Volume 101 Issue 12 by The Collegian

The Collegian Walla Walla University

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RELIGION

Volume 101

Issue 12

19 JAN 2017

Student Mission Stories 19 CREATIVE WRITING

SCIENCE

dear reader,

These are a few of my favorite things

I hope each of you had the Thank you for keeping The about Walla Walla University… opportunity to attend the march Collegian alive through your generous on MLK Day. It was an amazing, support, encouragement, and uplifting experience. Speaking of contributions. Without each of you, #1 Try the many places to study on uplifting, I am so excited to share with The Collegian wouldn’t be what it is campus you our special Global Citizenship today. I am excited for our plans this Many people are going to have tests Week issue! You will enjoy many year and I’m so honored to have such a in the next few weeks, so I would like to contributions and student highlights share with you some of my favorite places talented, dedicated team. to study on our Walla Walla University as we feature our Student Missions You can send any comments, newly renovated, campus. One of these is the Livingston Department and ASWWU Global questions, or contributions to Aswwu. small, and relatively quiet), or the Service Department. Collegian@wallawalla.edu or Matthew. Room in the library (located on the Red study nooks in the WEC (where Level...should be easy to find). In order As we mentioned in our Moran@wallawalla.edu. you can switch between working to get to the Livingston Room, go all last issue, 2017 marks the 125th As always, enjoy and IPFY (i.e. out your body and your mind). the way downstairs and then go down a anniversary of Walla Walla University. I’m praying for you) every day. Enjoy! hallway on the left. You will find a bunch As such, we will be having some of private rooms along with the Livingrandom, special tidbits pop up ston Room which has some comfortable throughout the paper, so be on the lounge seating in a relatively private area. lookout for those. One of those is If you are like me, you will love going to be right here, where I’ll be this private, quiet place for studying. Editor-in-chief talking about one of the things I love You can also try studying at the fishbowl Matthew Moran most about Walla Walla University. in Kretchmar (which is not just for engineers), the Biology Lounge (which is

context

ASWWU

Perspective

LIFE

Table of Contents | 02 News & Senate | 03 Week in Forecast | 04 Snapshots | 05

editor-in-chief Matthew Moran

layout designers Anna-Marie Vargas Claudia Curtis Geoffrey Lopes

assistant editor Abigail Wissink

news writers Kyler Alvord Lauren Epperson

Head layout editor Fränk Ramirez Head Copy editor Sophia Rich

Copy Editors Katherine Beckner NOW HIRING food writer Mason Neil feature editors Brandon Pierce Michael Jensen Ysabela Ramirez Bryndilynn Goodlyn

Life editor Micah Hall

humor writer Micah Hall

backpage editor Lauren Wahlen

opinion writer Yvanna Hammen-Alvarez

religion writer Vixie Bailey

VITALIYKRIVORUK

columnist Joni Harris Devotional writer Christina Moran

CHAN & ANGELICA

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.

Fashion writer Angelica Chan 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 2:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 19, 2016.

Office Manager AnneMarie Vixie distributors Jaziel Villalvzo Victoria Ico

The Collegian | Volume 101, Issue 12 | 204 S. College Avenue, College Place, WA 99324 https://issuu.com/aswwucollegian

NEWS/SENATE CONTEXT

BATTLE OF THE BANDS Kyler Alvord News Writer

attle of the Bands, one of the largest ASWWU events of the year, is less than a month away. On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 11, student bands will take the stage in the WEC gymnasium and battle it out for the audience’s vote. Auditions wrap up on Sunday, and four to five bands will be chosen to represent our campus’s talent.

“Battle of the Bands is unique because it allows students to perform a type of music we don’t often see on campus,” Jordan Dubini, one of the event coordinators, said. “We hear from students we don’t normally see up front.” The concert lighting and packed crowd transform the gymnasium into a one-night-only music venue, and the energy in the room rivals Pedrito’s roof-raising benedictions. “It has a different atmosphere than pretty much every other event,” Braden Stanyer, a bassist and vocalist, said. “There’s an intensity to it.”

Election Events @ASWWU

It’s this same intensity that requires bands to start rehearsing long before the battle in order to secure a spot in the program. “We’ve known our songs for a couple of months now and we started practicing as a group right after Christmas Break,” Stanyer said. Previous years’ setlists have included covers from a wide range of artists, including Eminem, The Killers, Ed Sheeran, and Radiohead. Admission for the event is $5 and can be paid in cash at the door or charged to the student’s school account.

ASWWU Confab 1: Feb 8 @8 p.m. in Village Hall Primary Elections: Feb 14 @11a.m. in the WWU Church ASWWU Confab 2: Feb 15 @8 p.m. in the FAC Auditorium General Elections: Feb 21 @11 a.m. in the WEC

SENATE One bill was presented In the last meeting of ASWWU Senate: G.L. 1 - Quasi Endowment Growth Period Shortens the period of time before ASWWU is allowed to use funds from the quasi endowment set up last year. Jacob Patterson and Thomas Moen III presented about ASWWU Video and Photo, respectively. If you would like more information, contact your senator or read your Senate email this week.

WEEK IN FORECAST FRIDAY

THURSDAY

@AGENTSOFCHANGEFILM

SATURDAY

@CUPOFJO

@BESTWEDDING

Jan 19

Jan 20

Jan 21

Agents of Change 7 p.m. Marcy Auditorium at Whitman College

Parkview Winter Ball 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Walla Walla Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March 9 a.m. Alder and Palouse streets

Outdoors Avalanche Safety Inauguration Day

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

Coming up January 26-28 Friendship Tournament January 27 ASWWU Global Service Art Auction Atlas January 29 Paint Night

@ASWWU

January 31 Music Recital: Student Recital 7 p.m.

Jan 22

Jan 24

Free Family Concert and Foodraiser 3 p.m. Cordiner Hall at Whitman College

Auditions for Amateur Hour 4-8 p.m.

February 2-5 Black History Month Celebration

Trivia Night 7-9 p.m. Fellowship Hall

February 4 ASWWU Social Movie Night

Game Show Night 7 p.m. SAC Battle of the Bands Auditions Email sarah.hagopian@wallawalla.edu Black Box, CTC

February 11 Battle of the Bands February 24-26 42nd Annual AAUW Book Sale Marcus Whitman Hotel

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SNAPSHOTS

SNAPSHOTS CONTEXT

PERSPECTIVE FEATURE

Ivory vogt Contributing Writer

SWWU Global Service is working with an organization called Impact Hope for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project to help refugees in Rwanda finish high school. We were presented with several project proposals, but we chose this project because we believed that this organization was dealing with a current and important issue, and we as students could relate with the refugee students and make a lasting difference through education. Furthermore, we wanted to develop a partnership with an organization we could communicate with easily and know our voices would be heard. It is a small organization started by an Adventist couple in Portland, Oregon. Their names are Hans and Mindy Thygeson. On a mission trip to Rwanda, they found out that there are hundreds of Congolese refugees who were unable to finish their high school education due to government mandates as well as harsh living conditions. They also found out that many of the refugees were Adventist, because the area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that is being most heavily affected by the civil war is primarily Adventist. Despite the horrible things the refugees had gone through and their present conditions in the refugee camps, Min-

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dy and Hans described the camps as places of hope and the refugees as having deep faith. These realizations furthered their conviction to start a non-profit by working with the locals at ADRA Rwanda and their own connections back in the U.S. Because of their partnership with ADRA Rwanda and the desire of the Rwandan Union Conference to have a program like Impact Hope, Mindy and Hans were able to negotiate much lower school fees per student which would enable them to send a student to an Adventist boarding school for an entire school year for only around $600. ADRA Rwanda recognized the need for a program like Impact Hope but, due to a lack of funding, were unable to see it come to fruition. Now, because of Impact Hope and the desire of many people who have high hopes and dreams for these bright Congolese students, this gap in their educational system can be filled. When we chose Impact Hope they had sponsored a little over 200 students to attend Adventist boarding academies all over Rwanda. This past quarter, we helped them to send 77 refugees to school. Our hope is to help their organization to grow even more and to provide them with materials and connections that can help them in years to come.

