Issue 15 final 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 15

Chad, Africa pg. 7

“So bees are plants’ wingmen. Literally.” - Jocelyn Griffin

February 15, 2018

Last Things First college place, wa | walla walla university

| February 2018 Issue 15

The Slow Wink By Meghann Heinrich Hello, my dear readers, it is so nice of you to join me! Today, I would like to take you all on a journey—that is to say, I’d like to extend an invitation to each and every person taking the time to read my humble backpage musings to join me as I share the philosophical (and often irrational) reflections of a perpetually-distracted author. This week, we celebrate Valentine’s Day. I have yet to be in a position where this fact would hold any real significance for (other than my mother regularly sending me some sort of light-up heart-themed jewelry, which I always look forward to). So, as you may have deduced, I have no intention of harping on the holiday of love and chocolate because I have no strong feelings about

Hey Thanks! “Thank you computer lab keyboards for keeping us all connected… through the germs on our hands.” “Thank you high school visitors for reminding us how grateful we are for reasonable lines in the Caf.” “Thank you unknown group of people running around campus on Friday for doing an unintentional and yet spot-on reenactment of Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, and Andy Bernard’s hardcore parkour.”

it.1 Instead, let’s talk about a quirk that often gets me in trouble. Sometimes I tweet, and sometimes I don’t (disclaimer: this is not said quirk). Sometimes when I tweet, people respond, but this is definitely the exception rather than the rule. Well, something bizarre happened last week when I sent my apparently-exceptional thoughts out into the Twittersphere. The people spoke, and I went from my steady stream of two likes (my father2, and occasionally a wildcard follower) to a landmark 19 likes! So, naturally, being the social media aficionado that I am, I took note. The tweet read as following: “So I’m thinking I’ll start winking at the boys. Idk, just trying it out. I’ll keep ya posted.” That, my friends, is why today’s topic is winking:

you spoke, and I listened. Don’t let the tweet mislead you; I’ve been winking at people for quite some time now. However, it is only just recently that I have started throwing winks on purpose. Yes, I suffer from the involuntary slow wink. What’s that? You don’t know about the infamous slow wink? Actually, that really doesn’t surprise me since it is something of an anomaly. It is an involuntary glitch in my wiring that causes one eyelid to slowly close and reopen while I maintain unwavering eye contact. This phenomenon occurs most regularly when I am engaged in a heated debate, when reaching for my next thought, or when I am desperately trying to make a stellar first impression. This infamous wink just jumps

Verbatim

out when the time is right (or wrong). I only remember the defect if someone mentions it or starts to look a little freaked out while I am talking to them. However, the latter of the previous qualifications is by no means foolproof; most folks get that deer-in-the-headlights expression when accosted with the sheer volume, speed, pitch and quantity of words coming out of my mouth. When I see their alarmed expression it is hard to tell if they are just trying to follow my train of thought or if my eyelid went rogue again. I guess it would be somewhat jarring to be in conversation with someone who is making intense eye contact with you, and then without warning one of her eyelids slowly closes completely independently of the other

while the individual soldiers on with her train of thought, unphased. I see how that could be uncomfortable. So my point is, winks are good, but slow winks are bad. I suggest you take a good long moment to read your audience before employing any kind of winking. 1 Exception: One time on the 14th of February I accompanied some friends to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle to purchase takeout cheesecake, which caused me to have strong positive feelings toward Valentine’s day. I’ve since concluded that those feelings were isolated to the peanut butter cheesecake and not the holiday itself. 2 Who for reasons still unknown recently created a Twitter account.

February?

“Please take your feet off.” - Professor Brandon Beck “I would destroy you with a multiple choice exam.” - Professor Gregory Dodds, going over the midterm review sheet for History of Christianity “Bad joke, dad joke. That’s right, it became ap-parent.” - Professor Kyle Craig “It’s not used, after that it just becomes a dangling appendage.” - Professor Tim Tiffin

Make up your mind!

“The mean of the means is the mean!” - Professor Jim Nestler “Who was that Mexican… painter?” - Professor Brent Bergherm

Email your faculty verbatim or thank yous to meghann.heinrich@wallawalla.edu to be featured!

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February 2018 Issue 15 | walla walla university | college place, wa

Editor-in-Chief Daniella Silva

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Assistant Editor Kate Beckner

@aswwucollegian

Instagram @aswwucollegian Facebook

Creative Director Kyra GreyEyes

@aswwucollegian

Life Editor Angelica Chan

Backpage Editor Meghann Heinrich Head Copy Editor Brielle Tym Cover | Sophie Bailey

Writers

Layout Design Sophie Bailey Ashley Henry-Saturne Liam Hirst-Graves Copy Editors Geoffrey Lopes Karli Hart Jocelyn Griffin Office Manager Victoria Ico Distributer Sydney Peck Beau Gerber Advertising Manager Amanda Maizar

Feature Michael Jensen Jake Sloop Cynthia Ochoa Opinion Parker Bailey Savanna Pardo Food & Culture Daphne Novak Hannah Thiel Media & Tech Matt Fennell Outdoor Niqolas Ruud Science Forrest Sheperd History Zachary White Religion Peter Flores The opinions of our writers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Collegian or Walla Walla University.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Daniella Silva Dear Reader, The fact that you’re reading this now means that midterms haven’t killed you yet. Congratulations! On a more serious note, our feature this week examines the issue of homelessness in Walla Walla. To put things in perspective, data from 2016 estimates there are 571 people living in varying states of homelessness; this includes couch-surfers and people living in trailers. In a city as small as Walla Walla, this is a significant number. While various local organizations exist to try to ameliorate the living conditions of the homeless, there is still much room for improvement. These people are often stigmatized and denied access to basic personal hygiene facilities. How can the local community respond with love and compassion? How can necessary services be provided while preserving the dignity of the people being helped? Read the full feature on page 5!

of homelessness and whether or not you think homelessness is a problem in Walla Walla. Select poll responses and data are published on page 8. As usual, enjoy your favorite regular columns and stay tuned for more content next week. If you have any questions, comments or article submissions, you can email them to me at aswwu.collegian@wallawalla.edu. Stay snazzy, and happy Singles’ Awareness Day! Daniella Silva

Our poll this week also addressed the topic of homelessness in Walla Walla. We specifically asked you, the reader, what you think are the primary causes

Check out the feature on page 5. (ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS, WALLA WALLA)

SUBMISSION HELPING CHILDREN IN NEED

Toy Hack Workshop By Matthew Moran Over 25 engineering and non-engineering students came together on Nov. 16, 2017, to adapt toys for children with disabilities just in time for Christmas. The event, titled the Toy Hack Project, was inspired by an idea from Brian Hartman and hosted by the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE) student chapter club at WWU. Student volunteers adapted 12 toys for preschool developmentally-aged children. Volunteers worked in teams of two under the supervision of Dr. McKenzie, Dr. Hartman and SBE club officers. A large red button, one of the universal switches used by special needs children, was used to ensure each modified toy worked. According to club officers, the event was one of the most successful and engaging events the club has ever held. The Toy Hack Project provides a humanitarian outlet for both engineers and non-engineers to help families of children with disabilities. These children can develop their cognitive and social abilities by using these toys that are specially altered to fit their needs. In the market, such toys and universal switches can

be very expensive. Thus, the Toy Hack Project hopes to minimize the steep financial barrier that could prevent parents or teachers from giving their children with special needs access to such toys. The toys will be available for checkout at the Walla Walla University Adaptive Toy Library by anyone who has a Walla Walla University Library card.

