collide For students, by students | February 2014 | Issue 18
on
LOVE & WAR WAR OF UNREST Conflict arises around the world
Dating in the Melting Pot
Why does skin color still matter in the realm of dating?
LUST VS. LOVE The Science of Kissing Find out how men and women think differently of kissing
[letter from the editor]
A box of chocolates and a grenade
O
ur theme for this issue, “On Love and War,” sounds like a Tolstoy spinoff novel (a la War and Peace). Love and war, perhaps opposites, perhaps distant cousins, are absolutely connected even through their differences. Love and war might not seem like a likely pair, but allow us to convince you. Many of us were raised by parents who lived through the “MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR” era, but we were born into a nation that has been at war against different countries, terrorism and nuclear weapons. Of course, the word “war” has changed, just like the word “love” (Page 3) to mean that perhaps it’s not an all hands on deck initiative by our nation to fight another defined cause. War has become a fluid and slippery concept that here on the homeland we do not have to relate to—nor do we want to. Wars are fought in other places, making our home safe. It takes an outside perspective to see the effect of war on others, and while we try to give you a glimpse at a mere handful of the conflicts happening around the world (Page 24), empathy is not easily elicited. War is not necessarily a pretty topic to talk about due to its absence in our culture and presence in other places around the world. However, war is not always a bad idea, and while fighting things like terror gets convoluted and takes time, so do other wars. The War on Poverty was initiated 50 years ago, and the U.S. still hasn’t won (Page 26). This issue also explores the modern-day U.S. military, serving our country regardless of what we are fighting. We spoke with one Marine who found love overseas (Page 8), others who use technology to communicate with their loved ones while they are abroad (Page 32). One thing was very clear: our military per-
sonnel have a pride and belief that their service was a way to “get outside of themselves” or do something “beyond themselves,” what some might define as love. Sometimes, love and war have to be interlaced together. Going to war for your nation is not only an incredible sacrifice but also a powerful symbol of love. The idea of war and fighting whether it be for the country or for justice is a powerful concept that impacts a lot of our vernacular and mentality as a society. Think about it, sports rivalries are sometimes named after wars or battles (see Page 12 for more details). Even at an
Arielle Dreher Editor-In-Chief
individual level, we are battling an inner war against desires, thoughts or temptations, such as lust which we explore in this issue (Page 40). Of course, I would be ignoring a major news plug if I didn’t mention Valentine’s Day which was only a few days ago. Love permeates this issue from the physical manifestation of love to how we fall in love—our new staff writers wanted to explore all aspects of relationships and love. We explored the issues that come with love from race in relationships (Page 20) to falling in love with inanimate objects (Page 22). And, there’s a reason we kiss our significant others or those we are attracted to, in fact
there is a whole sector of science and psychology dedicated to kissing (Page 14). Our culture is obsessed with love, whether you love T-Swift (Page 6) or shows like The Bachelor (Page 4). We seem so enamored with love that screenplays are rift with love triangles (Page 36), and whole TV series are based on the two-male-one-female ratio and the sexual tension that ensues (ahem, Vampire Diaries). Hopefully, regardless of your sexuality and relationship status, you can find an article that soothes your singleness more than chocolate or underscores your gratefulness for genuine love in a relationship. Love is complicated, difficult and comes in all shapes and sizes. This issue is built to reflect that. Love and war might seem like they are worlds apart, opposites perhaps. But even some of the most shallowest love stories use the quip, “It was a love worth fighting for,” to define how strong that connection was. Bruno would catch a grenade for the woman he loves, implying he’s in some kind of war (unless he is a part of a bomb squad). You cannot separate the two. Love might be the opposite of war, but sometimes you go to war for something you love. Our society is actively engaged in love and war simultaneously. We challenge you that in this “season of love” to enjoy the things that you love, but challenge yourself to reflect on the wars around you whether they be internal, external or thousands of miles away. Love and war are two of the most complex things a person (or a society) can engage in, but it might just be worth it if we learn something in the process and come out on the other side bruised by opposing perspectives yet beaming in love and understanding gained from the battle.
collide www.theclause.org/collide
Editor-in-Chief Arielle Dreher
adreher09@apu.edu
Art Director Sarah Ottavis
sottavis09@apu.edu
Online Editor Ashley Cameron
acameron10@apu.edu
Copy Editor C. Amaris Felton cfelton09@apu.edu
Publicist Chelsey Barmore
cbarmore10@apu.edu
Business Manager Erin Lee collideads@gmail.com
Faculty Advisers Kyle Huckins khuckins@apu.edu
Contributing Writers
Katie Brown, Lauren Duran, Kimmi Ligh, Emily Leyva, Taylor Schablaske, Alex Scrivner, Paige Smith, Allison Thompson, Dadrienne Thompson
Contact Us
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Mission Statement
Collide is a publication of The Clause, a multi-media student voice of undergraduate Azusa Pacific University. Our stories seek to bring people together on our pages where our ideas collide and stories impact readers. We provide narratives, inquiries and dialogue in a Christian academic setting that values individual’s stories as well as community concerns. Our writers are student-journalists interested in crafting articles that connect with readers and challenge them to grow as people and reporters.
www.theclause.org/collide • 1
CONTENTS FEATURES Rio Martinez talks about how he found love abroad, Page 8
12 Love of Objects
An explanation as to why people fixate on things and places
30 Psychology of Kissing
How men and women think differently about kissing
34 Social Media and Soldiers Is social media a benefit or a danger?
SHORTS
5 The Bachelor and Bachelorette Is it possible to find real love on shows like these?
THREADS
5 Love by the Numbers
24
Nineteen is the average age when people fall in love
ON THE COVER Samantha Burnes draws a depiction of love and war.
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16
threads
Etymology of (n): love
I
f the word police existed, they would have already arrested about half of the American population for improper use of “love.” According to the Oxford Dictionary, today’s present definition of “love” is: “an intense feeling of deep affection.” Could this definition be more broad? In the midst of today’s lingo is the fluid use of the word “love.” It is used more informally than it was back in the Old English days. Nowadays, it is common for someone to use the word as a way to express how much he or she likes something, as in an object or anything besides another human. You might be familiar with some rendition of the statements “I love this song!” or “I love pickles [or insert favorite food here]!” Take some time to think about how you use “love.” It’s a known fact that the meaning of words change overtime. If one was to take a deeper look into where “love” came from, one would find that it was first used to describe care and desire by the Proto-Indo-Europeans in the form of “leubh.” Later, it was used in Old English to describe “deep affection” which later branched off into “to be very fond of,” which are both more serious than simply expressing that you like Sherlock.
As time passed, “love” became the word used to describe a special someone in the 13th century. It was then added onto particular objects that contribute to the love subject, such as love letters and love songs and was also used in the euphemism “make love” as another word for sexual intercourse by the 18th century. It seems that even back then “love” went through many changes, but its use still maintained a valid purpose. The reins have been loosened on the word to the point where people use it more and more often. A person could say he or she loves a particular sports team, but does the person really have a deep affection for that team? If only we realized that we love that team and we love our grandma, and we use the word “love” to communicate our affection for both of them. Does our language indicate the values we want to be revealed? If only people realized that the same “love” they use to express their affection for a sports team is the same “love” they use to express their feelings toward their grandmother, then maybe the value for the word will return. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
Etymology of (n): jihad
LEFT TOP: Rio Martinez; LEFT BOTTOM LEFT: LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton. LEFT BOTTOM RIGHT: Sarah Ottavis; RIGHT ANIMALS: Creative Commons;
M
ore often than not the American public thrives off of sensationalism—or at least that is what the media keep portraying. Due to this tendency within our society, there should be some clarity on an international misnomer: the understanding of the Islamic term “Jihad.” Jihad stems from the Arabic word “jee ha da” and roughly translates into English as “to struggle or to strive.” Alternative to Western assumptions, this struggle is not the one of extremist initiative to bomb oneself or to engage in “holy war” (which, since we are exposing terms, the term “holy war” is of Western Christian origin and ideology during the Crusades). According to Islamic websites Muslim.com and Justislam.co.uk, the Quran speaks of Jihad as an inward struggle occurring within the individual to subdue their own desires so that the will of Allah and the greater good can take over one’s life. To strive for a unified existence with God (or Allah), for the Muslim tradition, is
By C. Amaris Felton
By Alex Scrivner
both the ultimate destiny and most difficult task required for man. There are many more examples of how Jihad has been placed in history, but it is important to understand the root of its meaning. Most Muslims don’t take Jihad to extremist and terrorist actions, but this is usually only what the media displays. In the future when either reading the news about the Middle East and “acts of terror,” or when walking past your Muslim brother or sister on the street, remember that Jihad is at the root and core of the Muslim discipline. This discipline requires the same respect in which it seeks, for every person can relate with an inward struggle. “Jihad is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” -from the Quran, Surah 2: Al-Baqarah, Verse 216; Mohsin Translation
FUZZY FACTS
LOVE TOLD BY ANIMALS Forever Alone vs. Forever and Always
Forever and always
Sea Otters hold paws when they sleep so they don’t drift apart.