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FEATURE PERSPECTIVE

SAFARI-JEAN PIERRE Contributing Writer This is a letter from a congolese in Rwanda written in his own words.

ear my visitors, I would like to greet you in Jesus name. Firstly, I thank God because he has given an opportunity to meet at this time. Secondly, I would like to tell some of my story about my life. As me Safari-Jean Pierre in Senior 4 CEM (Computer, Economics, and Mathematics). I was born in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1995 but when I was born in that year our parents were faced with the big problem in 1996. There were fights that had come with the different objectives for killing people but they were faced with racism. As they come came and they began to kill them in that and we began to escape in that year then when we reached in Rwanda migration [officers] took us and transferred in the camp called Nkamira’s Refugees which is located in Western Province in Rubavu district. After that. Refugees Migration Distribute us and take some of us to transfer into Midende is Western province. After reaching there, the fighters found them again where they escaped to and started to kill them again when they found out the information about where they were. They came to that place and killed them again and this remained until the rest of the war. The ones who remain also migrated to Rwanda and were put in different camps. When one group of refugees went in Gihembe refugee camp, the other went in Kiziba refugee camp where we live right now. Let me start about my story in this camp. In my childhood I start my study in Kiziba refugee camp, in primary was

-Je a u D n Pie rr is Ad trict e ve nti ste De R

wa n

ker i

Wa 20 lla W 4 Co S C alla U lleg olle n e P ge ivers lac Ave ity e, W

where I start in school. When I reached Primary 5 I leave school because of the problem that I was faced with after that. I returned to school and I studied. When I live in ordinary level I do the examination in 2013, after that I didn’t get an opportunity to go to study when I am home. I heard of a school which is named Hope School located in Northern Province in Gihembe refugee camp. I was moved there to my uncles who like in that camp and I continue to study in Senior four, five, and six in combination of MEG (Mathematics, Economics, and Geography). When I reached the end of Senior six I met the big problem of stopping to do National Examination. After that the government said that the way we study is not allowed and they stopped us from doing it. When that happened I was back at home, after that I was afraid and I began thinking about my life. How my life will be and I had no peace in my life because of not completing my study. After that God sent us to Impact Hope to come to help us and I have hope right now that I will complete my study. Let’s stop there, I have much to say but we will not continue there, English is difficult for me. But you will try to understand what I am saying. Finally, I would like to thank you because you have given us an opportunity to come to listen about my story and what I promise to my parent of Impact Hope. I would like to work hard in my study in order to make them happy and to help others when it is possible, thank you, May God Blessed You!!

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PERSPECTIVE FEATURE

MAHORO JOSEPH Contributing Writer This is a letter from a congolese in Rwanda written in his own words.

ear new friends, brothers, and sisters. My name is Mahoro Joseph, first of all let me greet you in Jesus name. I would like to tell you about my life story as a whole: A long time ago, about 1996, our parents were migrated from (escaped) their mother country because of the wars which fought for the Tutsi race. In this year many Tutsis were killed because of how there were born. The wars led to them to leave from their home land to be refugees in Rwanda. Even now in our mother country the races continue to fight for different races and also our mother country DR (Congo) didn’t accept that we have to return back our country. We are in the sky like disoriented birds, we do not have anywhere to go except to believe in God. The life in our camp (Kiziba) is very difficult for everyone where we have several different problems such as famine, being naked and the most one is about education where we have primary up to ordinary level but advanced level and university is not available for every refugee. That’s why there were many students who gave up their studies because they think that their studies are like a game because when they finished in ordinary level the dropped it down as everyone who didn’t study because they lack sponsorship for paying their school fees. So when they give up their studies some of them became drug takers and prostitutes which makes our sisters to get for unwanted pregnant because they lack occupation. But me as student who was helped by Impact Hope I please ask you to save our brothers and sisters life who are in that trouble in order to save them for their future life. At the end of my life’s story let me thanks you for the action that you prepare for us. So I promise you that I have all my effort in order to reach my future goals. So many God bless you!!!

Ma Ny horo a We bihu Jose ste Dis ph rn Pro trict vin ce

Wa 20 lla W 4 Co S C alla

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FEATURE PERSPECTIVE

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE STUDENTS WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HELPING!

IRANKUNDA CHRISTIAN

INGABIRE CHANTAL

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PERSPECTIVE FEATURE

STUDENT MISSION STORIES

CURRENT STUDENT MISSIONARIES AUSTRALIA Jennifer Sousa BELIZE Josephine Stubbs CAMBODIA Matthew Buell CHILE Trever Hernandez Shintell Izquierdo COSTA RICA Tiffany Nelson DENMARK Kyle Lambert EGYPT Derek Glatts Tatum Shobe EAST TIMOR Julia McEdward Meghan Spracklen

HAWAII MISSION ACADEMY Jenny Landaverde KOSRAE Mayson Ellis LINCOLN CITY OREGON Cassandra Masson LODI, CALIFORNIA Natalia Perry MAJURO Lauren Bosler Kandice Gage Luke Hilde Michael Kainer Kayla Nash Morgan Sanker Matthew Shankel Haley White Mihaela Blackmore MALAWI Mindy Robinson Hope Heaton

PALAU Jaucelyn Carter Jonathan Bradshaw POHNPEI Kyle Carter Coleman Dietrich Michaela Garcia Kyler Morgan Ansel Weber Daniel Wikinson Nathan Zimmerly Nicholas Umali Leighton Edward SAIPAN Meghann Heinrich SOUTH KOREA Summer Kurts

THAILAND Drake Byrkit Thomas Lemon Krystal Loop Alyssa Olson Jackie Berglund UPPER COLUMBIA ACADEMY Timothy Kosaka YAP Jason Scott UNDISCLOSED Andrew Sharley

jordan brooks Assistant Editor One of the products of living in a different culture is a shift in perspective. When I was living in the Philiipines, I found that everyday tasks, processes, and thought patterns are approached differently by those around me, which pushed me to consider my own natural inclinations. The process of being forced to think about the way I approached life, which is a byproduct of my cultural background, was enlightening. The following pieces were contributed by current and returned student missionaries of Walla Walla University. In them, students share their perspectives and ponderings based on their multicultural life experiences. I hope you find them informative, encouraging, and inspiring to live a life dedicated to global citizenship.

