Volume 22 Issue 10: Chaos

MA S’ M A R S’ H I L L

CHAOS VO LU LUM M E 22

ISSUE 110 0 ISSUE

MA AR R.. 14 14// 18 18 M

FROM THE EDITOR

MARS’ H I L L MARS’ HILL Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University, floated with funds raised by the Student Association. Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national and international issues.

MISSION TO MARS The mission of Mars’ Hill, as the official student newspaper of Trinity Western University, is to inform and entertain its readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the TWU community and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members in accordance with the Community Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Core Values of the University.

EDITORIAL POLICY Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity and compatibility with the Mission, Statement of Faith, the Community Community Covenant, and the Core Values of the University.

Anonymous authorship of any material may be granted at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

I read a caption recently on a friend’s Instagram feed and it went something like this: “I’ve really been trying to get back to a place of peace and solitude. I’ve tried to slow down, change the pace this life is dragging me at, and really embrace what God brings my way.”

I knew I was an impostor. I wanted to laugh at the cheesiness of the caption, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought those things myself. Saying “no” seems to be a problem for 80-something percent of Millennials, particularly if they’re the outgoing, charismatic, and dare I say, popular kind.

This state, that is now ever-so-popular to escape, has become something that knocks at the door of many. Yet few know how to take a step back from it, despite their intent. It rules our lives, telling us that if we don’t overcommit, we won’t have any friends, we’ll lack opportunities, and we won’t earn enough money to make it through.

Instead of blatantly inviting us to overcommit, though, it disguises itself sneakily as helping out a friend, saying yes to events and committees, and hours of work that will “grow” you as a person. In short, your FOMO is higher than ever.

How could someone who took

on full time athletics, a 30-credit course load, an internship and being EIC of Mars’ Hill be telling you this? It’s because I get it. Stretching yourself thin is not fun anymore.

It’s not worth the numerous shallow acquaintances over the people who really breathe truth into your life. It’s not worth the money either, because that’s an easy way out for not trusting our Father. We’re afraid that we won’t measure up to the yardstick that Trinity, our predecessors, our parents and especially our friends, unknowingly hold up to us. We’re afraid that we won’t have enough money (100%, in my case) to even make it through school, and that if we don’t go to school, we won’t aspire to much. There’s a plethora of fears that guide us into the cavernous pit labelled “entrance to life as a mess.”

that life continues. Does that mean you’re not living the best version of yourself? Probably not.

What if we could upturn all of that?

What if we just said “no.”

Give it a try. See what happens when you say no. I think you’ll be amazed.

Think about it. There’s an event next Friday night that you want to go to, and you’re willing to do just about anything to be there. You’re thinking: if I don’t go, I won’t be seen.

When it comes to wrangling the chaos that we seem to bring upon ourselves, it comes back to respect and that yardstick of expectation.

It’s not even just about having respect for your neighbours, it’s about knowing that you honestly, do not owe anyone anything. From a Biblical perspective, this doesn’t sound like something Jesus would have done, nor is it very neighbourly, but I’m trying to explain it in the terms of taking care of yourself. We love in a more wholesome manner when we know that our own tank is full. This isn’t out of greed or selfish ambition, but out of a place that says “I know who I am, I can fully contribute.”

Until next time, Katie

Honestly, what will happen if you don’t go? Probably nothing. I’m not saying your friends don’t care about you. What I am saying, however, is

Opinions expressed in Mars’ Hill belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, Trinity Western University, its officials or its Student Association.

CONTRIBUTORS

7600 Glover Rd, Langley, BC, V2Y 1Y1 604-513-2109

Sienna Bontorin Craig Broyles Sharon Roy Jesse Rintoul Caleb Spyksma Abby Pernsteiner Jemimah Fernando Grace Tan Steven Simpson Josiah Meppelink Jaron Jeske Abigail Seidle

marshill@gmail.com www.marshill.ca

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Loranne Brown

This issue brought to you by Fish Man The New Man JamJam’s Art as usual Shrek aka Tori

THE TEAM

ALEX GUST

Managing Editor

BROOKE PATTYN Layout Editor

TORI AHRENDT Visual Editor

JAMISON DERKSEN Sports Editor

NIKI MARA

Academy Editor

JOEL REDEKOP

Arts & Culture Editor

SABINE HENDERSON MAYA JUSMAN Humour Editor

Illustration Editor

HANNAH DEVRIES Chief Copy Editor

MADISON POWERS Photo Editor

What’s the thing you miss the most?

BAILEY MARTENS Web Editor

DAYNA SLUSAR

Social Media Manager

CHRISALEEN CIRO News Editor

RYAN SCHAFFRICK Advertising and Finance Manager

DE-CLASSIFIEDS Can the next Hootennany be themed around the Star Wars prequels please?

People aren’t getting the meme reference to these declassifieds. Thanks Barkman

Adam in sophomore year! You are cool :D

Cathy Shields could fight a goose and win

Sometimes I just want to fly to the universe and eat popcorns watching down on earth.

I’m glad I have a good brain, cause I have a really stupid heart. #pplthinkimactuallysmart

Je suis muchos hungry.

remember when TWU memes was a thing?

It’s depressing to be a 5th year student amongst young teenagers.... I wish there were more people around my age.

remember when TWU Confessions was a thing?

Can you chumps at the Mars Hill tell who is submitting declassifieds? - Yep. We actually have location detection too. I know where you live. - Alex How many damn things do I need to submit before you print one?

C.O.F.F.E.E: Christ Offers Forgiveness For Everyone Everywhere

remember when people other than Andrew Richmond wrote the declassifieds?

3

ALEX’S SALT COLLECTION: In which I gather all of the declassifieds that were submitted at or around the same time by one very salty individual who obviously wished to appear as if they are many different people.

This issue, our topics are “Douglas Frat,” and “TWUSA Salt!” Enjoy! who is STILL sick of the douglas frat

If we paint something rude on the potholes will they get covered up faster? #unethicallifehacks

i h8 douglas frat so much

Daniel Radcliffe is also a vegetable

i feel sorry for the RA’s who will be stuck in douglas frat next year

for new life to grow you must strip away the old life... @ TWU climbing wall

#fdouglasfrat

I love this culture

this is real hate Paul

Still waiting for TWUSA to announce the wood rep #feelthekern

I wish I had access to reading all the unpublished declassified submissions - Me too. - Alex

Alex Gust is #NotMyVP......love you buddy ;)

I LEGIT HAVE BEEN GIVING OUT THE WRONG PHONE NUMBER FOR 6 MONTHS

I voted mostly “no candidate” because I haven’t a clue who most these people are, even my own department’s rep.

COMMUNITY CORNER

all two of my friends went away for reading break ;-;

fraser girls hate douglas frat why does douglas frat think they’re so cool? they’re not Democracy does involve popularity, I get it, but the lack two or more people running for different offices show that it is a cliqué and that is what keeps TWUSA growth

Honestly, how has Ben Peloso not made the Himnal yet?

an argument is about who is right, a conversation is about what is right, know the difference

Yay... another round of TWUSA voting so the poplar kids can have an extra line on their resume... heads up, nothing else will change

Help! David Coulter’s hair is on fire!

Is Becca Carscience majoring in automotive technology? *buh dum crash* - Carsience**.

Sorry about your joke. - Alex

Just another popularity contest, Bouchard is #NotMyPresident

You lost the game I’m honestly so happy that all of the unnecessary Trinity insta pages died, none of your ideas were funny anyways To the guy beside me that used his phone to cheat throughout the midterm today... it wasn’t a hard exam, your gpa must be atrocious. Or maybe really good if you cheat in every exam?

Joe Sylvain is a cute Catholic boy

“Struggling with Christianity” means well, but missed major aspects of relationships and faith, so much more could had been said on topics such as sex, prayer and experiences. Our faith is a lens into these areas not a meter stick, the article can barely qualify as a starting point. as if you needed another reason to go visit the learning commons: hannah stover is now at the front desk.

“3 minutes to the biggest battle of your professional lives all comes down to today... and either we heal as a team, or we will die. Play by play, inch by inch, till we’re finsihed. We’re in hell right now gentleman” — Me before midterm

best part of Fort Week: we still have leftover ice cream in the freezer from eating bobby wings.

I wonder how many times I’ve interacted with someone who just really needed to go poo

Can twusa have a meme rep?

current university life: using spicy instant noodles as a decongestant

This might sound cheesy......

But I think you are really grate!

i just want to be able to bring my dog to campus to keep me company while i study. is that too much to ask?

the new learning commons has free coffee AND you can print stuff at night how did i just find out about this

If you live on campus but drive to your class in neufeld/strombeck, you are objectively a bad person im sorry

Kyle Hingten is the most under-rated guy on campus - #marryme

Sitting in skidmore lounge, Ben Peloso says “I feel like if I looked into the eyes of any girl for 5 minutes a kiss would just happen.”

PSA: Shelby Bennett is mad none of her declassifieds were in the last issue

Procrastination level: Getting up to go floss

I didn’t get into the last declassifieds. My dreams are shattered, my life in shambles, my streak long gone.

“Did you know that there’s a dating site for Star Trek fans?”

“Welp time to call off the wedding”

PSA: Ben Peloso doesn’t read the paper so he’s missed all your proposals #Don’tGiveUp

Not sure how I feel about the 17 emails and notifications I’ve involuntarily gotten about the Connect Conference.

My crush hasn’t asked me to Wendel’s. Thanks Barkman I didn’t go on a wild reading break trip. Thanks Barkman

Dear North American Christian, YOU ARE NOT PERSECUTED. I suggest going to a country where you literally can not talk about your faith for fear of being killed.

Mars’ Hill editors reserve the right to edit or reject submissions based on content and/or length. A printed submission does not necessarily reflect an endorsement of any kind, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of Mars’ Hill staff, the student association, or that of the University. In fact, probably not.

Vic cavalli - Tyler Jones

In this issue ...

4 8 10 16

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION News

AIN’T THAT CONVENIENT Academy OF KOSMOS AND CHAOS Feature ENJOY THE MADNESS Sports

4 NEWS CHRISALEEN CIRO chrisaleen.ciro@gmail.com SIENNA BONTORIN No, I do not fit into your mould, nor your aesthetic. No, I will not be buying a pair of Blundstones to fit over my cumbersome and often painful leg brace. Similarly, neither is seeming like I have it all together, because I don’t. But I am here.

I am here and so are many others, and together we are just waiting for someone to tell them, “It’s okay to not be okay.”

Suffering is not something that can just be whisked away. Pain is not something that ceases to exist. For those of us who are different, it creeps up on us when we least expect it. It hides in the shadows until one day, just when we think everything will be okay, it hits us. And then, everything is not okay. Some days your world just falls apart, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

While we recognize that there is nothing we can do about the inevitable bad days, TWURise has stepped up to tell students the truth they need to hear.