Forever alone
The Black Widow kills and eats a male of the same species before, during, and after copulation. Forever and always
When a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches the entire beach to find the perfect pebble to present to her. And when he finally finds it, he waddles over to her and places the pebble right in front of her. Kind of like a proposal.
–Sarah Ottavis
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threads
Single, Mingle, Marriage The Bachelor and The Bachelorette: How many relationships actually make it off of the shows?
By Paige Smith Lights, camera, action. The quiet one, the outgoing one, the promiscuous one and the motherly one are just a few of the girls chosen to represent the potential suitor for the bachelor. The only thing that was talked about more than Beyonce and Jay-Z’s duet during Grammy(s) weekend was the live wedding of The Bachelor alumni, Sean and Catherine. After the proposal this previous season, they were married Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014. The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have only produced a total of five successful relationships resulting in marriages out of the 25 previous seasons. One of the most infamous of these relationships developed in season 13 of The Bachelor when Jason Mesnick proposed to Melissa Rycroft and later explained that he changed his mind and wanted to be with the runner-up, Molly Mesnick. In her book, My Reality, that came out in 2011, Melissa Rycroft wrote, “Once we got back [from New Zealand] we both kind of sat in the real world, and we were talking about how it was different and it in all fairness, I think it is when you take the cameras away.” Developing a relationship in front of a camera can be seen as abnormal. The wonderment of what goes on when the cameras are off could be a question asked by even the most disinterested person. The downtime couples have in-between filming and airing the show is when reality sets in which could be a factor in the failed relationships. Some relationships may 4 • collide • february 2014
The new Mr. and Mrs. Sean Lowe walk down the aisle
not be strong enough to handle the pressure of keeping that kind of secret from family, friends and even the media. Rycroft wrote in her memoir: “Our connection didn’t feel as real as it had there [New Zealand]. One main reason for this was that I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I had to come home, resume my normal life, and pretend
this journey had never happened—and that took a lot of the emotion out of the whole thing.” Like this story, each season has had its own share of heartbreak and love; the other failed relationships have deteriorated within a month to a year after the season finale aired. “I think most of the relationships are forced on TV, and as soon as they
go off-camera the dynamic changes and so does the relationship,” junior communications major, Hendrik Schotanus said. Men and women go on the show in hopes of finding true love and someone to match what they are looking for in a potential spouse. “What people don’t realize is that it is all staged. None of the situations would happen outside of the context of the show. With the shows like The
the highest ratings and the network’s desires. However, it is possible that even the 21 percent of relationships that have become the show’s success stories can be marked as true love. “As corny and cliché as it sounds, I am a fan of love and people’s pursuits of it. I legitimately enjoy watching people on their love journey.You can get to know these 25 people in a span of nine weeks. You can build some connections to them and it really draws me in,” Scott Kolmer, an APU graduate student said. Viewers can benefit from watching the show by deciding what type of personality and characteristics they look for in a potential significant other. The Bachelor can bring happiness to participants in the sense of developing a relationship that can potentially lead to true love or simply to a better understanding of what kind of spouse they are looking to spend the rest of their life with. “I’m a fan, I know a lot of people aren’t, but give it a chance: watch a full season and let it take over your emotions, and you will change your mind,” Kolmer said. The Bachelor airs on Sunday nights at 8pm EST on ABC.
NUMBERS STUDY: Siemens Festival Nights. Survey. Siemens United Kingdom. August 2013. Web. 27 Jan 2012. LEFT WEDDING: ABC/Todd Wawrychuk. RIGHT BOTTOM: ABC/Steve Finn
“Our connection didn’t feel as real as it had there [New Zealand]. One main reason for this was that I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I had to come home, resume my normal life, and pretend this journey had never happened, and that took a lot of the emotion out of the whole thing.” —Melissa Rycroft. Bachelor, honestly, they pick a person who you can pretty much tell from the beginning who is going to win. Everything is done intentionally,” sophomore biblical studies and youth ministry major, Meredith Bird said. Bird thinks every girl is cast for a special reason and that the show relies heavily on casting, not randomly picking women to be on the show. “I think from day one, the producers and the guy know whom they are going to pick, which is why it doesn’t work out the majority of the time,” Bird said. If the show is chosen with specific types of individuals in mind, it could be a result of aiming for
# TIME TO FALL IN LOVE Statistics to remind you that you are not alone
73
percent of adults are not married to the love of their life
19
is the average age when people fall in love
4-5
relationships, on average, is how long it takes to find “the one”
10
weeks is the approximate time it takes to fall in love
75
percent of individuals say their definition of love has changed as they get older
–Emily Leyva
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shorts
How To: Stay out of trouble, trouble trouble with T-Swift Do you want to be Taylor Swift’s boyfriend? Why wouldn’t you? She’s beautiful, famous, rich, a great singer and she was picked as No. 1 Charitable Celebrity by DoSomething.org this year and last year.
By Kimmi Ligh
Victim: Jake Gyllenhaal Dated: Oct 2010-Jan 2011 Looks: actor, dark hair, blue eyes, 6’ Home state: California Songs: “The Last Time”, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Victim: Taylor Lautner Dated: Aug 2009-Dec 2009 Looks: actor, dark hair, dark eyes, 5’9” Home state: Michigan Song: “Back to December”
Victim: Joe Jonas Dated: July 2008-Oct 2008 Looks: singer, dark hair, dark eyes, 5’7” Home state: Arizona Songs: “Last Kiss”, “Forever and Always”, “Holy Ground”
I’ve researched all the boyfriends that Taylor has had in the past, and you can see if you match any of the qualities this singer seems to look for in a guy. T-Swift became truly famous in 2008, when she started dating all her famous beaus.
Taylor Swift and boyfriend Harry Styles go out for a stroll in down town LA. 6 • collide • february 2014
JOE JONAS Joe Jonas is the middle brother in the Jonas Brothers band. He infamously dumped Swift in a 27-second phone call. Tay went on Ellen to complain about it, and wrote the songs “Last Kiss,” “Forever and Always” and “Holy Ground” about him. Note to women who date Taylor’s exes: WATCH OUT! Taylor’s shown that she has a scary and vengeful side when she wrote her song “Better than Revenge” about Jonas’ then-girlfriend Camilla Belle. Swift declares: “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think, she’s an actress, whoaoh. She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress, whoa-oh.” Whoa. Try not to date someone immediately after you stop dating Taylor Swift. She doesn’t take it well. Although, maybe it didn’t help
Victim: Harry Styles Dated: Dec 2012-Jan 2013 Looks: singer, dark hair, grey eyes, 5’11” Home state: none [UK born] Songs: TBD
that Jonas wrote a song, “Much Better,” about it later, claiming that Belle was “much better” than Taylor Swift with “all the tears on her guitar.” TAYLOR LAUTNER This guy’s an actor made famous from the Twilight movie franchise. They met on set of the movie Valentine’s Day, where he and T-Swift play a high school couple. So, guys, if you want a better chance of dating Taylor, first get a role where you get to pretend to be her boyfriend and basically do nothing but kiss on screen. She’ll realize how great you are. JOHN MAYER John Mayer, a singer who’s much older that Swift, is the star of the obviously named song “Dear John.” Maybe you’re not about 10 years older than Taylor, but don’t worry. She seems to have decided that experienced, older men are not the best guys for her to date. JAKE GYLLENHAAL Taylor wrote the song “The Last Time”
Taylor Swift and boyfriend Jake Gyllenhal laugh chuckle over coffee
WOULD YOU DATE T-SWIFT? Michael Drummond
Victim: John Mayer Dated: Dec 2009-Feb 2010 Looks: singer, dark hair, dark eyes, 6’3” Home state: Connecticut Song: “Dear John”
“I guess I wouldn’t say no to a first date, but I would have to go in with low expectations of anything happening because I have no idea what we could actually have a conversation about!” Victim: Conor Kennedy Dated: July 2012 -Oct 2012 Looks: famous family, dark hair, dark eyes, 6’2” Home state: New York Song: “Begin Again”
Runner
Nick Perez
up!
joke is on her, she said, because “a new notch in your belt is all I’ll ever be.” The lesson? Don’t treat girls like a notch in your belt, regardless of how fabulously London your fashion may be.
BOTTOM LEFT: The Sun; TOP RIGHT: Just Jared Entertainment News
about actor Jake Gyllenhaal. He was, according to Swift in an NPR interview in November 2012, very unreliable. Since they only dated for three months, Taylor definitely wants a reliable guy. CONOR KENNEDY Conor Kennedy’s next, and he’s the only guy we know about in the recent years who’s actually not an actor or singer. But he’s still famous, since he’s part of the Kennedy family. The song about him, “Begin Again,” is actually positive. He laughed like a little kid, he’s a total gentleman, he stands and waves when he sees her, he tells her she’s funny… all good tips of ways to act, guys! They’re not together any more, but there was obviously something special about Kennedy. I’d suggest his gentleman-like manner and readiness to laugh. HARRY STYLES And finally, the last guy we know of: Harry Styles, the British lead-singer of One Direction with the crazy hair. “I Knew You Were Trouble” is about Styles (a line from which she tweeted after they broke up). The
THE VERDICT All these guys have dark hair. Do you have dark hair? No? Well, there’s always hair dye. Most of the guys she dates have dark eyes too. But if you don’t, luckily we have the blue-eyed Gyllenhaal to keep your hopes up. In her song, “Sparks Fly,” Taylor talks about a boy with green eyes, too. But do you have to be famous in order for Taylor to consider dating you? After all, all her boyfriends seem to be, right? Wrong! Taylor was dating regular, not-famous boyfriends before she got famous. And those guys don’t have angry songs written about them. Except that one guy who cheated on her. Don’t cheat! He asked for forgiveness, said it was “a moment of weakness,” but Tay wasn’t having any of his excuses. After he cheated on her, she says that even just looking at him felt wrong. In her song “You Should’ve Said No,” she sings, “I should have been there in the back of your mind.” So, what do you think? Do you have what it takes? If you’ve been convinced, send her a tweet. After all, what could she do to you? Write a song? (“I Knew You Were Trouble When You Tweeted Me”?)
