I don’t like to party, and I don’t dress like a skank. These are the reasons why Halloween is my least favorite holiday.
What is it about Halloween? Why is this the one night of the year when it is completely socially acceptable for girls to dress like sluts? Why is it a night when it is the norm to get hammered?
I will be honest, if I had an incredible body, I would show it off a bit more. If I were 21, I would probably drink on a more regular basis.
But there is a level when it gets pushed too far. Our society has forgotten what the word ‘moderation’ means. We eat and eat and eat, and wonder why we get fat. We drink and drink and drink and wonder why we can’t go a day without a few shots. We smoke and smoke and smoke, then wonder why we have lung cancer (trust me, I am at fault on this one). And we sleep around and dress like skanks and do what we please, and wonder why we end up pregnant, date-raped, and full of diseases.
We need to take better care of our bodies. We need to recognize that holidays like this aren’t the only times to have fun. We need to enjoy ourselves on a more regular basis, so that it doesn’t get all pent up and spew out on a crazy night like Halloween.
Oh well. At least I will be in the Clause office all night. No hangovers for me.
10.30.2007
10.26.2007
Popping the Bubble
The Christian Bubble. Just about every student who has sat in chapel or engaged in a conversation with friends has heard this term. When I was in my first year or two, I honestly found it endearing. I had my Christian friends, my Christian professors, my Christian mentors, my Christian hellos and goodbyes, my Christian smile, my Christian music, my Christian life inside my Christian Bubble.
The only times I really even left the campus during my freshman year were to involve myself in activities that didn’t fit into the Christian Bubble: clubs, parties, enjoying a cig on the curb outside the baseball field. I was so wrapped up in my life on campus.
Then, New York happened. My comfort level, my bubble, completely popped. I lived in Manhattan this summer, attending classes at New York University. The original plan was to determine whether or not I was capable of placing such a large distance between my mother and I.
But in the process of removing myself from the Christian Bubble, I found my limits tested. No longer did I have my Christian support system. No longer did I have worship service. No longer did I have my Christian (insert word here). I had nothing. And it was terrifying.
After I had been an emotional mess for about two weeks, I met Michael. He was my polar opposite. Extremely tall, super skinny and flamboyantly homosexual, Michael and I hit it off and became fast friends.
A few weeks later, I mentioned to him something I had heard at a church I was attending in Brooklyn. His mouth dropped. “You’re a Christian?” he asked. We didn’t talk any more about it that day, but one muggy, rainy afternoon, while we were holed up in the library, he began to ask me about God. Of course, having no real experience in this sort of situation, I stammered over my words and probably made way too many mistakes, but Michael just sat there listening to me.
When I was done talking, he said, “You know, every Christian I have ever met has made me feel like I was defective for being gay, like I had an incurable disease. I thought that was just what Christians believed. Why aren’t you like that?” I told him that I loved and cared about him because that is the kind of person God made me, that I wanted to be his friend to show him God’s love, and that my personal, ultimate goal was not to ‘cure’ him or make him straight but to show him the mercy and grace of a relationship with Christ (although, I am sure it didn’t come out so eloquently.)
He was astonished. He literally could not grasp the concept of a Christian loving that way.
How sad is that?
Sojourners’ Magazine profiled APU in an article titled “Bursting the Christian Bubble,” an article about the Ministry and Service Office and how members of our university are attempting to live their lives in a way that better reflects Christ rather than in a way that reflects their bank accounts, skin color or class. The article was pretty accurate in describing the way APU used to be and the changes that have been made in the past five or six years that have allowed APU to have a bigger impact on the surrounding community.
When I hear about what Azusa thinks of APU, I either hear “People in Azusa hate APU because the only people they care about are themselves,” or “People in Azusa love APU because they bring so much business to the area.”
I am sorry, but that is completely unacceptable. It is our responsibility as Christians to show the love of Christ to all people. It is our responsibility to provide for those who have been placed in situations more difficult than our own. And it is our job to love others in a humble, selfless way regardless of the outcome.
In the magazine it says, “Students are disturbed by their own ignorance and privilege and the deafening silences of their churches that often fail to connect the implications of injustice with active faith.”
We should be disturbed. But not simply by our own ignorance, but by the ignorance of generations before us that caused people to believe things like my friend Michael.
Matthew 28:18 says “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” But before we can use all of the training and Bible classes and hundreds of thousands of dollars that we have spent on an education, before we can make disciples, we must GO. Go downstairs if you live off campus and befriend your neighbors. Go down the street to the elementary school and get involved. Go somewhere!
