The echo 11 8 13

Sculptor shares about his passion and pieces on campus Read more on page 15

Homecoming Court 2013

Read more on pages 6-7

November 8, 2013 Issue 11 echo.snu.edu

6612 NW 42nd St. Bethany, OK 73008 (405) 367-4511 Reunions, block party and athletic events headline Homecoming

Clay Milford, Staff Writer

On November 8-9, 2013, Southern Nazarene University will be celebrating the most grand of college events: Homecoming. The two days are jam packed with enough games,

luncheons and gatherings to be mistaken for a Gatsby gala. As alumni and their families pour in from all over the country, and even the world, everyone should be sure to stop and enjoy every portion of

are a student favorite. In addition to men’s basketball, women’s basketball and football, this year we have a Homecoming volleyball game on Friday afternoon.

Also, new this year is the Crimson Storm Block Party on Friday, Nov. 8th - just prior to the women’s basketball games. Peniel Avenue will be blocked off to accommodate food trucks and oldschool lawn games.”

Photo from snu.edu Thomson says that not only curthe festivities around them. rent Southern Nazarene students Kendra Thomson, Executive get to join in on the jamboree.

Director of Alumni Relations, sugThere are several events geared gests that this year will be a great toward alumni alone, such as Class mix of new events and fond favorContinued on page 2 ites. “As usual, the athletic events

The boys of Asbury: reaching out to little brothers

Amy Lauver, Layout Editor

The boys of Asbury 5 are influencing community children in a positive way. After the boys residing in Imel 2 last year lived under the common goal of reaching out to the homeless, this year’s boys theme house is reaching out to kids before they get to that point in their life. Working as big brother’s to boys in the community, they are impacting the lives of kids in a simple, yet empowering way.

Junior Andrew Leahey, a member of last year’s theme house and now current theme house for boys, said in regards to working with the homeless last year, “These people haven’t had the best role models in their lives to encourage their fun-

damental moral standards, or they chose to ignore them because when they were young they felt like they were misunderstood.”

The goal of this year’s theme house stemmed from this, “Our overall goal or purpose would be that we are those role models for the children so that they won’t end up making the wrong decisions in the future. We want our influence to have an affect on their future and give them someone to look up to and compare themselves to.”

Along with Leahey, the other boys in the Asbury 5 are Grayson Haws, Austin Jenkins, Loren Heap and Gage Diffee. When Continued on page 4

Photo by Stephanie Reyes

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TRiO students win top three statewide scholarships

Kira Roberts, Editor-in-Chief

Recently, three TRiO students (in the SSS and McNair programs) won statewide scholarships. According to Rhonda Crutcher, out of all the students in Oklahoma who applied, the top three students were from SNU. These students are Heather Cox, Patty Juliuson and Daxten Pruter.

Pruter is a junior in the Nursing program, a student mentor for L.I.F.E (formerly known as SSS) and a Resident Advisor in Snowbarger. According to Pruter, LIFE is a federally funded grant program for student assistance. It is one of seven student assistant programs under the TRiO name.

The L.I.F.E program here at SNU serves 160 students yearly who qualify. These stipulations include being the first generation in their family to attend college, those who meet specific financial guidelines according to their FAFSA or students with disabilities.

“L.I.F.E stands for leadership, integrity, friendship and education. All of these components are important for academic success.

By fostering a highly personalized environment, the LIFE staff

strives to build professional and conversation to end a day with!” personal relationships with stu- he said. dents in order to carefully assess “I was recently accepted into the their individual needs and to offer McNair institution, and during the appropriate academic, personal summer, I will partake in summer and career support. L.I.F.E helps research through this organization eligible students by providing a on campus. McNair works closely foundation for overcoming aca- with us as we complete undergraddemic, personal or cultural barri- uate requirements. Institutions ers to higher education. For me encourage participants to enroll in it’s exactly how I look at being an graduate programs and track their RA,” he said. progress through the successful Pruter won an ODSA scholar- completion of advanced degrees. ship, which is a competitive schol- The goal is to increase the attainarship for all college students in ment of Ph.D. degrees by stuOklahoma.

Acdents,” Pruter said. cording to him, the “‘I felt like this Senior Patty Juliuson scholarship process said, “In my case, I am a was like most, con- scholarship first generation college sisting of an essay, was a gift from student, so the LIFE proseveral questions, gram helped me navigate God...’” community service, in an unfamiliar academic academics and school involve- setting, and the McNair Scholars ment. His boss called him while program opened the door to gradhe was working at Mercy Hospital uate school, which is amazing.” during clinical.

When she found out she won, “She left a voicemail, and when Patty said, “I was very excited! he called her back late that night When I applied I thought, someshe excitedly told him how proud one is going to win…it might as she was that he had been a final- well be SNU students! And we ist and received the scholarship. did!”

I was thrilled, and it was a great Heather Cox is a junior who

won the Walter O. Mason Board Scholarship.

“The way I found out that I had won the scholarship was pretty extraordinary. I had just spoken with Robyn Byran, the administrator of L.I.F.E, about how disappointed I was that I did not receive any feedback from OSDA regarding the status of the scholarship.

I actually told her that I thought they would at least send out a letter thanking me for applying but denying me the scholarship. Then about five minutes later, Robyn walked me into Loral Henck’s office, and they told me that I was one of the top three scorers for the scholarship. I was completely overwhelmed! I felt like this scholarship was a gift from God, an answer to many prayers! Then a couple of days later Loral sent me an email informing me that I was the top scorer in the state. I felt so blessed, humbled and grateful! Upon reflection of this time, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the McNair and L.I.F.E staff. I would not be where I am today without their guidance and support,” Cox said.

