Collide Magazine Issue 7: Hunger

FASTING: FOOD FOR THE SOUL | THE BLURRY LINE | THE DIGITAL VICES OF OUR TIME

WHERE IDEAS COLLIDE & STORIES IMPACT • FEB 2012 • ISSUE 7

editor's note...

T

here’s nothing more difficult than planning a themed issue about HUNGER on an empty stomach. Believe me, it wasn’t fun. But as we continued to explore the topic as a staff, between brief daydreams of pasta skinny-dipping in pesto, I realized that we never cease to be hungry for something more. We’re hungry for bodily satisfaction, from food to sexual intimacy. We’re hungry for spiritual restoration, flipping through Bibles in desperation and yearning to hear some answers. We’re hungry to be perfected and affected. We’re hungry to be accepted and projected.

The rumblings of our underfed spirits never stop. But through encounters with more ravenous people, like you, we discovered stories of people being filled and finding rest.

The following pages are a snapshot of our last month of reporting, entering the homes of intentional communities in “Living Shoulder to Shoulder” to better understand our hunger to belong. We explored responsible drinking in “The Blurry Line,” discussing the moral and social boundaries of being tipsy and drunk. We sat down with Christian sex therapists in “Basic Instincts: Dealing with Desire, Sex and Guilt” to navigate the craving for sexual pleasure. We even took a break to login to “The Digital Vices of Our Time,” where experts label a thirst for technology as a real addiction. And in the midst of the Lenten season, “Fasting: Food For the Soul” breaks down the spiritual discipline of fasting.

Online you’ll find more, including a sneak peek behind Donut Man’s iconic pastry, better known as the “Tiger Tail.” A reporter also takes on our healthy food challenge and documents her experience, involving a near breakdown at an Applebee’s happy hour. And in case you were wondering, we didn’t forget “The Hunger Games” series. That’s page 18 for all you Katniss Everdeen fans.

We thank you for another semester of seeking and telling stories. We hope by turning the page, and the next and the next, that you begin to find your mind and soul being satisfied. The things we crave and desire can take us to unsettling places. But when we begin to question the source of such hunger, the journey to sustainment can begin. Choose your utensils wisely. As always, thanks for reading.

Blessings, Kaitlin Schluter | Journalism major Editor-in-Chief

WHERE IDEAS COLLIDE & STORIES IMPACT

Collide Student Magazine • Feb 2012 • Issue 7 Editor-in-Chief ✳ Kaitlin Schluter | kschluter08@apu.edu Art Director ✳ Jonathan Dickson | jdickson08@apu.edu Online Editor ✳ Brandon Hook | bhook08@apu.edu Publicist & Copy Editor ✳ Emeli Warren | ewarren08@apu.edu Writing Coach ✳ Sarah Rogers | srogers08@apu.edu Advertising Representative ✳ Adam Daley | collideads@gmail.com Advisor ✳ Karen Sorensen-Lang | kslang@apu.edu

Contributing Photographers ✳ David Corning, Tara Christensen, Jonathan Dickson, Jill Galloway, Lindsey Howard, Kathryn Husted, Kaitlin Schluter, and Priscilla Ulloa.

Contributing Writers ✳ Heather Justine Allen, Chelsey Barmore, Elissa Emoto, Lizz Goh, Chelsea Johnson, Jesse Merrick, Lauren Williams, and Zachariah Weaver.

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.

Like our magazine? Want to put your advertisement in our pages?

Please contact: Advertising Representative ✳ Adam Daley | collideads@gmail.com

Contents . . .

5

Fasting: Food for the Soul

A look at the spiritual discipine that shows giving up is getting more.

7 8 10 11 15 18 19

The Façade of Fame

Celebrity facination has spurred some to smile for the wrong camera— one that applauds body image over heart.

When Food Speaks Louder Than Words A local ministry creates its own recipe for fighting world hunger— through the distribution of over 3.5 million meals.

Craving Righteousness

Find out why Jesus is calling you to a diet of righteous living with God and others.

Living Shoulder to Shoulder

Learn how community is defined in communal living, where eight to twelve people cram into a home and build relationships.

Progressive Perfection

Recovering perfectionists chime in on the need to practice self-acceptance.

More Than Just A Game

Take a look at a best-selling novel “The Hunger Games” that’s spurring readers to seek change in their society.

Basic Instincts: Dealing with Desire, Sex and Guilt

This isn’t your typical sex talk, especially when experts say it’s OK to crave sex.

Discover how to approach sexual guilt and desire the healthy way.

21 23 25 27 29

Food Truck Fare: A Gourmet Experience Hit the streets for the latest trend in fast food dining.

The Blurry Line

Pastors and students take a shot at defining the moral and social boundaries of alcohol consumption for Christians.

The Digital Vices of Our Time

Experts say that an addiction to social media is on its way to becoming an official disorder.

The Treasures in Collecting

Some people call it a hobby, but these collectors call it ‘sentimentality.’

Not Your Average Cup of Joe

There’s more to coffee than taste, like remedies to pain and cures for foul odors.

We offer you more savory facts concerning your favorite beverage.

New Online Ad

F A S T I N G : FOOD FOR THE SOUL A deeper look into the reasons behind the spiritual discipline of fasting.

By Brandon Hook | English major

“We live in a culture of excess in virtually every area of our lives.”

–Michael Bruner

Bruner sees this lack of restraint played out in various parts of our lives.

“We don’t exercise restraint in what we buy, hence the housing market crash,” said Bruner. “We don’t exercise restraint in how accessible we make ourselves to the rest of the world, hence the exploding popularity of Facebook. We live in a culture of excess in virtually every area of our lives.”

The fruits of restraint can sometimes look different from what we expect, as they remove comfort. Russ Masterson, pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Ga. and author of “40 Days Without Food: Divine Goodness to a Starving Soul,” experienced these consequences firsthand.

“Anytime we remove comfort we start to see all the stuff that’s in us,” said Masterson.

“And it’s always been there—it’s just normally covered by a layer of comfort. Fasting brings to light a lot of things you otherwise would never see about anxiousness, worry, self-value and anger.”

Masterson fasted for 40 days, drinking only fruit and vegetable juice after he hit a crossroad in life following college. He felt God telling him to fast and said that while it exposed faults, it increased repentance and understanding of God’s grace.

“In fasting, when you come face to face with depravity, you realize that His grace is even greater,” said Masterson. “You constantly realize you lack things. Grace covers all the temptations and lack of faith I didn’t even realize were there because it was absorbed in comfort. His grace is covering me all the time. I didn’t know how full and immeasurable it was.”

Clearer Vision

If

you’re anything like me, you’ve probably skipped over that little part in the beatitudes where Jesus starts to say, “When you fast, do it in secret” (Matt. 6:16). When I fast? Why would I ever fast?

That’s about as far as I get before rushing on to the next part of the sermon. To me it’s about as relevant as the Hebrew food regulations are to evangelical youth groups.

But New York Times best-selling author Jentezen Franklin thinks differently. “[Jesus] made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of Christian life,” said Franklin. “As much attention should be given to fasting as is given to giving 5 • Collide Feb 2012

and to praying.”

Franklin is a pastor at Free Chapel in Irvine, Calif. and has written numerous books on fasting. These include: “Fasting: (Volume I) Private Discipline That Brings Public Reward” and “The Fasting Edge.”

But if fasting is as important as Franklin says and if Jesus commands it, there have to be reasons to fast. So why should we?

Discipline and Restraint

Fasting sharpens us.

“When you make fasting a way of life, you get even closer to God and grow in your spiritual walk like never before,” said Franklin.

“Making fasting a lifestyle is like a lumberjack who takes time to rest and sharpen his ax periodically to be able to effectively finish the job set before him.”

It sharpens us through discipline and restraint—a practice Practical Theology Professor Dr. Michael Bruner believes is hard to come by today.

“The main reason I fast is because it helps me exercise this little known discipline called restraint,” said Bruner. “And I think we live in a culture that is unrestrained. We don’t know as a species how to exercise restraint, and we live in a world that encourages unrestrained activity.”

The human being, according to Dr. Craig Keen, professor of systematic theology, can be understood as someone who longs and who is hungry and thirsty.

But this longing is not necessarily for food and drink. Keen believes human beings can be hungry for God. He also believes this hunger is intertwined with our bodies—it’s what our bodily life is all about. Fasting can draw attention to this hunger.

But understanding our hunger for God, according to Keen, requires us to rethink physical hunger.