SENATE NEW BUSINESS

The next Toy Hack event will be on Sunday, Feb. 25 starting at 6 p.m. in Kretschmar Hall. This event will be a collaboration between SBE and the Education Clubs. Sign-ups will be at the main office in the engineering department (i.e. Renee’s).1 Be on the lookout for more information.

GL7 — EVP Sponsorship

OLD BUSINESS PL28 — Hires for Elections Board: Passed

1 Renee Mackin, Chan Shun Pavilion 266 2nd Floor Office Suite

PL29 — ASWWU Justices: Passed GL5 — ASWWU TV Removal: Passed

Matthew Moran is a contributing writer.

Students taking part in last November’s Toy Hack Workshop. (HANNAH CHEBELEU)

COLLEGIAN WISDOM

Campus Improvement Budget is $9,600 so if you’re interested in some funding to improve campus life, let your fellow students know!

Couple who bought ‘American Horror Story’ mansion sues seller, alleging nobody told them home’s history “We thought it was just a fun name!”

Can someone be long-haired and Christian? Of course not, it would cover your face from the glory of God.

Kansas dog with ‘anti-squirrel agenda’ cannot run for state’s governor, officials say Seems a little ruff, don’t you think?

The cat between Donald Trump and his wall This is one pussy he can’t grab.

Pastor was ‘counseling’ the young, naked man tied up in his car, he says Two bros chillin’ in car, five feet apart ‘cause they’re not gay.

School tells sixth-graders they can’t say no when asked to dance Well if these were good Adventist children they wouldn’t be dancing in the first place.

ASWWU JOBS Marketing Media Distributor

Global Service Marketing Officer

college place, wa, walla walla university

| February 2018 Issue 15

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HISTORY PERCEPTIONS ON DARWIN

Huey Newton: “All Power to the People” Black Panther Party Co-founder was born February 17th By Zachary White If I were to say the words “Black Panther” aloud to someone today, most people familiar with popular culture would probably think of the highly-anticipated Marvel movie coming out this Friday, Feb. 16. But this week in February also warrants another sort of interpretation of the term Black Panther. Seventy-six years ago this Saturday, on Feb. 17, 1942, Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the revolutionary socialist organization known as the Black Panther Party, was born. Whether because of their infamous motto “All power to the people,” their groundbreaking free breakfast education program or their controversial embrace of firearms as a means of protection against racist police violence, the Black Panther Party was one of the most polarizing, feared and influential American political organizations of the 20th century.1 “We realize that this country became very rich upon slavery and that slavery is capitalism in the extreme,” Huey Newton said. “We have two evils to fight, capitalism and racism. We must destroy both.”2 Born in Monroe, Louisiana, to a sharecropper and baptist preacher, Newton moved to Oakland, California, in 1945 with his family. The family’s relocation was part of a larger migration of African-Americans away from the South to the urban metropolises of the Northeast, the Midwest and the West in order to escape

eracy-reminiscent violence they faced in the South, black people in the North and West were met with a sleeker, more modern and militarized form of social control: the police. Newton lays out the Panthers’ critique of American police in a 1968 interview: “In America, black people are treated very much as the Vietnamese people or any other colonized people, because we’re used—we’re brutalized. The police in our community occupy our area, our community, as a foreign troop occupies territory. And the police are there in our community not to promote our welfare or for our security and our safety, but they’re there to contain us, to brutalize us, and murder us, because they have their orders to do so. Just as [U.S.] soldiers in Vietnam have orders to destroy the Vietnamese people. The police in our community couldn’t possibly be there to protect our property because we own no property. They couldn’t possibly be there to see that we receive the due process of law for the simple reason that the police themselves deny us the due process of law. So it’s very apparent that the police are only in our community, not for our security, but for the security of the business owners of the community. So the status quo is kept intact.”4 Surprisingly, however, the Black Panther Party’s militant approach to handling racist police made was not what made it most threatening to the

children a day in 19 cities across America.5 “The BCP (Breakfast for Children Program) promotes at least tacit support for the Black Panther Party among naïve individuals and, what is more distressing, it provides the BPP with a ready audience composed of highly impressionable youths,” Hoover wrote in a memo to the Bureau in 1969. “Consequently, the BCP represents the best and most influential activity going for the BPP and, as such, is potentially the greatest threat to efforts by authorities to neutralize the BPP and destroy what it stands for.”6 Both inspired and threatened by the Party’s program, the U.S. government began a permanent nationwide free breakfast program in the 1970s which today feeds over 14 million children.7 While being an iconic figure in the Black Power and Black Nationalist movements, Huey Newton was also a critic of tendencies toward toxic masculinity within his organization. In an August 1970 speech, Newton called for the Black Panthers Party to unite with women’s liberation movements and gay liberation movements. In this speech, Newton articulates eloquently why many straight men feel uncomfortable allying themselves with these struggles. “We want to hit a homosexual in the mouth because we are afraid that we might be homosexual; and we want to hit the women or shut her up because we are afraid that she might castrate us, or take the nuts that we might not have to start with,” he said. “We must gain security in ourselves and therefore have respect and feelings for all oppressed people.”8 In the speech, he continued identifying the insurities that lie within the homophobic male mindset:

Huey P. Newton’s speech at Boston College in 1970. (IAMHIPHOPMAGAZINE.COM) the incessant racist vigilante violence in the South.3 Black communities moving to these northern and western cities, however, faced a different kind of white supremacy. Rather than the old-fashioned, hood-wearing, Confed-

U.S.’s powerful elite. According to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, the Party’s most dangerous activity was its free breakfast program for children. By 1969, the Black Panther Party was providing free breakfast to 20,000

“We should be willing to discuss the insecurities that many people have about homosexuality. When I say ‘insecurities,’ I mean the fear that they are some kind of threat to our manhood. I can understand this fear. Because of the long conditioning process which builds insecurity in the American male, homosexuality might produce certain hang-ups in us. I have hang-ups myself about male homosexuality. But on the other hand, I have no hang-up about female homosexuality. And that is a phenomenon in itself. I think it is probably because male homosexuality is a threat to me and female homosexuality is not. We should be careful about using those terms that might turn our friends off. The terms ‘faggot’ and ‘punk’ should be deleted from our vocabulary, and especially we should not attach names normally designed for homosexuals to

Huey P. Newton. (CAMERA PRESS/© ARCHIVE PHOTOS) men who are enemies of the people, such as Nixon or Mitchell. Homosexuals are not enemies of the people.” In 2018, when racism and the inequalities of corporate capitalism are at the forefront of political discourse, the legacy of the Black Panther Party is worth reflecting upon. While Bobby Seale, who co-founded the Party with Newton in 1966, is alive today, Newton was murdered in 1989 by a member of the Black Guerilla Family, a Bay-area gang and rival organization of the Black Panther Party. The Party, which was officially disbanded in 1982, was unsurprisingly subjected to intense FBI and police subversion, infiltration and surveillance that is often cited as the primary reason for the Party’s demise. The most famous of these attempts to “neutralize” the Black Panther Party is the joint FBI/Chicago Police Department assassination of the charismatic 21 year-old Illinois Party chairman Fred Hampton in 1969 (in his bed with his pregnant fiancée), which is worthy to be the subject of its own article in this column.10,11 While radicals around the world have lauded the Party for its militant dedication to the anti-colonial struggle, over a dozen Panthers are currently in prison for party-related charges.12 Whether it is the Young Lords in Puerto Rico in the early ‘70s,

