Volume 102, Issue 07 by The Collegian

Ne w s p a p e r o f Wa l l a Wa l l a U n i v e r s i t y

Collegian The

Volume 102 | Issue 07

Cat Sculptures! pg. 6

“If you’re cooler than me, I’m hotter than you.” -Omar Afaro, ASWWU Executive VP

November 9, 2017

Last Things First college place, wa | walla walla university

| November 2017 Issue 6

Pomegranate Tacos By Meghann Heinrich I consider myself something of a unique individual. I march to the beat of my own drum. I don’t find myself too bothered by social conventions like traffic laws and/or any commonly held hostile opinions toward Crocs. That said, I haven’t always been this forward-thinking. No, in all honesty, getting to the point where I can block out angry horn-honkers has been an uphill climb.¹ I have distinct memories of learning to drive and feeling pressured to keep up with all of the cars flying past me. If someone passed me on the right, I’d take it as a personal insult to my driving. If someone passed me on the left, I’d feel left behind. There I’d be, lolloping down the highway, regaling my mother (who is the definition of a no-nonsense woman) on the moral quandary of speed limits versus going with the flow of traffic. “Meghann, I need you to focus,” she would say. “I

Hey Thanks!

don’t think you understand, Mother. It’s like I can’t be at peace. I am the learner’s permit version of Jean Valjean. If I speak, I am condemned. If I stay silent, I am damned!”² I’d retort. Meanwhile, as I was waxing philosophical and angering my mother, my sister would be nearly catatonic in the backseat, whispering urgent prayers for safety. All this to say, I was once hyper aware of other people’s perceptions of me, and it was exhausting. That brings me to junior high—a time we can all be at least a little ashamed of. Whether it was your haircut or the name of your email account, we all have a middle school skeleton in the closet. My family had moved from Washington to California a fews years prior to this time, but the adjustment had been painstakingly slow, due in large part to my calculated approach to making friends: step 1, never speak unless spoken to, and step 2, lay low.

Despite my fool-proof methods, the friend-making business proved tricky, so when I got invited to my first sleep-over, I felt like everything was riding on this one night. I got to the house early in the afternoon, leaving lots of time for chit-chat and fun—two things not accounted for in my 2-step plan. Astonishingly, it went exceptionally well. I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was to ad-lib in this new social setting. I was flirting with actual conversation which, for 12-year-old me, was like summiting Everest. Then it happened: the pomegranate incident. We were gathering for supper when my friend leaned over and said, “In our family, it is tradition to put pomegranate seeds in your tacos.” I was stunned. It did not sound yummy, it did not sound sane, but I knew that if I was going to seal the friendship deal I had better not ask questions. Maybe this was an age-old

tradition, passed down from generation to generation. Perhaps this was a rite of passage, like, “Here, eat our weird tacos and be forever bonded with our awesome family.” I went through line building my tacos and came to the last dish full of pomegranate seeds. I bravely took a heaping helping and mushed it into the sour cream atop my tacos. The meal went well, I smiled through the pain and miraculously finished all the food on my plate. Feeling strong, I complimented my friend’s mother on the food, noting how “interesting and pleasant it was to try the pomegranate seeds with the veggie meat.” Everyone froze. I knew I had said something wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what. The mother choked on her bite. Conversation halted. I didn’t know what to say, so I stammered, “You know, like your traditional family tacos, passed down from generation to generation… with the pomegranates?” My friend

started nervously laughing — apparently she had been joking. I was crestfallen. After all the chit-chat and fun, after I had successfully navigated all other aspects of the sleep-over, this was my undoing. I was embarrassed, and everyone else was very confused as to where my elaborate backstory of generational tacos had come from. Fate still managed to smile on me though; we are friends to this day, and I still eat tacos. So, I mean, I think we can call it an unqualified success. 1. At some point you just have to accept that the haters gonna hate. 2. For those of you who might not be familiar with the origin of this reference, in the musical retelling of Victor Hugo’s groundbreaking novel “Les Miserables,” the male lead (Jean Valjean) is put in the compromising position of either turning himself in as prisoner 24601 or staying silent and forcing an innocent man to take the punishment meant for him.

Verbatim “You guys take whatever I say, twist it, and send it to The Collegian.”

“Thank you Walla Walla Goodwill for preparing us for sweater weather at college student prices.”

-Professor Curt Nelson “If you say to someone ‘I just died a little bit inside,’ that’s technically true!” -Professor Kirt Onthank on frequent cell death

“Thank you Maple Counter for the amount of butter in every single menu item. You’re making Paula Deen proud.”

“If we straighten the Tower of Pisa, we could call it the straight Tower of Pisa. However, that sounds wrong. We wouldn’t call it the gay Tower of Pisa.

“Thank you time change for ensuring that I will not see the sun for the next four and a half months.”

“Do you need to reserve the babes in advance?” - Professor Douglas Logan while talking about planning a spring break trip to Mexico.

- Professor Bryce Cole while talking talking about creeping settlement of soil.

“I love cocaine” - Professor Jim Nestler while talking about neurotransmitters Email your faculty verbatim or shower thoughts to meghann.heinrich@wallawalla.edu to be featured!

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November 2017 Issue 7 | walla walla university | college place, wa

Editor-in-Chief Daniella Silva

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Assistant Editor Kate Beckner

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Copy Editors Geoffery Lopes Karli Hart Jocelyn Griffin

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Writers

Layout Design Kyra GreyEyes Sophie Bailey Ashley Henry-Saturne

Feature Michael Jensen Jake Sloop Opinion Parker Bailey Savanna Pardo Food & Culture Daphne Novak Hannah Theil Media & Tech Matt Fennell Outdoor Niqolas Ruud Science Forrest Sheperd History Zachary White Religion Peter Flores

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Cover | Sophie Bailey

EDITOR’S NOTE

Daniella Silva Dear Reader,

In Flanders Fields

Veteran’s Day marks the anniversary of the World War I armistice on Nov. 11, ending the violence and bloodbath of the first “Great War.” With Veteran’s Day right around the corner, we have decided to dedicate this issue to talking about the care and services provided for veterans right here in Walla Walla. We support those who have chosen to serve their country, and we have conducted several interviews with veterans and service members in the area to gain a better first-person understanding of what they face when they try to reintegrate into society. The poll for this week was: “What do you think is the greatest issue U.S. veterans face?” You can read the results on page eight. Because I am Canadian, I also want to make special mention of the brave Canadian men and women serving in the armed forces. In Canada, Veteran’s Day is called Remembrance Day. It is also called “Poppy Day” because many Canadians wear red poppy pins on their clothes to remember those who gave

their lives in service of Canada. The symbolism of the poppy comes from a famous poem, “In Flanders Fields,” which was written during World War I by Canadian medical doctor John McCrae. Poppies grow well on disturbed soil, so the fields in Flanders where soldiers were buried often bloomed with thousands of red poppies. “In Flanders Fields” is written from the perspective of the fallen soldiers buried beneath the poppies. It is a reflection on the fragility of life in war and a reminder of its resilience despite unimaginable loss. You can read the full poem (right).

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

As usual, we hope you also enjoy submissions from all your favorite regular writers. If you have any questions, comments or article submissions, you can email them to aswwu.collegian@ wallawalla.edu. Stay snazzy and have a fantastic week!