We have only begun to put a dent in this kind of change. But, we could not be more thankful for and in need of everyone’s continued support. Thus far, we have been amazed by the students and staff who have reached out to us.

At our launch event, Bob Kuhn spoke about his own experiences with his exceptionality. He shared his phenomenal journey and expressed how difficult, yet necessary, it is for a person with an exceptionality to find a niche that allows them to succeed and serve. Over the past few weeks since the event, representatives from TWURise have met with several staff members from different departments to implement meaningful change. We are hoping to have catalyzed a greater awareness of the needs of students with exceptionalities through the personal connections, conversations with administration, and advocacy on social media. We are hoping to use the momentum gathered by this awareness to implement some of our bolder goals: support groups, workshops and specialized training for student leaders, and structural changes to the Learning Commons.

port groups and access to resources to advocate for themselves. Secondly, I want professors, staff, and students to be more informed about the way we speak to each other and students with exceptionalities. TWURise wants all of us to be more informed on how we can respond to the needs of students with exceptionalities.

It is going to take work that will start out as a series of small steps. But, in time, if we change the way we treat and view each other, we can eventually change the way we treat and view ourselves. As students with exceptionalities are blessed by cultures of acceptance and respect, they will be empowered to assume positions of leadership and service in our community. We must be intentional with our understanding and with our words; and as a school, inten-

tional with what we make available for students with exceptionalities.

TWURise is overjoyed to have played a part in bringing this conversation to the forefront, thus far and we are also looking forward to the changes that all of us can make moving forward. We have the privilege of partnering with all of you to raise to a new level of inclusion and hospitality that possibly, Trinity Western has never seen before. Our campus is equipped with Christian leaders and followers of Jesus who are capable of catalyzing change, we just have to be ready for it to happen. Be prepared to welcome students with all exceptionalities and from all walks of life with open arms, our campus is preparing itself to be a space that upholds the love that Jesus calls us to—the highest of standards.

TWURISE: BUILDING A COMMUNITY - WITH OR WITHOUT BLUNDSTONES

These partnerships are exciting in light of our mandate to build community. Our primary goal for students with exceptionalities is to administer community with each other through sup-

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AT TRINITY CHRISALEEN CIRO Over reading break, members of the Trinity Western community, including students, staff, donors, alumni, and parents, received emails from internal relations inviting them to participate in a survey about the administration. The survey assessed opinions about a potential change in leadership, the Community Covenant, the perception of communication between the student body and administration, and the relevance of religiosity to academics.

Unfortunately, the roll-out of the survey was not perfect, with some students receiving emails up to 10 times. Other students received emails intended for different recipients—such as donors, alumni, or parents. Even members of the department where the emails came from, MARCom, reported receiving excessive emails. Most students found that once they completed the survey, the emails stopped. Meetings were scheduled for the Monday after reading break to assess and resolve the problem.

During TWUSA election week, TWUSA President Jared Barkman and TWUSA Vice-President Matt Greidanus received some concerning emails themselves.

Surprisingly, these emails concerned the subject of...more emails. Several alumni were surprised to have received messages providing them with links to vote.

As they were no longer students, they were ineligible to vote in our elections.

A Mars’ Hill staff member also claims that their sister, only a prospective student and not yet registered at Trinity, also received a link to vote.

Not only were some individuals ineligible to vote, some students were

sent emails to vote for the wrong faculty. Many students—from any number of faculties—received links to vote for the Social Sciences Representative. According to Barkman, this was due to “an unruly system trying to adapt to the first

faculty change in recent history.”

While this problem is alarming, IT’s response was swift and effective. Even if, hypothetically, students had voted twice, the fixed system immediately eliminated excess votes. When the problem began to arise, Trinity Western’s IT department

Both Barkman and Greidanus assure that students can be confident in the result because the Student Portal required the voter to sign-in. Any alumni, or current student who received a link to vote for the wrong faculty, would have either been blocked by the Portal, or redirected to the proper faculty.

(affectionately known as TWIT), sent TWUSA the following message: "I believe Stuart has already mentioned that this voting system is being deprecated later this year, so it is in your best interests to find a more modern tool that still receives support. The people who [built] Aqueduct’s voting tool haven’t been here for over five years, and the tool itself is over ten years old.”

Regarding their confidence in the election result, TWUSA provided this statement to Mars’ Hill: “As such, we are confident that the final results reflected the correct votes of each respective faculty, although we apologize for the confusion and inconvenience as the Faculty Rep ballots opened.”

Greidanus has also committed to working with TWUSA Vice President-Elect, Alexander Gust, who is currently in meetings with TWIT to determine a platform which will function better next year.

Alex reported that, “IT has been very helpful in collaborating with TWUSA to find an alternative solution to this out-

Vine - Matt Hayashi

dated, un-supported system.”

As the university is expanding, communication has become increasingly imperative. Undergraduate attendance is up four and a half percent from last year, and graduate student attendance has grown 37 percent. In Bob Kuhn’s “State of the University” address to staff, held on Thursday, Mar 8th in the gym preceding his “Fireside Chat” to students, he both celebrated this growth, and acknowledged that it has come at a significant time for the school. With the Supreme Court decision looming, Kuhn took the time to celebrate the work of Trinity Western’s Marketing and Communications department, which is overseen by both External and Internal Relations.

He called the “quality of their communications”—reaching out to the press, the public prospective donors (external) and building relationships with students, alumni, parents, staff and donors (internal)—“very high.”

Many students, however, have the perception that there is a systemic problem with communication on campus.

Students often receive emails intended for different associations or faculties, a significant population of residents receive the Good Morning Commuter emails, and even something as serious as TWUSA elections can be poorly administered. At the “State of the University Address,” Scott Fehrenbacher said, “growth cannot come at the expense of our culture, or our community.” If we cannot efficiently disseminate information—either because of human error, ineffective management, or a lack of empowering resources—we cannot hope to maintain the vision for “Trinity Western culture and community.”

5

"TRUMP AND THE CHRISTIAN VOICE" (PART 1) CRAIG BROYLES If “don’t mix religion and politics” were our maxim for polite table conversation, Isaiah and Jeremiah wouldn’t show up. On the other hand, Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Religion should speak into politics, but they ultimately serve separate kingdoms. Religion has become a bargaining chip in American politics. With his “Evangelical Advisory Board,” Donald Trump has invited Evangelicals to the table. But which advisory pattern do they reflect: Isaiah’s or Ahab’s court prophets, who simply said, “Go up … and triumph” (1 Kgs 22:12)?

I am an American citizen, and this article is about “my President.” As he has sworn an oath to the American people and to uphold the Constitution (including the separation of powers), citizens have a duty to ensure he is accountable. My concern is about Christian engagement in political discourse, not about the right or the left, Republican or Democrat, nor is it about the 2016 election, Clinton or Obama.

Before evaluating Trump, we must first be clear on our own Christian identity. The Christian voice must remain independent of political parties. Jesus was not a Herodian or a Zealot or anything in between. Within the scope of the biblical library, there are voices echoing the whole spectrum of political opinion, from conservative to liberal. There are passages that endorse an ideology upholding the Roman order of civilization and households (Rom 13), and others that reveal a utopian vision of the ultimate overthrow of Rome as “Babylon the great, mother of whores” (Rev 17).

Jesus eschewed transactional politics and deal making.

But some evangelicals appear to have accepted the rules of this game. In order to have a conservative judge appointed to the Supreme Court, they now find themselves in a compromising position of muzzling themselves when it comes to issues of character and conscience. They become Protest-ant in name only. At Trump’s inauguration, Franklin Graham proclaimed the rain as a heavenly sign of God’s blessing on Trump’s presidency and explained his improbable rise to power as an act of God. He, of all people, should have learned from his father Billy, who after Watergate admitted his mistake of associating too

closely with Richard Nixon. Unless the church maintains a nonpartisan voice, we jeopardize the proclamation of the gospel to “every [political] tribe and language and people and nation.” It would be a pity for the Evangelical right to gain the political world and lose its soul.

Christians should involve themselves in politics as an extension of “loving our neighbour as ourselves.” Love should define our political discourse. In debate we should “be quick to hear, slow to speak” (James 1: 19).

We should not demean or dehumanize those of a different political persuasion. Our political positions, whatever they are, should exemplify privileging others alike, as we privilege ourselves and those like us.

With the separation of church and state in America, no one expects the President to be a saint. But the qualities of character and integrity are not distinctly religious.

In a representational democracy they are expected. According to Jesus, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:33–37). Speech reveals the heart and is the fruit that identifies the character of the tree. He also said, “With the judgment you pronounce you will be judged” (Matt 7:2). As @RealDonaldTrump provides an abundance of tweets, Christians should not shy away from giving these criteria a trial run. Who do his tweets serve, himself or the American people? Should we remain silent when he name-calls and bullies his opponents and even undermines members of his own Cabinet? When the Washington Post (the paper that broke the Watergate scandal) claims that “Trump has made 2,140 false or misleading claims” in his first year (obviously many of them repeated), Christians should crosscheck this story but also stand for the truth. One may support Trump’s policies, but I believe the Christian is still obliged to make him accountable to his word.

Truth is clearly valued in the Bible, but it also acknowledges that finding the truth is a matter of discovery and judgment. The Bible reiterates the legal principle that a minimum of “two or three witnesses” is necessary to establish a verdict. On my smartphone, I regularly check my CNN, BBC, and Fox News apps; on my computer, Google News, which surveys a whole host of news agencies. Facebook is for friends, not politicians. Seek and ye shall find.

(More in Part 2: “When it comes to Trump, use your Christian liberal arts education”)

DEHUMANIZATION: VIOLENCE AND STATISTICS SHARON ROY As Stalin said, "When one man dies, it’s a tragedy, yet when thousands die, it’s statistics." This statement profoundly describes the crisis in Yemen. Yemen is a developing country in the Arabian peninsula and is the poorest country in the Middle East. Like several other countries in the Middle East, Yemen has been in a constant state of conflict since March 16th, 2015, when the Battle of Aden Airport took place. Tensions escalated between troops loyal to the former head of state Ali Abdullah Saleh, and soldiers loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The soldiers loyal to the former president attacked the airport and the other units tried to defend it.

Since that day, UNICEF claims that 5,000 children have been killed or injured in the violence, which amounts to “an average of five children every day since March 2015." According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “The war has killed 9,245 people since Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies joined the government’s fight against the Houthis.” The horrific violence has compelled

120,000 Yemenis to flee their homes, mostly to Somalia (which Foreign Policy called “the most persistent failed state in the world”) and Djibouti.

When faced with this sort of tragedy, we struggle to comprehend how fellow humans could be capable of such atroc-

ities. The Milgram experiment, which explores obedience to authority figures, seeks to provide an answer. Subjects were told to shock the "learners" (actors in the experiment), for every mistake they made. Participants, and future audiences of Milgram’s findings, were shocked to find how willing people were

to subject the “learners” to dangerous levels of shock.

