collide issue 11

FOR STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS | DECEMBER 2012 | ISSUE 11

Los Angeles Street Art's Canvas

The Cannabis Around YouThe Higher Side of Health

Just FriendsNavigating The

Nightmare

L e a r n t o t e a c hC o m p a s s i o n a t e l y

C r e a t i v e l y

e f f e C t i v e l y

L i k e c h r i s t .

the BioLa University schooL of edUcation

The world needs more teachers who taught like Christ did: compassionately,

creatively, & effectively. Biola’s School of Education offers state-certified

teaher preparation in a supportive, all-Christian environment–a community

that cares for the flourishing of every one of its students, and for the world

they will impact.

For more inFormation on the Biola University school oF

edUcation, or to apply For one oF oUr gradUate programs,

visit BioLa.edU/edUcation

Pictured above is the classroom of alumnus Michael Long, 2008 California Teacher of the Year

My grandparents always tell me to enjoy this time in my life, that my years in col-lege are something I will always look back on and wish I could return to. As I set out to begin my last semester of college in five weeks, I’ve become nostal-gic, realizing, as I almost always do, that my grandparents are right. With the excitement of the election season over (much to the relief of the victims of my multiple political tirades) my fo-cus has returned to seeking out both the whispers of neglected conversations and the vignettes that bring us joy.

I found this issue of Collide particularly difficult. We sought to address conversations left unheard and to explore philos-ophies of a wide array of audi-ences. Yet, as my staff members

sought interviews and discussions, many were afraid to speak or refused to discuss certain topics on record. This silence, in a sense, momentarily shook my confidence. I’ve been left wondering why candor is so frowned upon.

However, as a staff we continue to reflect on what educates, challenges and inspires our community. In this issue, we’ve taken a look at the past year while attempting to anticipate conversations that will continue to remain significant on our campus. This month, we’ll say goodbye to the election season, a devastating storm and if you adhere to the Mayan calendar, our world as we know it. (Col-

lide is airing on the side of 2012 not ending in cataclysm, so our next issue is already in the works.

Yet for those anticipating the end of the world, our staff com-piled a list of activities to do just in case the Mayans are correct. We also discuss the issue of medical marijuana and its place, or lack thereof, at APU. Meanwhile, our design editor, Megan Laber, takes a stab at the T. Swift phenomenon, asking whether or not the pure pop princess should be so idolized. I’ll keep my opinion to myself on this one.

After passing by one-too-many DTRs, staff writer, Maddie Shook, held a roundtable discussion with APU men and women about the dreaded friendzone. And finally, for those feeling the pull of the matrimonial clock, Lauren Williams took to the Cougar Walk in search of the advice of APU men on how to get the ring by spring.

As we conclude with the fall semester, the Collide staff ardently hopes that you’ll find an article here that speaks to you. We con-tinue to search for stories that impact and articles that challenge us as individuals and a community. We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to continuing the conversations come spring.

Chelsea Johnson | English majorEditor-in-Chief

Collide Student Magazine • December 2012 • Issue 11

Editor-in-Chief ✳ Chelsea Johnson | [email protected]

Design Editor ✳ Megan Laber | [email protected]

Online Editor ✳ Mark Miller | [email protected]

Publicist ✳ Chelsey Barmore | [email protected]

Copy Editor ✳ C. Amaris Felton | [email protected]

Advertising Representative ✳ Danielle Ahn | [email protected]

Adviser ✳ Tim Posada | [email protected]

Contributing Writers ✳ Maddie Shook, Joshua Bligh, Ashley Cameron, Jennifer Cline, Lauren Williams, Kelsey O’Brien, Josh OuelletteContributing Artists ✳ Danica Bowers

Mission StatementCollide is a publication of The Clause, a multi-media student voice of undergraduate Azusa Pacific University. Our stories seek to bring

people together on our pages where our ideas collide and stories impact readers. We provide narratives, inquiries, and dialogue in a

Christian academic setting that values individual's stories as well as community concerns. Our writers are student-journalists interested

in crafting articles that connect with readers and challenge them to grow as people and reporters.

Like our magazine? Want to put your advertisement in our pages?Please contact: Advertising Representative ✳ Danielle Ahn | [email protected]

editor's note

collide

L e a r n t o t e a c hC o m p a s s i o n a t e l y

C r e a t i v e l y

e f f e C t i v e l y

L i k e c h r i s t .

the BioLa University schooL of edUcation

The world needs more teachers who taught like Christ did: compassionately,

creatively, & effectively. Biola’s School of Education offers state-certified

teaher preparation in a supportive, all-Christian environment–a community

that cares for the flourishing of every one of its students, and for the world

they will impact.

For more inFormation on the Biola University school oF

edUcation, or to apply For one oF oUr gradUate programs,

visit BioLa.edU/edUcation

Pictured above is the classroom of alumnus Michael Long, 2008 California Teacher of the Year

APOCALIST

THREADS

THE FRIENDZONE

CHRISTIAN FEMINISM

2012 AT A GLANCE

FANTASY FOOTBALL

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

@apucollide

Make sure to check out Collide online for even more great stories.

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Featured ArtistDanica Bowers is a senior graphic design major who recently revisited the question "Who let the dogs out?"

the list ApocalistJust in case the Mayan calendar is correct, here is a list of things to do each day from now until Dec. 21, 2012. Happy cataclysm, everyone!

Start Here!

Get a cat. Name it after your favorite Harry Potter character. Crookshanks, anyone?

Tattoo something absurd in an awkward place. See the roommate from Bridesmaids for inspiration.

