarly convention, I heard a religion teacher from William Jewell College declare that a primary goal in his RELB classes has been to strike up enough interest in the Bible so that his students won’t sell their Bibles back to the book store at the end of the term! According to its web page, his college stands in “the Baptist tradition.”10 A few minutes with Google uncovered some intriguing items. Dartmouth College, for example, founded in 1769, maintained both morning and evening worships for a number of years. In 1856 they moved morning worship from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. And in 1863, evening chapel ended. In 1925, all services became voluntary.11 Can one speak of the handwriting on the wall?

But now to a brief survey of key events in the history of “College Prayers” on our campus, a history sparked by the ASWWC spiritual vice presidents in January of 1997. As I sat in the audience listening to them introduce the “Student Week of Spiritual Emphasis,” as it was then called, I was astounded, then overjoyed. “We are changing the name to

Week of Prayer,” they said, announcing a change they had made without consulting anyone. After the fact, the “Religious Interests Committee” (as it was then called) formalized the change and used the “new” language for spring and autumn as well.

I had always suspected that “Week of Spiritual Emphasis” served as a kind of weasel word to salve our troubled Adventist consciences for our avoidance of prayer!

I don’t know how long “Week of Prayer” lasted. But at some point, we moved on to another euphemism, “Week of Worship.”

The spiritual vice presidents also said that the Week of Prayer speakers would be meeting for prayer in Heubach Chapel at 5 p.m. each night. They extended an open invitation for anyone who wished to join them.

At 5 p.m. that evening I eagerly joined the group in Heubach, hoping that at last something like “College Prayers” was coming into existence. I never saw the spiritual vice presidents but several of the speakers were there. I was encouraged. Several who came to those evening meetings decided to continue on after the close of the week and we moved the time to 5:15 p.m. as a better fit. The group was always small but among ourselves we determined that there would always be at least one person present and we scheduled ourselves accordingly. But in spite of our best intentions, sometimes only one person showed up—nearly fatal for a prayer group. We can always pray by ourselves, but when we go to be with others, it is a keen disappointment to be alone.

It is now April 2017, the 20th anniversary of Morning Worship. It’s still alive. While we are eager for our number to grow, we do have a solid handful of people who come because they want to, not because they need worship credit. It is also a special joy when Morning Worship alums return years later, and rejoin our fellowship for one or more days.

But this history would not be complete without four additional comments, one cautionary, one personal, one with more campus-wide implications, and one of a more academic concern.

1. A cautionary note. In telling the story of Morning Worship, I want to consciously avoid two impressions, both of which lie close at hand. First, given my passion and my hopes, it is too easy for me to give the impression that Morning Worship (its current label) is the best (and only?) way to serve God. Second, the related impression is that all the wonderful variety of spiritual opportunities provided by the chaplain’s office and campus ministries are somehow second class citizens. The facts are that Campus Ministries and the Chaplain’s Office provide

a rich array of services and ministries for our students. As a campus we are most blessed.

2. A personal note. To avoid frustration and even anger, I have had to come to see my involvement in Morning Worship as a gift to the campus. Why? Because it fills an often overlooked niche among the rich spiritual offerings available at WWU. I believe we need a fixed time and place on campus where people in crisis know they can come and ask for prayer. Over the years a steady trickle of distraught students—yes, and faculty—have come with urgent prayer requests. I would like for us to nurture that niche. Everyone who comes to Morning Worship helps give that gift to the campus.

3. Campus-wide implications. On Fourth Street next to the Express is a small house with a sign out front: “Prayer House.”

But it requires tenacity if you want to pray there. Last year, in Winter Quarter, I became curious about the Prayer House and began checking there to find out about its usage for prayer. Finally, on the third try (twice the house was locked at the posted times for opening), I found someone there, a student who had been a volunteer for the same time slot since September. Not a single person had come for prayer the whole time that she had been there.

This year no times are posted on the door, but I just happened to find it open one day. The student volunteer was asleep on the couch. So I tiptoed out without troubling him. But I did pick up an “Instruction Card” prepared by WWU Campus Ministries with a host of good suggestions, but most of which would apply to private devotions, not to small group events. Several of the suggestions I recognized as coming from Jon Dybdahl’s book “Hunger,” a book (now reprinted) that has attracted the attention of critics who have chastised him for supposedly teaching spiritual formation and deviant forms of meditation.

One suggestion on the card is to pray in different positions, such as “prostrate (flat on the ground, arms out).” But would I ever prostrate myself on the ground in the presence of a sleeping student volunteer?

Not likely. Indeed, not ever! I wouldn’t do that in front of anyone, not even in the presence of my devout wife.

As a campus we need to put our heads and hearts together to seek God’s wisdom so that we can make good use of our Prayer House. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if our critics could come and pray with us?

