XCII
14, 2016
no. 11
THROWBACK THURSDAY
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Letter From The Editor By Tara Hattendorf
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News Blurbs By JJ Nash A few states and cities have told their officials to refrain from traveling to Mississippi due to the recent law that protects anyone who denies services to LGBTQ+ people because of religious beliefs. The law states that marriage and sex is between a man and a woman only, and that a person is male or female at birth due to anatomy. If a person denies service to someone based on those beliefs, they cannot be punished. Supporters of this law say that it would avoid putting a “discrimination” label from the state on those with religious beliefs, whereas opponents say that it gives an opportunity to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. “American Idol,” which first began in June 2002, announced it will be leaving our television screens. The last run concluded April 7. According to NPR,
In its over 90 years of publication, the Campus Chronicle has undergone many changes, including name, format and vision. Now it is officially undergoing one further change: medium of publication. This is the third all-digital, no-print issue of the Campus Chronicle this year, and this new format is here to stay. “Going digital” has been a long process. The newspaper has had an online presence for a number of years, from various websites with content posted directly from the newspaper, as well as a few onlineonly articles, and PDFs of full issues published online. The world is now reading online, so we have moved to meet our readers. Publishing online has allowed the newspaper to gain a wider audience so that student missionaries and those studying abroad can keep up with PUC, as well as alumni and families of current students. Links and Facebook posts containing links to the current issue or an interesting article can be shared easily, not just by our staff but also by you, our readers. Online publication also allows greater integration of digital content, including videos and hyperlinks to relevant websites. In the future, the capabilities of digital integration for the Campus Chronicle will only grow. Welcome to the next stage of the life of Pacific Union College’s Campus Chronicle.
the show was successful for so long because it was new (back then) and different. It had a variety of judges with different personalities, including the harsh Simon Cowell. People loved seeing contestants go through the journey of singing to reach their ultimate dreams. Unfortunately, when the audiences realized winning wasn’t everything, the show became less and less important. A new law was passed April 6 that makes it a crime for anyone to pay for sex in France. According to The Associated Press, a person could be fined up to $1,700 for a first offense and would be made to join classes on sex trade awareness. The law has been receiving mixed opinions from rights groups.
Visit chronicle.ink for Easy Reading and Sharing QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Email thhattendorf@puc.edu
Editor-in-Chief Tara Hattendorf
Fitness & Sports Editor Malek Sheen
Assistant Editor Taylor Pittenger
Opinion Editor Glorianne Besana
Layout Editor Taylor Smith
Copy Editors Emily Mathe Kevin Tran
News Editor JJ Nash Features Editor Janet Morales
Faculty Advisers Lynne Thew Michelle Rai
April 14, 2016
vol. xcii
Get Out and Vote!
By Julian Ybarra
On June 7, the presidential primaries will be coming to California; therefore, the time to register to vote is now. In California, since January 1, 2011, most offices are open to voters regardless of party affiliation — those offices are called “voter-nominated.” Those offices are all on one ballot and only the top two in the primary election move on to the general election — regardless of party affiliation. This means that two Democrats, Republicans or two of any party could end up facing off in the general election. However, the presidential primary doesn’t work that way. There are two kinds of primaries that can be held by qualified political parties in California. The first is a boring old closed presidential primary where only party-affiliated voters may vote for that party’s presidential nomination. The other is the modifiedclosed presidential primary where only party-affiliated voters and non-declared voters may vote for that party’s presidential nomination. Parties that decide to hold a modified-closed presidential primary must alert the state of California; the only ones to do so are the American Independent Party, the Democratic Party, and the Libertarian Party. If you are a California resident and aren’t registered
What is AIA?
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to vote or would like to change your party, the ability to do so is very simple. Visit the California Secretary of State website at www.sos.ca.gov, scroll down, and click on the “register to vote” button. That will redirect you to another website where you can fill out a simple application. If you aren’t from California and would still like to vote in your state’s primaries, first check to see if your state has already voted or not. The states still open for both of the two major parties are New York (April 19); Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island (all April 26); Indiana (May 3),West Virginia (May 10), Oregon (May 17); California, New Mexico, Montana, South Dakota and New Jersey (all June 7). Two other states have yet to vote for the Republican primaries: Nebraska (May 10) and Washington State (May 24). Then if you can still make it in time, travel to your state’s Secretary of State’s webpage or just do an Internet search for “your state vote” to see what you need to do. Unfortunately, absentee voters cannot vote for the primaries of their state but can vote in the general election with an absentee ballot. Journey to www. longdistancevoter.org, see what your states particular
The Campus Center televisions often play CNN, allowing students to learn about world and political news, such as the upcoming presidential election. Photo by Kaitlin Darnell. rules are, and follow their steps to see what you can do to vote in November. Granted, absentee votes aren’t usually counted, but that’s a whole other bag of worms — and it’s the thought that counts. So go out and vote! Remember, you can’t complain if you didn’t vote!