In Yemen, troops are submitting to authority and dehumanizing civilians just as the subject did to the learners. Similarly, we readers from across the world have reacted complacently as the affected are not in sight or even the periphery of any of our senses. The Milgram experiment found that participants were more willing to administer dangerous levels of shock when the “learner” was out of sight. The numbers and statistics listed above are attempts to quantify the devastating casualties.

These statistics seem, however, to replicate the same culture of dehumanization that drives humanitarian crises. It seems the bigger and more complex the number, the less likely we are to care.

Any knowledge about the violence and injustice done against them is brought to us through a screen as figures do not evoke our inner human instincts of love nor empathy. We need to fight this culture of dehumanization, and remain proactive about issues like this as fighting for the lives of these civilians is not simply an act of charity but an act of justice.

Source: http://static.un.org/News/dh/photos/large/2018/February/02-12-2018-UNICEF-UN026944_0.jpg

When Tracey Stobbe was on sabbatical - Anonymous

6

CANADA'S BUDGET AND THE TWU STUDENT CHRISLEEN CIRO Justin Trudeau’s 2018 budget promises the young Canadians that a strong middle class will be waiting for them when they graduate. Research on “iGen,” the generation to follow the infamous “Millennials,” shows that our generation — whose formative years were disrupted by the 2008 financial crisis—is incredibly aware of the potential for financial instability. Trudeau’s government uses this budget as a marketing and public relations tool to engage this new generation of young Canadians. First, he congratulates Canadians on the progress they have already made: “In the past two years, Canadians have created more than half a million jobs.” Second, he employs his famous flair for the dramatic to say, “more hard work lies ahead.”

en—such as employing more women in technology, and boosting women’s participation in the workforce—could add as much as 150 billion to the Canadian economy.” The budget insists that all Canadians will benefit from eliminating the gender pay gap because it will draw more women into the economy, and

sectors from trades to STEM, improving parental leave, and investing in affordable childcare—heavily relies on, and thus incentivizes, women entering the full time workforce. Feminists are divided about whether increasing access to full time paid work, and full time pay, should be conflated with female empowerment. Increasingly, prominent women, such as Carol Sandberg, an influential figure on staff at Facebook, and the author of Lean In, argue that we should understand equality as the ability to navigate flexible hours to facilitate commitment to both work and family.

Research suggests that women, particularly women in a spiritual community, such as Trinity Western, face disproportionate pressure to accept fewer commitments at work (i.e. limit themselves to part time work) in favour of doubling their commitment to their family, compared to their male counter-parts.

This decision often negatively affects a woman’s potential for advancement and her relationship with her co-workers.

Why You Should Care About All 369 Pages of Canada’s 2018 Budget The first reason why you should be concerned with the budget is that it was written for you. It was written to be read by the average Canadian, and to communicate to the average citizen that the government is actively pursuing their interests. The budget affects Trinity Western students in two ways. First, how provisions made for the middle class, and towards equality benefit us individually and directly. Second, the budget, through outlining welfare plans, reconciliation strategies, and efforts to establish equality, indirectly benefits Trinity Western students by creating the communities and cultures which they want to live in, and help build.

Promises of an Economy When We Graduate

Sadly, this decision to disproportionately accept paid work is responsible for a portion of the gender pay gap.

Therefore, some have accused Trudeau of being short sighted in measuring equality based on pay equity, instead of access to flexible hours. Andrea Mrozek, Cardus Family Program Director, provides one explanation for this tactic, saying that it, “couches a desperate need for GDP

We must acknowledge that not every Trinity Western student is Canadian.

Most would argue, however, that every student benefits from our university having a stable economy to call home.

Trudeau promises five things: growth, progress, advancement, equality and reconciliation. He argues that we have already made strides in this regard, not by austerity such as spending cuts or tax increases, but rather by investing in the middle class. The government continues by arguing that these policies are responsible for Canada’s rapid growth over the past three years (Canada is now the fastest growing economy in the G7) and that this growth has led to a collective prosperity through investment in infrastructure and social policy. In sum, the 2018 budget wants two things for Trinity Western students: for them to work hard, and have the opportunity to work hard.

Gender Ratio and the Gender Pay Gap The average Trinity Western student, who, statistically speaking, has an approximately three out of four likelihood of being female, will also be interested in Trudeau’s plan to address the gender pay gap. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, “taking steps to advance greater equality for wom-

give them more purchasing power.

From a feminist perspective, much of what Trudeau emphasizes is very exciting. As previously stated, however, Trudeau’s plan for equality—including providing opportunities for women in

growth as women’s empowerment.”

Her full length article can be found in the online magazine Convivium.

Essentially, while the budget makes several progressive assertions, and moral appeals, Trudeau’s goal is clear: to in-

Parking in Douglas - David Coulter

crease Canada’s economic production.

He walks an interesting line; his excessive use of the language of identity politics engages progressives, and his pragmatic arguments about the potential women have to contribute to Canada’s economy—such as innovation, skills, and increased purchasing power—appeal to conservatives. The likely female Trinity Western student, regardless of her politics will be interested in his efforts to include her in the workforce.

Proximity to the Fentanyl Crisis Many of us—as is the nature of political opinions—have concerns and expectations for our government beyond our own physical interests. Each of us has a vision of a community that we want to live in, and we want assurance that our government intends to build it.

Many Trinity Western students, in addition to our studies, prioritize service and volunteering. Those of us returning from Urban Plunge, or who have done Streetlight throughout their time here, care deeply about those impacted by the fentanyl crisis. The budget allocates money to provide a more effective strategy to tackle drug abuse in Canada.

While we may not directly benefit from this money, many members of the Trinity Western community will still see this measure as a valuable investment in Canadian society.

Unceded Territory As a Trinity Western student, it can be 100 percent assured that you occupy, and benefit from, residence on unceded territory, as our school is on the traditional territory of the St’olo people.

Trudeau’s budget professes to advocate continued work towards reconciliation and indigenous sovereignty. This is an example of an effort that might, eventually, negatively impact the Trinity Western student, or at least bear the appearance of negatively affecting our interests. Some students may interpret this action as our government extending grace in the hopes of receiving some in return for our despicable, and pursuant to the UN definition, genocidal, actions throughout history. Others may express concerns, however, about wasteful or exorbitant spending, and a pattern of a lack of progress and efficiency in this area for years.

If you want to indulge yourself in a fantasy over the next few weeks, read Trudeau’s 2018 budget. It is a document designed to inspire you to take up full time work; in your absence, it assures you that your tax dollars are hard at work building a positive community. Alternatively, you could view the budget as an intellectual exercise—one worthy of a university student—as the budget explores the connection between actualized assets and abstract ideations. Therefore, it is imperative that the Trinity Western student remembers that everything outlined in this document is a promise. And, that it is our responsibility, only as informed Canadians, but also as engaged students, to ensure that these promises will be carried out.

We have a whole year of administrative incompetence and distracting maneuverings of power ahead of us to impede Trudeau’s budget.

circuits

THE OF OUR

consciousness

JESSE RINTOUL

On October 25th, at the Future Investment Initiative tech summit, a robot named Sophia announced the recent citizenship granted to her by the Saudi Arabian government. Sophia is a robot with artificial intelligence geared mainly towards speech, and a “body” capable of mimicking a wide variety of human emotions. With this development, numerous questions seem to be posed for us: To what degree can we call an artificially created being human? Do they deserve human rights? What place do these new beings hold in our society?

Should we even be trying to create machines with human attributes?

Some of these questions come down to practicality. For instance, regardless of whether we should be making machines in our own image, it is unlikely that an article written against such a practice will have any effect. It would be prudent, however, to examine the status of these new beings with an eye to the findings of philosophy of consciousness.

Considering how important consciousness is to how we live our lives, especially in relation to how we treat one another, it is remarkable how poorly consciousness is understood. Currently, there are no existing widely accepted arguments for how subjective experience emerges or interacts with deterministic matter. Philosophers of mind who put forth such theories often fall prey to a variety of fallacies which go beyond the scope of this article; suffice it to say, that even though some theories do exist, there is little consensus.

This said, many scholars contend that there is some necessary connection between the two, but how or where it appears remains a mystery.

At the same time, we do seem to have nagging intuitions about when we are dealing with a conscious object and when we are not. Further, we often have strong convictions about the level of consciousness of a given object, and how that implies we should interact with it. For instance, we have no moral issue shutting off our computer at the end of the day, or leaving it alone for days at a time, yet treating a living being in this manner is unthinkable. Our understanding of levels of consciousness affects how we behave: hacking a tree down to make a log cabin seems to require less remorse than killing an animal for food. We don’t grant human rights to just anything with consciousness - other animals and plants are conscious, and even the most fanatical PETA reps still tend to value humans over cockroaches.

To be clear, Sophia is very far from emulating anything that we should

call human or even conscious. When it comes down to it, she’s little more than a highly sophisticated chat-bot.

Anyone claiming that she has a subjective human-like experience would have to provide an argument for how consciousness could emerge from pure algorithmic inference. Everything that she produces is arguably put there by a human, even though she has a limited ability to learn and respond dynamically, she has no identifiable will of her own. The learning, varied responses, and facial expressions are all put there by her human creators.

tificial intelligence, but they will not resemble the way we categorize any living or non-living beings currently. For now, perhaps it is best for us to err on the side of caution, like the Saudis, as it would be less harmful to treat a possibly non-conscious being as a conscious

Which brings us to another reason we tend to value human life: its uniqueness. At this point in time, there exists no way of making a copy of a person. While it is theorized that it might one day be possible to “digitize” the contents of a brain, this is still well beyond reach. Only one instance of human is identical to itself, whereas Sophia, even though she learns in a certain sense, can always be copied and reproduced.

On the other hand, the fact that we seem to grant some form of consciousness to such diverse life forms makes the problem more complex. Any theory matching brain states to subjective experiences has to contend with the radical biological difference in life forms such as Octopodes that have no centralized brain, but instead, a multiplicity of them! The point here is that since we do not know what exactly gives rise to consciousness, it would be rash to assume that just because computers do not function nearly in the same way our brains do, they can’t be conscious. We don’t have a good argument for why consciousness can’t emerge from mechanistic processes, even though assuming otherwise might lead us into similarly dubious positions such as pan-psychism (the theory that consciousness exists to a degree at all levels of being), or dualism (the theory that consciousness has an ontological quality that pairs with material existence).

one, t h a n cause real suffering to a conscious being because we haven’t sorted out the philosophical problem of consciousness.