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FEATURE PERSPECTIVE

LET THE CHILDREN

COME

MS. BACON PEXELS

Meghan Spracklen Contributing Writer

ey, uh, mom, my wallet’s not here either.” This was added to our list of stolen items including two phones, another wallet, two credit cards, and one driver’s license. We had carefully tucked our bags under a bench on a friends’ porch and were gone less than 10 minutes on the deserted beach but that was enough. Enough time for someone to slip over the fence, the porch wall, past the dog and grab our valuables, leaving just enough so we wouldn’t notice right away. Well, I’m a true SM now. I can cross off the true missionary checklist being sick for a month, getting lice, and being robbed. It took an hour to walk home since we couldn’t call a taxi and I got another dose of what I now call full body blush and I used to call a sunburn. I looked at the beautiful blue sky, the interesting houses and people, and got to have a short (very short) conversation in a foreign language. It was beautiful and exotic and an adventure and I wasn’t enjoying it very much. I thought about how I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my people, or take pictures, or withdraw any money and the sky just wasn’t that blue anymore. The week before Christmas I told my kids that they needed to behave for three days and then they would get a Christmas party. We got to day two and it just wasn’t happening. Teacher and students were both trying to simply survive until break, but I couldn’t let the volume keep rising, I decided to give them a different type of lesson. I took away their Christmas party. The same party I had hyped up for three weeks. The same party that they had strived to sit still and listen in class for. The same party that all other classes in the school would be celebrating without them. And I let them believe this for an hour. They were composing songs of remorse that whole hour. No really. Mishael and Shiza did a duet: “The other grades get a CHHHHRRRIIISSTTMMMASS PPAARRTTYYYY….. but we don’t.” And they repeated

this at least 834 times. Then I explained to them that the reason Jesus came down to earth at Christmas was because He loves us and He wants to show us grace and that I would show them grace too by still letting them have the party. It was dead silent for a moment before Kyle asked, “Why?” and Rere quickly said, “It doesn’t matter why, THANK YOU!” The next instant I was body slammed against the chalkboard as the entire class mob hugged me. That would have been touching and cute-kidlike enough, but then they didn’t let go. They stayed that way laughing and giggling long past what any adult would have held on for. I think the only reason they finally let go was that it was 90 degrees inside and the fans weren’t working. While I’ve had many uncomfortable SM experiences, I’ve had plenty of really great ones too. I still don’t plan on being a teacher but getting the chance to be one for a year was a greater gift and a harder lesson than

MEGHAN SPRACKLEN: Current Student Missionary in East Timor

I anticipated. The amount of love my kids show is incomprehensible. I know many SMs say that, but they show love in an undignified, embarrassing, and raw way that no adult would even know how to show. They have no shame in their enthusiasm. And to be a witness to that is worth my wallet, my phone, and my comfort.

PEXELS

meghann Heinrich Contributing Writer

ey champions, your friendly neighborhood Meghann Heinrich here! Just dropping by to give you all a brief and riveting summation of my life as an SM. I currently live on the island of Saipan, known for exquisite sunsets and unreasonably sized rats (there is no reasoning with the size of these rats… they just started a rat-exclusive fight club, but I’m not allowed to talk about it). I work in a daycare center and my official title is Head Teacher in the Toddler room which roughly translates to “Diaper Master 5000.” Actually, my title is a mildly entertaining story: I asked the children to call me Ms. Meghann, however, my kids are 18 months to three years old so I have relatively low expectations as far as dialogue is concerned. Most days I am “Ms. Bacon” and that’s chill.1

MEGHANH HEINRICH: Current Student Missionary in Saipan

The toddler room is best described as the two year-old manifestation of Katy Perry’s 2008 hit “Hot and Cold.” I witness emotions spanning from genuine heartbreak to inexplicable joy and everything in between all in the span of maybe 10 minutes. At first I found it completely overwhelming and emotionally draining to follow these sweet little persons on their journeys to

impassioned extremes. However, it was just a matter of time before I wised up and took a lesson from Ms. Sai. I have nothing but love and admiration for that fantastic woman. She has had eight kids, so if anyone knows how to handle toddlers, it is that champion. On a more serious note I want to address the ministry I am a part of here. I am not oblivious to the fact that some of you might have mixed feelings about student missionaries, perhaps our efforts could be much more effective on our home turf, perhaps our motives for taking these positions weren’t pure, perhaps we are here to snap a few pictures and call it a day. I can’t definitively prove or disprove those sentiments once and for all, nor do I wish to elicit bitterness on either end of the issue. I will, however, share my own experience: for a major part of my mission experience thus far I wrestled with these self-imposed accusations of convoluted intentions. That was no fun son. At some point I recognized that guilt and Jesus just don’t mix, and I have the power to choose which one I want to spend my precious time with. Along with this revelation came the focus I lacked. Oswald Chambers tells it like it is in his book “My Utmost for His Highest”: “It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God, we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things.”2 Friends, God is good. Beyond that, he is intentional. He knows my strengths and yours and he is itching to use them to make this world a better place. To do small things, ordinary things with love regardless of geographic location, that right there is the cat’s pajamas.

It’s a badge of honor, like I am the female version of Kevin Bacon and Saipan is my "Footloose", and I will affect societal change through dance… just spit-ballin’ here. 2 Chambers, O. (1935) My Utmost for His Highest. Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour and Company. 1

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PERSPECTIVE FEATURE

HYGGE?

EGGS

DON'T HAVE TO BE REFRIGERATED PEXELS

Kyle Lambert Contributing Writer PEXELS

corbin clark Contributing Writer

ggs don’t have to be refrigerated. They actually last a surprisingly long time just out on the table. The things you learn as an SM... The perspective you gain. Serving overseas, I had a truly unique experience which, in the moment, was filled with joy, boredom, curiosity, frustration, anticipation, loneliness, relaxation, and excitement. When I got back, I felt like I didn’t have much to show for my time in Cameroon. It was over. Full stop. I didn’t take enough pictures. I didn’t get to deliver a baby. I didn’t have a spiritual awakening.

CORBIN CLARK: Student Missionary in Cameroon, 2015-16

It took me months to realize that what I had gained was perspective, and by the boatload. It changed my focus from what I wasn’t able to accomplish in my time serving to what I was fortunate enough to accomplish. Learning a new language and experiencing a new culture (with its merits and detriments alike) changed my perspective unquestion-

ably. I was able to rub shoulders not only with Cameroonians but with expatriates of many countries other than my own. I quickly learned that not everyone spoke English or learned it as their first second language (this revelation occurred to me as I watched a Chinese man ordering his food in French at an Indian restaurant from a Cameroonian waiter). Another similar realization was that patriotism isn’t unique to the Land of Liberty. Cameroonians are proud of their country too, believe it or not. So are the French (extremely!), so are the Chinese, so are the Germans, etc. Overall, being around such a blend of cultures not my own, I learned that everyone has some common ground. People want essentially the same things. This has been an invaluable lesson in the short time I’ve spent back in the States. I’ve found that I see people as more like me, especially since their perspectives are much more similar to mine than someone of another flag. It’s helped me get rid of my pride and distrust of others. Everyone’s just trying to get by, be liked, be happy. “United we stand” is more than just a patriotic American catchphrase, it’s an important reminder today that everyone is more similar than dissimilar. My time overseas taught me that those who see another person as their brother or sister have true power to make a difference for the good. This is independent of one’s religion, sexual preference, and (dare I say it?) even political leanings. The golden rule has been right there in front of me all my life, but it has infinitely more value than I would have ever realized if I hadn’t spent all those hours in a hospital in tiny but bustling Buea, Cameroon.