Don’t allow yourselves to get caught up in the Christian Bubble. Force yourselves to follow God’s command, to love on others, and to serve in the way Christ did, so that maybe someday, if someone comes to Azusa to take summer classes, gets to chatting with an Azusa resident and builds a loving friendship, they won’t ever have to hear “I didn’t realize Christians were like that.”
The only times I really even left the campus during my freshman year were to involve myself in activities that didn’t fit into the Christian Bubble: clubs, parties, enjoying a cig on the curb outside the baseball field. I was so wrapped up in my life on campus.
Then, New York happened. My comfort level, my bubble, completely popped. I lived in Manhattan this summer, attending classes at New York University. The original plan was to determine whether or not I was capable of placing such a large distance between my mother and I.
But in the process of removing myself from the Christian Bubble, I found my limits tested. No longer did I have my Christian support system. No longer did I have worship service. No longer did I have my Christian (insert word here). I had nothing. And it was terrifying.
After I had been an emotional mess for about two weeks, I met Michael. He was my polar opposite. Extremely tall, super skinny and flamboyantly homosexual, Michael and I hit it off and became fast friends.
A few weeks later, I mentioned to him something I had heard at a church I was attending in Brooklyn. His mouth dropped. “You’re a Christian?” he asked. We didn’t talk any more about it that day, but one muggy, rainy afternoon, while we were holed up in the library, he began to ask me about God. Of course, having no real experience in this sort of situation, I stammered over my words and probably made way too many mistakes, but Michael just sat there listening to me.
When I was done talking, he said, “You know, every Christian I have ever met has made me feel like I was defective for being gay, like I had an incurable disease. I thought that was just what Christians believed. Why aren’t you like that?” I told him that I loved and cared about him because that is the kind of person God made me, that I wanted to be his friend to show him God’s love, and that my personal, ultimate goal was not to ‘cure’ him or make him straight but to show him the mercy and grace of a relationship with Christ (although, I am sure it didn’t come out so eloquently.)
He was astonished. He literally could not grasp the concept of a Christian loving that way.
How sad is that?
Sojourners’ Magazine profiled APU in an article titled “Bursting the Christian Bubble,” an article about the Ministry and Service Office and how members of our university are attempting to live their lives in a way that better reflects Christ rather than in a way that reflects their bank accounts, skin color or class. The article was pretty accurate in describing the way APU used to be and the changes that have been made in the past five or six years that have allowed APU to have a bigger impact on the surrounding community.
When I hear about what Azusa thinks of APU, I either hear “People in Azusa hate APU because the only people they care about are themselves,” or “People in Azusa love APU because they bring so much business to the area.”
I am sorry, but that is completely unacceptable. It is our responsibility as Christians to show the love of Christ to all people. It is our responsibility to provide for those who have been placed in situations more difficult than our own. And it is our job to love others in a humble, selfless way regardless of the outcome.
In the magazine it says, “Students are disturbed by their own ignorance and privilege and the deafening silences of their churches that often fail to connect the implications of injustice with active faith.”
We should be disturbed. But not simply by our own ignorance, but by the ignorance of generations before us that caused people to believe things like my friend Michael.
Matthew 28:18 says “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” But before we can use all of the training and Bible classes and hundreds of thousands of dollars that we have spent on an education, before we can make disciples, we must GO. Go downstairs if you live off campus and befriend your neighbors. Go down the street to the elementary school and get involved. Go somewhere!
Don’t allow yourselves to get caught up in the Christian Bubble. Force yourselves to follow God’s command, to love on others, and to serve in the way Christ did, so that maybe someday, if someone comes to Azusa to take summer classes, gets to chatting with an Azusa resident and builds a loving friendship, they won’t ever have to hear “I didn’t realize Christians were like that.”
10.23.2007
An Attempt at Law Making
Is it just me, or has California gone a little extreme? The new laws being put into effect after the New Year have more than a few people’s blood pumping.
Beer sampling. Now available at your local bar. And don’t even get me started on self-extinguishing cigarettes. Let’s just add more chemicals into something that is already killing nearly half a million Americans a year. But the law that has really pushed my buttons? The ban on handheld cell phones while driving.
I mean, seriously?
The California State Department of Motor Vehicles website says that “cell phone use increases risk of injury.” Ok. Point taken. Now, let us think about the other things that increase the risk of injury to drivers.