4. Academic implications. For many years I was one of the teachers in a teamtaught honors class called Religion in a Social Context. And in that class we dipped into the discipline known as the sociology of

knowledge, with this scary take-away: “Much of what we consider reasonable is simply the consensus of those about us.” C. S. Lewis, whose discipline was English literature, not sociology, captured a lay person’s perspective with this line: “The society of unbelievers makes Faith harder even when they are people whose opinions, on any other subject, are known to be worthless.”9 From a biblical (not a sociological) perspective, Hebrews 10:23-25 tells us the same thing, urging us to “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. . . . And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching.”13 In short, Morning Worship can be one small way to counteract the threat of secularization to church and university.

In Heubach chapel we come together to encourage one other and to affirm those beliefs which are precious to us. And some of the things that are precious to Adventists no human being has ever seen. Those are the beliefs that are most at risk in a secular world. Isaiah’s vegetarian kingdom is one of those, a vision of a kingdom where no one eats anyone else: “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid. . . and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. . . . They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.14 It’s what my church teaches.

That’s good. Very good.

1 See Frederick Buechner, “Nave,” in Whistling in the Dark: A Doubter’s Dictionary (Harper, 1993), 93-94.

2 C. S. Lewis, “Religion: Reality or Substitute?” in Christian Reflections (Eerdmans, 1967), 41.

3 Harold Lindsell, The Battle for the Bible (Zondervan, 1976), 174-176 4 Exodus 19:12-13 5 Mark 10:13-16 6 1 John 4:18 7 G. K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi [“Le Jongleur de Dieu”] (Hodder and Stoughten, 1964), 92-93.

8 William Zinsser, ed., Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. Revised and expanded 2nd edition (Houghton Mifflin Co, 1995), 4.

9 Alfred Kazin, "Zinsser" in Inventing, 72.

10 https://www.jewel.edu 11 https://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/religious/sacred/ rollins/prayer-practice.html 12 Lewis, 43.

13 Hebrews 10:23-25, NRSV 14 Isaiah 11: 6 - 9, NRSV

Much y the is, not ctive rs

DEVOTIONAL CONTEXT 79

STUDENTS STAY IN THE FAITH

bject,

CHRISTINA MORAN DEVOTIONAL WRITER

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asked a couple of students why they chose to stay in the Seventh-day Adventist faith. Here are a couple of their responses:

“

I'm in the SDA church for many reasons. Not all of the reasons even pertain to spiritual things. First off, I grew up in this church and it's rather sentimental to me. I think that my family would accept if I switched religions, but it would make them sad. I wish I could say that I thought Adventists had everything right and that is why I'm here, but I don't believe that one religion does. I think I'm in this church because it is my default, but also because I love my home church, I love how many people are Christ-centered, and I see hope for moving forward.”

Hannah Curtis

“

As Adventists, I believe we have the clearest picture of our Savior. I agree with what Adventism was founded on: searching the Bible for truth and for taking it for what it says.”

Ethan Peterson

“

I used to be an Adventist just because my family was. After some time rethinking my faith, I have decided that I am an Adventist because this is where I have found God. Some of the views of Adventism I agree with, and others I do not. Yet, it is where I see God working, it is where He has led me, and maybe it is where my growth is needed the most.”

Madison Turner

“

I am an Adventist because I need a hope. I need something to believe in, something to keep me going. And Jesus does that for me.”

Michael Flores

“

I would say that my time spent colporteuring was the most formative in grounding me in why I want to be an Adventist. I really saw God's hand at work through all the literature that we shared.”

Tabitha Lee

“

For me, Seventh-day Adventism was something I needed to personally choose and make uniquely my own. Our church may appear more divided at the moment than it ever has before, but I personally believe in its biblical teachings and the beliefs with which it was built upon.”

Sarah Lehman

“

I'm not going to lie and say that being a Seventh-day Adventist was a decision I made on my own. I am SDA because my parents are, and my whole family has been raised in the church.

However, my senior year of high school really put my faith in the church to the test.

I went to a non-denominational Christian school and I was constantly questioned and criticized for keeping the Sabbath, not eating pork, and for not believing in hell.

That's when I did some real searching, and I was constantly reading the Bible to figure out the truth. I would have debates with my Bible class and Bible teacher at least three times a week. It was during this time that my faith in the church was actually strengthened instead of being torn down. I was able to prove through researching the Bible what I believed and be proud of being a Seventh-day Adventist.”

Barbie Chavez

“

Alongside believing in the fundamental beliefs, being a Seventh-day Adventist is a way of life that I can really see Jesus through. Whether it's my diet, way of worship, prayer life, or even day to day social interactions, my Adventist background has influenced my desire for better living. This kind of living is not only beneficial to me, but to others around me.

I've been raised in a Seventh-day Adventist family my entire life, and I wouldn't want it any other way.”