ews media is an odd thing these days. On the one end, you have the old greats, like the New York Times and The Guardian. On the other you have satire like The Onion and Badventist. And somewhere in the middle we have Buzzfeed, attn:, and other oddities. Over the past few years I’ve noticed a trend: Scandinavia keeps showing up. Whether it's Finland’s school system, Norway’s green energy, Sweden’s furniture, or Danes and ‘hygge’, everyone seems to have said something. The truth is, we often see a sliver of the truth. Scandinavian countries may have the highest standards of living, but they also have the highest taxes. Danes are not obsessed with ‘hygge’ and it is not the proverbial ‘fountain of youth’. It’s just a word that doesn’t exist in English. The closest translation is “cozy”. You know how the Walla Walla winter makes you want to curl up next to the fire, maybe with a blanket and hot drink? That’s hygge. These countries aren’t perfect. Yes, I call Denmark “the Danish utopia,” but that’s only looking at the standard of living. Psychological problems are common and families are broken. So what’s perfect? The point is, their society doesn’t have everything figured out, and to compare our two societies is to compare apples to oranges. The Danish society is built on trust. American society is built on our perception of freedom. One thing I’ve learned here is that you can’t just pick the best parts of a culture and patch them into your own. Context is everything, but not everything is in context. However, I think humor can surpass cultural differences. Danish humor is very sarcastic, and very dark. Danish films are a prime example of this. In “Adams Æbler,” a few men are talking about how to deal with birds in their apple tree. Out of nowhere, one of them pulls out a gun and starts shooting the

birds. In the process, he shoots one of the men’s beloved cat. The leader says it was an accident and they move on to the next scene, no grudges. Things can escalate very quickly in Danish humor. What I love about it is that they know the difference between a joke and intention. In politics, the leaders give gifts to their successors. And sometimes there are “inside jokes.” For example, two election cycles ago, the current prime minister had stepped down. When the new prime minister was voted in, he gave her a gift and said he’ll be back for his office next election. He is now prime minister again.

KYLE LAMBERT: Current Student Missionary in Denmark

Now I am not saying that politics should be a joke, especially in a country that is as much of a world leader as ours, but perhaps we could try to see the difference between a joke and intentional attacks. As I scroll through Facebook and various news pages, I see celebration after celebration from liberals and conservatives for roasts and insults directed at the other. It leaves one side full of hatred and the other laughing. If we could see the intention behind the jokes and separate them when need be, then perhaps we could laugh a little more with the opposition. To add to the saying, there is a grain of truth in every jab, so let’s take it in stride and laugh a little.

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FEATURE PERSPECTIVE

THE ABOLITION OF

FEAR PEXELS

christian welch Contributing Writer

ach year around this time, a large Asian country quakes with the world’s largest human migration. This migration lasts nearly 40 days and results in more than 3.4 billion passenger trips. In 2013, one travel website sold more than 300,000 train tickets each hour at this migration’s peak with tickets to major cities selling out less than 20 seconds after release.1 What could possibly spawn such a colossal exodus? In North America, Christmas and Thanksgiving are the primary events that give way to widespread travel. Despite the immense volume of travelers, these “pilgrimages” still pale in comparison to the tidal wave of travel initiated by the Chinese at the time of Chinese New Year. This holiday originated several centuries ago when a mythical monster called Nian threatened the lives of innocent villagers. An old sage encouraged these villagers to try hanging red paper cutouts and detonating firecrackers to dissuade the Nian killer from rampaging. The myth stipulates that Nian was deathly

afraid of the color red. Heeding the counsel of the old sage, the villagers vanquished the terrible monster and now celebrate the event at each Lunar New Year. The Chinese New Year celebration is synonymous with “the passing of the Nian.”

CHRISTIAN WELCH: Student Missionary in the Chinese Union, 2015-16

More than just hanging red paper and detonating firecrackers, this celebration strongly emphasizes time spent with family and the exchange of gifts. In many respects, the occasion parallels Christmas and Thanksgiving festivities. Children are given

red envelopes containing money and many exchange small gifts with one another. Families fuel the festivities by migrating from the cities into the rural towns and villages of their ancestors, sharing traditional food and time together. Fish and jiaozi, dumplings typically containing vegetables and ground meat, are a tradition in China much like turkey on American Thanksgiving. Festive decorations employ red color schemes, much like Christmas decorations. The Western world celebrates the New Year by lighting fireworks and dubbing the new calendar year the next higher number. China adds a twist to their lunar New Year celebrations by associating each year with a Chinese zodiac animal, creating a 12-year cycle. It is believed that those born in a year associated with a particular animal possess the personality traits connected with it. As time passes, they believe it to be bad luck when the cycle swings back to one’s birth animal. Wearing red clothing, ideally purchased by others, purportedly helps ward off misfortune. This year, Jan. 28 marks the start of the Year of the Rooster, an observant and hard-working animal. As the world’s largest human migra-

tion unfolds in China, groups of unheralded warriors toil daily to introduce God’s message of love and hope to this intriguing land. I am thankful that I was granted the privilege to serve alongside many of these fearless missionaries. I learned to deeply cherish my faith from those who gave up their own livelihoods and even suffered imprisonment for the sake of Jesus. While many are gathering with their families to celebrate an event spawned by fear, these same Gospel warriors strive to share a message from Jesus that abolishes fear. Though the days surrounding Chinese New Year witness the largest human migration ever recorded in history, the event pales in comparison to the exodus from this earth promised when Jesus returns to bring His family home. Do you cherish your faith enough that you are willing to do what it takes to spread the Good News of Jesus—even if it requires discomfort?

1 http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/21/travel/gallery/chinanew-year-stats/

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PERSPECTIVE ACA/SM

125th ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHT

STUDENT MISSIONS stephanie septembre ACA/SM Writer

he following interview was held with Tommy Poole, Associate Chaplain: Missions and Discipleship. What is your vision for student missions, say, over the next 10 years? I think that the goal is always to improve the quality of training and preparation, improve the application process and [the] ease and simplicity of that process, [e.g.] the financial sustainability of the program, so hopefully always making that piece easier for students to attain financial [aid] as costs will continue to go up. And then, of course, to continue to make the locations where students go as strong as we can from our side.

STUDENT MISSIONS TEAM Tommy Poole Jeanne Vories Kyle Elssmann Jordan Brooks Karisa Ing Jessica Hall Madie Youngberg Zachri Jensen Jordan Stephan Samantha Schnell Lauren Epperson Katie Hewlett Jaci Allison Rachel Rapozo Cameron Barruga Emily Field Rohini Nageshbabu Spencer Eldevik