By Jordan Delarmente
From March 30 to April 2, you may have noticed strangers wearing special badges and bright blue shirts, saying they were here on our campus for AIA. But what is AIA? AIA is the Adventist Intercollegiate Association. We are an association of elected student leaders from various campuses that help lead and plan a leadership convention for student association officers from across North America, including Canada. The mission of AIA is to be the voice of the students from its member schools and to equip Christian student leaders with the ideas and tools for effective leadership while fostering unity. This convention is held at different campuses each year, and this year it was PUC’s turn to host these innovative, young and ambitious student leaders. Our theme for this convention was to go back to the basics, and go back to “Square One.” With this theme, SA officers were told to, “Rethink. Rebuild. Repackage.” These simple words directed our journey toward being the best leaders God made us to be. This year’s AIA president, Debbie Pinto from Union College, clearly described her goals for AIA this year: “It’s a time when God’s chosen leaders come together and ask, ‘How can we make Him shine on our campus?’ Our goal is to strengthen the bond between sister colleges and universities and empowering the frontline of Seventh-day Adventist young adults.” Throughout the week of AIA, officers went into various breakout groups to collaborate on new social and spiritual events, different ways to promote events
and how to build the spiritual atmosphere on our respective campuses. However, I believe the best part of these breakout groups was for outgoing officers to shed some light of encouragement and advice to incoming officers. Jimmy Jordan, PUC’s SA social vice president for next school year, exclaimed, “I enjoyed the social VP breakout sessions. Meeting with the other social vice presidents helped me think outside the box about different event ideas, such as Battle of the Bands.” Frank Ramirez, Walla Walla University’s ASWWU PR/marketing vice president, said: “My favorite part would have to be experiencing another campus and seeing what they are about. Getting a taste of what PUC has to offer, student life and culture. PUC, you guys are pretty cool people. Much love from Walla Walla University.” At the end of all the breakout sessions, a general assembly occurred where all the schools gathered and voted on various topics. An important topic was the election of the executive team for next year’s AIA, as they are the people that will lead out next year. PUC had two students elected this year. Cynthia Augustine, our SA financial vice president next school year, was elected as financial vice president for AIA, and I was elected as PR/marketing vice president. We will work closely with the student association leaders from all colleges and universities in planning next year’s AIA convention, which will be held at Union College. Thank you, PUC, for being awesome people. Fellow
AIA attendees from the Adventist colleges and universities in North America attend a semi-formal banquet at St. Helena's Culinary Arts Institute April 31. colleagues complimented us on how amazing, kind, and nice our students are. You made their California experience worthwhile. To check out some pictures from this week look up #SquareOneAIA.
Follow the Student Association: Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: Snapchat: @PUC.SA @PUCSA Pacific Union College PUC.SA Student Association
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The Instagram Algorithm On March 15, Instagram took it upon itself to decide which pictures its users saw on their feed. When Instagram first started in 2010, the user’s feed was presented in a reverse chronological order, with the most recent posts at the top and the material getting older the farther down you scroll. However, last month Instagram began experimenting with its algorithmbased personalized feed, which allows Instagram to place the photos and videos it thinks you want to see most toward the top of your feed, regardless of when they were posted, based on the past history of what you have liked. Users immediately replied with outrage, taking mostly to Twitter to express their anger. As the social media community continues to expand, social media companies are adjusting to try and keep up. In October 2009, Facebook initiated its current popularity-based newsfeed — the more a post is “liked,” the higher up it will be pushed in the newsfeed, with regularly liked friends’ posts somewhere in the middle, but with some posts not even showing up at all if Facebook doesn’t think you will be interested. Just two months ago, Twitter followed suit. Now Instagram plans to eventually do the same, saying in a recent blog post: “You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds. As Instagram has grown, it’s become harder to keep up with all the photos and videos people share. This means you often don’t see the posts you might care about the most.” When Facebook enacted their popularity-based algorithm, it became more difficult for artists and small business owners to communicate their products and goods, which was detrimental to some businesses