Rob a bank; make it rain.

Walk on the amphitheater grass.

Tell your mom about the tunnel you tried to burrow in that weird closet under the stairs.

Ghostride the whip.

Read 50 Shades of Grey or find your own Christian Grey.

Krump during chapel worship.

Hit someone in the head with a glass bottle and see if it breaks.

Paint a mural on a cave wall for future lifeforms to find.

Become a Jedi master. The Death Star could very well be our afterlife destination.

Join a flash mob or flash a mob.

Toss your purity ring into the fires of Mount Doom.

Smoke a cigarette, you’ll die anyway.

Hostess went out of business. Buy all the Twinkies. Buy them now.

DIY Hunger Games.

Run a marathon...keep running.

Dec. 5th

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Lucas Crowns LeiaIt's official: Star Wars lives on. On Oct. 30 George Lucas passed the Star Wars franchise into the hands of its new owner, Disney, which purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. Disney executives announced that plans for Episode VII, part of another trilogy, are in the works — with perhaps even more to come. One question remains: Does this make Leia Disney’s first and only intergalactic princess?

Beam Me Up, ShattyLook out, app-happy consumers. There’s now an app for William Shatner. “Shatoetry,” designed for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, allows users to choose from a variety of words to form sentences called “Shatisms.” The user then hits the “Shat that!” button which enables the voice of the Star Trek legend to recite the newly cre-ated custom phrases. Users can then elect to share their creations on their social media sites. Now you can take Shatner to-go.

Off-Road RageHester Prynne had a scarlet “A”; Shena Hardin has “idiot.” On two accounts Hardin, 32, drove on the sidewalk to avoid the wait of a stopped bus in Cleveland. The bus driver, Uriah Herron, caught Hardin on video amidst her off-road ma-neuver on the first day of school in September. In accordance with the judge’s orders, Hardin was ordered to wear a sign at the same intersec-tion that said: “Only an idiot drives on the sidewalk to avoid a bus.” In addition, Hardin lost her license for 30 days and must pay a $250 fine.

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ATTN: Below Freezing BridesLadies, are you worried about finding stylish footwear for your winter wedding? Look no further, UGG Australia recently debuted their “I Do Wedding Collection,” for cold-weather and Antarctic brides alike. Options include a boot covered in iridescent sequins, a shimmery boot complete with a large jewel and the “Fluff Flip Flop I Do!” for brides with a desire for fluffy, warm flip-flops.

Numbers

Cuddle-less No MoreFeeling stressed or lonely? The Huffington Post UK reported the success of Jackie Samuel, a self-pro-claimed professional cuddler. Samuel, a student and mother, turned to the cuddling business for finan-cial reasons. She draws the line at cuddling and has reaped so much success that she recently hired a fellow cuddler, Colleen, to fill the needs of the un-cuddled community.

Itty Bitty iPadOn Nov. 2 Apple released the new iPad mini, a mod-el 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the third generation iPads. Despite the iPad mini's ingenuity, the lines of customers on opening day did not compare with the long waits after the advent of the iPhone 5 or other Apple innovations. "As light as a pad of paper," the iPad mini is now on the market, starting at $329 for the 16GB model and exceeding $500 for the 64GB model. Start saving now.

The number of hours some customers had to wait until they could get gas at the Hess Gas Station at 4th Avenue and Union Street in Brooklyn, NY. When Hurricane Sandy swept the region, it zapped the power out of New Jersey's gas refineries as well as many homes and businesses along the east coast.

The price for the amount of lobsters Pennsylvania resident, Charles Shumanis III, stole from Allentown supermarkets to support his drug habit. According to various news sites, Shumanis repeatedly stole lobsters and meat before he was confronted about the thieved crustaceans. While he could spend up to 25 years in jail, a Lehigh County judge suggested Shumanis be sent to a prison that would also help him with his drug and alcohol problems.

The age of the youngest golf ball player to ever enter the Masters Golf Tournament. Guan Tianlang played a good game in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand. His victory won him a spot in the 2013 tournament. As one of the four major golf championships, the Masters will occur in April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.

The amount of dollars (in millions) that Halo 4 grossed during its long-awaited debut. Yet, Halo 4’s release is still eclipsed by the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which grossed more than $400 million on its first day.

The combined number of women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate as a result of the 2012 elections. This number set a new record in women representatives in the House and Senate. House Minority speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the newly elected as, “The most diverse caucus in the history of the world.”

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?By Maddie Shook

The friendzone phenomenon has spread across the APU campus. A panel of APU students gathered to take a closer look at the friendzone, why it happens and how someone can get out of it.

TheClause.org / Collide • 9

Whether you feel awkward walking past a DTR on the Wynn Amphi-theater steps, laugh at the "Friend-

zone Fiona" meme online, or personally reside in the friendzone, its prevalence on the APU campus is clear. The friend-zone has become a part of APU culture. In order to truly explore all facets of this relationship phenomenon, I held a roundtable interview with three APU women and four men.

What exactly is the friendzone? Senior cinematic arts major Mark Dor-man, defined the friendzone as, "when a participant in a relationship between two people of the opposite gender views the other as a sexual non-entity." Moreover, the term "friendzone" can be used as both a noun and a verb.

Victoria Chatburn, a sophomore theater arts major, has friendzoned a man before. She said that the friend-zone is, "when you have a friend of the opposite sex that you don't want to date, but you know they want to date you." The act of friendzoning can be utilized not only to prevent a romantic relation-ship, but also to preserve a friendship. People friendzone each other in order to prevent ruined friendships due to the often awkward aftermath of failed rela-tionships.