“When we are in a place where there is an abundance of food, we think of things like hunger or thirst as about winning a certain kind of feeling of being filled,” said Keen. “We don’t quickly associate eating with life. So to be hungry just means I want to fill up my stomach.”

There are those, however, for whom food is a scarcity. Their understanding of hunger more closely resembles our hunger for God. “Especially in a culture where food insecurity is constant, the point of eating is very seldom to get filled up,” said Keen. “It is rather in order to be alive. Not only to avoid being dead, but also to have the kind of life and vitality and energy it takes to do work.”

Keen thinks that to draw attention to that dependence on God is probably a helpful thing.

For Rhea Briscoe, speaker around the United States and pastor for Snowdrop Ministries, fasting is about clearing our vision and hearing from God. “You don’t fast to change the heart of God,” said Briscoe. “You fast so that you are more in tune to His voice. You say, ‘Lord, I’m choosing to deny myself because I want to hear from you.’”

Briscoe recently did the Daniel Fast with her ministry team. The Daniel Fast is a 21-day fast based on the actions of the biblical character Daniel. Daniel ate only fruits and vegetables and drank only water to avoid defiling himself with the food of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel also refrained from precious breads, sweets and alcohol.

Briscoe reminds her ministry team members to pray throughout fasts.

“Fasting without prayer is just a diet,” Briscoe said. “If you’re denying yourself food and feeding your spirit, that’s a fast.”

Briscoe prays not only for herself, but also for those in her ministry while she fasts. She has spent most of her children’s lives fasting for them every Monday with her husband, completely abstaining from food. Her focus on others reminds us that fasting can be done for the sake of others.

Professor of Biblical Studies Dr. Bruce Baloian remembers his mother-in-law fasting for him during his defense for his Ph.D., where he felt “calm as a cucumber.”

How should you fast?

According to Baloian, the Bible tells us to fast, but it doesn’t give us a formula for how we should fast. Jesus simply tells us to fast in secret to avoid being noticed by people while we fast. Baloian emphasized that religious action, such as fasting, should not be a dead ritual.

Baloian said that Jews fasted once a week for one day, sun up to sun down. The Pharisees fasted twice a week, and fasting was often associated with Holy Days.

Fasting does not necessarily have to mean abstaining from food. Isaiah 58 prescribes fasting from injustice. Scottish Christian minister, teacher and author of “My Utmost for His Highest” Oswald Chambers recommends ministers to fast from eloquence to plainly teach the truth.

This season of Lent, which started on Feb. 22, may be a great time to fast from Facebook, food, injustice, driving, and relationships— whatever you think will push you out of your comfort zone, force you to exercise restraint, and bring you closer to the “Reason” you fast.

“Fasting without prayer is just a diet.

If you’re denying yourself food and feeding your spirit, that’s a fast.”

–Rhea Briscoe FASTING IN PRACTICEI Head online to watch a video sharing what students are fasting from this Lenten season.

TheClause.org/Collide • 6

The

Façade

of Fame

The media overwhelms us with images of celebrities that we’re told represent true beauty—but what impact does this have on body image?

By Emeli Warren | English major

T

he number of plastic surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2011: 13.8 million.

The number of these surgeries performed on 20 to 29 year olds: 747,418. The percentage of female college students who have attempted to control their weight through dieting: 91. The percentage of males who suffer from anorexia or bulimia: 15.

These statistics are taken from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Inc. These studies show that women and men across the U.S are suffering from body image issues, with significant increases from 2010 to 2011 in eating disorders and cosmetically altering surgeries. In a world where we are bombarded by images from the media, it’s no wonder some psychologists, including those from The British Psychology Society, are linking our hunger for external beauty to celebrities.

“I think the ongoing increase in media exposure [affects us]. Thirty years ago it was just TV or movies,” said Dr. Ecklund, an associate professor of psychology at APU. “Then we added Internet and now you add all of the social medias. People are a lot more exposed to celebrity culture.”

Dr. Ecklund sees technology contributing to the way we view celebrities, including the focus on external beauty caused by Photoshop editing and plastic surgery. “Women

7 • Collide Feb 2012

in their 40s are now looking like they’re 25. It represents a standard everyone sets themselves to,” said Dr. Ecklund.

A study created by four doctorate level professors and published by The British Psychological Society showed results in research associating varying degrees of celebrity worship and mental health. One way of exploring this correlation was through studying para-social relationships. These are described as one-sided where one person knows a great deal about

“It’s okay for me to look like me and love myself” –Jessica Cathel. the other, but the other does not—a perfect portrayal of the relationship between celebrities and their fans.

According to the study, “results are consistent… and suggest that parasocial relationships with celebrities perceived as having a good body shape may lead to a poor body image in female adolescents.”

As an intern in the public relations department for ABC, Alec Fujimoto, a senior communication studies major, has seen his share of celebrity athlete interviews.

“I feel like we’re so obsessed because we want to strive to be in their shoes,” Fujimoto said. “Girls especially want that certain figure society makes them want…body image is huge in that industry.”

Fujimoto has noticed how far celebrities will go to maintain an image. “You would think they have the whole image going, but they don’t,” said Fujimoto. “I feel like entertainment and this industry is not super realistic. People today feel like it is, and they want to live this life, but it’s not.”

Jessica Cathel, a junior liberal studies major, has met celebrities ranging from Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale to Oscar winning actress Julia Roberts. Cathel respects the celebrities who will admit the world they live in is an illusion. “You have to separate from it and say, ‘It’s not exactly real,’ Cathel said. “I [admire] celebrities who go out and say it isn’t real and isn’t beauty— beauty is in the mirror.”

Cathel said coming to this understanding wasn’t easy. It took role models like actress Sara Ramírez for Cathel to realize that being a certain size doesn’t mean you’ll have a great job or a successful relationship.

“It’s okay for me to look like me and love myself,” Cathel said.

Despite the way the media says we should look, it is important to consider photo editing and surgery.

If the media can teach us anything positive, it is that external beauty does not equal self-confidence.

WHEN FOOD SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS HOW A SAN DIEGO-BASED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IS MAKING A MOVE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST WORLD HUNGER.

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BY LIZZ GOH | STUDIO ART MAJOR ccording to World Food Programme statistics, hunger is the world’s number one health risk, claiming more lives every year than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. For Phil Harris, the journey to fight world hunger began with a question: “What can we do to reach out to these people?”

His answer came in founding Friends & Family Community Connection (FFCC).

FFCC is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending world hunger and providing families with drinkable water. Based in San Diego, FFCC is made up of volunteers that are diverse in age and background. They are committed to seeing change both locally and globally.

When Phil Harris started FFCC in 1996, he could not have imagined how many lives would be changed, how many mouths would be fed, and how many people would stand alongside him to take up this cause. With over 3.5 million meals shipped and distributed to Tanzania, the FFCC-built Manyoni Children’s Feeding Center provides nearly 1,000 children daily with food.

Today, FFCC has shipped millions of food packages to countries such as Japan, Honduras, Africa, Haiti, Tanzania and Mexico.

Before the food packages, the Hadzabe people of Tanzania were forced to survive solely on harvesting the undigested seeds in baboon dung by washing and grinding the seeds into a flour to cook with.

“They asked if they could have this food in addition,” said Harris. “ They weren’t asking for food because they had to eat the monkey dung. They just needed more food because the monkey dung wasn’t enough.”

According to Harris, in addition to the supplemental meals, the goal is to help the Hadzabe help themselves by developing a longterm sustainable resource. Now, they are able to rely on the planting and harvesting of millet seed.

“A food package is essentially a gigantic lunch,” said Sean Harris, Phil Harris’ son and junior business major at APU. Sean has been involved with FFCC since its’ beginning, and led a team to Tanzania last summer through the organization and the APU Office of World Missions.

“People have begun to look healthier because of the food packages,” said Sean, recalling his most recent visit.

The nutritional package, developed by leading food scientists from Cargil, Pillsbury,

General Mills, and Archer Daniels Midland Company, is designed to contain six complete servings of rice, vegetables, vitamins, and protein. Because FFCC provides meals, the children are able to live with relatives who were unable to take them in before because of food shortage.

Junior math major Lindsey Howard, who had the opportunity to package and distribute food in Tanzania, shared her 2011 FFCC experience.

“One package can feed six people in the family," said Howard. "That’s a huge deal because if you package 500,000 meals you are feeding so many people.”