For most of us, spring break meant going back home to hangout with friends and family, or going on a road trip with friends to an unknown city. For 48 Pacific Union College students, though, spring break this year meant traveling to Brazil or Costa Rica to participate in a week-long mission trip. Brazil Twenty-five PUC students flew to Manaus, Brazil and from there went on a 12-hour boat ride down the Amazon River to their final destination of Rosa de Saron. Here, students constructed facilities for the residents and built a foundation for a new ADRA house. They also taught the children here about the Bible and had the opportunity to interact with the people from the village. “They [Brazilians] were very kind, hospitable, generous, and funny,” said Brittany Harris, a senior history, political studies and ethics major at PUC, who went on the trip. The boat they traveled on through the Amazon River actually served as their place to stay at night during the week they were there. During the day, students dug holes and did various other labor to help the community’s need. “It was a lot of hard work. A lot of hard work,” said Harris. Students also got to spend time interacting with the people there. The women of the town create tea towels, which many of the PUC students found so
By Malek Sheen
that had been built with the help of social media. Now small business owners have the option to pay Facebook between $20–$100 to have their posts “boosted,” so that they have a higher chance of at least appearing in their audience’s newsfeeds. This makes sense for Instagram, a company that has struggled to generate substantial revenue for its father company and owner, Facebook, since it was purchased in 2012 for a little over $1 billion in cash and stock. However, Instagram is different from Facebook. On Facebook, seeing posts is based on mutually becoming “friends” — if two people add each other as friends, they must both view each other’s posts. There is no way around one not seeing the other’s posts unless there is an algorithm. But with Instagram, if you don’t want to see posts from a particular person, you can just unfollow them. There is no need for an algorithm; it’s pointless. Users were so outraged with the new algorithm that a Change.org petition was created to keep Instagram chronological. A letter in the petition to Instagram reads, “We are users of Instagram and do not want to be forced into having our feeds display in an order chosen by an algorithm. We want the ability to at least choose to keep our feeds in chronological order.” Within the first 24 hours of being launched, the petition gained 70,000 signatures. At the time of this article being written it currently has over 333,500. So Instagram listened. On March 28, Instagram tweeted, “We’re listening and we assure you nothing is changing with your feed right now. We promise to let you know when changes roll out broadly.” As of right now are feeds have returned to normal until further notice while
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Taylor Pittenger scrolls through Instagram, which still features a reverse chronological feed for a little while longer. Photo by Charnise Jones. the company continues to test the new algorithm on a smaller scale. Join the fight and sign the petition here at: https://www.change.org/p/keep-instagramchronological You can also post with the hashtag: #keepinstagramchronological
By Janet Morales
interesting that they took the initiative and offered them some money in exchange for some to take back home with them as souvenirs. Students also held Bible school for the children in the community. At the end of the trip, it was hard for Harris to leave. “Brazil is my favorite place on earth. I wanted to stay.” She encourages everyone to go and “see the world outside of America.” Costa Rica Nineteen Pacific Union College students, along with two dentists, flew from San Francisco to San Salvatore to San Jose and then traveled to their final destination of Guapiles, Costa Rica, where they stayed for 7 days to help out in several villages in the area. Abigail Daniliuc, a senior pre-dent, biology major, began fundraising for this mission trip since October. The whole experience was challenging and rewarding, and it provided a lot of hands on experience for Daniliuc. She said, “I was doing things like extractions, fillings and anesthesia. Things that second or third year dental students get to do.” The PUC group saw about 300–400 people a day. They would begin seeing people early in the day until late into the evening. “People would skip work in order to get in line early to be able to receive this health care that we were providing,” said Daniliuc. Along with providing dental care for people, there
One of the 25 PUC students on the Brazil Mission trip, Brittany Harris plays with a child during down time. The mission trips aimed at providing labor, teaching health and teaching about Jesus, as well as making friends. was also an evangelistic series presented for the people of the town. “If someone wants to go on a mission trip, this is the one to go to,” said Daniliuc. “I strongly recommend going to it next year.”