In one of the most fascinating moments of the discussion, the panel discussed whether or not both parties of a friendzone relationship could be romantically interested in each other. Senior applied health major Deanna Willis suggested that since "guys like the chase," a woman can friendzone a man in order to incite their interest. Her statement was met with silence and confusion from the male counterparts of the discussion. Their silence was soon followed by uproarious and slightly bit-ter laughter, which culminated in Dor-man throwing his fedora on the ground in frustration.

The women of the panel unani-mously concluded that they never show interest in a man first since they believe that men enjoy the pursuit that court-ship entails. Immediately, all of the

men at the table began laughing. Senior cinematic arts major Jeff Holmes said, "What girls don't realize is that guys are dumb. We need some sort of sign to show that the girl is interested, because that affects our thinking and behavior."

The panel decided that both genders can be oblivious of the other's feelings. Friendzoning can often happen without a conversation being held. Dorman stat-ed how most women may use the phrase "I think you are such a great friend" as a way to friendzone a man. However, a man may think that the woman likes them when he hears that. The friend-zone, more often than not, comes as a blindside.

Dana Lundblad, a sophomore theater major, said, "Most of the time friendzoning is the result of miscom-munication. One person can perceive something as a display of affection, while the other is just a flirty person."

Why is friendzoning so common at APU? Senior youth ministry major Si-mon Goehring believes there is more than the uneven gender ratio that con-tributes to the prevalence of friendzon-ing. "I think that friendzoning happens when there is a sense of relational at-traction, but no sense of the sparks of romantic attraction. At APU, there's of-ten a fear of being sexual, fun and flirty, which prevents any kind of spark," said Goehring.

Friendzoning may also be so popu-lar since students often use their time in college to experiment when it comes to dating. College is the prime time for students to determine what they want in a relationship. As a result, students are in what Willis calls, "the trying on phase". Yet, a lot of damage can be done to those who don’t handle it cor-rectly. "The trying-on phase can screw up someone's psyche," Willis said.

Because emotions are involved, friendzoning shouldn’t be taken lightly. "It is important to remember there is a definite emotional connection between both parties involved," said Chatburn.

Emotional connections most often result in bad endings to friendzone re-

lationships. "Of the people that I have decided to remain just friends with, it’s only the people that I have not had physical contact with that have stuck around," Holmes said.

The ultimate question, is whether a person can get out the friendzone, and the answer is a resounding YES. The panel disagreed though on wheth-er women or men have an easier time getting out of the friendzone. Each sex thought the opposite had it easier. The reasoning for both sides was rooted in why men and women friendzone in the first place. Willis stated that women most often friendzone due to the lack of an emotional connection or insecu-rity, factors that can be easily changed. "Guys friendzone only because they think they can do better, or because the woman has a trait that she cannot change like age or height," said Willis.

The men reasoned that they friend-zone for completely different reasons than women. A man often friendzones a woman who may not seem like a ro-mantic option at the moment, but he may still want to keep her in his life. "When a guy meets a woman, she is one of two things: a romantic option or not. It only takes between five and fifteen seconds to decide whether he is going to behave in a friendly or flirty manner with her," said Holmes.

Both Dorman and Holmes asserted that men can easily change their minds about whether they see a woman as a romantic option, making it easier for women to get out of the friendzone. Dorman said men weigh two options: to friendzone a woman in order to refrain from the worry of them as a romantic prospect or to refrain from worry alto-gether. "If a woman can prove to a guy that she is worth worrying about it, she can break any man's friendzone," said Dorman.

The panel concluded, that al-though it may take time, people can just as easily see someone as a romantic prospect as they do a platonic one.■

""I think that friendzoning happens when there is a sense of relational attraction, but no sense of the sparks of romantic attraction. At APU, there's often a fear of being sexual, fun and flirty, which prevents any kind of spark."" –Simon Goehring

10 • Collide / December 2012

Roommate HorrorsBy Lauren Williams

At least your roommate doesn’t douse you in ice water while you’re sleeping.

Dirty dishes sitting out for days. Make-up caked on the bathroom counter. Noise at obscene hours of the morning. We’ve all had roommates who weren’t quite the picture of perfection.

Tyler Christian, a senior economics major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has unique memories of his freshman year roommate. Christian’s roommate was expelled after the first year because he failed to go to class for two full quarters. But that’s not what bothered Christian the most.

“I was sleeping and he came home, from a party I think, really late one night,” said Christian. “Keep in mind, I’ve known him for three days. He comes home, stands next to my bed, and just pukes everywhere on top of me, on top of everything next to me, and then passes out on the floor.”

Unfortunately for Christian, this wasn’t the first time this happened. On a different night, his roommate came home late and, thinking Christian was a restroom, proceeded to relieve himself on Christian and his bed.

Christian said that he never saw his roommate shower or brush his teeth; and neither did anyone else. In order to help with the odor, Christian used Lysol to spray his roommate when he wasn’t looking.

“The very first time I ever saw him shower he asked me to leave the room so he could air-dry,” said Christian. “He wanted to walk around the room naked to air-dry.”

Although Christian’s stories are humorous now, it’s doubtful he thought so at the time.

Kurt Juergens, a post-graduate from Mid-Atlantic Chris-tian University, moved in with a new roommate he didn’t know after college and had a memorable experience.

“Sometimes I would go in the bathroom and there would be something,” said Juergens. “It would be gnarly. Not just a lack of flushing but [feminine stuff], and other things.” Anyone who happened to walk into that bathroom at the wrong time would definitely be disgusted.