Despite the success of FFCC’s programs, Phil Harris encourages volunteers not to get lost behind the program. This is reflected in the organization’s theme: “How can we get our feet under their table?”

“My encouragement to our staff is, don’t assume that because we are having a successful program that’s where it stops. Really in some ways that is where it begins,” said Phil Harris.

“Don’t stop in your relationships with the person that you’re talking with or the kids that are in your program until we’ve found ourselves with our feet under their table.”

GET CONNECTED Interested in getting involved with Friends & Family Community Connection? Go online to www.ffccsd.org for more information on mission trips and volunteer opportunities through local food packaging events.

Members of the OWM Tanzania mission team distribute nutritional food packages to the Hadzabe tribal community. (Photo by Lindsey Howard) TheClause.org/Collide • 8

CRAVING RIGHTEOUSNESS THOSE WHO BUILD AN APPETITE FOR RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHERS WILL BE BLESSED.

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BY KAITLIN SCHLUTER | JOURNALISM lthough he attended four seminaries, Professor of Biblical Studies Dr. Bruce Baloain was never taught how to hunger for righteousness. It’s a hunger that’s deep inside, calling us to do “what’s appropriate” in line with God’s heart. It’s a hunger that Baloain continues to understand through the moments others manifest Jesus’ fourth beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Mt. 5:6) “If you worry about your image, you don’t get anywhere,” said Baloain, recalling advice from a past professor. “If you worry about actually being righteous and don’t care how you’re perceived, you get somewhere.”

He’s witnessed people firsthand who displayed this uninhibited hunger, including a colleague who raises money privately for students who can’t afford textbooks.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount contains nine beatitudes and ultimately points back to our own spiritual depravity. Dallas Williard, in “The Divine Conspiracy,” urges that the beatitudes are not simply good news if understood as “’how-tos’ for achieving blessedness.” These paradoxes rather speak of the current availability of God’s Kingdom through a relationship with Christ. And with

MAJOR this, comes an appetite for right relationship with God and others.

This is the hunger for ‘righteousness,’ which is synonymous with ‘justice.’

“If that’s not a hunger or desire in our lives, then there is something spiritually wrong,” said Dr. Chris Bounds, theologian in residence and associate professor of religion and philosophy at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Bounds recently wrote an article for United Theological Seminary’s blog called “One Thing Needed,” which examines a demand for church renewal. For Bounds, this “hunger” is needed.

Christians instead practice a “disordered love,” misaligning their desires on other things and misinterpreting Jesus’ promise to be “satisfied.”

“The temptation is to somehow view complacency as satisfaction, when in fact, satisfaction is walking out this life in love and justice—the ultimate purposes for which we have been created,” Bounds said.

Sophia Cabio is attempting to live this out in the inner city of Skid Row, located in Los Angeles, Calif. She’s the executive director of Central City Community Outreach, a nonprofit that works with families and children living in poverty. She started volunteering there six years ago, somewhat hesitant to return to her past of circulating in and out of homelessness.

The turning point for Cabio, though, came after meeting Jeremiah, a teen “who nobody wanted to mess with.” His past involvement with gangs made him hard to approach. On a field trip, Cabio lent Jeremiah money for dinner since he had none. It was Jeremiah who helped her realize how to impact others.

“He just sat there quietly and said, ‘How do you know people aren’t going to mistake your niceness for weakness?’” said Cabio. “In that moment I thought, there’s nothing you can say. It’s something that you have to show.”

Major Ian Robinson, who is the divisional communities relations and development director of the Southern California division of The Salvation Army, also recognized hunger shouldn’t be paired with defeat. Often, people become overwhelmed with the need for justice that they don’t know what to do. “It’s like standing in front of a freight train and yelling stop,” Robinson said. But for Robinson, he finds satisfaction knowing the outcome of his actions isn’t up to him.

“The outcome is up to God. He is in control, He is sovereign,” said Robinson. “But the satisfaction I have is knowing that I’m doing what God has called me to do and asked me to do. If I lose that hunger and that thirst for righteousness, I’m going to be very dissatisfied.”

TheClause.org/Collide • 10

The Community House

LIVING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER When eight or more people cram into a house together, community becomes a lesson of commitment, patience, and stacked dishes.

By Kaitlin Schluter | Journalism major

C

ollege is often looked back on as holding some of the fondest moments of someone’s life. But among scattered memories of tailgating parties and all-nighters, nothing says ‘college’ quite like community housing.

Students cram onto dorm halls and pack into one-bedroom apartments, sharing space with friends and new acquaintances. According to Brian Sanders, author of “In Your Underwear: Life in Intentional Christian Community,” the life lessons of community housing don’t have to stop on graduation day.

After all, Sanders lives with his wife and six kids, not including an additional six housemates.

“It’s very normative to live with other people at college but for some reason, after college it’s not,” said Sanders, who has lived in intentional commu-

nity since 1996. “And yet people look at that point in their life where they lived with people in the dorm or lived with a bunch of friends in an apartment as one of the best times in their lives.”

His book, which released in 2011, chronicles his experience coming to grips with what community entails.

He writes: “The journey into community must begin with the realization that we will all be exposed, that we will all feel vulnerable, and that we will all be subjected to the raw truth about each other.”

The following accounts detail visits to various intentional communities across Los Angeles, seeking to uncover how true community is applied practically after and during college. Community, as Collide found, is a reality one has to work at.

It’s Friday night. Only minutes away, people line up at the Fox Theater in Pomona to see indie bands like The Temper Trap or Passion Pit. But here on Eleanor Street, a performance of its own is rehearsing. Fridays nights are house dinners at The Community House, a co-ed Christian community comprised of eight housemates and two dogs, Chai and Zoe. Both names mean “life” in Greek or Hebrew.

The community formed three years ago in January, as a result of much brainstorming and prayer. Most knew each other through the Evangelical Friends churches, which is a branch of the Quaker denomination. Others met while studying at Azusa Pacific University.

This includes Laura and Kyle Bishop, who are the only married couple in the house. Finding alone time, Laura shared, is not easy for everyone.

“You got to fight for it a little more,” said Laura. “It’s not an automatic thing like for a lot of other couples.”

But for the Bishops, sharing life with others is also very important. The community, which is modeled after Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book “Life Together,” attempts to nourish that hunger through community dinners, weekly meetings, and annual retreats.

They also share food and possessions where needed. There’s an extensive garden in the back, complete with a new chicken coop. They additionally contribute to a “relational tithe” to satisfy needs among friends. In the past, they’ve been able to buy someone a car and pay off a

“There’s just something about them that makes me feel like this is my home.”

—Cakra Panorma

Past resident Keith Billings (pictured left) joins The Community House for their weekly house dinners. (Photo by Kaitlin Schluter) friend’s medical bills.

For Jen Prickett, who has been living in The Community House since its start, living in community has been a lesson of grace.

“There’s grace for times when you need to be by yourself,” said Prickett. “There’s grace when you need to get away for a week or two.

There’s grace when you don’t do your chores.

Whatever it is, the relationships are way more important than the values.”

Synchronicity L.A.

The décor of the nine-bedroom house reflects the diversity of the residents living in Synchronicity L.A., a community in West Adams that is centered on art and music. Like the vari-

ous framed photos, impressive paintings, and antique anomalies clustered on the walls, each person comes with a different story.

In total, there are 11 housemates, with at least two guests at any given moment. Guests pay through ‘energy exchange,’ which requires creative ways of payment, like singing a song or building a long dinner table. But collectively, the cooperative called “The BLVD” consists of 30 to 40 people living between six houses. Synchronicity is the main house. It began in 2008, thanks to a group of 12 founding members—nine of which were APU alumni.

“What we’re trying to create here is an alternative to what we feel like is the mainstream for people our age, and have a model for people

Taryn Randle and Peter Dean play chef for tonight’s dinner at Synchronicity L.A., an intentional artistic community based in Los Angeles.

(Photo by David Corning)

REDEFINING SEMINARY

Theological education for the church that will be, not the church that was.

The kitchen of Synchronicity L.A. is large enough to accommodate its 12 house members and the occasional friends who join for their community dinners.

(Photo by David Corning)

to look at,” said Ariel Climer, who graduated from APU in 2006.

Synchronicity’s official mission statement says: “Generating community through hospitality, intentionality, artistic action, and a dedication to the reduction of harm.”

They have weekly meetings, share the food bill, impact their community, and divvy up chores. Brian Wiedenheft, who runs a swimming academy, thinks everyone should experience this at least once even though conflict is inevitable.

