Rambler vol. 11 no. 2 by The Rambler

rambler the

Veritas Ensis Noster.

Deaf to Disney November 3, 2013- Vol. 11, No. 2

In This Issue...

Editor’s Corner

Rambler: Pronunciation: \ram-blər\ Function: noun Date: c. 2002 1. A student organization determined to present truth and withhold nothing, discussing a variety of subjects such as administration, morality, literature, politics, and faith.

the rambler

An Independent Student Journal Christendom College Veritas Ensis Noster

LAYOUT EDITOR Marilyn Charba NEWS & POLITICS EDITOR Joe Brizek

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Austin Leavitt POETRY & PROSE EDITOR Maddy Murphy FACULTY ADVISOR Dr. Patrick Keats MEDIA COORDINATOR Cecilia Flagg COPY EDITOR Margaret Santschi CONTRIBUTORS Jake Morgan, Nick Gossin, Peter Tapsak, Gabriella Federico, Sean LaRochelle, Amy Marter, K.T. Brizek, Lauren Enk, Carolyn Manion, Sean Shanahan, Patrick McKenna, Katie Titus.

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16 MY PRINTED GUN by Sean Shanahan

Humor

SHUTDOWN: WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL

17 THEOLOGY OF THE CHEERING

by Nick Gossin

SECTION

by Patrick McKenna

Arts & Culture

Prose & Poetry 18 AUTUMN FIRE

7 HISTORY TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT: A BEVERAGE CONVERTED

by Amy Marter

by Peter Tapsak

18 DISCERNMENT POEM by Katie Titus

CONFESSIONS OF A SIDEWALK COUNSELOR by Gabriella Federico

The Last Word

19 On the Bubble

Feature

by The Editorial Staff

10 DEAF TO DISNEY

Deaf to Disney

by Sean LaRochelle

Faith & Reason 12 PERFECTION: WHY BOTHER?

With the gubernatorial election fast approaching, I would like to personally encourage you to vote. It’s easy, with exams and papers and workstudy jobs and internships, for election day to slip your mind until it arrives. And then it’s too late to apply for an absentee ballot, or arrange for a trip home. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget something that is so relevant to every day life. Who the governor is has a big impact on what your life is like for the next few years. It may not seem like it to a college student, whose world revolves around classes and midnight food runs, but the governor has a great deal of power over legislation and appointments which can end up vastly affecting your life. More importantly, the lack of interest in the government among young people is symbolic of a greater problem: apathy. There is a mindset that one vote doesn’t make a difference, so there’s no point. This isn’t just an issue with elections, but with every part of life. People don’t do community service, or join the military, or get involved in politics because one person greater or fewer won’t matter. After all, what are the chances that you’ll be the soup kitchen worker to change a life, the Marine who saves an entire city, or the next President? But that is the crux of the matter. It has nothing to do with chance, or statistics or an algorithm of probability. It’s about what you, as a free and rational human being, choose to do with your own life. Anyone who ever changed the world was just one person. The difference between Charlemagne and you is that he chose to employ his talents to the utmost of his ability and created an empire, and you haven’t made your choice yet. Choose to alter the course of history. You can.

13 POPE FRANCIS FAN GIRL PHEMONEMA by K.T. Brizek

Dear Readers,

God bless,

by Amy Marter

. Brizek

Editor-In-Chief

#FAIL: THE DAY I REALIZED THE BUBBLE AIN’T THAT BIG by Lauren Enk

Our Mission Statement

The Rambler and its staff are dedicated to training the next generation of Catholic journalists and intellectuals. We prize the liberal arts education received from Christendom College and write about the news, arts, culture, faith, and reason from this gained perspective. We believe we will play an essential part in a renaissance of new leaders, journalists, and communicators for the 21st century.

THE THEREMIN: A MUSICAL MARVEL by Carolyn Manion

SWEET MOTHER OF SURVEY! THE STUDENT OPINION POLL by Jake Morgan

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Sean Shanahan FAITH & REASON EDITOR Lauren Enk

News & Opinion

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF K.T. Brizek BUSINESS MANAGEMENT William Scrivener

Science & Technology

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News Briefs

News & Opinion

Sweet Mother of Survey! The Student Opinion Poll The ASARB recently released a study measuring religious bodies in the United States. The study indicated that there are currently around 60 million Catholic adherents in the country. The study defined adherents as those who have an affiliation to a congregation, regardless of whether or not they are members of that congregation. Massachusetts was identified as the state containing the most Catholic adherents, comprising 44.9% of the population. Tennessee rests on the opposite side of the spectrum, where Catholic adherents makeup only about 3.5% of the populace.

On Tuesday, November 5th, Virginia will hold its gubernatorial election. Recent polls have Democrat Terry McAuliffe as holding a double-digit lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli. McAuliffe is doing especially well among women, where he holds a 24 point lead over his opponent.

The NSA has recently been accused of listening in on the private conversations of around 35 foreign leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. According to the NSA, President Obama had no knowledge of these specific operations until recently. Officials say that it is understandable that Obama would have been out of the loop, as the NSA has so many eavesdropping programs that the president simply cannot be kept up to date on all of them.

On Monday, October 28th, an Israeli air strike hit two hidden rocket launchers in the Gaza Strip. No injuries have been reported. Israeli military personnel said that the strike was initiated in response to recent terrorist activity, which involved several rockets being launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The Chester-Belloc debate society has recently come out with an extensive guide, describing its mission, life, and achievements. The guide is over twenty-five pages in length and covers a variety of subjects. The guide includes an FAQ, providing answers on topics ranging from membership in the society, to dress-code for debates.