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

SCIENCE RED OCTOPUS

For the Love of Octopuses By Forrest Sheperd If you are familiar with the biology department faculty here at Walla Walla University, you are sure to know of Dr. Kirt Onthank, and if you know him, you know he loves octopuses! Dr. Onthank’s research is the topic of this week’s WWU research highlight, a series where I do my best to highlight research that is being performed by faculty or students right here on the campus of WWU. Before we dive into Dr. Onthank’s exciting and potentially groundbreaking research, let’s find out how he came to devote his career to studying these unique marine invertebrates. His fascination with octopuses began while he was a senior biology major here at WWU in 2005, when his scuba diving instructor from Tri-Cities described to him an experience with a Giant Pacific octopus, which can grow to have an arm span of up to 20 feet.1 He mentioned their unusual behavior, including that the species is one of the few to exhibit curiosity towards humans, rather than just swimming away. Dr. Onthank later described their behavior as “almost reminiscent of humans.” After hearing incredible stories about these animals, he knew he had to see them for himself. The perfect opportunity came up as he was going to WWU’s Rosario Beach Marine Lab, right on the waters of the octopus-rich Salish Sea. It wasn’t long until he became quite successful at finding octopuses while diving. While collecting octopuses for his class research project at Rosario, he fell in love with this animal. Around this

time is when he realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life learning about these amazing creatures. Since then, Dr. Onthank has become incredibly knowledgeable about octopuses. Whereas many biologists explore a single question and investigate it by looking at several different organisms, Dr. Onthank has explored a variety of questions, all revolving around octopuses. During his masters program at WWU and his PhD program at Washington State University, he has researched octopus ecology and physiology, including thoroughly analyzing genetic material.

of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, which binds with water to create carbonic acid ions, lowering the pH of the water while it converts the ions into bicarbonate.3 Oceanic acidity is known to have negative consequences on marine organisms by affecting a variety of fundamental physiological processes, including an animal’s respiration or production of energy.4 By sequencing samples of messenger RNA from octopus gill tissues, Dr. Onthank can see what genes are being turned on or off in controlled environments, such as the warmer, more acidic conditions that our oceans

are becoming. This tells us what kind of physiological processes are going on, and we can compare this to octopuses in normal conditions. Under the combination of warmer and more acidic conditions, when compared to only one or the other altered conditions, octopuses are “breathing” harder, yet are dramatically less efficient at using the oxygen they breathe. Genes for aerobic (using oxygen) respiration are turned down, while genes for anaerobic (without oxygen) respiration are turned up. Anaerobic respiration is less efficient, and therefore the octopuses use more energy just to be alive.

Currently, Dr. Onthank is working to understand how octopuses are affected by environmental changes. The oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic and are projected to change even more dramatically.2 Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution over 200 years ago, levels of carbon dioxide have been rising in our atmosphere, and this has had a direct impact on the chemistry of our oceans. Our ocean’s The Red Octopus, Octopus rubescens, is the most common octopus in pH is lowering (meaning it’s getting the Salish Sea of Washington state, and the main octopus used in Dr. Onmore acidic) because thank’s current research. (JERRY KIRKHART, LOS OSOS, CALIFORNIA 2014)

Many of these physiological changes triggered by environmental conditions are facilitated by RNA editing, where the genes of octopus are changed to meet the needs of its changing environment.6 RNA editing shouldn’t be confused with epigenetic changes, where genes are turned on or off; these octopuses are literally changing their genes. In fact, up to 60 percent of octopus RNA is edited.5 Dr. Onthank’s

research may show the first time that RNA editing has been observed in any animal in response to short-term environmental change. These changes that Dr. Onthank has observed have major implications for the future of these incredible organisms. With changing ocean acidity and warmer waters, octopuses will likely continue to exhibit more of these stress responses and require more energy to do the same activities. His work sheds light on the very real impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on the organisms we are sharing this planet with and the importance of us reducing the footprint that we leave behind, including in the air.

1. Cosgrove, James Albert, and N. G. McDaniel. Super Suckers: The Giant Pacific Octopus and Other Cephalopods of the Pacific Coast. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Pub., 2009. Print. 2. Barry, J. P. “Atmospheric CO2 Targets for Ocean Acidification Perturbation.” Guide to Best Practices for Ocean Acidification Research and Data Reporting. Luxembourg: European Union, 2010. 53-66. Print. 3. “Ocean Acidification.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, Nov. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2017. <http://www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-acidification>. 4. “A Primer on PH.” PMEL Carbon Program. NOAA, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2017. <https://pmel.noaa.gov/co2/ story/A+primer+on+pH>. 5. Liscovitch-Brauer, Noa., et Al. “Trade-off between Transcriptome Plasticity and Genome Evolution in Cephalopods.” Cell 169.2 (2017): n. pag. Web. 05 Nov. 2017. 6. ibid.

Forrest Sheperd is a biology major.

COLLEGIAN WISDOM Psychologist: Listening To Christmas Music Too Early Can Harm Your Mental Health Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, I’m headed for insanity. There’s Now an App That Tells You If McDonald’s Ice Cream Machine Is Broken Update: the app is broken too Stop taking smartphone snapshots during Mass, pope says #NotBlessed Court rules zoo can’t let kids swim with crocodiles anymore Just go to Florida, there’s plenty of gators for you to swim with in the lakes Man in Thailand dies from hypothermia after going to bed with three fans No, not that kind of fan

SENATE F.L. 5, 6 are the new proposed budgets for ASWWU 2017-2018 Senate meets Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. in WEC 217

ASWWU JOBS

Wisconsin Legislators Approve Bill That Would Make it Legal for Toddlers to Hunt With Guns Finally our children can pull their weight during a hunt

Spiritual Team Member

Police Department Threatens Criminals With ‘Stranger Things’ Spoilers Whatever happened to not inflicting cruel and unusual punishment?

Layout Designer for Mt. Ash

Scribe for Senate Copy Editor for Mt. Ash

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| November 2017 Issue 7

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INTERVIEW IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS WITH VETS

Interview with Shane Butler Many of us have trouble simply adjusting to life after high school: it might be your first time away from home, there are new, adult responsibilities and, of course, much more homework. But for others there’s the added stress of being a veteran and adjusting to civilian life. Shane Butler, a religion major with two business minors at Walla Walla University, is a veteran. He served in the Washington National Guard, beginning in 2005, for 2 ½ years, in the Idaho National Guard in 2008 and was deployed to Iraq from 2010-11. Shane originally came to WWU for engineering but was eventually encouraged to pursue religious studies. He wants to continue serving but in new and different forms. He feels that God has put him in a position where he can benefit others and wants to continue to connect with, help, and be a friend to others. Daniella Silva: Was it difficult readjusting to civilian life? Shane Butler: Yes, I got here and was struggling with civilian life in general. I didn’t get any counseling, any transitional training. The transition from leaving the military—for service members going into civilian life—is very harsh, and it’s not easy because there’s not a lot of support. There’s support, but it’s not enough in the sense that you’re taught and trained and warped to think and act and do certain things. Your mind is essentially broken down and then built back up in order for you to be able to operate—function—the way the military needs you to operate and function. You’ve been living a life where that’s all you know and that’s all your mentality is. So, when I didn’t have structure other than what I tried to create for myself, I didn’t have any accountability. It was real easy for me to start losing grip on homework, studies… so I got stressed out quite easily—I had a lot of anxiety. I still had PTS— what most people know as PTSD. It’s not a disorder, it’s just post traumatic stress, and that’s what we’ve been trained to call it with the job I have now. It’s not a disorder; it’s something you experience because a lot of other people actually have experiences that could be labeled as PTS—the post traumatic stress that has occurred from an event. Childhood abuse is one of those things. The same label can be put on it, but you wouldn’t consider somebody who went through something like that to have a disorder— they were just abused as a child. When it comes to service members, it’s the same concept, but it’s all about eliminating the stereotypes. I had an issue with the stress that I experienced from being overseas and the high-tempo, fast-pace workload that we carry. When I came back and started going to school, I struggled even more to the point where I failed out. Then I finally got some counseling, finally got some assistance. I talked to a gentleman here in the counseling department who really helped me make some strides, but by that time it was too late. I left for two quarters and then came back to start going to the community college, but I had friends who were still going here that kept encouraging me to try to come back to school, and that was one of the biggest things that kind of helped push me in this direction. DS: What can civilians who may have never served in the military do to help make the transition to civilian life easier? SB: I am currently working for an organization called the Vet Corps, and the Vet Corps is an institute within Amer-

icorps here in Washington state that works directly with the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs. … This program was established and has been run on the premise that we are a support group within Washington that is stationed at college campuses to veterans that are transitioning from the military into civilian life. It helps them navigate that system, being an outlet for them if they need somebody to talk to, need to connect with a specific organization, need to talk to a counselor—whatever it might be. We are basically a resource. One of those things also includes talking and being with somebody who might be contemplating suicide. I went through some training for that. I’m not an expert, but [I am also] a person who experienced the harsh transition from military to civilian life and not being connected with people and actually turning to my own sources of relief, which was alcohol. Realistically, there’s a massive disconnect between the military and any civilian support organizations upon a soldier’s release. ...The soldiers being released are basically on their own to try and navigate to these organizations. And the reason why is because these organizations and this organization are not connected. They realistically don’t talk to each other. So there are a number of support groups or teams and organizations all over the United States from Wounded Warrior to even the littlest, like, there’s a guy based out of Tri-Cities who takes veterans out to go fish. It’s called Project Healing Waters. That’s a great example of a civilian support group. However, no matter who’s running that, they can’t connect with these service members and know when they’re being released and where they’re being released to.