“There are so many people, the usage of dishes and bikes—that’s the difficult part,” said Wiedenheft. “The easy part, that makes it really worth it, is we come home and there’s a table full of people eating dinner, having fun, talking and laughing. It’s kind of unheard of.”

Community dinners are offered four days a week for those who pay a monthly fee of $40. Tonight Peter Dean plays chef, grabbing a wooden train whistle off the wall to signal people in to the dining room. The house contains a hospitality room and back-

yard full of couches, lights, and fixed-gear bikes. There’s also a recording and art studio in the back house where monthly open mics called ‘Salons’ are held.

Global Village

Most come from different countries, but they manage to speak the same language of community. For Cakra Panorma, a junior nursing major at Azusa Pacific University, the community’s name alone made him want to sign up. Nestled near the back of the University Village is O court, better known as Global Village.

“I feel accepted there,” said Panorma, who is from Indonesia. “They are family. There’s just something about them that makes me feel like this is my home.”

The living area is comprised of eight apartments, housing 24 members. The community is part of APU’s larger Living Learning Communities (LLC), which were recently deemed ‘Theme Houses.’ These include communities focused on social justice, Christian discipleship, and organic living. But here at

“The easy part that makes it really worth it is, we come home and there’s a table full of people eating dinner having fun talking and laughing. It’s kind of unheard of.”

—Brian Wiedenheft 13 • Collide Feb 2012

Global Village, students are literally drawn from around the world to engage in global affairs and with each other.

Panorma believes it’s a “perfect fit,” even though financial aid is hard to come by for international students. He sees an air of authenticity and vulnerability transcend from the relationships he’s made with neighbors.

It contrasts his experiences understanding community in Indonesia, where a reluctance to let people be different overshadows shared relational ties for him.

In order to live in Global Village, residents had to submit an LLC application containing short essays. Residents also have time commitments, which include weekly dinners and participation in events like Global Vision week. But for those considering living in LLCs, true community takes effort.

“You can be in it, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to have relationships with others,” said Kailey Hopkins, senior nursing major and service representative. “You have to choose and want to have that relationship with other people.”

Inviting a cohort of 100 students to participate in a transformative education.

Master of Arts in

Master of

Counseling Psychology

Divinity

Master of Arts in

Christian Studies

SEE FOR YOURSELF

Interested in living intentionally? Head online to watch a walk-through tour of a LA-based community house.

▶

Preparing and educating Therapists to help people find healing, freedom, and restoration.

Training Pastors to be theologically relevant, culturally engaging, and agents of transformation.

Featuring three tracks: Creative Arts & Theology, Global & Social Partnership, & Interdisciplinary Studies.

And introducing our Leadership and the New Parish Certificate A new year-long intensive program for pastors and their neighborhoods. · · learn more at theseattleschool.edu uuuuuuuuuu

Perfectionism affects us all, even you, from the competitive athlete to those who can't relax without feeling unproductive. But it's never too late to slow down the process of perfecting.

By Elissa Emoto | Communication Studies major

cloud of perfection has eluded many and satisfied none.

To be “perfect” is a vicious cycle of hiding our flaws and acting like we have it all together even when we don’t—and not just in our appearances but also in our academics, lifestyles and relationships.

According to a 2010 study by Pavica Sheldon, which surveyed 224 college students, researchers found the most outstanding predictor of low body esteem for men and women is our relationships with family and friends. Popular culture is also to blame, but it seems that the pressure to be perfect stems from those who are closest to us. Still, the hunger for perfection manifests itself in different ways in every person’s life. Here are stories of how some people handle the burden to be perfect and how they came to a conclusion of what perfection means in their own lives.

Redefining Perfect Mark Radcliffe is a singer, songwriter and a contributing writer for the Good Men Project, which began as a book by Tom Matlack. Matlack later founded the online social platform for men (and even women) to actively discuss the ambiguous definition of what it means to be a “good man” in the 21st century. Before Radcliffe debuted his first album in 2009, “The Sea Before Us,” his life had been made up of competitive sports rather than song lyrics.

“A big part of my youth was sports and athletics,” said Radcliffe. “Ski racing, bike racing, tennis, and sailing. I was nationally ranked in all four.”

As a competitive athlete, striving to appease his father and coach’s standards of perfection, Radcliffe exercised almost four to five hours a day throughout high school. He excelled in competitive ski racing, a sport where a couple tenths of a second meant the difference between winning and losing. Eventually at age 17, Radcliffe became intrigued with music after listening to a stranger play the piano. During that time he realized his passion for music, but ignored the feelings due to his commitment to racing.

“I finally realized years later, when I accepted how much happiness music brings me, that I was being very rigid in my definition of what my perfect life was,” said Radcliffe.

“From an early age, I learned to be careful of the kind of perfection you choose to pursue. You might be missing something and then you can go off track.”

Now living in New York City, Radcliffe is able to perform regularly. He continues to redefine what his version of being a “good man” is in society rather than needing to be perfect.

Permission to Live Kristin Ritzau, who wrote “A Beautiful Mess” is also a spiritual director and adjunct professor in the leadership department at APU. Ritzau knows her life of perfectionism was a problem that inhibited her ability to truly live.

“That is really my core of being a recovering perfectionist,” said Ritzau. “And I don’t use that lightly. That really is my conviction.”

Three years and 12 drafts of writing later, “A Beautiful Mess” was published in 2010, a story of overcoming her crippling perfectionism and finding freedom instead.

“Everything in my life is a process,” said

“We need to surround ourselves with a community that allows us to be in that process and to celebrate the

extraordinary in the everyday.

The permission to just be where we are is giving ourselves the attention first and foremost.”

–Kristin Ritzau TheClause.org/Collide • 16

A Different Standard

Ritzau, who completed her undergraduate degree at Westmont College and later received a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary.

“Being in college really gave me permission to explore those false narratives,” Ritzau said. “That’s what college was about for me, unlearning and relearning. I think that gave me a solid foundation to really dive in and see what I wanted to be and what this [life] is really about.”

Ritzau believes busyness is an illusion that a lot of people give in to because they have been told that being busy equals having success.

“I think it’s a myth to say ‘after college I won’t be busy.’ I wish I had the tools in college to say ‘no’ and to slow down,” said Ritzau. “Now I really have to fight to not be busy. I have to fight to be on the couch, to read and to do things that I find are life-giving. I think my word for it is spiritual discipline. It is a spiritual discipline not to be busy.”

Ritzau realized that people often connect

17 • Collide Feb 2012

self-care with laziness but offers a clear distinction between what you are responsible for and what is unnecessary. She believes that people who are able to take care of themselves first are then able to proactively contribute back to their communities.

“I had to really ask, what do I really love?

Am I going to feel guilty for eating ice cream, art journaling, or writing a book? Or are those things really life-giving?” said Ritzau. “I think that watching a lot of my friends give up the things that are life-giving has been really sad.”

Currently in the beginning stages of her second book about simplicity, Ritzau has given herself the permission to be expressive in ways that are all her own.

“We need to surround ourselves with a community that allows us to be in that process and to celebrate the extraordinary in the everyday,” said Ritzau. “The permission to just be where we are is giving ourselves the attention first and foremost.”

Erin Gaw is, in part, a product of her parents’ 1970s hippie generation that brought attention to the importance of self-expression.

“What was difficult about [my] generation born to the hippie generation is that we were told you should try to save the world,” said Gaw who is an alumna and an adjunct professor at APU for studies in popular culture classes.

Gaw has been able to have open conversations with her parents about her childhood and the pressures she faced to be a free-spirit while also attempting to change society.

“So there are all these studies now with Generation Y [those born in the 1980s and 1990s] that their pressure is feeling like they need to save the world,” she said.

This pressure sparked her interest for the influence of pop culture on different generations. Gaw believes that today’s society sends mixed messages—specifically in America, where kids are told they are prodigies but later find out they may be average rather than excellent.

“Because they don’t know that you have to be bad before you can be good at something,” said Gaw. “It is almost this idea of needing to be innately great at whatever you start to do.”

She believes that instead of fueling these standards of perfection, a way this generation can learn to cope is by being honest about their flaws.

“It really doesn’t matter in some ways how brilliant you are, how funny, how kind, or how beautiful you are,” said Gaw. “The answer is to go to a more authentic place, step outside of that, and say, ‘I’m never going to be good enough for this segment of the population.’ But that doesn’t mean I’m not good in reality.”