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By Jake Morgan ‘14 Throughout the duration of this semester, each one of you The mission of the SPAC is to serve as a channel of will most likely receive approximately 527 surveys in your inbox, all communication between the Christendom Student Body and Dr. of which will ask for feedback regarding various aspects of O’Donnell. The SPAC is composed of the Student Body President, campus life. Surveys on Welcome Weekend, housing, SAC events, your elected Class Officers, the Head RAs, and four other students intramurals, career development, Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, and appointed by Caitlin Bowers and Dr. Dorman. The SPAC members other Christendom essentials will flood your emails sporadically are instructed to read through the survey results in an objective throughout the year. manner and abstract pressing issues and common threads. After After providing feedback upon feedback, you will surely sorting through the results, SPAC discusses the top issues and unsuffer from “survey burnout,” which consequently procures the met needs presented by the Christendom Student Body. inevitable reaction from every student: “I will never fill out another survey Next, the SPAC members disperse, YOUR feedback is essential, and each meet with various department heads again.” As a result of the lack of survey participation, the folks in administraand staff members, and discuss these and every comment is considered. tion will then suffer from “feedback needs. The objective of these interviews withdrawal,” thereby leading the Chrisis to determine whether or not the tendom staff to desperately distribute more surveys. department heads are aware of the issues, and if so, what steps are It’s a vicious cycle. being taken to address them. However, if there’s one survey you should definitely not Next, the SPAC members meet with Dr. O’Donnell in his ignore, it’s the Student Opinion Poll. office to present the most pressing needs from the survey as well as Distributed to the Student Body once each year, the Stuthe results of the department interviews. Dr. O’Donnell leads an indent Opinion Poll is the mother of all surveys for two reasons: what depth discussion on the results, asks questions, and seeks input from it does and what happens after you complete it. the SPAC 1. What it does: The Poll requests anonymous feedback members. regarding every aspect of Christendom campus life (Operations, Dr. O’Donnell then takes the results of the surveys and Food Services, Academics, Student Life, Spiritual Life, and other SPAC meetings and shares them with department heads and other departments). The students are asked to rate each department on a faculty and staff members in order to discuss how to 1 to 5 scale as well as provide both positive and negative qualitative enhance the quality of campus life at Christendom. feedback for each category. So, there you have it; a survey complete with action items In other words, if you’ve been dying to report the toilet on and follow-up meetings. The Student Opinion Poll is the most your floor that’s always flooding, or how amazing the blue Powerade effective survey distributed to the students, and it’s certainly not is in the Commons, or how you can’t stand people singing “Phansomething to glance over in your inbox. tom of the Opera” all the time, this is the survey for you. Only about 25% of the Student Body typically participates 2. What happens after you’ve completed the Poll: Okay, in this survey, but the survey is 100% of what your SPAC presents this is the best part. to Dr. O’Donnell. Once you’ve all submitted your rants and raves, each and So, come November, you will all be receiving the mother every response is compiled into a report which is then distributed to of all surveys via email. I hope that you will not pass up this opyour friendly neighborhood Student Presidential Advisory Council portunity that allows for the feedback and improvements necessary (SPAC). to make your time at Christendom the best it can be.

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On Tuesday, October 29th, Christendom closed in on the acquisition of Shore Stop. The move came in response to student demand for an end to Stephen Treacy’s monopoly over on-campus snacks. Students can now use their student ids at Shore Stop to obtain a free carton of cigarettes with every purchase exceeding ten dollars.

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News & Opinion

Arts & Culture

History to Keep You Up at Night: A Beverage Converted

ShuTdown:

What It Means and Why It's Not a Big Deal Nick Gossin ‘15

For the past several weeks the United States media has been blaring broadcasts proclaiming the perils and threats that come from a government shutdown. Fortunately for all of us though, they are wrong and the recent shutdown has proven that. Before going into exactly why the American people don’t have much reason to fear, we must ask the question, what exactly is a government shutdown? The words “GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN”sound like a declaration that doom is at hand. The mighty United States is crashing to the ground and our whole world is about to come crumbling down around us. But that’s just words, not reality.

By Peter Tapsak ‘17

has always voted to give all federal employees back pay as soon as another budget is passed. It is a harsh reality for a lot of people if they can’t come to work and don’t get paid for it. But chances are that the government will pay them anyway. The recent shutdown is no exception. One of the first acts Congress did during this shutdown was to vote in favor of granting back pay to all federal employees. Another proof that a shutdown is not the end of the world is past shutdowns. Wait, the government has shut down before? Yes, the government has shut down many times before. In the 1990’s it was shut down for over twenty days. Does anyone remember it? Two years from now all of us are going to think back to today and No! That’s how big of an event it Twenty years later and nobody the government shutdown is going to be the last thing that we recall. was. remembers it happening. The 2013 To put it simply, a shutdown is when the Congress runs shutdown is no exception. Two years from now all of us are out of money. How does this happen, you might ask? Every year going to think back to today and the government shutdown is going congress passes a budget that delegates a certain amount of money to be the last thing that we recall. to fund some of the government. This budget is technically supTherefore, we can only conclude from this entire catastrophe that posed to be eleven separate bills, one for each of the departments the Congress is inept, the executive is blind and the media is full of that the budget deals with. Now, let’s say congress passes such a dramatic people who don’t tell the truth. budget in 2056 and Congress has said it will give a certain amount of money until October 2057. Then in October 2057 Congress fails to pass another budget and so none of the departments have any money. Therefore, the people who work for those departments go home until Congress gets its head out of the ground and passes another budget for the next year. But this is where it gets really complicated. Because, not all of the government relies on this budget. There are certain Federal programs that get money no matter what. During a government shutdown these programs and departments continue to operate normally. But the largest parts of the Federal Government always have money no matter what! Basically when the government “shuts down” most of the government is still hard at work, spending tax dollars. So, if that’s true, why is the media so scared of a government shutdown? Well there is a lot of annoyance that comes with a shutdown. Parks are closed, monuments are closed, museums are closed, it’s another showing of how incompetent our government is (but we already knew that) etc. But on top of that, the government is a big employer. Therefore, even if less than half of its employees don’t come to work that’s a lot of people not getting paid. But even here, the risk is small. In most government shutdowns the Congress

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The caffeinated reader might say that the greatest thing we “penny universities,” because one could spend a penny and particireceived from Islam was coffee. That isn’t to say that the Turks gave pate in an entire afternoon of sober discourse and socialization. In it to us willingly, but nevertheless when coffee made its way into the England in the latter half of the 17th century, however, coffee was Christian world it was met with even more enthusiasm there than surrounded by the same controversies as were found in the Middle by the inhabitants of the Middle East. As previously mentioned, cof- East in centuries before. Women were almost universally banned fee brought with it change from London’s coffeehouses, and upheaval wherever it which brought many went, altering the destiny strange criticisms against of western civilization the drink. The women of forever. the city filed an amusingly The transition serious petition claiming to coffee as the non-alcothat it made their husbands holic beverage of choice “unfruitful,” “impotent,” in Europe was gradual, and “beds of bones.” They from the viewpoint of the even recommended forbid21st century. But from ding the drink to anyone the standpoint of a man under the age of 60. King in the 1600s, coffee took Charles II attempted to supChristendom by storm press London’s coffeehouses after jumping a few initial with an edict in 1675, sayhurdles. In Europe, cofing: fee was initially viewed “Whereas it is most apparwith suspicion, as was ent that the multitude of anything imported from coffee houses of late years the Muslims. Can a set up and kept within this drink be heretical? Its kingdom... have produced “The Blue Bottle”, Anonymous, oil on canvas c. 1900 mind-altering effects were very evil and dangerous effects… and by occasion of the meeting of such Upon imbibing the substance he declared that “the devil’s drink is so delicious…persons therein, many false, malicious, and scandalwe should cheat the devil by baptizing it!” ous reports are devised and spread abroad, to the certainly thought to be of the devil by some of the more hardened deformation of his Majesty’s government and to the disturbance of orthodox Christians in the 17th century, but its flavor and jolt were the peace... his Majesty has thought it fit and necessary that the said too appealing to be resisted for long. A popular legend attributes the coffee houses be for the future put down and suppressed.” sudden acceptance of coffee in the Christian world in part to Pope The outcry was so great, however, that the entire edict was quickly Clement VIII, who when asked to settle the controversy, tasted it reversed and then never spoken of again. himself. Upon imbibing the substance he declared that “the devil’s In 1863, when the great city of Vienna, Austria was liberdrink is so delicious… we should cheat the devil by baptizing it!” ated from a two month siege, the Ottoman Turks were violently Regardless of whether the pope said this or not, coffeedriven off so quickly that they left their entire encampment still houses started to spring up in many of the major cities across Euin working order. Pots were still on the campfires and coffee still rope, and were extraordinarily popular. They were sometimes called boiling in their kettles. The Turks had abandoned a massive store