of record.’” The military keeps what they call the home of record, so when I enlisted, my home of record was the address I gave them when I first joined. They keep those records, they know, but again, it comes down to whether or not they have the manpower and the efforts to go through and give that information to the VA and civilian organizations. … The people are there, the organizations are there, but there’s no way to know. And that’s the problem. … it’s a waiting game [at Vet Corps] ’cause we have to wait and see if veterans are coming to us. At the community college where I’m working, we sit down, and we just wait. Are they coming to enroll in school? If they do, then we can help them. We can work with them, but they may not come in right away. Someone might have been released, let’s say in April this year, and now they’re coming to us because they want to start school

SB: Often yes, I think so. See, that’s the thing, there’s a lot of care and a lot of support for vets. The VA gets a bad rap and, to be honest, that’s mainly because it’s run very bureaucratically. There’s too many politics run within the actual organization which causes a lack of support at times. DS: Then is it just a matter of getting through the system— all the steps and processes? SB: I have to be careful what I say. Service members I have talked to who have experienced the process of trying to receive benefits, support or health evaluations from the VA directly, have experienced difficulties when trying to navigate the system and have often abandoned the system due to the lack of the help that they have received. I’m not trying to badmouth the VA. I can’t, realistically. There are flaws. It’s like any organizational system—there

DS: Is it illegal for them to get that information? SB: It’s not illegal. The United States military just doesn’t have the manpower or funds to realistically hire specific teams or have specific individuals only working on transitioning service members out of the Shane Butler, a religion major with two business minors at Walla Walla University, is a veteran. He military, that’s not served in the Washington National Guard from 2005 for two and a half years. their prerogative. Their job is to break people in, will be flaws and unfortunately the winter quarter. There’s that gap train them, utilize them, and once flaws are a major detriment to the there between April and now when they’re released, they’re gone. They individuals that need help or that they’re first connecting with us. can’t afford the effort, the time, that need support and so that is kind of Who knows who they were conthey would need to put in for that the sad thing with the VA not quite necting with. Maybe they weren’t transition. They’re there to fight helping at times. But at the same connecting with anyone. Maybe wars—to win wars. time, there’s a lot of help that the they were going through some realI was talking with the program VA provides. However, there are ly rough patches. You never know. lead for Vet Corps. … He said the individuals who have not received The only way to fix that would be problem was really about asking, some of the support that they need. to connect these organizations with “Is there a way that we could bridge the military and with the men and DS: When you do leave the military, that gap—go to the armed forces, women that are being released are you provided with any kind of whatever branch of service and from service. packet including organizations you say, ‘Hey, we would like to know can reach out to? DS: Do you think that lack of communiif there’s anyone on your records cation is why the U.S. is sometimes that’s being released in Washington SB: To an extent. When I was to be accused of not having great veterstate or to a Washington state home released and was in the process of ans’ care?

AIMING HIGH

Why I Want to be a Part of the Military Growing up as an Adventist, military service was something I was generally dissuaded from for two reasons: killing people is bad and you’d be working on Saturday. Plus, why fight for an earthly army when I could be part of God’s heavenly army? As a result, for much of my early life I had no interest in being a service member. To me, it was a “bad” profession, one full of murders with no regard for human life. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t particularly fond of the U.S. as a country. However, as I grew up and began to see the world as it really is, I began to appreciate the military. Service members aren’t mindless killing machines or psychopaths that want a legal outlet to kill—they are men and women that are literally risking their lives so

I’ve talked to a few veterans who were either medically discharged or honorably discharged. They’ve all expressed kind of the same thing. They didn’t get anything when they came out. They were on their own and trying to figure out how to navigate the VA system because they’re not being told, “yes there are organizations out there that will help you with these things.” I feel that the military needs to emphasize in some form or way the different services available. They should say, “Hey there are organizations out there. Your local VAs should be aware of who they are, what they are, and how they should be contacted.”

BANQUET

CONTRIBUTION

By Kate Beckner

going back, my deployment, each deployment has I think what they call “yellow-ribbon events” which are basically just events put on by whatever unit you’re part of;...it’s an informational release. We were told about different support organizations like Wounded Warrior, we got information about the VA, how to put in claims and apply for benefits...in regard to how much information that’s out there, there’s no way any military branch could keep up with how many options are available. State by state is different. Some states might have what we have like the Vet Corps, some states might not. Again, it kind of circles back to, “does any military branch have time or effort or manpower to put toward setting up those things?” No. And that’s why different civilian groups have taken up the torch and said, “Hey, we’re connecting with you. We want to connect with you.” For example, here in Walla Walla you have the BMAC, the Blue Mountain Action Council, and they do a lot of support work for veterans. Even the Housing Authority here in Walla Walla helps provide housing for homeless veterans and veterans that are in danger of being homeless. A federally run and funded organization like the U.S. army isn’t going to be in contact with the Blue Mountain Action Council.

that I can go to sleep and not have to worry whether or not my family and friends will be bombed overnight. That being said, I don’t support war. In my opinion, all non-violent options should be stressed before even contemplating war. Unfortunately, that’s sometimes the only option. Still, you don’t need to love war to love soldiers. Because I recognize the sacrifice service members are making, I want to support them. And what better way to support them than to join them? My plan is not to be a fighting soldier, but rather a photojournalist enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Being on a continent with three friendly countries, it’s easy as an American to become desensitized to war. Even though we have social media that can connect us to the battlefield, it’s not the same. We have only experienced two

official acts of war on our soil in the past century, and that was before that soil was even part of a state. 1 Because of this disconnect, it has been a dream and goal of mine to be a war correspondent. I recognize that this is one of the most dangerous jobs, considering these correspondents are in the war zone with soldiers but without the same training. Enlisting as a photojournalist in the Air Force would require me to complete Basic Military Training, Airmen’s Week and technical training, giving me some preparation. But it’s still dangerous. My goal is not to serve and be seen on the same level as actual soldiers, because I wouldn’t be. My goal is to open people’s eyes to the harsh reality of war and the world that soldiers face on a daily basis, to support them and tell the world why they should be

supported. It’s for that reason that I want to join the military. I’d like to hear your opinions! If you would like to contact me, you can email me at katherine.beckner@ wallawalla.edu. 1. I am referring to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the forgotten Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. I am not including terrorist attacks, such as that on the twin towers, because that was not during an official time of war.

Tickets for “Snowball,” ASWWU Social’s Winter Banquet are now for sale! Tickets for couples are $25 and $15 for singles. You can pick them up at the ASWWU Offices during the following dates and times. Thursday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ; 2-5 p.m. Monday: 2-5 p.m. Tuesday: 8-11 a.m. ; 2-5 p.m. Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ; 2-5 p.m.

Kate Beckner is a communications major.

Thursday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ; 2-5 p.m.

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| November 2017 Issue 7

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RELIGION MILITARY SERVICE

Conscientious Objection

By Peter Flores

some alternate service as pacifists. The Church respects individual conscience in this and other matters; it is not a test of fellowship. Be assured, regardless of your choice, pastoral care and religious support for your spiritual well-being will continue to be offered and available to you.” 4

The Seventh-day Adventist church officially organized itself during the Civil War that divided the U.S. from 1861 to 1865. Adventists were then confronted with the dilemma of what to do and how to proceed with war at their doorstep. Through prayer and study, the early church leaders chose non-combatancy as their stance on war. This stance was officially registered with the U.S. federal government in 1864.1 Today, because of movies like “Hacksaw Ridge,” conscientious objection has become a public and defining feature of Adventism. Is this view still held by Adventists today, and, if so, are Adventists involved with the military at all?