Tommy Poole: Associate Chaplain: Missions and Discipleship

In what ways do you believe student missions to be beneficial to missionaries and those they serve? Of course, depending on who you ask and at what point along their journey, [student missionaries] would give you a different answer. Compared to your normal college experience, a lot of what you’re doing is taking in information and going as a student missionary gives you an opportunity to very much give information. You solidify things that you’re learning, character-wise, spiritually, and otherwise. If you’re teaching or working in an area that you’ve been learning in, you have an opportunity to practice it. I think there’s a lot of implications faith-wise to that too. The [faith] equation needs both the consuming and the acting. Not only is it, “You need this for your faith,” but I think it’s more fun. It’s more meaningful. It’s more sustaining. For those that they serve, it again varies widely depending on where they go. Some student missionaries go to locations where they don’t interact with the locals on a super strong level, per say—perhaps they’re working maintenance or at a radio station. So, impact is very dependent on who and where they’re working at. And impact itself is very difficult to monetize

or quantify, but student missionaries have had a long tradition in the Pacific Islands and specifically one that stands out: last year on Pohnpei, the ability to get the basketball team to come for the Friendship Tournament was a highlight for many people. I feel that when there’s more history working with one location it’s maybe easier to see how influence has trickled into that. What would be your response to critics of the sustainability of the student missions program in regards the Pacific Islands and other places where SMs have been teaching for decades? I would largely agree with those criticisms. I can’t really say why we have had the student missionaries program more or less the same on some of these islands for 30 years. There are some schools that have changed and gone to long-term teachers, but if you just look at Micronesia, it’s pretty much been just student missionaries. It’s kind of a problem that’s larger than Walla Walla University. We’re part of a church structure, so we kind of work within that. I would love to see it where these schools did transition to having more local leadership that has come in. That’s one piece that I think it would be great if people took these questions to higher levels. I think at one level there is in leadership this idea that, “Oh, you’re doing service, that’s great.” We don’t need to follow up with any goals or metrics. They’re out there doing good things. Let them do it. And I think that it should go beyond that. So I’d love to see some of those things happen. Again, I’ve wondered myself how can you do that. It’s a big question. What would you say to students considering SM-ing? My biggest message that we’re trying to get out is: Finances should not be an obstacle. We want to help find a way for anybody who wants to go to go. The sooner you start the process, the better. Starting the process doesn’t mean you’re locked in. It only opens more doors. So my biggest thing would be to come in and chat with us. If you’ve ever thought about it, come and explore the possibility.

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RELIGION PERSPECTIVE

PIXABAY

BEING AN SM COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE vixie bailey Religion Writer

3. On the other side of this experience, what is your view of God? “Oh my, it has changed. It is so different and keeps growing. I learned so much from my students. It’s helped me truly see what’s important in life and what matters. It also showed me that that is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Maybe not on Yap, but I want to be a full time missionary.”

n honor of Global Service Week, I wanted to write about how long term mission trips affect a person’s walk with God, but I don’t have much to say. I have gone on mission trips up to a month long, but never more than that. Due to my lack of experience, I interviewed one of my close friends, Lauren Spickelmier. Lauren spent 10 months on the island of Yap as a student missionary. Yap is a small island two miles wide by 16 miles long located in Micronesia in the South Pacific Ocean. While Lauren was there she taught first grade and helped coordinate youth outreach programs.

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4. If you could say one thing to encourage other people that want to SM, what would that be? “It was the hardest year of my life, but at the same time it was the most rewarding. It’s a year where incredible things can happen if you give God the wheel, and if he calls you to it, he’ll get you through it.” PIXABAY

1. How was your relationship with God prior to your trip? “It was rough. Prior to going out, I had a relationship with God, but it was more of a negative one than a positive. I had a very broken view of God’s character and viewed Him as a God who demanded my devotion to Him. I knew my life was empty without God though, and I felt the hole in my life, but I didn’t know what to do to fill it. I decided that the best thing I could do was take a year out of school and figure out what I wanted out of life and my relationship with God. Before I went out, I began praying, ‘God, I’m giving you this year. Use this year to break me, mold me, make me—anything to make me see you.’ I prayed this prayer almost every day of my time over on Yap.”

2. What was the most important moment that changed that view? “While I was there, I had an ongoing Staph infection for most of my time there. The doctors diagnosed it via a culture sample, but they did not have many resources to treat the infection on the island. I had doctors that told me that it was a lack of faith that caused the infection and doctors that looked up what I had on WebMD. It was kind of like a ‘Job’ time. Even though the blisters on my hands, arms, and body were uncomfortable, it never kept me from teaching. It helped me become more dependent on others, and ultimately, on God.”

5. Closing thoughts? “It’s important for people to know that you don’t have to go overseas to be a missionary. A missionary is simply a person that chooses to tell others about God’s love and the truth of Christ, and you can do that anywhere.”

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LIFE DEVOTIONAL

Interview: peter flores Christina Moran Devotional Writer

o matter where we are or what we are doing, God transforms our character to be moulded after the likeness of Him. Whether in a scarcely inhabited island or in the comforts of Walla Walla University, we learn more of ourselves, of God, and we learn different ways to spend time with our best friend, God. For this week, I asked the following questions to Peter Flores, a theology major, who has spent a good amount of time serving God as a student missionary.

1. What did you learn about yourself during your student missionary trip? “I learned about my weaknesses. The biggest one being that I didn’t really know how to love properly. I used to only care about people when I got something out of the relationship. After the expe-

worship WORSHIP opportunities OPPORTUNITIES Here are some options for worship activities on campus this week.

Heubach Morning Worship – Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. (CHANGED TO 1 CREDIT!) Heubach Worship – Tues 9 p.m. (2 CREDITS) Fireside Worship – Thurs 9:30 p.m. (1CREDIT) Hispanic Ministries Worship – Mon 7 p.m. (1CREDIT) Hall Worships – Wed 9:30 p.m. (1CREDIT) Prayer Meeting – Wed 7 p.m. (1CREDIT) Vespers – Fri 8 p.m. (2 CREDITS)

@ASWWU

rience I realize that people with nothing to give you in a friendship or any type of relationship are equally important and deserve the same amount of care.” 2. What did you learn about God? (Do you have a new perspective on God?) “I learned to actually rely on God. Before I didn’t really care. I just cared about doing what was easy and doing what I wanted to do for myself. I almost died more than once over there and those situations put into perspective the amount of reliance I had subconsciously on prayer and an intimate relationship with God.”

3. How did you spend time with God during your mission trip? “The time spent with God really developed during the second year. It started out as devotion time staring at the open ocean since it was in my backyard. Later on it turned into songwriting which I dedicated all to God.”

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#THECOLLEGIAN/ ADS LIFE

work for

@DANIEL_VILLARR

Concert-Planning Spiritual Support ASWWU Spiritual

Art Auction @ The Atlas Hosted by Global Service Profits will go to Hope in the Hills Friday January 27 @ 12-3 p.m.

Peter.Flores@wallawalla.edu

Marketing Director Graphic Designer Global Service

Ivory.Vogt@wallawalla.edu

@ANNO187

Audition for Amateur Hour

Filmmaker

January 24 and 25 from 4-8 p.m. Jon.Nickell@wallawalla.edu or sign up at the Sittner Front Desk

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LIFE FASHION/COLUMN

GLOBAL SERVICE FASHION angelica chan Fashion Writer

fter reading about the Hope in the Hills project, you might be wondering how you can best contribute. Well, a great option is to purchase one of the Hope in the Hills shirts available at The Atlas. The patterned material was purchased in Rwanda, and handsewn onto the shirts by Walla Walla community members. There are tons of different colors and patterns available, and they are all beautiful and unique. The shirts are $20 each, and there are also tote bags made entirely out of the colorful patterned material. All the proceeds go toward the ASWWU Global Service project, Hope in the Hills, which is sponsoring Congolese refugees in Rwanda to allow them to attend high school. You probably have some cash sitting in your wallet right now that you would ordinarily spend on a cute but meaningless item of clothing from some chain clothing store. But by contributing to this cause, you could both help a high schooler in Rwanda get an education and receive an awesome,

good quality shirt. Just as a style note, these shirts are easy to pair because they come in predominantly neutral colors, but they also make a statement on their own. Think about pairing one with some jeans and Birks in the spring, or layering with it this quarter. I think that an interesting article of clothing is the perfect way to start a conversation. It could start out with a friend casually complimenting the patterned pocket of your shirt and end with you bringing awareness to the project. In summary, reasons to head down to The Atlas and get a shirt: • Get a conversation starter • Make a positive impact on someone’s life • Look awesome and unique • Contribute to a good cause