Black Lives Matter activism in this decade or Panther-inspired Beyoncé Super Bowl performances in 2016, the symbolism and defiant spirit of the Black Panther Party continues to be present in society today. 1 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/01/black-panther-party-legacy-black-power/79041002/ 2 https://rethinkingschoolsblog.com/2017/10/15/ the-black-panther-party-was-founded-on-this-day-in1966-heres-what-we-dont-learn-about-the-black-panther-party-in-our-schools-but-should/ 3 https://web.archive.org/web/20110617031350/ http://www.africawithin.com/bios/huey_newton.htm 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqgJxkk-bnc

5 http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/04/ the-black-panthers-revolutionaries-free-breakfast-pioneers/ 6 Ibid. 7 http://www.history.com/news/free-school-breakfastblack-panther-party 8 http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/newtonq.html 9 Ibid. 10 https://www.thenation.com/article/ was-fred-hampton-executed/ 11 https://www.democracynow.org/2014/12/4/watch_ the_assassination_of_fred_hampton 12 https://www.colorlines.com/articles/16-black-panthers-still-behind-bars

Zachary White is a double history and sociology major.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication By Forrest Sheperd With Valentine’s Day now behind us and spring quarter in our sights, there will certainly be many relationships springing up on campus. This time of the year is often marked with more and more dates for couples new and old. Oftentimes, we put a lot of effort into knowing just what to say. This is important, but maybe not as important as we might think it is. The famous findings by researcher and UCLA psychology professor Dr. Albert Mehrabian suggest that the likability of a person in a situation is determined by the following parameters: 7 percent what we say, 38 percent the tone of voice we use and 55 percent by the body language we use.1 Also, as a relationship progresses, non-verbal communication accounts for even more of the communication between you and your partner. How is it that what we say can be so relatively unimportant in our interactions with those around us, and how can we use this knowledge to more effectively communicate or make a good impression on a date? Nonverbal communication– our posture, hand gestures, facial expression and even timing or tone of voice–accounts for 93 percent of information communicated between people in face-to-face interactions.2 Dr. Mehrabian’s findings also suggest that when people’s words do not match their nonverbal cues, we will go with what their nonverbal cues suggest. For example, if you say to your friend, “I don’t care if we do that” but avoid eye contact, cross your shoulders and say it in a discouraged tone of voice, your friend may not believe you. Nonverbal communication is believed to be an external expression of what what we are feeling,3 giving great power to those who know how to manipulate their nonverbal expression or decipher others’ nonverbal expressions. We may be able to understand what others are feeling even before

they are willing to tell us. Many times we pick up on these nonverbal signs subconsciously, but other times we don’t pick up on them at all; being able to recognize them during an interaction may help us better navigate it. The signs to look for and express vary with the situation and what you want to communicate. In light of Valentine’s Day just passing, let’s look at a date situation. Research suggests that in the absence of nonverbal cues, people’s perceptions of you are heavily based on physical attractiveness.4 The same researchers found that the more nonverbally-expressive participants were, the more attractive they were rated during an initial interaction.5 Yet another study suggests that saying one thing while nonverbally expressing something completely different resulted in a negative impression.6 This finding highlights the importance of using nonverbal communication effectively and making sure yours is consistent with the words you use. Researchers have concluded that what really makes you stand out is not primarily your looks but rather your expression of availability.7 This availability is expressed through social cues such as smiling, having uncrossed arms and legs and making direct eye-contact. Showing interest is expressed by leaning in towards them, tilting your head while listening to show engagement and pointing your feet towards them.8 Men are found to take longer to pick up on nonverbal cues than women,9 making it important for men to focus on recognizing nonverbal cues and for women to err on the side of providing more nonverbal cues when interacting with men. Men will generally express their interest using the previously mentioned signs of availability and interest, while women may be more expressive by nodding their head, gazing into their date’s eyes, tilting their head and smiling or flipping their hair. Women

Nonverbal communication between a married couple. (FOCUSONTHEFAMILY.COM) do this, in theory, to expose their neck, releasing pheromones.10 The way we carry our bodies and move throughout a situation gives those around us far more information than what we say. Understanding the importance of these nonverbal cues and using them to effectively communicate what we want to about ourselves is highly valuable. Although it may take practice to become good at recognizing and using these cues to our advantage, practice is more than worthwhile; it is vital for effective communication. In the frame of a relationship, nonverbal communication plays a critical role during the beginning stages of a relationship as impressions of a person are formed. The importance of nonverbal communication only increases as a

relationship develops, when words may not be needed to express what you have to say. With this in mind, this time of the year is the perfect time to work on recognizing and developing nonverbal communication skills with those around us, both with our valentines and everyone else. 1 Mehrabian, Albert. Silent Messages: Implicit Communication of Emotions and Attitudes. 1st ed., Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1981.

doi:10.1177/0146167288141020. 5 ibid. 6 Weisbuch, Max. “On Being Consistent: The Role of Verbal- Nonverbal Consistency in First Impressions.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology, vol. 32, no. 3, 2010, pp. 261–268., doi:10.1080/01973533.2 010.495659. 7 Moore, Monica M. “Human Nonverbal Courtship Behavior - A Brief Historical Review.” Journal of Sex Research, vol. 47, no. 2-3, 2010, pp. 171–180. Taylor & Francis Online, doi:10.1080/00224490903402520. 8 ibid.

2 ibid.

9 ibid.

3 Krauss, Robert M et al. “Nonverbal Behavior and Nonverbal Communication: What Do Conversational Hand Gestures Tell Us?” Advances in Experimental Social Psychology Volume 28, 1996, pp. 389–450., doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60241-5.

10 Van Edwards, Vanessa. “Female Body Language.” Science of People, www.scienceofpeople.com/ female-body-language/.

4 Friedman, Howard S. “Nonverbal Skill, Personal Charisma, and Initial Attraction.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 14, no. 1, 1 Mar. 1988, pp. 203–211. Sage Journals,

Forrest Sheperd is a biology major and Spanish minor.

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February 2018 Issue 15 | walla walla university | college place, wa

MEDIA/TECH A COMFORTING SONNET

Tulips By Matt Fennell Congratulations! You did it! You made it over the hump! Six weeks down, only four weeks and a few days to go. On top of that, this weekend’s the long one, so you’ll have plenty of time to sleep late and watch the Olympics! 1, 2 This week, I wanted to devote some space to reprinting a poem that ran in The Collegian three years ago as an endcap to an article that Karl Wallenkampf wrote.[3] At the time, it served as a piece of comfort and encouragement for a campus dealing with a tragedy. Now it’s one of my favorite pieces of literature, whether prose or poetry, and has stuck with me over the years. While I think that poetry isn’t really as cool as the movies, podcasts and video games I usually write about, I’d like to take some time to share this one with all of you reading today. Let’s get started. Holy Sonnet 10 (1609) John Donne

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.