Juergen’s roommate would let her dishes sit out for days

with the food completely caked on the dishes. “She didn’t understand why we had ants,” said Juergens. Although Juergen’s roommate would leave dirty dishes

everywhere, he wasn’t allowed the same luxury. “Every now and then I would buy a newspaper,” said

Juergens. “If I left it on the kitchen table, though, that was a problem.”

Juergens, not having known his roommate before mov-ing in with her, was often confused by her habits.

“She talked to herself a lot while doing dishes and other stuff,” said Juergens. “It was just fragments. It sounded like she was on the phone but there was no one on the other line.”

On the other hand, there is Derek Alward, a California State University Fullerton graduate. Alward was the room-mate who provided the horror stories for his roommates.

“My roommate was an RA for our dorm building,” said Alward. “My buddies and I knew my roommate pretty well so we all got dressed up in animal costumes. We all had keys to our respective roommates’ rooms and we had buckets of ice cold water. We went around at about four or five in the morning and poured water all over our roommates and left.”

Which roommate are you? If you take Alward’s lead, you might find yourself on someone else’s list of roommate horror stories.■

"The very first time I ever saw him shower he asked me to leave the room so he could air-dry."

-Tyler Christian

street art takeoverBy C. Amaris Felton • Photos by Megan Laber

aesthetics

Art is a form of expression and the mediums are endless. Dancers create it through movement, writers create it through words and street artists create it through lively

illustrations on buildings. Los Angeles street art has grown into an art movement.

While all art is a reflection of an artist’s inner being, street art is a public display of craftsmanship. It can range anywhere from street installations to murals. Street art has become a well-known addition to the city.

In Anna Almendrala’s Huffington Post article, “Los An-geles Street Art,” Erich Redson, editor of the LA Taco blog, said, “The street art scene in Los Angeles is probably the most vibrant in the world. Tourists from other countries are already coming to LA specifically to see our street art, and as this art form grows in popularity this will only increase.”

Street art in LA has not only gained the interest of its in-habitants, but has also gained the interest of those who reside in other nations. “You will learn more about LA by driving around and looking at free, legal and illegal art than you will by opening the newspaper,” Almendrala wrote.

Street art is characterized by vibrant colors and cartoon-ish figures that display a picturesque idea of the city’s being. If LA is a body, street art is the heart.

A drive around the city is not the only way tourists can view LA’s finest street art. The LAB ART Gallery of Los An-geles is the largest gallery in the nation dedicated to street art. It spans 6,500 square feet and will celebrate its second year anniversary on May 13, 2013.

“My brother [Iskander Lemseffer] and I noticed that there was no single home for street art and we wanted to create that,” said Rachel Joelson, co-owner of LAB ART Gallery.

According to Joelson, the gallery presents around four new openings each week. Artists submit their work to the gallery via email, then Joelson and her brother review it. The gallery features approximately 300 works by over 30 artists.

“I think it [street art] was a progression that had to happen and people had to start taking notice [of] it because it was everywhere. It’s kind of been just a natural progression,” said Joelson. “I’m not really shocked by it, I kind of expected it.”

The Museum of Contemporary Art’s series “Art in the Streets” is another way to experience street art. The series premiered on MOCAtv on Oct. 18 and airs every Thursday. According to the museum’s blog The Curve, “This series also explores the classic films that show historical moments in street art and graffiti by directors and artists like Henry Chalfant and Craig R. Stecyk III from MOCA’s ‘Art in the Streets’ exhibition.”

The city welcomes street art in the form of murals if the art fits within LA’s regulations. Work must adhere to certain guidelines in order for a mural to “go up.” According to Paul Racs, director of the Office of Community Beautification in LA, if a street artist wishes to display his or her art, the artist must acquire a cultural affairs permit.

“They [street artists] would have to have a design laid out so that the city could look at [it] and determine whether it

meets certain community standards,” said Racs. Although the city has particular standards, Racs also

mentioned that in the past various graffiti artists were allowed to display their work with a permit. However their art had to be in accordance with residents’ desires.

“A lot of it [street art] does depend on the community, but really, from our perspective, what we want to stay away from is a lot of the graffiti style work — a lot of the spray paint can art…some people like it and a lot of people don’t,” said Racs. “So, obviously, if the city is going to allow something to go up, we don’t want to have half the people that live in that neighborhood complaining about it.”

Yet, street art is continually becoming more recognized as a legitimate art form. In Jori Finkel’s LA Times article, “L.A.'s Street Art Pioneers Paint a Colorful History,” one of MOCA’s Art in the Streets exhibition curators, Aaron Rose, said street art is an established art movement. “Just [six] years ago, street art was an underground thing, very rene-gade,” Rose admitted to the LA Times.

Part of the reason street art was merely an underground trend was because of its association with graffiti. Some graf-fiti is often associated with vandalism, which has a negative connotation. But now, graffiti and street art are often sepa-rated.

As LA embraces the prominence of street art, more and more viewers can’t ignore the significance of such a move-ment.

Street artists Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Mear One have become the urban Picassos, Warhols and van Goghs known for their specific art styles and intriguing canvases. Aspiring artists can utilize the free wall space along Venice Beach to display their own art.■

Street art tattoos itself on the walls and hearts of the LA community as the modern art form of our generation.

“I think it [street art] was a progression that had to happen and people had to start taking notice [of] it because it was everywhere. It’s kind of been just a natural progression, I’m not really shocked by it. I kind of expected it.” –Rachel Joelson


FeminisismChristianBy Jennifer Cline

feature

Experts discuss the progression and foundation of Christian feminism while exploring the idea of biblical equality.