LORD PREPARE ME TO BE A SANCTUARY joni harris Column Writer

ince the late 80s, counties, cities, and states have begun declaring themselves sanctuaries. Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, are a few of the largest cities to do so.1 While there is no legal definition for a sanctuary city because they all differ depending on the policies each city chooses to put in place, they are generally cities that “have policies or laws that limit the extent to which law enforcement and other government employees will go to assist the federal government on immigration matters.”2 One of the most common policies put in place by sanctuary cities is to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to possess a warrant before the city will honor an ICE detainer. There are currently more than 300

jurisdictions that are operating with policies that obstruct immigration regulations.3 While the number of sanctuaries is growing as citizens continue to grow frustrated with the United State’s broken immigration system and recognize a need for comprehensive reform, sanctuaries are highly criticized as well. Many citizens are concerned that these non-cooperative policies put U.S. citizens in danger. For example, in July of 2015 a San Francisco woman was killed by an undocumented immigrant with a felony record. Law enforcement had previously attempted to deport the felon, but was prevented from doing so by the policy the city of San Francisco had put in place.4 Sanctuary cities were a hot topic in the recent presidential debate as well.5 President-elect Donald Trump has stated that on his first day in office he will “cut funding on sanctuary cities that house illegal

immigrants without ever asking them of their documentation status.”6 Trump has also vowed to overturn “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which protects 728,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as minors.”7 This, along with other Trump-proposed policies, could affect tens of thousands of undocumented college students. Because of such proposed policies, colleges and universities across the country have been working to become sanctuary campuses to protect their students. Portland State University and Reed College were two of the first institutions to do so. I believe that Walla Walla University, as a Christian institution, should take steps to ensure that our campus is a safe place for undocumented students. While we may not become a sanctuary campus, there are still things we could do, even as a student body. First and foremost we should educate ourselves on the issue. Emory University is even petitioning

for their school to provide classes that engage the undocumented experience. There are many instances in the Bible that hold us accountable in situations such as this (Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:35, Deuteronomy 27:19, Hebrews 13:2, Zechariah 7:9-10, Ezekiel 47:22, and Jeremiah 7:5-7). So let’s brainstorm. What can we do as a student body to ensure the safety of those who are undocumented?

1 http://cis.org/Sanctuary-Cities-Map 2 http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/06/us/san-francisco-killingsanctuary-cities/ 3 http://cis.org/Sanctuary-Cities-Map 4 http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/06/us/san-francisco-killingsanctuary-cities/ 5 http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Hillary_Clinton_ Immigration.htm 6 http://www.inquisitr.com/3722326/megyn-kelly-dealswith-donald-trumps-sanctuary-city-controversy/ 7 http://college.usatoday.com/2016/12/19/heres-where-thesanctuary-campus-movement-stands/

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CREATIVE WRITING LIFE

voices that stuck mac ford Creative Writing

Here are four writers who have inspired me and shaped my writing. Who would you put in your top four? @ASWWU

1. Ann Patchett I’ve recommended her books in this section all year, and I’ll keep recommending them because Ann Patchett is a master. Whether she’s writing novels or nonfiction, Patchett is emotionally precise, funny, and elegant. Her writing is just flat-out gorgeous. (But don’t always expect happy endings. Just saying.)

2. Amy Leach Fresh, strange, and lilting. Science and poetry melted together. Language like the jumps of a heartbeat monitor—that’s how I’d describe Amy Leach’s book “Things That Are. ” Hearing her read from the book when she came to visit Walla Walla University was magical. There’s something about her nature writing and its focus on wonder that makes me want to start writing, reminds me to approach stories with empathy, and inspires me to keep things a little weird.

3. Kate DiCamillo …was my childhood hero. I read all of her children’s books (over and over) and especially loved “The Tale of Despereaux,” with its sweeping, epic story of a mouse and the way the narrator directly addresses you, the reader. I got stuck on the “dear reader” thing for ages. I even wrote a letter to her when I was nine and, to my amazement, she actually wrote back. I received a postcard written in all caps and kind, telegraphic sentences. I am still just as stoked about this as I was at age nine.

4. George Saunders I just recently read Saunders’s collection of short fiction “Tenth of December” and now I’m halfway through “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” and with every story, I’m continually amazed by the dark, funny, and brilliant ideas this man has. One reviewer said of “CivilWarLand,” “I can’t fault it a single sentence. Every story in this tiny collection made me want to high-five the author with one hand and cradle my hanging head in the other,” and described the tone as “bomb crater soul with somehow but barely still beating heart, nihilistic we’re all screwed so let’s laugh...ness.”1 I would call all of that accurate.

TIM KNOX NEWSHOUR

NORTHWESTERN

CATHERINE SMITH

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LIFE CULTURE/COLLEGIAN WISDOM

COLLEGIAN WISDOM

STUDYING OVERSEAS,

AND LESSONS FROM FRANCE darling su Culture Writer

Attempts to thaw frozen pipes in Milton-Freewater cause two fires. I set fire to the rain.

Walla Walla Humane Society hosts a “Yoga + Cats” event. Meowmaste.

Republican politician told woman he “no longer has to be PC” before grabbing her crotch. In his defense, he said it was a “gig.”

Harambe’s grandmother was euthanized. She died of a broken heart.

Ticket scalper buys inauguration tickets but can’t resell them. Apparently 3 Doors Down has really low approval ratings.

Sir Patrick Stewart accepts role as the poop emoji in “Emoji Movie.” The Picard Song receives an update.

A sheriff who admitted to being a meth addict stole meth from a police locker. The perfect crime.

tudying abroad may be one of the most beneficial experiences for a college student. By studying abroad, students have the chance to study in a foreign country and take in the allure and culture of that country in a completely different way than they are used to. In this article, I highlight Karla Guzman’s experience in Cologne, France, where she joined the ACA program and studied French for a quarter.

How do you think studying abroad helped you achieve your future goals? I think that studying abroad helped me become more fluent in French and it also helped me get out of my comfort zone and become more outgoing. I think that languages are also a great asset for any career, but the personal growth also helps a lot in developing who you ultimately want to become.

Many students feel that the time outside the classroom is the most important aspect of studying abroad. Do you feel this is true? What kind of experiences have you had that would illustrate this? Time spent outside the classroom is a big part of the learning experience. It is important to meet new and different people to have a full experience. It is when you interact with the locals and other foreign people that you start learning much more than grammar. Engaging in conversation with the people at the local market, for example, does not only help in becoming more fluent and conversational, but it opens your mind to new ways of doing things.

How would you describe your ACA experience in one sentence? My ACA experience was life-changing in the best way possible! How did you grow spiritually in a foreign country? I learned how different cultures worship. It was definitely the only thing that I was sure would remain constant.

First things first, who are you? My name is Karla Guzman. I was born and raised in El Salvador and study international communications at Walla Walla University. Why do you think WWU students should study in France? I think most people who choose to go to France do it because they have great appreciation for the beautiful language. In addition to that, they do it to travel around Europe and have new experiences.

the practice of sports, music, and art. For French people, their job is definitely not the most important thing. On the other hand, Americans are always in a rush. Everyone worries about working and promoting all kinds of consumerism, there is barely time to breathe, relax and enjoy life.