So how can we achieve that authentic mentality?

Gaw believes it is a daily decision that individuals should consistently be aware of. It is a decision of progression, to be the best possible version of us and realize that perfection is an illusion rather than a realistic aspiration.

More Than Just A Game

Suzanne Collins’ best-selling book series “The Hunger Games” satiates readers’ hunger for fiction with purpose

By Chelsea Johnson | English major

P

icture it: A post-apocalyptic world where what used to be the United States is now divided into 12 districts all under the control of the all-powerful, cosmetically-altered Capitol.

Although you’re only sixteen, as a citizen of District 12 you risk your life daily as the sole hunter and gatherer for your family. You and your only sister are being entered into a lottery to compete in “The Hunger Games,” a battle to the death to remind the districts of the consequences for rebellion. Twenty-four enter and only one comes out. And who are the players? Two kids between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district. As the characters say, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Suzanne Collins’ best selling series “The Hunger Games” has become a national and campus-wide sensation. With the movie premiering on March 23, more readers join the flanks in battle with protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, every day.

Although we may not risk being chosen as a tribute, one who is chosen to participate in the “Games,” college students can take away lessons from fictional young people who are called to save the world. Professor of English Dr. Nancy Brashear believes that there is more to the series than fanfare and media hype.

Reminiscent of classics like “1984” and “Ender’s Game,” “The Hunger Games” joins their cachet with a young, female heroine who is determined to make it out of the “Games” alive. “[Katniss] is coming up to save her district. The book also looks at the issue of what happens to the world if you don’t take care of it,” said Brashear, who specializes in literature for children and adolescents.

Brashear believes that dystopian literature and “The Hunger Games” specifically point to our need to “safeguard humanity.” Brashear teaches in her Adolescent

Literature class that these books often explore the consequences of unchecked power. They also feature a protagonist or group of people who step up in an attempt to fight “the man” or oppressing force. Even as students in a non-dystopian world, the novels signify the demand for us to be the heroes of our own generation. “The young people are the answer to the future,” said Brashear. Katniss’ struggle blends real-world challenges with fictional horrors that if left unchanged, could become the reality of our world.

The trilogy addresses issues far greater than unrequited vampire love with questions and lessons that are relevant to young adults.

Brashear believes that the books address universal topics that plague the world.

“They deal with real-life issues that the world has historical foundation in dealing with, like hunger and the mistreatment of people,” said Brashear.

The books allow readers to explore serious issues while also getting lost in the adventure and romantic aspects of the story.

“Like in the Harry Potter books, [Collins] has created another world that readers get to create within their imaginations,” said Emily Wood, junior communication studies major.

In a 2010 interview with Rick Margolis for the School Library Journal, Collins admitted to modeling the character of Katniss after Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator famous for leading a slave uprising against the Roman Empire. Collins expressed her hope that these books can bring a means to an end in our war-hungry time.

“We can change. We can evolve as a species,” said Collins in the interview with Margolis. “It’s not simple, and it’s a very long and drawn-out process, but you can hope.”

Look forward to the first installment of “The Hunger Games” film franchise on March 23rd, but read the book first.

Courtesy Scholastic Inc.

HUNGRY FOR MORE GOOD READS?

Check out these similar books: 1984 Brave New World The Uglies Lord of the Flies Ender’s Game TheClause.org/Collide • 18

Basic Instincts: Dealing with desire, sex, and guilt.

Christian experts say sexual desires are normal, but how we choose to respond to these urges should reflect our faith.

By Chelsea Johnson | English major

In

January, psychologist Dr. Darrel Ray released a book titled “Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality” that reveals the results of his 2011 survey, “Sex and Secularism” with student Amanda Brown from Kansas University. It claims that Atheists have better sex lives than religious people due to the effects of guilt in connection with sexuality. Both Ray and Brown tested the following hypothesis: “The more sexually restrictive a religion is, the more it uses guilt.”

Their results report that those who left religion enjoyed higher levels of sexual satisfaction.

Although this article remains unpublished in peer-reviewed periodicals, since it has yet to be peer-reviewed, it points to a subject that many churches and Christian campuses tread lightly on: sexuality. Many of us have heard the sex talk before and we know what the Bible says about sex and abstinence, but we are left to consider whether sexuality—exploring sexual impulses in varying ways—is sinful in and of itself. The topic may often be ignored and some feel guilty about even discussing it. Yet, to understand ourselves and our limits, we need to understand our desires.

Sexuality: A Battle Between Good and Evil?

APU psychology professor Dr. Michael Sapp says that sexuality is not innately evil.

“There is beauty in the way God has designed sex,” said Sapp. But according to Sapp, many are left wondering where God has set other lines in regards to issues like masturbation or foreplay. A definite answer may never be found as to where exactly to ‘draw the line,’ but many Christians 19 • Collide Feb 2012

Photo by Brandon Hook

feel guilty about their natural sexual desires.

Sapp points out that there is a fear of crossing the boundary between desire and lust.

These lines become even more blurry since many college students are sexually active in some way, or are beginning to explore their

“We are wired to be attracted.”

–Michael Sapp sexuality. The Guttmacher Institute published in their February fact sheet that, “On average, young people have sex for the first time at about age 17, but they do not marry until their mid20s.” Additionally, a December 2009 study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy revealed 88 percent of

unmarried young adults (aged 18 to 29) have had sex. The study also revealed that 80 percent of respondents who identified as “evangelical” have had sex. Of these, 64 percent have had sex in the past year.

“Sexually speaking you are at your peak,” Sapp said. Instead of ignoring the desires, or fearing the topic, Sapp believes that in order to find the line, one should seek God’s guidance and be truly open to what answer is found.

At the same time however, it is critical to remember that sexual desire is natural and not something to be ashamed of. “We are wired to be attracted,” said Sapp. “The challenge is to develop control about the next thought,” he continued.

Sapp notes that guilt is an important factor—it’s what he calls the “smoke alarm.”

Whether or not the cause of the guilt stems from personal values or societal influence, the decision should be between the individual and God. “Ask whether the messages are contradictory,” Sapp said. He encourages individuals to ask themselves whether or not their conclusions in regard to their sexual choices line up with their faith system or personal values.

Sexual Repression In David Kinnaman’s book, "You Lost Me," Kinnaman explores the reasons why he believes millions of young people leave the Christian Church. One of the main reasons for this disconnect—the Church’s “repressive” attitude toward sexuality.

In a National Public Radio interview with

Kinnaman on January 20, he said, “The big challenge is that most pastors, most families in churches—they’re not prepared for those kinds of questions,” in regard to issues like human sexuality. Young adults are struggling with sexual questions but aren’t asking them. “One of the major reasons young people said they were leaving churches was that they felt like they couldn’t ask their most pressing life questions in church,” said Kinnaman.

Bill and Janean Fuller work together as Christian sex therapists who try to help those dealing with issues like sexual guilt. They offer private counseling, as well as retreats for singles and couples. “Desire is God given. It’s a longing to be connected,” said Bill Fuller. To feel guilty for struggling with sexuality produces a sort of shame that Bill believes to be “a powerful tool against the Kingdom.” He discussed how the Church often encourages sexual repression, which carries into married life, sometimes resulting in sexual dysfunction.

This results in the “separating of their spiritual life from their sexual life,” said Bill Fuller.

Janean said, “It takes more courage to take desires to the Lord instead of just waiting.” The couple encourages students to “embrace and start to develop their own sexual theology.”

This message applies to Christians and nonChristians alike. Sexuality is connected to our most intimate selves. The Fullers say that to try to separate or ignore this part of ourselves is

unhealthy; we were created as sexual beings.

The Fullers pointed to the fact that there are not always definitive “lines” when it comes to sexuality. One of the more often ignored topics is masturbation.

"Desire is God-given.

It’s a longing to be connected.”

—Bill Fuller An anonymous responder from Darrel Ray’s previously mentioned article said, “After masturbating I would feel heavy guilt. I wouldn’t dare tell anyone what I was doing but the guilt drove me to beg for forgiveness and to make deals with God if I did it again. Of course

I always did it again. The shame I would feel was overwhelming, felt as if I was intentionally hurting God. It took years to get away from that feeling.”

“We have Scripture to guide us, but Scripture is very silent on the subject of masturbation,” said Janean Fuller. “It’s less about the letter of the law but the Spirit of the act in the New Covenant.”