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Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture History to Keep You Up at Night: A Beverage Converted (CONTINUED FROM PAGE SEVEN)

of unroasted coffee beans with their camp supplies, but coffee was still unknown to most of the Austrians and Poles, so they dismissed the beans as fodder for the horses. A Polish officer by the name of Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki recognized their value and seized the coffee before it was discarded. With his new wealth in coffee he proceeded to open Vienna’s first coffeehouse, the Blue Bottle. According to legend, it was Kulczycki who first popularized adding milk to coffee, as it had been exclusively enjoyed black up to this point. In 1714, the mayor of Amsterdam presented King Louis XIV of France some of the coffee plants grown from those beans first obtained by Pieter van der Broecke a century earlier. These magnificent gifts were planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens, to reside as a mere peculiarity in his collection. Nine years later, however, a young naval officer named Gabriel de Clieu “obtained” one of the closely guarded specimens. How he procured this prize is unknown, but one of the more interesting stories suggests that de Clieu seduced the princess so that she would take him into the gardens, where he stole a small coffee tree and ditched her for the New World. According to de Clieu’s own account of the journey, the ship was attacked by pirates, mutiny threatened the security of the voyage, and near the end, he had to share his water ration with the coffee plant. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, they landed on the island of Martinique and established a flourishing community of coffee plants. The toil may have been for naught, however, as there were already coffee plantations sprouting up in the New World by this time. The scene was being set for even greater revolution in Europe and the New World: monarchies were degenerating, empires were over-expanding, trade was being emphasized more, and westerners were drinking more and more coffee. Economically and socially coffee was getting ready to shake the world even further. Stay tuned for the third installment of this series…

Confessions of a Sidewalk Counselor

Advertisement for the first coffee house in England, printed in 1652

Coffee House in Palestine c. 1900 8| eight

by Gabriella Federico ‘16 My confession begins with a vague memory I have from long ago of a conversation my mother had with my older sister, Sara. Mom talked about Lila Rose, a homeschooler from California, who founded the pro-life organization, Live Action, when she was 15. When Live Action was in its infant stage, Lila went around to high schools and youth groups giving presentations. While studying at UCLA, she collaborated with James O’Keefe, a conservative activist from New Jersey. Lila and James started undercover investigations concerning abortion clinics. Since 2006, Live Action has grown into a national organization that has exposed how abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood are willing to cover up and support crimes such as statutory rape, sex trafficking, and racism, as well as gendercide and infanticide. I have always had a flair for the dramatic, and the idea of sneaking onto dangerous enemy territory for the sake of a cause you believe in ignited a spark in my heart. That spark has developed into a deep passion for the prolife movement; a passion that has intensified over the course of my activism. For many years I kept detailed journals. On July 27, 2008, I wrote about the first day I prayed outside an abortion clinic: “When I think of an abortion clinic, I think of a solitary building in the middle of a parking lot surrounded by a chain link fence with constantino wire on top.” I was surprised to see a nicely kept building with a pretty lawn in the middle of Louisville. “I only expected to see MAYBE two women go in. But after ten minutes there was a steady stream.” I felt cold and shocked inside, especially when I saw a young girl come out of the clinic sobbing. Her hands were pressed over her ears to drown out the sound of our prayers. I wanted to cry, but I felt frozen. The intimidating characters in bright orange jackets confused me at first, because I couldn’t tell if they were on the pro-life or pro-abortion side. I gradually understood that they were clinic escorts. Escorts are volunteers recruited by Planned Parenthood to impede any efforts pro-lifers make to try to help abortion-minded women. I admired one of the men in my pro-life group who started up a friendly and courteous conversation with a grungy looking escort. I thought to myself, “One day I want to do that.” When my aforementioned sister, Sara, Class of 2013, would come home for breaks, she would talk about how she side-

walk counseled for Christendom’s pro-life club, Shield of Roses. I decided that when I started at Christendom, I would sidewalk counsel, too. The summer before my freshman year, I spent hours watching videos and reading articles to fortify myself for when I stood on that D.C. sidewalk with my sister. After all the years of hearing about abortion, the time I spent educating myself, the daydreams of saving dozens of babies and helping mothers, finally I had the opportunity to make it all a reality. But nothing prepared me for what sidewalk counseling was really like. The angry screams, the bitter words, the vacant, sad eyes, the crushed and ignored pamphlets, the fact that every single woman walked straight past me and through the doors of the abortuary. And I could not stop them. Nothing warned me about the gnawing guilt I felt because I thought I was a failure at sidewalk counseling. Nothing readied me for all the Friday nights of my first semester freshman year, when I would go to bed feeling useless and helpless but knowing I had to get up the next morning and sidewalk counsel, no matter what. I was making myself physically sick. I kept inching closer and closer to a nervous breakdown. I did not, however, have a nervous breakdown after all, thanks to the wonderful support I received from my sister and my best friends, but especially one person in particular: Libby, a research associate at Live Action. She is a beautiful woman with a gift for sidewalk counseling. She unofficially trained me in sidewalk counseling little by little every Saturday at the clinic, and then officially spring semester freshman year. She was a constant source of strength and inspiration to me on Saturday mornings. Through her kindness and wisdom, Libby helped change my perspective on what my mission is as a sidewalk counselor. She explained that when I am counseling, I am accompanying Jesus to Calvary. She instructed me to be constantly in conversation with the Lord about what was happening at the clinic; to be constantly praying. She informed me that every woman was going to go into the clinic and it was not my fault. She told me I had to have the humility to accept God’s grace and let the Holy Spirit work through me. Libby helped me see that sidewalk counseling is not merely showing up at the clinic to try to give women better options; sidewalk counseling is a movement of love. (CONTINUED ON PAGE TEN)

