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vol. XC
no. 6
THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2014
Revolts in the Ukraine
Lowering the Boom
Unpopular Opinion on Lord of the Rings
By Tara Hattendorf NEWS & FEATURES pg. 2
By Austin Ngaruiya SPORTS pg. 5
By Luke T. & Carlo P. OP-ED pg. 6-7
Marie Del Aguila: From Singing Snowmen to YouTube Sensation PUC student astonishes YouTube community producing song cover. By Jayson Paw
by comments praising the singers for their skill, Del Aguila was initially very shocked. “I was surprised at first because my intention for the video was not to make it famous,” she commented. “I honestly
On Jan. 5, freshman Marie Del Aguila, published on YouTube a cover of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from the hit Disney movie Frozen. Emily Ann Yulip, Giselle Imperio and Michelle Imperio, friends of Del Aguila, voiced the parts of the piece, which are sung by a child, preteen and teenage Anna in the film. Unbeknownst to the creators of the video, it would become an Internet sensation, not only hitting over three million views on YouTube but also being showcased on the Filipino commercial television network ABS-CBN, as an example of a Filipino Frozen song that was “beautifully done.” The original idea for the video was quite simple. “I really loved the song ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman?’ the first time I heard it, so I thought I should make a cover,” Del Aguila said. “Emily was an awesome singer at my church, so I thought she’d be perfect for the song. Her cousins Giselle and Michelle also happened to be in town, and I thought it would be amazing if they joined us, as well, since they all looked alike.” The preparation for the video was very quick, requiring nothing more than “inviting the girls to the house, finding an instrumental of the song and recording it.” (Left to Right) Giselle Imperio, Emily Ann Yulip, Michelle When the video went viral on YouTube, accompanied Imperio and Marie Del Aguila in Marie’s studio.
just wanted to make it for the three girls and their friends and family.” Another delighted reaction came from Emily’s parents, who, according to Del Aguila, “shared the video with their friends, updated [Marie] with view numbers, and expressed pride for all the girls involved for a job well done.” While there was much praise for the cover, there were also some naysayers who insisted that the girls were actually lip-syncing to the actual song. However, these false rumors were dashed as YouTubers rushed to defend the video, even posting a video to illustrate how the girls’ singing was only similar to the piece as opposed to outright lip-syncing to it. In spite of this controversy, Del Aguila was actually quite amused by this YouTube squabble. “I just laughed,” she said. “It really amuses me when people fight about silly things in the comments.” Due to this success, Del Aguila is also thinking about adjusting her channel a bit. “I originally started my channel mostly just to do covers of songs with friends and practice producing with a studio,” Del Aguila said. “However, I’m considering putting more thought and effort in my videos and uploading more personal, unique covers since the video gained me more subscribers.” Del Aguila’s YouTube channel can be found under “Marie Del Aguila,” at http://www.youtube.com/ user/mardel13.
Southern Adventist University Lockdown What to do in an emergency. By Arielle Serra This was an email received by students from Southern Adventist University Jan. 23: “Today Chattanooga State Community College officials alerted Southern Adventist University to a perceived threat by a former Southern student that prompted our campus lockdown. This individual was located off campus and brought in for questioning by Collegedale police [and has said it was a misinterpreted bad joke]. Many rumors have been circulating that are unfounded. One was that gunshots were fired in Talge Hall. This was responded to and investigated by Collegedale police. After a search of the building there was no evidence of any gunshots. After Collegedale police determined the campus was not in danger, the campus lockdown was lifted. Southern Adventist University places a high priority on the safety of our students, employees, and campus guests and responds appropriately to perceived threats.” In light of what happened at SAU, the Campus Chronicle staff asked Director of Public Safety Sean Westenrider about their safety protocols and what action students should take in an emergency. What should students do if they witness a shooter or someone with a gun? First, they should get as much distance between themselves and the shooter as they can without being noticed and call Public Safety, (707) 965 – 7111, once
they reach safety to alert officers what is going on. For emergencies, it is important that students call Public Safety instead of 911. When a student dials 911, the call is relayed to the Napa Valley police instead of St. Helena. It will then take 45 minutes longer for police to arrive on-site. Also, Public Safety must be notified so they can help with the situation until the police arrive. How will students be notified in the event of a shooting on campus? PUC has set up a text message alert system that will send out in the event that a shooting does occur on campus through Notify Me. Students without cell phones will receive directions via Canvas with specific instructions of what they should do. In the event of a shooting, students will be most likely advised to take shelter while the school is placed on a lockdown until the police have dealt with the situation. For students not yet registered with Notify Me, they can sign up online at http://notifyme.puc.edu/. Students will be asked to register their Canvas username, password and cellphone number after which they will receive an email confirming the registration. After the events at SAU, what measures is Public Safety taking to ensure the safety of our campus? We are always looking for ways to improve how we do things. After an action report comes in, we get together and critique what we can do better.
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NEWS & FEATURES (Continued from front page) There are always two officers patrolling the campus, even on the weekends. In most instances, there is prior warning and students can also do their part by reporting suspicious activity. What should students most be on the look out for? Thefts are the most common crimes on campus. There are very few break-ins. Instead, many students leave things in their cars in plain sight, leaving their doors unlocked, or not lock their dorm rooms, making it easy for people to steal stuff. What other services does Public Safety provide to protect PUC students?