Even though it may seem awkward, the Fullers say that it is important to be open and intimate with ourselves and our community, but especially with God. It’s what they call, “walking with the spirit.” They encourage people to find communities that not only hold you accountable, but communities “where you can discuss the struggles.”

Janean encourages students to open up about their struggles. “No one tells singles what a healthy sexuality looks like,” said Janean.

“They just tell them what an unhealthy sexuality looks like.” Both Bill and Janean suggest that young adults recognize that the key is what one does with the desire or lust. They say that there is no shame in sexual desire itself. Rather, one should seek God for the choice that comes next.

Sexuality is a difficult topic not only because of its taboo nature, but also because it is difficult to wrangle and define. Experts seem to agree that we have been designed as sexual beings. No matter what faith or value system you adhere to, sexual desire appears to affects us all.

TheClause.org/Collide • 20

FOOD TRUCK FARE:

A GOURMET EXPERIENCE

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These meals on wheels are offering a new spin on fast food.

By Elissa Emoto | Communication Studies major

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rightly colored trucks with catchy logos and delectable bites define a new generation of fast food that established chefs and restaurants are capitalizing on. Up until the early 2000s, hungry customers sought out these trucks as they cruised through industrial work areas and offered satisfying, but hardly gourmet, food fare according to the Mobile Cuisine website. Today, approximately 2.5 billion people eat “street food” every day according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

This phenomenon has become more of a social movement that brings people together to bond over their love of food. On any given weekend in Southern California there is probably a food truck festival happening—a time where dozens of trucks assemble in one central location to serve their ravenous customers. Three Southern California-based food trucks allow Collide readers a taste of their mouth-watering food with refreshing twists.

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1. Mustache Mike's Italian Ice Truck 2. Juicy Rancher Italian Ice from Mustache Mike's 3. Green on the Go's famous Mother Trucker sauce. 4. The Sweets Truck logo and bag. 5. The Green on the Go Truck 6. Representative of the Green Truck, Zuri Horn, serves up some vegan samples. (Photos by Kathryn Husted)

Mustache Mikes: Green Truck: The Sweets Truck: Mustache Mikes serves neon-colored Italian With a motto of “Healing our Planet One Molly Taylor is a sweets and coffee

Green on the Go's Beefless Sliders (Photo by Kathryn Husted)

Save The Date

Want to experience food trucks on a larger level?

KTOWNDOTG Gourmet Food Truck Event: Every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. in Korea Town at 2793 W. Olympic Blvd./Catalina.

Santa Monica Food Truck Lot: Every Tuesday at 2612 Main St at Ocean Park Santa Monica, CA. Spring Citrus Fair Food Truck Frenzy: Thursday, April 19 at 321 E La Habra Blvd, La Habra CA 9063

21 • Collide Feb 2012

6

ice that is sure to jump-start your taste buds. A blend between shaved ice plus traditional ice cream and sorbet, Mustache Mikes’ ice satisfies your sweet tooth with flavors such as “Da Bomb,” a combination of cherry, lemon and blue raspberry, and “Juicy Rancher,” a sugary treat of sour apple, lemon, and watermelon zest. Mike’s serves up their icy concoctions from a truck that boasts a simple black mustache, which is also an embellishment on the cups they serve it in. Martin Guerra, co-owner of the mustache trucks, believes in the product and its ability to attract customers of all ages.

“Most of our flavors are geared towards kids but even the adults love them, which surprised me,” said Guerra. “Some of our older customers love the root beer float and the 50-50 Grind (a mix of orange and vanilla) that brings them back to when they were kids.”

Approximately 95 percent of Mustache Mikes’ business is dedicated to giving back in the form of fundraising for companies and organizations looking for a creative way to generate money. If asked to sponsor an event, Mikes will donate 15 percent of profits made that day.

“We know that we are offering something that will make a person feel good [while they] enjoy a nice dessert for less than five dollars,” said Guerra. “It beats working 40 hours a week [in an office] when you see a customer walk away and their faces light up because they were not expecting to have that taste in their mouth.”

Meal at a Time,” the Green Truck seeks to provide customers with fresh, organic and vegan fare that almost makes foodies forget about the “green” ingredients. The leafy truck is home to the Mother Trucker sauce—a fuchsia pink spread made from beets that covers most of their signature sandwiches.

“It kind of reminds me of ketchup without the strong taste,” said Zuri Horn, a representative for Green Truck who travels for weeks at a time to various food festivals in Southern California.

What’s her favorite item on the menu? The beefless slider.

“It’s really good. The meat is made from wheat protein, soy protein and grain protein, which gives it a nice texture,” said Horn. The sliders are also smothered with sweet grilled onions, heirloom tomatoes and of course, the Mother Trucker sauce, making for a savory delight for vegans and non-vegans alike.

connoisseur who handpicks the delectable goods for the Sweets Truck, which took to the streets of Los Angeles in 2009. For this food truck, “sweets” is a relative term that is not limited to just candy. Some items featured on the truck are s’mores-chocolate-ganache cookie sandwiches, granny smith apple Italian soda, blueberry limeade and red velvet cupcakes—all of which Taylor says are made with love. That same love adds to Taylor’s zeal for the innovative industry in which she works.

“Food trucks embody a small business owner’s passion,” said Taylor. “I think they have captured the attention of people, foodies and media because ‘Main Street’ is where it’s at. We are passionate about our concepts, great food, quality and our community.”

TheClause.org/Collide • 22

CHRISTIANS’ ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION SPANS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TOTAL ABSTINENCE AND WEEKEND PARTIES.

By Sarah Rogers | English major

T

here’s a white elephant in the church. Often, it stands uncomfortably near newly-christened 21-year-olds as they explore a new stage in life called ‘the adult years.’ Besides fresh social pressures coming from job hunting, graduation, or fill-inthe-blank, we’re allowed to legally drink alcohol. Access to alcohol is unlimited. You get to decide how much you want to consume, how often, with whom, and where.

The church is often vague on the limits Christians should uphold as they enter adulthood. The line can be drawn anywhere from total abstinence to once a month to every day. The line can be one drink or ten.

APU students and faculty speak on their personal and spiritual lines for alcohol consumption.

Navigating the bubbly waters solo is difficult and can lead to spiritual traps, according to Caitlyn Brennan, junior liberal and biblical studies double major.

Before she came to Azusa Pacific University, alcohol wasn’t part of her life despite being 21. Transferring into APU brought Brennan a new friend group—one that revolved around alcohol. “Those were my only friends, so I hung out with them and tried it out for a while,” Brennan said. Most of the 2010-2011 school year, Brennan drank with the group.

However, at the end of spring semester, she began to pull away from her friends to reevaluate her relationship with God. “I just didn’t 23 • Collide Feb 2012

spend much time with God or praying,” said Brennan. “I just felt like there was a distance and I wasn’t doing what He wanted.”

During the time, Brennan still went to church every Sunday. “I just didn’t want to hear about [my alcohol use],” Brennan said. “If I read my Bible, I would be convicted that I wasn’t living as I should.” Drinking five or more drinks a night, depending on the type of alcohol, didn’t feel like her true self.

Alcohol began to repulse her and, even today, she doesn’t enjoy the taste. Brennan has had only two drinks in the last year because she doesn’t feel like she needs it. She doesn’t have an issue with others drinking though and believes being tipsy isn’t a sin. However, Brennan thinks Christians need to check their motivations for alcohol consumption.

Brennan’s experience with alcohol is similar to the results of David Timberlake’s 2007 study on young adults’ drinking behaviors. According to “College Attendance and Its Effect on Drinking Behaviors in a Longitudinal Study of Adolescents”: “Participants who did not attend college reported more binge drinking and consumed greater quantities of alcohol as adolescents than participants who subsequently attended college. However, the college students not only surpassed their non college peers in alcohol use as young adults, but also exhibited a greater genetic influence on quantity of alcohol consumed per drinking episode.”

For Charles Strawn, director of Communiversity, he often deals

“I think these are the types of things that need to be figured out in your relationship with God and also in community.”

–Chuck Strawn

with students’ poor use of alcohol. In his sessions with students, questions naturally turn to motivations for drinking alcohol. Strawn has found students know why they’re drinking on the surface level, but they haven’t asked the deeper motivational questions.

“What is it in your life that is encouraging you to use alcohol?” Strawn asks. “Is it a social lubricant, making it easier to talk to people? Is it something you’ve done culturally with your family? Is it something that’s genetic that may be a problem, like alcoholism? Are there other things in your life you’re trying to self-medicate to cover up the problem?”