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Feature

Deaf to Disney Sean LaRochelle ‘14

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in order to save his sleeping beauty. It was Maleficent who turned difficult for us, who live in the age of Pixar and Dream Works, to into a dragon after calling upon the “powers of hell.” In a desperate appreciate, but it was an incredible achievement. However, Walt act, Philip throws his sword at the dragon as we hear, “Thou sword cared for more than just the visual; he also cared about the story. of truth, fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure!” So Dis“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on ney makes a hero, paralleling the arming in Ephesians, to fight the treasure island.” Those who knew Walt would say that his greatest devil incarnate, and we condemn Disney. However, scheduled to be charism was his ability to captivate an audience with his stories. released in 2014 is Disney’s Maleficent, portraying her as a misunHis favorites were fairytales. There is something in a fairytale that derstood speaks to There are many themes present in his stories: good, evil, magic, kingdoms, bat- mistress. a child, sometles, and beauty. The themes in these ‘simplistic’ stories lend themselves to show Would Walt approve? thing more truth, goodness and beauty than we receive in the adult world. Chesterton that capsaid, “Fairytures his already imagination and causes him breathless wonder. There is a profound- tales don’t tell children that dragons exist; children know that dragons exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be ness within the simple beauty of fairytales that adults often dismiss killed.” as juvenile. We dismiss an idea as simple as finding your true love, But Maleficent isn’t the only example of this new Disor do we deny that God has intended for us a certain vocation with ney. This summer, the Disney Channel released a new TV show, a particular individual? “It’s not that simple!” one might say. Or is primarily watched by young children, introducing a lesbian couple. it, and we’ve just made it too complicated to accept its mystery? Perhaps Disney is unable to be saved, or perhaps The Disney ComThere are many themes present in his stories: good, evil, magic, pany is living its own fairytale. The beauty that it could create is fast kingdoms, battles, and beauty. The themes in these ‘simplistic’ stories lend themselves to show more truth, goodness and beauty than asleep and there is definitely a dragon involved. Is it all evil or does we receive in the adult world. “Too many people grow up, that’s the its origin hold the sword and shield we need to overcome it? Perhaps they should listen to the words of their founder, “When we do fanreal trouble with the world.” Do we forget that being “childlike” is tasy, we cannot lose sight of reality. Most things are good and they one of the requirements to enter heaven? are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are The story I described in the beginning of the article is the not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The finale of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Prince Philip, armed with “The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph sword of truth and the shield of virtue” (the emblem being a cross) over evil.” is off to defeat Maleficent, the self proclaimed “mistress of all evil,”

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forget the words of St. Basil the Great which we read in our freshman year. Walt Disney had one foot firmly in tradition and one foot firmly in progress. He always looked forward, but he never forgot his roots. Take the “classic” Disney movies, which have a constant theme of tradition, virtue, and hope. That’s why when you walk into Disneyland, the first place you walk through is Main Street USA, a land, frozen in time and a piece of the small town of Marceline, Missouri where Walt grew up. He always held onto a sense of the importance of the past. Along with this theme was Walt’s excitement about the promise of tomorrow. The advances and new types of technology that could be used to create a more beautiful world drove him to innovate and create. The idea of progress can be abused and it’s important to have people who question progress. People like Tolkien are important because they ask particulars about progress. But Rafael and Michelangelo are also important, and they are examples of technology and tradition at their finest. I suppose we might say that painting naked Walt Disney reviews Disneyland plans figures on our chapel ceilings is progressive, but there you have it. Man, who is created in the image and likeness of The Creator has within himself a desire to create and this is a good thing. If you don’t think so, walk into the Gesu, a Jesuit church built to counter the iconoclastic and “Fairytales don’t tell children that dragons exist; children already know that dragonsmovement, look up. Walt exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be killed.” ~Chesterton Disney possessed a similar passion comes upon a fence in a road that is an obstacle to him, that he stop for creating and not for making money or just to create, but to and think; why was said thing built in the first place? “Or do you create something beautiful. That was his reason for creating his think some escaped lunatics built the fence while they were for some company and that’s the reason he would pour his own money into it until his dying day. reason loose on the street? Some person had some reason for think When making Snow White, the first full-length animated ing it would be a good thing for somebody. And until we know movie, Walt was meticulous, looking at every frame of the 1.5 milwhat the reason was, we really cannot judge whether the reason was lion hand drawn cells used in the film. The scrutiny with which he reasonable.” If one has seen the institution, how it arose and what judged every frame set his animator’s teeth on edge. If you haven’t its purpose was, then he can really say if they are bad purposes or watched the movie, go on YouTube and search for videos in the that they have become bad purposes or perhaps the purposes are dwarves’ cottage. The amount of care and love that went into creatobsolete. The fact is that The Disney Company is both powerful ing what many critics foolishly dubbed “Walt’s folly,” shows, on just and influential. As such I ask that we examine Disney with an open the visual level, how much Walt cared about his art. Maybe that’s mind, since even the pagans are capable of creating beauty, lest we He vigorously hacked away at the forest of thorns rising up around him. Palms sweating, heart pounding, but not too far ahead rose the tower. The decorated turrets and waving blue flag shone out against the pressing darkness. Invigorated, a hopeful Philip pushed through, thinking he had made it. Then, like a curtain closing a stage, the dragon descended. This story should be familiar to us. A Prince pitted against a dragon. A hero versus a villain. Good versus evil. Technology has allowed fairy tales to be told in a number of ways. The stories that once could only be told in books are now brought to a whole new life through film. Every good is open to abuse and this art form is no exception. Left and right you see artists pervert the great stories with an agenda. One name that seems to lie in infamy with professors and students alike is Disney. There seems to be a hatred for the creator of the Mouse; whether it’s because he changed the fairytales he made into movies, or maybe its because he admired H. G. Wells, or perhaps his close association with Henry Ford. Perhaps it’s because of the current Walt Disney Company. Whatever the reason, there is misplaced animosity towards him. In Chesterton’s The Thing, he makes a distinction between reforming an institution and deforming it. He asks that if someone

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Faith & Reason

: Why Bother?