Lucas Marcondes

10 PERSPECTIVE RELIGION/HUMOR/ #THECOLLEGIAN

/////////////// ALL IN VIXIE BAILEY RELIGION WRITER

S

imon Peter: disciple, friend, husband,1 leader of the early Christian church, and complete idiot. Every time something was going down among the disciples, you could bet Peter was in the thick of things.

Mountain top experience? Peter was there babbling about completely irrelevant details.

Walking on water? Peter was ready to go.

Peter was there, talking all the time, pushing the line to see how far he could go, how many times he had to forgive someone,

demanding that all of him be washed. He was loud, out there. He jumped out of the boat, got a little way out and had a panic attack. It seems like he didn’t think before he acted.

But I love Peter because, as off as he was sometimes, he was all in. If he was going to do something in life, he was going to give his everything. He followed Jesus with all his heart. He was the only disciple to follow the mob to see what was going to happen to Jesus. He didn’t even think about the fact that he was going into a dangerous place, he just went. Yes, he denied Jesus, but that isn’t the end of the story.

Jesus stated “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”2 And the early church was very much built on Peter. Peter was the one standing

HOW TO KEEP YOUR YOUTH IN YOUR CHURCH MICAH HALL HUMOR WRITER

I

am one of the one quarter of Americans who is religiously unaffiliated. Like many youth, I walk around in a hedonistic paradise, doing whatever makes me happy, singing “Heathens” by Twenty-One Pilots as I drift off into dreams about Nietzsche and Hitchens.

This puts me in a unique situation to tell you what changes you can make in your local church to bring back the youth who have left. If these changes are implemented, I may even join your church.

1. Give your youth group a cool name like “The Flame.”

While I left the church because I had questions about the existence of God, a lot of youth left because the youth group did not have a cool enough name.1

2. Sing better songs.

Hymns don't really connect with cool youth like me. I would much prefer to go to a church that sang hip songs. Instead of opening church with "Amazing Grace", try switching it up with a newer song like "Dancing Queen" by ABBA or "Take Me to Church" by Hozier.

up on the day of Pentecost, preaching a sermon that converted thousands of people.

Peter was one of the first to share Jesus to the “gentiles.” Peter’s dedication to the work of God pushed forward the movement that lives today as the largest faith in the world.

Peter didn’t think; he simply acted. He was thrown in prison, beaten, and pushed to the limits, but he was all in for Jesus, and there was no turning back.

According to church tradition, Peter was crucified. It’s said that he asked to be crucified upside down because he wasn’t worthy to die the same way Jesus did.3 Peter did not stop to think that that was going to be more painful than an already horrendous death. Because Peter was all in. He put everything on the line for Christ.

I look at the early Christians and I cannot help but feel ashamed. If I met Peter,

I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye.

Here he went through agonizing pain again and again, and me? I cannot even get up the courage to give someone a GLOW tract. I want to be all in, but fear of ridicule, rejection, or minor pain keeps me from doing simple things. I want to be all in, but I think too much and wind up never reaching out.

This beautiful spring quarter, I have a goal. I want to be there for the people around me, even if I’m socially awkward and don’t know what to say. I want to reach out to new people, even if I have more anxiety than a cat in the dog yard. I want to be Peter, to be all in. Join me; be all in.

Desai, R.; Tailor, A Bhatt, T "Complementary Therapies in Matt. 8:14" Matt. 16:18 3 http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/killing-jesus/articles/how-did-the-apostles-die/ 1 2

$46,200

$75,000 $60,000

3. Stop treating women differently than men.

In the Adventist church, women are not allowed to be ordained. This is, of course, just blatantly sexist and bad. While some youth think it is hip to be sexist and bad, a lot of young people are of the opinion that the world would be better if people were not sexist or bad. This is a controversial topic in the Adventist church, but I believe that not being openly sexist would be very helpful in bringing youth back into the church.

4. More snacks.

I love free food. I will go to any event if there is free food. If you want youth to attend your church, just present good youthful food like Cool Ranch Doritos, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, or bagels cut in half.

Hopefully those tips will help your church bring youth back from their hedonistic lives back into your home church.

I hope you had fun reading. If you have any questions, please email me at micah.hall@wallawalla.edu. If you have any concerns, please email my editor at matthew. moran@wallawalla.edu.

I would also return to a youth group called “The Following” or “beLOVEd.”

$45,000

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$60,369.19

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OPINION/SENATE PERSPECTIVE 11

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FAMILY AND LIFE YVANNA HAMMENEN-ALVAREZ OPINION WRITER

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amilies. Some seem steady, some not so much, and most aren’t perfectly balanced.

This last year has taught me a lot about family and life in general.