There is an escort service for students who need to get back to their dorm rooms at night. [Public Safety] wants PUC students to feel safe and will drive students back to their dorms, especially for those who live far away in McReynolds and during winter. We are the smallest office on campus, and we’re always trying to work on our safety and security. It might seem like Public Safety only exists to give out tickets, but just our presence alone stops people from committing a crime. Most people don’t know what we’re doing, but we are always patrolling.
Senate Passes Trial Period ‘C’ Open Day Parking Bill The new bill attempts to improve PUC’s parking situation. By Arielle Serra The Student Association Senate passed a trial period bill that gives community students the option to park in designated areas during the day. C permits qualify for students who live in the community of Angwin as well as the students who commute to school. The trial period began Jan. 22 and will continue until the end of winter quarter, March 21. This allows students with C parking permits to park in all designated areas from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of handicap, timed, red zoned, doctors only, president, visitors, deans parking and ‘A’ parking areas. At the end of winter quarter, the SA Senate will revisit the bill to determine if the change should be made permanent based off of the feedback they receive from a student survey. Andre Senate Representative Aliesha McEvers created the bill when her friend with a C permit was given a ticket for parking one spot over from her designated area. She was also approached by Coach Bob Paulson about the issue and decided to write the bill. She hoped to get open day parking for all the students, settled for the C parking bill. When asked whether she would see any future problems with the bill, McEvers
commented, “It will only affect L, R and W during the day. . .if [students] are already parked in a spot, there is nothing to worry about.” Director of Public Safety Sean Westenrider stated that there has already been a rise in tickets for students parking in A parking. W parking alone was sold out within the first week of school, which makes parking options close to the dorms scarce. The C-permit students take over the spots of the students who leave for a while. When the students come back, they choose closer spots that they were not permitted to park on instead of parking farther away. “[This] creates a negative domino effect,“ stated Westenrider. Community parking students have the most varied permit areas around campus and they have more options to chose from. When the C-permit students take over other students’ spots, it leaves them with few options. Westenrider suggests that PUC senators push to put in more C parking rather than allowing open day C parking. “There needs to be an adjustment period to figure out what option would offer the most convenient parking that will not take spots away from others.” When asked what she is doing to fix the problem, McEvers said she is already in the process of writing up a bill to get rid of A parking that is not being used.
Revolts in Ukraine, Students Feel the Pain Unrest and revolts in Ukraine are felt by students at PUC. By Tara Hattendorf It has been a decade for wars. Throughout the world in the last few years, civil wars, revolutions and fighting have become both widespread and common. Now on top of Syria and Egypt, another country has entered the scene: Ukraine. While Ukraine is on the other side of the world, bordering the north of the Black Sea and Russia to its east, the bloody protests and uprisings in Ukraine hit close to home for some PUC students, including freshman Katie Berridge, whose heritage is greatly Ukrainian and who still has family members in the country. Peaceful protesting began in Ukraine Nov. 21, when President Viktor Yanukovych chose to build a closer relationship with Russia over the European Union. An agreement with the EU would have strengthened Ukraine’s trade and political ties with the rest of Europe, which the anti-government protestors were in favor of. The heart of the Ukrainian revolts is nationalism. “The people protesting are very nationalistic,” Berridge says. “They speak Ukrainian. But the government and many others, according to my grandfather, are trying to turn them more Russian.” The national divide is almost physical: the western half of Ukraine that is closer to the rest of Europe is both predominantly Ukrainian-speaking and support the protests, while the eastern half closer to Russia speaks mostly Russian and supports the government. Protestors fear a reconstruction of the Soviet Union, with Russia again having great control over Ukraine.
“Being a part of the Soviet Union was a really bad time in their history,” Berridge said. “The Ukrainians hated the Soviet Union. I grew up hearing stories about that nationalism.” Protests have focused mainly on the capital, Kiev, which lies in the territory of the nationalistic protestors, and by the middle of January police began using force to restrain and disperse protestors. “The government eliminated laws against using fire hoses under a certain temperature, and they began using that on the people, and they were freezing,” Berridge said. “I saw a video where a man was stripped naked in negative degree weather by the cops, and they were making fun of him and hitting him. They wouldn’t let him on the bus; they made him sit there in the cold, and then they let him on.” The violence only caused the revolts to grow, and violence on both sides continued to escalate. President Yanukovych quickly fought back with illegally passed anti-protest legislation on Jan. 16 (later repealed on Jan. 28), to the resentment of the people. Throughout the months or protests, abuse of power and government corruption became another focus of the protests. Berridge said, “The government is treating the citizens as though they’re not inhabitants of the country. The citizens should have a say in the way their government is being run, and the government is treating them as though they don’t really matter, as though they’re just pawns in their game.” The first deaths of the revolts took place Jan. 22, though police brutality had been going on for weeks.
The day before, Ukrainians who were present at protests received text messages alerting them they were being watched by the government. These two events brought international, including American, attention to the protests. Berridge feels strongly about the cell phonemonitoring situation saying, “This is important for Americans to look at. Given the recent controversy with Edward Snowden and the NSA, people don’t realize how important this whole scandal is. It’s not just the government surveying you to keep you safe, it’s them knowing everything you do and say, and where you are at all times, and that’s not a good thing. Look at what the Ukrainian government did to their citizens: if anyone in the area had their cell phone on, they put them on a watch list, and people started disappearing. I feel like Americans should be looking at this very seriously. Just because we live in America doesn’t mean our government wouldn’t do this to us.” Berridge’s family still living in Ukraine do not live near the capital and are safe for the time-being. However, protests have begun to spread throughout the rest of the nation more recently. Lawmakers and leaders in both the government and the opposition have met to discuss peaceable agreements, but the small concessions the government has made have not been enough to stop the opposition, who are asking for a complete revolution of the government and constitution. The international community can only watch and hope for peace and compromise for the divided nation.
vol. XC
THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2014
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NEWS & FEATURES In its new Media and Social Innovation course, PUC’s journalism department hosts renowned guest speakers who have established themselves in solving the world’s social issues with unprecedented solutions. Students have the opportunity to interview these social innovators in a Q&A setting. Here are their stories.