The Pope Francis Fan-Girl

By Amy Marter, ‘16 “Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Even to the perfectionist, these words of Christ are daunting, and thus are easy to dismiss. Most people, by the time they have reached nineteen or twenty years of age, have resigned themselves to the limits of human nature. This is a fallen world, and thus students do not expect absolute perfection from anyone, including themselves. In fact, they are afraid of perfection. It is still an ideal esteemed by society, but often discarded for the more realistic and pragmatic concerns of convenience and efficiency. Without a higher motive, being perfect simply does not seem to be worth the bother for the college student. It is easy to see this, even at Christendom. Now that the whirlwind of papers and midterms has descended upon campus, it is convenient to put off that one assignment until the night before it is due. In such cases, one is no longer seeking to craft the perfect paper, but merely one that is “good enough”; meaning one that is sufficient to receive a decent grade. Students find it easy to excuse themselves for not doing everything, claiming that no one expects perfection of them. Thus, they continue to live their academic lives at the level of what is merely adequate to receive a passing grade. Yet, there is someone who expects perfection of these students and that person is Christ. For when an individual settles for what is merely “good enough,” he establishes a standard for himself. In the case of the paper, one student may consider a paper that receives an A- to be adequate, while for another student, a grade C paper is sufficient. However, God does want any person to limit himself to a merely human standard. In doing so, the individual settles for less than what God has called him to be. A student’s “good enough” is not enough for a perfect God. There are several reasons why students do not strive towards perfection as they ought, and the first of these is fear. Being perfect means struggling, conquering, and overcoming weaknesses; and nearly everyone has a weakness which he is afraid to face. No one enjoys being reminded of his deficiencies. Yet the purpose of

a college education is for a student to overcome his intellectual weaknesses as he struggles to learn and be more. This struggle is also feared because it isn’t easy. The difficulty of the attaining perfection causes students to question whether it is worth the effort. In a culture which so highly values convenience, this does not seem to be the case. The easiest, quickest, cheapest way to accomplish a task is commonly considered the best way to do it. This mentality places the emphasis on the product of a person’s actions. If perfection was solely a question of the most effective method to produce a product, then taking the easy way out would make sense. However, the quality of perfection does not reside in products but in people. Perfection changes lives. The purpose of striving to be perfect is to become all that God has called a soul to be. What a glorious calling this is! God has blessed each individual with unique gifts, graces, and talents to manifest His love to the world in an unrepeatable way. When a person responds to this marvelous mission God has bestowed upon him, how can he be satisfied with giving anything less than his best to God? Everything that individual does should be seen as his response to God’s generous gifts. Students ought to do all things out of love for God, and this in turn will transform them to more fully manifest Him to the world. This, then, is the ultimate reason why college students ought to be perfect: love. To a society that makes convenience the ideal in accomplishing a task, Christendom students can show the value of striving to be perfect by doing all things out of love of God. This love supplies the courage to face the struggle and the weaknesses with which each student must contend. For love is not satisfied with what is merely “good enough.” It sets the eyes of the soul on the higher standard, God’s standard, of living out the unique mission He has entrusted to that individual. For college students, perfection is absolutely worth the bother it entails and, in fact, is not a bother when it is sought for the sake of love.

Confessions of a Sidewalk Counselor (CONTINUED FROM PAGE NINE)

Instead of leaning against a street post agonizing as I waited for the next woman to walk by, I began to utilize every moment I had at the clinic. When I am not deep in prayer or counseling, I am talking to my fellow pro-lifers, or encouraging conversation with the escorts (some of whom I still find intimidating!), or smiling and saying “Good morning” to each passerby. Sidewalk counseling provides me with the opportunity to love so many different people in so many different ways. I get to be the only smile some people receive that day, their sole encouragement, kindness, or love. I am able to pray for and with wonderful people, and I have found a family amongst the D.C. pro-lifers. I have built wonderful, unexpected relationships with unlikely people.

But the best part of all is what I have learned about God and His grace. When I was relying on myself, sidewalk counseling was a miserable torment, because I continually came face to face with my limits and shortcomings. But when I ask God for His grace to be a good servant and I let the Holy Spirit work through me, I am able to forgive myself for my weaknesses, because God immerses me with His strength. My most humbling and beautiful revelation is that I get to be an instrument of God’s grace. God, the creator of Heaven and earth, actually uses me, a hyper-emotional, crazy Italian, to be the living expression of His kindness and mercy. What is more amazing than that?

By K.T. Brizek ‘15

Phenomenon

Fan girls. They’re a fact of life. This is especially true in the 21st century, when the female tendency to obsess over tolerably appealing young men is as easy to indulge as a Google image search. All of your stalkerish desires can be satisfied with a few clicks of a button, since there’s a Wikipedia article on almost every person who has ever lived and People magazine to supply every remaining detail, from who each tween heartthrob is dating to what he wore to the gym

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but this whole “I’m in love with Jesus” thing seemed very Steubenville-esque. I’m not exactly the charismatic type. This mindset is probably why I almost did a spit take with my chai when I heard someone squeal “I love Pope Francis! He is so cute!” For serious? Cute? This is the Holy Father we’re talking about here, sister, not Zac Efron. But my expressions of distaste didn’t stop my friends from frequently exclaiming how much they just love him, until I

The female tendency to obsess over tolerably appealing young men is as easy to indulge as a Google image search.

last Tuesday. The trendy boy bands come and go, and with every new girlish obsession comes a fresh wave of rancor and disgruntlement from the average joes, just trying to avoid the fabled ‘friend zone.’ After all, what’s so great about guys who look like they’re twelve and dance like they stole moves from their little sister’s hip hop class? Average Joe would say: not much. And while many girls may agree with them, it’s hard to find a young woman who can claim she doesn’t have an innocent little crush on Ryan Gosling, or Liam Hemsworth. This is true, even at Christendom. Trust me. After rooming with an anonymous redhead, a One Direction calendar and a laptop that played One Thing on repeat for 8 months, it’s difficult, if not inconceivable, to deny that fan girls exist at Christendom. Often their obsessions are from a past generation. It isn’t uncommon to find a vast collection of Jimmy Stewart movies on top floor Catherine’s, or a 30-inch poster of James Dean tucked away in a corner room of Campion. A dear (male) friend of mine once commented on how surprised he was to see so many pictures of movies stars and singers on girls’ walls. “It’s funny. It would be a big problem if guys had pictures like that of girls in their dorms. But for girls it’s different.” And it is. For the most part, these little obsessions are innocuous and don’t extend any further than doodling ‘Joe Jonas’ and hearts in a notebook during Poli Sci. It isn’t these quirky, exquisitely feminine pastimes that are surprising. It’s the fact that, not only are Catholic girls fan girls, but they’re even fan girls about Catholicism. Girls chatter on about the latest Regina Doman novel, or about how “Jesus is my boyfriend!” These were regrettable, somehow unavoidable for the sex as a whole, and something I could steer well clear of whenever it came up in conversation. I’m all for having a personal relationship with Christ,