In 1972, the General Conference Executive Committee decided that the decision for someone to bear arms or not was up to the individual.2 The church decided on this stance mostly because it was sometimes impossible for Adventists in other countries to avoid combat, and they wanted to be sensitive to the obligations of others. Essentially, the church asks that, whenever possible, the conscience of the person be taken into account when they are asked to serve in a military role. This decision has obviously relieved tension between various governments and the Adventist church, as well as created loopholes for Adventists in countries that require mandatory military service.

The website adventistsinuniform. org3 is a great source of information for those interested in military service and wanting to know what types of service fall under their church’s views. Below is a list taken from the website, outlining some advice for Adventists who have questions about their own conscription or mandatory service.

Advice for Adventists Who are Being Conscripted: Inform your pastor of your

Depending on your personal beliefs, the above stance may or may not resonate with you. You could be opposed to any military involvement, or you could be opposed to sitting around and letting others fight for you. Either way, from the sentiments shared from the website above, you would be supported. In at least this stance, I think that the church is being reasonable in its recommendations and is prepared to deal with them. I imagine that since the church started in a time of civil war, its roots are scarred with that memory, and it would have learned by now what sort of support is needed.

Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. (DESMOND DOSS COUNCIL) notice to report to the military and the date you are to begin serving.

conference and your home church your contact information.

Ask members of your home church to pray for you.

If your nation’s military has chaplains, meet with them and express your willingness to support their chapel religious program. Also share your religious requirements and ask for their support.

Tell the authorities about your faith convictions and ask for accommodation or consideration of your faith practices. Enter the military with a positive spirit. Many Adventists have served honorably, been promoted and earned awards without sacrificing their integrity. They “survived” their military experience and so can you. In fact, many left a credible and positive impression on their peers and leaders. It is possible to be a faithful Adventist in military service without compromising principle. As soon as possible after induction into the military, send the local

During basic training you will more than likely be required to train on Sabbaths and with a weapon. There are few options in most militaries. If you refuse to train, be prepared to face serious consequences, but also know that regardless of what is done, the Lord will be with you in your test of faith. Be good citizens and neighbors. Know the laws of your nation related to military and public service. Comply with them to the best of your understanding and ability, insofar as conscience permits.

Commit yourself to being faithful to your beliefs and being the best possible witness. Stay in contact with your home church, pastor and Adventist military chaplains. Support Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries offerings; be faithful stewards. You should see here that while there is no compromise to one’s own faith, there is support for someone who is forced into military service. The website also states: “The official Church position discourages voluntary enlistment, because of the potential for faith conflicts. Those who do enlist are encouraged to serve as noncombatants if that option exists. The Church passes no judgment on individuals who choose to serve as combatants, noncombatants or in

If military service is something in your future, don’t be discouraged by the church’s official stance. Take the time to talk to people who you trust, such as your family, chaplains, pastors and even military professionals for your legal options. Remember that you don’t have to carry a gun to save lives, and it is up to you to serve in the capacity you see fit. God will bless you in every way as long as you elect to serve Him. He has no conscription, just the option to enlist.

1 http://archives.adventistreview.org/article/1193/ archives/issue-2007-1516/young-adventists-in-aworld-of-war/noncombatancy-and-conscientious-objection-a-timeline 2 ibid 3 http://www.adventistsinuniform.org/article/58/ military-service/should-i-enlist 4 ibid

Peter Flores is a theology major.

HISTORY JEWISH HISTORY

Kristallnacht – Nov. 9, 1938

The infamous night of anti-Semitic terror and what it means for Adventists and Americans today

By Zachary White

In the annals of Jewish history, the horror and tragedy of November 9, 1938, may be unparalleled. Kristallnacht (“the night of crystals,” meaning broken glass) was a two-day period of paramilitary and mob violence against Jews throughout Nazi Germany, which resulted in the destruction of more than 1,000 synagogues, the looting of 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses, the murder of at least 91 Jews, and the arrest of nearly 30,000 Jewish men from the ages of 16-60. Police forces were ordered by Gestapo Chief Heinrich Müller not to interfere with the violence, and fire companies were instructed to allow buildings to burn unless they infringed upon nearby “Aryan” property. 1,2

The numbers I provide here are staggering, but images of burning synagogues give a visual sense of the horror and destruction of that event. Also essential to understanding Kristallnacht is to conceptualize it in the larger narrative of the Holocaust, a Nazi program of mass genocide which slaughtered two thirds of the Jews in Europe (6 million people), as well as systematically murdering thousands of Romani people, Poles, black people, LGBTQ people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, communists and other political dissidents.

The influence of Martin Luther, the great religious reformer who was celebrated on our campus and in The Collegian last week, is also, perhaps surprisingly, not to be overlooked in

our analysis of the horror of Kristallnacht. The words of Luther, whose 455th birthday was being observed on November 10, 1938, was actually evoked by the German people to justify the violence that was taking place. In his 1543 treatise “On the Jews and Their Lies”, Luther repeatedly calls for the burning of synagogues, the destruction of Jewish homes and the systematic discrimination against the Jewish people. 3 Luther, who was originally sympathetic toward Jews, turned against them later in his life as he saw that his attempts to convert them to Christianity were failing. Growing up in a Seventh-day Adventist culture that idolized Luther, I barely heard about this part of his life. Even during the multiple 500th anniversary Reformation celebrations that took place on campus last week, Luther’s venomous anti-Semitism was scarcely mentioned, if it was mentioned at all. Learning about this anti-Semitism in more detail over the past few years has been shocking and disturbing. It makes one wonder what other examples of bigotry and discrimination have gone unnoticed by members of the church community, when a raving anti-Semite resides so near to the core of our theology and faith tradition. The positive contributions of Luther as a warrior against corruption and an advocate of free thought are unquestionable, but it seems we do ourselves a dangerous disservice by ignoring the darker elements of his legacy.

The sober remembrance of Kristallnacht should have special significance to us, not only as Adventists but also as Americans. Citizens of the U.S. should rightly take pride in our nation’s decisive defeat of Nazi Germany and other fascist powers in World War II, but the U.S.’s relationship with Nazism is still very complicated and worthy of careful attention. For example, much scholarship exists today on the ways in which Nazi leaders in the 1930s modeled their new system of racial segregation and domination after the U.S., where Jim Crow laws made the U.S. a world leader in Local residents watch as the synagogue, Oberramstadt, is destroyed during Kristallnacht. (US legalized discriminaHOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM–TRUDY ISENBERG) tion. 4 Nazi scientists of black people in the United States at Square Garden in New York City. In the who laid out their “biological” vision for the time, Hitler said the following to his video, the entire stadium can be seen a “pure Aryan state” repeatedly cited advisor Otto Wagner: raising their arms in the “Sieg Heil” the work of American eugenicists, and Nazi salute, and the stage is decorated even Adolf Hitler himself would mention “Now that we know the laws of with swastikas and a giant tapestry the U.S. when speaking of his plans for heredity, it is possible to a large extent of George Washington. Without video achieving “racial purity” in Germany. to prevent unhealthy and severely footage, one might not believe this Referring to the systematic forced sterhandicapped beings from coming into happened in the U.S. As a great-great ilization of a disproportionate number the world. I have studied with interest grandson of German immigrants, it is the laws of several American states particularly disturbing to watch. concerning prevention of reproduction by people whose progeny would, in all probability, be of no value or be injuri1 https://www.britannica.com/event/Kristallnacht ous to the racial stock. 5 2 https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?Modu-

Shattered storefront of a Jewish-owned shop destroyed during Kristallnacht. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION)

Another dimension to understanding America’s relationship with the Holocaust is being aware of the German American Bund, an American Nazi organization founded in 1936 that boasted thousands of dues-paying members in the years preceding WWII. 6 Terrifying photos of the organization’s activities, including events throughout America with swastikas displayed next to American flags, can be found online. 7 I would also highly recommend readers watch a seven minute film called “A Night at the Garden,” which I will provide a link to below, that features actual video footage of one rally the Bund hosted in collaboration with another anti-Semitic organization known as the Christian Front. 8 The film chronicles the events of February 20, 1939, just months after the violence of Kristallnacht made international headlines, when 20,000 American Nazi-sympathizers packed Madison

leId=10005201 3 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/martin-lutherquot-the-jews-and-their-lies-quot 4 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ archive/2017/11/what-america-taught-the-nazis/540630/ 5 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/06/ race.usa 6 https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005684 7 https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2017/06/ american-nazis-in-the-1930sthe-german-americanbund/529185/ 8 https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/intro.html 9 https://theintercept.com/2017/10/29/a-night-at-thegarden-is-the-most-terrifying-movie-you-can-watchthis-halloween/

Zachary White is a history major.