“Sure. She's cute. I bet she has a good personality. But I don't want her to make a song if we break up.”
Ian Liardon
“Sure. I would go on a couple dates with my girl T-Sweezy. She seems like she enjoying having fun and in the midst of her fame she maintained her individuality and personality.”
Daniel Grussi
“I think personally I would say that I don’t think I would date her…”
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Flove inding
Abroad
Senior theater arts major Rio Martinez began his time at APU as a student set apart from most with two defining characteristics: an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps and a shiny wedding band on his left hand. Martinez spent five years of his life serving the U.S. both in the States and abroad. While on duty at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic, Martinez met his wife, Renata. Three years later, Martinez continues to adjust to married life while juggling two careers: one as a student, and the other as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve.
RIGHT: Rio Martinez
Interview by Allison Thompson
8 • collide • february 2014
Rio is a Fourth Tank Battalion in Twentynine Palms in the Marine Corps.
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Allison: When did you leave the Marine Corps? Rio: I did five years active duty, 2007 to 2012. I extended an extra year. Three of those years, I did embassy duty, which is when I met my wife. I got out Dec. 17, 2012 and now I’m in the reserves. So, I’m still serving, but just parttime. I’m with the Fourth Tank Battalion in Twentynine Palms. A: So you met Renata in Prague? When during that time did you meet her? R: It was in the first two months. When you’re on embassy guard duty, it’s almost like living in a dorm. One of the Marines I lived with was dating my (future) wife’s roommate. So I was playing third wheel and we were out in town. My friend Jake, his girlfriend Martina and I were walking to Old Town Square. Martina said, “Hey, my roommate works at Starbucks.” Yes, they have Starbucks everywhere, even in Prague. So we went in and she said ‘Say hi to my roommate, Renata.’ She’s significantly taller than me; she’s like 5’11” or 6’. We just talked. She took her break. We ate a cookie. I’m a social butterfly, so I was just talking. Maybe I was being over-confident too, just flirting around. A: So there was no language barrier? R: No, the younger generations have a fairly good grasp of English. She made fun of my name, though. Rio really is my full name. She thought it was a joke. I showed her my 10 • collide • february 2014
Rio and Renata celebrate the rest of their lives on a beautiful afternoon
“I wasn’t pursuing my art, which is theater; I wasn’t able to get any acting gigs. So I joined the Marine Corps, and I haven’t regretted it since,” —Rio Martinez. California I.D., and she just laughed. A: Did you ever imagine that you would meet someone overseas? R: I’m a romantic at heart, so the thought was kind of there. Prague is a magical place, in my opinion. I wanted to meet someone, or at least go on a date. Women are very beautiful out there, and there is a different mentality. They have a different way of perceiving relationships. I did not expect to marry anyone out there. Renata was something different than I had experienced, in terms of women. She was more traditional. Women are looking for chivalry, and they expect it. I think for her, though, I brought a faith perspective. My faith intrigued her.
A: Did you start dating right away? R: Well, I saw her more often because of Jake. I can’t say it was love at first sight, but there was some kind of connection we had. And my regional security officer actually got comped tickets for Lady Gaga. So our first legitimate date was Lady Gaga. We kind of regret it; (Gaga) is a weird person. So that was another thing we bonded on: our distaste for Lady Gaga’s pandering to the audience. Around January or February 2011, we starting asking, “What are we?” Eventually I said, “Let’s make it solid,” and we actually started dating. I was kind of conflicted, though, because she’s not a Christian. Czech Republic is notorious for being an atheist and agnostic
country. So in my mind it was kind of like “flirt and convert,” but that’s really not the way to go. We broke up a couple times because of my faith. I’m fortunate that things turned out better. We even dated long-distance in Jamaica, and I proposed to her in Jamaica.
TOP LEFT: Rio Martinez; TOP RIGHT: Rio Martinez; BOTTOM RIGHT: Rio Martinez
A: She came and visited you in Jamaica? R: She came a little before Easter. I proposed right before she flew out. It wasn’t romantic at all! Because I lost my wallet and so we couldn’t do all the things we wanted to do. So I was really upset with myself. I was going to buy the ring, but it didn’t turn out the way that I wanted. We went to Florida and Disney World. I bought a little Mickey Mouse ring there, and I was so nervous. I just wanted it to be perfect. On the way to the airport, I was all sweaty and nervous about a lot of things. A: When did your marriage become legal? R: We were waiting for some unemployment money. I got an email that said the money came in, so we got permission to go and get married. I woke up at 7 or 8 the morning of Jan. 17, 2013, and the spontaneous person that I am, I said, “Let’s get married today!” I skipped classes and emailed my professors and said, “I can’t come to class today, I’m getting married!” We went to Norwalk. We had to pay for a witness, we got married and then we went to Farrell’s in Brea and we ate ice cream. That was our
first ice cream as an official married couple. A: How did you adjust to life at APU as a married student? R: It’s been challenging. Married couples are very rare as a traditional undergrad at APU. And being an older student (I’m 26), I have different experiences. It’s been hard for myself, and my wife, to relate to students here. And a lot of it is coming out of the Marine Corps. It was a culture shock for me, coming to APU. It’s hard to relate to younger people. I feel significantly older because of the things that I’ve done. I’m a married person; I’m wor-
ried about paying rent and making sure my wife is doing OK. A: Any advice for fellow APU students? R: Marriage is not frivolous. You should not get married to try to find fulfillment or for status. You should not get married for any other reason than you really love this person and you want to share your life and everything. Don’t consider marriage unless you really want to commit, you want to know what your faults are (because you’re going to find them out really fast) and you’re willing to be sacrificial like Christ is.
Rio and Renata celebrate their big day with laterns
“Marriage is not frivolous. You should not get married to try to find fulfillment or for status.”
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It’s more than ‘just a game’ Athletes at war: what creates a rivalry? By Taylor Schablaske
T
he oldest rivalry in all of college football is between two teams you’ve probably never heard of. The Lehigh University and Lafayette College football teams have been playing each other since 1884, for a total of 145 matchups. Lafayette leads the all-time series with 77 wins compared to 67 for Lehigh, and they have also tied five times. Rivalries in sports are not made overnight; they must be shaped over time under a variety of conditions and specific factors. The factors, sometimes naturally occur but are often times created by the fans or media. The biggest rivalries usually consist of competitive if not demeaning remarks, behaviors and actions against opponent’s fans (and sometimes athletes), the locations or stadiums of the opponent’s team and prior games involving both teams. Unfortunately, some rivalries go beyond the game and become harmful toward an opponent and their fans with actions that can and have ranged from small pranks to chargeable crimes. Rivalries can be costly and have even resulted in all out brawls among parents and players from youth leagues to the professionals. Mark Wilson, a former high school football player whose team was a part of an intense high school rivalry, explained their tradition. “When I was playing, we would go to the rival high school’s field the night before the game and spray paint our logo all over their field,” he said. “It was 12 • collide • february 2014
Sophomore tailback Ross Scheuerman carries the ball. Lafayette University and Lehigh University battle it out on the field
“There was a period of time where they had to stop playing the game because it was getting too violent amongst the fans.” —Clint Wilton just part of the rivalry, we never thought twice about it.” In the case of the long-standing Auburn vs. Alabama universities football rivalry, one Alabama fan went as far as poisoning two historic oak trees on the Auburn campus. Harvey Updyke, the man who was charged with poisoning (and eventually killing) the trees, was ordered to pay Auburn $796,731 in restitution. Not all team rivalries call for such hooliganism. The location of each team can play a major role in the development of rivalries. Former Henderson State football player Clint Wilton experienced a local rivalry in the heart of the football-crazed
South as a part of the “Battle of the Ravine.” Crosstown rivals, Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, have faced each other since 1885. “Their stadium is literally across the street from ours. It’s crazy how the town can change who it’s behind simply by who’s more dominant,” Wilton said. “There’s nothing like it. I’ve seen absolute lunacy at times, which in turn makes it all the more great.” Even though rivalries can build excitement for the players, sometimes rivalries result in felonies, crimes and at the their worst, violence. “There was a period of time where they had to stop playing the game because it was getting too violent amongst
TOP AND BOTTOM: Lafayette College
Fans show their commitment to the team and express their opnion boldy
“I’ve seen plenty of fights. It’s just the nature of the rivalry, and fans are passionate about their teams and their city that they represent.” —Eric Rowe
the fans,” Wilton said. “Henderson State guys even kidnapped their homecoming queen years ago.” For the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders, who have been rivals since 1970 and battle for Bay-area bragging rights, the rivalry is much more fan-related, as the teams have only played each other in the regular season 12 times. Lifelong 49ers fan and season ticket holder Eric Rowe understands how this rivalry has affected both sets of fans. “It’s the battle of the Bay: two teams that hate each other and two sets of fans that hate each other even more,” Rowe said. “I’ve seen plenty of fights. It’s just the nature of the rivalry, and fans are passionate about their teams and their city that they represent.” Sometimes the athletes are not involved in the rivalry, but there are certainly instances in which the players genuinely dislike the opponent. If games have turned ugly in the past, teams might be more inclined to start up a rivalry with a team based on foul play or hard feelings about past losses. Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, play a rivalry game known as the “Holy War” due to the religious affiliations of both schools. Since being a part of the same conference from 1922 to 2010, the two teams have played with a conference championship on the line in several meetings, with Utah winning 24 championships and BYU winning 23. Former BYU quarterback Max Hall stated in a postgame press conference: “I don’t like Utah. In fact I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything.“ Most players will be a bit more righteous in their statements, but the long standing tension between the two teams still fuels them to play their absolute best against each other. “I remember watching this game as a kid, and it was always crazy,” said current BYU wide receiver Brett Thompson. “It definitely adds to the intensity of the game as a player, having seen so many games between them growing up. We all know people who go there, and they all know people who go here.” Rivalries are what make sports entertaining. They add passion, intensity, excitement and most importantly bragging rights. After all, what is better than being able to say your team is best? At least for a year, that is... www.theclause.org/collide • 13
Zach Wolfe and Lacy Maloney get comfortable in front of the camera.