In the 19th century, feminism took root on American soil with the women’s suffrage movement. Their immediate goal earned women the right to vote in 1920. Since then, feminism has spread into a wider set of interests. Feminists seek political, economic and social equality for men and women. They are now most outspoken on issues concerning equal pay, reproductive rights and the degradation of women across multiple media outlets.

Christian feminism, a facet of the overarching feminist movement, seeks equality for men and women on moral and spiritual levels. This branch of feminism focuses mainly on the ordination of women and a woman’s equality in marriage. It emphasizes the spiritual equality of men and women as represented in both the New and Old Testaments of the Bible.

“Christian feminism has existed for several hundred years,” said Dr. Rosemary Radford Reuther, author and visiting professor of feminist theology at the Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University, “It was firm already in 16th Century England and was renewed again in the 19th century and the 1960s in the United States.” The history of feminism has long included a strong Christian sect.

“Basically, [Christian feminism] is an affirmation of the full equality of men and women in their created and redeemed nature as it should be affirmed by the light and teachings of Christ,” said Reuther. Biblical gender roles are not inimical. That is to say, men filling traditional male gender roles and women filling traditional female gender roles is not a commandment.

There are many Christians who agree that the sexes are created equal, but personally shy away from the label of feminism. Many of these Christians prefer the term “egalitarian” because they believe feminism is too widely associated with a specific political agenda.

Dr. Ronald Pierce, co-editor and contributing author of the book Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy and professor of Biblical and Theological studies for Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, prefers to refer to himself as an egalitarian. Feminism tends to be about women achieving equality whereas “egalitarianism is about men and women and how they work together,” said Pierce.

Despite the amount of support for Christian feminism, many Christians still believe feminist and egalitarian philosophy is against the biblical separation of sexes. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 specifically references this. “In Christ, man is neither independent nor separate from a woman,” said Pierce about this verse. Biblical equality in marriage is about “a mutual sense of submission and love between man and wife,” said Pierce.

Christian feminists and egalitarians focus on how equality of the sexes is specifically promoted throughout the Bible. They believe that the case for biblical equality begins before the fall of humanity. Pierce said, “In the creation accounts, there is no mention of male leadership or female submission or subordination.” There is only mention of the authority of God over man and woman, as well as

their authority to rule over the rest of creation together. Christian feminism extends beyond the theory of the separation

of the sexes. Author Dr. Leon J. Podles explained that the Christian church in America is becoming a feminine institution. “As women in general society are taking over many of the roles that men traditionally had they are also taking over the traditional male roles in the church,” Podles said. Yet, at the same time, the number of American women, as a whole, who are Christian and/or active in the church is falling because “women are assuming not only the roles traditionally geared towards men, but also the mindsets,” said Podles.

Suzanne Venker, author of The Flipside of Feminism: What Smart Women Know–and Men Can’t Say and other books, lies on the other end of the spectrum. “[Feminism] didn’t start out this way, but it has recently set out to make the sexes interchangeable,” said Venker. One of the main fallacies of modern feminism, Christian or otherwise, is the idea that “the only reason that the sexes act the way that they do is because the mother gives trucks to her little boys and dolls to her little girls,” Venker said. This completely neglects the inherent differences between men and women in their biology and their mental processes, Venker explained.

“Feminists have been so successful in teaching this false treatment of equality—they’ve made equality mean sameness,” Venker said. Instead, she pointed out that equality of the sexes doesn’t mean creating a completely androgynous society. Venker believes androgyny, the idea of having both female and male characteristics, is promoted in the feminist critique of the word “submission” within the Bible.

“Subservience and submission are two different things. Subservience means that you are less than; submission means that two people literally can’t drive the same car,” Venker said, “The biblical concept says that someone’s got to drive and that someone’s got to take the passenger seat. Feminists have the idea that being in the passenger seat makes them less than.”

Feminism seeks political, social and economic equality between men and women and Christian feminism is the extension of this idea into spirituality. Though the voices on this topic differ, very few people would argue that men and women are unequal. ■

Basically, [Christian feminism] is an affirmation of the full equality of men and women in their created and redeemed nature as it should be affirmed by the light and teachings of Christ.

– Dr. Rosemary Radford Reuther "

"


The Blunt TruthBy Joshua Bligh and Mark Miller

Photo by Andre Blais

Medical marijuana has risen in both popularity and controversy over the last few years, especially in California. Although legal on a state level, medical marijuana continues to exist under the ban of some California universities.

The Blunt Truth

marijuana industry in California. The infusion of popular culture in the medical industry also seems to discredit its validity. Strains of the plant are given “brand” names such as Barely Legal Express and Killa Crip Kush which detract from the medicine’s respectability. Yet, one can hardly imagine walking into a pharmacy and asking to pick up a prescription of Dankey Doodle.

Marijuana as MedicineAlternatives to smoking weed exist for patients. Cannabis

can be consumed through vaporization of the active ingredients (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC), edible materials infused with the active ingredients or even salves. “People have been using a topical concentration in cases of skin cancer with great success,” said Birkett. These treatments can have the analgesic and soothing effects desired for treating an ailment with minimal feelings of being “high” or “stoned.” “[There are] other drugs that are more effective, perhaps, but have serious side effects,” said Birkett.

Birkett provided an example of his friend who has multiple sclerosis (MS) and said doctors suggested steroids to treat her condition. However, the side effects were unpleasant and “she was convinced that marijuana was the best choice.”