My first year of college, I was down in Costa Rica studying nursing to be just like my grandma who lived there. During the week I would stay in the dorm and live my campus life and then I’d leave to my grandparents house for the weekends to enjoy the Sabbath with them. Those moments were some of my favorites. We’d sing together for glorious amounts of time, have a Bible study/Bible game, and then eat a magnificent feast of plantains, beans, tortillas, fruit drink, and whatever else my grandma conjured up. The conversations around the table were unforgetable So many times my grandma and my cousins would make me laugh with stories of their dreams, what they had done, and what random joys they found throughout the day. I got a lot of life advice from my grandma in these moments, and I treasure them to this day.

When I came back to the U.S. and realized that my time in Costa Rica (credits-wise) fell through, I was so frustrated.

Yes, I had an amazing time with my family, friends, and new experiences, but this meant I was going to be behind for who knew how long! It was agonizing to have to come to a different university and start all over from scratch. I came to Walla Walla University and didn’t know what to study so I chose

@wwujam

social work because it was always a bit of a hobby of mine. After two quarters, I realized that (1) social workers are amazing and strong people and (2) I wasn’t one of those people. Social work wasn’t for me. I prayed and prayed and a series of miracles led me to the English department. I’ve always enjoyed writing, reading not so much, but definitely writing. As I changed my major from social work to English (secondary education), I remembered that I had once sworn an oath to never ever become a teacher, yet here I was studying to be a teacher; I realized that God had a sense of humor.

While at Walla Walla University, I have been able to go home frequently and spend time with my family and my grandmother who lived next door to us. Seeing her frequently was a blessing. She had a quiet way of her, but the heart of a servant that inspired all around her to be more like Christ and serve everyone. Every Sabbath morning, for many years, she would cook waffles for us before church with a lot of different toppings she had made herself. She herself didn’t worship on Sabbath, but she wanted us to have something special for the day we rested even though she didn’t agree with it. That, my friends, is a heart of a servant.

While I had good times these last couple of years, I was still frustrated with having lost a year of schooling. However, I was finally starting to realize that I was where God wanted me to be.

@ktpalumbo

PEXELS

I still had a question on my mind, however: Why did I need to go to Costa Rica and why was I at WWU? I knew that God had sent me there, but why, if it was to be all for naught? That question was clearly answered on July 6, 2016 when my grandmother from Costa Rica died. The question was answered. I was in Costa Rica to soak in all those moments with my wonderful grandmother whom I will see again soon.

Part of the question, however, remained unanswered: Why was I at WWU? Why couldn’t I have gone somewhere else in the country or the world to continue my education? This too was answered on March 29, 2017. My grandmother here in Washington, who had lived next door to us for numerous years died, whom I will also see very soon.

So what does this teach me? To treasure my times here now and look forward to the times to come. If I were to focus on simply the future, I would miss the blessings that God has placed in front of me now. And if I were to focus on simply the present, I would miss the big picture of life that gives life the meaning it is meant to have. Please, treasure your family. You don’t want it to feel like it’s too late. And if you have lost someone you love, just remember that there is a hope and a God who loves you and those who surround and have surrounded you. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.”1

SENATE UPDATE This week, Senate had two bills in old business and two bills in new business.

OLD BUSINESS: F.L. 10 - Lighting Purchases for ASWWU This bill was tabled indefinitely.

G.L. 15 - Social VP and Marketing VP Swap This bill was tabled for a week.

NEW BUSINESS: F.L. 11 - Mental Health Postcards This bill would pay for Pictor Graphics to design a mental health postcard to distribute in the dorm mailboxes.

G.L. 16 - Campaigning in the Dorms This bill would make it clear that candidates are not allowed to campaign in dormitories without first getting permission from the deans.

If you have any questions about these bills, contact your senator. More information will be available in your Senate update email!

1 1 Thessalonians 4:16

@wallawallaulib

@lady_jobug

12

LIFE COLUMN/COLLEGIAN WISDOM

COLLEGIAN WISDOM

Ben Carson gets stuck in an elevator for an hour during a tour of public housing.

At least the housing has elevators (unlike 1/2 of our dorms).

Alabama Senate votes to allow a church to form a police department.

Only Sharia Law if you’re not a white American.

A woman took her dog to a furry convention thinking it was an event for pets.

Well, they do a certain kind of petting...

Sean Spicer says even Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons.

Hydrogen cyanide no longer considered a chemical, apparently.

Sean Spicer later corrects himself, saying that Hitler didn’t use them against his citizens. He just used them on Jews.

Sean Spicer corrects himself again, stating that he misspoke and Jews are citizens too.

United Airlines forcefully removes a passenger from their plane for not volunteering to be re-accommodated.

United CEO apologizes saying, “Oh gosh, we are the worst.”

FRI-CHIK COMMERCIAL JONI HARRIS COLUMN WRITER

ACT I Scene 1 A white woman is studying in a library anywhere in the United States.

WHITE WOMAN: Furiously scribbling notes, is wearing headphones and is oblivious to the world around her.

A multi-ethnic 1 crowd forms in front of the library as "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten begins to play.