Reunions, block party and athletic events headline Homecoming cont.

Reunions, Crimson Camp 4 Kidz Shop and feature a concert from and the All-Alumni Gala Dinner, the SNU Pep Band. The Crimson which will take place in the Saw- Storm Block Party will serve as an ideal appetizer for homecomyer Center.

When asked what she is most ing weekend, leading right up to excited for, Thomson replied, the first athletic event of the double-day cel“The brand new tradition “‘The Crimson Storm ebration; the home opener - The CrimBlock Party will serve for the SNU son Storm Crimson Block Party. as an ideal appeStorm womThe hope is that this will tizer for homecoming en’s basketball team. be the new weekend...’” ‘grand openAlthough homecoming ing’ event for the weekend.” This pristine party is a blast, Thomson says plenty of will start with a ribbon cutting work goes on beforehand to coorby President Loren Gresham, in- dinate such an elaborate event. “We clude food from Hall’s Pizza, The start planning more than a year in Loaded Bowl and Lalo’s Taco advance. We assemble a committee

based on the theme or feature and then begin meeting in the early spring, monthly until closer to Homecoming and then every two weeks. We’ve increased marketing efforts and worked hard to create affordable events that appeal to a wide variety of audiences.”

When discussing the importance of Homecoming, especially concerning the celebration for the 2013-14 year, Thomson stressed the value of a familial bond created by Southern Nazarene University that is strengthened by events like this. “Homecoming is a great time to be on the SNU campus. We love to welcome our Alumni home! It is great to see so many Alumni come back each year. It is really wonderful as they

bring their families and begin to introduce them to the SNU family. For students, this is a time to celebrate but also a time to see the future. During this time, as they interact with Alumni and participate in events, the get a glimpse of the big picture and the long history of SNU - which they are a part of!”

As Homecoming festivities kick off, we remember the students and faculty that have come and gone before us and appreciate their work in making SNU a top-tier place to receive an education, make friends and maybe even meet a future spouse. With a fun-filled weekend ahead, be encouraged to celebrate the tradition, present events and future of the great Southern Nazarene University.

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11.8.13

NEWS

Coming soon: Night of Redemption

My name is Eric Smith, and I am the Campus Ministries Executive at Southern Nazarene University. Our office, along with our on-campus residence theme house has been partnering with an organization called No Boundaries International (NBI), located in downtown Oklahoma City.

The on-campus theme house is called Speak, a ministry that is raising awareness for human trafficking and child exploitation in Oklahoma

City. This year, our vision is to raise money in order to equip a mobile kitchen that will be utilized by No Boundaries to reach prostitutes, trafficked women and affected families in the OKC area.

This mobile kitchen will serve as a way to more discretely and directly gain contact to those in our area that have entered into prostitution, have been sex trafficked or whose lives are affected by social injustice.

In order to make our vision come

to life, Southern Nazarene University and Bethany First Church of the Nazarene are hosting Night of Redemption, a concert event that will feature Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestselling book, Love Does. The event will also feature musical performances by The Charlie Hall Band, The City Harmonic, Shawn McDonald and The Royal Royal.

The date for this event is Tuesday evening, November 12. The venue is Bethany First Church of the

asked where the idea for mentoring young boys came from, Leahey said, “A couple of guys came to me wanting to keep the men’s theme house going through homeless ministry, but one of the guys had an idea to try and help those who haven’t quite hit that point of their life where they have regrets. We want to have some influence before they reach that point of their life.”

The boys involved are reaching out to young boys who need a strong role model in their lives.

“Throughout the year we will meet with our kid that we were assigned to and just literally hangout,” Leahey explained when asked what they will be doing as a house.

“Whether it is playing dodgeball at recess, eating lunch, helping with homework and/or talking to them in the hallway. The options are endless. We are just looking to build a relationship with our little bros.”

Their efforts to create an impact on young kids is not just so

they can hang out an hour a week but rather have a greater influence on the boys’ lives. Their hopes for the theme house is more long term than last year’s. By investing time in their little brothers, Leahey said, “Our hopes would be more in the long run of these children’s lives.”

Their goal is to provide some influence for the young boys’ lives by simply spending time with them as mentors.

The Asbury boys’ efforts do not have to end with the theme house.

Eric Smith, Guest Writer

4

Nazarene, and the event will start at 8 pm. We will be reaching out to people all across the state of Oklahoma to join us. Of course, our goal is not simply to raise money for this cause but to discover what it means for SNU and the state of Oklahoma to be the embodiment and presence of Christ in our community.

With all this said, we would love to have you be a part of this incredible vision. For more info, including ticket sales, visit nightofredemption.com

The boys of Asbury: reaching out to little brothers cont.

Leahey explained, “You don’t have to live in the house to be a part of the theme house,” when asked how the rest of campus can support them this year. “We can encourage more college students to join and take a little bro or sis under their arms and make a difference in their lives. It doesn’t cost any money. It just takes 1 hour once a week.”

If you want more information on how to support their efforts or how to become a mentor, contact the Asbury five.

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Homecoming Court 2013

Allie Oakes- Houston, Texas “I love cats & am great at whistling.”

Shelby Oxner- Olathe, Kansas “ I want to adopt all the babies in the world!”

Maia Brown- Arromanches, France “ I like eggs, I watch depressing movies in my spare time, and I don’t like drinking liquids.”

Aubree Williams- Scottsville, Texas “I have been listening to Christmas music for the past three weeks.”