Right out of the gate, we’ve got the author calling Death out: “You think you’re so great? You’re not.” It’s important to note here that the author, John Donne, was a priest, so this whole poem revolves entirely around the Christian view of death. The call-out continues, with Donne telling Death that its victories are hollow because the people it gets aren’t even going to stay dead. “You’re basically just like sleep, but longer. And let me tell you something brother: I love sleep.” This first section wraps up with Donne recognizing that yes, eventually, Death is going to get even the best of us, but all it’s really going to do is give our souls a quick nap.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. Pretty good right? No? That’s alright. Read it again. Take your time; the Shakespearean English is kind of tough, even if you know what to look for. I still struggle with it a little on every single re-read. Alright. Because I’m trying to make this week’s column as snooze-worthy as possible, I’m just going to give a little of my own commentary on this poem. I might get a little goofy, but that’s because I think it’ll be

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so; For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

at the ninth line, presents a change to that scenario. It’s a turning point. So we’re at that turning point now, where the scenario Donne has laid out—focusing on Death itself as a big, lame sleep—pivots to cover the actual tragedies to which Death clings. Donne points out that Death is just something that hangs out with the worst elements of life (poison, war and illness), lurking behind the passion of desperate men, the acts of kings and even just the random nature of the universe.

the easiest way to get my points across.

We close out this poem with two incredible final lines. These last two lines—their contempt and their self-assurance—carry so much power and are really why I love this poem as much as I do. Now, I promised that we wouldn’t get too technical with rhyme scheme, but as I was reading through these last few lines for the dozenth time before publication, I found something that I thought was kind of neat. In the penultimate line, where Donne again accuses Death of just being a quick sleep, we return to the rhyme of the first few sections, as a sort of refrain, where Donne reminds the reader of his belief and conviction that Death is nothing more than a blip in the grand, eternal scheme of the universe. And then, with a line punctuated by a poetic power move, Donne claims his share of the eternal victory: “Death, thou shalt die.”

Okay, before we get any further, it’s important to point out that this is a sonnet. You can identify a sonnet by the fact that it has 14 lines. I only bring any of this up because sonnets are great. Why are they great? Because they usually just make sense. A lot of them have conversational meters and really noticeable rhyme schemes. You don’t have to worry about abstractions or loads of deeper meaning from the structure here because you can just get right to the interpretation. Well, that is, except for this bit we’re at now, the “turn.” Sonnets usually work in a sort of call-response pattern, where the first few lines present some scenario, and the next few, starting with that “turn”

you so much for reading, and bearing with me (I’m sorry that I got a little carried away). I sincerely hope that you’re able to find the same peace that I take from this poem. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or if you just want to talk, drop me a line at matthew.fennell@wallawalla.edu. When we’re back next week, I’ll have some thoughts on “Black Panther.” Have a good one! 1 Ethan, Ryan, Jonathan and I have gotten very into curling. 2 Side note, the Olympics are incredibly easy to stream this year. There’s an app you can download for your phone/streaming device, and once you’ve logged in with the cable provider info you’ve paid for or otherwise acquired, there’s a screen that shows all the live events, and another that shows various replays and highlights. Don’t miss out! 3 Without a doubt, Karl’s piece in that issue is the reason that I’m writing for The Collegian today. If you want to read it, it’s up on our archives: Volume 99, Issue 15.

Matt Fennell is a computer engineering major.

Well, that’s about all the time we’ve got for today. As always, thank

RELIGION THE ONE PROJECT

Who Cares About the One Project? By Peter Flores I have attended two One project gatherings, and when I heard that this year’s, which took place last weekend, was the end, I wasn’t really surprised. If you look at the “about” section of the One roject website, you’ll find that the project itself is just focused on sharing a Christ-centered message. I think the quote below from their “about” section sums up their message quite well: “The One project seeks—through gatherings, conversations, web-based content, and Christ-focused publications—to stimulate preaching, worship, and adoration of Jesus within and through the Adventist church.” 1 It would seem from the outside that this message is pretty simple and shouldn’t stir up a controversy, but if you’ve ever met a human, let alone an Adventist one, you’d know that nothing that happens in the church or world is ever really simple or controversy-free. Several, if not countless, articles have been published about the dangers of the One project, equating it with spiritual formation. Spiritual formation, as I understand it, has two different meanings applied to it. The first meaning refers to the integration of eastern spiritual techniques such as yoga and meditation into regular Christian worship, which is seen by the majority of Seventh-day Adventism as wrong and dangerous. I would also add my name to the list of those who think that spiritual formation is bad if it were indeed referring to eastern spiritual techniques. The second meaning of spiritual formation seems to be exactly what the two words imply: forming your spirituality. This formation could be done in many ways, such as: prayer, meditation on certain Bible texts (not in the emptying your mind way, but rather just thinking about the text), reading the Bible, going to church, spending

more time with Jesus as you see fit and a variety of other not-eastern spiritual things. Unfortunately, this second definition isn’t the first to come to mind when you hear the words “spiritual formation.” Keep in mind that the quote above of the entire “about” section from the One Project doesn’t mention spiritual formation at all. There are pages more that could be said about spiritual formation, and if you are interested in it, then you can check out the links at the end of the article. Before we move on to the main points, I want to share some tidbits of another article by Jared Boling speaking out against the One Project gathering that he attended in Boulder, Colorado: “This meeting was an all-day event consisting of eight speakers — five of whom were female. One of the speakers made a joke saying that many people in the church that would hate to see this event because there were so many female speakers. This kind of cynicism will be seen throughout the majority of the speakers as they spoke about Jesus of Nazareth. A majority of the women that did speak could be seen wearing six-inch high heels, an arrangement of jewelry also consisting of earrings followed by sexy, tight and revealing clothes. As a married man of 12 years with three kids, I spent most of the sessions looking down at my Bible while I listened.”2

The One project slogan. (THE HAYSTACK) us and he won’t leave us if we even walk into a movie theater. He made fun of Revelation Seminar efforts to win souls and helping people to get ready to meet Jesus soon. He repeatedly said that we need to focus on the now, and not the end.”4

“The third speaker was Diane Johnson and in one of her stories she talked about being at Starbucks and sipping on her coffee as if that was an everyday thing and therefore an acceptable lifestyle practice.”3

Please understand that while I am taking some of these quotes out of context, I tried to retain the authors’ integrity by keeping most of the quotes intact. The reason I share these quotes is to point out an unfortunate truth: the fact is, many people often use the One Project as a negatively-fueled call to arms for their views. When they critique, their focus isn’t on Jesus but rather on human aspects in which we all fall short at times.

“The last speaker was Terry Swenson for the grand finale! This talk was on Jesus and the end times. Throughout his talk, he repeatedly noted that we don’t need to be focusing on the signs and the events of Jesus’ soon coming but to just focus on Jesus. Jokingly, he said that Jesus is always with

Regardless of what we believe, changes need to be made in how we approach divisive topics in our church. If our focus is not completely on Jesus, then it is off the mark. As a generation of young Adventists, or just Christians in general, our focus should be on, as my friend and mentor Pastor Les Zoll-

brecht would put it, “showing people a love so compelling that they spend their entire lives looking for its source.” We aren’t the ones fighting a war here—Jesus has already won. Our jobs are to love and to teach others where we learned to love: at the feet of Jesus. If we focus on criticizing the critics we lose precious time and energy that we could have spent loving others. I texted Paddy McCoy, our previous Walla Walla University Chaplain and also one of the leaders of the One Project, about this article and he sent me the quote below.

One project shmone project. It’s Jesus. ‘Jesus. All.’ Jesus must increase, we must decrease.” Today, I challenge you to care about something greater than the One Project or the critics against it. Who cares about the One Project? It’s ending, so now is the time to get our act together and focus on the imminent return of Jesus. So today, if you want, choose Jesus. All.5 1. Quote found on the One Project website. https:// the1project.org/about

“The One project has never been about the One project, it’s been about Jesus. We don’t do speaker introductions, we don’t celebrate resumes, and one of the reasons we are moving to the next chapter of our ministry is because for too many it has become, to them, about the One project and it’s NOT. It always has been about Jesus. Jesus , the embodiment of all sound doctrine, the incarnate Word of God, the co-existent member of the Holy Trinity.