Driving while extremely irritated (or P-O’d.) “In the United States, figures of up to 1200 road rage related deaths a year have been reported,” says Richard Zitrin, a national correspondent of APBnews.com.
Driving with the radio on is also dangerous. Most people would disagree with this statement. Even I would have scoffed if it weren’t for a heart pounding occurrence Monday night while driving down Route 66 jamming to “Fergalicious.” I changed lanes without paying attention to my blind spot and almost crashed into another car.
But driving isn’t the only way a cell phone can be dangerous. It seems just as dangerous to walk with a cell phone. From my own experience, I can attest that talking on the phone while crossing a cross walk can be just as “dangerous” as driving while talking. Not paying attention? Oops. You trip over the 2-foot high curb next to University Park and fall flat on your face.
And to be realistic, talking with a phone glued to your ear is not what makes it dangerous. What makes it dangerous is the people who are driving with their thoughts drifting all over the place. Saying that hands-free phones will make driving safer is outlandish. The people that are driving will still have their minds somewhere else.
And if it is simply the fact that distractions are what cause accidents, why are people allowed to drive with anyone in the car. Simple conversations like, “hey, did you see Sylvester Stallone’s ridiculous attempt at another Rocky movie this weekend?” can obviously lead to a ten car pile up on the 210 freeway.
And furthermore, why are people allowed to think? Simply heading to the grocery store can be death on wheels if a woman is trying to remember when the last time was that she bought milk.
“While I understand the reasoning behind the ban, I think that it is a little invasive that the government wants to control our cell phone use,” Kelle Callahan said. “There are a million other things that cause distractions.”
“It is not the action of holding the phones that is causing people to get in wrecks,” James Faulkner said, “it is the process of diverting the driver's attention from concentrating on the road to the conversation that is taking place on the phone.”
The realization that there could possibly be other reasons than the safety of California residents behind the new law has run through the minds of students as well.
“It is pointless legislation to generate tax dollars for the government,” Ryan Armstrong said. “Why not focus on laws to better benefit the community?”
To be fair, I would like to now present the other side of the argument. The wrong side. (Just kidding.)
“I'm fine with it,” Matthew Bell said. “Honestly if you have to make a call so badly just pull over and make it.”
According to the report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within three seconds of some form of driver distraction.
Looking at the big picture, however, makes me feel more firm about my position that banning handheld cell phones is absurd. Again, these accidents were caused by distractions from talking. Holding a phone is no different than holding a soda cup or a cigarette or a piece of paper with directions on it. Should these be against the law as well?
“Ultimately, it makes little difference,” Bill Aanestad said. “Accidents caused by inattentive drivers will still happen. The result, as far as I'm concerned, will be minimal. We have signs on the freeway to tell us to ‘Click It or Ticket’ yet people still drive without their seat belts. We have speed limits that are hardly given notice, especially here in California, where "70" really means "80." Do I agree with it? Sure. But will I still find it my duty as a Californian to talk on my cell phone while driving 80 on the freeway? You bet your ass.”
At least California drivers won’t have to worry about this law taking effect until July 2008, which marks the beginning of pointless ticketing. By then, I will (hopefully) be at a graduate school in New York City, which also has a ban on handheld cell phones. Although, it will be less likely that I will get pulled over for it, since I will be the one getting run over by a taxi after attempting to cross the street while gabbing on my cell.
Beer sampling. Now available at your local bar. And don’t even get me started on self-extinguishing cigarettes. Let’s just add more chemicals into something that is already killing nearly half a million Americans a year. But the law that has really pushed my buttons? The ban on handheld cell phones while driving.
I mean, seriously?
The California State Department of Motor Vehicles website says that “cell phone use increases risk of injury.” Ok. Point taken. Now, let us think about the other things that increase the risk of injury to drivers.
Driving while extremely irritated (or P-O’d.) “In the United States, figures of up to 1200 road rage related deaths a year have been reported,” says Richard Zitrin, a national correspondent of APBnews.com.
Driving with the radio on is also dangerous. Most people would disagree with this statement. Even I would have scoffed if it weren’t for a heart pounding occurrence Monday night while driving down Route 66 jamming to “Fergalicious.” I changed lanes without paying attention to my blind spot and almost crashed into another car.