Courtney Redwine- Edmond, Oklahoma “I have eaten horse, and it was yummy.”

Taylor Greenhill- Houston, Texas “I loathe sweet potatoes.”

Stan West- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma “I purposely darkened the windows on my truck because I sing driving a lot and didn’t want to be obvious.”

Clay Milford- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma “I brush my teeth for about five minutes every time.”

Tyler Copeland- Edmond, Oklahoma “When I was in first grade, I could name all the presidents in order.”

Joel Frees- Ponca City, Oklahoma “Once won a visa sweepstakes for two Green Bay Packers tickets at Lambeau Field.”

STORMSPORTS TheEcho

November 8, 2013

Page 8

The end of an era: thoughts of senior athletes Zach Friesen, Staff Writer As the fall semester flies by and finals week gets closer and closer, the fall sports seasons are also nearing their finishing points. With teams closing in on their stretch run toward the postseason, this is also a very surreal time for the seniors on these teams because not only do they have to deal with the pressures of balancing sports and school work, they are also having to deal with the reality that their athletic careers are nearing their ending points.

This is always a difficult time for athletes, as this is a very sensitive topic for many of them. They have been playing these sports for many years, and in some cases, since they were able to walk. The thought that their career will be over this quickly is a very harsh reality for a lot of athletes.

That said, even when their careers are coming to an end, all athletes can look back at their careers and smile, as they have all had the chance to play the games that they

love and have memories that they will cherish forever, both on and off the field. They have also been taught many lessons both on and off the field that will help them out in the future.

“My time here at SNU has been life changing,” says Stan West, who plays defensive back for the football team.

Stan goes on to say, “I thought it would be a place where I played football for a little bit and get an education while I was at it. Obviously, I have done both of those, but my experience here has been so much greater than just an education or football. My time here has taught me how to be a better man of character.”

“The high points of my time here at SNU have been winning the Conference Championship sophomore year, as well as going on a mission trip to the Navajo Indian Reservation with Paul McGrady and other athletes two years ago.”

Luke Winslow, who runs on the

cross country team, says he has grown a lot during his time here on campus. “I’ve grown a lot intellectually, personally and in my faith. Even though every senior would say that; for me, I’ve had to do a lot of it myself. In many ways, I wasn’t really satisfied with what SNU had to offer me, but I still loved certain parts of the community here. So, I’ve used my time to know myself better and explore my interests outside of class and chapel. But I’m incredibly thankful for the professors and friends who have made my time here worth it.

“A high point for me was setting a personal record in our conference race for cross country in the 8k. It was exciting to top out in my last race of college and to know that I can continue to improve after college and keep enjoying outdoor sports.”

Also thankful for her time at SNU is Kira Roberts, who is an outside hitter for the volleyball team. “My time at SNU has

changed me completely for the better because of the lifelong relationships I have made and the divergent experiences I have had the opportunity to participate in. Being on the volleyball team these past four years has taught me so much about myself, how to work with a group of people to accomplish goals and to never give up or stop giving my best.

“I’m hoping that the high point of my athletic career here hasn’t happened since we have a shot at going to nationals this year. Besides that, however, it would either be my sophomore year when we finished with 29 wins and eight losses, breaking the school record, or this whole past season because it has been the best yet!”

Safe to say, all athletes are very thankful for the time that they have put into their respective sports. Through all of the blood, sweat and tears, they have learned many different lessons, not only in strategy and planning for games but in life as well.

Founder of Fieldhouse Media speaks to student athletes Kira Roberts, Editor-in-Chief

On Monday, October 28, Kevin DeShazo from Fieldhouse Media spoke to the student-athletes about the power of social media.

This event was one of three mandatory AIM events for athletes, the first being about drugs and alcohol and the last to come in December.

“I started Fieldhouse Media just over two years ago after seeing article after article of studentathletes making poor decisions on social media, with social media always labeled the bad guy. That didn’t sit well with me. Rather than telling athletes that social media is

bad, dangerous and can ruin their career, I wanted to come at it from the perspective that social media is a good thing. It is a powerful tool that can help them, if they understand what it means to use it well.

It’s not going away, so let’s educate and empower them to use it in a positive way,” DeShazo said.

According to research by those at Fieldhouse Media, 93 percent of 18-24 year olds have a Facebook. 22 percent admit to posting something inappropriate. When it comes to Twitter, 72 percent of this demographic have one and 27 percent admit to inappropriate Tweeting. In 2010, the number of Continued on page 9

Photo from Kevin DeShazo

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Founder of Fieldhouse Media speaks to student athletes cont.

Twitter users in this age group was 16 percent, showing a 56 percent increase in just three years.

DeShazo said, “Twitter is more addictive than sex, sleep or alcohol” because there is a chemical reaction in the brain when that little notification pops up on a phone or computer making people feel the need to check it. This is one of the reasons it is so powerful because it has power over us.

Another reason is because of how very public everything is, no matter how private a user might think their account is. DeShazo gave many examples of student-athletes from small, even tiny, universities getting in trouble because one person saw one inappropriate post. He showed cases of famous athletes getting in trouble but also displayed how many of those small incidents became national news just as easily.

The real shocking point in DeShazo’s presentation was when he put up a PowerPoint slide with around ten inappropriate Tweets

by SNU student-athletes. The students’ names were blurred out because the point was not to get anyone in trouble, but the content was offensive and full of inappropriate language. To drive the nail home, he said, “These took me about seven minutes to find this morning.”