“Marijuana does have its own family of side effects,” said Birkett. These include, but are not limited to: anxiety, nausea and insomnia. Oddly enough, for other patients cannabis may act as relief for these same symptoms. The effects of cannabis tend to differ from person to person and what may soothe a symptom in one patient may provoke said symptoms in another.

“Research has suggested it slows the progression of multiple sclerosis,” David L. Bearman, MD, a physician and medical marijuana expert. To this day, cannabis is widely prescribed to MS patients with many finding substantial relief from their symptoms. Bearman also stated that studies have shown marijuana to be beneficial in treating asthma, attention deficit disorder and even post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Bearman noted that the number one reason marijuana is recommended to patients is as an analgesic. “Historically, the founder of modern medicine, Sir William Osler…said that cannabis was the best treatment for migraine headaches,” said Bearman. “In the 1920s, there were an average of about three million prescriptions by doctors for cannabis, per year.” However, as soon as 1937, the American Medical Association turned against the use of cannabis as medicine. “I believe that for medical cannabis, we should return to the 1920s. You go to a doctor and he [or she] prescribes it.”

The mention of medical marijuana often leads to discussion of its recreational use. “I think it’s a mistake to talk about the recreational and medical sides of cannabis in the same breath,” said Bearman.

Where Weed Hits HomeAt a local level, Azusa Pacific University considers

recreational and medical marijuana use one in the same. The university’s school policy clearly states that the use of marijuana (medically or recreationally) is prohibited and any

On election day, Colorado and Washington residents set a new tone in America's outlook on marijuana as they voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults 21 and

older. When — or if — these measures take place, the two states would monitor and control sales of small amounts of marijuana in a similar way to the sale of alcohol. If the United States Department of Justice doesn’t present a lawsuit to contest the laws’ congruity with federal law, all of this would add fuel to the blaze already sparked by the $1.7 billion industry of medical marijuana.

A Look Into Pot’s PastThe earliest medical use of cannabis, or marijuana, dates

as far back as 2727 B.C. according to Chinese records of pharmacopoeia. For a few thousand years many cultures allowed and even encouraged the use marijuana for its medicinal, calming and intoxicating effects. Today the U.S. government controls and prohibits marijuana at the federal level, but prolific use of marijuana continues across the country and, prepare to be surprised, even at Azusa Pacific University. However, no students were willing to discuss the issue for fear of reprimand.

Over the years, state government officials made movements to legalize the plant for medicinal use. In 1996 the California courts passed Proposition 215, legalizing medical marijuana. According to Drug Policy Alliance’s website, California has the most expansive and popular medical marijuana system in the entire country compared to the other 17 states (and D.C.) that have legalized medical marijuana. This policy allows individuals to obtain natural medication for various ailments as an alternative to the synthetic drugs provided by traditional pharmacies.

According to Senate Bill 420, California allows patients to possess “no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana and/or six mature (or 12 immature) marijuana plants.” However, patients may have larger quantities of marijuana at the recommendation of a doctor.

Although the medical marijuana system does indeed benefit legitimate patients, it contains flaws as well. “There are people that will try to exploit the system; that is to be expected,” said Rich Birkett, founder of Freedom Activist Network, a network designed to provide information for activists of human rights and freedoms. Especially in California, citizens can easily obtain a fairly affordable (from $33 to $66 for patient registration) medical marijuana license by way of a physician’s oral or written recommendation.

Ease of access is but one of the problems with the medical


student caught using or possessing preparations of the plant will be subject to discipline. This makes sense in terms of recreational use; the plant is illegal according to federal law. Yet, despite California’s state regulations, APU continues to ban medical marijuana.

APU isn’t alone in this act. According to California Lutheran University’s school handbook, “Medically recommended marijuana is not recognized…by the university as a legal prescription.” Cal Lutheran made its decision on the issue based on marijuana's status on a federal level. “Really despite California's usage of medical marijuana, we side with federal law,” said Melinda Roper, director of student life at Cal Lutheran, emphasizing the fact that federal law doesn't recognize the use of medical marijuana. Roper said in the case of students coming to Cal Lutheran while already using medical marijuana, the university would notify them of the school policies and encourage them to seek other treatment options instead.

In contrast to APU and Cal Lutheran, schools such as Point Loma University, USC, BIOLA and Harvard do not have clauses in their handbooks that specifically restrict the use of a legal medical marijuana prescription.

“I respect that people have different opinions on this issue; however, the university is very clear in its position to not allow the use of medical marijuana,” said Willie Hamlett, associate vice president for student life at APU. “We acknowledge that findings related to medical marijuana are controversial...but the dangers of drug use are significant. Thus the university errs on the side of caution.” Hamlett said APU acknowledges marijuana’s use as medication, but he noted that loose usage and abuse seem to accompany even the legal presence of marijuana.

In light of potential misuse of legal medical marijuana, APU has continued to support other forms of medical treatment instead of marijuana. “We would simply say you should find another way of managing [the health issue] you’re dealing with,” Hamlett said, suggesting that doctors affiliated with APU could find a substitute for medical marijuana. ■

“I believe that for medical cannabis, we should return to the 1920s. You go to a doctor and he [or she] prescribes it.”– David L. Bearman, MD


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“The key to getting the ring by spring is to persistently ask for it. Every single day, ‘Where’s my ring?’”–Nick Fanton, senior English major

“Independence.” –Riley Tremayne, sophomore communications studies major

“Stay healthy, stay hefty and stay happy.”–Paul Cords, senior applied health science major

“I think the best thing a girl can do is be there and love Jesus. I think the most attractive quality in a girl is when she just loves Jesus.”–Spencer Rickman, freshman theology major

“Frequent trips to Donut Man.”–Brennan Jung, junior psychology major

“Being the fan of my favorite sports team. That would be the Dodgers. Go Blue!”