From Literal Translations to Human Translations Local Deer Park resident, Tobias Rose-Stockwell, shares life-changing experiences about charity. By Suwanna Vatananan Imagine being in a foreign country where your weekend consists of going on random road trips with your friends and digging your car out of a sand dune every 20 minutes. For Tobias Rose-Stockwell, this was real life. Little did he know that one expedition was going to spark an interest in something that he never before considered. It was a typical weekend in South Africa for RoseStockwell, a junior in college at the time, until he was approached by a young woman in her 20s. With two kids wrapped around her, she wanted nothing more than a few pieces of spare clothing. “She didn’t want money or food. Just clothes. It was empowering to see poverty in that light,” said Rose-Stockwell. “The capacity to reach out and look at her and speak to her blew my mind.” In college, Rose-Stockwell studied art and psychology. After graduation, he obtained a marketing job at the Peter Michael Winery in the Napa Valley. Only eight months after working there, he found himself heading to Southeast Asia for a new experience. “I was always fascinated by human justice. I have this compassion and understanding toward unwatched
others,” said Rose-Stockwell. “I soon realized that these people are actually not as far away as it seems.” While constantly asking himself “why not,” RoseStockwell ended up volunteering at an orphanage in Thailand for HIV-positive children for eight weeks. Even though they spoke two completely different languages, Rose-Stockwell and the orphans were able to find a new way to communicate with each other. Rose-Stockwell said, “Just showing up gets you further than you think. There is zero percent tragedy involved and you’ll be surprised at the hurdles you can get over when you recognize humanity.” Rose-Stockwell’s work in Thailand led him to meet with a monk, Preahdichikun Someth, who took him on a three-hour motorcycle ride to a rural part of Cambodia. Spending that day with the monk made Rose-Stockwell realize that something very important needed to be done in the area, especially in regards to an irrigation system. Five years and $250,000 later, his non-profit organization Human Translation was born. Human Translation’s mission is to “build sustainable solutions to poverty by helping communities help themselves.” What Rose-Stockwell saw as more of an “art project” became a model for other non-profit
organizations. It took longer than expected to raise their projected goal of $200,000 because they did not have many resources to begin with, but RoseStockwell and four of his friends did everything in their power to raise the money, from selling drinks in a bar to having garage sales to selling paintings of monks. By sharing his experiences, Rose-Stockwell encourages others to challenge their assumptions. He said, “There is plenty of room for companies to be built. Thoughts become things and you just have to be willing to jump from failure to failure.” “In your 20s you are gifted with this blind optimism,” said Rose-Stockwell, “and as you get older, you are blessed with a gift of tempered optimism. Remember that your network is your net worth” As for the future of Human Translation, RoseStockwell and his team are working on creating a local entity called Community Translation that will focus on building “an organization that is community-driven and local.” Supported by the United Nations Development Program UNDP, World Food Program WFP, and other organizations, Community Translation plans to continue finding long-term sustainability for those in poverty.
Food and Journalism: The Secret to a Thriving Local Economy? Locally grown foods can stimulate economies, as found by new business. By Rachel Wuerstlin What if journalism existed for the good of the public first, before any commercial gains? This is a question that Terry Garrett has thought quite a bit about, along with many other of his comrades in the public journalism sector. Garrett is an entrepreneur, management consultant and web developer whose most recent project is the Sonoma County-based Go Local Cooperative, a topic that we had the pleasure of speaking with him about in our Media & Social Innovation class. Go Local is an organization focused on improving the quality of life in local communities, and public journalism is one of the tools in the organization’s arsenal that is helping Garrett rapidly achieve his goals. So what exactly is Go Local? Garrett himself says that it was initially a hard idea to explain to the public. Their website describes the organization as “a marketing network for locally owned independent businesses.” But what does that mean exactly? My first introduction to the organization was their magazine, Made Local, which features articles and advertisements highlighting local food news and vendors. But we discovered from Garrett that it would be a terrible misunderstanding to think that Go Local is just a magazine. That’s just a small piece of the puzzle. The scope of Go Local’s non-traditional business model includes other types of media and news outlets such as video and the web, but the backbone of the system is their membership and marketing program. By making it easier for consumers to find locally sourced
products, Go Local promotes a more sustainable community. A key element of Go Local’s success is its rewards program and pseudo-currency system (just like frequent flyer miles). Garrett says that though it is sometimes hard for people to really “get” how the system works, they just trust that it is doing what it’s supposed to, and earning them redeemable points for buying locally sourced products. And so far, it seems to be working. Go Local’s goal was to achieve a 10 percent shift toward locally produced goods within 10 years of starting the initiative, and they have already started to see a significant difference. Sonoma County residents alone spends $2 billion a year on groceries and restaurants, and since their start about four years ago, Garrett says that $300 million a year has been injected back into the local economy What effect is the Go Local initiative actually having on these areas? There are a number of benefits starting to rise to the surface. First, by purchasing locally sourced food, consumers get higher quality products, improving health and nutrition, not to mention better taste. It also promotes a stronger relationship between the suppliers and their community. Garrett explains that when a producer, like a local farmer, can run into his customers on the street or in the grocery store, it builds a sense of accountability and civic engagement. The motivation to make your product the best it can be is dramatically increased. But an even more dramatic result is the financial benefits to these local communities. By buying locally sourced goods, the revenue goes directly back to local economies instead of national corporations,
giving communities the freedom to invest in a wide variety of other social programs to improve the lives of their citizens. One of the best parts about Go Local’s plan is that it doesn’t cost customers themselves any extra money. “In most cases, people just won’t spend more,” says Garrett. He says increased prices are not part of the equation. Instead, a simple choice to buy locally sourced goods can create change. They are already seeing the proof. The way this works is that if you take two of the same products, such as a tomato, both at the same price, but one is locally grown and the other is imported purchasing the locally grown goods returns 35 cents to every dollar back to the community. Whereas, if you shop at a national chain like Safeway, “that money is gone.” It’s a simple concept, but the Sonoma area is already reaping the benefits of this shift. While public journalism is only a piece of Go Local’s plan, it’s playing an important part in creating awareness for the local food movement, and providing valuable information to residents about this exciting way to help their community. Their start-up-like business model, very different from other media companies, is proving not only successful, but also sustainable. Garrett says that as far as the future goes, “we don’t know what’s going to happen next,” but his hope is to continue to expand and get more businesses to participate, as well as improve media offerings.