But driving isn’t the only way a cell phone can be dangerous. It seems just as dangerous to walk with a cell phone. From my own experience, I can attest that talking on the phone while crossing a cross walk can be just as “dangerous” as driving while talking. Not paying attention? Oops. You trip over the 2-foot high curb next to University Park and fall flat on your face.
And to be realistic, talking with a phone glued to your ear is not what makes it dangerous. What makes it dangerous is the people who are driving with their thoughts drifting all over the place. Saying that hands-free phones will make driving safer is outlandish. The people that are driving will still have their minds somewhere else.
And if it is simply the fact that distractions are what cause accidents, why are people allowed to drive with anyone in the car. Simple conversations like, “hey, did you see Sylvester Stallone’s ridiculous attempt at another Rocky movie this weekend?” can obviously lead to a ten car pile up on the 210 freeway.
And furthermore, why are people allowed to think? Simply heading to the grocery store can be death on wheels if a woman is trying to remember when the last time was that she bought milk.
“While I understand the reasoning behind the ban, I think that it is a little invasive that the government wants to control our cell phone use,” Kelle Callahan said. “There are a million other things that cause distractions.”
“It is not the action of holding the phones that is causing people to get in wrecks,” James Faulkner said, “it is the process of diverting the driver's attention from concentrating on the road to the conversation that is taking place on the phone.”
The realization that there could possibly be other reasons than the safety of California residents behind the new law has run through the minds of students as well.
“It is pointless legislation to generate tax dollars for the government,” Ryan Armstrong said. “Why not focus on laws to better benefit the community?”
To be fair, I would like to now present the other side of the argument. The wrong side. (Just kidding.)
“I'm fine with it,” Matthew Bell said. “Honestly if you have to make a call so badly just pull over and make it.”
According to the report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes happen within three seconds of some form of driver distraction.
Looking at the big picture, however, makes me feel more firm about my position that banning handheld cell phones is absurd. Again, these accidents were caused by distractions from talking. Holding a phone is no different than holding a soda cup or a cigarette or a piece of paper with directions on it. Should these be against the law as well?
“Ultimately, it makes little difference,” Bill Aanestad said. “Accidents caused by inattentive drivers will still happen. The result, as far as I'm concerned, will be minimal. We have signs on the freeway to tell us to ‘Click It or Ticket’ yet people still drive without their seat belts. We have speed limits that are hardly given notice, especially here in California, where "70" really means "80." Do I agree with it? Sure. But will I still find it my duty as a Californian to talk on my cell phone while driving 80 on the freeway? You bet your ass.”
At least California drivers won’t have to worry about this law taking effect until July 2008, which marks the beginning of pointless ticketing. By then, I will (hopefully) be at a graduate school in New York City, which also has a ban on handheld cell phones. Although, it will be less likely that I will get pulled over for it, since I will be the one getting run over by a taxi after attempting to cross the street while gabbing on my cell.
10.13.2007
changing the church to be what the world needs
I am currently writing my bitch long paper for senior seminar. I sat for 5 hours in Starbucks today just cranking away and popped out around 9 or 10 pages. What bothers me isn’t the length of the paper. What bothers me isn’t that I am having to sit for hours and read about Post-moderns and unchurched individuals and the best way to minister for them. What bothers me is the fact that for the life of me, I cannot get the words to tumble onto the page in the way that I wish they would.
I am really passionate about the topic I have chosen. I decided to write about something going on in my life right now: How the church stays relevant to this generation. I see, or hear about, so many instances where people have been asked to leave the church, rejected by the church, or not involved in the church for reasons that are far from legitimate. And it enrages me.
This generation has a different idea of what a relationship with Christ is, what leadership encompasses, what worship means, what community should be, what loving others looks like and what a church should provide. And no one seems to care! The church just goes along on it’s path to destruction, believing that the only way to be relevant to high school/college/young adult aged people is to be entertaining. But we are looking for so much more than that!!!
What we want is a relationship with Christ that is personal and unique from everyone else’s, something far from cookie cutter.
What we want is to have leadership opportunities that are a chance for us to break and grow in a safe environment, not a million rules that bind us and keep us from that growth that we desire.
What we want is worship that is focused on Christ and worshipping him, not on the band in front that we feel like we need to clap for.
What we want is community… period!... an environment that allows us to build friendships and love on others and learn from each other’s mistakes and successes.
What we want is for the people that surround us, that talk about serving and loving others, to go with us to hang out with the homeless, the rejected, the unsaved in THEIR environment, not a bunch of people who feel like going to a camp for one week or spending a day handing out food or trying to convert a friend, instead of really loving that person regardless of their salvation, is enough.