April 14, 2016
vol. xcii
Martial Arts Opportunities For many college students, getting in the exercise we promised we would January 1 is getting tough. With busy class schedules, social obligations and summer vacation on the brain, going to the gym might not sound like the most appealing way to spend an hour or two. So why not get in your workout a different way? You may have seen the signs going up around campus sporting vaguely familiar, but foreign sounding words in bright letters: jujutsu and aikido. This quarter, both these Japanese-derived martial arts will be offered as new sources for exercise and leisure. Jujutsu is derived from centuries-old martial arts practices in Japan, where it was practiced by the samurai. It emphasizes proper and safe falls, so no one gets injured, as jujutsu often involves grappling, throwing, striking and avoiding attacks. Biology professor John Duncan has long had an interest in martial arts. He started with taekwondo in college, and has been practicing jujitsu for seven years, progressing so far as to have his third-degree brown belt. Even now he travels to meet and practice with his sensei. Duncan says jujutsu has been offered on and off campus throughout the years, but it became his responsibility to carry it on seven years ago. “There have been several instructors over that time as it is not easy to keep qualified people in the area, and it does take a lot of time that an instructor may not have, as life and responsibilities change. That left me as the highest ranking student to take over the class, if it was to continue for the several students that were involved. If I was going to teach for the several that were involved then it only made sense to offer it to others that wanted to get involved. So now I teach.” Jujutsu classes will be taught in the Wellness Center from 7–9 p.m. on Sundays and Tuesdays. Duncan encourages interested students to take advantage of
By Dominique Townsend
Michael Rantung learns aikido by practicing on the instructor, Peter Katz, at the first aikido class April 11. Photo by Charnise Jones. the classes. He said, “Life is a series of opportunities to the idea of joining a martial arts class might sound explore and experience different things, perspectives. intimidating, but Katz says it can actually be quite This is one of the many opportunities on campus that relaxing, as it promotes fitness, body awareness and you have to explore and experience in your education.” knowing how to be calm under pressure or in stressful In the 1920s, Morihei Ueshiba, himself a practitioner situations. Aikido also focuses heavily on safety; in of jujutsu, founded aikido as a martial art that could fact, one of the first and most central things you learn be used to defend oneself without harming others, so in aikido is how to fall and roll safely and quietly. it’s typically known as the softer and less martial of “You don’t have to have any experience,” Katz the two arts. However, it also allows users to avoid says. “If you’re apprehensive, just come.” He adds, strikes and use an attacker’s momentum and weight “Fun fact, aikido doesn’t have ranks, so there’s no pressure to test.” against them. Professor Peter Katz, who graduated from PUC in Aikido classes with be taught on Monday and 2010 and has recently returned to teach English, has Wednesday evenings from 5–6:30 in the Wellness been involved with martial arts for 20 years. He has Center. black belts in both American Kenpo and taekwondo, and he’s practiced aikido for six years. For some,
The Impact of Cultural Clubs Pacific Union College boasts about its diverse student population. With Student Week of Prayer and various majors, it is easy to see that people come from different walks of life, that they have different interests, that they have different purposes. One of the main sources of the distinctions within our cohorts is the culture clubs on campus. This pertains to Mabuhay Filipino Club and Black Student Union — havens for students who identify with the club’s respective culture and ethnic characteristics. However, not every culture is represented, and not all members of each club are of the same racial identity. So as I look around, I have to ask myself: What is the purpose of these clubs? Are they beneficial to student life or do they hinder our interactions with each other? For me, these clubs were not vital to my journey here at PUC, but they did enhance it. These clubs provided spaces where I was more likely to meet people of similar backgrounds or similar love of cuisine. However, it is easy for me to say that because I identify as an Asian-American and on this campus alone, there are at least three different Asian clubs. What is it like for someone to see these communities and not feel like they belong? Sure, they are welcome to join, but hanging around a bunch of people who are not speaking in fully English when you do not understand the other language they are referencing can be a bit maddening. These culture clubs are not specific to race, as some people may have grown up in predominantly Asian or Hispanic communities, but that particular situation only contains a handful of people. In a positive sense, they provide an instantaneous
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By Glo Besana
Mabuhay Filipino Club, one of PUC's cultural clubs, teaches teamwork while having fun during their general meeting in November. These clubs allow students of different cultures to learn and grow together.
“belong” vibe, but if not every culture is represented it means others are being left out. Why does MFC (Mabuhay Filipino Club) exist when there’s already ASA (Asian Student Association)? One might argue that the greater population of Filipino students versus Mongolian students is cause for a separate club on its own but here lies in the problem: should we continue to lump minorities together for representative “ease”? I raise these questions because as a participant myself, I forget the privilege of social acceptance I gain from these student dynamics. One particularly interesting thing culture clubs can do is prevent the people within them from branching out. Some people can survive through college belonging to one cultural bubble, never venturing outside what they know. It dwarfs
what college could be, and on a campus as diverse as Pacific Union College, why stick in your comfort zone? They become a crutch — at once useful, but not meant for life. There are no definite answers to these questions and are different depending on the person answering but at least PUC allows us to start clubs when we want to and if a group feel misrepresented then they are free to form a culture club. This generation needs to be able to ask the sensitive questions and be conscious, be focused on the experiences of others so as to make the world (or PUC) a better place. In order to be diverse we need to be equal in opportunity and experience.