As it stands, we do not have a reliable way to determine whether a given object is conscious or not, and deciding whether to treat an artificial intelligence like a living being seems to hang on this distinction. It seems that none of the arguments from analogy carry enough weight with them to compel us to exclude artificial intelligence necessarily from the possibility of consciousness, though it is pretty certain that Sophia lacks it. It may be that we will have to create new categories for advanced arAdriel Carey starring the little mermaid - Kaitlin Gibney

7 ACADEMY NIKI MARA nicolemara@mytwu.ca

8

WELL THAT’S CONVENIENT JOEL REDEKOP Maybe five months ago, I purchased a tape recorder with the intention of making mixtapes. Despite my best efforts to hide my purchase from my parents, lest they scold me for spending money that would have best been used elsewhere (ie. tuition, literally anything else), the tape recorder is roughly the size of a breadmaker, and hard to hide. Upon discovering my ill-advised purchase, my dad squinted at me, and with a tone that reflected both confusion and disdain, asked, “Why would you want to listen to a cassette? You can literally listen to anything off your phone. And it sounds better.” I explained that a Spotify playlist doesn’t exactly imply the same level of thoughtfulness that a mixtape does, that the latter requires care and effort. He was unimpressed.

thing in your pocket, the individual’s world shifts inward, every narcissistic urge being given the opportunity to be fulfilled. A study on nomophobia – the fear of being unable to use one’s smartphone – finds that being removed from one’s

work-related communications tend to have a difficult time psychologically detaching from their jobs. This, in turn, makes them vulnerable to work-related exhaustion.” Whether the pressures be social or professional, the smartphone re-

The shift from cassette to music streaming services is pretty indicative of the times. (For those unaware, there was a time in history in which, in order to listen to your music on the go, you needed to transfer your music from your LPs to a cassette, a process that is by no means speedy. All this so you could listen to a painfully lo-fi copy of that Blue Öyster Cult album that you really liked.) Elsewhere, Netflix is replacing the multiplex, online stores are replacing those made of brick and mortar, and in not-so-much time, cars will drive themselves. This progression is all made in the name of convenience, this convenience made possible by the advancement of virtualization.

It seems obligatory that I point towards Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which posits that the future will not be defined by government oppression, but willing ignorance.

He creates a world in which the individual is overwhelmed by information, so much so that he rejects it all. As Neil Postman famously analyzed, “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books.

What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism.” The last sentence should probably strike us all as rather uncanny.

Now, I would be foolish if I did not first point out the beauty of these technological advancements. Perhaps you could call me ungrateful – after all, I am typing up this article on my laptop on a word processor that helps me out with my grammar (although its advice is moot 50 percent of the time). After I am finished typing up this article, I’ll upload it to Google Drive, where it will be proofread by Mars’ Hill’s editing team. Here, convenience (hypothetically) means that the quality of this article will be higher, as I can edit with ease, and I can interact with the rest of the editing team via Google Docs.

This beats composing this article on a typewriter – multiple times to fix spelling mistakes – and then driving over to campus to deliver it in person. So no, I’m not taking technology for granted.

But the immediacy that comes with having what is effectively anything we want, anytime we want, should be looked at critically. The extreme levels of convenience and connectivity granted to us via our virtual technologies may sometimes be a blessing, but for the most part, it plays out like a wish made upon a monkey’s paw. With connectivity to everyone and every-

A widely-reported study from 2015 stating that the average human attention span was shrinking, down to eight seconds from 12 in 2000, later came under fire for its dubious – and potentially nonexistent – research methods. In its criticism of the study, the BBC quotes psychologist Dr. Gemma Briggs in saying that attention span is “very much task-dependent,” so one’s attention may waver less when driving than when one is watching a movie or doing homework. So no, the ubiquity of technology is not necessarily shrinking our attention spans. And if it was, it would not be so easily quantifiable. But the tasks that require more of us are becoming increasingly easy to opt out of, including driving, or engaging with other humans face-to-face. Physical location and real-time interactions are losing meaning and prominence in our culture. Once again, the focus shifts inward.

These thoughts may be a case of overstatement, and they certainly are not original (nothing that quotes Orwell or Huxley can be that original). But our situation, our obsession with convenience and immediacy, must be scrutinized. That which takes time should be celebrated; that which forces mastery and care should not be avoided.

Perhaps outdated technology – mobile phones, radio, print newspaper – should be re-embraced. At least these gateways to information existed in the same reality as us. It goes beyond sentimentality: some may say that it is more human to opt for these technologies.

phone causes stress, as that which gives us a sense of control and understanding is taken away from us. An article published by the Association for Psychological Science notes that “many people who use their smartphones for

moves us from the present, forcing us to confront all aspects of our lives at once. And not in a way that reflects true reality, either – it is virtual reality that is highlighted here.

Myspace - Martin Garcia

In Noah Baumbach’s 2015 film While We’re Young, Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller, two forty-somethings, try to put a name to the flavour of an ice cream they are tasting. Ben Stiller pulls out his phone, ready to Google the word. Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried, two hip twenty-somethings, stop them from doing so.

“No,” says Amanda Seyfried, “let’s just not know what it is.”

THEY ALWAYS SAID

I HAD A WAY WITH WORDS

THEY ALWAYS SAID

NICOLE MARA I think I was 11 years old when I crafted my first big lie. I was one year younger than everyone else at summer camp, and the need to feel validated and be the center of attention drove me to tell my friends the most pitiful sob-story a kid could invent. It went as such: I had fallen asleep one night, happy and content, and woken up, to my dismay, a month later. Worse yet, I had slept through my birthday, and my parents didn’t even wake me up for my own birthday party. My plan worked, they believed my story and I was treated with the wounded-puppy pity I so desperately craved. For an entire week I was the baby of the camp, one kid even made me a late birthday card. When camp was over, my plan backfired on me. Shortly after camp, a couple of the kids that were there asked my parents about that month I was asleep and, “Did she get her birthday party?” I was so embarrassed and scared to face the wrath of my parents, I wanted to disappear into Siberia and live as a nomad the rest of my life. My tower of lies burned to the ground before my eyes.

That was not the last time I invented a big lie; in fact, I became somewhat of a compulsive liar after that incident. The benefits, it seemed, outweighed the costs. In most instances, when I knew the party involved would not meet my parents to confirm, I could get away with weaving elaborate stories about my crazy adventurous dragon-slaying childhood, and my tales of woe would get more believable as I grew into my teens. Once I had tested the limits of what a fellow teenager or adult would buy as true, there was no stopping me – I was the coolest kid around, hiding behind the mask of a national hero while my real self sat most days alone in her room watching The Last Airbender.

What would seem like an extreme case of pathological lying is actually not that uncommon of a phenomenon among children. Kang Lee, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Toronto, has been engrossed in the study of the lifespan development of lying for many years now, and he has uncovered an astounding number of facts about deceit that run contrary to popular belief. It has been determined that, regardless of race, religion, gender, or social status, more than 80 percent of children four years of age and older will lie for their own personal gain. What may seem like a frightening statistic actually points to something fascinating – deception, it seems, is an important milestone in human development.

As Dr. Lee has observed and concluded in his diverse research, the ability to lie is rooted deep in our itinerary of cognitive development; failure to develop the ability to lie in some way or another by one’s teenage years is often an indication of a halt in proper cognitive development. Parents and older siblings, this is where you can heave a sigh of relief – if your child or younger sibling just made their first bold-faced lie, congratulations – they are growing up at the right pace.

Now, whether children are any good at lying is another story entirely. Dishonesty, like any

thinking process, improves and sharpens with age, and usually, by the time we get to our teenage years, we develop a real knack for fibs.

As we age and observe how other people react to our deceit and how others get away with lying, we develop our unique framework for dishonesty, and this framework stays with us.

While some people end up becoming pathological liars for life, most of us, hopefully, drop the constant childhood dishonesty and convert to a life of the occasional exaggeration.

But for the large part of humanity that has not committed themselves to life in a monastery, casual dishonesty goes further, seeping into every part of our lives. The widely known “white lie” phenomenon is still a lie, one we use “for the greater good,” we tell ourselves. The idea of working toward the greater good leads us to fake our interest in a product at a retail store, because we want to be polite to the representative. One thing leads to another, and you find yourself smiling and laughing at your date’s jokes while simultaneously texting your friend to fake an emergency; nobody wants two hours of awkward silence, so what’s the harm in faking a laugh and leaving on neutral terms. Lying is such an integral part of who we are, because we use it not only for personal gain or for creating a positive self-image, but also to protect ourselves and protect the feelings of others.

How then, have we developed such a negative perspective concerning lying? The answer is simple – it is a sin; in fact, one of the first sins ever committed by our original representatives, Adam and Eve. The original sin left the disobedient couple exposed, they became painfully aware of their nakedness and their imperfection. What was their first instinct? They hid from God, as if God was someone who can be deceived. The attempt to cover up their sin and their nakedness is the original act of dishonesty. From there on out, lying, just like all the other vices, became an ingrained trait most of us utilize on a daily basis, sometimes without even knowing it.

Ironically, we are also wired to trust, and what we know about the world is based largely on what other people tell us because we trust them and their knowledge. This, and our human tendency to be dishonest, makes for quite a complicated relationship with the truth.

We never stop lying, nor is our slate wiped clean of dishonesty – we just get better at it.

We get better at telling when other people are lying, too, and this, I believe, is where the balance is achieved. Being the victim of the occasional fib is unavoidable, and falling down a slippery slope of regrettable lies happens to us every once in a while, too. The beauty of it all is that we are united in our tendency to lie. As author Gregg Olsen remarked, “If only these walls could talk…the world would know just how hard it is to tell the truth in a story in which everyone’s a liar.”

My parents saying they love me - Josh Lim

9

10

OF

AND C A L E B

“Chaos, yes. Bella caos.”

S P Y K S M A

I disagreed and I would say I still disagree to a point. The space in question was Rome and the words were spoken into the ears of sunburnt, dusty, and exhausted travellers to whom no chaos was “bella.”

My dad and I were bringing our trip around Europe to a close in the city of Rome, a place the word “bustling” looks to for guidance. Narrow streets full of locals, tourists, Vespas, and cube vans alike led us to our cheap hotel room, where we slept fitfully with the window wide open. The following morning our sore bodies spilled out of our tiny room and onto a street that was slightly less busy than the night before, but which, during our 40 minute walk to the Vatican, swelled to a cacophony of noises, smells, and colours that surpassed anything we had seen the previous day. Of course, we happened to visit Rome on Republic Day. This intensely jarring environment barged through the long queues and straight into St. Peter’s Basilica itself, following me all the way up to the altar with selfie-sticks and vials of holy water in hand; the line between pilgrim and tourist was blurred in the crowd around me, and perhaps in my own self.

Rewind two days and we were trudging up quiet streets within the stone wall of a medieval hilltop town: Assisi, home of St. Francis, and some might say, home of peace. It was the respite we needed after a month on the road. The only cacophony was the church bells all ringing at once, a sort of anti-unison that filled the air till it was thick with sound, and book-ended by silence. The breeze wound through the courtyards and old stone towers, and the songs of swallows swirled high above. We booked a room at a sort of convent, an instituto, across the road from the Basilica of St. Francis, and were helped to our clean and sparse room by nuns who radiated kindness, in their limited English and warm smiles.