What we want is a church that stops putting up a fake face like everything is okay and provides a place for us to be broken and imperfect without judgment, not a place that makes us feel like we need to be holy and perfect whenever we step foot on the property.
But are we experiencing those things? Are we really being provided with that kind of environment? Does the church even care that those are priorities for us?
And are we doing anything to really reach out to people who don’t go to church? Are we really loving others with the realization that nothing WE do is going to save them? Only GOD can do that. We need to just BE there, to love them, to allow God to speak through us. How do we intend on being a light in the world of darkness if we don’t go INTO the world? We have it drilled into us that we need to be safe, that we need to surround ourselves with people that are good, Christian influences on us... but what about the people that don't have that? What about the people who need US to be that influence. The church needs to get off it's high horse, get its ass in the world, and start loving people in the raw and passionate way that Jesus did... or what the hell are we doing?
I am really passionate about the topic I have chosen. I decided to write about something going on in my life right now: How the church stays relevant to this generation. I see, or hear about, so many instances where people have been asked to leave the church, rejected by the church, or not involved in the church for reasons that are far from legitimate. And it enrages me.
This generation has a different idea of what a relationship with Christ is, what leadership encompasses, what worship means, what community should be, what loving others looks like and what a church should provide. And no one seems to care! The church just goes along on it’s path to destruction, believing that the only way to be relevant to high school/college/young adult aged people is to be entertaining. But we are looking for so much more than that!!!
What we want is a relationship with Christ that is personal and unique from everyone else’s, something far from cookie cutter.
What we want is to have leadership opportunities that are a chance for us to break and grow in a safe environment, not a million rules that bind us and keep us from that growth that we desire.
What we want is worship that is focused on Christ and worshipping him, not on the band in front that we feel like we need to clap for.
What we want is community… period!... an environment that allows us to build friendships and love on others and learn from each other’s mistakes and successes.
What we want is for the people that surround us, that talk about serving and loving others, to go with us to hang out with the homeless, the rejected, the unsaved in THEIR environment, not a bunch of people who feel like going to a camp for one week or spending a day handing out food or trying to convert a friend, instead of really loving that person regardless of their salvation, is enough.
What we want is a church that stops putting up a fake face like everything is okay and provides a place for us to be broken and imperfect without judgment, not a place that makes us feel like we need to be holy and perfect whenever we step foot on the property.
But are we experiencing those things? Are we really being provided with that kind of environment? Does the church even care that those are priorities for us?
And are we doing anything to really reach out to people who don’t go to church? Are we really loving others with the realization that nothing WE do is going to save them? Only GOD can do that. We need to just BE there, to love them, to allow God to speak through us. How do we intend on being a light in the world of darkness if we don’t go INTO the world? We have it drilled into us that we need to be safe, that we need to surround ourselves with people that are good, Christian influences on us... but what about the people that don't have that? What about the people who need US to be that influence. The church needs to get off it's high horse, get its ass in the world, and start loving people in the raw and passionate way that Jesus did... or what the hell are we doing?
10.08.2007
Cultural Diversity?
I walked by the Door of Discussion (DoD) today and saw a ripped out piece of the October 5th center spread on Cultural Diversity marked up with words like “Everyone on this page is white!” and “Cultural diversity means nothing at APU. If I am not rich and white, I am not normal.”
I cannot express in words how much this pisses me off. (Well, I could do it in cuss words, but I am choosing not to).
The purpose of the article, if it had been thoroughly read instead of immediately judged, torn apart and pasted onto the DoD, was to talk about something OTHER than ethnic diversity. If this article had been read through, the person who ignorantly attacked it on the DoD would have read “Culture is a lot more complex than looking at race because race can go more off of physical appearance… Unlike the external nature of racial diversity, cultural diversity is more of an internal thing. It includes things like values, religion, social and community responsibilities, political values and issues of sexuality and sexual preference.”
So, far all YOU know, my dear friends who felt like immediately turning a judgmental eye on a university newspaper staff that sits in the office for a good 25 hours in a 2 day period to get the paper to you every Friday and works very hard at covering issues previous staffs have overlooked, the ‘white’ people represented in the side bar could be atheist, homosexual, youth workers, Azusa residents, Democrats or Republicans. It isn’t about race!! And it isn’t ALL about an African culture of Asian culture of a middle eastern culture. It is about the cultural diversity at APU. (Which I realized, no one believes exists).