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SPORTS
Pioneers Season Recap The 2013-2014 campaign draws closer to its end. By James Shim The Pioneers suffer another disappointing season as both the men’s and women’s program are projected to suffer another losing record following this season. While wins were hard to come by, there were still high points to take from the season that shows optimism for the Pioneers’ future. The last win for the men’s basketball team came Jan. 16 against UC Merced in a blowout victory. With a final score of 96-68, the Pioneers showed their potential when they played collectively as a unit. Head coach Kirt Brower said, “It was great to see a lot of guys contributing in different ways tonight, and the ball was moving well and finding the open man. The game is a lot more fun when we play that way.” Leading the way was Jordan Greenwell, as he was the first player in the CalPac Conference to record a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Contributions were felt all around, as Taureaus Maxwell led the team with 11 rebounds, and forward Gurpreet Sangha finished with 18 points. After such a dominating performance, the men’s basketball team could not
seem to keep up that level of play as they currently find themselves in a fourgame losing streak. Following the biggest recruiting class in Pioneer’s history, the women’s basketball team has also found themselves struggling as of late. They find themselves in a similar situation as the men’s basketball team, as they also have not been able to snap out of a losing streak. Although they find themselves in a losing streak, the lady Pioneers have had bright moments this season as well, as their record for this year has already surpassed the win totals from the previous two years combined. The women’s basketball team found some consistency, as they had won five out of eight games in the months of December and early January. Forward Victoria Aguilera has provided solid defense for the Pioneers all season long, as she ranks in the top 10 in total blocks per game in Division II play. As the season draws to a close, both the men’s and women’s programs will commemorate the seniors on the final home game of the season Feb. 8 against UC Merced. The Pioneers look to finish the season strong and send the seniors off on a positive note in the last game of their collegiate careers.
Seek Bromance A look at the league’s best bromances. Curry and Thompson not only lead the league in three pointers made, but combined have made more three’s than five NBA teams. When a total of two players are converting more three-pointers than five full NBA teams, a bromance is certainly brewing. There’s no question that the incredible efficiency and sweet shooting strokes of Curry and Thompson land them a spot on the list of best bromances. You can’t talk about a NBA bromance without including reigning champions LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. While fans still have not forgiven LeBron for joining forces with Wade and ditching his former team, Cleveland, it’s hard not to see why these two players are one of the best tandems in the NBA right now. Back-to-back champions and three straight NBA Finals appearances have proven the consistency of the Miami Heat led by James and Wade. Both are in constant praise of each other, and their chemistry off the court is visible through their
constant “photobombs” during player interviews. Last but not least, let’s not forget about the relationship with Kobe Bryant and ... well, Kobe Bryant. It’s evident that one of the greatest players to play the game has a bromance with himself. A man that has the audacity to score 81 points by himself, and can somehow remain the highest paid player in the NBA despite only playing six games this season, is simply in love with himself. But a Laker team struggling with injuries and victories might just need this self-loving Kobe to return to help them get back to mediocrity. While there is no perfect bromance in the NBA, there is a continuing list of great bromances that can be traced back in the roots of the NBA. From Jordan and Pippen to Baylor and West, great relationships have always existed, and we can only hope to see more of these bromances form.
season. The Cleveland Caveliers hosted the Lakers who only had eight healthy players available—what could possibly go wrong? Surprisingly, things started well for the Lakers and they jumped out to a 20-point lead. Everything was going well when suddenly Nick Young went down with a knee injury in the second quarter; Jordan Farmar left the game with a calf injury; and Chris Kaman fouled out in the fourth quarter. According to math, this left the Lakers with only five players. The Lakers still had sizable lead at this point, because the Cleveland Cavaliers are really bad at basketball. At this point, one would assume the Cavaliers could pull out a victory against a team with only five players. The Lakers even had Nappy time with Chris Kaman another player foul out, but he was allowed to stay in because playing with four guys is against the rules R. Kelly Saves the Lakers or something. The Lakers somehow cruised to a 119The Los Angeles Lakers have endured a peculiar 108 victory led by Ryan Kelly’s 26 points, and Steve season filled with injuries, reviving NBA outcasts Blake recorded a triple-double while playing with a and lots of Swaggy P. On Feb. 5 the Lakers played punctured ear drum. It’s more likely that Ryan Kelly perhaps the most interesting game of the NBA will do your taxes than score 26 points in another
NBA game. This game made absolutely no sense. Sports are awesome.