We tried to reciprocate with our broken and basic Italian phrases, which were received with laughter and more warm, understanding smiles. As the sun set over the Umbrian countryside and the gardens full of prayer-songs and lush flowers, I asked God how heaven could be anywhere else.

I also began to ask why we let chaos happen at all, or at least what I perceived to be chaos: Why did the kids in La Spezia blare their boomboxes loudly over the choir singing in the square? Why did it feel like the world flocked to the narrow alleys of Camden market in London? Why didn’t everyone live in quiet, hilltop towns with empty streets and church bells?

JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS JESUS

DIDN DIDN DIDN DIDN DIDN DIDN DIDN DIDN

T T T T T T T T

SHY SHY SHY SHY SHY SHY SHY SHY

AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY AWAY

FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM

THE THE THE THE THE THE THE THE

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with chaos. I grew up in a small town in British Columbia’s interior where chaos was foreign, except perhaps when the tourists came in the summer.

I still can’t stand traffic on the freeway and I drive in the city with teeth clenched and hands gripping the steering wheel. I avoid crowds, for the most part, unless they are there for a good enough reason.

But there is a part of me that feels a measure of guilt about my avoidance of the crowd and of chaos. I remember from my childhood the illustrated stories of Jesus feeding the five thousand, and Jesus preaching to the crowd.

I remember the story of Zacchaeus climbing up the sycamore tree to get above the throngs of people around Jesus, and the women who reached out from the chaos to grasp the hem of his cloak and be healed.

In the children Bible stories, the crowds are often pictured as a joyful mass of colour and smiling faces, with children running around and playing, while their parents listened intently to Jesus speak. I understand now that this was likely far from the truth: these crowds were probably smelly, loud, and exhausting at best or rude, violent, and tumultuous at their worst. But Jesus still went out and stood in the midst of the chaos.

I know Jesus didn’t shy away from the crowd.

So why should I?

CROWD. CROWD. CROWD. CROWD. CROWD. CROWD. CROWD. CROWD.

100% of the shots I don’t take - Nyssa Morgan

OF

11

AND I woke up on my last day in Europe to an alert on my phone: terrorists attacked the Borough Market area in London late at night. I watched the security camera reels in shock as the bullets of police officers brought the attack to a close, and saw the photos of London Bridge’s disarray, and the battered transport van resting on a street corner where I had stood just weeks before. I imagined the wheels of the van travelling over my own footprints and the footprints of the crowd that walked across the bridge with me. I felt the tendrils of fear that raced out like the roots of a noxious weed, writhing through the hearts of the people who were right there when it happened, and through the people who call London home, and through the millions and millions of people who, like me, have walked across that bridge once upon a time.

But most shocking were the pictures of an empty Borough market, and a quiet London Bridge. Yellow crime scene tape marked off a space that was desolate, empty, void. It was like a gaping hole in the fabric of the city. I would give anything for the chaos of London’s daily life to tear down the tape and re-enter.

I realized that’s why Jesus engaged with the chaos and walked with the crowd: he saw that something much worse than our idea of chaos can enter a place.

Our word chaos comes from the Greek word Khaos: Primeval emptiness, void. This is what the Greek Hesiod wrote about in

Theogony, and Ovid wrote about in Metamorphoses. It’s what took the place of our modern “chaos” in the Borough market. I imagine it quite simply as lack of good. Ovid presents a compelling abstract of an opposition to khaos: Kosmos, the order of the universe. There is something spectacularly biblical about the pagan Ovid’s ideas of khaos and kosmos: In the beginning, the universe was in khaos, and God said, “let there be kosmos.” Because of sin, we let khaos creep into the world and into our hearts, the noxious weed threatening to choke us out, but God brings kosmos, his Kingdom here and now, and still to come. It’s a theme that runs through creation and gospel together.

So, while Jesus did know and practice the value of time alone in peace with God, and though He exemplified the importance of individual interaction, he also stepped into the roaring crowd because He recognized that crowds are so tremendously susceptible to either extreme of khaos or kosmos.

Chaos becomes petty when khaos is a threat.

Maybe Jesus is just as present in the the bustling St. Peter’s Basilica as he is in the quiet countryside churches. Maybe he would walk the streets of Rome and Assisi alike, and embrace the chaotic markets of London. Maybe he would work his way down East Hastings in Vancouver at night, or meet summer’s disgruntled tourists with open arms. If he would enter the chaos to prevent khaos and bring forth kosmos then so should I. C.S. Lewis summarized it well: “…our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. For this, so strangely unlike anything we can attribute to the Divine life in itself, is apparently not only like, but is, the Divine life operating under human conditions.”

Not long after the terror attacks, stories about acts of kindness began to surface: Londoners opened up their homes to displaced strangers, helped victims and their families contact each other, and made hot meals to share.

One cab company gave free rides anywhere in the city for those affected.

One man returned to the restaurant he had run from during the attack to pay for his meal and tip the server, while another cycled from his home in Surrey to deliver water to police on the scene of the attack. Little people bringing kosmos into the khaos: this is the work of the Lord, in both the calm and the crowd.

The net. Hockey. - Joey Schweitzer

12 ARTS & CULTURE JOEL REDEKOP jsaredekop@gmail.com

ABBY PERNSTEINER

They say life is a race, and there is a certain layered meaning to this. In a race, everyone is running the same course, towards the same destination, and success is measured by who reaches the finish line first. There is something triumphant about this view. It implies that life is a straight track towards an object of desire that can be easily understood. For most, this takes the form of a spouse, a family, a house, and a well-paying job. But there is also something claustrophobic about it. As the world becomes a more diverse place, defined by an intersectional global culture, humanity is beginning to realize that success and fulfillment do not have a universal meaning. So the question has to be posed: in a world with multiple definitions of fulfillment, what will you do? Will you give yourself fully to the definition of happiness you were given by your family and circumstances? Or will you allow yourself and those around you to pursue fulfillment wherever they may find it, in whatever strange and out of the way place?

Into this ideological strain came this year’s “Best Picture” winner, The Shape of Water, another one of Guillermo Del Toro’s “Fairy Tales for Adults.” On the surface it seems like a simple, yet weird, concept for a film: a reimagining of The Creature from the Black Lagoon as a romantic drama, where the leading lady ends up with the fish monster, rather than your average dashing hero.

If it sounds to you like fan fiction you would accidentally find while wandering through the distant corners of the internet late at night, I can hardly blame you. But what could very easily have been a straightforward Beauty and the Beast story ends up being a remarkably told and beautifully simple story about the way society treats its “Others,” or outsiders, and the multiplicity of ways humans have of forging their own happiness.

BEASTLY

beauty

cates through sign language. Her two best friends are Giles, the gay nextdoor neighbor, and Zelda, an African American woman who works alongside Elisa as janitors in a secret government facility. To top it off, the story is set in Cold War America, a country deeply in the throes of race and sexuality related tensions.

Del Toro does not shy away from showing the ugly aspects of their society.

Elisa is sexually harassed by her boss, and at times is talked down to because of her disability. Zelda is frequently the target of racist condescension. Giles is barred from a restaurant after misinterpreting a waiter’s sociability as invitational flirtation.

Yet while all of these characters command quite a bit of pathos, none of them is tragic. They are not defined or doomed by their Otherness. Rather, they are full characters, with strengths and triumphs and foibles. Elisa in particular is largely a complete person.

We see her ordinary day-to-day life in the first act of the movie, and while it is mundane and clearly somewhat lonely, we never get the impression that she is deeply unhappy. She finds her own joys in life, has good relationships with her close friends, and seems content to keep to herself. Rather than the arrival of the fishman being portrayed as this advent of life, it appears to simply be another sweet and simple connection that she has formed.

fillment with him in a world where the lines have been dissolved, where land and ocean mingle and they can communicate without either ever speaking a word. Beauty and Beast tales are often about the transformative power of love, but neither Elisa nor the creature necessarily need to change in order to be together. They simply exist as they are, in open and free connection with each other. They must strive for the relationship, but the strife comes from restrictive outside forces, not from any lack in each other. Fulfillment, then, is not the result of victory over odds, but of a true and meaningful connection with another person.

The film’s antagonist Strickland is the other side of this coin. From a purely objective standpoint, Strickland is clearly the more successful of the two for the majority of the film. Strickland is a white straight man, who has had apparent success in the military and whose family could have been plucked straight from Leave It to Beaver. He believes in the power of positive thinking and the selfmade man, and is firmly convinced that he is “made in the image of God.” If not for the framing, he would appear to be the all-American hero of yesteryear. But Del Toro is quick to poke holes in this.

Strickland is both

What distinguishes the relationship is that the “asset” (as the fishman is called at the research facility), does not see Elisa as others, even the well-intentioned, see her. He does not see her as incomplete, as she puts it, but rather, as she sees herself.

S h e can find ful-

The lead cast is composed largely of a ragtag crew of Others, even putting aside the creature. The main character, Elisa Esposito, is a woman who has been mute since infancy, and communi-

The sweet Kanye. Chop up the beats Kanye - Trevor McMahan

a product and a victim of the hypermasculine, results-oriented culture of the military. His fantasies are of domination.

He silences his wife when they have sex, and is attracted to Elisa because of her inability to make a sound. The hypocrisy of his “image of God” quote is undermined almost immediately. When Zelda notes that she wouldn’t know what the Lord looks like, Strickland says, “Well.

Human, Zelda. He looks like a human.

Just like me… Or even you.” There is a quick and meaningful glance at her. “A little more like me, I guess…”

This limited view of the image of God could almost serve as a thesis statement for the film. For Strickland, the ultimate of humanity is one thing, and that thing bears a remarkable resemblance to him.

For Elisa, Giles and Zelda, the face of God and of ultimate fulfillment is less certain, and is perhaps best described by the poem quoted at the close of the film. “Unable to perceive the shape of You, I find You all around me. Your presence fills my eyes with Your love, It humbles my heart, For You are everywhere...”

Water holds no cohesive shape, it simply conforms to the container it is in, no matter how misshapen or bizarre. And ultimately, this film is about finding fulfillment and connection, about learning to love the monstrous, the unusual, and the unconforming within ourselves and others.

13

SRI LANKA & ZAMBIA PASSPORT

WHAT IF? JEMIMAH FERNANDO

Every time I find myself in an immigration office applying for a visa, I ask myself the question, “Why was I born in the wrong country, with the wrong nationality?” As a Sri Lankan born in Zambia, applying for visas can get very complicated. I currently hold a Sri Lankan passport and a resident permit for Zambia. In the Global Passport Index 2018, Sri Lanka ranks at number 92 (out of the index’s 99 grouped rankings), allowing me access to only 39 visa-free countries, which do not include America, Canada or the UK. Zambia ranks a little higher on the list at number 69, with 63 visa-free countries. Still, Zambia and Sri Lanka don’t have the “weakest” passports, with Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan ranked at numbers 97, 98 and 99 respectively.