The Science of Kis “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it, but a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it.” -Batman Returns
By Emily Leyva Photos by Sarah Ottavis
14 • collide • february 2014
ssing
www.theclause.org/collide • 15
K But where does all this pressure for a good kiss come from and how did the practice of interlocking lips demonstrate love or lust for another person? Philematologists (scientists who study kissing) believe that the habit originated from a primitive form of feeding also known as kiss-feeding. The method was practiced by mothers to feed their babies in order to nourish them with solid food. Before bottled milk and pre-blended soft baby food, and to help with the transition from breast milk to food, mothers would have to pre-chew the matter and transfer it from their mouths to their infants. What began as a primitive practice transformed into a sign of love and affection from mother to child and has now changed into an indicator of romance and intimacy between partners. While a passionate make-out session can represent love or desire, an article written by Eden G. Fromberg, D.O. Osteopathic and OBGYN reports that it is also good for your physical health. Kissing can burn two to three calories a minute, lower your cholesterol and increase the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which ultimately increases your heart rate. Kissing is an exciting phenomenon and one that can vary in deliverance and message. According to Susan Sprecher, a philematologist, there are three main types of kisses: greeter, family and romantic. The greeter kiss is shared with others when 16 • collide • february 2014
issing is an important part of our dating culture. It’s written about in songs and poetry; essential plots of movies and TV shows are thrown off course or completed because of a scandalous or anticipatory kiss. Kisses can be detrimental or beneficial to a relationship.
greeting, usually on the cheek or hand; the family kiss is a bit more intimate but less likely to occur on the lips among family members. The romantic kiss is the granddaddy of all. It is much more likely to involve lip-to-lip contact (open or closed mouth) and is often shared between romantic partners. More than 90 percent of cultures share romantic kissing or some other form of facial contact such as licking, touching or rubbing. Chimpanzees and other members of the ape family have also been documented to engage in kissing. “They [chimpanzees] do kiss to make up after fights, to comfort each other, to develop social bonds and sometimes for no clear reason at all – just like us,” said Kambiz Kamrani, a general physician and blogger for Anthropology.net. Kissing is primarily linked to romantic courtship and casual dating. Based on a 2007 study of 1,041 college students by Gordon G. Gallup Jr., a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Albany, all but five had experienced romantic kissing, and in excess of 20 percent estimated kissing more than 20 partners. “When two people kiss there is a rich and complicated exchange of information involving chemical (smell and taste), tactile and postural cues,” Gallup said. As indicated in Gallup’s study, kissing can have profound conse-
quences for romantic relationships. Evidence showed that bad kissers can damage the overall relationship. Most of the students who were surveyed reported that they were initially attracted to another person, but lost interest as soon as they experienced a bad kiss from him or her. Lips are one of the most sensitive and exposed features on the human body. Lips are fused with nerve endings that send in-
formation to our brain to help decide whether to continue the experience or end it. A study by Arizona State University communications professor Kory Floyd and colleagues found that the act of kissing may also improve the parasympathetic nervous system (a control mechanism that takes over when the body is relaxed and comfortable). The firing of the nervous system then gives a good kiss that feeling of being drunk or high on drugs without the risky side effects. When couples kiss, five out of 12 cranial nerves engage and send electrical impulses between the brain, lips, tongue and skin, which creates a feeling of euphoria. Kissing also causes physical changes to the body. Aside from heavy breathing, elevated heart rate and increased blood flow, the eye’s pupils also grow wider, which philematologists speculate as one of the reasons why humans close their eyes while they kiss. Scientists have found that men and women kiss for entirely different reasons. Women, for
Lips are fused with nerve endings that send information to our brain to help decide whether to continue the experience or end it. example, are biologically wired to find a mate by kissing performance in order to ensure maximum reproduction benefits (i.e., finding a mate who takes care of and protects her and her potential offspring). Evolutionary psychologists like Gallup and his team of researchers argue that because women are biologically and historically the bearers of burden for reproduction, they provide much more thought into making careful mate choices. “While both sexes rate kissing as a highly romantic act, women www.theclause.org/collide • 17
SCIE ENTI ARE KISS REP
Kissing also causes physical changes to the body such as eye pupils growing wider.
18 • collide • february 2014
QUIZ
1 2
What percentage of people in the world kiss, according to anthropologists?
3
What year did the first on-film kiss debut?
The first interracial kiss on U.S. television featured which two characters?
4 According to legend, kissing which stone could bring you good luck?
5
What one muscle does the basic kiss rely on the most?
How many calories does the average person burn while kissing for one minute?
6
7 Where did the idea of “sealing with a kiss” originate?
8 Getting a smooch before your partner leaves for work could mean:
9 What percentage of people tip their head to the right while kissing?
Answers 1. 90 Percent
6. The Orbicularis Oris 5. 26 Calories 4. Blarney Stone
9. Two-Thirds 8. Your Partner Earns a Good Income 7. Ancient Rome
consistently rate kissing as more important at all stages of the relationship than do men,” Gallup said. In Gallup’s study, it was found that females prioritize the importance of kissing. Women were more likely to encourage kissing before a sexual encounter and more likely to pursue kissing during and after sex. “Most females would never dream of having sex with someone they never kissed,” Gallup said. As a striking contrast, many males reported that they would not mind having sex with another without kissing first and did not stress about the importance of their mate being a good kisser. “Humans do it because it helps us sniff out a quality mate. When our faces are close together, our pheromones ‘talk’ – exchanging biological information about whether or not two people will make strong offspring,” said Susan M. Hughes, psychology professor at Albright College. “Women, for example, subconsciously prefer the scent of men whose genes for certain immune system proteins are different from their own. This kind of match could yield offspring with stronger immune systems, and better chances for survival.” The motives behind a kiss may be difficult to interpret, but kissing can act as a clear indicator of when to pursue or terminate a relationship. Although men and women may like to believe that a kiss is much more sporadic and romantic than an evolutionary spouse-finding process, the routine and accurate history of it is all very primal.
2. 1896 3. Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura
RIGHT: HowStuffWorksInc.
ENTISTS HAVE FOUND MEN AND WOMEN KISS FOR IRELY DIFFERENT REASONS. WOMEN, FOR EXAMPLE, E BIOLOGICALLY WIRED TO FIND A MATE BY HIS OR HER SING PERFORMANCE IN ORDER TO ENSURE MAXIMUM PRODUCTION BENEFITS
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n i g n Dati Pot
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By Dadrien
arah Ottavis
Photos by S
20 • collide • february 2014
LEFT AND RIGHT CENTER: Sarah Ottavis
I
have never thought of my own relationship as being interracial, but as I look back at trips to the mall and other outings with my boyfriend, I can recall the odd looks people have given me that make me think otherwise. Color has never affected my decision of who I date or who I befriend. In my opinion, it is simply a skin color. As a young girl, I never thought about the color of someone’s skin; I was just happy if the person shared a toy or cookie with me. Growing up, my house was (and still is) multicultural. My mom is Puerto Rican, my step-father is African American and my biological father is Creole. Race was never an issue. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized people are still judged because of their skin color. I’m not saying I never experienced any discrimination. I have memories of receiving dirty looks while with friends or family. In some instances, I wasn’t even aware I was being judged. I can recall a time when I was with my mother, sister and roommate at Universal Citywalk. We were waiting outside of Bubba Gump restaurant, and my mom suggested that my roommate and I go look at the menu that was hanging on a post. We couldn’t decide what to eat, so we stayed there for quite some time, and while we were there, a woman with darker skin also came to look at the menu. My roommate and I were polite and said “hi,” and the woman continued a conversation with my roommate—but not me. (My roommate is a lighter than me and Hispanic.) The lady only looked at me, then looked away with an attitude—I thought nothing of it. Not too long after, my mom called us to go inside because we were next in line. As soon as we were settled, my mom told me I was receiving dirty looks, and the lady who had ignored me kept staring at me with attitude. Well, as her daughter, I just thought, “Oh, she’s being protective,” and that’s all I thought of it. Events like this do not usually bug me, but this time even my roommate noticed. She mentioned other occasions where we’ve gone to the mall or to eat, and the same thing has happened. Even when I am with my boyfriend I get glares, and sometimes girls roll their eyes at me. It does get annoying, I will admit, but that doesn’t matter. My friendships and relationships are what matter. Interracial relationships are said to be more common now than ever before.