By James Shim “Bromances” have become a part of our society as the term is thrown around as a reference to two males who have a strong bond of friendship with each other. Look no further than the sport of basketball to find some of the best pairings and bromances that exist in the world of sports. These relationships are to be expected especially when the majority of a professional athlete’s career involves traveling and playing with other people on a team. While a ranking system for bromances in the NBA is nearly impossible, a case can be made for each separate relationship as to why they deserve to be in the discussion for “best bromance.” Let’s start with Bay Area favorites Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, also known as “the splash brothers.” This nickname was given to them due to their efficiency from behind the three-point line.
Sports Blurbs By A. Ngaruiya & J. Shim
Schilling Diagnosed with Cancer
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling announced on Wednesday, Feb. 5, that he has been diagnosed with cancer. The six-time all star pitched for five teams over a career that lasted 20 seasons. Schilling is also recognized for his dominant performance in the 2004 American League Championship Series, also known as the bloody sock game. In this game, Schilling pitched on an injury so severe, that his white sock was soaked with blood throughout the game. Despite the blood, Schilling led the Boston Red Sox to victory and forced a Game 7 matchup against the New York Yankees. Known for his dominance in the postseason, Schilling helped the Arizona Diamondbacks win a World Series title in 2001 and also led the Boston Red Sox to two titles in 2004 and 2007.
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SPORTS
Lowering the Boom Seattle Seahawks capture their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. By Austin Ngaruiya Super Bowl XLVIII kicked off from New York City featuring a highly anticipated matchup between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos came into the game with league’s number one offense, while the Seahawks brought the league’s best defense. In a battle of titans, the Seahawks proved victorious with a 43-8 shellacking of the Broncos.
a football savant. Manning had the greatest statistical season of any quarterback in the history of the NFL. He threw for nearly 5,500 yards and 55 touchdowns, which is just rude. Manning had no regard for the morale of the defenses he faced. Getting destroyed by the dad from Honey I Shrunk the Kids is not particularly uplifting for NFL defenders. However,
Seattle’s secondary locked Manning’s passing attack in tower like they were a Disney princess. The Broncos scored more points this season than any other team in the history of the NFL, but were held to a measly eight points. Manning was not allotted the usual time and comfort he has in the pocket to make proper throws. The Seattle pass rush was relentless all game, constantly getting pressure from every position on the defensive line. Furthermore, their secondary played physical man coverage, which disrupted the timing of the Bronco offense. Seattle’s prowess in the secondary combined with their relentless pass rush caused three turnovers with one leading directly to
Peyton Manning addresses media in high-wasted pants. Joe Namath flaunts his bling for PETA. Even before the opening kickoff, Super Bowl XLVIII gave its audience a splash of color. The NFL invited former Super Bowl MVP, Joe Namath, to conduct the coin flip. Namath lived up to his nickname “Broadway Joe” by appearing in lavish mink coat. It was the kind of coat would cause the leaders of PETA to recoil into the fetal position. From an entertainment standpoint, it was pretty much all down hill from this point. Continuing with the bizarre theme of this year’s Super Bowl, the very first play of the game resulted in a safety. Broncos’ center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball a tick too early, flying over Peyton Manning’s head and out the back of the endzone. The play was basically a foreshadowing of the events to come. Peyton Manning may look like the dad that shows baby pictures to your friends, but don’t be fooled: he is
Seattle proved that even a god-king could bleed. The backbone of Seattle’s league best defense is fortified by their tenacious secondary. Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman—do not try him with sorry receivers— have been deemed the Legion of Boom. Seattle’s playoff run has elevated the Legion of Boom into the national spotlight as they’ve terrorized offenses —and reporters— with their vicious hits and confident demeanor. Earl Thomas has built a reputation as the best ballhawking safety in the league with a penchant for causing turnovers. Kam Chancellor is a large human being who hits anything that moves. Lastly, Richard Sherman announced his title as best cornerback in the game in a fun-filled postgame interview. Quarterbacks have been wary of even throwing to Sherman’s side of the field; he was targeted only four times during the entire playoffs. His play was a major factor in derailing the Broncos high-speed offense.
The Legion of Boom terrorizing there opponents. touchdown. Due to their defensive dominance, an unlikely MVP was named for Seattle. Linebacker Malcolm Thomas was named MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII after recording 10 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown. Thomas is a relatively unknown Seattle player; it is still being confirmed whether or not he’s a create-a-player from Madden. Nonetheless, you will now have to refer to him as Mr. Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Thomas. Super Bowl XLVIII was not the close battle it was supposed to be, but it revealed a few hidden truths. Physicality is still the key component to championship football and Malcolm Thomas is a real life person.