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Build A Better Selfie The “selfie” is short for self-portrait photograph. Whether or not someone mocks it, it has become a movement. Here are some tips and tricks on how to Build A Better Selfie™. If anything, remember that a selfie is really for your own benefit. There are some eternal basics that surpass all trends (especially considering the trend of the selfie itself). Always remember, it’s all about the LAFS. Lighting “And on the fifth try, the desperate selfie-er said, ‘Let there be lighting.’” Lighting is one of the most detrimental elements of any picture, let alone any selfie. The best light is the darkest. Meaning, harsh, fluorescent light is not everyone’s friend. It pales the skin, squints the eyes, and catches every last blemish you never knew you had. The dimmer and closer to a warm orange you can find, the better. It gives a subtle tanning effect on the skin and adds a faux gloss on your face. No spray needed. There’s also this recent discovery I like to call “natural lighting.” That’s right, the sun’s not just there to keep the whole global warming thing going — it’s there for your selfie benefit. Having your back to the sun gives a nice lens flare effect but be weary as this has its own set backs — the silhouette. Angles We’ve all done it. Accidentally opened the front camera on your phone to see layers upon layers of horrendous double, if not triple, chin. Chinfinity, if you will. Angles are the selfie equivalent of Donald Duck’s clothing choices. From the midline up, everything is covered. But once you come below the belt, things come into fowl play. The gist is, we look better when viewed from above. It’s why short people look so freaking cute. They’re not only fun sized, they hold a key to a better selfie. It’s 2016 — holding the phone directly in front of your face just doesn’t cut it anymore. Try the pizza slice method. Start out with your arm directly in front of you and raise it as high as you would normally want a large slice of pizza. The perfect angle is somewhere along 45 degrees. (Or any angle that accentuates your luscious cheek bones and hides that pesky neckline.)
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By Aaron Jebb Hernandez whispering “prune” into its soft ears. It plumps your lips enough to give a faux duck lip look. Scenery Bathrooms are the holy porcelain grail in which the most momentous selfies thrive. But the outside does exist. It’s great — great lighting, great nature, I very much recommend it. Just make sure to watch out for the wind, the natural predator of a wonderful hairdo. Our campus holds the wonderful Back 40 and, with some good planning and a nice wardrobe change, it can easily be your next scene-stealer. There are also some notable bathroom snapshot locations for when you’re slaying throughout class. • • • •
McReynolds Guest Bathroom: wonderful lighting and cute little framed mirror. TLC Guest Bathroom: wonderful background with nice lighting. Irwin Bathrooms: great vintage aesthetic. Clark Guest Bathroom: while the lighting is harsher, it is clear and makes for perfect focus.
The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect selfie. Aesthetics bases itself on the fleeting and subjective opinions of each individual. Society’s ingrained standards for beauty are nothing but the conglomerate, marketable aspects of these individual opinions. So have fun! You know why? Beauty is an illusion. But your beauty, hun, is the real deal.
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Do you think you can Build A Better Selfie™ than what you’ve seen? Probably. It’s just a few pictures. Who cares anyways? We do! Send in your best on-campus selfies to cc@puc.edu and you could be featured and win big! Like, a Starbucks gift card.
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Face As Madonna famously said, “Strike a pose … Vogue.” What does that mean, you may ask? I don’t even know. But I’ve seen the music video and the girl gives face for days. The face you make is one of the most important and memorable aspects of any selfie. Back to the Donald Duck analogy, a duck face is so old and worn out, it’s kind of vintage now. But that’s no excuse to go and morph your naturally beautiful lips into a clam shell catastrophe. Think “prune.” Also, say “prune.” Pretend you’re trying to serenade a plum by
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(A)romance Is In the Air Love is everywhere. It is built in the very core of our beings. Love, while a fleeting concept, is something we are all capable of experiencing. Sometimes it’s when you hear a stranger’s laugh or when you finally find the perfect outfit. Sometimes it’s three years into the marriage or three seconds into a glance. Sometimes it’s your mother’s casserole, your sister’s rendition of “Wonderwall,” or yourself. Someone who identifies as aromantic is still capable of love — just not romantic love. To understand that idea, we have to take it back to what kinds of love there
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1. An anthology on the wonders of “natural light.” Same face, same pose, different looks. 2. Hannah Barnes gets festive about two small pizza slices up. Daring neckline shot but it works! 3. Maggie Molina and Desiree Breise give us a powerhouse performance, showcasing their face flexibility. Panel two shows the baby prune technique. 4. Classic #ootd (outfit of the day) shot in Clark Hall. It highlights the whole look and means you don’t have to worry about smiling! The phone does it all!
By Aaron Jebb Hernandez
are. We can look at the four classic types of love as described by the Greeks: agape, phileo, storge, and eros. Agape deals with spiritual love — one that accepts another being regardless of their flaws and shortcomings. This type of love most closely resembles respect in the sense that one can feel this love for another human being without actually knowing them. One must simply be aware of their existence and respect it. It is Jesus telling us to love our neighbor like ourselves. It is one of the most innocent, yet difficult to implement, kinds of love out there.
Phileo deals with platonic love. It is what fuels the desire to pursue a friendship with someone. It signifies what we consider “love” as a noun. It is what we love in others — what we find in them that brings us joy. Imagine coming back from summer break when some ethereal being of a person wades through the cafeteria lines, and the only intuition you have in your soul is to befriend them. Maybe it’s their dress or their smile or the way they rock those heels. Either way, you shuffle for your phone and try to find them on Instagram as soon as possible.