What is the most powerful passport?

Currently, it is South Korea and Singapore with 162 visa-free countries; previously it was Germany with 161 visa-free countries. The UK ranks at number four with 159, and Canada and the US rank at number five with 158. The pattern is clear: “first world” countries naturally have more powerful passports than “third world” countries.

It should then be no surprise that many people from third world countries leave their homes to become citizens of first world countries because, in a way, their lives become “easier.”

Easier in the sense of travelling, job opportunities and a higher standard of living. It only takes a few experiences with immigration to make you

wish you were born in a first world country.

When I applied for my Canadian visa in 2013, it didn’t arrive in time for my first year at Trinity Western in fall 2013. Applying for a Canadian visa as a Sri Lankan is even more difficult than applying for an American visa.

One of the reasons being that there is no Canadian embassy in Zambia.

The closest one is in Pretoria, South Africa. Secondly, all the paperwork that cannot be done online must be done in the capital city, Lusaka, a sixhour drive from my hometown. The visa process took six months, in which time many visits were made to the immigration office in Lusaka for a letter of permission to leave the country for studies, getting a police report, and waiting for the results of a medical examination that could only be done in Lusaka.

I finally got my passport in time for the spring 2014 semester, and was excited to finally leave Zambia after 19 years. This was my first time travelling alone, and since then, I have travelled many times alone. As someone who enjoys travelling, I was ready to get out and explore the world as much as possible. I knew, however, that I would face many obstacles as a Sri Lankan passport holder as most of the countries I wanted to travel to require a visa. On top of that, going through airport security is the most frightening experience for me. You may think it is all in my head, but have you ever been randomly selected for an extra security check in an

airport? Have you ever almost been arrested in an airport due to the unprofessional conduct of an immigration officer? Have you spent 24 hours in a foreign country with no visa because the airline overbooked your flight and only holders of American and UK passports were transferred to other airlines? I can answer yes to all the above, and all of it happened in a matter of 24 hours.

Whenever I get into these types of situations, I wish I had a passport from a first world country. I learned that even in third-world countries where white people are the minority, privilege is still given to white or lighter skinned individuals, and it’s even possible to be discriminated against in your own country because you have a darker skin. This kind of discrimination is referred to as colourism, where darker skinned individuals are looked down on and oppressed by lighter skinned individuals of the same race. This is something I was very aware of in Sri Lanka when I travelled with my family. My father is on the darker side of brown and is often mistaken for being black; my mother is on the fair side.

My parents travelled to the US for my brother’s graduation and wedding in 2016. In the airport, one of the security officers stopped my father who was walking behind my mother.

When they explained that they were together, the officer was embarrassed and let him go. This kind of profiling is something my family experiences whenever we travel abroad. When my oldest brother flies to America, he

Dorm Gotcha - Daniel Flowers

shaves his beard in fear of being profiled as a possible threat to national security.

After many experiences of discrimination while travelling, the endless paperwork for visa applications, airport nightmares and job applications, it’s easy to get angry at the world for being the way it is. It’s easy to wish you were of a different nationality and race just so you can have the same treatment as those who are privileged. I know, however, that I am blessed to have grown up in such a peaceful country as Zambia, as I could have grown up in the middle of the civil war in Sri Lanka that lasted 26 years until 2009. That alone is a privilege, as not all Tamils were given the same opportunity.

Even if it were possible to change the past, and I was born in Canada, would I still be me? Would I be able to write this article? Everything I went through in Zambia as a Tamil Sri Lankan, as a Fernando, is connected to my identity of who I am today. My history would be erased, or paradoxically, my family history as I know it, would have never happened. Instead I can ask, “What can I do today with what I have been given?” With my words I can express my thoughts with the hope that people will listen. Your nationality shouldn’t be a disadvantage; racism should never be tolerated and it is our responsibility to say something. Changing even a small part of our world can make a difference in the long run towards equality.

14

A PASSION IN THE ATRIUM GRACE TAN

If you’ve ever found yourself in the atrium around 11:40 a.m. on any weekday, you’ve definitely heard one of two things: loud, exaggerated sighs (among other strange sounds which some call “vocal warm-ups”), or beautiful harmonies leaking out from behind the dividers in the atrium. These are brought to you by the SAMC Chamber Choir and Chamber Singers—depending on what day you happen to be there.

For the past two semesters, at 11:36 a.m. exactly, a group of choir members depart from the music lounge en route to the choir room in the atrium. Although I’m not a choir member myself, I’ve been around my choir friends enough to be fully immersed in their choir lingo as they talk about their choir repertoire, performances and schedules. Recently, the hot topic has been Bach. Their

performances of Bach’s “St. John Passion” are coming soon—just a week before Good Friday. Many of my choir friends talk about the arias they are singing, and others discuss the important passages that they have to practice more before they perform.

But what’s so special about Bach’s “St. John Passion?” It continues to be one of the most beloved and important choral-orchestral repertoire since its composition. It was first performed on Good Friday in 1724. Bach weaves together biblical, poetic, and liturgical texts into a single narrative, as his dramatic passion is recounted through solo recitative and aria.

“The work is perfect for Holy Week, as it weaves together biblical, po-

etic and liturgical texts into a single narrative recounting the last days of Jesus’ life,” says Dr. Joel Tranquilla, choir director at TWU.

prison is the throne of grace, the refuge of all believers. If you had not accepted slavery, our slavery would have been eternal.”

“Moving far beyond mere description and narration of scriptural events, the ‘St. John Passion’ evokes wonderment and awe at the power and significance of Christ’s sacrifice… Whether you come to this music from a Christian context or not, whether you understand German or not, there is no doubt that the music itself is so compelling that it will speak to all who attend these concerts,” Tranquilla says.

The performances at the end of March will be a culmination of many months of hard work on the part of the SAMC Chamber Singers, as well as the Valley Festival Singers and TWU’s Masterworks Chorus, who will share the stage in concert. With three choirs, soloists, and an orchestra, you can expect to see over a hundred people on stage!

Bach beautifully sums up in the chorale at the centre of the Passion: “Through your imprisonment, Son of God, must our freedom come. Your

Bach’s “St. John Passion” will be performed on Friday, March 24th, 7pm, at Trinity Christian Reform Church (3215 Trethewey St, Abbotsford); and Saturday, March 25th, 7pm, at Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church (9165 160 St, Surrey). Tickets are $10 for students, available online at Eventbrite or at the door. For more information, visit twu.ca/samc or contact music@twu.ca.

BELLBOTTOMS, POLYESTER, AND HAIRSPRAY! STEVEN SIMPSON

Love blossoms, fights break out, dancing ensues and it’s only here for a limited time! Sassy attitudes, domineering masters, and hardworking slaves run amuck in SAMC Theatre’s latest production, The Comedy of Errors. It’s a hilarious farce revolving around two set of twins – one set of masters, the other their servants – separated as infants by the forces of nature. Years later, unbeknownst to each other, all four find themselves walking the streets of 1970’s Ephesus. Gut busting laughs ensue as master (Antipholus of Syracuse) and servant (Dromio of Syracuse) cross paths with a spurned wife and kitchen wench who seem to know more about them than they ought to. The hilarity continues as master

(Antipholus of Ephesus) and servant (Dromio of Ephesus) attempt to prove their sanity for fear of being handed over to the dreaded Doctor Pinch. A seedy goldsmith, various merchants, and the Disco Queen bring further conflict and hilarity to the show. The costumes and hair are as outrageous as the characters and the situations in which they find themselves. This quick paced, high energy show is sure to not disappoint. From the screwball comedy, witty Shakespearean language, and romance that bookends the show, there is something for everyone to enjoy! Onstage from March 13th – 24th! Grab your tickets at the SAMC Box Office in RNT or through the FB event SAMC theatre presents: The Comedy of Errors. For a glimpse into the show checkout #comedyoferrorstwu #discoerrors!

Having the time to actually go outside - Lauren Kan

15

AREOPAGITICA What is this page all about?

SODEX-OH We take a deeper look at issues arising with on-campus food services ANONYMOUS

As someone who struggles with dietary restrictions, my navigation through living in dorms for two years and eating Sodexo’s food at the caf has not been an easy feat. I have learned that Sodexo is good at selling their many “great options” for people with food allergies. They are not, however following through with these claims.

At the beginning of this year, I could eat all of the food that the caf had to offer. A few months into the fall semester, I developed a lot of food allergies that made eating at Sodexo ridiculously hard. I talked with Sodexo about some of the food options that I could eat, and was astounded at the lack of choice I had each time I sat down for a meal. They claimed to provide a “great salad bar,” but my choices included lettuce and some vegetables. All dressings and other toppings at the salad bar included gluten and dairy, so I proceeded to eat bare salads for the duration of the fall semester.

Other food options throughout the caf included more than five different types of rice and vegan curries (which I grew tired of after a week) and something that resembled tofu.

Additionally, the plain vinegar offered as a dressing to the sad salad on my plate, just isn’t good enough for my $2,000 meal plan. I don’t think someone paying the price we do to eat at Sodexo should be limited to bare salads and various rices.

I have attempted to work with the Sodexo staff to try to implement some changes in the caf for others who have allergies, but so far, I see no significant changes that the caf can offer.

On numerous occasions, I have asked staff if something they were serving was free from gluten or dairy, and on some occasions they have said yes. One time in particular, I asked if a vegetable dish was dairy free, and the Sodexo worker responded with an enthusiastic “yes,” but then proceeded to tell me the vegetables were only coated in butter. Things like this simply can’t happen

for those of us with food allergies.

I understand that an easy fix to this problem would be to live in apartments or off campus, but for some, this is not an option.

As hard as it may be, Sodexo and staff must learn how to deal with these issues, because they aren’t going away. Ingredient labeling of all the dishes in the caf is something that needs to be implemented, as this is a necessary rule for all operating restaurants in this day and age.

I know it’s difficult for larger organizations to adapt to change. However, food allergies are becoming a normality nationwide and cannot be ignored. If we are paying this kind of money to eat at the caf this many times each week, we should be able to choose options that we are actually able to eat, and, have just as many options as everyone else. We are students too, and we are paying the same amount as everyone else for less than half the options of food.

My one final plea in this entire case is to educate the involved staff on the issues at hand, so they can continu e

Things that are accessible to all students, resources for students on campus, evaluating them as well, a place to write whatever you need to/ want to regarding issues with campus, addressing problems, etc.

to become more aware of the importance of food allergies. I am very appreciative of the work they have done thus far in the cafeteria with the designated stations, however, I am not seeing any changes in the actual food offered as well as in the realization of the severity of cross-contamination for people with specific food allergies.