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P erfection

just wanted to slap one of them across their little, fan girl face. It’s hard for me to relate. Despite my initial disgust, I found myself trying to discern the root of this problem. Are all girls hardwired to be obsessive? Is the ‘crazy girlfriend’ stereotype an inevitable destiny for all of womankind? Are women psychotic by nature? Was I going to wake up one day in an ‘I <3 Pope Francis’ shirt and a strait jacket? Hint: the answer to all these questions is ‘no.’ All human persons were made to be given as gifts. Just as Christ gave Himself completely for us, so we too are meant to pour ourselves out for Him and for others. Women are by nature more sympathetic and caring than men, so in a sense they have a spiritual leg up. In one of her numerous essays on women, Edith Stein says: “women share one common characteristic: a longing to give love and to receive love.” All women have this desire because it is intrinsically connected to the feminine vocation. Stein once again says, “The deepest feminine yearning is to achieve a loving union which, in its development, validates this maturation and simultaneously stimulates and furthers the desire for perfection in others.” Women are created to love deeply, and to want nothing more than to be loved deeply, because their love not only calls others to perfection, but actually can make others more perfect. There is also a distinction between the union the sexes have of mind, or soul, and body. For a man, he measures himself more by objective achievements. His body is an instrument for performing tasks. He is more about ‘doing.’ On the other hand, woman is more concerned with ‘being.’ This doesn’t mean a woman is incapable of achieving anything. But she is much more attached to every physical part of herself because her purpose is intimately connected with her body, and so is her soul. It is because of her feminine body that she is able (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHTEEN)

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Faith & Reason

Science & Technology

: n i m e r e h T The

#FAIL:

By Lauren Enk ‘14 They know it. They can rattle off the definition of “charity” just as fast as you can. They love Papa Francesco and they know why the Mass is so important. They’ve gone to Padre’s talks on prayer, wear scapulars, and use phrases like “discerning a vocation.” And more importantly, they all know the very real, very obvious fact that not all Catholics are perfect, and that every single day each of us fails in some way to live up to the standards of our faith. So it’s not like their vision of “who Catholics are” could be warped or damaged if you gossip or drink a little too much on

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I know few people who are happy to go to the dentist-with the exception, maybe, of some tiny tots who are too young yet to understand that visits to the dentist’s office mean toothscraping, fluoride-flavored agony. So you can probably guess that I was none too happy on my recent break at home to walk into the office plastered with pamphlets advertising Invisalign. In fact, I was a grumpy, glaring mess—which was fine and normal for being at the dentist’s. Or at least, that’s how I justified my surliness as I attempted a hasty exit after spending an hour in my dentist’s torture chair. I scowled over the receptionist’s desk as she asked me when I wanted to book my future checkup. Exuding sheer frustration, I pulled up the college’s website on her computer in an attempt to verify my next break schedule. Suddenly the receptionist asked, “How do you pronounce that? KRISHendhom? KrisTANdum?” Suddenly I realized that this could be a rare occasion when this very Southern and very secular lady would encounter a Catholic, and probably the only time she’d encounter a student from Christendom. Across the screen in front of her were emblazoned the facts not only that I was Catholic, but also that I went to a school which proudly proclaims its Catholicity. And there I was being the model Catholic for her: irritable, impatient, and joyless. I blushed with remorse and my heart sank to my shoes. With a little inductive reasoning, she could easily think that traditional Catholic college students are disgruntled pains-in-the-neck. I did what I could to rectify the bad impression I’m sure I had made, but I left disappointed in my total failure to witness—even in such a small way—to what it means to be a follower of Christ. How on earth, I asked myself, did I get so abominably out of the habit of remembering exactly Who I am supposed to represent as a Christian? One of the disadvantages of living in the Christendom Bubble is that we can tend to forget that not everyone knows who Christ is. Not everyone understands what it means to be a Catholic. These ideas are a given for us on campus. They’re the foundational concepts on which all that we do and think about relies. When all your friends took Theology 101 with you, you don’t really feel the need to prove to them “who a Catholic is supposed to be” or “what the love of Christ looks like” in real life. You know it.

Realistically, our bad example hurts even the Catholics around us more than we realize.

Friday night or slip a little here and there. Right? Maybe. Realistically, our bad example hurts even the Catholics around us more than we realize. But either way, eventually we leave the Bubble and will be thrust into the frantic new world of workplace secularism and modern philosophical madness. Theoretically, we all understand that in such a gay-is-okay, everybody-contracepts, what-the-hell-is-chastity world, we will be called to be radical witnesses to what a Catholic looks like. To what true joy looks like. To what real love looks like. We need to ask ourselves: do we really want to put off forming that habit of witnessing until then? Do we really want to wait until we’re in “the real world” to start practicing how to live by example? Unless I start trying to witness to Christ now, it’s going to be awfully rocky forming the habit later. As I drove away from the dentist’s office that day, I realized that I have a responsibility, and a grave one, to remember that the crucifix around my neck stands for something; to be Christ to everyone I meet. I can’t put it off on my bad days. I can’t even give myself a pass just because I’m surrounded by other Catholics. We need to think about who we represent, and consider what message we send about Christians and about the Church. We can make an impression in ways we never expected. Maybe in the future it will mean explaining to your incredulous coworkers why you and your spouse don’t use contraception. Maybe right now it will mean having coke instead of a few too many beers on Friday night. But maybe, just maybe, it will mean something as simple as smiling at your roommate or the worker in Walmart . . . or your dentist.

Carolyn Manion ‘17

a Musical Marvel

Playing an instrument is a popular hobby of many students here at Christendom. From piano to guitar to concertina, the variety of musical talents adds to the cultural atmosphere on campus. There are also those students who feel inspired to pick up a new music instrument and learn to play. If so, one instrument to consider which is definitely outside the box is the theremin. A theremin is an electronic instrument comprising a box with two antennae, one for pitch and one for volume. When performing, the theremin-player moves his hands in relation to the two antennae. As the hand moves farther away from the volume antenna, the music increases in volume. As the hand moves closer to the pitch antenna, the pitch increases. The theremin - originally called the ‘Thereminvox’ - was invented in 1920 by Leon Theremin, a Russian inventor. While working on technology for proximity detection, he realized that movement next to gas filled vacuum tubes in his lab had the effect of detuning a radio receiver. A classical cellist, Theremin realized the musical potential in this occurrence. His subsequent invention, which is based on radio wave principles, was the first electronic music instrument to be mass produced. Other instruments based on the same science as the Theremin include the electric cello and terpsitone. How does a musical instrument based on motion detection actually work? Professional theremins with detailed manuals can be purchased on Amazon for a few hundred dollars; they definitely don’t fall into the price range of starving liberal arts students. However, a simple single-antenna theremin can be constructed out of three AM radios with minimal tweaking of the wires. Why not make just make it? This could be one really eye-opening (and earopening) act for St. Cecilia’s Night! Capacitance plays a key role in the operation of a ther-

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sine waves, which alternate above and below a certain average value. In a theremin, two oscillators generate radio waves at a particular frequency. Each oscillator is partially made up by capacitors, devices which store electric charge. These capacitors control the frequency of the waves, or oscillations, by how the amount of charge within them fluctuates. In a theremin, there is a fixed oscillator and a variable oscillator. As the hand moves near the pitch antenna, it changes the frequency of the variable oscillator. The difference between the two frequencies (beat frequency) also changes. The signals are filtered so we hear only the beat frequency. As the beat frequency increases, the pitch heightens. The fixed oscillator signal controls the volume. Without the interference of the hand, the fixed frequency remains constant. However, hand movement closer to the volume antenna generates higher capacitance. This is detected and amplified, causing the audio signal from the pitch oscillator to increase. The high-pitched whine which results has enough variation to reproduce famous works of classical music, not to speak of diverse original music. Whether melody or cacophony, theremin music is truly unique. Although it may appear a most obscure instrument, the Theremin has played a part in many classic movie soundtracks, such as The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Ten Commandments. It certainly has not received the renown it deserves, and could use a little publicity. Here lies your challenge: scavenge Goodwill for old radios and bring your innovative talent to the forefront of our college concerts!