WHITE WOMAN: Looks up and notices crowd, a curious smile crosses her face.

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The crowd grows even happier and is all but dancing.

WHITE WOMAN: Ecstatically joins the crowd that is marching towards an SDA church.

As the crowd approaches the church they are met by men in suits, one of them wearing a nametag that says "Hello, I am Wed Tillson.”

WHITE WOMAN: In a surge of confidence approaches the men. She smiles and hands Wed a can of Fri-Chik she was carrying in her back pocket.

After a moment of tense silence, Wed opens the can with a can opener he had in his suit pocket and then sips the oily juice from the can The crowd and men in suits erupt in smiles and laughter as "Fight Song" starts over for the third time.

1 No Syrians were included in this commercial as they were not allowed in the country.

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CREATIVE WRITING/CULTURE LIFE 13

ADVICE FROM WRITERS, TO WRITERS MAC FORD CREATIVE WRITER

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love reading advice from authors even if it’s published in a book or on the internet, it still feels like I’ve stumbled upon an important secret. The quotes that I’ve picked here are part of a longer list on the blog Daring to Live Fully.1 Annie Dillard “One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place…. Something more will arise for later, something better.”

“It is no less difficult to write sentences in a recipe than sentences in Moby Dick. So you might as well write Moby Dick.”

“A work in progress quickly becomes feral. It reverts to a wild state overnight. . . it is a lion growing in strength. You must visit it every day and reassert your mastery over it. If you skip a day, you are, quite rightly, afraid to open the door to its room. You enter its room with bravura, holding a chair at the thing and shouting, ‘Simba!’”

Maya Angelou “What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks ‘the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.’ And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff.

But I try. When I’m writing, I write. And then it’s as if the muse is convinced that I’m serious and says, ‘Okay. Okay. I’ll come.’”

Her writing process (which she has used for years, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings): “When I’m writing . . . I get up at about five . . . I get in my car and drive off to a hotel room: I can’t write in my house, I take a hotel room and ask them to take everything off the walls so there’s me, the Bible, Roget’s Thesaurus and some good, dry sherry and I’m at work by 6:30. I write on the bed lying down —one elbow is darker than the other, really black from leaning on it— and I write in longhand on yellow pads.

Once into it, all disbelief is suspended, it’s beautiful.”

ESKIPAPER

Stephen King On pacing: “Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. This suggests cutting to speed the pace, and that’s what most of us end up having to do (kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings)…I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever.

Jotted below the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: “Not bad, but PUFFY. You need to revise for length. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%. Good luck.” http://bit.ly/1dWKZ5a

1

A GUIDE TO THIS SPRING’S MUST SEE MOVIES DARLING SU CULTURE WRITER

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ver want to see a new movie but not want to pay the high costs of going to the theater? We all know what you are up to on Tuesdays: $5 movies. That’s correct. You can get a popcorn bucket and a drink for the same price, or you can follow the ritual of the young and broke by just sneaking in food. Seems like a clear choice to me. With that being said, a whole spring's worth of must watch movie awaits. Here is a list of movies you should check out this quarter: “Beauty and the Beast”: Should be self-explanatory right? A Disney animated classic from 1991 comes to live in this live-action movie. A young woman called Belle (Emma Watson) falls in love with a monstrous looking prince

(Dan Stevens), and they live happily ever after. However, the transition from animation to real life is amazingly fascinating with the use of computer effects in this movie.

“The Shack”: You should definitely see this movie because William P. Young, the author of the book it is based on, spoke for CommUnity last quarter.

Created by the producers of “Life of Pi” and “The Blind Side,” the movie portrays a Christian-themed spiritual journey of a father (Sam Worthington) grieving the loss of his youngest daughter. Due to this tragedy he falls into a deep depression, and starts doubting his beliefs in God. After receiving a letter to meet with God at the place where his daughter may have been murdered, named “The Shack,” he hesitantly accepts the invitation.

Upon his arrival, he has life-changing encounter with three people who help him understand his past tragedies.

“Power Rangers”: Relive our childhood with the 90s TV show that features superheroes in colorful spandex.

When a group of five high school students stumble upon an old alien ship, they acquire powers from ancient aliens. With their newfound powers, they are chosen to save the word from a resurrected evil, Rita Repulsa and her aliens. Before combating the alien threat, each power ranger will first have to face their personal life issues and bond together as a team in order to be strong enough to save the planet.

“Fate of the Furious (Fast & Furious 8)”: Unless you have been living under a rock for the past years, you are familiar with the Fast & Furious franchise.

When Dom (Vin Diesel) is seduced by a mysterious woman into a world of crime in Cuba while on his honeymoon, his faithfulness is tested, and Dom ends up betraying the family. Now, the retired

family returns to the game in the hope to retrieve the person who initially formed the elite in the first place.