What is an interracial relationship? The dictionary definition of “interracial” is simply something involving people of different races. In 2010, a USA TODAY article said, “interracial marriages have gone up 28 percent since 2000.” This is a big jump, since this type of marriage was not common a few decades ago. Nowadays, there are interracial dating websites such as InterracialMatch.com that exist, which claims (by their own site, look it up!) to be the number one interracial dating site in the world with free sign-ups. Allinterracialcentral.com is another site that has a free search function as well. Regardless of whether the increase can be attributed to these interracial dating websites, interracial relationships are becoming more popular and more accepted. As my curiosity sparked about this subject, I found a quote in the USA Today article by Dan Lichter, a sociologist at Cornell University. He wrote, “Race is still a category that separates and divides us,” but “this [rising percentage of interracial relationships] might be evidence that some of the historical boundaries that separate the races are breaking down.” I found this to be very true because race has had and sometimes still
All this to say, I love my boyfriend Chris for who he is, not his appearance. Our relationship was never based off of anything concerning race, but because we have things in common, such as our love for God and music. My friends have accepted him and so has my family. But why does it matter? If God handpicked someone for you to date and that person has different skin color from you, then so be it! Skin color had no say in how I chose my partner, and Chris feels the same way. While speaking to him about the subject, he thought it was interesting because he pointed out that he had never thought of our relationship as “interracial” either and has even been complimented for dating me (which I thought was interesting). Chris explained that, “Other races didn’t just see me as the white guy, [since] that’s judgmental, but as a friend because I wasn’t ashamed to share the love I have for you. It doesn’t matter who I am with, whether Black, Mexican, Asian etc…” At the end of our conversation, Chris decided to share a guy’s perspective of interracial relationships. He wrote, “You know how people say, ‘The sky’s the limit’? Well, I don’t agree with that. Beyond the sky are galaxies, and I’m
Even when I am with my boyfriend I get glares, and sometimes girls roll their eyes at me. It does get annoying, I will admit, but that doesn’t matter. My friendships and relationships are what matter. has a bad reputation because of the history of discrimination in the U.S. As interracial marriages and relationships become more commonplace, it seems what matters is the heart of the person rather than the outward appearance. This idea is similar to that of 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, “...man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
sure those galaxies are hiding something beautiful. Go beyond the sky and find that galaxy you’re looking for. I found my galaxy and she is amazing. I love and care for her so much and would do whatever I can to be next to her. I didn’t set the sky as my limit, and you shouldn’t either. You could be missing out on something very beautiful.” So I ask again, why does it matter? www.theclause.org/collide • 21
I
now pronounce you...
A new type of dating, courting and marriage practice has emerged as people are professing their deep love and affection for their prized possessions. Is this the future of relationships?
By Lauren Duran Art by Eva Wilhite
22 • collide • february 2014
LEFT: Eva Wilhite
W
hen asked to describe the ideal spouse, most would not respond with “I want him or her to be 125 years old, 1,063 feet tall and over 10,000 tons,” unless of course your name was Erika Eiffel, the “wife” of the iconic Eiffel Tower. A similar situation is portrayed in the recent film Her, directed by Spike Jonze. In the movie, the main character, Theodore Twombly, played by actor Joaquin Phoenix, finds himself feeling lonely as he goes through the final stages of his divorce. To subside these feelings of solitude, Twombly purchases the OS1, a new, highly intelligent operating system that he names “Samantha.” In the film, Twombly falls in love with his new high-tech device as he shows her what human emotion and affection feels like. Although Her is not based on a true story, the film sheds light on a type of relationship that is reality for others, known as object sexuality or objectophilia. This is a sexual orientation in which individuals develop romantic relationships with inanimate objects. These relationships supercede the average person’s love of pizza, an iPhone or even a car. These relationships have gone as far as wedding ceremonies between a person and the object with which the individual feels they are deeply in love. Buzzfeed and Rankers boast lists of a few distinct individuals who participate in object sexuality. Amy Wolfe Weber, a 35-year-old church organist from Pennsylvania, married a roller coaster known as “1001 Natchs” with which she has felt a “physical and spiritual relationship” with since she was 13. Similarly, 42-year-old Erika Eiffel, originally from San Francisco, Calif., is in a deeply committed relationship with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Eiffel even went so far as to have a “commitment ceremony” with the Tower as well as changing her last name to match that of the famous structure. In an interview for Hungry Beast, an Australian current events show that aired on ABC, Nick Hayden sat down with Erika and asked, “How can you be in a relationship with something that can’t return your feelings?” Her response? “You are implying that what I need out of a relationship is the same as what everyone else needs...You are
implying that I need my object to talk to me, that I need my object to show emotion, that I need my object to wrap his arms around me...but actually that is not what I look for in a relationship with my other half,” she said. Instead, Erika looks for an object that is going to help her be successful in all aspects of her life, whether that be through her own personal achievements or through her career. Although marrying objects is not acceptable by law, many have held wedding ceremonies simply for what it symbolizes: their deep commitment and love for their objects. In 2010, Lee Jingym held a wedding for himself and his large anime character body pillow, Fate
Although marrying objects is not acceptable by law, many have held wedding ceremonies simply for what it symbolizes: their deep commitment and love for their objects. Testarossa. This was not the first time this had taken place, as Japanese gamer Sal 9000 also held a ceremony with his bride, Nene Anegasaki, a Nintendo DS video game character from “Love Plus,” a virtual dating video game. Likewise, 27-year-old Nathaniel, featured on the hit TV show My Strange Addiction, shared with viewers the committed and intimate relationship he has with his car, Chase. In much of the footage, Nathaniel is seen kissing and caressing the “curves” of his vehicle. People may wonder how someone could develop romantic feelings for an object. Marriage and family therapist Christy Zail, located in Tustin, Calif., acknowledged some of the possible causes of these rare relationships. “In 2009, Dr. Amy Marsh, who is a clinical sexologist, conducted research on individuals with object sexuality. She found that there was an incidence of Asperger’s Syndrome in respondents,” Zail said. Another possibility is that “an in-
dividual with object sexuality has developed an association with the object and feelings of love or sexual arousal,” added Zail. This seems to be the case with many of the individuals who have found genuine love in their prized possessions. They have formed a bond with their objects, both physically and emotionally, and often associate it with romantic feelings of love. In Dr. Marsh’s study, she determined object sexuality to be a sexual orientation in itself, as the emotions and experiences felt coincide with the general definition of an orientation, that is, “feelings and self-concept” according to Zail. Psychologist Robert Sternberg developed a theory stating that love is defined through intimacy, passion and commitment. Those who participate in object sexuality may experience what Sternberg’s theory describes as “romantic love.” They experience feelings of intimacy and passion, yet they lack reciprocated feelings of commitment from the inanimate object. “Some individuals with object sexuality believe that their feelings are reciprocated by their desired object; therefore, [they] are quite content with their relationship with their specified object,” Zail said. Although these rare relationships are difficult to imagine, there are many people in the world today who identify with objectophilia. Through television series such as My Strange Addiction and the new film Her, society is just beginning to catch a glimpse of the feelings that are experienced in these unorthodox relationships. As society continues to adapt to materialism, could this possibly be the future of our relationships? www.theclause.org/collide • 23
EGYPT
Egypt has been in a revolutionary period for a few years now, even after the Islamic President Mohammed Morsi was ousted and the military took over, Egypt seems far from peaceful times. Religious tensions are still running high due to Morsi’s Islamic religious ties, and the Muslim Brotherhood has called for a boycott of the newly drafted constitution which claims to be democratic in nature. Voters will go to the polls soon, but this referendum is viewed by several parties as more than a ballot on a new constitution.
YOU ARE HERE
a world of unrest by arielle dreher
The world is at war in several, intricate ways. Some countries are in the midst of conflicts, uprisings or actual civil wars. Other nations have attracted international attention from the UN or outside countries, intervening to help bring peace. Peace on earth might seem feasible from home, but the reality of war and conflict around the world says otherwise.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)
Religious-affiliated violence has torn apart CAR since last year when a coup was staged and the Muslim Seleka took over. Muslims and Christians have clashed, resulting in Christian militia groups driving out Muslims. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lack of economic stability, and more importantly, the violence is barring farmers access to the seeds necessary to plant crops and feed the nation. The continued exodus of Muslims from the country might collapse the country’s market entirely, if things do not stabilize soon.