The athlete body was dumbfounded and impacted strongly by this simple demonstration. He then put Mark Twain quote on the screen as food for thought: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

To give the students a simple, practical way to put this idea into

use, DeShazo used the word IMPACT as the basis for application in everyday life. I = Identity, M = Mom Rule, P = Positivity, A = Add Value, C = Career and T = Think Big. He asked, “Who are you?” and “What do you want to be known for?” The mom rule is simple: if your mom would not approve, do not post it.

His point about adding value was convicting as he spoke about constant photos and posts about food and people working out all the time.

He showed a Tweet by Scott Van Pelt that said, “There’s no prize for most tweets about ‘grinding 24/7.’

Stop looking for attention/praise for what is required to succeed.

Just do the work.”

DeShazo spoke a lot about how employers almost always look at personal social media accounts to

Student Athletes of the week

see just who they are interviewing or hiring. Thinking big comes from taking a step back before posting something petty and analyzing what the impact of it would be.

Overall, DeShazo seemed to connect well with the student-athletes through his humor and understanding of social media as a powerful tool but not a negative one if used the right way. The practical tips he gave the student-athletes were to be positive, thank fans, be interesting, follow industry leaders and promote other teams and players. He said to not bash coaches, refs or opponents, use or retweet inappropriate language and photos, post locker room info, relationship drama or violate others’ privacy.

“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is how well we do it,” DeShazo said.

Kaylee Piatt Tyler Wythe

Volleyball Men’s Soccer

Position: Setter Class: Junior Hometown: Bryan, Texas

Piatt had 52 assists, 12 digs, six blocks and eight kills on the week as the Storm went to 9-1 in the Great American Conference with a win over Southwestern Oklahoma State and lost to No. 6 West Texas A&M.

Position: Goalkeeper Class: Senior Hometown: Yukon, Okla.

Wythe recorded 15 saves on the week with seven coming against No. 7 Midwestern State and eight against No. 17 Fort Hays State as SNU’s season came to a close.

Come take a walk down memory lane B.A.M. Bethany Antique Mall Phone: 405-495-7091 3909 North College Avenue bethanyantiquemall.com Bethany, OK 73008

OPINIONS TheEcho

November 8, 2013

Page 10

Class cancelled? Be adventurous and eat breakfast for once My class was cancelled this morning, and even though I wanted to sleep in really badly, I was really hungry. So my stomach won, and I got up. I remembered seeing an Ingrid’s Pantry post on Facebook that they were now open for breakfast, so I decided to go try it.

Ingrid’s Pantry, on 23rd and Council (2421 North Council Road, Bethany, Oklahoma 73008), is a small cafe owned by the same family that owns Ingrid’s Kitchen, on 36th and almost Penn (3701 North Youngs Blvd, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 7311, next to a great birkenstock store). They purchased Oma’s Pantry, a soup, salad and gourmet spice and seasoning shop that closed and created the second smaller pantry location.

I have eaten many delicious lunches at the Kitchen version of the German deli and diner. I always meant to eat there on a Saturday around noon, as they have non

alcoholic folk dancing (thus SNU approved) in their spacious dining room. Ingrid’s Kitchen and Pantry locations are open from 7am-9pm Monday-Friday. Ingrid’s Kitchen is open on Saturdays 7am-10pm and Sunday’s 9:30am-2:30pm.

The name pantry is fitting for this location compared to the Kitchen location. The pantry location looks much like Oma’s pantry, as it kept the yellow walls and layout. Ingrid’s pantry is much less overwhelming than Ingrid’s kitchen and Oma’s Pantry with considerably less merchandise.

The pantry has plenty of seating with primarily four person tables, Photo by Grace Williams. although I would not have guessed en minis from Chick Fil A, which that from its outside appearance. are basically a chicken sandwich. I The sun shines right in the win- needed to find a worthy vegetarian dows of the place, making it feel favorite breakfast food.

Ingrid’s pantry had a beautiful bright and warm.

I am honestly not a big fan of selection of delicious looking fruit breakfast foods. I rarely ever make and nut pastries. They also had waffles in Sodexo, and my former freshly baked bagels with flavors favorite breakfast food was chick- like blueberry, cinnamon and more.

Rachel Whatley, Staff Writer Have you ever felt that you had to be perfect – or at least close to it? That you just had to be the best?

That you can never be as good as those around you? Chances are, most of us have been there. I know I have. While achieving and giving it your best shot are both good things to do, perfection can lead to burnout and disappointment.

The human experience could very well be summed up in one word: imperfection. We are all flawed, broken people, chock-full of our own regrets and mistakes.

As Christians, we are sinners only saved by the grace of God. We live

in a fallen world, after all. Who is to say that they can attain true perfection? Only one person ever did that, and it just so happens that He was God in human form.

For years I was unable to see past my flaws, and only with a lot of help was I able to break away from the desire for perfection.

From elementary to high school I was known as the over-achiever and the one who always studied.

A 4.0 high school GPA got me a hefty scholarship, but as I churned out those As, did I impact those around me for the good?

Of course, I am no socialite. I have struggled with my shy nature since middle school. I could not

Grace Williams, Business Manager

Like Ingrid’s Kitchen, they offered a more limited range of breads, rolls, cookies, cupcakes, beautiful cakes and other sweets. They also offered cooked to order typical meat and egg plates. They had a good selection of french toast.

When I saw the apple cinnamon Continued on page 12

Learning to embrace your imperfections figure out why everyone else got to be happy-go-lucky and talkative and seemed to have it all together while I felt shy, awkward and misunderstood. “Everyone” was a broad generalization, and now I realize that there are a lot of people who deal with the same issues.