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The Day I Realized the Bubble Ain’t That Big

Whether melody or cacophony, theremin music is truly unique.

emin. Roughly speaking, capacitance is the ability to store electric charge between two plates of conductive material. When something moves toward a theremin antenna, the capacitance increases, and vice versa. The increase in capacitance affects the frequency of the variable oscillator, which controls the pitch. An oscillator produces

Sheldon from “Big Bang Theory” plays the Theremin

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B y S e a n S h a n a h a n ‘1 6 Plastic firearms make some people uncomfortable. The release of the Glock handgun was marked with fears that people would be able to sneak guns through metal detectors with impunity, since it was made almost entirely out of plastic. This particular phobia is unfounded, since Glock slides, barrels, and the four guide rails for the slide are made of metal. On May 5, 2013, schematics for the world’s first 3-D printable gun – The Liberator - were released by the nonprofit Defense Distributed. The State Department ordered Defense Distributed to stop sharing the file on May 9th. Liberators have been built and test fired successfully, showing that the idea of an all-plastic gun does have promise. Governmental concerns include the relative ease of manufacture, lack of registration, and the increased difficulty of using ballistics to match shots fired to guns without individual serial numbers. Defense Distributed is a non-profit organization founded to defend popular access to firearms as guaranteed by the Constitution. They do this by facilitating the production of 3-D printed firearms and the distribution of information concerning the 3-D printing of firearms. Defense Distributed released the 3-D printer files for The Liberator on the internet at no charge, and about one hundred thousand copies were downloaded before the State Department ban. The infamous torrent hosting site The Pirate Bay has refused to remove links to the Liberator schematics from its site, allowing distribution to continue. While the State Department ban is a significant roadblock to the development of more of these so-called “wiki-weapons,” it is not a comprehensive or effective solution. In World War II, the OSS designed a disposable one-shot pistol called The Liberator, and airdropped them to resistance forces; Defense Distributed’s gun is intended to be a semi-automatic pistol, but only high-precision 3-D printers can fabricate parts that are resil-

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blurry, and no government will resist the temptation to restrict any inconvenient information as “potentially harmful”. In this age of torrents, Google Drive, Dropbox, and the rest of a legion of file sharing services, blueprints for 3-D printers can be shared quickly and easily. Any place with an internet connection, a computer, and a 3-D printer could become a homebrew armory. Whether or not this is a bad thing is highly debatable. In the end, the cat is out of the bag. Ideas have been shared, files have been downloaded, and people have started to

Rather than making ultimately futile attempts to stop the development of wiki-weapons, the government should allow the new technology to develop and only regulate it as necessary.

ient enough for multiple firings. The Liberator was initially designed to fire a .380 cartridge, with plans to build models capable of firing other calibers. Live-fire tests of The Liberator with a 5.7x28 round caused the weapon to explode. At the moment, 3-D printable guns are somewhat less safe or reliable than modern firearms, but their development will be faster than that of traditional guns because of the speed of modern communications, and the open-source developer

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Humor

Theology of the Cheering Section By: Patrick McKenna ‘15 The whistle sounds as two players jump for the ball, shoes screech on the hardwood as the basketball rumbles downtown… now a few seconds of desperate shuffling as the duel between the warlike factions rises to a fevered pitch. Suddenly—an arc! The sphere moves in a delicate motion towards its destiny. There is the musical sound of a swish and then…silence? St. Paul once said in a little known passage of the Bible, Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved His Church and delivered Himself up for it.” But lo, I say unto ye, children of Christendom, that the cheering section should love its team as man loves his wife as Christ loves His Church! Why is the above image of a silent basketball game so troubling? It is so for no other reason than the fact that college sports events are unnatural without a screaming mob present.

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MY PRINTED GUN

environment that wiki-weapons enjoy. The Liberator schematic has already been modified by some gun enthusiasts and gunsmiths, while others have used it as an inspiration to craft their own wiki-weapons. A notable example is “The Grizzly”, a single-shot rifle that fires .22 rounds. Modern information sharing techniques influence 3-D printed guns far more than they influence conventionally manufactured firearms. While sharing a blueprint for a Glock is certainly possible, that alone does not enable individuals to fabricate a Glock. The machinery required for conventional gun manufacture is much more expensive than a 3-D printer. Designing schematics for a firearm is possible, and there is no shortage of people who have the knowledge to draft such schematics. That said, how different is drafting a functional gun schematic from making a schematic for a shelf or a tractor? Fundamentally, the information contained in any blueprint is just information, and sharing that information should not be illegal. While there is something to be said for the regulation of information that can be used for the harm of others, such regulation would only work in Plato’s ideal city. In the real world, the line between “safe” and “dangerous” information is quite

experiment. The advent of 3-D printed guns is here. Rather than making ultimately futile attempts to stop the development of wiki-weapons, the government should allow the new technology to develop and only regulate it as necessary. That probably won’t happen, and such an outcome is barely hanging on to the realm of the possible. Meanwhile, wiki-weapons are becoming more and more reliable. Eventually, these firearms will be the catalyst of a change in the weapons retail industry.

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Science & Technology

yourself? That’s what the cheering section’s deadliest weapon is! St. John of the Cross wrote a beautiful litany in which he prays: “From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me Jesus.” What a poignant message! In this litany, we pray that we may set aside our attempts to make ourselves feel “special” through the acceptance and admiration of others, overcome our repugnance to feeling emotionally hurt by others and seek the good of others in all things, setting aside all competition, even at our own expense. It may seem strange to talk of a cheering section in this fashion, but the reality is that the cheering section allows us to do all these things and is the embodiment of the aforementioned principles! Our cheering really can be a great act of sacrifice and humility on our part. That little corner of the bleachers in the gym has the potential to help Christendom grow in virtue.

If you aren’t hoarse from yelling, if your head isn’t throbbing from lack of oxgen, if folks aren’t pointing and staring at you…look in the mirror, and ask yourself: “Do I really know the meaning of true love?”