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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
Why Lord of the Rings is Epic Written from the Misty Mountain. By Carlo Pean So you’re going to have haters for everything, let’s not get surprised that The Lord of the Rings has an anti-fan base. Never mind the fact that hobbits, elves, wizards and ents have stretched the imagination of generations of children and young adults. Ignore the absolute wonder and beauty that one of those children, Peter Jackson, grew up to pass on to the rest of his spectacular films. I even want you to dismiss the curiosity of why J.R.R. Tolkien would spend his entire life perfecting a story and a world that started long ago, on some student’s paper with the line, “In a hole, there lived a hobbit.” Tolkien’s story, The Hobbit, and his following trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, are incredible because they happened. Wait, what? Do I seriously believe that hobbits exist? Well, if I’ve learned one thing from school it could be never to insist that something isn’t real. But that’s not what I said though. LOTR didn’t happen, it happens. See, there’s this idea that stories are symbols of what happens in our lives. What makes a good story are those stories that tell the most truth. Because of this idea, The Hobbit and the LOTR series are EPIC! It’s a story that happens to so many of us. It touches us deep within and reminds us that we are not alone in our pain. We can all relate to being cast out of our homeland. Seriously, a dragon has destroyed the homes and lives of many innocent people. Countless boys and girls still are suffering from the terrible memories of their people crying as their lives, their homes, their flesh burned. But the stories are true for us too. We start off in our shires, or at home with our parents and friends; somewhere happy and safe. Some of us are Bilbo Baggins and we are met by a Gandalf, something giving you an itch to leave home. Maybe it was a college pamphlet, maybe it was a movie, maybe it was a friend who came back from studying abroad or maybe it was a desire to better yourself. We just wanted to go down this path and even though we knew of the danger, it was an adventure and we’re off! Others are Frodo Baggins and we like it in the Shire. But for one reason or another, we have to leave our comfort zone. Sometimes it’s a death of someone we hold dear to us. Sometimes it’s seeing a person that you never thought that you’d have to see again. Sometimes it’s a move to a new place, or starting college
or even a break up. These are all “the one ring” that we have to carry close to our hearts. To those people, I say, don’t worry. You’re not alone. You’ll have Merry, Pippin and Sam — friends who help you with your burdens. This truth is very deep. Our pain can make us feel invisible (just like the ring) and if the pain isn’t enough, there are things and people like orcs, goblins and ringwraiths. They are teachers who hate you, friends who betray you or fears that keep you from sleeping. It usually takes an elf, that is, a true friend, a pastor, or a counselor to chase them away. We who decide to go on our journeys will fight orcs and goblins; evil that is very real in our lives. We can learn to live with elves and dwarves, the heavenly and the earthly in our lives. We can’t ride eagles all the way to Mordor because miracles don’t work like that. Just like the movies, there’s going to be a lot of walking. These life journeys don’t come and go quickly. And after all of our adventures, we’re either going to have to slay a dragon (that part will be the scariest) or throw a ring into the fires of Mordor (that part will be heart breaking, thus destroying the greatest evil that we’ve ever had to put up with. How do I know that this ends in our favor? Well, I’ve seen the movies, and I’ve read the books. They’ve been true up until now and if we don’t despair, they’ll be true until the end.
Why Is My Opinion Wrong? Fighting for the minorities’ voice. By David O’Hair There are few things that every single human is capable of. We all have different abilities and the variance of talents is immense. However, one inherent aspect of our personalities is wanting to voice and express our own opinions. Anyone can simply open their mouths and assert their raw thoughts into the world and subject everyone within ear shot to these thoughts. It really is a simple concept; everyone has an opinion and the right to speak it. However, there is more than one side to this idea-swapping algorithm. Everyone also has the right to judge the opinions that they hear. We filter these opinions into the following: great ideas, interesting theories and stupid opinions. Now, more than ever, our own personal ideas can be spread faster and further than ever before. The Internet and specifically social media have revolutionized the trade of ideas. There has also been another effect that the Internet has assisted in developing over the past decade. People have gotten braver than ever before
because they simply can hide beyond a keyboard. So now we have 50-year-old guys writing hate mail from their mother’s basements, and no one knows who or where they are. This phenomenon has led to “opinion vomit.” This is not that people share their opinions too much and they should keep their mouths shut; it is almost the opposite. People need to be able to share their opinions and ideas without any fear of being made fun of, or even worse, told they are wrong. People will put their opinions out there and they will be told they are wrong, stupid, idiotic or that they should never open their mouths again. Why? Why is my opinion wrong because it is different than yours? When there is a polarizing issue that is prevalent around campus, it stands out like a sore thumb if you against the grain. Hypothetically speaking, if two weeks ago I had put on Facebook, “I do not support Academic Freedom and the LGBTQ*,” I would have been hated-on and called all sorts of names that I cannot publish in this article. However, I am not here to talk about any specific opinion, rather
that we need to respect all opinions no matter what. If you see something that you disagree with on social media, just keep strolling and get over yourself. None of us are so educated and noble that we have to go out of our way to put someone’s opinion down and elevate our own. As soon as you are on stage doing a live debate for the presidential nomination, then you can judge opinions. Until then, we are all college students living on the same awesome campus. We need to encourage the free growth and development of opinions and ideologies, not make people afraid to think aloud. We all can work on this. I am not immune to thinking some opinions are stupid and I am entitled to those thoughts, but I do not have to share them with anyone. Just remember to try to switch roles with the person whose opinion you are looking down upon. It is always fun to make fun of something until people are making fun of you for the same reason. *This example does not reflect my actual opinion and was used for the sake of demonstration.