“The Circle”: When Mae (Emma Watson) is given an opportunity to work for the world’s most powerful tech corporation, the Circle, she soon discovers the company pushes her boundaries of privacy and freedom. In the experiment conducted by the social media company that watches the entire world, Mae’s participation has a great influence on the lives and future of those surrounding her. The movie, which is based on the international best-seller “The Circle,” written by Dave Eggers, demonstrates how social media is not as benign as it seems.

14 LIFE FASHION/FOOD

//// SPRING INTO SPRING FASHION

ANGELICA CHAN FASHION WRITER

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adly, just because it’s Spring Quarter doesn’t mean we’re getting spring weather. It’s been getting sunnier recently, but sometimes the wind hits and suddenly we’re reaching for our jackets. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with our outfits as we wait for the weather to warm up. Here are some of my tips for if you just can’t wait to break out your spring clothing.

1. Go floral. Vintage florals are going to be popular this season, so why not pop some into your looks now? Floral prints are not a surprise for spring, but there are ways to make them more suited for the transitional weather. Dark florals are the perfect blend of winter and spring, invoking the optimism of spring growth while keeping with darker winter colors.

2. Layer it up. Anytime the weather is kind of in between during the changing seasons, layers are a great idea. Your early morning walk to class may still feel like it’s winter, but by noon it may be a beautiful spring day. Throw a button-up shirt over your dress or T-shirt, with a sweater over that. Grab a jacket that you would be comfortable carrying or putting in your backpack if you get too warm.

PIXABAY

JOR SCI

3. Go for brighter colors. I know how easy it can be to reach for a dreary neutral when you've been in a rut all winter, but it's time to enliven your color choices.

Make it a resolution for the month of April to not buy anything else in grey, black, or brown. Instead reach for brighter spring colors—pinks, yellows, and soft pastels are great for spring. You'll be amazed at how much more awake you feel by just throwing on a fresh color!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// THE BEST REUBEN IN TOWN MASON NEIL FOOD WRITER

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he Reuben is one of my favorite American foods. Though its origins are murky and subject to lengthy debate, the most popular theory is that it was created by a Jewish Lithuanian-born man by the name of Reuben Kulakofsky (also known as Reuben Kay). The sandwich was a product of Kulakofsky’s weekly poker games held in the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska.1 However, other theories state that it was in fact the owner of the hotel, Charles Schimmel, who created the legendary sandwich.

Classically made with sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing (composed of mostly mayonnaise and ketchup, originating in New Hampshire), and lovingly pressed between two slices of rye bread, the Reuben has many variations and adaptations. Walla Walla has several restaurants that offer a vegetarian reuben for the large vegetarian community here, so I went on an expedition to find out which was the best one.

WWW.ROGERSBAKERYANDCAFE.COM

GOOGLE MAPS

The Express Pros: Close to campus, inexpensive.

Cons: Never the same.

OK, I have to cut some slack to fabulous workers at The Express, who don’t receive any formal sandwich crafting instruction in regards to the Reuben. If you order a Reuben at The Express, it’s a 50/50 chance that the bread will be toasted. But the $5.50 price is hard to beat.

Roger’s Bakery Pros: Close to campus, nicer setting.

Cons: Same ingredients as The Express, at twice the cost.

The Reuben made by Roger’s Bakery uses mostly the same ingredients that are used at The Express. In my experience, the Roger’s team pays a bit more attention to detail when constructing this masterpiece, so I think you’ll find the rye bread more thoroughly toasted and the cheese a bit more melty. At $8, the Rogers Bakery rendition of the Reuben is still a bargain.

WWW.STONESOUPCAFE.NET

Stone Soup Cafe Pros: Delicious and huge.

Cons: Huge.

The Stone Soup Cafe’s vegetarian interpretation of the Reuben is my favorite in town. It costs $9, but is large enough to feed a small family. Stone Soup uses a delicious, Thousand-Island-esque Dressing and loads the baby with plenty of vegetarian corned beef and turkey between three generous slices of bread.

1

http://www.saveur.com/reuben-sandwich-origin-history

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SCIENCE LIFE 15

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// MARSHMALLOWS & POVERTY: A SURPRISING TAKE ON THE CLASSIC MARSHMALLOW TEST

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JORDAN BROOKS SCIENCE WRITER

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ow long can a child wait for better things? Does their ability to wait stay consistent into adulthood? These questions were first tackled through the lens of modern psychology by the Stanford marshmallow experiment in the late 1960s

by Professor Walter Mischel.1 The study has since become a common cultural talking point referred to as “the marshmallow test.”

In the marshmallow test, children were given one marshmallow and then the experimenter would leave promising they would comeback with another marshmallow in a little while.