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Feature college place, wa | walla walla university

| November 2017 Issue 7

Those Who Have Borne the Battle By Michael Jensen “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” Those scripturally inspired words form the motto for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and they come from Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address 1. In the address, Lincoln was speaking to an inaugural crowd at a time when the North’s victory in the Civil War was nearly complete and the nation was reeling from the devastation and division that the war had wrought 2. The daunting effort of reconstruction loomed ahead, and Lincoln focused his speech on solidarity, admonishing his audience to move forward with the utmost grace: With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.3 In endeavoring to nudge his audience toward an attitude that would foster unity in a splintered country, Lincoln took care to address the issue of veterans affairs. While that is not what he called it, Lincoln knew that the countless soldiers (and soldiers’ families) who were suffering in the wake of war would need help. He recognized that they had “borne the battle” and paid a price for their convictions, and he knew that the nation could never heal if they were not properly cared for. Though many years have passed since Lincoln’s famous address, the United States still depends on its servicemen and women to protect its borders and secure its interests. And, in a nod to Lincoln’s message and the VA motto, the door of Walla Walla’s very own Vet Center on Poplar Street bears a decaled slogan: “Keeping the Promise.” In an establishment that offers countless services for

Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center. (LIVEWELLWALLAWALLA.COM) in general and its weaknesses in particular, I reached out to the Walla Walla Vet Center and talked with Ethan, a Wa-Hi graduate and Force RECON Marine veteran.

time with post-service life. The Vet Center is a great place for him to work as a student, since he often has the opportunity to do some studying during lulls in work.

combined with addiction/drug abuse. Those kinds of people have trouble navigating the system, despite needing the system’s help more than anyone else.

Ethan joined the Marine Corp shortly after high school, after taking about 25 credits from Walla Walla Community College and deciding that college was not for him at the time. After completing Marine Corps Recruit Training (“boot camp”), Ethan continued training to become a Force Reconnaissance Marine (Force Reconnaissance is an elite branch of the Marine Corp that specializes in conducting “amphibious reconnaissance, deep ground reconnaissance, surveillance, battlespace shaping, and limited scale raids”4). He explained to me that his time in the service was immensely enjoyable and exciting on many occasions, but also frequently difficult and challenging. And after the high-energy, adrenaline-charged world of special operations work (which regularly included freefall skydiving missions and jungle booby trap creation), transitioning back to civilian life was difficult. Ethan described it as going from living a life

As I learned from Ethan, there are many resources and benefits available to veterans. These include health insurance sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), educational benefits provided through the GI Bill, a wide variety of counseling services, and a range of housing benefits 5. Access to some of these benefits vary based on service time and conditions (for example, combat veterans with service-connected disabilities are eligible for significantly more benefits than non-combat veterans with no disabilities), but overall, the system appears to be set up to take good care of everyone. Ethan told me that the Vet Center in Walla Walla (and presumably, the other centers located throughout the country) even has people who can assist in filling out the paperwork required to access some VA services, meaning that even people who struggle to navigate bureaucratic forms have a way to get the benefits they deserve. People who live more than a certain distance from the nearest Vet Center are even eligible for reimbursement for their driving costs for certain appointments.

In many ways, Dr. Bigger and Ethan both outlined similar perspectives: that the VA takes very good care of people in general, especially if they are proactive and work to utilize the system properly. However, those struggling with serious substance abuse and mental health problems can sometimes fall through the cracks. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) agrees, explaining, based on VA data, that “The majority (of homeless veterans) are single; live in urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.” 6 The NCHV goes on to explain that “in addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness—extreme shortage

After hearing Ethan’s perspective on the support and services available to veterans, I was interested to hear his opinion on how some veterans seem to have been failed by the system. Interestingly, Ethan explained that in general, he does not think that the system has failed veterans; instead, he thinks that some veterans have simply failed to use the system. This may not necessarily be due to lack of effort on their parts. However, many benefits and programs are contingent on avoiding illegal drug use, and when some veterans decide that they are going to continue using drugs despite the rules, they are dropped from the program or service. Vet centers throughout the country offer substance abuse counseling, so veterans are not left alone to struggle with their substance abuse problems. Unfortunately, some still fail to get clean and pay a huge price as a result.

Rear Admiral Darold Bigger. veterans—ranging from substance abuse and PTSD counseling to flytying classes and guitar lessons—such a statement seems appropriate. The Vet Center seems to be helping keep the promise that America made to her servicemen by helping them through the difficulties they face after their service and providing a space for camaraderie with fellow veterans. However, veterans still face significant challenges, and I have seen struggling veterans begging for food or money in multiple places, including the College Place Walmart. I have also helped my neighbor back home (a veteran) fill out paperwork related to service-connected disability support from the federal government. In these cases, where former servicepeople are left to beg beside the road or solicit help from a neighbor, has the system failed them? If so, why? To get some insight on the US’s veteran support system

constantly jacked up on Red Bull or Monster to suddenly being served a plate of broccoli instead of an energy drink. Civilian life was just totally dull by comparison. To cope with this stark change of pace, Ethan explained that finding outlets for adventure and energy (such as exploring in the wilderness and practicing archery) was critically important to him. When I asked him whether Walla Walla had been a supportive community for a returned vet, and whether there was anything the community could have done differently to make the return home easier, he said that Walla Walla has been a great community for him. And with the abundance of veteran support resources available here, there is really nothing more he could ask for. Ethan now goes to the community college as a full-time student, and works at the Vet Center because it lets him connect with and serve other veterans who may be having a difficult

In trying to learn more about veterans issues in Walla Walla (and in general), I spoke with Dr. Darold Bigger, Assistant to the President at Walla Walla University and a retired Navy chaplain. Dr. Bigger spent 30 years in the Navy Reserve, a post that allowed him to serve his country while also working in the private sector as a pastor (and later, as a faculty member at WWU). We talked about some of the health care benefits available to service members, and about how the VA has been working hard to increase its care capacity. Most insightful, however, were his answers to my questions about how well veterans are taken care of by the VA system. Dr. Bigger explained that his experience with the VA has been very positive, and none of his contacts nor any of the student veterans he has worked with over the years have been ignored or mistreated by the VA. However, he thinks that there is an explanation for those who seem to fall through the cracks. Because of the vetting procedures used to ensure legitimate claims by veterans, many of those who need help the most are least able or least knowledgeable about how to get that help. They tend to be service members who were in for a short period of time. They are often economically underprivileged, and they often have dual-diagnosis problems—mental health issues

“The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, ‘veterans helping veterans’ groups.”

—NCHV of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care—a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. Additionally, military occupations and training are not always transferable to the civilian workforce, placing some veterans at a disadvantage when competing for employment.” It is noteworthy that “access to healthcare” is on the list of factors influencing homelessness among veterans despite the availability of a variety of health services to veterans depending on their service duration and conditions. In March of this year, Military Times reported that “the number of backlogged veterans benefits claims is rising again”7—the word “again” alluding to a time in 2013 when backlogged cases peaked at 610,000 and a 2014 scandal where veterans were waiting ages to receive care8. Mandatory overtime and the implementation of digital claims processing brought the backlog down significantly, and significant reforms were enacted after the 2014 scandal. However, the slow pace of bureaucracy can still keep some veterans waiting too long for care.