All facts and figures have been researched and taken from the BBC. 24 • collide • february 2014
UKRAINE
Kiev has become the epicenter for an Occupy-style protest of the government’s resistance to join the EU. Protesters are demanding that their president, Viktor Yanukovych, stand down. The protesters are demanding a new government, ideally a western-style government to replace their unitarian system. The U.S. is in discussions with the EU about possible aid for Ukraine.
THAILAND
SYRIA
The political unrest and opposition combined with government possession of chemical weapons ignited an awkward match-up between Russia and the U.S. and the countries’ involvement in Syria. Peace talks are still in the works in Geneva, and civilian evacuations, primarily in Homs, have prompted a three day truce according to the UN. However, violence has not subsided even with more peace talks forthcoming.
SUDAN
The Thai people have grown tired of their government and their prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who they claim is a puppet of former leader and her in-exile brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. The main opposition protesters petitioned to annul the general election that would undoubtedly keep Shinawatra in power. A state of emergency was declared by the government to control the anti-government figures leading protests, a few whom have already been arrested or detained. It is likely that Shinawatra’s party will still win the election despite the protests.
AFGHANISTAN
The U.S. has been present in Afghanistan since 9/11 and the war on the Taliban began, centered on Osama bin Laden. However, our presence in the Middle Eastern country in order to rebuild the nation’s government has been slow-going. While this country has been out of the headlines for a while, recent reports show the number of civilians killed and wounded in combat has raised by 14 percent in the past year. Nearly 3,000 civilians were killed in 2013 alone.
Rivals between army factions turned violent in December, and the conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced about 860,000 people. Initially the conflict was political, stemming from disagreement between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Macha. Two sides quickly formed, following their respective leaders into a community-driven conflict that has turned violent. A lot like CAR, the Sudanese market is in danger of collapse with the displacement of farmers and limited access to resources.
www.theclause.org/collide • 25
WARon
POVERTY
26 • collide • february 2014
Jan. 8, 2014 marked the 50th year anniversary of U.S president Lyndon B. Johnson’s enactment of the War on Poverty. 50 years later, the U.S has the capacity to work forward in Johnson’s eradication of poverty without having to engage in war at all.
By Alex*Scrivner
TY Photo courtesy of Pachd Images www.theclause.org/collide • 27
“L
et this session of Congress be known as the session which did more for civil rights than the last hundred sessions combined; as the session which enacted the most far-reaching tax cut of our time; as the session which declared all-out war on human poverty and unemployment in these United States”—Lyndon B. Johnson, State of the Union Address, January 1964 Is a nation’s greatness measured upon its rich or its poor? Or is it the gap between the two which is the most telling? On Jan. 8, 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson declared in his State of the Union Address that Congress needed to join his administration to commence a national war on poverty at a time when the number of Americans living in poverty was reaching critical mass. Now the nation considers what has resulted from this “war,” and some wonder if the “troops” were ever sent out in the first place. The current national poverty line, 28 • collide • february 2014
which is an adjusted number from that fixed in the Johnson era, is set at $23,293 for two adults and two dependents younger than 18 and $18,498 for one adult and two dependents less than 18 years of age. The daily crisis for those who are at or below these national lines is that being employed, even full time, is not enough to keep one securely outside of the stagnant socioeconomic status of poverty. The reality is that for some, even being employed full-time and earning minimum wage still results in living at or under the poverty line.
“But it is not a standstill budget, for America cannot afford to stand still. Our population is growing. Our economy is more complex. Our people’s needs are expanding. ...It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it.” The broadened Social Security instituted in the 60s (e.g. food stamps, Head Start and other social welfare programs) has played a role in meeting the needs of the poor. However, it has reacted inadequately to increases in wealth which the country has received, proving to be ill-equipped to challenge America’s growing inequality. In a 2013 study, the Economic Policy Institute reported that the minimum wage for workers in terms of the average hourly earnings has continuously digressed since 1964. Minimum-wage workers shared a calculated 49.4 percent of earnings made in 1964 and in 2011 that figure dropped
RIGHT: LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton
Why is everything I see green?
The current federal minimum wage of $7.25, considering inflation, carries less economic value than it did in the 70s. In his recent State of the Union Address, President Obama stated that he is supporting a federal minimum wage increase to $9 by 2015. Frank Stricker, emeritus professor of history at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and author of Why America Lost the War on Poverty-and How to Win It, proposes the wage be established at $15.50. “Even for a worker with [a] full year’s work, that’s only $32,240. ...For anyone with dependents that’s still poverty,” Stricker said. The spectrum of who and what accounts for “human poverty” in the U.S. has been broadened in the same ways as it has remained stalled throughout the past 50 years, time that has included wars and turmoil of various kinds. For one to understand the persistent negative repercussions of the economic system at work, he or she needs to evaluate how the society at large relates to poverty and who the “weapons of war” have ended up fighting for and against. After all, if a person is unaware of a war, then he or she is also unaware of which side of the battlefield they occupy individually.
n signs the Poverty President Lyndon B. Johnsonomic Opportunity Bill (also known as the Eco porters of the bill look on Act) while press and sup
www.theclause.org/collide • 29
to 37.2 percent. The supposed richest nation on earth continues to withhold from its labor force their equal share. Productivity has not been a determining factor in the corporate distribution of earnings. “The gap between the richest and the average worker is massive and nearly 10 times as wide as it is in other countries,” Stricker said. “We have a lot of income growth in America, but almost all the additional income we make is taken away by the income at the top one to five percent, and it doesn’t get distributed to the average people so the wages stay low.” While one can join the picket lines with a big finger pointing toward capitalism to blame, capitalism itself does not necessitate the extreme inequality between the rich and the poor that America continues to fabricate. Stricker sees the only hope in alleviating the nation from growing and/or sustaining poverty is to redistribute wealth and income. “The minimum wage fights that are going on now are a little effort to do that,” Stricker said. Social services have kept poverty levels at bay to a point; however, the percentage of those in poverty has increased by less than 1 percent since 1964. Should there not be an implementation of a goal within social services to significantly decrease those percentages? For example, with welfare checks, the money given is put back into the economy because those receiving the aid do not have enough to budget in order to save anything they receive. Systems such as this seem to act as a quick fix and a financial buffer for corporations that are not required to shift the way they do business and distribute profits earned. “Unfortunately, many Americans live on the outskirts of hope — some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity ... All of these increased opportunities ... must be open to Americans of every color. As far as the writ of federal law will run, we must abolish not some, but all racial discrimination. For this is not merely an economic issue, or a social, political, or international issue. It is a moral issue.” Johnson’s War on Poverty fed off of the momentum of the Civil Rights 30 • collide • february 2014
President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes the hand of one of the residents of Appalachia as Agent Rufus Youngblood (far left) looks on
Act of 1963, and 50 years later, race is still a determining agent in who is more likely to live in poverty. Algernon Austin, director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy, said in an article by TheGrio that “there continues to be racial bias in the labor market, some of it is in overt consciousness and some is not. Until we acknowledge the presence of overt bias and subtle unconscious bias we
will not be able to solve the problem of excessively high black unemployment.” Government statistics go handin-hand with Austin’s statement. According to the U.S. census, in 2011 (and it is still about that average today) the percentage of all American people in poverty was 15 percent and the percentage of single-race blacks who were in poverty was 27.6 percent; the amount being nearly double for
who had college experience was 19.5 percent, and in 2011 that number increased to 33.3 percent. In sum, those who have a college degree are taking work at the minimum-wage level and leaving those equipped to work but lacking a diploma to settle for an even lower earning job or no job at all. According to a January 2014 article written by Colorlines.com, “One out of four blacks and one out of six Latinos under the age of 25 are without work.” This cycle is economically stagnating the peoples who, within the next 50 years, are going to be the majority of the U.S. population.