Perfection has not been my goal in music as much because there is no such thing as truly perfect music. However, I am still hard on myself. “You did so well!” people say after a piano recital or for church. “Thank you,” I reply, but I’m thinking, the middle section kind of fell apart. And that key change…

It is about perspective. I have

to look at the big picture and incorporate all the good things I did.

In school, I learned one B out of a pool of As is not going to wreck my grade in the least. Sometimes we try to make things a bigger deal than they are.

I never liked the sound of a computer trying to “play” sheet music. It sounds like a metronome, and everything is perfectly in place.

But when somebody picks up an instrument and plays the exact piece, it sounds completely different. There are louds and softs, and at points, it slows down and allows for expression.

Continued on page 11

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Study abroad stories: Costa Rica Amanda Cummings, Guest Writer If you are playing with the idea of studying abroad, please do it!

If you are not even thinking about study abroad, I highly recommend that you give it a chance. This past semester has been the best couple months of my life, and I am very thankful that it is not over just yet.

Studying abroad will enrich you in ways that you never thought possible. I am so proud of my time abroad, and I have a desire to continue my abroad experiences in the future. The possibilities are globally infinite.

I chose to study in San José, Costa Rica through a CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) program called LASP (Latin American Studies Program). LASP has promoted learning through a lot of experience and a bit of independence. Contrary to popular

belief, I am not sipping water from a coconut while lying in the soft sand of the Costa Rican beaches.

(Not to say that I have not visited the beaches, they are only a short bus ride away. I have even checked “learn to surf ” off my bucket list!)

In reality, however, I am located in the outskirts of a pretty large city, and I attend my classes in a normally boring classroom.

I am currently living with an amazing family while learning about the part of the world I am temporarily getting to call home.

The homestay has arguably been the most beneficial part of my experience this semester. The families are very kind and supportive, most with multiple years of experience hosting students. With LASP’s curriculum, I have completed six weeks of Spanish language courses and am continuing Latin American

studies courses. Next month will bring an internship that will give me international business experience, skills and knowledge.

My program, LASP, has just returned from two weeks in Nicaragua where we also lived in homestays. It was very interesting to see the differences between two Central American countries that are so close together geographically, yet so far from one another in almost every other area (economically, politically, socially). It was an experience that will forever stay with me, much like the rest of my Costa Rican experience.

Communication from abroad has been fairly easy due to technology. I can send a text to my family and friends as easily as I do in the States. I am actually using a local data plan and, of course, wifi.

There are difficulties with conflict-

ing schedules just the same as when I am home, but I have thankfully found other times to get to chat with those I love and miss. These easy forms of communicating via technology still are not the same as sharing time and words in person, and as much as I have loved my experience abroad, I will always have a place in my heart for SNU and Oklahoma. I miss everyone dearly, and I look forward to next semester when I will be back on campus.

In closing, I once again encourage you to open your hearts and mind to opportunities in your life that God is leading you to. Whether that be studying abroad or joining that organization on campus that caught your eye, I hope you understand the importance of continually seeking and listening to God’s voice. Bendiciones a ustedes.

Learning to embrace your imperfections cont.

That is the beauty of music – every performer brings his or her own interpretations to the table, so each performance sounds different. Music is beautiful in its imperfections - some performances may be more excellent than others but none of them are “perfect.”

Maybe that is the beauty of people, too. I do not know about you, but people who think they are perfect in every way drive me crazy. It just makes me want to say, “Look at them. They have it all together with all their ducks in a row, and I am over here falling apart.” We like having something to identify with in someone else.

Our quirks, our abnormalities and faults – all of it. “Oh, you do that? So do I!” There is a Japanese art form that I think illustrates these points very well. It is called “Kintsukuroi” or “Kintsugi,” which means

“golden repair.” When a piece of pottery breaks, there will be obvious and ugly cracks or staples even when it is fixed. However, in Kintsukuroi, the person repairing the pottery will fill in the cracks with gold or silver lacquer. In the end, the pottery becomes more beautiful because it was broken.

It is the same with us. We are all broken and fallen people, but Christ continually renews us to be even more beautiful than we were to begin with.

If you too can identify with perfection, shyness, insecurity or whatever the case may be, I would encourage you to talk to someone.

It makes a world of difference.

With some guidance, and a lot of work, I realized that I could overcome my fears and insecurities. In the end, I cannot change the core of who I am. I will never be one of those gregarious people, and that is okay.

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Thy Kingdom come: reconciling all creation

Photo provided by Luke Winslow

Luke Winslow, Guest Writer For the student reading this, November is registration period for spring classes.

It is a reminder (no matter how much you ignore it) that you are spending time and money each semester to be here, and so you ask yourself: is this investment worth it? We are all working for that “degree,” but until then, what do we do with our time here? Our school has some amazing professors who care about how you answer that question, and many of them work hard at making your classes engaging and challenging experiences that will

impact how you think about the world.

One such class offered next semester is something totally new that has never been done at this school.

Named “God’s Peaceable Kingdom: Exploring Right Relationship with Creation,” the course will be facilitated by Dr. Winslow, Dean of the Sciences, and two senior theology students, Piper Ramsey and me (Luke).

While it is uncontroversial to say that our Christian faith has certain things to say about how we relate to “Creation,” conversation tends to break down when we start talking

about the environmental and animal aspects of the word beyond just the human. Even though some Christians today are starting to take the environmental questions seriously (the global depletion of resources, species going extinct, degradation of ecosystems worldwide), not many of them give much consideration to a Christian perspective on the ethical treatment of animals.