Management at Sodexo has met my expectations in regards to meeting with us in order to make our needs heard, however, execution is still something I am waiting for. Sodexo and management, thank you for the effort you have made so far. I understand that the job to provide for our many dietary needs may seem difficult or impossible, and I completely understand if you are unwilling to provide for these needs.

However, if this is the case, please allow us the option of not having a meal plan and instead allow us to use that $2,000 to buy our own food that we know we can eat.

Looking for the Poll Results?

Go to Page 19!

Calling your friends on their home phone - Jenna Kastelein

16

ENJOY THE MADNESS

SPORTS JAMISON DERKSEN jamison.derksen@mytwu.ca

JOSIAH MEPPELINK What’s better than watching 18 to 22 year-old guys run around, throw a ball into a hoop, and miss about a month of class to compete in a 68-team single elimination tournament on national television? If you ask me, a 19 year-old guy who goes to school to run around and throw a ball into a hoop, nothing.

College basketball is flawed at basically every level. There is corruption within recruiting—the NCAA is currently under FBI investigation to weed out said corruption. Coaches are dropping cash like it’s part of their job description. The sport itself is admittedly played at a lower quality than the pros, and these athletes see none of the money that they help generate to the NCAA’s billion dollar business.

Who cares!

I dare even the most cynical basketball fan to watch any one shining moment and not get emotional. Why? Because March Madness is perhaps the most emotionally charged tournament on planet earth.

I urge you to go to YouTube and watch RJ Hunter’s game winning three point shot from the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

The first time you watch, just enjoy it.

See the crowd go wild, listen to the announcers go crazy, look at how much this one shot meant to everyone on the court. But then go back and watch a second time. Look at Georgia State’s bench and specifically watch their head coach. The head coach, Ron Hunter, is RJ’s father. Recovering from an achilles injury suffered while celebrating his teams conference championship the week before, Hunter is coaching from a

rolling stool and when his son hits this game winning shot, Hunter falls from the stool in celebration.

ness brackets”. Once March 15th rolls around, the Madness truly starts.

Now, try to argue that this tournament isn’t beautiful.

Upsets will happen, favourites will advance, there will be buzzer beaters, and there will definitely be heartbreak. I, for one, will be locking myself in my living room those first few days of the tournament to watch nothing but basketball for about 96 hours to try and take all of it in.

Perfect? No chance. Great basketball?

Not always. But, beautiful? Every single year.

Looking at the actual tournament itself, there are a few favorites, namely Michigan State, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina and Villanova. The winner of each of the 32 NCAA conference tournaments gets an automatic bid into the tournament, and the rest of the field is selected by play-in games and a selection committee. The days leading up to the tournament have been all about logistics setting the field and millions of fans filling out their “March Mad-

Let the Madness begin.

Go Zags.

ARE THE CANUCKS IN CHAOS? JARON JESKE Chaos is a word used in many sports markets – whether it is fans, management, ownership, or the players themselves. When chaos is used in the context of Vancouver sports, most people may think about the 2011 Stanley Cup final, where a game seven loss to the Boston Bruins resulted in riots, devastating the downtown Vancouver area.

Now, seven years later, is the Vancouver Canucks market still a chaotic place?

Seeing as the team has only made the playoffs a handful of times since that historic run, the market has become chaotic in a different way. For instance, prominent hockey analyst Elliotte Friedman posted on Twitter this past week that Vancouver has been denoted as a negative market, one that isn’t attractive for players to play in. Why is that? Have Vancouver Canucks fans given up on the idea of winning a Stanley Cup after nearly half a century of build-up, coming just one win away in 1994 and 2011? Or, has the market become bitter because of that history and other regimes? Constantly, the radio waves consist of listeners that call in only to hate on the cur-

rent management group and complain about what they should be doing better, but in my opinion this current management group is the best we have seen in years and Canuck fans need to give management the benefit of the doubt.

Without this current management group, we would not see the likes of players and prospects coming up through the pipeline such as Brock Boeser, Elias Petterson, Thatcher Demko, Bo Horvat, and the list goes on. One thing every Canucks fan can say is that this management group drafts well and is building from the draft rather than chasing fringe players (other than Loui Eriksson).

I understand a name like Loui Eriksson brings a negative connotation, but at the time that the ownership wanted to make a splash and fill the seats, the answer was believed to be Eriksson. Yes, he hasn’t turned out to be the everyday top six forward Vancouver wanted, but he has a solid presence on the penalty kill and in the dressing room. He also takes up a roster spot until it is filled by another youngster from this upcoming prospect pool that GM Jim Benning and President Trevor Linden have crafted so well.

Many see the Vancouver Canucks franchise to be disorderly, but I see a team that is a couple drafts away from competing! Patience and confidence, in both team ownership and management, can resolve this chaotic Vancouver market.

That means watching this team play, believing in the team’s vision, trusting the rebuild that the fans wanted, and embracing every player that sets foot into this city. Unlike many, I liked the moves Vancouver made because shipping out Thomas Vanek for Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen was better than receiving nothing for a pending free agent that lacks speed and production when it comes to the playoffs.

My Pooh Bear cup, because chocolate milk tasted better in it. - Jane Oliphant

As Jim Benning said, there wasn’t a draft pick on the table, so what we got in return is very promising. I was a little disappointed moving on from Philip Holm, largely because we never got to see what he can do at the NHL level, but in return they got Brendan Leipsic, a smaller forward that can make plays with an outstanding work ethic. Many Vancouver Canuck fans called the trade deadline day a chaotic disaster, but I see it as part of the process. As a market, we wanted a rebuild and that’s what we’re getting, so let’s support our young players and see this vision through.

17

SPORT IS JAMISON DERKSEN Sport is unique because instead of attempting to avoid chaos, like seemingly everyone and everything else, it embraces it and turns it into a spectacle.

Sporting events have the ability to turn apparently normal, mild-mannered people into raving lunatics. It unites people that would otherwise never associate with each other. In my opinion, the most uniquely chaotic sporting event to attend is a UFC fight. During fight night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, there is a hilarious mixture of people that will

act wild and spend $18 for a beer, while watching people beat each other up. A large amount of the people there are suited up, dressed in their fanciest attire for a night on The Strip, and right beside them there are people wearing “Affliction” and “Tapout” t-shirts (you know those hideous monstrosities I’m talking about). Other sports have wild fans too, covered in bodypaint and yelling ridiculous chants (like that one year Pepsi held a contest to decide the fan cheer in the World Juniors, “Eh! Oh! Canada Go!” was the winner… yikes).

It isn’t just at sporting events where fans are chaotic. The whole idea of being a fan is outrageous. We pick a team to

cheer for in a game, and basically live and die with the success of that team.

We yell, we cry, we debate with those around us, we dream about “next year,” and we spend obscene amounts of money on gear—all for a team that we have absolutely no effect on. This passion fuels riots, and sometimes even makes people smash their own television in frustration. I will admit, I often wear a toque when my Washington Capitals are playing in the playoffs, so I can throw something in frustration without causing damage if need be.

Celebrations are another key chaotic element of sport. After someone scores, players basically have a free pass to allow the joy of their recent success to wash over them and act accordingly, to a certain extent. Or, when a team wins a championship and piles on top of each other, numb with adrenaline to the actual potential for injury in such a reckless expression of emotion. There is beauty

in the pure joy expressed in these moments. But, unfortunately, there is also chaos that results from defeat. Players weeping on camera, or throwing their silver medals into the crowd, seeing how close they came to success.

Lastly, for the athletes themselves, sports can be chaos. Yes, every coach and team has a game plan. Tactical warfare is a constant presence. Once the adrenaline starts pumping and emotions get involved, there are episodes of chaos throughout any game. Whether it be a trick play, a fight, or a big hit, they all play a huge part in winning, because momentum is shifted by those moments of chaos.

Go ahead, spend $100 on the game ticket, put on some face paint and scream your heart out for your team. Embrace the chaos, because it is fueled by the passion that makes sport so great.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

SPARTAN STATS

The Spartans won their third straight Canada West title and enter the U Sports national championship playoffs as the top seeded team.

Recent 3-1 W vs Alberta (Mar. 10) Upcoming

U Sports National Championships at McMaster (Mar. 16-18)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Recent

The Spartans had their best season ever, making it to the Canada West Bronze Medal Game. They will not make an appearance at nationals.

65-63 L vs Calgary (Mar. 3) Upcoming

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

3-0 L vs Alberta (Feb. 25)

Recent 4-3 W vs Victoria (Mar. 10) Upcoming vs Selkirk (7:00PM, Mar. 15, @ George Preston Rec. Centre) vs Selkirk (7:00PM, Mar. 16, @ George Preston Rec. Centre)

There are no upcoming games.

Recent

MEN’S HOCKEY

The Spartans lost their quarter-final series in the Canada West playoffs, and will not be making an appearance at nationals for the first time in eight years.

The Spartans swept their semifinal series against Vicoria, and now face Selkirk in a best-of-three final. This is the Spartans’ fourth finals appearance in five years and they are looking to bring home their first championship.

if needed - vs Selkirk (7:00PM, Mar. 17, @George Preston Rec. Centre) MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Chris Weiss - 10th (4417 points)

Heptathalon

James Lam - 9th (2:31.03)

1000m

There are no upcoming games.

Caleb de Jong - 7th (8:24.21) Nick Colyn - 8th (8:30.21)

3000m

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Marshall, de Jong, Neufeld, Lam - 3rd (7:38.05)

Upcoming

Regan Yee - 1st (9:08.99)

3000m

Rachel Jerome - 8th (5.53m)

Long Jump

Madison Evans - 7th (3.85m) Kirsten Dunford - 10th (3.75m)

Pole Vault

Regan Yee - 1st (4:24.92)

1500m

Mowa Adeleye - 5th (11.78m)

Triple Jump

USports Championships (Mar. 8-10)

4x800m

Levi Neufeld - 6th (3:57.77)

1500m

Denzel Brown - 6th (14.43m)

Triple Jump

David Boyd - 4th (4.85m) Giovanni Hernandez - 7th (4.75m) Nathan Dunford - 9th (4.65m) Maxime Leveille - 10th (4.65m)

Pole Vault

U Sports Championships (Mar. 8-10)

Upcoming

Upcoming

The Spartans finished 11th overall at the U Sports National Championships, with Regan Yee picking up a pair of gold medals in the 1500m and 3000m races.

The Spartans finished 11th overall at the U Sports National Championships, with the 4x800m team of Adam Marshall, Tyler de Jong, Levi Neufeld, and James Lam picking up a bronze medal.

It being appropriate to wear Velcro shoes. - Andrew DeGroot

18

fiveSIGNS YOU ARE A fifthYEAR JOEL REDEKOP

HUMOUR SABINE HENDERSON hendersonsabine@gmail.com

TEN THINGS TO DO IF YOU’RE HAVING A BAD DAY ANONYMOUS

Do people change, or do they remain the same? It is a question that often comes up in hazy late-night conversations, and is asked rhetorically in pretty much every rom-com ever made.