Unfortunately, the backlogs and sometimes slow access to care are probably simpler problems to solve than the issue of veterans with mental health and substance abuse problems struggling to overcome their challenges and take advantage of the VA system. Few would support decreased vetting or increased leniency on drug abuse by benefitreceiving veterans. And with mental health and substance abuse programs already widely available for veterans, it is difficult to argue that their most serious needs are underserved. However, it is impossible to escape the fact that some veterans (such as the 39,471 veterans estimated homeless in 20169) are not doing well, and to “keep the promise” to our service members, something should be done. While I have no brilliant solutions to propose, the NCHV argues that “the most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, ‘veterans helping veterans’ groups.” However, that does not mean that only veterans can help other veterans. For anyone interested in making a difference, the NCHV recommends the following steps: Determine the need in your community. Visit with homeless veteran service providers. Contact your mayor’s office for a list of providers, or search the NCHV database. Involve others. If you are not already part of an organization, align yourself with a few other people who are interested in attacking this issue. Participate in local homeless coalitions. Chances are, there is one in your community. If not, this could be the time to bring people together around this critical need. Make a donation to your local homeless veteran service provider. Contact your elected officials. Discuss what is being done in your community for homeless veterans. 1 https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/ vamotto.pdf 2 http://www.history.com/news/remembering-lincolns-second-inauguration-150-years-later 3 http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres32.html 4 http://www.military.com/special-operations/ force-recon.html 5 https://www.benefits.va.gov/TAP/docs/CUR_BBI_ Deck_201706_508_FINAL.pdf# 6 http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/ 7 https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/03/24/once-a-fixed-issue-the-vadisability-claims-backlog-is-on-the-rise-again/ 8 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/ wp/2014/05/21/a-guide-to-the-va-and-the-scandals-engulfing-it/?utm_term=.3fa228a269e7 [9]https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/ documents/2016-PIT-Estimate-of-Homeless-Veterans-by-State.pdf

Michael Jensen is a mechanical engineering major.

Veterans: the basic facts

In 2016, 20.9 million men and women were Veterans, or about 9 percent of the civilian noninstitutional population age of 18 and older. (New York Times)

Women accounted for about 10 percent of the Veteran population.

The unemployment rate for Post-9/11 male Veterans was 5 percent and 5.6 percent for women in 2016 (Source: BLS Employment Situation of Veterans – 2016).

Roughly 45 percent of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4 percent and 3.4 percent of the U.S. veteran population, respectively.

Approximately 39,471 veterans are homeless on any given night.

The VA’s specialized homelessness programs provide health care to almost 150,000 homeless veterans and other services to more than 112,000 veterans. Additionally, more than 40,000 homeless veterans receive compensation or pension benefits each month.

The VA, using its own resources or in partnerships with others, has secured nearly 15,000 residential rehabilitative and transitional beds and more than 30,000 permanent beds for homeless veterans throughout the nation. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by 70 percent since 2005.

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November 2017 Issue 7 | walla walla university | college place, wa

WEEK IN FORECAST

November 9-15 Thursday

Friday

Career and Internship Fair # 1 @ Havstad Alumni Center, 4-7 p.m.

wwudrama Presents Silent Sky @ CTC Black Box Theatre, 8-10 p.m. ASWWU Winter Banquet Tickets For Sale $25 for couples; $15 for singles ASWWU Town Hall @ Alaska Room, 6-7:30 p.m.

“A Few Good Men” @ The Little Theatre of Walla Walla, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Sunday

Nurses Dedication at Portland Campus @ Sunnyside SDA Church, 3:30-5 p.m.

Yoga & Aromatherapy @ In Sync Fitness, 6-7 p.m.

wwudrama: Silent Sky @ CTC Black Box Theatre, 8 p.m.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I @ The Liberty Theater, 7-9:15 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. New Hope Christian College @ WEC, 8-10 p.m.

The Pink Panther Strikes Again @ Walla Walla High School, 7-9 p.m.

ASWWU Social Midnight Mayhem @ Peterson Memorial Library, 9-11 p.m.

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day

Veterans’ Day

CULTURE ART EXHIBITION

Cats. By Daphne Novak The title speaks for itself; Cats have come to Walla Walla. No, I’m not talking about regular old, alive cats (we can see those any day at Blue Mountain Humane Society); I’m talking about sculpted cats. Yes, a new art installation has come to Walla Walla featuring solely life-size sculpted cats. Last Friday, I attended the art gallery opening for “Cats” by Rob Pruitt at the Foundry. I was expecting a feast for my eyes, but was not quite ready for just how cute (for lack of a better word) these little sculptures were! For those of you who don’t know, the Foundry rotates through art installations every couple of months. That is cool and all, but get this: the Foundry actually manufactures a lot of the 3D art pieces that come through their gallery. The artist provides the Foundry with a sample of their art and the Foundry puts the gallery together (they do some really crazy stuff like making metal look like wood).

Anyways, back to the real gem of all this—the cats. As soon as I walked into the Foundry, I saw two little cats made out of pebbled concrete. After walking into the main room, I got a true look at how awesome this installation really is. I thought that the cats would be placed eye-level, on platforms, but the Foundry and Rob Pruitt’s display was way better. They had the statues everywhere. The cats were on tables, on a staircase and on the floor. In total, there are 45 cat sculptures. What makes them even better is that the cats are also in various catlike positions. For example, Cats. (DAPHNE NOVAK) some cats are crouching just knocked over a glass (judging from a while some are play-fighting sculpture of a tipped over glass, with liqeach other. One of my favorites, howuid coming out right in front of the cat). ever, is a cat sculpture that has clearly The cats are all made out of various materials. As I said above, there are a couple cats made out of pebbled concrete. There are also cats made out of Himalayan pink salt, walnut and cedar wood, silicon — etc. Some cats are painted with natural cat colors such as black and white spots or a calico

Cats. Gallery opening card. (ROB PRUITT) pattern, but there are also rosegold painted cats and silver painted cats. This truly is a sight to behold, especially if you are a diehard cat enthusiast like me. If you do go, make sure you ask the employees how they went about making the cats — it is really fascinating! Overall, this is probably my favorite art installation yet from the Foundry, not just because it is literally all about cats but also because a lot of effort went into making some of these cats (like the cedar and himalayan pink salt cats).

http://www.artnet.com/artists/rob-pruitt/biography

Daphne Novak is a psychology major.

Cats. (DAPHNE NOVAK)

Rob Pruitt is a New York based post-conceptual mixed media artist. His works include paintings, sculptures and installations. His art is known for its whimsicality and colorfulness, as well as its more serious topics concerning youth and consumer culture. “Cats” will be open at the Foundry until January 28, 2018.

FOOD CINNAMON BAKED APPLES

Comfort Food By Hannah Thiel With the nights getting longer, the weather getting colder and Thanksgiving getting closer, I thought the food column this week needed to cover some good old comfort food. This recipe would be a great way to use some apples that you might have left if you went apple picking this fall or if you just need a pick-me-up after a tough week! The cafeteria almost always has apples, so as long as you have a microwave-safe mug or bowl, some cinnamon and some form of sweetener, even you dorm-dwellers can make this recipe! Hooray! Most of the ingredients are optional, but I’d recommend adding at least one or two, otherwise it might be rather plain. This is a recipe I modified from Minimalist Baker.1

All you’ll need to make this treat for yourself is: An apple, sliced 2 T water ½ t cinnamon Brown sugar or honey, to taste Optional: 1 t lemon juice ¼ t ginger A sprinkle of nutmeg A sprinkle of cardamom Remember, all of these portions should be according to your taste. I tried making this with one teaspoon of cinnamon, and it was way too much — but if you like spicy food, or want a throwback to the days of the cinnamon challenge, you should go for it!

Once you’ve sliced your apples, fill up a bowl or mug with them, pour the water in and sprinkle on your toppings. I’d change the microwave power level to somewhere between 50-75 percent and microwave it for at least one and a half minutes. Afterwards, check the apples and keep cooking them based on how crunchy you’d like them to be. Just make sure that you don’t keep the power level on high and leave the apples in the microwave for too long without watching them, as I may have done (second mistake while making this recipe). This recipe is super awesome because of how versatile it is! You could have this recipe (as I am right now, while writing this article) as a mini-dessert after a long day of studying. You could lean even harder into the dessert genre by topping the apples with ice cream or some caramel sauce (or both).

Or, instead of going the dessert route, you could make this for breakfast! I mixed some oats in, and they did a really great job of moderating all the cinnamon I put in (oops). You could mix in some granola, or make some oatmeal and top it with these apples — or you could just add some nuts or raisins. There are so many possibilities! If you want to try something a little different, you could bake the apple whole instead! Just core the apple, put it in a microwave-safe dish of some sort, and stuff the middle of the apple with some butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and any of the other ingredients listed above. Raisins are particularly good with this recipe. Again, I’d watch this pretty closely if you’re cooking it in a microwave. Maybe start with five minutes at power level 50-75 percent, depending on your microwave, and

then cook it to your preference from there. Of course, you could also cook it in the oven if you have more time. Setting the temperature at 350° for at least 30 minutes is a good start. Even though I messed up this recipe twice while making it, I promise it’s quite easy. You should treat yourself and try this out!