So, lets all look at some numbers. Of the 8,128 students enrolled at APU, 7,639 of them are US citizens. Of the 4,722 undergraduate students enrolled during the 2006-2007 school year, 3,202 of them are classified as ‘white.’ This means that almost 93% of the student body is considered a US citizen, and 67.8% are white.
That’s just it. That is our culture. And for those of you who feel like you stick out because you aren’t white, or you aren’t rich, I apologize that you feel that way. But the truth of the matter is that a majority of the people who live in the US are white and a good percent of the Christians in the US are white and rich. Again, that is just how it is. And a private Christian university is going to attract that majority.
The Clause does a lot to make sure that a wide range of people are represented in the paper. But as brothers and sisters in Christ, we cannot keep immediately jump down each other’s throats just because we disagree with each other about the way things are handled.
I cannot express in words how much this pisses me off. (Well, I could do it in cuss words, but I am choosing not to).
The purpose of the article, if it had been thoroughly read instead of immediately judged, torn apart and pasted onto the DoD, was to talk about something OTHER than ethnic diversity. If this article had been read through, the person who ignorantly attacked it on the DoD would have read “Culture is a lot more complex than looking at race because race can go more off of physical appearance… Unlike the external nature of racial diversity, cultural diversity is more of an internal thing. It includes things like values, religion, social and community responsibilities, political values and issues of sexuality and sexual preference.”
So, far all YOU know, my dear friends who felt like immediately turning a judgmental eye on a university newspaper staff that sits in the office for a good 25 hours in a 2 day period to get the paper to you every Friday and works very hard at covering issues previous staffs have overlooked, the ‘white’ people represented in the side bar could be atheist, homosexual, youth workers, Azusa residents, Democrats or Republicans. It isn’t about race!! And it isn’t ALL about an African culture of Asian culture of a middle eastern culture. It is about the cultural diversity at APU. (Which I realized, no one believes exists).
So, lets all look at some numbers. Of the 8,128 students enrolled at APU, 7,639 of them are US citizens. Of the 4,722 undergraduate students enrolled during the 2006-2007 school year, 3,202 of them are classified as ‘white.’ This means that almost 93% of the student body is considered a US citizen, and 67.8% are white.
That’s just it. That is our culture. And for those of you who feel like you stick out because you aren’t white, or you aren’t rich, I apologize that you feel that way. But the truth of the matter is that a majority of the people who live in the US are white and a good percent of the Christians in the US are white and rich. Again, that is just how it is. And a private Christian university is going to attract that majority.
The Clause does a lot to make sure that a wide range of people are represented in the paper. But as brothers and sisters in Christ, we cannot keep immediately jump down each other’s throats just because we disagree with each other about the way things are handled.
10.05.2007
The Line at Seven Palms
Taken from the October 5th publication of The Clause:
“Worship isn’t confined to chapel or church or camp,” sophomore English major Taylor Hamlett said. “Worship can be a bunch of kids that love words. And yes, worship can be showing God’s love through words and music that contain obscenities and offensive subject matter.”
Tiny white candles glowed brightly setting the mood for a night of poetry, music and open forum, as the English department launched its much anticipated encore to last semester’s ‘The Line.’
“It’s an open forum for creative expression for the creative community on campus,” senior English major Lily Atherton said.
Atherton, along with alumnus Craig Christensen, planned and organized the event that took place on Sept. 27 at Seven Palms.
An estimated 150 people were in attendance. More than 20 people recited poetry, sang original songs, played instruments, or beat-boxed.
“Being able to express yourself promotes community,” Christensen said. “Finding out what our role is on the earth, learning how to communicate and being open creatively is really important.”
‘The Line’ was one of the most refreshing events I have ever been to during my years here at APU. The most striking and painfully genuine part of the evening, which is what made the night border on brilliance, was the brutal honesty that flowed from every piece of work.
Not one person got up in front and pretended that their lives were all together and perfect. There was no façade.
They read about bad relationships, sex, drugs, failures, doubts, regrets of the past, uncertainty of the present, and fears for the future.
APU needs more of this honesty. On a Christian campus, it seems the norm for people to walk around with their heads high as if their life is going directly down the path God had planned.
But we are all far from that. This kind of honesty, the ability these students had to get up and be vulnerable in front of their peers, is a quality that Christians should feel comfortable expressing on a regular basis.