2. A Day at the One Project, Article by Jared Boling found online. http://thegreatcontroversy.info/a-dayat-the-one-project.html 3. Ibid. 4. Ibid. 5. Slogan for the One Project

Peter Flores is a theology major.

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Feature college place, wa | walla walla university

| February 2018 Issue 15

Defining the “Problem” of Homelessness in Walla Walla By Kate Beckner Contributing research conducted by Jake Sloop Homeless people have often been considered a scourge of society. Whether in popular culture or real life, the homeless are often considered dirty, lazy bums who will take any change you give them to buy alcohol or drugs. Even city officials often speak of homeless people as a “problem” that they

but rather with the community they are in. Since they rely mostly on donations, a lack of donations from the community limits what the organizations are able to do. So perhaps the problem is the community? There could be a number of reasons why people don’t donate. For example, many people may think that homeless people should be able to figure life out on their own and pick themselves up without any help. Others may think that enough people

to treat people who are homeless as simply that: people. Too often, society treats the homeless as animals, categorizing them as “other” or “less than,” and giving rules for how to treat or help them.

Hope Heals Logo. (HOPE HEALS) food, blankets, tents or clothing directly to people; brings challenges of its own and doesn’t provide dignity. It only makes them more comfortable in their situation. It doesn’t give them hope or the tools for overcoming their circumstances. And frequently, these resources end up being used for trading or purchasing drugs, alcohol or sexual favors.” Despite the Christian Aid Center’s mission and work that they’ve done, along with Wicklund later saying in the article to “treat [the homeless] with dignity,” that passage still seems to be demeaning, and to be perpetuating a stereotype. Simply categorizing homeless people as a “them” continues the idea that homeless people can’t be trusted and are essentially social outcasts. What are people to do then? It’s quite simple really: treat them like any other member of society. Showing someone that you trust them allows them to trust themselves and encourages action to better themselves.

Conestogas. (WALLA WALLA ALIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS) need to solve. But what is the problem? Is it the people or society? Are these people simply destined to live at the bottom rung of our capitalist ladder? Or is it something else?

are helping so they don’t really need to help. Others may simply not care at all. The problem with this thinking is that it perpetuates a negative cycle: people become homeless, they try to get out

In 2016, an article by Jason Wickland, the executive director of the Christian Aid Center, was published in the Union Bulletin under the title “What Really Helps the Homeless.” In

Here in Walla Walla there are two other organizations that are helping the homeless, often with more success. One of the organizations is the Alliance for the Homeless in Walla Walla. This organization runs the sleep site near the Blue Mountain Humane Society. While it does have rules, such as only being open 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. (6 p.m. to 10 a.m. in the summer) and a number of other conduct rules, the goal for having the set time, according to Sleep Center Manager, Peter Brick, is that it “encourages people to move out and get on with their lives.” The site currently has 31 Conesto-

The problem arises with how these organizations give out this help. For Helpline, people are only allowed a clothing or furniture voucher every 90 days to six months and personal hygiene items every 90 days, according to Client Services Manager Wendy Cheng. While this allotment may not seem too bad, keep in mind it is not on a per-person basis. Imagine having a family of four, and only being allowed one bottle of laundry detergent every 90 days. Things would get rough after a while, especially if you’re struggling with income. Many people could argue that the problem isn’t with the organizations

The other organization is Hope Heals, founded in Walla Walla in 2013, which provides necessities to people who are transitioning into houses after being homeless. The founder, Annett Bovent, was homeless herself, and this experience guides her compassion and the work that she does. She relies entirely on donations and, unlike most social services, doesn’t require vouchers, instead choosing to take people at their word. During her first year, Bovent helped two people—in 2017 she helped 2,131 people and her organization is still growing. In her opinion, the reason most people have problems with the homeless is that they aren’t educated on the reality of their situation—they don’t understand the homeless. Bovent is simply helping those people that that need helping. “I don’t feel that I am doing anything special,” says Bovent. “I’m just doing what I think we all should be doing: loving one another.”

1 https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2017-AHAR-Part-1.pdf 2 https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/map/#fn[]=1500&fn[]=2900&fn[]=6100&fn[]=10100&fn[]=14100&year=2017&all_types=true&state=WA

Why are there so many homeless people in Walla Walla? While most people become homeless for a combination of reasons, half of those in Walla Walla report their homeless situation is a result of behavioral issues, including mental health issues and substance abuse; domestic abuse and family crisis are additional common reasons.4

For those who are experiencing homelessness in Walla Walla, one would expect that, due to the high percentage of Adventist and other religious organizations, there would be plenty of services available. Yes, there are the Christian Aid Center, Blue Mountain Action Council and Helpline, all of which can be tremendously helpful. For instance, Helpline provides bus passes, utility assistance, food bank cards and different vouchers that can be redeemed at the thrift stores of either St. Vincent de Paul or SonBridge for clothing and household items.

The Alliance has also recently started a new program: Exit Homelessness. This program, which takes place in the basement of City Hall, provides a place of support for those who are willing to do what it takes to get out of the struggle that is homelessness. This program is a bit more strict—requiring people to apply and be actively looking for a job—but it ensures that those who do participate are given the resources and support they need to succeed.

The homeless “problem” is not the people; instead, it’s the way we treat those people. Too often we cast them aside as the “lessers” of society, despite the fact that homelessness could easily happen to anyone. If society is to face the problem head on, it will require looking within at what it means to respect and treat people with dignity.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as of December 2017 there were 553,742 homeless people in the U.S.1 The same year, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness states that there were 21,112 homeless people in Washington.2 To narrow the focus in even further, the Washington Department of Commerce’s Annual Point in Time Count from 2016 estimates that there are 571 people in varying states of homelessness in Walla Walla.3

Many people assume that others are homeless because they are lazy, unwilling to work or simply wallowing in their problems with drugs and alcohol. Despite this common belief, the majority of people experiencing homelessness don’t want to be in their situation. The problem is that the stigma surrounding homelessness is often a barrier itself that prevents people from getting out of their situation, whether the barrier be the perpetual feeling of shame that surrounds the term “homeless,” or the feeling that no one supports them. However, with the right services and resources available, it is possible to escape homelessness.

are occupied, anyone that needs shelter for the night can come as long as there is space. Just two nights ago 32 people slept at the site.

3 http://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/ homelessness/annual-point-time-count/ 4 ibid

Vinis Jones (left) and Annett Bovent sorting donations for Hope Heals. (GREG LEHAM) of their situation, people shame them for simply having the connotation of homelessness following them, they fall back, and the cycle restarts.

reference to giving directly to homeless people rather than donating to an organization that will then give it to them, Wickland says:

The best way to break this cycle is

“...handing out resources such as

ga tents that can house either a single person or a couple, and usually most of the tents are filled each night. While the site does require registration in order to identify which Conestogas

Kate Beckner is a communications major.