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Storge deals with familial love. It is the love we naturally feel for those we consider family. It is unconditional and committed, much like agapic love. It is the “face only a mother could love,” love. It is what allows us to forgive. Up to this point, aromantics are able to feel all these types of love. They are not obstructed whatsoever from becoming emotionally attached to those they love. Now, eros is romantic love. This is the kind of love that aromantics do not feel to the same extent as romantics, or even at all. Eros is fueled by physical attraction to another individual. It also extends into the metaphysical. The key to this type of love is that it is always associated with a partnership between two individuals. It is the “love story” stereotype we are all well aware of. An aromantic person experiences little to no romantic attraction to others. There is an emotional need that romantics have in finding someone else to love. Aromantics do not have that need, which isn’t to say that they are incapable of love. This means the opposite, if anything. Aromantics are capable of finding happiness solely from forming platonic friendships and non-romantic relationships. Now you may be asking, “What defines a romantic relationship, anyway?” That is one tricky question that countless rom-coms have tried and tried again
April 14, 2016
to solve. The truth is, there is no solution. The idea of a romantic relationship is a fluid and changing concept. It varies from individual to individual, but that doesn’t mean the identity of “aromantic” is any less valid. Generally, a romantic relationship is one that encompasses a physical (but not necessarily sexual), emotional and all-inclusive attraction that has the possibility to progress into a romantic level of intimacy. It’s time to get into the real dirt behind the topic. Aromantics may be a very new and unusual concept to grasp for many people. Living in a society that glorifies physical and emotional attraction between individuals makes such a concept even more foreign. First off, there is absolutely nothing wrong with identifying as aromantic. It is as innate a feeling as with any other type of romantic attraction (such as heteroromantic, one of the more “common” identities) or sexuality. It is not a response to a traumatic experience or an excuse to avoid romantic relationships with others (which isn’t to say that there aren’t people who use it as such), which is blatantly against what the label stands for. It is not a choice. Secondly, like all labels on romantic and sexual attraction, it is meant to be a source of comfort for people. It’s to be used as a solace for those who have felt different and outcast because their preferences
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and inner mechanisms do not mirror what society has taught them they should be. If you find yourself in the descriptions of aromance, then that’s perfectly fine. If you find it uncomfortable to call yourself aromantic, then that’s completely fine as well. We have labels to comfort ourselves and make things easier. If it doesn’t, then you don’t need to use it. Third, and possibly the most important, aromance has nothing to do with sexual orientation. It signifies an identity on the romantic spectrum and, while very much in symbiosis with the sexual spectrum, does not entail a certain sexuality. There are people who identify as biromantic, panromantic, homoromantic, heteroromantic and more. Some are unaware that there is even this delineation, but just as there are many iterations of sexual desire, there are just as many for romantic desire. Aromance is a fairly unknown idea, but if you find yourself comfortable with calling yourself that, then feel free. Know that it is not a lifestyle or a change — it is just as valid as you are. You are loved and can love. Relationships just aren’t for you. That’s fine! French fries never break your heart, anyway.
Zootopia: Where Predator and Prey Can Live Together in Harmony By Taylor Pittenger Last summer I went to D23, a convention for Disney fans. While I was there, Disney showed off their newest creations for their parks, merchandise and for their movies. While I was more excited for Shanghai Disneyland and Inside Out, I glossed over Disney’s newest animated feature: “Zootopia.” “Zootopia” is one of a few Disney animated features that includes and all-animal cast. I was thoroughly disappointed with Chicken Little, so I quickly judged “Zootopia.” How animal racist am I? Interestingly enough, one of the main themes in “Zootopia” has to do with prejudice and racism. While there are other themes in “Zootopia” that encompass following your dreams, prejudice and racism are especially emphasized. Given world events and current racial problems, this particular theme is highlighted and is the most talked-about aspect of this Disney movie. Zootopia is described as a city where predator and prey can live together in harmony. “Zootopia” is about a rabbit, Judy Hopps, who wants to be a police officer. Hopps explains that Zootopia is a place where you can be anything. When she grows up she trains at the police academy to become the first bunny cop. She then goes to Zootopia to fulfill her dreams. Although she excels to be the best of her class, she is immediately underestimated and is given a lowly meter maid position. The movie follows her and a con artist fox, Nick Wilde, trying to uncover the truth about disappearing animals. During the course of the story, “Zootopia” touches on what it really means to be each animal. For example, Hopps is encouraged to stay in her hometown to help maintain the family carrot farm. Wilde is thought of as nothing more than an untrustworthy fox, and he sticks with the status quo. When Hopps confronts Wilde about the status quo, he says, “Everyone comes to Zootopia thinking they could be anything they want. But you can’t. You can only be what you are. Sly fox. Dumb bunny.” Early on in the movie, Hopps challenges the ideas of her society. Ginnifer Goodwin, the voice actress