A big question I found myself asking through the night, however, was what affect does this sort of open outlet have on the APU community?
Being fairly liberal when it comes to my views, and seeing APU as semi-conservative when it comes to theirs, I was happily surprised that students were able to speak so freely with their word choice and subject matter. The reactions from students and staff were mixed.
“Most Christian campuses wouldn’t let us have this platform and I am really happy about it,” Christensen said. “By letting us do this, they are facilitating the creative process. Its great to be somewhere that lets us do that.”
Senior biblical studies major Johanna Chase had a different take on the evening, seeing the rebellious nature of college students on a Christian campus as an effect to the outlet that isn’t always positive.
“Because APU is so tight on the edges of everything, when we have opportunities to express ourselves as students without any sort of block or boundary, we go a little over the top,” Chase said. “But, I hope it keeps happening. Everyone was able to really express themselves, which was so amazing.”
English professor Ralph Carlson, who attended the end of the show to support his students, echoed Chase’s statement.
“Given our community ethos in general, it is often a good thing to do a little self censoring,” Carlson said. “I am still getting used to this century, but I heard some good voices.”
Some hope ‘The Line’ will go from a once-a-month event to a bi-monthly event. “Students have something to say,” Hamlett said, “and it’s usually pretty damn good.”
“Worship isn’t confined to chapel or church or camp,” sophomore English major Taylor Hamlett said. “Worship can be a bunch of kids that love words. And yes, worship can be showing God’s love through words and music that contain obscenities and offensive subject matter.”
Tiny white candles glowed brightly setting the mood for a night of poetry, music and open forum, as the English department launched its much anticipated encore to last semester’s ‘The Line.’
“It’s an open forum for creative expression for the creative community on campus,” senior English major Lily Atherton said.
Atherton, along with alumnus Craig Christensen, planned and organized the event that took place on Sept. 27 at Seven Palms.
An estimated 150 people were in attendance. More than 20 people recited poetry, sang original songs, played instruments, or beat-boxed.
“Being able to express yourself promotes community,” Christensen said. “Finding out what our role is on the earth, learning how to communicate and being open creatively is really important.”
‘The Line’ was one of the most refreshing events I have ever been to during my years here at APU. The most striking and painfully genuine part of the evening, which is what made the night border on brilliance, was the brutal honesty that flowed from every piece of work.
Not one person got up in front and pretended that their lives were all together and perfect. There was no façade.
They read about bad relationships, sex, drugs, failures, doubts, regrets of the past, uncertainty of the present, and fears for the future.
APU needs more of this honesty. On a Christian campus, it seems the norm for people to walk around with their heads high as if their life is going directly down the path God had planned.
But we are all far from that. This kind of honesty, the ability these students had to get up and be vulnerable in front of their peers, is a quality that Christians should feel comfortable expressing on a regular basis.
A big question I found myself asking through the night, however, was what affect does this sort of open outlet have on the APU community?
Being fairly liberal when it comes to my views, and seeing APU as semi-conservative when it comes to theirs, I was happily surprised that students were able to speak so freely with their word choice and subject matter. The reactions from students and staff were mixed.
“Most Christian campuses wouldn’t let us have this platform and I am really happy about it,” Christensen said. “By letting us do this, they are facilitating the creative process. Its great to be somewhere that lets us do that.”
Senior biblical studies major Johanna Chase had a different take on the evening, seeing the rebellious nature of college students on a Christian campus as an effect to the outlet that isn’t always positive.
“Because APU is so tight on the edges of everything, when we have opportunities to express ourselves as students without any sort of block or boundary, we go a little over the top,” Chase said. “But, I hope it keeps happening. Everyone was able to really express themselves, which was so amazing.”
English professor Ralph Carlson, who attended the end of the show to support his students, echoed Chase’s statement.
“Given our community ethos in general, it is often a good thing to do a little self censoring,” Carlson said. “I am still getting used to this century, but I heard some good voices.”
Some hope ‘The Line’ will go from a once-a-month event to a bi-monthly event. “Students have something to say,” Hamlett said, “and it’s usually pretty damn good.”
10.02.2007
Crazies and New York
I lived in New York City this summer. One girl that I became really close with, Jessica, well... things didn't end in any sort of positive way. And my stomach has been sick about it since the day I flew home.