Homeless Services in Walla Walla The Christian Aid Center Provides housing and support services, and meals

Helpline Walla Walla Provides utility assistance, vouchers for food, clothing and household goods

Blue Mountain Action Council Provides housing and legal services, along with utility assistance

Alliance for the Homeless Runs the Sleep Center and Exit Homelessness program

Hope Heals Provides housing items for those transitioning from homelessness to a house

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February 2018 Issue 15 | walla walla university | college place, wa

WEEK IN FORECAST

February 15-21 15

Thursday

Noche de Fuego @ The Blackbox Theater, 7:30 p.m. S.T.E.M Meet Up @ CSP, 3-6 p.m. Singles Awareness Day

Friday

43rd Annual AAUW Book Sale @ The Marcus Whitman Hotel, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration 2018 @ Cordiner Hall, 6-9 p.m.

Phobruary is for Foodies @ Soi 71: A Thai Noodle House, 12-2 p.m.; 5-9 p.m.

National do a Grouch a Favor Day

National Cabbage Day

National Caregivers Day

National Random Acts of Kindness Day

National Gumdrop Day

Saturday

SENATE A CRITIQUE

What is “Campus Improvement?” By Kate Beckner These past two weeks, I took the time to observe the ASWWU Senate. My main purpose for being there was in support of a bill that would give funds for a number of students to attend a journalism convention. However, I was also interested in seeing the process of a Senate meeting. Frankly, I was disappointed. The entire meeting was carried in a fairly professional manner, following proper protocols and such, but my biggest issue was Senate’s dealings with financial legislation. My particular concern is what the qualifications were for a bill to be considered “campus improvement.” From what I could understand of the process, a financial request bill goes through at least three steps: (1) the bill is written, (2) it is proposed to Senate and then (3) the finance committee discusses the bill. The finance committee then decides whether to send the bill to Senate for approval or to “table it indefinitely,” effectively killing the bill. The deciding factor for whether a bill has a chance of being passed is whether the proposal improves the campus—hence drawing from the budget for “Campus Improvement.” What qualifies as campus improvement, though? What does a pro-

posal have to do in order to be labeled as “Campus Improvement?” The truth is, no one knows. Senate currently has no written definition of what it means for something to be considered “campus improvement,” something they acknowledged in their last meeting. The problem is that with no definition, “campus improvement” is subjective. People can have differing opinions on what “campus improvement” means, which results in no real way for a proposal to explain how exactly it benefits the school. This subjectivity was the problem that faced the journalism convention bill. Daniella Silva, editor-in-chief of The Collegian, proposed a bill that asked Senate for funds to help pay the way for a few Collegian staff members and some communications and languages students to attend a journalism convention, in addition to funds provided by the CommLang department and the students themselves. Our hope was that her bill would improve the declining interest in the Communications and Languages department, along with the interest in and quality of The Collegian. Unfortunately, we were never able to explain this hope. The bill was tabled by the finance committee because it was not deemed beneficial to the campus, which caused

it to be excluded from any discussion, making Silva’s and my presence there useless. Not only that, but the committee members were only given a summary of our proposal, which omitted information that might have changed their decision. We were both frustrated at our inability to argue on behalf of the bill or even offer the chance for input at the financial meeting before the second Senate meeting when it would have been up for debate. The finance committee did state that they tabled the bill because it wasn’t seen as a good use of funds since there were only about five students going when we proposed the bill. However, I also believe our bill may have been rejected because it didn’t specifically benefit the senators or the groups they associate with. They weren’t the expected audience, and the real audience, The Collegian writers and CommLang students, weren’t a big enough group to be significant. Another reason was that we couldn’t explain the long-term goal of the bill, so it may have been seen as just a fun trip for a few students. In the interest of fairness, The Collegian also reached out to Senate for a statement on what constitutes “campus improvement.” Senator Derek Glatts had this to say:

“Every year, ASWWU Senate has a certain amount of money (typically between $10,000 and $15,000) in a fund entitled Campus Improvement. This is designated money that Senators can use for various types of projects. Historically, this has been physical improvements to the University campus such as bike racks, water bottle fillers or picnic tables. But the interpretation of “Campus Improvement” is left up to the senators. Senate sometimes uses this money for special interest projects, clubs or other individuals who come to senate with a need that will benefit students. Some, including me, wish that this money be used strictly for physical campus improvements. However, I recognize that, in some special cases, flexibility is needed.” While it is certainly important to respect the mandate of the Senators to make judgments on what constitutes fair use of the campus improvement budget, more information should be made available to students who want to bring funding bills to Senate. Campus interest groups should also be given an opportunity to present their case to a senator on the finance committee who could speak on their behalf, as well as offer guidance for how to structure requests for Senate funds. Over the next few weeks, we plan

to make amendments to the journalism convention bill and, hopefully, get a revised version past the finance committee. However, the issue still stands as to what campus improvement means. Personally, I believe it’s impossible to give the school something that will benefit the majority of students. The goal of a campus improvement project shouldn’t be to provide something that solves an immediate need or want. Campus improvement should include projects that improve campus over time and make the campus better as a whole. Unfortunately, as most students are only at this school for about four years, they prefer to see things happen immediately. I encourage Senate to define “campus improvement,” to provide a better understanding of the term not only for themselves but also for any non-senator. I also encourage them to think about the future of the school so that they might pass legislation that will truly benefit this university.

Kate Beckner is a communications major.

FOOD SOUP AND SANDWICHES

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup By Hannah Thiel One of my favorite meals is the classic combination of a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. This pairing is especially perfect for a cozy meal on a rainy evening.

own favorite way to make grilled cheese and tomato soup. Just in case you don’t have a particular way you like to make it, though, I thought I’d give you a standard recipe, plus some twists on the original you can try.

It isn’t a hard meal to make. In fact, you probably already have your

Hannah Thiel is an art major.

Classic Grilled Cheese INGREDIENTS Add in some extras: If you eat at the cafeteria, you could try adding many of the options in the wrap line. I’m going to give you some ideas, some of which may or may not be available at the cafeteria. • Apple • Kale • Sweet Potato • Pear • Tomato • Basil • Pesto • Avocado • Spinach • Artichoke Here are some possible combinations I think would be good, or you can mix and your own! • Feta + Kale + Sweet Potato • Mozzarella + Tomato + Avocado • Brie + Apple • Mozzarella + Spinach + Artichoke

INSTRUCTIONS You don’t even need a recipe for this one. You know the drill: melt cheese between two slices of bread. Remix: If you haven’t been already, you should definitely butter the outsides of each bread slice before you put them in the pan. This makes them crunchier, toastier and tastier. Another option is to melt the butter first in a microwave, stir in some garlic and then butter the toast. This will give you a lot of extra flavor and provide a boost to your immune system! Just make sure you brush your teeth afterwards.

Classic Tomato Soup (Serves 4) (based on a recipe by Minimalist Baker)

INGREDIENTS 1 28-ounce can tomatoes (peeled or crushed) 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1 cup water (substitute up to half with coconut milk or regular milk for creamier soup) 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk (or 1 3/4 cups milk) 1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped ½ teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper INSTRUCTIONS Add the soup ingredients to a large pot and bring it to a simmer. Transfer it to a blender and purée. After blending it, transfer the soup back to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Taste some and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Simmer the soup for at least 10 more minutes once you have the flavors right. Simmer for longer if you can, though—the longer you let it simmer, the more flavor it will have! Remix: Adding a bell pepper is one of my favorite ways to mix this recipe up. You could simply add the bell pepper with the other ingredients at the beginning, or you could roast the bell pepper(s) before adding them to the other ingredients. Roasting the pepper will provide a nice smoky flavor. You can also try adding some red pepper flakes for extra spice.