Personally, he has only had two drinks of alcohol in his life—both at communion. At age five, Strawn promised his grandmother he would never drink. When Strawn’s grandmother died, she wasn’t speaking to him because he had become a bartender. Strawn didn’t drink while bartending, but his grandmother couldn’t see how his vocation fit into the Christian lifestyle.

Though his grandmother’s request was for biblical reasons, Strawn finds the Bible talks about alcohol in many different ways. “I’m not going to jump into Scripture to support my position because God may have revealed something different to someone else,” said Strawn.

“Ultimately, God reveals to us our need to care for each other and to think bigger about our actions.”

Strawn doesn’t have a definite opinion on how much and how often Christians should or should not drink because the question is individually based. “I think these are the types of

things that need to be figured out in your relationship with God and also in community,” said Strawn. “As people discern that, as the spirit leads them, hopefully they’ll come to wisdom.”

For Strawn, the line is drawn at the motivation: Why are you drinking?

When senior biology major Jayme Swanson drinks, he drinks for the taste. “I like beer. I

“I don’t know if there’s a hard defined line. It’s probably somewhere around the point where you’re starting to lose control to not think clearly and behave responsibly.”

–Chris Adams enjoy it,” said Swanson. “It’s like drinking Coke.”

Unlike a drink of Coke, Swanson doesn’t indulge in a beer alone. “I usually drink socially,” said Swanson. “I usually drink with friends over a cigar or with my siblings.” Tipsy is as far as Swanson will go though, so he stays in control.

“I don’t think [being drunk] inhibits your relationship with God, but God calls us to be in control of ourselves,” said Swanson. “Being tipsy, you’re still in control.”

Christopher Adams, APU’s associate cam-

pus pastor for Community Care, isn’t sure at what point tipsy turns into a loss of self-control.

“I don’t know if there’s a hard defined line,” said Adams. “It’s probably somewhere around the point where you’re starting to lose control to not think clearly and behave responsibly.”

As a campus pastor, he has visited a number of APU students in the hospital who almost drank themselves into a coma or death. He believes students need to be informed about the alcohol they’re drinking. Healthy Living Week through Student Life provides information on how to drink responsibly.

Theologically, Adams believes Christians need to be careful in liberally applying Scripture to modern day alcohol habits. “A lot of people will cite Jesus turning water into wine,” said Adams. “Culturally, wine was probably more like grape juice, mild wine.” Wine was healthier than water during Jesus’ time because they lacked our sophisticated water treatment, according to Adams. “It wasn’t an endorsement

by Jesus to get hammered,” Adams said.

A definite line for healthy alcohol consumption is one Adams hesitates to draw. “I don’t see a prohibition in Scripture in drinking alcohol, but we do see cautions against drunkenness,” said Adams. “It would be more against alcohol abuse and when alcohol consumption begins to impair your judgment.” Asking “where is the line?” misses the point of Scripture, Adams believes.

For Adams, Scripture’s stance on alcohol is summed up in Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:23. “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.”

Another Look: •

According to the NIAAA National Advisory Council, “A ‘binge’ is a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram-percent or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.”

• Azusa Pacific University is a “dry

•

campus,” meaning alcohol is not permitted on the premises. However, students over the legal age limit of 21 are allowed, though not encouraged, to consume alcohol off campus.

Christopher Adams recommends Christ Church of the Valley’s Celebrate Recovery program for those struggling with alcoholism.

TheClause.org/Collide • 24

THE DIGITAL VICES OF OUR TIME T

he overuse and abuse of social media technology is one of the major ways to identify an addiction to it, according to David Greenfield, the director of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction.

It should raise eyebrows if it continues in spite of negative consequences.

An addiction to social media, for right now, falls under the term “Internet addiction.” Many experts, like Greenfield, would define websites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Google+ as social media networks. Greenfield has been studying this topic since the late 1990s. He was convinced it was an issue from that point on.

Part of Greenfield’s job is to strategically define the signs of what Internet addiction looks like.

“I don’t know if it will ever be an epidemic to the point that it shuts down society but it will make a significant impact on productivity in the workplace,” Greenfield said. “It most certainly has already impacted the relationships in the home and family and the productivity of children in school.”

Internet addiction hasn’t been officially recognized yet, but according to the American Psychiatric Association, Internet addiction will be “under review” for the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM 5) on its release in 2013.

“I think that most practicing doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists at this point would agree that there’s something to the issue,” said Greenfield.

Experts are taking an addiction to social media seriously and diagnosing it as real.

By Zachariah Weaver | English Major

But Greenfield insists that little recognition doesn’t make the issue less important. “Just because something is not in a manual, it doesn’t mean it’s not a real issue,” Greenfield said.

The process of becoming included in an official psychiatric diagnosis is a lengthy one often taking 10, 15 or 20 years. Greenfield made it clear it took 20 years for gambling to end up in the DSM. “Though we don’t know exactly what it is or how to define it yet, I have little doubt that it’s a real issue,” Greenfield said.

The effects of social media are also complicated, according to Karen North, director of USC’s Annenberg Program on online communities.

“In some ways it’s improved face-to-face communication in which people can continue to interact in a dynamic fashion when they’re not physically in the same space,” said North.

“On the other hand, things like Facebook can actually decrease social interaction and that’s an unintended consequence.”

North explained that if you’re friends on Facebook with somebody you don’t see very often, you could go look at that person’s Facebook page and view their posts and photos.

You never actually interact with them but you feel satisfied that you are still in contact.

When a definition is decided concerning Internet addiction in the DSM, these types of examples will play a role when the American Psychiatric Association evaluates it. Some experts have concerns about how it will be diagnosed.

As a psychologist, North makes note she

resisted diagnosing Internet addiction for a while. “There is a difference between substance addiction and behavioral addiction,” said North.

“However, I think there is something real now and there are people who have interfered their own lives with a social media addiction.” She thinks both the psychiatric and psychological associations should recognize it. But she thinks it will be over diagnosed.

How would people be diagnosed for this addiction? There are ways in which the users themselves, for example many students, can diagnose the issue.

Students diagnose themselves

Jordan Flowers, a junior biblical studies major, doesn’t have a Facebook any longer but does use Twitter occasionally. He gave up Facebook in December and said it was “liberating” to do so.

“It was stressful to keep up with everyone’s social life and I tended to start living in a simulated reality,” said Flowers. “Deleting my Facebook allowed me to focus on what was happening now.”

Unlike the way Flowers feels about Facebook, he generally sees Twitter as not so distracting. “I don’t follow people’s lives on Twitter,” said Flowers. “Instead, I follow more intellectual people who say smart things and I get to have some wisdom for the day.”

According to Flowers, Twitter is not as addicting as Facebook. However, experts considered all social media sites when defining

the effects it has on young adults.

Last year in August at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Larry D. Rosen PhD, professor of psychology at California State University, explained the negative consequences surrounding social media for young adults.

In an online article on the American Psychological Association’s website, the association laid out Rosen’s explanations. He said young adults who have a strong Facebook presence tend to show signs of psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania, and aggressive tendencies.

Bree Levy, a junior sociology major is currently a Facebook member. She doesn’t use any other social media network and only uses Facebook to keep in touch with people she knows. But, she does think it has negative effects on any typical user’s social life.

“I find Facebook to be distracting at times,” Levy said. “Often I feel like the people that contact me the most on Facebook are the people I see in real life anyways.”

According to Levy, many Facebook members end up staying in touch with close friends and family through the Internet instead of on face-to-face bases.

Our social media use, by the numbers

Do APU students have the same issues that David Greenfield has pushed to become commonly recognized?

Jeff Birch, chief technology officer at Azusa Pacific University, explained the complications of measuring college students’ use of the university’s Internet for social media. According to Birch, the Internet bandwidth at APU is monitored constantly by IMT services. As far as exceeding the utilization amount, it has come close to doing so once.

“Ninety-eight percent of the bandwidth used through the university’s Internet is entertainment based,” said Birch. “Two percent of our Internet bandwidth is used for academic

“IT WAS STRESSFUL TO KEEP UP WITH EVERYONE'S SOCIAL LIFE AND I TENDED TO START LIVING IN A SIMULATED REALITY.”

-JORDAN FLOWERS purposes by faculty, staff and students.”

However, he explained that social media actually has very little effect on the bandwidth amount that’s available. Streaming live video and other related material is what effects bandwidth the most. There is a way, though, for IMT to measure how many people use what certain social media websites and how often.