What have been the challenges you have faced as a study abroad student? The biggest challenge is not the language barrier, but the culture shock. It was hard sometimes to remember that Europeans put emphasis on different things than Americans do. They tend to be more relaxed and try not to worry about anything. The biggest challenge is to keep your mind open.

Any advice to offer prospective students thinking of studying in France? Keep an open mind, and try to learn as much as you can from others.

What did you miss about the U.S. while you were away? Now that you are back in Walla Walla, what do you miss about the place that you left? I missed good Wi-Fi, but also being constantly busy. Netflix is only good for so long. Now that I’m back, I miss traveling. What were some major differences between the culture here and the culture there? French people enjoy having more free time to spend with family and doing recreational activities. They emphasize

PIXABAY

FOOD LIFE

CUGINI’S ITALIAN IMPORT FOODS

960 Wallula Ave., Walla Walla, WA 99324 // 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tue-Sat

Mason Neil Food Writer

hen European settlers first started moving into the Walla Walla Valley, a group of Italian immigrants built their farms on the northern side of present-day College Place, establishing a part of town that became known as Walla Walla’s Little Italy. In fact, it was an Italian farmer who originally brought the sweet onion seeds with him from Italy that became known as Walla Walla sweet onions.1 If you travel south down Wallula Avenue you’ll pass Cugini’s, a small Italian import foods store in the heart of Little Italy that sells everything from spices to fresh pasta. Cugini’s (“cousin’s” in Italian) was opened 13 years ago by Don Maiuri and Vic Toppano, who chose the location intentionally because of its heritage. Wanting to find some good food without venturing all the way downtown (four whole miles, shudder), I decided to give Cugini’s fresh fare a try.

GOOGLE IMAGES

For my meal I had the wild mushroom ravioli topped with a browned butter sauce. The raviolis are homemade and come with a side salad and bread, weighing in at about $13. With mushroom ravioli, filling can range from overcooked and nearly pureed, to almost raw and disturbingly chewy. These babies found the middle sweet spot and delivered a perfect, mellow punch of flavor. The portions were right and the ambience was charming—you can see the cook and her family prepare your meal from the dining area. All entrées are followed up with a refreshing scoop of spumoni. I enjoyed my first visit to Cugini’s and I’ll be back soon. The food is delicious and does an excellent job of reminding you of Walla Walla’s more recent history, even if onions aren’t your thing. 1 http://www.onionlabs.com/certs/locati-farms

off meal with valid WWU student I.D.

C U G I N I I M P O R T I TA L I A N F O O D S

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LIFE HUMOR & SNAPCHATS

FUNNY ANECDOTES ABOUT STUDENT MISSIONS micah hall Humor Writer

i, Collegian readers. I am Micah Hall. As you may have noticed from the author section of this article, I am the humor writer for The Collegian.1 This week, Matthew Moran2 asked all Collegian writers to write about student missions.3 I have never been a student missionary, so I did some research. What I found may astound you. It astounded me so much that I have decided to never be a student missionary. Here are all the reasons I will not be a student missionary.

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I have no training as a teacher and would be very bad at it. I dislike bugs and many foreign countries have many scary bugs.4 Student missionaries are not always given adequate training to teach children. This is especially true since some SMs are asked to teach multiple subjects and students in multiple class standings.

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The internet is bad in many of the locations SMs are sent. I will not let anything stop me from watching the next season of “Stranger Things” as soon as it airs.5 I hate bugs and some places have scary bugs. Sending students to other countries to teach for free takes jobs away from local teachers who are probably more qualified to provide an education than undergraduate students. Many schools have relatively strict dress codes for SMs and would not allow me to wear my bikini if I wanted to go swimming. Through writing this article, I have realized that bugs are awful and should not exist. Former student missionaries are asked to talk about their missionary experiences, like, once a month after they get back to Walla Walla University. That seems like a lot of work. You have to stay in school an extra year because you were gone for a year in the middle.

SNAPCHATS

If you are considering becoming a student missionary, please do not let my article discourage you. This is only my opinion. Maybe you are the type of person who loves bugs, slow internet, and starting a blog that no one reads.

either have the best year of your life, or you can be one of the sad missionaries that only does a couple bad sermons and then fades away. Either way, it is definitely something you should look into. Do you agree with me that student missionaries can have terrible experiences? If so, direct your fan mail to Micah.Hall@ WallaWalla.edu. If you disagree, please email Editor-inChief Matthew Moran.

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However, if you are considering becoming a student missionary, you should talk to former SMs. Some will tell you it was the best experience of their life and that they got a bunch of Instagram likes while they were gone. Others will say it is terrible and that no one should ever go back to their mission school. A student mission is like roulette. Depending on where God calls you, you will

Note: If this article is too biting of a critique, I may be credited as the Satire Writer. Matthew.Moran@WallaWalla.edu 3 Maybe ACA as well. I do not remember. 4 Some parts of America also have scary bugs and I will not visit them either. 5 If you do not like “Stranger Things,” you can substitute this show for any other TV show. This is a very generic joke and I just chose the TV show with the most themed Buzzfeed quizzes. 1 2

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SCIENCE LIFE

TECH IN THE HEART OF AFRICA Zachri Jensen Contributor

t all started with a call. It was more like a faint whisper really, or a slight nudge in the right direction. It was winter quarter of my sophomore year at Walla Walla University, and I had decided to browse through the list of openings for student missionaries. This was a big step for me; I’ve never considered myself to be very adventurous. That was my sister, not me. She was the one who, at a young age, had gone on several mission trips by herself, without our parents or her little brother. But me? I liked my home, and I didn’t like change. I didn’t like being in situations that were outside of my comfort zone. But there I was, browsing through the SM openings and adding them to my mental shopping cart like they were on a winter clearance sale. Unfortunately, I wasn’t having much luck. There just didn’t seem to be many options for someone with interests in science, technology, engineering, and math. As I kept searching, I stumbled upon an opening for a “computer teacher” in Chad, Africa. I didn’t even know where Chad was. But then came the whisper, the nudge, the calling. Zachri, I have something for you to do in Chad. All it took was 20 seconds of insane courage, and I was in. Chad is not one of the countries that you’ll find on your typical “Top 10 Places to Visit” list, and for good reason. There really isn’t much to see or do, and it can be very hot (up to 120°F on occasion). It lacks many basic necessities like public electricity, flush toilets, paved roads, the Internet, Chipotle burritos, and snow. The Boko Haram terrorist group from neighboring Nigeria has made their presence known a time or two, which is a safety concern. There is also an extremely high chance of getting sick with malaria or other ailments while visiting Chad. Even though Chad may not be a tourist destination, there are still 13.7 million of God’s children that live there. And they deserve some help, because life in Chad is not easy. It is also very short; the life expectancy is 53 years, which is the

fourth lowest in the world.1 Chadians are continually plagued by infectious diseases, due in part to the virtual non-existence of sanitation facilities. In addition, half of the population does not have access to sources of clean drinking water.2 Malaria, the most rampant disease, afflicted an estimated 1.9 million people in 2013.3 Malaria is most dangerous for young children and pregnant women, and because of this, Chad has the second- and third-highest child and maternal mortality rates on the planet,

that works closely with the Loma Linda University Global Health Institute. A few details had changed since I had found that opening for a “computer teacher.” What the hospital really needed was for someone to come and help install an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This was something that I was definitely not qualified for, but I decided to try my best. The task was much bigger than I ever imagined. When I arrived in November, the majority of hospital staff had never seen a