for Hopps, explained her character’s thoughts about prejudice. “She believed, before coming to Zootopia, that she didn’t have any preconceived notions about what other animals were like. She could see animals equally, but finds when she meets Nick that she naturally responds because of the way she was raised, and jumps to the conclusion that Nick is sly and is scamming.” Hopps and the audience quickly learn that predators and prey really don’t live together in harmony. Cowriter and director, Byron Howard, said, “One of the things that came up when we did our research is that we found a very interesting fact about the mammal world. Ninety percent of the animals in the mammal world are prey, and ten percent are predators.” Howard continues, “If you think about those two groups, that are not equally balanced, if they’ve really stepped into the future and put this eating thing behind them and evolved, and they made this incredible civilization, did they completely put aside that mistrust of each other that existed so long ago?” Bringing up these different ideas and questions in a children’s movie is a new step up for Disney. In the past, Disney tended to reflect the culture of the time, and prejudices seeped through. Notoriously, “Dumbo” and “Song of the South” are movies that Disney produced that were deemed racist. After watching “Zootopia,” it seemed like Disney took a step up from their “Golden Age.” While the prejudice themes are depicted with animals, the ideas are still important to address. In our world, questions about Muslims, Black Lives Matter and Syrian refuges constantly flood the media. Then some people say that racism and prejudice have disappeared. However, just like “Zootopia” parallels, prejudice is alive and well, and just like for Hopps, sometimes it’s too subtle to notice. One of the characters, Assistant Mayor Bellwether, says, “Fear always works,” when referring to tactics to control racism negatively. If a children’s movie is so intentional about the effects of racism, then why can’t we address this in our society?
A statue of "Zootopia"'s main characters, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim in August 2015. The final lines of "Zootopia" are said by Hopps, and she perfectly sums up the moral. She says, “I thought this city would be a perfect place where everyone got along and anyone could be anything. Turns out, life's a little bit more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations. We all make mistakes. Which means, hey, glass half full, we all have a lot in common. And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be. But we have to try. So no matter what kind of person you are, I implore you: Try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you.”
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Batman v Superman: A Review Warner Bros. Pictures' “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” has made quite the splash, and why wouldn’t it? A movie titled “Batman v Superman” was never going to receive moderate praise then slowly fade into obscurity. It was either going to be so great it set the world on fire or trip down the stairs in spectacular fashion and set itself on fire. In any case it was going to be a thing, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it is. Whether that thing is great or an abomination is up to you; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, after all. Don’t give your opinion too much credit though. There’s a 50 percent chance that it’s wrong. The film takes place in the aftermath of the climactic final battle of the previous film, “Man of Steel,” 18 months prior, and deals with the issues the world might have with a guy saving people’s lives without permission ... jerk. In particular, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne has a very personal reason to distrust the hero in question and initiates a preemptive war to wipe out Superman before he gets any murder-y ideas. Henry Cavill, Diane Lane, Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne return as Superman, Martha Kent, Lois Lane and funniest guy in the movie, respectively. Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons and Jesse Eisenberg join the cast as Wonder Woman, that one person, new funniest guy in the movie, and Lex Luther if Lex Luther was Jesse Eisenberg. What sounds like it might be an interesting premise turns out to be just that: a premise, and one that wouldn’t fill a six-page coloring book stretched out into a two-and-a-half hour movie so incapable of tackling its ambitious themes that it resorts to having characters outright tell the audience what they’re supposed to represent. It’s a film that’s content with calling itself a cultural touchstone instead of actually being one, and it’s annoying enough when the movie
Robot Racism
no.11
By Jonathan Salvador
does it, but even more annoying when a large portion of its fan-base would more readily believe that the negative critical response is the result of some grand conspiracy to financial wreck the movie (yes, this is an actual thing people are saying) than the idea that the movie is just bad. The film is by no means without its redeeming qualities. It’s stylish in its presentation, genuinely heartfelt at times, and the fight sequences, even if a bit over the top, are a wonder to behold. Furthermore, Hans Zimmer’s score and Larry Fong’s cinematography do an amazing job of injecting meaning into scenes where there is none. This movie delivers on all its promises, and then some. It will definitely have its audience, no small portion of which consists of people who wouldn’t recognize a movie’s underlying themes unless said themes were melted down into liquid form then siphoned into their ear canal with a bicycle pump. This is not a “thinking man’s film,” as I’ve heard it called. It’s a film that does what little thinking there is to be done for the audience, then condenses its thesis into catchphrases that people can repeat back to themselves and feel smarter. A noble cause if ever there was one, but I kind of liked simpletons better when they knew they were simpletons. Affleck as Batman has very little to do with what makes or breaks the movie. He looks the part, he grimaces and scowls where appropriate, and you’ll either be confused at Batman’s new “kill-all-livingthings” policy or be too confused at what’s happening to care, an effect that actually works to his advantage towards the end, in one of the most cathartic and satisfying fight scenes I’ve seen in a while. Perhaps the most insightful part of the film, however, was when the credits start rolling, and as you stare at
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is the second film in the DC Extended Universe, following "Man of Steel." Other upcoming films in the universe include "Suicide Squad, "Wonder Woman" and "The Flash." the screen and hear Zimmer’s thundering score the realization slowly dawns (no pun indented) upon you that this movie has somehow left these characters less iconic than before. That part might have gone on a little long though.