The class will address this directly, asking questions like: What are the ethical implications of consuming animals (meat, dairy)?

What about other consumptions, for clothing (leather, fur), entertainment (zoos), sport (hunting) or science (medicine, cosmetics)?

What might the Bible have to say about what God desires for our relationship with animals? Is it so odd for a Christian to be vegan or vegetarian?

To start a dialogue about this, we are introducing The Shalom Project. The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom also carries other connotations seen in the above Wordle: harmony, reconciliation, love and so on. A philosopher of religion, Thomas Crisp, notes a striking parallel between a specific usage of shalom in Judges 19:1621 (“Peace be to you; I

will care for all your wants”) and Jesus’ command in Luke 10:25-37 (“Go and do likewise”).

You may recognize this as the Good Samaritan parable: Jesus tells us that the question is not “Who is my neighbor?” but rather “How can I be a neighbor to others?” In this way, there is no qualification for who deserves our mercy and compassion—no one is excluded.

Just as Jesus surprises the Jewish expert in the law by including Samaritans in his moral concern, to what extent can we say that animals should also be included in our vision for shalom in God’s Peaceable Kingdom?

For those who are interested in these issues but cannot join the class, please follow the conversation at www.theshalomproject. tumblr.com where we will upload readings from the texts, video projects, journal reflections and share updates on events being organized for the wider campus community.

This will be a 1-credit class, once a week for the first half of the spring semester on Monday nights at 6-8 pm. While the course, HON3221-02, is listed as a Honors colloquium, we invite you to join the class while seats are open and follow the blog.

Class cancelled? Be adventurous and eat breakfast cont. french toast, I knew what I wanted.

I was on a time crunch, since I didn’t pull myself out of bed very early, so I ordered it to go. The friendly and attentive staff prepared it in about 7 minutes and gave me the necessary silverware and napkins. I wish I could have eaten in the delightful cafe.

It cost about $8 with tax for 4 half slices of bread and a cup of syrup. The apple was baked right into the french toast, which was delicious. I thought that it had a little too much egg on two of the half slices. It almost seemed like they

baked scrambled eggs in those two half slices. The other two half slices were divine. It was a perfect amount of sweetness, and the apples were juicy and covered in the perfect amount of pie filling.

I definitely recommend going to Ingrid’s Pantry for breakfast or for the next time you need a gourmet loaf of bread or desserts. Keep it local man. Visiting Ingrid’s Pantry made me yearn for another gouda turkey sandwich at Ingrid’s, so, really, just visit either location for some fun and delicious foods for any meal of the day.

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Arts

ENTERTAINMENT

TheEcho

November 8, 2013

Page 13

“Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” in review Matt Scott, Staff Writer

Have you ever really been excited about a new game or system coming out? Video games are a timeless classic for everyone to play, from the handheld, like the ds or gameboy, to the Xbox 360 or ps3. New games and new systems continue to come out every day for the world to enjoy, and they can be very expensive. It can be worth the risk if you seriously enjoy the game you play.

From sports games to adventure games, they make a game for every kind of person.

There is a game that just came out that everyone has been waiting for, not that people wanted to actually play the game, only to see what happens on the game after having played the third one. The game is Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. I am not going to give you any spoiler

alerts because I do not like it when people do that to me. It can be bought on the Xbox 360 or PS3, and it will be on the new consoles coming out later this year. The cost of the game is a little expensive, like any game out there, because the game is so new. The price of the game was $65, and that can be overwhelming for some people.

The question is: Is the game worth that much? From playing the game as much as I have, which is surprisingly a lot, it was worth the money.

Now on to the game. Just taking a look at the game or just barely starting the game, it looked great; I have been waiting to play this game for a while, and I was not disappointed. The graphics are great, and there has been no issue with that so far. It is an overall good game to play and very much worth

Photo from downloadkeyfull.com

the money.

I am not going to give any spoilers, only the basic background of the game. First of all, this is the fourth one in the series; they are all great games, but you will have to play them to find that out. Also playing the other games will help players better understand the fourth

one. The scene is set in the 18th century as you try to figure out the story of Edward Kenway. It is a time of pirates and ships. So far, it has been an awesome game to play, and I would recommend the game to anyone. Here is a warning though: it is an M-rated game, so beware of that.

beef. After you have browned the beef, be sure to rinse it off with hot water to get all the extra grease off of it. Then pour the beef into the pot that you are going to cook your soup in. Then add all the above ingredients to it. Do not drain any of the beans or the corn.

Simply open the can and pour it in.

After you have added all the ingredients, turn on the stovetop and let it cook for about 20 minutes, or until it is warm.

Crockpot: After you brown the 1lb. of beef and rinse it, pour the beef into the crock-pot. Then add all the above ingredients to it. Do not drain any of the beans or the corn. Simply open the can and pour it in. After you have added all the ingredients, turn on the crock-pot. If you turn it on a low setting, the cook time

should be 4 to 6 hours, depending on the crock-pot. If you need to be done a little faster than that, you can cook it on a high setting for about 2 hours.

One good thing about this recipe is that I love leftovers. There will be plenty of soup. If you do not want to be eating taco soup for a few days, have some friends over!

I am sure they will also enjoy the change of pace.

You can serve your awesome taco soup with some tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese.

If after you have had your taco soup and you need something sweet, I recommend some homemade hot chocolate. Do not get me wrong, I love me some Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, but every once in a while you have to spoil yourself by

Cooking on campus: taco soup

Shelby Wilson, Guest Writer The semester is quickly coming to an end; we are already celebrating homecoming! Do you realize that when we come back from Thanksgiving break we only have one full week of regular classes and then finals? How excited are we?