1 The link is https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-cinnamon-baked-apples/

Hannah Thiel is an art major.

college place, wa, walla walla university

Monday Housing Wait List Opens for Winter Quarter wwudrama: Silent Sky @ CTC Black Box Theatre, 8 p.m.

Tuesday

Winter Registration opens for Freshmen World Kindness Day National Indian Pudding Day

CommUnity: Departmental 11 a.m. Last day to request out-ofschedule exam for fall quarter

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Wednesday

Music at 7: Student Recital @ FAC, 7-8 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. New Hope Christian College @ WEC, 2-4 p.m.

| November 2017 Issue 7

Curry Night @ Sipid Bites by Sarah, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sapolil Songwriter Showcase @ Club Sapolil, 7-10 p.m. America Recycles Day National Philanthropy Day

National Spicy Guacamole Day National Pickle Day

Distinguished Faculty Lecture by Dr. Pedrito Maynard-Reid @ FAC, 7-8:30 p.m.

OUTDOORS RUUD REMARKS

Freaking Frazzled By Niqolas Ruud As college students, we all know time is everything. For some of us, our weekdays go something like this: five hours of classes, five hours of work, five hours of classwork, one hour to eat, one hour for emergency tasks (like going to the bathroom, catching up on emails, finishing homework that you forgot about, etc.), maybe an hour or so for interpersonal relationships, almost six hours to sleep, and finally five minutes for either a shower or tooth brushing session.1 What makes the madness of this lifestyle worth it? We all know: the weekend (that is, if you didn’t forget one of those assignments). When I have a weekend 100 percent free, I like to make the most of it (if the weather permits). A typical twoday vacation has me leaving school on Friday at 12 p.m. sharp and driving to the nearest alpine playground. One such time, upon arriving at the predestined destination, I promptly downed a gallon of water and then crawled into my shiverbag, pee bottle in hand, ready for a quaint melatonin-supplement-induced sleep. “Beep, beep, beep, beep!” I rolled over from the fetal position, looking for my frosty phone screen (condensation does some wild things) and clumsily tried to mute the horrid sound. I downed breakfast quickly — mostly for the sugar rush — and then sorted and packed my gear, strapped on my boots, and promptly poured out the now-full pee bottle into the vacant parking lot. It was about 7 a.m. that November day a year ago when I finally hit the

trail. Three miles into the approach, the dirt path ended in a large swampy area around which I had to traverse. Because of an opening in the trees due to the marsh, I could finally see my destination: the steep north face of 10,475-foot Horstmann Peak in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. As I continued to hike again in the trees, the swampy area didn’t really end. In fact, it kept going up with me as I ever-so-slightly gained elevation for the next three or four miles. Muddy water began to magically appear in my boots as the thickets got thicker and thicker, and the marshiness got marshier and marshier. After plodding along much longer than initially anticipated, I reached the base of a rock face much taller than the Internet had led me to believe. I could see the traditional “Sickle Couloir” route, winding its way up to the left of the face as I approached. Exhausted from the miles of bushwhacking and plodding through mud, I nearly gave up on the idea of soloing to the couloir’s right. One ice screw, six nuts, three slings, six carabiners, 20 meters of 7 mm chord, and a single ATC2 were all the technical gear I had brought. After about 80 meters or so, I was well past the point of no return. I continued up, as there was no other option, hour after hour, brushing aside loose powder, hoping to find ice, but mostly working on my dry tooling technique. Without finding ledges large enough to relax for very long, I wasn’t able to remove my pack and take in food and water. Being alone on a wall like that without good ice is really something else. I later wrote in my climbing journal that “it was the most pumped and scared, yet focused I have been in all my life.”

At around 5 p.m., I finally crested the ridge and promptly plopped down for a feast. My head began to grow cold, as most heads do when exposed to evening temperatures and stiff winds while up in the mountains. So, while sitting on the ridgeline, I removed my helmet, placed it on my knee, and began digging around in my backpack for a cap. As I did this, my knee began to shake (probably because of my mental and physical state), and my helmet went rolling down the opposite-sloping south side of the mountain.

Niqolas Ruud. (NIQOLAS RUUD)

I remember screaming in anguish as I watched my white helmet tumble down the snowy white slope. I stood up and quickly analyzed the situation: either I scramble to the summit via the ridgeline and complete the climb or try to look for my helmet before nightfall. Since I am a cheap college student, I certainly decided to go after the helmet (after all, it cost

$60, and that’s like six hours of work). I knew the mistake of dropping the helmet had cost me the summit, as darkness had fallen and winds had picked up drastically. I was in a state of utter despair and exhaustion after descending 1000+ feet, hopelessly searching for the item. However, I thankfully saw the helmet caught by a rock poking up out of the snow, just before a 150-foot drop-off down into a valley. I strapped the helmet to my pack and put on my headlamp. Then, I began the long bushwhack back to my car.

The solo first ascent line up Idaho’s Horstmann Peak. (SAWTOOTHGUIDES.COM, EDITED BY NIQOLAS RUUD)

It was awful, as every stream crossing, thicket and downed tree only worsened my already frazzled state. I distinctly remember being caught in this specific thicket with the majority of my climbing rack fixed in its branches. Sweating, I frantically surged forward, only to submerge my already soaked

boot into another puddle of muddy water. This happened over and over again. During my walks through the flatter sections in the valley, I often noticed animal tracks in the snow, and as I continued, I more and more frequently noticed large cat tracks. I had been carrying a decently-sized stick to help keep thickets out of my face, but I had no idea how useful it would eventually be. I frequently dropped the stick due to my physical and mental state, but it was the last time I dropped it, still nearly four miles from the car, that I will never forget. I looked up and turned my head to the left. As I lifted the stick from where I had dropped it to my right, I swung it in the direction of a cougar that had leapt out at me from my 10 o’clock. I actually thought I had imagined the cat until I saw only half of the stick in hand and the rear-end of the cat leaping back into the shrubberies. Unimaginably scared, I made it back to the car much faster than I thought possible, stripped off my sweaty layers, curled up in the fetal position and went to (a non-medically-induced) sleep inside both of my sleeping bags: naked and very afraid.

1 I know you like to alternate those between days. 2 Assisted braking device, used for rappelling.

Niqolas Ruud is a theology major.

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November 2017 Issue 7 | walla walla university | college place, wa

OPINION

OPINION UNPOPULAR OPINION

MORNING PEOPLE

Parking Problems

What is Up with the Morning?

By Savanna Pardo Let’s talk about a popular opinion. Since the number of students at Walla Walla University has increased, so should the parking. There has been a rise in parking complaints this year compared to last.

others. Last year, this was the lot you would park in if there were no other spaces in the first two lots. This year, parking in this lot has also become much harder.

I go to the dorms. Complaints about the dirt lot are ongoing; many students try not to park in this lot because of the potholes, limited parking, and the lack of lighting during later hours. If

Okay so first, to all you morning people, I can understand. Sometimes I get it—the morning is fun and a wonderful time to get things done and kick off your day, but most other times. The only good thing that comes from the morning is the sun, which many of us wish would rise later.