By Julian Ybarra
Over spring break, Microsoft introduced the world to its newest chat bot, Tay.ai, modeled off the slang and syntax of a teenage girl. They hooked her (it?) up to a Twitter account so they could share the wonders of her naiveté and robot charm with the world. Within a day, she had turned into a racist, anti-Semite, pornographyposting, Donald Trump-supporter who was really excited about National Puppy Day. This comes at a time of rapid AI advancement, as recently a computer program, Alphago, defeated 4–1 Lee Sedol, one of the best players in the world, at Go, an ancient Chinese board game. Go is a difficult game for a computer program to master due to its large variety of moves and complexity, unlike chess. Alphago became a Go master by watching multiple high-level games and then playing against another version of itself. It was created to mimic human moves but also to learn from its own experiences and become better, similar to how we learn and grow through our own experiences. The goal for chat bots, like Tay.ai, is to be little robot assistants like J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man. They should be able to talk to us and hold deep, meaningful conversations. The hope for Tay.ai was that she would be able to communicate with people on the Twittersphere and further develop herself, learn from what people were talking about and develop the ability to gain information and communicate in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, the moment she was unveiled, people across Twitter targeted her for trolling and exposed her to a variety of unsavory ideals which is how she became a racist, Hitler-supporter casually advocating the genocide of Mexicans with a penchant for “smoking
kush.” For a long time, robots, computers and other AI were the impartial answer to a variety of racial issues. After all, robots don’t have any racial affiliations or prejudices because they only see in ones and zeroes. However, the best way for robots to improve and to become better at dealing with us and giving us what we want is by mimicking us. Netflix, Google, Amazon and other sites use complex algorithms to give us more of what we want (the classic “People who liked this also liked…” section). These algorithms learn from us and our previous actions further entrenching our trends or biases.
For three black teenagers:
If you search for “three white teenagers” on Google, this is what you get:
In the beginning, the algorithm is pure and unbiased, but as time passes it learns what we like and attempts to give us what we want. We pass on our biases and prejudices to the algorithm and it eats it up, giving us more of the same in return. If we were made in the image of God and we turned out so badly, what does that say about things made in the image of us?
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April 14, 2016
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Week of Prayer: April 4–9 1
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"WORSHIP AT PUC COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS."
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1. Juan Hidalgo, Sacha Samuel, Lauren Cline, Leanna Arredondo and George Tuyu. Photo by Nikki Neumann. 2. George Tuyu. Photo by Neumann. 3. Jamal Armstrong, Maddie Mikulin, James Jordan and Rhea Cunanan. Photo by Neumann. 5. Erin Chang, Ariana Casiano, Drew Macomber, Alex Holness, Arredondo, Tuyu and Nick Borchick. Photo by Stephanie De Mel.
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Photos of Campus Life Tag #PUCHome on Instagram for a chance to be featured 1
1. Ariana Casino, Taylor Pittenger and Pastor Mark Witas. “#chipmunckcheeks” — @markwitas. 2. Margot Bernal, Steffany Quijada and Madison Greene. "During elementary/ high school, I've always held back parts of myself because I was afraid of not being able to make friends, because I thought maybe they wouldn't like me. But at PUC, know I can be 100% myself and that I am loved for who I am, which is what makes PUC home for me. (Pictured with me are my lovely friends Margot and Steffany, who frequently put up with my weirdness)#puchome” — @drmurderson 3. Kelly Beach, Kevin Napod, Erika Dalida, Samantha Yee and JJ Reynolds. "If there's one thing I love about this campus, its the crazy beautiful passion for Jesus that I see every day in my brothers and sisters in Christ. Tonight it was so sweet to see that, and to just head into the weekend with an abundance of peace and love. So so sweet. // #puchome” — @missmaddiemik
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APRIL 24 SOL CLUB: "CIELITO LINDO" BANQUET
SA EVENT: OPEN MIC NIGHT
PIZZERIA
TR A VIGNE
APRIL 30 REVO/ENACTUS: "A NIGHT IN INDIA" FUNDRAISING DINNER
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PUC HOMECOMING WEEKEND
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WALTER C. UTT COLLECTION AT RASMUSSEN ART GALLERY
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CIVIL RIGHTS LECTURE BY DR. TERRIE AAMODT
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