They could either in the one marshmallow now, or eat two marshmallows later. By measuring the time it took a child to cave in and eat the first marshmallow, Mischel approximated their willpower through the coined term delayed gratification.2 Through his work, Mischel developed a framework to understand mindsets that lead to success. The ability to delay gratification—to wait longer for the second marshmallow—was correlated to higher levels of success through the rest of their lives, such as better SAT scores, less substance abuse, and better parental report social skills. Since their ability to delay gratification was consistent throughout their lives, the underlying takeaway from this study has been that willpower is an innate factor of one’s identity.

That willpower is statically governed by nature. But how does one’s environment, especially as children, guide the formation of willpower? Is delayed gratification really only an innate characteristic?

In 2012, a derivative of the marshmallow test was done by the University of Rochester that seems to suggest environment actually plays a big role in developing willpower. Using the basic marshmallow set up, the team at Rochester added an intriguing preamble.

They placed one group of children in a reliable environment and another group of children in an unreliable environment. Both groups were asked to decorate a blank piece of paper. The children were given crayons

and then the experimenter would tell the children that she/he would be back in a little bit with more art supplies. After 15 minutes, the experimenter would come back with the art supplies in the reliable environment group, but in the unreliable environment group the experimenter would come back with nothing. After this initial situation, each group would go through the classic marshmallow test.3

The podcast mini-series “Busted” by On the Media, dives into the complexity of poverty in America by discussing the history of poverty and welfare and by addressing the myths we have formed about the poor. “Busted” touches on the finding by the University of Rochester and the empowering change it has potential to make in our social thought.5 While it probably wasn’t the intent of the original research, the

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They found that children who experienced a reliable environment directly prior to the marshmallow test waited four times longer than children who experienced an unreliable environment, 12 minutes compared to three minutes. This finding definitely complicates the previous interpretation of the marshmallow study.

Celeste Kidd, a doctoral candidate who worked on this project states, "Being able to delay gratification … not only reflects a child's capacity for self-control, it also reflects their belief about the practicality of waiting.” If what has been communicated to them based on their environment is that waiting doesn’t come with reward, the best option available is clearly to enjoy what they have been given immediately.4

marshmallow test—or at least its colloquial interpretation—has given scientific license to judge the lives and choices of others, especially the poor. We see a lack of success as revelatory of a fundamental error in someone’s identity. The thought is something like, “If they [the poor] were just better at delaying gratification, they would be able to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and eject themselves from poverty.”

Poverty has dynamic adverse effects on children. Dr. Gary Evans of Cornell University notes in a study on the effects of poverty on children that, “Compared with their economically advantaged counterparts, they are exposed to more family turmoil, violence, separation from their families, instability, and chaotic households.”6 When

children grow up in unstable and chaotic environments, it is no wonder that poverty seems to repeat itself. Children who learn that the world is unreliable at a young age will grow into adults who see it the same way and are unable to delay gratification to attain “success.”

In addition to generational repetition, being poor in America is inherently expensive. For those who have banks, overdraft fees and minimum account value fees make even storing money costly. The only credit line available to them is through payday lenders through which they take out loans with an average of 322 percent. Those who can’t afford the overdraft and minimal requirement fees of banks cash checks at the cost of two to five percent of the check’s value, summing to $40,000 over the length of a career.7 In other words, our social structure doesn’t encourage those in poverty to delay gratification, it teaches them use what they have when they have it.

The Rochester study provides us with a lens through which we can graciously analyze poverty systemically and more effectively empathize with those who are experiencing it. Perhaps we should consider more deeply political and social systems that produce reliable environments that enable all people to delay gratification with reward and that nurture the creation of willpower.

Delaying gratification https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/ willpower-gratification.pdf (accessed Mar 2, 2017).

2 Ibid.

3 The Marshmallow Study Revisited http://www. rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=4622 (accessed Mar 2, 2017).

4 Ibid.

5 Busted: America's Poverty Myths http://www.wnyc. org/series/busted-americas-poverty-myths (accessed Mar 2, 2017).

6 "The Environment of Childhood Poverty."

PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e736582011-002.

7 It’s expensive to be poor http://www.economist. com/news/united-states/21663262-why-low-incomeamericans-often-have-pay-more-its-expensive-be-poor (accessed Mar 2, 2017).

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PRANKING i0i LAUREN WAHLEN BACKPAGE WRITER

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pril is hands down my fave month, so I’m more than a little stoked that March is finally done. Sure, my birthday is in April, but that is definitely not my reason for loving this month; in fact, I low-key always dread my b-day. Like, where am I supposed to look when people be singing “Happy Birthday”to me? Should I comment on everyone’s Facebook posts or is just liking them enough? It’s stressful, man. Nice, but stressful.