Very. Anyhow, as we approach the cooler weather, we tend to want to stay inside more, and, as we get further along into the semester, the more unappealing Sodexo sounds.

I have the solution; this is a recipe that allows you to take a break from cafeteria food and stay inside where it is nice and warm. The recipe that I am going to give you today is simple, quick and super scrumptious.

Today we are making taco soup.

Here are the ingredients that you will need:

1 lb. of ground beef, cooked and rinsed (to get grease off) 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes 1 15 oz. can of whole kernel corn 1 15 oz. can of black beans 1 15 oz. can of red kidney beans 1 15 oz. can of pinto beans 1 pkg. of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry) 1 pkg. of taco seasoning 1 small onion, chopped (optional) Cooking Instructions: You can do this one of two ways. You can either cook this on the stovetop, or you can dump it all in a crock-pot, whichever is easiest for you. (Be sure that when you are cooking you are following the guidelines for cooking that your specific residence hall has given you).

Stovetop: First brown the 1lb. of ground

Continued on page 14

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Cooking on campus: taco soup cont. making the real thing. This recipe is golden: Ingredients: 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk 2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips 6 cups of milk 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

(405)473-4300

Instructions: You can also make this recipe one of two ways. You can either make it on the stovetop or you can make it in the crock-pot. Either way, you prepare it the same way.

The crock-pot will just warm it up slower. Pour all of the ingredients into your pot or crock-pot. Occasionally stir the ingredients, so the

chocolate chips do not all sit at the bottom.

Word of warning: When I made this, I could not find bittersweet chocolate chips anywhere, so I decided to buy semi-sweet chocolate chips. When it came time to taste it, it was ridiculously sweet. I just added more milk to even it out. If you cannot find bittersweet chocolate

chips, go ahead and buy the semisweet chips, just be prepared to use about 7 cups of milk instead of 6.

When it is done heating up, ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and enjoy!

Let me know how it goes at shelwils@mail.snu.edu. I would love to hear that you are cooking on campus!

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Sculptor shares about his passion and pieces on campus Kira Roberts, Editor-in-Chief Many graduates of Southern Nazarene have accomplished incredible feats in the “real world” after college. One alumnus in particular has left his fingerprint behind in the form of his sculptures.

His creativity has blessed the students and faculty for years and will continue to be central to the aura of the campus for years to come.

Scott Stearman was a preacher’s kid, born in Kansas and raised there as well as Ohio and Detroit before coming to SNU out of high school.

“I was a member of the class of 1975. I didn’t actually graduate, so I’m still a college junior holding out hope that Dr. Gresham will see fit to bestow upon me an honorary undergraduate degree,” Stearman said.

He met his wife, Hermine, in their Old Testament class and “kind of started falling in love right there.”

“In 1982, Hermine and I lived Prairie Village, Kansas. On our summer vacation to Colorado, one afternoon we drove south from Westcliffe to La Veta Pass. My dad entertained us with stories about when his family came over the same pass to do migrant work in the San Luis Valley during the depression in the 1930s. I always felt connected to the Rocky Moun-

tains, and his stories welded that connection even stronger.

Our destination was a little town called Cuchara. Coming from Kansas and the summer heat, it was exactly what we were hoping for.

Mom, Dad, Hermine and I wandered through the shops and into a gallery that was filled with beautiful western art, sculptures and paintings. Up a short flight of stairs I stepped into the studio of the artist and sculptor, Gene Stewart. Immediately, I was captured by his art.

But the biggest gift he gave me that day was how he stopped working and focused on me. He explained his tools, the materials and his process. When I said I wanted to try to sculpt, he gave me a list of materials and told me to start, be bold and go for it. That conversation changed everything. I walked out of his studio and told Hermine, ‘I think I can do that.’

I spent the whole of the next winter season in my basement, creating my first sculpture. Gene is a western artist. He’s won awards and been published many times.

So, of course my first piece would be western too--a cowboy. Before I found my own voice as a sculptor, I borrowed Gene’s.

Today, there is never a moment when I receive a curious question about my work that I don’t think

Jim Wilcox, Guest Writer You’re coming. You’re here.

You’re home. It’s Homeherecoming Weekend, volume 2013, issue 114.

I have no idea how many alumni are actually on the flooded sidewalks of Alma Mater University this weekend, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it is fewer than everyone.

And by “everyone,” I mean everyone who has ever graduated from this institution (by its many names). That’s gotta be into the thousands. (I’ll bet Gary Lance knows.) Let us make up a number:

30,000, give or take a cum laude or two.

So what would this campus look like today and tomorrow if over 30,000 people tried to fit into the Storm Football Arena? Would there be room for one alley-oop if that horde shoved its way into the Tom Sawyer Center? And there has got to be an Extravaganza Celebration somewhere in town this weekend.

Is there even enough red punch in all of Oklahoma to slake the thirst of 30,000 Nazarenes?

But wouldn’t it be fun?

A few days ago I was at my awayhome, grading papers and having

Photo by Johnathan Hane

about that summer day in Colorado and the gracious guidance I received.”

When asked specifically about the sculptures he created for Southern Nazarene’s campus, Stearman went into detail.

“The Indian and the eagle in the Commons was my first sculpture on the campus. I created it for the class of 76, and I think we installed it in 1986. When the classic contract with another sculptor ten years earlier didn’t work out, class president Mark Wessels and I joined forces to accomplish this piece,” he said. “’Tears from a grateful heart’

was created in 1992, and I made it for veterans who wanted to put something on the campus. I also needed to demonstrate that I could create a life-sized monument (this was my first), so it was the perfect opportunity.