–Alexander Tutungi, freshman music business major

“They [women] have to be willing to go out with guys. A lot of girls here don’t want to go out because they are afraid to take a chance with someone they don’t know.”–Daniel Pilcher, junior business major

“Don’t ever make me have a DTR because it’s not gonna go your way.”–Nick McClellen, sophomore music major

“Modest is hottest.”–Kyle Hahn, freshman communications studies major

“Don’t rush the perfect guy.”–Quincy White, freshman business major



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“The key to getting the ring by spring is to persistently ask for it. Every single day, ‘Where’s my ring?’”–Nick Fanton, senior English major

“Independence.” –Riley Tremayne, sophomore communications studies major

“Stay healthy, stay hefty and stay happy.”–Paul Cords, senior applied health science major

“I think the best thing a girl can do is be there and love Jesus. I think the most attractive quality in a girl is when she just loves Jesus.”–Spencer Rickman, freshman theology major

“Frequent trips to Donut Man.”–Brennan Jung, junior psychology major

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May. Jun. Jul.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) (Jan. 18) The biggest protest in the history of the Internet. SOPA was a proposed bill to stop copyright infringement by restricting access to sites that dealt with pirated content. After much uproar that resulted in an Internet blackout on Jan. 18, the bill was officially postponed as of Jan. 20. During the protest, Wikipedia pulled its English site offline and Google censored its homepage logo.

Kony 2012 (March 5)Kony 2012 was a short film created by Invisible Children, Inc. The film’s purpose was to shed light on the horrific actions of Joseph Kony, a Ugandan cult and militia leader, who kidnapped and killed children. In the past 20 years, 30,000 children have been abducted, used as sex slaves and killed. The video spread across the world and raised support for his arrest.

Hunger Games Film Debut (March 21)Suzanne Collins’ best selling series, The Hunger Games, released the first movie in the trilogy on May 21, 2012. The movie grossed $155 million in its opening weekend. Only Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and The Dark Knight made more money during an opening weekend. The sequel, Catching Fire, will be released Nov. 22, 2013.

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (June 2)June 2, 2012 marked the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in England. Her coronation took place on June 2, 1953. For the celebration, Buckingham Palace coordinated multiple events which included a pageant, concert and a beacon lighting ceremony to celebrate the monarch’s reign.

London Olympics (July 27 - Aug. 12)The 2012 London Olympics marked the first Olympics where every country had at least one female athlete and every sport had both male and female competitors. Michael Phelps ended his Olympic career with 18 gold medals and a total count of 22 medals over the course of four Olympic competitions.

Photos by Jannis Tobias Werner, Featureflash,Georgios Kollidas,Eric Broder Van Dyke,Filip Fuxa, Bikeworldtravel, Andy Lidston

2012 AT A GLANCE

Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Gunman at Batman Premier (July 19-20)During the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, James Eagan Holmes shot off tear gas grenades and then proceeded to shoot into the audience of the movie theater, killing 12 and injuring 58.

iPhone 5 Release (Sept. 21)The long awaited iPhone 5, according to Apple’s website, is 18 percent thinner, 20 percent lighter and has 12 percent less volume than the previous model. Siri, a virtual personal assistant, has been updated to understand more questions and languages, and can now post to Facebook.

Giants Win World Series (Oct. 28)The San Francisco Giants played the Detroit Tigers for the 2012 World Series. The Giants won the first and only four games of the Series. Third baseman for the Giants, Pablo Sandoval, received the MVP award. Game four of the series received 15.5 million viewers and broke records for the most talked about MLB game in social media.

Presidential Election (Nov. 6)On Nov. 6, 2012 the election for the 57th president took place. President Barack Obama ran for reelection against his main competitor, Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Obama won the election with 332 electoral votes, while Romney obtained 206 electoral votes.

End of the World Prediction (Dec. 21)Many believe the Maya predicted the world would end on Dec. 21, 2012 because their calendar made an abrupt stop on that date. Some believe the world will go through a “spiritual awakening” instead of an actual ending since this date will mark the first time in 25,000 years that the Earth will align in the middle of the Milky Way equator, resulting in a shift in magnetic powers.

– Ashley Cameron

FROM KONY TO KATNISS (AND A POSSIBLE APOCALYPSE), WE'VE COMPILED A TIMELINE OF EVENTS THAT MADE HEADLINES THIS YEAR.


23 • Collide / November 2012

fa

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A League

Of Its

Own

By Josh Ouellette

Fantasy football is a culture of its own. It has quickly become a genre of football that makes even the most ardent fans root against their own favorites, all to ensure

their fantasy team gets the ever-elusive “W.” But what is this confounded fantasy dimension of the game of football?

Fantasy football isn’t complicated. Every player in the NFL is fair game. You draft players every season and try to compile the best possible “fantasy” team. The object is to beat the other people who own teams in your given league in a weekly head-to-head match-up.

Here’s where fantasy football gets interesting. Participants must navigate through the nuances between different leagues, the amount of teams per league, the dedication of the managers of every team, bye weeks, the dedication of the league’s commissioner, injuries, players blatantly not living up to their potential, adds and drops, waiver wire additions, unexpected performances from low-rated players, mid-season swings of momentum, catching said momentum swings and other aspects of the game.