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respectively.4,5 Around 40 percent of children are malnourished, and one in seven die before reaching their fifth birthday.6 There are only 368 physicians in the whole country, and the quality of care is generally very poor.7 Improving the quality of care is not a priority of the Chadian government, as evidenced by the fact that only 3.6 percent of the country’s GDP was spent on public health in 2014.8 Six months after I felt called to go to Africa, I stepped out of a plane and onto the tarmac at Hassan Djamous International Airport in N’djamena, the capital city of Chad. I was on my way to a 100-bed Adventist hospital in the remote village of Béré (pronounced “bear-ay”) in the southern part of Chad. Béré Adventist Hospital was originally built in 1976 as a small clinic by some Adventist missionaries. In 1996 it became part of Adventist Health International, a non-profit organization

computer in their lives. We began twiceweekly, hour-long training sessions that involved learning basic computing tasks like using a mouse and typing on a keyboard. After only two months, the staff moved from not knowing how to turn on a computer to making their way around the software and testing it in their daily workflow. On Jan. 24, we officially transitioned from the old paper-based system and began using the new EMR in all departments. The EMR is the first system of its kind to be utilized in any Chadian hospital. The positive impact of the software has been profound. It has eased the process of recording data, thereby improving hospital workflow and monthly reporting. Notes and prescriptions are now typed instead of handwritten, which reduces the amount of prescriber and pharmacist error. Also, the software provides statistics on the usage of medicines and supplies over time. This

feature solves the problem of depleting the in-house stock of medications, an issue that was frequently encountered in the past and led to many unnecessary patient deaths. In addition, the new EMR provides a new level of security on campus. With the help of multiple security cameras and the EMR’s built-in activity log, hospital administrators have been able to uncover several instances of blatant theft by employees. The new system has also made it possible to find employees abusing the stock of free medicines, which are strictly reserved for emergencies. As a result of these security improvements, the hospital’s revenue increased by 16 percent during the first year of using the EMR, despite seeing fewer patients. To date, over 30,000 patients have been registered with the new system. But this number is more than just an indicator of the success of a computer program. Those are 30,000 people who, thanks to the caring missionaries at Béré Adventist Hospital, have had a chance to receive quality healthcare in a country where that is rare. Those are 30,000 more people who have seen the hands and feet of Jesus working in their community. And most of all, those are 30,000 people whose lives have been touched in a positive way. Further Reading: To read more about Béré Adventist Hospital, please visit the following websites. Béré Adventist Hospital official site: www.ahiglobal.org/Bere/ Blogs of current missionaries: missionarydoctors.blogspot.com weareamissionarybland.blogspot.com zgately.com My personal blog, with recollections from my time in Chad: mzjensen.wordpress.com http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.SDG2016LEX http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.590 3 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.14111 4 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.182 5 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.15 6 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.1097 7 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main.92000 8 http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main. HEALTHEXPRATIOTCD 1 2

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2017 lauren wahlen Backpage Writer You know how some people thought that the world was gonna end in 20121 but then it didn’t so they were like “Well maybe the Mayans just got tired of making their calendar and quit at 2012?” Well, I have my own theory. Now, I should mention that I have a pretty high fever2 so if this theory and/ or article makes no sense, don’t blame me, blame the dumb flu shot I got back in September that proved to be wildly ineffective. Alright, now that I’ve warned you, here goes: I think that the Mayans actually believed the world was gonna implode in 2016, and all our historians/ mathematicians were somehow off by four years. It’s not like I blame them; math is really hard. But still, a little heads-up before the fiasco of 20163 would have been nice. But I suppose there’s no use rehashing the past (it’s not like time machines are a thing4), so I’m choosing to look to the future. And although I’m 100 percent wary about this new president, I’m only going to write super! positive! things! about this new year. So no matter what your feelings are about 2017, try to work with me, people. New Technology: When I was feeling pretty nervous about this new year, I googled “exciting things in 2017” to lift my spirits and all that I saw was a bunch of new inventions. New phones, more virtual reality stuff, weirder TVs, drones, etc... which are all cool, I suppose, if you have the financial capability to actually enjoy them. Meanwhile, I’ll just be watching rich[er] people review them on YouTube to avoid doing my research paper. California: I’m from California, and I honestly don’t remember the last time we weren’t in a drought. Growing up, my parents set a time limit on my showers.

I’d have to pay them one dollar for every minute I went over...which seems drastic, but hey, it worked. Anyways, with all this crazy weather hitting California (aka, rain), the drought is projected to end in most of the state this year, which means they might even get to see some green grass! *single tear* “The Incredibles 2”: Okay, so it’s technically coming out in 2018 but that’s okay because that means we have a whole year of trailers to watch over and over again. I don’t know why it took them this long to make a sequel of the best movie ever5, but it’s all good now. Pixar comin’ in clutch. Obama & Biden: The upside to this change in president is that now Obama can finally spend his time doing whatever he wants, like maybe...starting a podcast with his bestie Biden? I have no idea whether or not he will actually do this, but maybe I’ll be able to start a rumor that will get wildly out of control and pressure him into it? “Sherlock”: I don’t think that I really need to explain how exciting this one is. It’s “Sherlock.” It’s been three years. That’s a long time to wait, especially for someone who has nothing to do with their life besides wait for more “Sherlock.” Which is me. I am that person. I don’t mind admitting it. 1 I do believe in the Lord, but I may or may not have been one of those people...lowkey. 2 If you saw me glaring at you, please note that’s just my sick face and I promise I don’t hate you. 3 Police brutality, Orlando nightclub shooting, Brexit, the deaths of Bowie, Prince, Carrie Fisher, Harambe, I could go on... 4 If you happen to have one and are keeping it on the down-low I get it, but can you please go back in time and make the Democrats nominate Bernie, s’il vous plaît? 5 Meanwhile, Dreamworks be pumpin’ out the “Shrek” sequels. Like really? We needed a “Shrek the Halls” why?

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TWO TRUTHS & A LIE Listen up everybody! I’ve been tasked to come up with a fun way to celebrate WWU’s 125th anniversary from now ‘till graduation...so here it is. I’m gonna list three facts about the university, two of which will be true. Each week, the first student to identify the lie and let me know at lauren.wahlen@wallawalla.edu gets a free Atlas drink. I realize I’m basically bribing you to read my article, but I don’t mind. I’m not above mild manipulation.

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There’s a room under the cafeteria that’s completely filled with bottled water that expired back in 2002.

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The bottom floor of the library used to be a theater, and the audience was what is now the periodicals section.

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The Express used to be a local bar/pub until the college administration bought it in the 1930s, in order to erase temptation.

VERBATIM “God loves me! He’s my homie!” – Professor Linda Emmerson “I have two cousins born on the same day I was. Must have been some family reunion.” – Professor Dan Lamberton “Ben Franklin dressed like a Quaker, but he was no more a Quaker than Madonna is a Quaker.” – Professor Terrie Aamodt

“Shoot the monkey now, ask questions later.” – Professor Frederic Liebrand Let me know if you hear a faculty or staff member say something weird/hilarious/otherwise worth mentioning. Email me at lauren.wahlen@wallawalla.edu

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