vol. XC
THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2014
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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
An Exegesis of Lord of the Rings Spoiler alert: It sucks. kill Maybe-Aragorn’s-Relative even though he obviously knows it should be destroyed. One quick shove and the ring would have been destroyed and I would have never had to watch 500 minutes of Elijah Wood whining. But all of For some reason I can’t explain, people think that the LOTR movies are good. the above pale in comparison to the three questions I’ve yet to have adequately But they’re not. The only thing worse than LOTR is PUC’s new Internet Policy. answered. And I’m not talking about the inconsistencies like how the ring can fit both a Here’s my three biggest problems with LOTR: giant death lord’s sausage finger and little Frodo’s, Legolas having an infinite number of arrows, how there’s a conveniently giant gaping hole in the middle What the hell does the ring even do? of the impenetrable fortress, how Dumbledore falls to his poignant death (why In Fellowship you see Sauron just tossing fools left and right, and we are didn’t the Balwhatever use it’s wings?) and then shows up later inexplicably not repeatedly told about the “the ring of power” and how dangerous it is. Which dead, or why on earth they killed off Ned Stark, the most interesting character is understandable, because we see it murder like 50 people easily. So why is it of the whole first movie. that when Frodo gets it all it freaking does is make him invisible? And even that With any movie, you’re going to have to accept some level of unrealism. I isn’t cool, because as soon as you put the ring on, the yonic eye can see you and get that. I’m fine with your universe having magic, talking trees, or a dragon will send death wraiths to kill you. So to recap, sure this ring of power lets you that for some reason really likes gold. However, within that universe, you still go invisible, but it’s going to pretty much kill you. No super strength or magic have to act logically and rationally and explain the unnatural stuff. If you have powers, no immortality, nada — but it sure makes a cool party trick. Three whole magic, give me a one-sentence explanation of how/why it works. Otherwise I movies were created so we could watch one little dude struggle with whether have no idea why changing the color makes you a big shot. (Side note; LOTR or not to wear a ring that would swiftly get him murdered. Imagine how much is racist. Don’t think I didn’t notice that all the good guys are white, and that cooler this movie would have been if the ring let you shoot fireballs or stop time the big bad guy is black and lives in a black tower. And Gandalf only becomes or control minds. Even Antman has more powers than Frodo and his ring. powerful when he is Gandalf “The White”? Come on.) What bugs me about the LOTR series isn’t that they are bad movies; what Why is Frodo so lame? bugs me about the LOTR series is that they are bad movies and yet people still A quick poll: who is the lamest main character in LOTR? Ten points to act like they’re the best thing they’ve ever seen. I believe serious LOTR fans are Gryffindor if you answered Frodo. Out of all the people that could have carried incapable of intellectual thought. If you don’t believe me, read Carlo’s article. the ring, he is the worstest choice. Here’s my reactions to Frodo. “He’s barefoot! True, the movies have several action sequences that rock, and the scope of the Tight. Oh, he’s short and wimpy. Whack. Alright, at least he’s got a magical movies is impressive, but Orlando Bloom shooting stuff and pretty helicopter wizard pal. Tight. Oh, that wizard doesn’t do crap for the first several hours. shots of New Zealand do not make a movie. Whack. Oh cool, he’s also got a really supportive best friend named Sam. Tight. I spent the first 25 percent of watching LOTR just trying to figure out who Oh, wait, he’s got a reaaaally supportive best friend named Sam…” Frodo hardly people were. All their names sound the same! And once I figured out that fights, and spends his time being rescued by actual heroes. What makes him so Sauron/Sarumon and Boromir/Faramir were different people, I spent the next special that Gandalf refused to take the ring? Here’s a quick list of people that 75 percent of the movie wondering why Frodo was such a wimp and if him and would have been a better choice than Frodo: Aragorn, Elrond, Éomer, Éowyn, Sam were secretly attending some GASP meetings. Galadriel, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, Haldir, Merry, Pippin, or Treebeard. The movies just don’t make sense. I get that when you turn books into movies, you’re going to lose some stuff. But the stuff lost should be minor, and not giant Why are they walking? plot explanations. I had no idea that Aragorn was 87, or that him and Arwen Flying. Eagles. were related. Shoot, I watched the movies and I’m still not if he’s a prince or a king or what. And what is the extent of Gandalf ’s magic? Is he limited to I may not ever understand what the ring even does, why Frodo is given screen making fireworks, or can he transport things? There are so many times I had time, or why Tolkien/Peter Jackson loved walking so much (even trees got like no idea why things were happening in these movies. ten minutes of walking shots), but what I do understand is that Lord of the For instance, in the beginning of the movie we clearly see Agent Smith not Rings sucks.
By Luke Thornburgh
Valentine’s Day Brings Life How to change yours.