LEFT: LBJ Library photo by Cecil Stoughton
“Very often a lack of jobs and money is not the cause of poverty, but the symptom. The cause may lie deeper in our failure to give our fellow citizens a fair chance to develop their own capacities, in a lack of education and training, in a lack of medical care and housing, in a lack of decent communities in which to live and bring up their children.”
the black population in comparison to the entire populace. Johnson’s State of the Union Address, along with Obama’s in January, emphasized the need of an alleviation of poverty for ALL American peoples. The issue cannot be glossed over, and the matter of race must be incorporated alongside any debate of poverty, just as one must talk about the rich when discussing the poor. The job market contest does not only exist amidst racial complexities but also shifts in the types of people applying for minimum and low-wage jobs. After the 2008-2009 recession, many jobs were taken out of the market which left even more of those who were highly educated and older to settle into work usually occupied by youth without college degrees. The Center for Economic and Policy Research analyzed that the number of “16 to 19-year-olds in low-wage work fell by 50 percent between 1979 to 2011 while workers ages 35-64 increased their share of low-wage work.” In 1979 the number of low-wage workers
Ironically, the most notable times of economic stimulation and job availability have been when the U.S. is in a military war. In the late 60s the U.S. had an astonishing 3 percent poverty rate during the Vietnam War due to government investment in job creation. This provided a lot of stability for middle class families and blue collar workers but also played a pivotal role in creating astringent political polarities and was a distraction from fighting things like poverty according to Stricker. Out of this era also came the War on Drugs during the Nixon presidency in 1971. “Some people say that the War on Poverty was replaced by the War on the Poor,” Stricker said. “And part of it was the War on Drugs which incarcerated many people who had committed minor infractions and who were heavily minority.” The War on Drugs, conversely linked with the War on Poverty, continues to fuel our criminal justice and political systems. In 2012 the U.S. arrested 1.5 million people for nonviolent drug charges, and in the same year incarcerated what added up to 1 in every 108 adults. Just as war abroad hasn’t solved poverty at home, imprisoning mass amounts of citizens for major and minor drug indictments (the U.S. holds the medal for highest
incarceration rate in the world) hasn’t brought resolution to the relentless conflict of ending poverty. “My good friends and my fellow Americans: In these last seven sorrowful weeks, we have learned anew that nothing is so enduring as faith, and nothing is so degrading as hate. So I ask you now in the Congress and in the country to join with me in expressing and fulfilling that faith in working for a nation, a nation that is free from want and a world that is free from hate — a world of peace and justice, and freedom and abundance, for our time and for all time to come.” “Every person has their own right to self-determination,” said Rudy Salinas, an interim program director for Housing Works in Los Angeles, Calif. Housing Works is an initiative within Los Angeles that acts as “an approach to ending homelessness that centers on providing homeless people with housing quickly and then providing services as needed.” This organization focuses on the chronically homeless, and approaches poverty from, what they deem, the “human level.” The staff of Housing Works adopted psychologist Carl Rogers’ position toward life, which is one of unconditional positive regard. As the invisible hand pushes the polarities between the rich and the poor in society, it would be injudicious to assume that one’s consciousness has not also acclimated to the disparity. While policies need making and economic systems need bending, it is one’s consciousness and approach to his or her own fellow man or woman that also needs reinventing. This applies to those who are living in socioeconomic poverty alongside those who are not. The stance Salinas has taken is one of mutual responsibility, where the eradication of poverty is in the hands of the average citizen just as much as the politicians that represent them. This puts the individual at the crux of the War on Poverty. Over the past 50 years, political agendas and the economy have claimed a war in vain. Historians such as Stricker and activists like Salinas have given up on the fleeting effectiveness of war, but have not lost hope in the reality of an alleviated socioeconomic poor. At its core, the War on Poverty is a war for equality. Everyone has a role, and if each of us plays our own part there shouldn’t have to be war at all. www.theclause.org/collide • 31
Computers, phones and tablets. One click on these devices and information can be sent around the world in seconds. Whether it is public knowledge or not, the information, if in the wrong hands, can have dire repercussions.
By Paige Smith Photo by Sarah Ottavis
32 • collide • february 2014
SOCIAL MEDIA
BENEFIT
DANGER
www.theclause.org/collide • 33
Communication is essential. Social media makes it more convenient, especially when it comes to those who are constantly traveling on leave. Senior psychology major, Kalin Granado and fiancé, Tyler Hiebner, met in San Diego in the summer of 2012. While out with her cousin one evening, she saw Tyler and knew she wanted to talk to him. She went up and started having a conversation with him. They hung out every night until she returned to APU, and soon after he was deployed. “While he [Tyler] was deployed for 7 months we Skyped for as much as we could when he wasn’t working,” Granado said. “He couldn’t use his phone where he was deployed so we had to stick to Skype and Facebook messaging; I would have had a much harder time without Skype.” Media sites that give couples the chance to communicate while one of them is deployed helps the distance seem minimal even though they could be thousands of miles away. Daniella Banks, a sophomore music education major at Charleston Southern University, recently married John Banks, Machinist’s Mate Petty Officer 3rd Class. They met while on tour with Drum Corps International and remained in a long-distance relationship throughout their engagement while John was deployed. “It’s [social media] the only way we can interact. The Internet works wonders with keeping loved ones in touch,” Banks said. “It’s really awesome to see his face over Skype or see what he’s up to on Facebook. It’s almost as effective as being in person.” According to the U.S. Army’s Facebook page: “Soldiers are personally responsible for all content they publish on social networking sites, blogs or other websites. In addition to ensuring Army content is accurate and appropriate, Soldiers also must be thoughtful about the non-service related content they post, since the lines between personal and professional life often blur in the online space.” For a soldier’s protection, their Facebook page should not reveal personal details of where he or she is, especially on a network that could be hacked into during wartime. 34 • collide • february 2014
“We tend to stick to phone calls [or] texting when we’re not together, but sometimes if I post something on Instagram [or] Facebook he will comment on it or vice versa—but that’s usually the extent of it,” Granado said. According to the U.S. Army’s Operations Security (OPSEC) and Safe Social Networking handbook, “Operations security and personal privacy concerns should be paramount when using social media.” There are correct ways of going about keeping friends and family updated according to the U.S. Army. It is important not to send personal information or details that can damage the reputation of the Army through any type of social media platform.
Social media have been at the center of the warfare circle in a sly but obvious way, usually by a soldier or civilian who is simply tweeting about an event. On May 1, 2011, Sohaib Athar became known as the man who live tweeted the Osama bin Laden raid. His first
tweet was, “Helicopter hovering above Abottabad at 1AM (is a rare event).” The tweet that came within the next day was both humorous and historical. Athar wrote, “Uh oh, now I’m the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it.” Soldiers aren’t the only ones using social media to stay in touch with family and friends. The Army, as an entity, is also using social media as a recruiting tool for awareness and public relations purposes. It allows every soldier to share his or her personal Army story, and it allows America to connect with its Army.
Facebook privacy settings are constantly changing, so staying on top of the privacy updates is essential to making sure that soldiers are kept safe and out of harm’s way. Nicole Harper, a student at Feather River College in Quincy, Calif. has multiple family members and close friends who are in the Army and the Navy. Harp-
HOW DO SOLDIERS STAY CONNECTED? ARE THEY USING...
Geotagging
YES
NO
YES NO
YES
LEFT CENTER: Military Advantage
SOLDIERS USE TWITTER ALSO AS A RECRUITING TOOL FOR AWARENESS AND RELATIONS PURPOSES
er uses social media to communicate with her family members while they are abroad. “It [social media] gives them a sense of normality while they are off fighting in a strange place; they get to talk to their families and it helps them feel like at least one thing is normal,” Harper said. Just as it is recommended for any individual on Facebook, the Army warns its military personnel about enemy eavesdropping: “America’s enemies scour blogs, forums, chat rooms and personal websites to piece together information that can harm the United States and its soldiers.” The “friends only” option on Facebook is the safest way to post information online only to those few trusted individuals. Verifying that those individuals are truly who they claim to be is also important when it comes to making sure a hacker or an enemy is not out to harm the individual. Facebook photo albums that
SOLDIERS HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN USING FACEBOOK. AMERICA’S ENEMIES SCOUR BLOGS, FORUMS, CHAT ROOMS, AND PERSONAL BLOGS TO PIECE TOGETHER INFMORATION THAT CAN BE HARMFUL
consist of specific locations as titles can be dangerous not only to the soldier but also to those friends and family members who are on Facebook.
Geotagging
Geotagging, placing the specific location of where one is through mobile devices, is a popular and almost invisible setting on social media sites that can be easily missed if individuals are not careful. Not only is it dangerous to military personnel, but it can also be damaging to civilians. The U.S. Army Social Media handbook states that geotagging is the equivalent to adding a 10-digit grid coordinate to a photograph telling where it was taken. This could reveal sensitive information about a location information that terrorists could use to target Soldiers or Army installations. Geotags are automatically embedded on each post when pictures are posted,
NO
SOLDIERS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE GEOTAGGING SETTING IS OFF WHEN TAKING PHOTOS
HMM... THAT’S WEIRD, IT’S A GREAT TIME TO START!
so soldiers must make sure the setting is off or else their location could easily be tracked.
Listen
The Army uses social media in order to not only communicate to the public but also to listen to what the community wants to say. The service asks for feedback and suggestions from the general public. Social media, if used properly, can be the connection that helps soldiers and families stay in touch despite being thousands of miles away from their homes. Communication is important despite the location, but safety is also a priority when it comes to citizens. Soldiers are encouraged to double check before posting online and review the potential long-term dangers of what could happen if the information gets into the wrong hands. If a quick post could affect the lives of family and friends, it is safe to say that Twitter can wait. www.theclause.org/collide • 35
Film still of Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth in the Hunger Games
Film still of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in the Hunger Games
36 • collide • february 2014
Three’s A Crowd It’s the all-too-familiar story of three people in love: two people who love the same person, with that person caught in between them
By Katie Brown It is seen again and again in popular media and literature. In fact, it has been used so many times that it seems like there will never be a story without it. Even films like The Hobbit: The Desloation of Smaug that do not originally contain a love triangle in the literary form, add them when they transition to the big screen. This is nothing new. In fact, according to Dr. John Hamilton and Dr. Mark Eaton, a film professor and an English professor, both at APU, the love triangle has been around since the beginning of literature and film. Both professors said that the first movie and literature love triangles largely dealt with infidelity in a marriage relationship. Eaton discussed the “May-December romances” as one of the most common types of love triangles in medieval English literature. These dealt with a woman who was in the prime of her life, or her spring season, who married a man who was much older, or in his winter season. Eaton said this type of romance was “trouble” and that the young woman would often run off with a younger man who could better satisfy her physically and emotionally. The film, The Seven Year Itch, has one of the defining love triangles of film according to Hamilton. The idea of the film is that after seven years of marriage, one person begins to feel the “itch” for someone new. Eaton said that a love triangle is often added to heighten conflict in a story and that it
has been used so often that it has become a convention in storytelling. “It probably has to do with the idea that if you have two people who are in love with each other, it creates more dramatic tension if you introduce a love triangle,” Eaton said. “So in other words, if two people are in love with
the same person, then there’s more conflict.” Clearly, the love triangle could be seen as the easy way out in storytelling. After all, why develop new plot devices if the old ones work just fine? However, society seems to be losing something each time it’s used.