Fred Floyd lived next to my mom and dad when they lived on college street, so the statue of him sitting on the bench by the Marchant Building was a fun project. My dad told me lots of stories from when he had Dr. Floyd as a professor at BNC. This made his personality come to life for me while I was working because I had first hand testimony Continued on page 16

Prehistoric legends: Oh, the whole family is back together again a lovely Frappuccino outside, the bright sun trying to warm a crisp autumn afternoon.

It is 3:00.

I get a phone call from my wife that one of our nine-year-old beagles, Thelma and Louise, has bolted out the door and run away. Amber Alert—this escape occurred at noon. Louise, the smart one, has been on the lam for three hours -- that is six weeks in dog-time – about two-and-a-half hours longer than ever before.

Panic was a-settling in.

The nearby field where she always runs to has gotten way out

of hand, lately. I do not know who is supposed to be mowing it, but that guy has disappeared to a compound near Pakistan. The grass is five feet high in some places.

Anyway, I raced home from Starbucks in about 36 seconds and hopped onto my Honda Elite motor scooter (80 CC’s of hair-yanking power) and drove/scooted as fast as I could around our neighborhood, stopping passers-by, whistling my “loud dog-whistle,” the one that uses two fingers, and yelling “Louise! Louise! Louise!”

(Can you picture this?)

Continued on page 16

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Sculptor shares about his passion and pieces on campus cont.

Photo by Johnathan Hane

about how he had impacted students. This sculpture is also a tribute to my academic career. If you look at the end of his ecology stick, there is a piece of trash that he may have picked up ‘walking’ across campus. If you brush off the dirt and look closely, this is a test paper of mine from Dr. Rothwell’s phi-

losophy class with a big F with a circle around it. I used this as my signature on the sculpture and as a shout out to my academic standing on the campus.”

Other than wishing he had been more focused on the academic part of his time at SNU, Stearman said he wished he had been more inten-

tional to seek out information on The best advice I can give you is all the options that are available to have a spiritual foundation that during the college years of life. everything rests on. A phrase that “When you’re 18 years old you’re described this for me as a young ten feet tall, bulletproof and you man was the need to find a ‘vision think you’re going to live forever. to live by.’ Every choice is illumiIt’s too easy to not be as focused nated under the light of the vion a plan. I would say that if any- sion. If my vision is to be a person thing at all interests you, go in- who reflects the love of Christ to a vestigate everything about it. For watching world, then every activity example, what does a in my day is colored by career in that field look “This is who that light. like? Could you make a Your heavenly fayou are to ther delights in your living doing it?

Don’t just let life hapcreativity, your singbe.” pen to you; grab it by ing, your math skills, the throat and make it your love for science…. All of that what you want it to be. Don’t be is part of your divine design. Empassive in the classroom. Be ag- brace that and know that you have gressive; require yourself to per- the freedom to chase your dream form at a higher level than you as aggressively as you can. Have think you can in your academics this image of God watching you and your social interaction. Learn play on the floor in front of him how to navigate relationships by and delighting in you like a father learning what motivates people watching his children use the good and their reactions to certain situ- gifts he’s given. So whatever you ations. You’re learning all of this have in your hand, this is who you right now as much as you’re learn- are. This is how you were created. ing in the classroom.

This is who you are to be.”

Prehistoric legends: Oh, the whole family is back together again cont.

That dog had vanished. I stopped “Dog Missing” posters. Nothing near an older gent who was walk- fancy. Just one font. White paper, ing his dog (Sure! He had his dog) black ink. But they made us tear up to plea my case about my lost dog. a little.

His response?

Staple gun in hand, we searched for wooden tele“You know, a lot of people around here have “We’re all phone poles. Those been asking me about here. We’re are not as easy to find their lost dogs the past as they used to be. couple of weeks. I just all home.” Must be some gang, wonder if it’s some gang, stealing poles. Both stealing dogs!” (I wanted to ask of us, 60-year-old lungs burning, him where he had gotten his dog.) were near our end, but I promised That did not lift my spirits. Not Linda I would not give up, even if at all. Meanwhile, Linda was at I had to carry a flashlight all night home (“ground zero”), printing long. (Seemed gallant at the time, Editor-in-chief: Kira Roberts Content Editor: Ronna Fisher Layout Editor: Amy Lauver Business and Social Media Manager: Grace Williams Adviser: Jim Smith

but truth is, I don’t even like our dogs that much.)

As the sun began to crawl behind the Yukon Mountain Range out west, I traipsed one more time down the dried up creek bed, camouflaged now in acres of 5-foot grass.

“LLL000UUUIIISSSEEE whistle LLLOOOUUUIIISSSEEE whistle LLOOUUIISSEE!” Then I heard a baleful howl, somewhat muffled by acres of five-foot grass. “She’s here,” I said to myself, muffled by acres of

five-foot grass. “Well at least she hasn’t been stolen by some gang.”

Thirty minutes of my screaming and her beagle-howling later, I heard her dog-tags jingle. Finally.

Two steps to my left I parted the grass and looked straight down at the white and brown and black backside of a dog twisted up in five-foot chains of unbreakable grass.

It was 5:00.

I learned last week what Dr. Gresham must feel like every year about this time. We’re all coming.

We’re all here. We’re all home.

The ECHO is the weekly student newspaper of Southern Nazarene University and is a long-standing member of the Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association. Viewpoints expressed in the paper are not to be considered official standard-bearers of the university or its sponsoring denomination.

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