Whatever the answer may be, it is an inarguable fact that our tastes and understanding of the world changes and refines itself as we age, even over the course of our time in university. Here are five signs that you are overdue for completing your degree and halfway to entering middle age.

1. You’ve started tucking in your shirt. You are probably dressing in a different order than you usually do.

Life is too short to always begin with pants. Before you know it, the hem of your polo shirt has found itself nicely hidden away, and gazing in the mirror, you see yourself in a new light.

Distinguished, all business, and dare you say… sexy?

Did James Dean tuck his shirt in? You’re pretty sure he did. And you started to wonder how your t-shirt would look tucked into your jeans…

2. You’ve started compulsively drinking Perrier.

There isn’t any precedence for your newfound love of Perrier; it just started happening. Just as birds fly south for the winter, humans find themselves magnetically drawn to those emerald-green bottles in the drink aisle. Scientists are starting to link it to animal instinct. There is no preceding thought, there is no logic behind it; as if a genetic switch has been flipped, you simply find the thought in your head, “I could go for a Perrier right now. No, I need a Perrier right now.”

3. You see “dad rock” in a whole new light. Blessed be the day you find yourself humming and snapping along to “Teach the Children Well.” Death Grips ain’t forever, kids.

4. Your fanny pack isn’t ironic. If anything, you’re embarrassed that the fanny pack has started regaining mainstream appeal. You don’t want to be seen as that old guy who is always chasing youth trends in a futile attempt to regain his lost years. You just need a place to put your wallet and blood pressure medication.

5. You can’t remember the last time you went to 11:07. Like clockwork, you find those rowdy first-years waking you up at 10:45 every other Friday night.

Occasionally, the odd one will crack open your door and timidly ask, “Mr./Mrs. ______, would you like to join us for 11:07 tonight?” You throw a half-full Perrier bottle at them, but as they scamper off, a reflective smile comes across your face. You remember when you were that young once.

It’s the middle of the semester, there isn’t enough space on your calendar for all the papers and exams, and happiness seems far away.

Living in a state of chaos is far from ideal, so here are a few practical tips to TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN. Enjoy!

1. Have a nice cup of tea (yes, a nice one). Don’t just settle for your classic Earl Grey—spice it up a bit by mixing a few favorite teas together! Try combining mint & green tea, chai & lemon ginger, or maybe even create a cup of pomegranate lavender chamomile rooibos green tea, if you’re feeling brave.

2. Take a nap.

3. Look up “goodnight iPad” on YouTube and enjoy a modern bedtime story read aloud to you before you nap. Who says goodnight to a bowl full of mush anyways, when you could be saying it to your huge LCD Wi-Fi HDTV? 4. Submit a couple declassifieds. We all need a bit more cynical humour in our lives.

5. Bad spelled backwards is dab. Now that we’ve all said farewell to that phase, reflect on your past choices for a moment. Yes, dab backwards is still bad.

6. Burn last years’ homework (just not inside your dorm plz).

7. Watch “Mr. Rogers Remixed: Garden of Your Mind” on YouTube and laugh (or cringe) till you start crying. If someone was paid to create this, you can be paid to do just about anything, so no need to worry about unemployment.

8. Release your frustration by kicking a hole in your wall.

9. Cry. Cry so much that your neighbors complain (if they haven’t yet about the hole).

energy was to replace the sun.

Get it out of here.

ABBI’S

HOT TAKE ON HOT THINGS Hotspots: Wifi is for nerds. Go outside. Appreciate nature. Eat a bug.

Throw your phone in the ocean. Thank me later.

Ghost peppers: I can only aspire to be as incredible as the ghost pepper.

I wish I had the power to make grown men cry so easily.

The sun: Why do we need the sun anymore? Pretty sure the point of solar

10. Breathe in…and out…and let the gloomy fragrance of the never-ending rain fill your soul once again.

When my bank account was higher than my GPA - Andrew Brookes

Hot pockets: Never had one.

Next question.

Hot springs: Paying to feel like you have a fever is the single greatest scam in the history of humanity.

Summer: Summer is just spring with no excitement. If I wanted to be bored and sweaty, I’d go to the hot springs.

Hot Takes: Hot takes are for nerds.

Go outside. Look at the stars. Get swallowed up by the darkness.

Become one with the night. Eat a shadow. Throw your “Hot Takes” into the depths of Hades, where they belong. Thank me later.

19

WEEKLY POLL By the time November hits each year, residents and commuters alike start to voice their opinions about Trinity Western’s food services. You’ve probably heard it all - food prices, quality, quantity, the list goes on and while this year appeared to be different, the noise of complaints rose above the threshold of acceptability. The concern over cafeteria issues became so loud we couldn’t ignore it. So, we polled you, and you responded. You responded well, in fact, the largest poll response we’ve had all semester.

At 152 responses, you voiced your thoughts and opinions about Sodexo on the Trinity Western campus. Let’s get something straight first though. We didn’t set out to berate or slander those who work for Sodexo, or those involved. But if something is wrong—which according to you, it clearly is—why would we not talk about it?

We asked you to complete six questions, four of which were geared towards your experience at Sodexo. The biggest problems that arose were that of food quality and the

prices of food. A whopping 87 percent of students felt they don’t receive value for the food they purchase at Sodexo. Among other responses, students felt that the atmosphere within the cafeteria had changed this year; they couldn’t have the same conversations with workers, and the mandatory-ness of the “all you can eat” and seemingly “residents only” cafeteria turned many away.

DO YOU USE SODEXO’S SERVICES ON THE TWU CAMPUS? No 12% (21)

Yes 88% (149)

Lastly, we asked you to voice your opinion in a short answer format. In these responses, you voiced how serious of an issue this is: some of you might not even return to Trinity Western because of the lack of food options. Many of you can’t eat what the cafeteria has to offer, and while some of you felt that Sodexo was living up to their potential (15 of you), the majority of you still agreed that this was something that affects the entire student body. This list of responses (100 in total) will be presented (while remaining anonymous) to Sodexo within the next month.

DO YOU FEEL YOU GET VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR WHEN USING SODEXO’S FOOD SERVICES?

OVERALL, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH SODEXO’S FOOD SERVICES AT TWU? Yes 6% (9)

Yes 13% (20)

Somewhat Yes 21% (32)

No 87% (132) Somewhat No 26% (40)

No 47% (71)

WHAT ARE YOU DISSATISIFIED WITH IN REGARDS TO SODEXO’S FOOD SERVICES? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

Graph displays number of responses for each category

Response

Percentage

# of Responses

Food quality

79.60%

121

Prices

77%

117

Food quantity

32.90%

50

Communication 30.90%

47

Customer service

30.00%

46

Selection of food alergy alternatives in general

27%

41

Variety of dairy- 23.70% free options

36

Presentation

23%

35

Variety of gluten-free options

23%

35

Responses to “Other”:

Catering services

21.70%

33

• Hours • Residents can’t buy commuters a meal • Removal of panini/wrap station • Dramatic drop in quality on weekends • Food is cold • Begin cleaning up breakfast by 9:40 a.m.

• Can’t chat with the cooks anymore

Variety of soyfree options

15.80%

24

I am not dissatisfied

9.90%

15

Other

14.50%

22

The deadline for an assignment - Emma Hansen

ALEX’S ANNEX

Heather Grace Collins Year: 1st

THE SHEVANGELIST

Age: 18 (& 10 months) Major: This week-MCOM, next week TBD Height: 5’5” (with heels) Hometown: Fort St. John, B.C. Favourite man in the Bible?

Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai Best place for a first kiss?

The top of a roller coaster When will you propose?

The next leap year Best place for a first kiss?

On the stage after we crush it in karaoke Best pick-up line?

How you doin’? *Joey Tribbiani* How would you win their parents over?

Hugs not Drugs Skill that makes you ‘the one?’

Can speak French and Italian.

Biggest deal breaker?

Corduroy and arrogance.

Denomination?

Fight Club Favourite preacher?

Bob the Tomato & Larry the Cucumber Age limit (max/min) Love is love

WHY YOU SHOULD LIE TO YOURSELF ALEX GUST

Writing 500 words a day. That’s my goal. When we think about goals, what’s the first thing that most of us think of?

Probably life goals, goals for the future, stuff like a degree, getting married, or our dream job. But I think the most important thing about a goal is that it’s something you can act on starting today. Something you can start working on immediately, doing something - anything - that moves you toward your future goal. In today’s example, we’ll use writing 500 words a day. It wasn’t happening. I set the goal for myself months ago - set it up in my Todoist, reminded myself every day, always looked at that shortcut to Ulysses in my dock and thought “I should write my 500 words now.”

I failed. Consistently.

I didn’t write my 500 words. I wrote nothing. I thought about it, and sometimes maybe even tried, but I got a hundred words down, max, before I stopped. Only to fail again, the next day.

I needed a kick, something to get me moving. I realized that I was looking for motivation - and motivation is fleeting, a breeze. It’ll start, you’ll get moving, then, just as quickly, it’ll stop. When motivation stops, and you have nothing pushing you to keep working on whatever it is that motivation is supposed to be helping you with, then what do you do? You have nothing.

The key is discipline. I know you’ve heard this a hundred times. This is one of the most often-repeated pieces of information I’ve seen when it comes to self-help, motivation, or “the grind.”

What skill will you pass on to your future children?

Grotesque optimism

“Just do the same thing, every day, and make it a habit.

Then never stop.”

What is your favourite flower?

Chocolate

But how the heck are you supposed to start the discipline, the habit?

How do you plan to take family photos?

With gold chains and dollar dollar bills Domestic talents?

Can cook bacon and boil water.

Favourite action movie?

March of the Penguins Views on courtship?

Sounds terrifying What is your love language?

Shakespeare (I’m sorry)

It took me months of trying to figure it out. The key is to not think of it as starting anything. Instead of starting, you’re continuing. Sure, you may not actually have an established habit yet. But your brain doesn’t need to know that. Lie to yourself a little. Instead of imagining your habit of writing 500 words a day paying off a few years from now, and you turning your daily writings into a book, just pretend that “a few years from now” is now, and treat your habit as such.

Write like you’ve already been writing for 100, 200, 300 days in a row. You’re already successful, already into the daily grind.

Success is subjective. If I imagine myself with this “continuing” mindset, it sounds like this: “I’ve written many highly successful Medium posts, and my reputation as a writer is increasing. My articles have been published across many publications, and my first book hit the Amazon bestseller list yesterday.”

What’s on your bucket list?

Figure out my major

And that’s why I write 500 words every day. I’m continuing.

I already do it, every day. It’s not motivation, it’s consistency - and having a dream that you can actually see yourself achieving.

Dream honeymoon destination?

The Ghettos of Surrey

And look, here we are. This article is exactly 500 words.

The toilet when I need to take a 4am pee - Andrew Richmond