The Hunger Games trilogy has been praised for its strong female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Yet despite her virtues as a character, she still grapples with the clichéd problem of which eligible bachelor she will choose. It is an infusion of the sentimental into a post-apocalyptic fable. Even The Walking Dead, a television series about the horrors of a zombie apocalypse, finds time between all the gore and intensity to interject a love triangle among three of the main characters. “Literature and film are on the one hand just representing real life...and at the same time they are perhaps influencing the way people are supposed to behave. So it’s a two-way street,” Eaton said. The consistent use of the love triangle has affected the way people view relationships. Eaton used the example of the television show The Bachelor to illustrate how it has normalized competition within relationships. He said the greatest competition involves the most desirable partner. “Society influences what we think is beautiful. So, then, love triangles are part of this whole ideology of beau-
ty, that the most beautiful woman (or man) is going to draw the attention of multiple partners,” Eaton said. Hamilton speculated that the prevalence of these types of relationships in film reveals the nature of humanity. “Fundamentally, it’s rooted in the perverseness of the human heart seekwww.theclause.org/collide • 37
ing variety and not caring what the law of God is or even what’s best for you personally,” Hamilton said. “Nobody wants to be with someone who is running around on them…so why do we put it forth as some kind of romantic ideal in movies?” Hamilton pointed to modern practices of casual sex and cohabitation as possible bi-products of the normalization of extramarital relationships in film. This sort of behavior used to be seen as taboo and in mainstream media, traditional relationships were the norm, according to Hamilton. “When I was in high school, the secular standard was abstinence, and I’m not talking about Christian circles. I’m talking about the pop music,” Hamilton said. He referenced the Beach Boys song “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” as an example. “The premise was, of course, you wouldn’t do that if you weren’t married. We’re going to sing about it, we’re going to talk about it; we’re going to anticipate it,” Hamilton said. “So the secular world I was surrounded by in high school was supportive of fidelity. It was like, ‘Gee, why would you want to spoil that gift you have for your husband or wife someday and mess it up?’” Hamilton also said sexual relationships between single people are each like mini-marriages, except that they lack the actual commitment marriage requires. “The secular mind has the idea that you can do anything you want when you are single, and that it’s not bad to have multiple partners before you’re married and it’s worse to do after you’re married,” Hamilton said. Outside of the context of marriage, commitments to a single person seem unlikely or unreasonable. Hamilton said it is even more difficult in the context of homosexual relationships. “People who do that [have sex with multiple partners] a lot are really sad. Homosexuals, especially gay men, are very unhappy, many of them. They’re constantly frustrated or worried and anxious about their relationships. It’s not as joyful as the Harvey Milk movie made it look.” Hamilton said that these mini-marriages are damaging. People tend to rationalize their behaviors with ideas that it is OK and even important to experiment before committing to some38 • collide • february 2014
Film still of Rachel Bilson, Scott Porter, and Wilson Bethel in Hart of Dixie
“Society influences what we think is beautiful. So, then, love triangles are part of this whole ideology of beauty, that the most beautiful woman (or man) is going to draw the attention of multiple partners,” Eaton said.
Film still of Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in Dear John
Film still of Henry Thomas and R. Braaden Reed in Dear John
one in marriage. “I think it’s all hogwash. Deep down we all have built into us God’s law and we want the best for ourselves,” Hamilton said. Dr. George Harvey, a psychology professor at APU, agreed with Hamilton in that secular society thrives and lives by what is portrayed in the movies. “I think that the more they can portray that sex is really just a behavior and that it doesn’t mean anything deeper, then it’s OK, it’s recreational,” Harvey said. According to Eaton, anthropologist René Girard’s theory of mimetic desire relates to the concept of love triangles. In an article for the Stanford Report, Girard said, “when we describe human relations, we lie. We describe
them as normally good, peaceful and so forth, whereas in reality they are competitive, in a war-like fashion.” This describes the real reality behind the love triangle, according to Eaton, that it is the common denominator of all cultures that we desire something more if someone else desires them as well. “The more people want them, the more value they have. It’s basic to human nature and also civilization,” Eaton said. The forbidden fruit is always the most tempting of all, and that seems to be the case for many romantic relationships in literature and film. It looks as though love triangles will always be a part of our storytelling. They grab at our basic human nature, and that is why they will never disappear.
Film still of Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder in Vampire Diaries.
Janet Goldner poses next to her pieces which protest something www.theclause.org/collide • 39
[POV]
The truth about lust By Andrew Earle
A
ccording to research conducted in 2007, young adults are more sexually active and responsive than at any other stage of human development. In an empirical study by Regan and Atkins, men reported experiencing a higher overall level of sexual desire and more frequent sexual thoughts than females. However, nearly all the participants in the sample of 676 men and women reported feeling sexual desires on a regular basis. In light of this information it is important for us to first normalize the behavior of having sexual impulses. Normalizing the behavior supports everyone who struggles with their own lustful thoughts or the lustful thoughts of others. Within certain religious subsystems there are often topics that are not discussed (this being one of them). Let’s take courageous steps in being honest with our issues and accepting those who share their struggles. Everyone has struggles unique to them and whether you are a Christian or not, we must realize that we are all fellow travelers on this journey of life who deal with inevitable darkness. It would benefit the APU student body as a whole if we all kept this “fellow traveler” perspective on the forefront of our minds. Women should not be blamed for the lustful thoughts of men, and men must take responsibility for the thoughts they dwell on. However, women can take steps toward helping men who are struggling. I do acknowledge that certain men will wrongly view women regardless of their apparel, but in my eyes it can only help men (especially those who are attempting to eliminate this behavior) if women take steps toward dressing more modestly. This gives women more control over how they are perceived. In a presentation called The Evolution of the Swimsuit by the actress and clothing designer Jessica Rey, an insightful talk on this issue is discussed more in depth. (Check it out on the YouTube.) 40 • collide • february 2014
Finding a healthy way to fight and win the internal battle
Rey presents the history of the bikini within our society, an empirical study on the male brain and practical steps one can take towards dressing more conservatively. I lived in Trinity my freshman year, and lustful thoughts, pornography struggles and other topics of this sort were regularly discussed. While these discussions were often helpful, there were certainly situations in which they appeared harmful. At times individuals seemed to use discussions of their
At times individuals seemed to use discussions of their pornography struggles and lustful thoughts (which were often comedic) to in some way justify their behaviors. pornography struggles and lustful thoughts (which were often comedic) to in some way justify their behaviors. These behaviors are adverse to a psychological and Christian perspective. Pornography has a devastating effect on every individual addicted to it, their loved ones and individuals who contribute to the production of pornography at every step of the way. Although there is potential harm in engaging in these conversations in certain contexts, it is better to share these issues rather than suppressing them and the thoughts and feelings that may be fueling this behavior. I strongly encourage open and honest conversations with individuals we trust. These conversations are difficult to have at times, but we must courageously show vulnerability with those closest to us and be willing to intently listen while seeking to under-
stand what other individuals experience. We must share any guilt bothering us and thoughts pertaining to what is fueling our lustful thinking with our closest friends and therapists. (I have used the 10 complementary therapy sessions that APU provides annually, and they continue to be incredibly enlightening experiences). I do not feel that many of my closest friends would say that I have any huge problems in my life; however, I believe that everyone has personal issues that one would benefit from working out in a professional therapeutic setting. Both men and women have lustful thoughts. It seems as though lustful thoughts and pornography go handin-hand, and it is indisputable that pornography has a harmful impact on our society as a whole. What we must consider is what we do with our lustful thoughts. Stephen Lambert, an associate professor in the department of psychology at APU, holds that every human has lustful thoughts, so we must strive to resist denying these cognitions because this is dishonest. We should not feel guilt when we have these desires, but rather acknowledge them and stubbornly choose to discontinue them. With this being said, it is important that we make sure to acknowledge and be honest about other harmful cognitions that we hold. My father, a licensed marriage and family therapist, encourages his clients to use what he calls the three-second rule. First, notice you are having the thought. Second, tell yourself to stop and third, refocus on something productive. If you feel controlled by these thoughts then it seems most wise to take advantage of the therapy offered to APU students. Andrew Earle is a senior psychology major who has found value in the gift of psychotherapy. He is thankful for the outdoors, relationships and beards (look up Whiskers for Water on Facebook).
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