Try different kinds of cheese; mozzarella, feta and brie are some good options.

A grilled cheese sandwich. (PIXABAY)

college place, wa, walla walla university

Sunday 43rd Annual AAUW Book Sale @ The Marcus Whitman Hotel, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Monday

SNOW FROLIC, NO CLASSES! tWWUnes @ the SAC, 7-9 p.m.

February is for Foodies & Families @ The Olive Marketplace & Cafe, 5-8 p.m.

National Engineers Week

Tuesday

Gospel CommUnity @ U-Church, 11 a.m. Managing Winter Blues Workshop @ WEC 209, 6-8 p.m.

President’s Day

Housing Waitlist Opens for Spring Quarter

| February 2018 Issue 15

Wednesday

Waffle Wednesday @ Kellogg 106, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Annual Engineers Week Dinner @ SonBridge Education Center, 6:30-9 p.m..*

National Engineers Week

National Love Your Pets Day

National Sticky Bun Day

National Engineers Week

page 7

*Reservation required by Feb. 15

National Battery Day

CULTURE DO SOMETHING FOR YOU

Last Minute Trip Ideas! By Daphne Novak The long weekend is upon us. By the time you read this it will be Thursday or maybe even Friday. I hope you have plans. However, if you don’t, have no fear because I’m going to talk about a few places where you can go to make the most out of your long weekend.

city, it has always felt small to me. Seattle A solid alternative, if Portland isn’t your thing, is Seattle. Seattle, in my opinion, feels more like a big city.

Market is truly a good time, even though it is crowded. I love walking through the stalls and trying all the samples—who doesn’t love a spread of samples? I also love going to the Turkish Delight shop. Aside from the

donuts). Mighty O’s is a vegan organic cake donut shop, and they always have samples! As for accommodations, however, be a little cautious: from my Airbnb experience, lodging can be a little pricier than in Portland.

Portland Ah, of course I have to talk about Portland! Portland was actually the destination of my first long weekend adventure. In my sophomore year, my now-fiancé finally got a car, which was very exciting since I lacked one. Neither of us had been to Portland before. While we were there, we did the classic Portland things like visiting Blue Star Donuts, Salt and Straw1 and Forest Park, and taking a picture by the “Keep Portland Weird” sign. The nice thing A woman enjoys nature and fresh air. (PIXABAY) about Portland is that it has a pretty solid cheap Airbnb selection. You can I have been to Seattle a couple times Market, the Capitol Hill district is aneasily find something for about $20 a now, but I still feel like I have barely other great place to visit. I love all the night (I’m not saying that it will be nice, scratched the surface. Unlike Portland, thrift shops in that area. I recommend but it’s an option). What I like about Seattle feels less homey, but it’s really checking out Mighty O’s donuts (I love Portland is that, despite the size of the fun in its own way. Going to Pike Place

Joseph offers a multitude of hiking trails along a rushing river. What is nice about Joseph is that on the banks of Wallowa Lake is a year-round campground, which means that accommodations are less expensive. Joseph has a great little downtown area with some good eats. One place worth checking out is Arrowhead Chocolates—they make their own truffles (which can be a little expensive) and chocolate sauce for hot chocolate or mochas. I highly recommend their Mexican hot chocolate. Make sure you take advantage of the long weekend in one way or another. School is stressful and it’s important to take a break. Enjoy yourself—we are over half way done with the quarter and the school year—live it up! 1 Salt and Straw is a small, hip ice cream parlor featuring unique, housemade flavors like blue cheese & olive oil.

Joseph Finally, Joseph, Oregon. Joseph is a beautiful mountain town about two hours away from here. Settled right at the base of the Wallowa Mountains,

Daphne Novak is a psychology major.

OUTDOORS RUUD REMARKS

Chad in Chad By Chad Nelson Hello from the Acacia-dotted plains of the Sahel, also known as the middle of Africa! I am writing from atop a colorful rug decorated with Arabic writing, in a remote mission hospital in the Ouaddaî region of Chad, Africa. I am a WWU student missionary. We missionary types go into the far reaches of the world to help in the Lord’s work. Most of us go to actually work more than to play, but since this is the outdoor column, I thought you might like to know about the outdoor activities that are found here, just south of the great Sahara Desert. Chad is in the top 10 poorest countries in the world, meaning that many people here live in a similar fashion to Bible times. For most, hobbies are nonexistent because people spend every day working to get the most basic necessities of life. Common outdoor activities involve shoveling, mixing cement, carrying rocks, carrying water, herding animals and laying bricks. Come to think of it, most aspects of life here take place under the blue

sky since the majority of houses are thatched huts or simple brick rooms with nothing but a mat inside. The boys here play soccer for fun on dirt fields, but it seems that all of the women are expected to stay home to cook, except for some non-Muslim women who also go to school. However, despite the level of poverty, Chad actually has some impressive potential for outdoor adventuring—so much so that the well-known “Baby-A,” Alex Honnold, and a few other big-name climbers came to Chad on a North Face expedition a few years ago. Up in the Sahara Desert, close to Libya, there are incredible rock formations and skinny spires. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help me because it is incredibly far from me and dangerous to go there. Luckily, there are lots of small-but-pretty rocky peaks around here and even some great boulders I have seen off in the distance. I am usually too worn out from a day’s work to think about strenuous outdoor activity, but I did climb the local 8,000 meter mountain a few

The author still managing to find summits and views in Chad, Africa. (CHAD NELSON) weekends ago. Oh, I meant 800 meters. There was an incredible view at the top and some fun ridge scrambling. I also went for a run once, climbed a 5.1b, 1 and put my hand on a 4 foot boulder project! I live in a room that is about the size of a van-life setup, and I sleep on a backpacking pad every night, so I think a byproduct of my trip will be that I am prepared for van-life (should I ever get the money to start that socalled “dirtbag dream”).2 I’m stoked! The golden hour3 here is dreamy. The mostly flat terrain with silhouettes of distant rock formations is beautiful. Shortly after, when the sun sets, the horizon looks like something off of a Patagonia tag, so I call this area Chadagonia (for more reasons than one).

The day to day outdoor activities in Chad, Africa. (CHAD NELSON)

Being out here, sometimes as the only westerner for miles, is an amazing and challenging experience.

I hardly have any media to entertain myself with, but I do have my favorite ski movie, “Into the Mind,” and half of “Meru” (this guy named Riq Nuud gave it to me), which both often make me think of the PNW. However, God is teaching me to find outdoor beauty wherever I go. Even if you don’t enjoy the outdoors as much as Niq and I do, I would encourage you to never take it for granted and to always preserve it! If you weren’t aware already, you are living in an outdoor paradise, even in Walla Walla! Get out this weekend and get snowy, muddy, wet or dusty for me!

1 Refers to the difficulty level of the climb according to the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). A route rated 5.1b means it is a steep section with large handholds and footholds. In other words, it’s easy. 2 Vanlife is a term for dirtbags who live in a self-converted cargo van that provides a home anywhere that you can drive it. “Dirtbag” is a term of endearment for a climber who devotes all of their time to their sport, even to the point of abandoning employment and sleeping in the dirt (hence the name). 3 The golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset during which daylight is golden, and it often presents a nostalgic state of mind for some individuals.

There’s an old proverb I use every time I part with my good friends, and I will use it as I part with you (even though probably 75 percent of readers didn’t make it this far): “May your mountains be snowy and your climbs sendy.” Chad Nelson is a contributing writer.