I met Jess the way I meet most people... I hunt them down. I pick someone out and think "he/she looks interesting... I am going to try and be friends." And we did become friends. I somehow managed to pull her out of her little bubble. We would take the subway down to SoHo and eat at Momir's every Sunday night, we trekked all over the city together, went shopping, had a little too much to drink (on a number of occasions), sat in the park for hours and read and laughed and talked about the most randomness things life has to offer.
One of my strengths, however, is 'woo.' For those of you who don't know, people with 'woo' like to meet new peeps, get to know them and then meet new people. Now, don't get me wrong... it's not like friends get less important. There is just an urge there to continue befriending new people. I am never just satisfied with the friendships I have. I always want new ones and exciting ones. I want to meet people who challenge me and make me grow.
Well, this aspect of me did not sit well with Jess. She became extremely possesive, got angry when I made plans with someone else and basically cried to me one day because I was the only friend she had and I wasn't there enough for her.
Lets be honest... I freaked. I started spending a lot of time alone and at work. And during my free time, I was hanging out with my gay friend Michael or cooling off in the library reading. I just needed a little space. We had gone from hanging out after class to hanging out all day every day whenever we weren't in class or I wasn't at work. TOO MUCH! I cannot handle that much of one person.
After about 2-3 weeks of being missing, I called her up to see how she was doing. She was rude and got off the phone quickly. About a week later, I decided to see if she was reading where she and I normally hung out in Washington Square Park. SHE WAS! So I sat down and started chatting. But something was different. She was extremely cold and blocked off. After about 15 minutes, her walls broke down again, and everything seemed back to normal. I told her I was going out of town for the weekend to Boston, but we should hang out when I get back.
Reader's Digest Version: She called me 2 times when I she knew I was in Boston. I called her when I got back to see if we could make dinner plans before I moved back to Cali. She called me 3 times (within 1 hour). Then sent me a text saying "Never mind have a safe trip home." That is how it ended.
And I don't understand why I am still unsettled about it. Maybe it is because I knew she had emotional problems but didn't try to understand them better. Maybe it is because I knew at one moment that I needed a break from her when all she really needed was someone to love her. Maybe it is just because I am a person who needs closure. But I am still sick about it. I called her this morning to see how she was doing and she didn't answer. I hope she is doing okay.
I met Jess the way I meet most people... I hunt them down. I pick someone out and think "he/she looks interesting... I am going to try and be friends." And we did become friends. I somehow managed to pull her out of her little bubble. We would take the subway down to SoHo and eat at Momir's every Sunday night, we trekked all over the city together, went shopping, had a little too much to drink (on a number of occasions), sat in the park for hours and read and laughed and talked about the most randomness things life has to offer.
One of my strengths, however, is 'woo.' For those of you who don't know, people with 'woo' like to meet new peeps, get to know them and then meet new people. Now, don't get me wrong... it's not like friends get less important. There is just an urge there to continue befriending new people. I am never just satisfied with the friendships I have. I always want new ones and exciting ones. I want to meet people who challenge me and make me grow.
Well, this aspect of me did not sit well with Jess. She became extremely possesive, got angry when I made plans with someone else and basically cried to me one day because I was the only friend she had and I wasn't there enough for her.
Lets be honest... I freaked. I started spending a lot of time alone and at work. And during my free time, I was hanging out with my gay friend Michael or cooling off in the library reading. I just needed a little space. We had gone from hanging out after class to hanging out all day every day whenever we weren't in class or I wasn't at work. TOO MUCH! I cannot handle that much of one person.
After about 2-3 weeks of being missing, I called her up to see how she was doing. She was rude and got off the phone quickly. About a week later, I decided to see if she was reading where she and I normally hung out in Washington Square Park. SHE WAS! So I sat down and started chatting. But something was different. She was extremely cold and blocked off. After about 15 minutes, her walls broke down again, and everything seemed back to normal. I told her I was going out of town for the weekend to Boston, but we should hang out when I get back.
Reader's Digest Version: She called me 2 times when I she knew I was in Boston. I called her when I got back to see if we could make dinner plans before I moved back to Cali. She called me 3 times (within 1 hour). Then sent me a text saying "Never mind have a safe trip home." That is how it ended.
And I don't understand why I am still unsettled about it. Maybe it is because I knew she had emotional problems but didn't try to understand them better. Maybe it is because I knew at one moment that I needed a break from her when all she really needed was someone to love her. Maybe it is just because I am a person who needs closure. But I am still sick about it. I called her this morning to see how she was doing and she didn't answer. I hope she is doing okay.
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