More students brought their vehicles this year and the increase has become very apparent. Parking is much harder to find than it was the previous year. Actually, it’s quite astounding how many more cars are here this year than the last. Since I live in the girls’ dorm, the designated parking areas are the main lot behind the bookstore, the dirt lot behind security, and the side lot that is directly across the street from the main lot. Each lot has its own problems, starting with the limited parking spaces. The main lot is for student and RA parking, while the other lots are for all students. Since the main lot is closest to the dorms, it tends to fill up more quickly than any other lot. Very rarely do you see an open parking spot in the main lot—unless, of course, it is a long weekend or a school break. The side lot is always full and never has any open parking spaces. Most students who park in this lot rarely use their cars so that they can keep their spot. The dirt lot is where most people run into problems. This particular lot is just dirt, literally. When driving through to find a parking space, you will run over many potholes. Since there are no lines to designate parking spaces, some people park crookedly or too far from the car next to them but close enough that there is no room for

By Parker Bailey

Parking problems. (ALLSTATE) If you try to park in any lots after 10 p.m., there is a high chance that you will not find any open spaces. There have been a couple times this year where I may or may not have parked in the Davis Elementary lot because there were no open spaces on campus near the dorms. Sometimes, you may have to park on side streets that are relatively close to the dorms. It is obvious that there are not enough parking spaces for the dorms at this school. This problem is leading students to park wherever they can, risking the chance of get parking citations. Clearly we need more parking or better parking options. I believe that this problem should be addressed. As a student who pays tuition for this school, I would like to be able to park my car on campus when

there is no chance of adding parking, then maybe some construction could be done to fix the dirt lot so that it is more efficient. We, as students, aren’t asking a whole lot, just some minor fixes to the parking lots so that we may park on-campus closer to our dorms. This has been a big issue this year, and I have heard it from many people of all class standings. Hopefully these problems will be addressed in the near future so that we can all can find parking without such a hassle.

Savanna Pardo is an English major.

I’ve recently noticed that some people are morning people all the time, while other people are definitely not, and it’s very interesting to see these two parties interact. However, there exists a third party that many rule out, the problem-solver of this whole morning/night person dichotomy, the elitist of the morning people: the people who never sleep and seem to be entirely unaffected by this obvious lapse in necessity. The world may never understand their supernatural ability. I do not fall into this category, and if I chose to try to conform to it, I would straight-up die. Sleep is my friend, and friends are life. The morning people, night people and the sleepless metahumans have yet another contender: the people who are tired all the time and yet seem to outperform those who are not. This is a mysterious branch of people — one that is often frustrating to many. My father once told me about a person who attended a class with him when he was in college. I use the word “attended” lightly because every day he would have his head down on the desk the whole time, but every time the professor would call on him, he would

answer the question perfectly, and then some: “a genius who did nothing.” You’ve seen an argument between the morning and night people because you’ve likely been involved in one. The night people are curled up in bed while the morning people are dancing around exclaiming, “Get up! It’s a wonderful morning! La dee da. . .,” and the night people retaliate by hitting them with a pillow. It’s a classic scene, but imagine this: the two other parties in a similar scenario. The sleepless-but-unaffected would come in and say, “Wake up! There are things to do! How can you lie here and do nothing with so much to do?!” But the infinitely-tired would arise, do everything better and faster than everyone else, and go back to bed. How can the human body do these kinds of things? Realize that the scenarios above are hypothetical, but they are realistic and have likely occurred at this very university. How much sleep do you get? Are you a morning, night person or one of the elite few? Take this brief survey!

http://bit.ly/2AnrZkG Parker Bailey is an engineering major.

MEDIA AND TECH ANOTHER ODDS AND ENDS REVIEW

I Haven’t Seen Thor Yet By Matt Fennell I haven’t seen “Thor: Ragnarok” yet, and yes, I am bitter. My crew and I swore a blood oath that we’d see this thing together,1 and then they went to Portland for the weekend, while I had to stay back to write some software for my software writing job.2 So, because I haven’t seen the new big thing, I’m going to take some time this week to talk about a few of the small, old things I enjoyed recently. HQ Trivia Time to fulfill my monthly tech reporting quota! HQ Trivia is a new iOS app (Android release date TBA) that is described as “a live trivia game show app with cash prizes.” Every day, there’s a live show that you can play in. You’re presented with a series of questions spanning a variety of topics, and if you’re able to correctly answer all of them, you and all the other winners will split the prize. You can then wire your cut directly to your PayPal account. Right now, this whole thing seems pretty legit — there doesn’t seem to be any catch beyond ads, sponsored questions and data-mining (which is pretty much every app nowadays), and the whole thing is a ton of

fun. The dream of playing on Jeopardy is here, and the reality is that now I know I’d lose. Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20) Hey, you like Batman right? He’s pretty cool, fighting all those bad dudes and solving all sorts of crime. What if, purely hypothetically, Batman did a ton of drugs? “Batman: Venom” is a five issue arc of the “Legends of the Dark Knight” anthology comic that answers this question. The series originally ran back in the late 80s and 90s and was written by the inimitable Denny O’Neil and illustrated by Russell Braun, Trevor von Eeden and Josė Luis Garcia-López. “Venom” is the story of a Batman who turns to super-steroids after a young girl dies because he wasn’t strong enough to save her. In almost any other case, this premise would be just another ridiculous comic book contrivance, but here we’re given a powerful story of the circle of destruction that spirals outwards from an addict. Drawing from his own painful experiences with alcoholism, O’Neil spins a Batman story full of not only action and detective work but also consequences and shades of grief that color all the best Dark Knight tales. “Batman: Venom” is available for

purchase in print for $12 and on the DC Comics mobile app for $10. Pick it up! The Michael Scott Paper Company (Season 5: Episode 20-27) I’m of the opinion that “The Office” is the best television show that’s come out during my lifetime, so I’ve watched it through three or four times. This is mostly because I’ll put it on as background noise while I iron, shave or do other old person things. This weekend, I rewatched the first few

Michael Scott Paper Company episodes, and somehow, even after maybe a dozen re-watches, these episodes still hold up as fantastic pieces of comedy and drama. We see Michael soar as a salesman and fail in pretty much everything else. In addition to this main arc, we’re treated to Pam’s rebirth as a saleswoman, Ryan’s return in the form of a massively entertaining frosted-tipped moron, Jim’s struggles with a new boss who doesn’t find his antics amusing, and Dwight almost literally at war for his clients and his job. These episodes have it all: tension, stakes, cringing, laughter and heartfelt moments. Please, watch them again. Wonderful!

Wonderful! (GRIFFIN AND RACHEL MCELROY)

Another excellent product in the McElroy family of podcasts, “Wonderful!” is an enthusiastic podcast from sweet-babybrother-and-30under-30-medialuminary Griffin McElroy and his wife Rachel

McElroy. Each week, they take an hour to talk about and explore some of the things they love: from music and food, to particular turns of phrase and local sports traditions. Last week’s episode, “Alligator Jealousy,” covered such topics as Animal Crossing, journaling, live looping musical performances and farmer’s markets. This show is a bright spot in the near-constant barrage of negativity that has been 2017, and if you need a pick-me-up, it’s available for download right now, wherever you get your podcasts. Please enjoy these wholesome folks. Well, that’s about all the space I have for this week. Thanks for reading this far, and if you have anything you’d like to see featured, please, let me know! I’ll see you next week, when we finally talk about “Thor: Ragnarok!”

1 I totally tried to break this blood oath, but was foiled, and then narc’d on by the beacon of wholesomeness that is Jonathan DeLeon 2 In other words, this is still my non-software writing job. Daniella hasn’t put me to work writing CollegianSoft 3000™. Yet.

Matt Fennell is a computer engineering major.

SURVEY YOUR RESPONSES

What do you think is the biggest issue veterans face today?

24%

said getting adequate health care

47%

said returning to civilian life

29%

said dealing with PTSD

55 total participants

Returning to Civilian Life

Dealing with PTSD

Adequate Health Care

“Going from a job where every minute of your day is regimented and your life is potentially on the line--to living in a materialistic society where others are oblivious to what you’ve seen and the real struggles in the world is exhausting…”

“I know several veterans that have been affected by PTSD, and while not all are this way, the ones who are struggle to find treatment or even sympathy.”

Many veterans have to travel long distances to receive care, especially those in rural locations. Also, mental health services are often difficult to obtain. Veterans also report the process for receiving care is bureaucratic and dehumanizing--an additional barrier to getting care.

Last week’s responses: YES

Puerto Rico should receive as much aid as is necessary to get it running again, just like any US state. If half of Texas had no power right now, weeks after the hurricane, everyone would be outraged. We should be equally outraged that Puerto Ricans have no power, potable water, or food. They need more money and structural redevelopment asap, and government aid should be there until they are back on their feet.

“They’ve already shipped massive amounts of resources, but Puerto Rico has struggled to distribute it.”

“When a government does more it limits how much faith based groups can do. People need the hope of God as well as physical needs met.”

Next week’s question: “What do you think Walla Walla University/College Place recycles?”* https://goo.gl/jov9Ph *Answers will be multiple choice