“There’s two things we look at,” said Birch.

“There’s the number of hits or accesses, and then there’s bandwidth. They’re two different things.”

Birch explained that the number of hits is the way in which social media interaction can truly be measured. The websites with the top number of hits for any given month on APU’s campus includes: (1) Facebook, (2) Pinterest. com, (3) Google, (4) Apple, (5) Tumblr.

To add to this list, but a little further down, Twitter comes in at 21. Facebook is also on the top five list for bandwidth usage because of video streaming. “Today, entertainment is a value that students expect,” said Birch.

While the use of websites on campuses, like APU’s, begin to trend more and more with social media connections, those who use them may need to constantly determine how much they do so. And while Facebook and Twitter continue to timeline member’s lives, the experts will be watching, trying to define the next psychological, or psychiatric, social post.

“JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS NOT IN A MANUAL, IT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NOT A REAL ISSUE.” - DR. DAVID GREENFIELD

TOP HITS FOR APU CAMPUS

Candace Frazee shows off her bunny collection that currently holds a Guinness World Record title. (Photo by Priscilla Ulloa)

The mystery behind why people collect is uncovered, from romance to self-expression.

By Chelsey Barmore | English major

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ccording to David Dunaetz, an organizational psychologist and professor at Azusa Pacific University, some people might find a sense of satisfaction when coming across things that are missing in a series and putting them in an order. Habits like these lend themselves to collecting, a condition he views as God-ordained.

“In a sense, we’re all collectors,” said Dunaetz. “God has made us so that we want to have a certain amount of resources with us and available to us.”

He also explained that some might collect unintentionally and others, very much intentionally. The intentional collectors sometimes involve the classifying and sorting of objects. He notes that collecting can almost turn into a rewarding game.

27 • Collide Feb 2012

“It’s when you put effort into finding something and when you get it, it’s like a victory,” Dunaetz said.

The hunger to search and find items for a treasured ensemble can ultimately bring a sense of success. “About one in three people in North America and Europe collects something,” said Susan M. Pearce in her book entitled “On Collecting: An Investigation into Collecting in the European Tradition.” Pearce explains that this “social phenomenon” is still finding its way among our current generation. What motivates people to collect may have been a mystery before, but here are several stories of people like you, who share that collecting is more than just a consumable hobby; it’s a significant symbol of adoration.

On March 20, 1998, Candace Frazee and her husband Steve Lubanski transformed

their Pasadena home into a bunny museum.

Winning a Guinness World Record in 1999 for the world’s largest bunny collection, along with receiving celebrity visitors such as Elijah Wood, the collection continues to attract a large audience worldwide. From figurines, plush toys, furniture, to even roaming litter box trained bunnies, this collection is all ears—or all about the cotton tails. With over 28.4 million bunny collectibles at the estate, the museum serves as a representation of their affection towards one another.

“It’s a love story and it’s between my husband and me. I started calling him my ‘honey bunny’ when we were dating and so he gave me a [plush] bunny on Valentine’s Day and I gave him one at Easter,” said Frazee. “The joke is I could’ve called him my little frog that I kissed and he became the prince, and this would have

been the frog museum [instead].”

Collecting for nineteen years has become a shared interest between the couple. “Collecting bunnies is just something we do. It doesn’t strengthen our relationship,” said Frazee. “A lot of people think that it changes our marriage or makes it better.” Nevertheless, she explained that finding something that you and your significant other can do together helps to create an organic relationship.

“If it’s fishing or roller-skating, whatever it is, you should find something that is common ground for both of you,” Frazee said.

From Pasadena to Azusa, collectors can be found on campus as well.

Sesalli Castillo, a senior sociology major, shared her affinity for elephants. Elephant figurines inherited from her great grandma became something she used to play with as a child. “So I wanted them and kept them,” said Castillo. “At this point it’s something that is sentimental. Everything that I do have of elephants has been given to me by someone

that I really love.” Castillo only owns about twelve elephant items. Her collection includes miniature statues, pictures, necklaces and a pair of earrings.

Zach Evans, a sophomore cinematic arts

“It’s when you put effort into finding something and when you get it, it’s like a victory.”

—David Dunaetz major, said he collects baseball hats and now owns almost 50 of them. He can still remember when he bought his first one.

“The first Redsox hat I bought was when

Sessali Castillo's great grandmother influenced her present collection of elephant figurines. (Photo by Kaitlin Schluter)

I was nine. I got it, put it on, and right when I walked out I had this Yankees fan come up to me and say, ‘Redsox suck’ right in my face,” said Evans. “He was probably thirty-five and I was nine, but that’s when I knew that I was a Redsox fan. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

One of the reasons Evans likes to collect hats is because it became a way of self-expression.

“You could be wearing an outfit and switch up the hat, making your outfit look different,” said Evans. “In a way, it’s kind of making a fashion statement.” His collection of baseball caps however, created a curiosity in how much of an investment it was. “My roommate and I were trying to calculate how much money our hats are [together] hanging up on our wall right now in our apartment,” said Evans. “I don’t even want to do the math right now because I’m a little afraid.”

Between the two, they share more than fifty hats that are hung and displayed for all to see in their apartment.

“It’s really cool to see all the hats hung up [because] I feel accomplished,” Evans said.

Another student, Anna Christensen who is a sophomore international business major, collects postcards. Owning almost 600 postcards, her collection started because of her love for new excursions. “I really love traveling and as a third grader I wanted to collect something or do something kind of interesting,” said Christensen.

Buying them herself as well as receiving others that grandparents and friends have sent, allows her collection to keep growing. What motivates Christensen to keep on collecting?

“It’s like taking pictures and it shows where I’ve been,” said Christensen.

What motivates a person to collect depends on their individual past and lifestyle. The constant appetite for compiling new “treasures” cannot only bring a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of self- portrayal. Christensen said, “It’s a representation of my life and the people around me.”

A glimpse of just some of Anna Christensen's postcard collection. In total, she owns roughly 600. (Photo by Tara Christensen)

TheClause.org/Collide • 28

Coffee consumption can

sometimes get a bad rap for its negative side effects, but here are some positive ones to savor.

By Brandon Hook | English major

Risk Reducer Deodorizer

Coffee grounds can neutralize air by sucking up stinky moisture, while giving off their java scent. Place a bowl of grounds in the back of your fridge.

Coffee could reduce the risk of serious liver damage. For people who are damaging their livers, like alcoholics, caffeine might help the liver out.

Two cups a day also reduces the risk of stroke.

Stress Reliever

Sun Blocker

Inhaling the scent of roasted coffee beans might actually help you de-stress. The mere aroma of roasted beans triggers a relaxation response, helping to ease stress.

Anti-Depressant

Women who regularly consume coffee are less likely to suffer depression.

Sources:

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Web MD, The National Coffee Association, The American Dietetic Association, Harvard Health Publications, The Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States of America, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Health.com, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, Archives of Internal Medicine

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Caffeine, when applied directly to the skin, prevents certain types of skin cancer. There’s also a reduced risk of skin cancer for those who drink caffeinated beverages.

mericans like their coffee.

As a country, we consume 146 billion cups of coffee each year, according to the National Coffee Association. The same organization reported that just over half of U.S. adults are habitual coffee drinkers. As well, 40 percent of youth between the ages of 18 and 24 drank coffee daily in 2011 alone. Many scientific studies on coffee highlight its downsides, like acid reflux, upset stomach, muscle tremors, insomnia, and increased heart rate, among others. But science does not stop there—coffee is good for much more than your daily dose of caffeine.

Future teachers, coaches, and counselors:

Reasons to Hang Around Darin Curtis, M.A. ’95 Tierra del Sol Middle School 2011 California Teacher of the Year

Pain Reliever:

Smelling coffee before a workout can reduce pain during a workout.

Skin Refresher

Coffee exfoliates your skin. Just mix one cup of coffee grounds with one half cup of sugar and one half cup of joboba oil, apply and rinse.

Health Defender

A daily dose of caffeine can ward off Alzheimer’s disease by blocking the disruptive effects of high cholesterol. Coffee drinkers are also less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Azusa Pacific Students: • Earn your teaching credential and master’s degree in as little as 18 months.

• We’ll waive the $45 application fee.

• You won’t need to request transcripts.

• Talk to your academic advisor about taking credential classes during your senior year.

Apply and register for your first term today!

(800) 825-5278 Call Click www.apu.edu/explore/education Email graduatecenter@apu.edu

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