St. Paul’s message to the Ephesians has put the solution to this problem of silence on campus succinctly: self-sacrifice. Brothers and sisters, is not true love a giving of oneself? Do not the athletes who play for the glory of Christendom lay down their time, comfort, talents, and conveniences as an offering for us every time they enter the field of competition? Is it not also for a higher good, such as the pursuit of discipline, temperance, or integrity? How can we, the student body, do any less for them who sacrifice for us? It is each and every single person’s duty at this college not only to attend as many home games as is feasible considering religious, academic, work, athletic/social, and sleep obligations, but also to break and tear yourselves for the team who is representing you! If you aren’t hoarse from yelling, if your head isn’t throbbing from lack of oxygen, if folks aren’t pointing and staring at you…look in the mirror, and ask yourself: “Do I really know the meaning of true love?” What of your sore throat? No one wanted to hear you complain anyway! And why are you embarrassed to make a fool of

So, you might ask, what are some good things to keep in mind to be a functioning member of the cheering section, thereby punching a one-way ticket to the eternal? Well kids, I’ll tell ya: 1. 2. 3.

Face paint and costumes: you can never go wrong with a Braveheart look. An obnoxious, rowdy demeanor. Noisy cheers: Yell really loud.

If you see these three suggestions and you don’t like ‘em, let you be anathema, go wear sack cloth and ashes for a month, and make sure you show up to the games wearing it (this will knock off some purgatory time, as it would be in compliance with principle 1). Remember, cheering is what you make of it. If you show up thinking you are simply going to enjoy the game, you are mistaken. You WILL experience the game and the many opportunities for grace, or at least penance, through the cheering section! See you on the bleachers! VIVA CRISTO REY!

Photo credit to the Christedom Chronicler

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Poetry & Prose

The Last Word

Discernment Poem

Autumn Fire By Amy Marter ‘ 16 As summer cools to autumn Our hearts You come to reclaim Revealing the passion of Your Love The trees burst into flame. The poison ivy burns the trees That send forth showers of yellow sparks The forest is on fire With the fire of Thy Heart. A living conflagration A burning tapestry unfolds With sun-kissed yellows, vibrant orange Ardent reds and regal golds. May my soul mirror The glory of these Autumn days Enkindle in my heart the fire With which You came to set the world ablaze.

Katie Titus ‘17 Jesus, I want to follow You. Be the words I speak, the deeds I do. Jesus, Lord, where You lead I'll go. With joy and zeal, for You I'll sow. Holy Spirit, with Your Love, my heart consume. Because, like John in Elizabeth's womb The dream that deep in my heart is kept At the sound of Your Voice has awakened and leapt. Like a gift, wrapped with Love Key to my heart, from Heaven aboveLord, I implore the highest grace That through my vocation I'll seek Your Face. Joyful and peaceful, free I will be If only I follow Your calling for me. I beg and I pray to know my vocation My life I will pour out- become an oblation. Through the river of discernment I'll go Hopefully, Your Will to know. But, no matter the journey You choose, Heaven I'll gain and nothing I'll lose.

Pope Francis Fan-Girl Phenomenon

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE THRITEEN)

to carry and bring life into the world, and nurture it to maturity after birth. Her desire for love leads her naturally to man, so that she can conceive and give more love to her children. She desires to be loved so that she will be cared for by her husband, so she is in turn free to care for her children. Everything about woman is willing and eager to fulfill her sacred vocation of caring for others, whether that be physically, emotionally or spiritually. Where men are abstract, women are concrete. They care about persons and real situations. When you mix woman’s practicality with her desire to pour herself out, you get the fan girl phenomenon. Girls who are in the fan girl stage are generally middle school, high school or college age. They are at a point in their lives where they haven’t found the cause, the mission, the order or the person to give their whole selves to. Though they know that time is coming in the future, it’s difficult for their eager, here-and-now mindset to force themselves to wait. So they indulge in innocent celebrity crushes. And why should it be worse to hang on every word uttered by Pope

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Francis than by Channing Tatum? Though it may be an outlet for immature love, it should warm the heart to see Catholic girls channeling their obsessions to Christ and the saints. It’s a girl’s special devotion to give from the first fruits of her young heart, all of the love she has. Christ will never hurt her, or break the heart she’s given Him. Instead her obsession will deepen to abiding zeal, will draw her closer to Him and, by imitation, will cause her to grow in virtue. Even when the love is in part aimed at boys who sing cute songs, or if girls talk about the Pope like he’s a cross between George Clooney and their favorite uncle, it’s important, especially for women, to recognize that faith isn’t abstract. It’s everything a girl wants because it’s real, it’s concrete, it’s here and now and it’s personal. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hang out with Jesus.

Thumbs

Another opportunity for presenting our opinions on campus occurrences. Agree? Disagree? Have an opinion of your own? Let us know!

….On The Bubble

Scythian was awesome! You’ve got to love a band who only quits performing when the generator is about to die.

Sacred Grounds has recently added muffins to their ever growing repertoire.

The Duskwhales gave a fabulous performance at the Halloween dance!

We are happy to welcome back the seasonal return of Pumpkin flavored delicacies which have appeared in everything from pastries, to lattes, to the ice cream cart in the commons.

Thesis drafts are due Wednsday. Seniors need sleep and prayers to St. Jude. YOU CAN DO IT!

The Editorial Staff

Chances are you’ve heard Christendom described as “The Bubble”. Chances are also that if you aren’t complaining about it, you are just as tired of hearing about it as we are. Much talk is made of transitioning out of The Bubble and into the “real world” upon graduation. Students grouse frequently, saying they feel disconnected and overly sheltered from the outside world. “If they gave us more TV’s and Wifi in the dorms we would all be better off.” Sorry y’all, but The Bubble is no one’s fault - except your own. Don’t like feeling “disconnected” from the outside world? Do something about it. When within the comfortable confines of campus, it can be easy to forget about what happens outside of it, but it is your obligation to keep yourself up to date on what is going in the world. There really isn’t a lack of resources on campus to do so. Despite the spottiness of the Wifi and the scarcity of TVs, we still have access to them. Sacred Grounds is always stocked with an assortment of newspapers, but when does anyone actually read them? It seems that while many students are complaining about being “cut off” from the world, the reason a bubble exists is that an even larger amount are plagued by apathy towards what happens outside of it. But why would we even want to stay in the know on news and popular culture? Isn’t the whole point of a school like Christendom to be a place where we can escape the outside world and hide away for four years? Many students appear to think so - but that’s not why the school is here. Christendom exists to “Restore All Things Christ” – and “all things” includes the “real world”. That means becoming involved in it, doing what we can to restore Christ to our everyday culture around us. That will be pretty hard if we spend four years sitting around complacently, hiding within The Bubble and doing nothing.

The three loose shingles on the dome of the Library will never be fixed.

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