And I know Easter is coming up, but I’m not too hyped for that either. I mean, I’m super happy Jesus rose from the dead and everything, don’t get me wrong. It’s just this whole Peeps controversy that always throws me for a loop. Everyone’s so opinionated when it comes to Peeps, and then I’m just chillin’ with no opinion whatsoever. Do I think they’re worse than the devil? No. But do I think they’re better than pizza? Also no. It’s unlike me to not know where I stand on such a divisive topic! I’m a social worker, after all. We gotta lotta opinions.1 Anyways, I love April because my favorite day out of the whole entire year2 is April Fool’s.

Now I know you may be thinking, “April Fool’s is already over so why is this chica writing about it now?” But let me tell you: the best time to prank is after April 1. No one will be expecting it, so it gives you the added element of surprise. I have an older sister, so it was basically my job description as Little Sister to scare/prank/otherwise disrupt Audrey’s life on a daily basis. I got pretty good at it, too. But because Audrey is a little snitch,3 my mom straight-up banned me from pranking when I was 11 years old. I was super distraught for a few seconds...how dare she keep me from fulfilling my destiny? But then I remembered April Fool’s.

It was a legit holiday after all, so it could be my beautiful just-saved-up-all-my-pranks-for-April1st prank and I wouldn’t really be disobeying, I’d just be “observing the holiday.” Gotta love dem loopholes. Basically, I feel like April Fool’s is like “The Purge,” just for...pranking instead of murder, I guess.

So, since I’m more or less an expert in the area of pranking, I’m gonna share my tried and true formula for devising the perfect prank with you. Just please remember this kindness and don’t try your pranks on me. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. That’s gross, and also mean.

Step 1—Pick your target: Think of a friend who’ll be able to take a joke. If you prank a nonfriend, it’d be super weird if they catch you and good luck talking yourself out of that one. If you prank a friend who can’t take a joke, they’ll give you grief for probs the rest of your friendship or literally stop being your friend, neither of which sound like a fun time to me. So why don’t you just prank that one friend that won’t hate you after you prank them? Hint: they’re probs that one guy who always shouts “CHA CHA CHA” after every line of “Happy Birthday.”

Step 2—Know your target: Do they hate tomatoes? Perfect, make the prank tomato-y. Are they allergic to tomatoes? Maybe pick literally anything besides something that would send them to the hospital. You’re a decent person; just stick to the ol’ fake poop on the floor if you can’t think of anything better. It’s lame, and it’s nasty, but no one’s going to the hospital over a plastic poo. Another reason why you need to know the target of your prank is that you want them to feel pranked. If you fill their backpack with Cheetos but they’re the type of person who 1) loves Cheetos and 2) doesn’t care/know about germs, congrats, you just gave them a gift...which basically means you failed.

Step 3—Intensity of prank: This one’s always a little bit tricky for me. You want to make sure that it’s not too intense, or it might backfire and you’ll be left with the mess. When I was in eighth grade, I flipped the childlock switch on my sister’s side of the car, but it got stuck so I was forced to sit on that side of the car for the rest of the year. Wasn’t quite the outcome I was going for. Basically, you want them to notice the prank but you also don’t want to end up in jail. I haven’t been, but I imagine it’s a lot worse than an 8 a.m. biology lecture, and that’s saying something.

Pro tip: if it involves any form of abuse, it’s a no go. I’m helping you prank someone, not murder someone. Come find me if you want my step-bystep guide to murder.4

Ask us about any social justice or interpersonal issue, and we won’t be able to stop talking.

2 Besides June 11 #graduation #finallyfree #ihavenoplans #ohgodnowimstressed #whatdoidowithmylife 3 OK, so maybe I would have snitched too...I added applesauce in her soap and she didn’t notice for like three months till it was all moldy. My bad.

4 I actually don’t have one ‘cause I’m a decent human.

I hope you aren’t too disappointed, ‘cause that might indicate that you aren’t a decent human.

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KANYE WEST CONTEXT 9 NO INFO GOES ON THIS BL

TWO TRUTHS

& A LIE

We’re back for another round of two truths and an “alternate fact” about WWU! Email me at lauren.wahlen@wallawalla.edu and let me know which answer is a lie. The first one to do so gets a free Atlas drink card!

Of all the Adventist universities in the U.S., WWU has the best reputation for accommodating students with learning disabilities.

When our campus was first founded, we didn’t have nice buildings because “Adventists were known for not having nice buildings because we were waiting for Jesus’ second coming.”

CommUnity used to simply be called “Convocation.”

VERBATIM

This a ju Fren abo stud ACA call part

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P “I’ve never been so intimate with so many people.” - Professor Monty Buell, in regards to sharing his experience getting spanked in second grade “This is a socialist Sesame Street.” - Professor Gottschell, on John Locke’s “State of Nature” "Everybody get some." - Professor Carl Cosaert when talking about Ancient Roman Women Hey, hey! Bless you all for the verbatims! You guys make looking at my school email a little less awful. So let me know at lauren.wahlen@wallawalla.edu if you hear a staff/ faculty member say something hilarious or just plain dumb.

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