Okay, maybe owning and running a fantasy team can get a little complicated. But it’s one of the fastest growing cultures surrounding the NFL. According to CNBC’s online article by David Caldwell entitled NFL Sees Real Opportunity Fantasy

Football, Caldwell said, “Fantasy football was created in 1962 but has mushroomed in popularity in the last decade, mostly because the Internet makes it easier to track the statistics compiled by the players in actual NFL games.”

Thanks to the Internet this “sport” continues to grow exponentially. And with many fans of the game flocking to their PCs, it’s easy to see why the line between fan and fantasy has blurred. SportsBuff, a leading site in fantasy sports information, released a 2008 study by Ipsos which reported that over 27.1 million Americans play some type of fantasy sport, with over 20 million participants playing fantasy football.

The best example of fantasy football, and of its growth in society, comes from FX ‘s sitcom, The League. It portrays an accurate and comedic depiction of what goes on in the more serious leagues. Most fantasy leagues include a core group of friends, with the rest of the teams consisting of co-workers or fellow football fanatics. The “smack talk” portrayed in The League is eerily reminiscent of what goes on in many of the message threads included with fantasy football hosting sites. And while some of the pranks in the show are clearly over the top, in reality it’s not far off from the interpersonal communications between members of real fantasy football leagues.

As a common practice for relief from hectic working schedules, fantasy football has become a staple and popular topic in the realm of sports. Fantasy football has also become a connecting force in many workplaces, some have created leagues and in doing so have found a common water-cooler topic for the office. Anyone can form a league, though this fantasy season is coming to a close, it’s never too early to start preparing for next year.■

Commissioner of his own league and self-proclaimed football fanatic Josh Ouellette takes us into the world of Fantasy Football.

collide ISN’T ONlY IN PRINT

Check out the stories from this issue, as well as our blogs The Digest & Venture

Venture

Student journalists venture into the local community

Digest

News from outside of the bubble, digested straight to you.

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POINT OF VIEW

The Virgin ParadigmBy Megan Laber

She’s cute. She smiles incessantly. She’s pure as the new winter snow, if Southern California had any. Taylor Swift has swept the Evangelical community off their feet with

songs about love, relationships and…more love. From one trou-bled bad boy to the next troubled bad boy, Swift narrates her ro-mantic journey by way of acoustic guitar. She is one of the most idolized pop stars of our generation. Her music, especially her new album, “Red,” sounds like a B-list, early 2000’s pop record I vaguely remember listening to in junior high. So what is the draw? What makes people, especially a large population of Chris-tian men, obsess over this country pop princess?

Well, sex sells. Or in this case, a proclamation that you’re not having any. Swift admitted to Cosmopolitan magazine that she is still a virgin, and her innocent persona and lyric choice does not lead anyone to believe differently. The media and society have proved that not having a sex life can be just as sexy as having an obscene one (see Kim Kardashian). The key? Desirability.

She has it all: the golden, flowing blond hair, the innocent smile, the baby doll eyes, a boyish figure and a lack of opinion on anything controversial. She is portrayed in interviews as an ex-tremely neutral person, answering questions about her music and new man, or lack thereof. She seems to be stuck in this perpetual state of being the 16-year-old girl next door, never thinking of ex-ploring deeper meaning or profound wisdom. In one of her recent interviews with Glamour magazine she was asked to respond to this stereotype.

“I never feel the need to go out and make some grand state-ment that I'm dark and twisty and complicated, because I'm not that...It's just not as simple as ponies and rainbows, though I do love ponies and rainbows,” Swift said.

She is the perfect example of a prototype girl that every son wishes to take home to meet his critical religious mother. But is that really the ideal you want for yourselves? Do men want to date someone because her innocence is exuding from every pore? What happened to valuing the educated, witty and vivacious woman? I am asking this to all the young men who have Swift’s posters plastered to their walls.

I have to wonder if this is about her obsession with love. Many people imagine that if their significant other was more dedicated and consumed by them, their relationship would be more success-

ful. Swift seems to put love above all else, as she writes on her website: “My favorite thing in life is writing about life, specifi-cally the parts of life concerning love. Because, as far as I'm con-cerned, love is absolutely everything.”

And by love, I am assuming the romantic kind, as it’s essen-tially the only one she sings about in the majority of her music. Are sweetness, compliance and the lack of an opinion attractive assets? Is the traditional docile woman still what men are really looking for? I must ask because I am confused by the phenom-enon of young Christian men flocking to her with this proclama-tion that she is their ideal woman. When I think of the ideal man I definitely don’t look for someone who is wearing a purity ring and doesn’t want to talk about politics. I want someone with analyzed morals and strong views on whatever it is we’re discussing. I want them to have a depth, background and enough sense to argue their passionate opinions.

Advocates for team Swift point to her innocence as a good reason to idolize her over other young women in the music indus-try. I want to propose that a young woman with a Disney-princess ideal of love is anything but innocent. She is perpetuating a role modern day women feel they must either reach or reject: A beau-tiful, innocent, feminine flower awaiting her meaning in life–a man. Women have come too far to be held to such a standard and Swift is just repackaging this ideal for modern culture. I urge men to stop seeing women in this tower, in need of help that only they can offer, and to step off their figurative white horses. Your ideal woman doesn’t need to be saved.■

Megan Laber is a senior journalism major. She enjoys talking about human equality, the difference between French and Eng-lish Bulldogs and films that don't have happy endings. She sug-gests you Google "Paul Ryan workout model" for a good time.

Like what she has to say?Disagree?Tweet us @apucollide


Like what she has to say?Disagree?Tweet us @apucollide

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