By Carlo Pean and Taylor Pittenger Sure enough, here’s another Valentine’s Day article. That’s right, we’ve got as much creativity as something that doesn’t have a lot of creativity. We will not disappoint. This year we’ve decided to pander to both the single and shackled, er, ahem— we mean coupled students at PUC. Warning: It’s gonna get deep. So sit back, eat your burrito before the cafe closes and listen to relationship advice from the single brooding writers. Be with someone who has the same values as you. It’s easy to say, “I want to marry an Adventist” or “I want to be with a Pre-med student” or “Wow, that opinion writer-English major is so fetch! Bring him. I must have him.” But what about the things
that are close to your heart? We are not married, so to say we know what kind of person you should be with would be wrong. However, wouldn’t it be nice to be with someone who shares the same values as you do? There are a lot of great Adventists out there, but to say all of them have the same values as you do doesn’t seem realistic. We won’t all value the same thing, and that’s totally alright. Not everyone can work for the same charity. Nevertheless, we need to define our values. Why? Because when we know what we believe in, that will show us the people that we want to be with. Trust God. Many times, we hear things like, “Oh, what if I never find a good Adventist after I graduate?” We get it, we do. All of us are constantly beaten by our Adventist culture to get finished with college already so that we can get married and pop out holy Adventist children. And somehow, that seems really nice. Desirable even. Non-Adventists, welcome to our twisted collective psyche. However, all of us need to remember that God is control and He will watch us. In order to become better people, we’re going to have
to go through a lot of crappy stuff. You know that this is true because this isn’t the first time that you’ve heard this. But trust God. He’s making us better. He’s leading us to be wiser, kinder, more insightful and more loving people. What do we do until then? We change ourselves and submit to His will. Change within ourselves happens over a long period of time, but deciding to change is a daily challenge. Every single day that passes, we are becoming the people that our future spouses are going to fall in love with. Let me put it in another way: each day you trust in God you are closer to the person your husband/wife will want to spend eternity with. Here’s a suggestion from the single writers. Become the person that you want your spouse to be. Don’t stress out about Mr./Mrs. Right, they will find their way into your life. Like we have been saying before, work on you. Learn to love and value yourself. You can’t truly love another person when you don’t fully love yourself. Let God fill in the cracks, and everything will work out. Have a happy Valentine’s Day.
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no. 6
The Backpage 5 Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day What you can do besides “being aware” of your single status. By Araya Moss Yes, it is true. Feb. 14, otherwise known as Valentine’s Day, is just around the corner. For some, this is a day for exchanging gifts, expressing feelings of affection and infatuation, etc. But for others, there is just one thing that prevents them from participating in these romantic acts: having a date. No, this is not a how-to for landing a date for Valentine’s Day; rather, it is an alternative way to spend the day for the singles out there. 1. Get some perspective. If you’re feeling down because Valentine’s Day makes you feel lonely and reminds you that you’re single, it may help to realize that there are other single people out there too. You aren’t the only one. And guess what? They’re doing just fine. 2. Distract yourself. Take a page from Disney’s Tangled and read a book (or maybe two or three). If Valentine’s Day is truly upsetting for you, make an effort
to take your mind off of it. 3. Embark on a movie marathon. It may be a little cliché, but it’s fun. Watch the LOTR trilogy or the latest James Bond reboot with Daniel Craig. Binge watch a TV series you haven’t had the time for. 4. Go out with friends. If the idea of sitting at home watching TV and movies all day isn’t to your liking, then by all means, go out. If all of your friends are in relationships, then … 5. Do the usual. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday. Celebrate the fact that it’s the weekend and for a while you won’t be bogged down with school, work, professors, etc. Enjoy your weekend and just relax. Because truthfully Valentine’s Day is, after all, just another day. If you really want something cliché, just remember Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day of love, not just for couples, but for everyone. So don’t get stressed about this one day. Instead of wallowing in self pity or bitterness, appreciate what you do have.
PSA: Nothing New Under the Sun with Internet Policy By Araya Moss On Jan. 27, ITSS launched PUC’s new network provider. ITSS emailed students informing them that, when they opened a browser, they would be presented with a login page where they had to log in with their Webmail/Canvas/Webadvisor username and password, and then they would have access to the Internet. On the login page, the terms of agreement were also included that detailed PUC’s Computer-Internet-Network Use Policy. Not surprisingly, students were shocked to learn thatPUC has the right to access their information according to their policy. Truthfully, this is nothing new. Essentially these policies are implemented primarily to block piracy and other illegal forms of Internet use. When this new network provider was introduced, the only difference is that PUC’s Internet policy was immediate as opposed to being outlined in a distant student handbook. However, some students may not have taken the time to read the terms provided in their haste to continue to use the Internet. What exactly is included in these terms? A lot of information. PUC does in fact have the right to access students’ information. Personal use of the Internet — downloading, distributing, copying or sharing of copyrighted or proprietary material — is illegal without written authorization of the owner of the rights. Since PUC provides students with the resources to assist in learning, these resources should be used academic purposes only. Additionally, any activity that takes place on PUC’s network is not confidential, and according to the policy, “The system administrators or other College employees can and will access user
PC: Grace Pai
ANGWIN
files at any time.” This computer usage includes, but is not limited to, e-mail, word processing and Internet usage, which can be monitored and recorded. The policy includes a short list of activities that are authorized and encouraged on the network followed by a longer list of prohibited activities. From the list of 23 activities that are prohibited on the network, these are some obvious restrictions: 1. Engaging in false, misleading, anonymous, or offensive communications with others on the network; 2. Display, access, download or upload obscene, lewd, sexually harassing or pornographic materials or content; 3. Participate in or involvement with software piracy; From the same list of 23, these three not-so-obvious restrictions are also included: 1. Use of “chat” or “talk” rooms excessively on-line; 2. Initiate or advance electronic chain letters; 3. Conduct private business using the computing resources of PUC. Consequences of misuse conclude the policy, from minor infractions to serious misconduct. In a nutshell, any activity in PUC’s computing resources is not confidential. As long as you’re using PUC’s network, you will have to live by their rules (internet-use policy), and it’s as simple as that. If you would like to read more about the Computer-Internet-Network Use Policy, visit http://www.puc.edu/campus-services/itss/current-students/policiesinformation/computer-use-policy. To view the Computer-Network Guiding Principles, Scan here.
PC: Karla Ferrando
PC: Michelle Nguyen
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