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February 2017 Issue 15 | walla walla university | college place, wa

OPINION LOVE

It’s Okay to Love Love By Savanna Pardo As you all know, another Valentine’s Day has come and gone this past week. This particular holiday is favored by some and despised by others. Why, though? It doesn’t have to be an “icky,” “lonely” or “depressing” holiday. You may have spent this Valentine’s Day alone, but that doesn’t mean you have to hate the holiday. I think Valentine’s Day is a bit overhyped, but I also love the idea of love. Even though Valentine’s Day may not be everyone’s cup of tea, you have to admit, it is a pretty sweet holiday. From the sentimental gestures to the happiness and beauty that flow from

to love and be loved is such a great feeling and experience; it gives you a sense of safety. It may not even be romantic love; to love and be loved by someone such as a friend or family member is also a great feeling. It may not be that we are scared to love but rather that we’re scared of getting our hearts broken. Love is not what we are running away from.

this holiday, not everyone gives the holiday a fair chance. Some people feel lonely on Valentine’s Day, but it does not have to be this way. Our society has normalized the idea of shutting people out so that we may avoid heartbreak. Truly, though, which do you think hurts worse? To purposely make yourself miserable and alone or to experience heartbreak? You are only hurting yourself if you choose to shut off any chance of love.

Love may also be scary because the word is thrown around so often. Even words that are associated with love, like “promise” and “forever,” have been so diluted that they may bring up feelings of heartbreak and hurt. We should not have to question people and their feelings when they say these things; we

Why do we try to avoid love at all costs? What is it about the idea of love that throws people off? Maybe it is because when we describe love, we define it as an experience. The ability

should just be able to believe them. Unfortunately, heartache is not something that you can avoid forever. It may leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, but pain doesn’t mean you should shy away from feelings. Everyone has, and will, experience heartbreak. You are not alone in these feelings. But just because society and the media tell you how “bad” love is doesn’t mean that you have to feel the same way, too. It is okay to love. It is okay to get hurt. Each experience is just an opportunity for growth. If your past “love” hurt you, then was it really love? Maybe, or maybe not. Do not let the world make you numb. Love the ones

around you. You do not have to focus all your energy and love on one particular person or thing. You should believe in self-love. You can love your family with your whole heart. You can love your friends with every fiber in your being. You can also love rainy days or a favorite coffee mug. Love makes your heart warm and full, and as humans we live for this feeling. It truly is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Savanna Pardo is an English major.

OPINION TECHNOLOGY

Technology: Helping or Hurting? By Parker Bailey As many, if not all, of you know, technology has advanced a good bit in the past 30 years or so. In his book “Hayfoot,” Casper Vega argues that technology makes us “just another one of those disconnected, easily angered zombies who haven’t really worked a day in their lives.” Others believe that technology like the internet allows us to be more connected as a society and have a greater access to knowledge. But what’s the cost? Just go online and search, “technology is making us…” and you will see the search engine autocomplete the sentence to things like “stupid,” “antisocial,” “lazy,” and “dumb.” One of the articles that particularly caught my eye was one from TechRadar titled “Is technology making us less human?”. This article suggested that technology is changing us as a society; however, it did not state directly whether that change is good or bad. The article also brought up the term “sensory dynamism,” meaning that with technology our senses are limited only to what the device we’re using can supply, whereas the world around us can deliver to all of our senses simultaneously. Neema Moraveji, director of the Calming Technology Lab at Stanford, had this to say: “Technology makes us less human when we believe life is a rat race to be won—a zero-sum mentality—and when we are isolated and individual rather than interconnected, and primarily competitive rather than primarily collaborative.” Isolation and competition are two things that seem to make us feel less human, and technology contributes to this. On the other hand, as you may expect, technology brings many benefits. An article from the New York Times suggests that technology might not be driving us apart after all. Keith Hampton, a professor at Rutgers, conducted a study in the ‘90s surveying the lives of people in the suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, to see what the

effects of high-speed internet would have on neighborhoods compared to those without. He found that “they recognized … three times as many of their neighbors when asked,” attended more community events and were generally more involved. Hampton still vouches for the relevance of this discovery in today’s society. He says “We’re really bad at looking back in time. … It happens today when we talk about technology. We say: ‘Oh, technology, making us isolated. We’re disengaged.’ Compared to what?” It would seem that when compared to the past, many things are still the same but have just changed forms. Instead of reading the newspaper on the train, we are reading from our phones in our Ubers. So maybe things change, and maybe the older people think that it’s worse. So what? That doesn’t mean that they’re right, and that doesn’t mean that we are either. As author C. Peter Herman suggests, “the older generation of Vikings no doubt complained that the younger generation were getting soft and did not rape and pillage with the same dedication as in years gone by.” Whether or not things are getting worse is unimportant; what we should acknowledge is that people often are able to tell when technology is helping and when it’s hurting. Try to make it help more than it hurts today. http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/ future-tech/is-technology-making-us-less-human-1171002 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/magazine/technology-is-not-driving-us-apart-after-all.html

Parker Bailey is an engineering major.

This image shows that not much has changed over the last 100 years. (TECHDIRT.COM)

SURVEY

“Does Walla Walla have a homeless ‘problem?’” There are lots of people begging for money on the streets. Walk down any alley in downtown Walla Walla and you see homeless people sleeping on the ground. It’s a problem that people don’t seem to care enough about, but these are people’s lives and they need help somehow.

22.1% said no

Because the local government refuses to provide adequate places and services that the homeless can benefit from. If a city has one homeless person the city has a homelessness problem. While the homeless people are not the problem, we do need to find ways to help the homeless people get back on their feet instead of complaining about them and ignoring them. You have to deliberately not see the homeless people.

77.9% said yes

It seems as if we do have a homeless issue. When they were camped over by the Veterans Memorial Golf Course, they would walk across the highway (instead of under the bridge) and people were almost hitting with them with their cars. I think that we do have a homeless problem, but when I’ve tried to help, I get about 50% gratitude. I’ve gotten them telling me that they’re not going to be my charity project, or that they don’t even want the food that I’m offering them. So I see there is a homeless problem, and that for the most part, Walla Walla is willing to help out, but it needs to be a two way street... as bad as that sounds.

68 total participants

Homeless > 0 = problem The homeless problem will always exist unless people want to share their houses.

I don’t see any homeless people. Using the world problem infers that it’s their fault, the only problem exists with the way this communities supports it’s people. This is really a poor question. No, homeless people are not a “problem.” The way this question is phrased is (unintentionally, I’m sure) designed to rile people up. As for my personal opinion, I feel as if we (the student body, city, country, church, humanity in general) have a problem with dealing with the homeless. We don’t want to deal with them. We can hand out food and have conversations, but just enough to make us feel good about ourselves before heading back to our own lives. Do we need classy bulletins every week in church or could that cost be cut in half and used in other ways? We are the problem. Jesus literally says to give up EVERYTHING and follow Him. We have to be truly committed. I’ve only ever seen a couple homeless people, not nearly as many as in cities. I see maybe 1 or 2 people ever really on the streets that I could assume are “homeless”. Back home in Denver, if I gathered all the homeless downtown I could probably make a whole small town with the homeless population. THAT is a problem.

Additional question from last week’s poll:

Why do people become homeless? 68 total participants

83.8% Financial problems

/57 responders

77.9% Addiction

/53 responders

76.5% Mental illness

/52 responders

25% Laziness

/17 responders

10.3% Other

/7 responders