Written by: Gabriella Thurber Photos by Santi Kraft The comforting views of home look a little different from nine thousand miles away. Every year, hundreds of thousands of international students come to America to pursue higher education. It’s an investment that distances them from the culture and customs they find familiar, challenging them to accommodate new traditions and everyday ways of life. We’ve heard that there’s “no place like home,” so there’s nothing quite like being uprooted and transplanted into a culture an ocean away. Joceline Lie, a freshman at Biola University, encountered this inevitable disorientation when she started university in America last fall. Lie transitioned from Jakarta, the…
-
-
Cross Cultural Stories
Writer: Hannah Larson Introduction These are the stories of nine Biolans from three continents — Asia, Africa and South America — who left their home countries to study here in La Mirada, CA. The international students I interviewed explored a variety of themes, including culture shock, the struggle of a language barrier and the challenges of navigating cultural differences between their home countries and Biola. Some shared stories of arrogance, cultural insensitivity and racism they encountered at Biola. Many also discussed the beauty of their home cultures, described positive experiences at this university and reflected on God’s goodness throughout difficult seasons of adjustment. These stories are not representative of all…
-
Curbed Enthusiasm
Writer: Joan Schueller I Photographer: North Steinbacher I just don’t care anymore is an attitude that permeates our culture. Whether it is working through a college degree or reading the flood of news we receive daily, it is hard to stay invested in everything all at once. We have resorted to the most simple response of apathy. It is easy to get swept up in the fast-paced world we live in and meaning and purpose are lost on us. What can be said to remedy the problem? Maybe the use of time and space can help alleviate this sense of apathy. Apathy Defined Dr. Uche Anizor, Christianity Today’s award-winning author…
-
The Controversial Enneagram
Writer: Kayla Cha I Photo Courtesy of Unsplash Personality tests have taken modern culture by storm. In today’s society, we love to use personality typing to define ourselves. We use these tests to plan our future careers, anticipate our behaviors in relationships, and discover our strengths and weaknesses. We like to be given a code of conduct to live by, a set of rules on how to act and behave. Personality tests include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Love Languages test, the Clifton Strengths Analysis, the Apology test, and many, many more. There is one test, however, that has sparked controversy in Christian circles: the Enneagram. What is the…
-
Connection to Israel
Writer and Photographer: Siosiana Taumoepeau For Christians, Israel is the bedrock of our faith. From the Sea of Galilee to the Jordan River, the land of Israel makes the Bible come to life.. Last summer, I was given the opportunity to visit Israel with several classmates with a program called the Bonhoeffer Fellowship through the club Christians United for Israel at Biola. Our group consisted of 25 students seeking this chance to strengthen their character, faith, and voice by studying the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a man of God who put his faith to action, the theme of the scholarship and fellowship program. I decided to join this…
-
Diversity in Children’s Media
Writer: Kayla Cha | Photo courtesy of Unsplash Representing people of color in children’s realistic fiction, “Diversity means including real people throughout all levels of fiction (and nonfiction), representing real struggles and challenges—and the complete mundane ordinariness of life, too!” —Kate Sullivan There is something special about seeing ourselves represented in media. Through fiction, for a moment, we are able to step into a different world in which we can be a warrior, a princess, a lawyer, an artist, in love, a prodigy—we can be anything we want to be. As children, whether it be Hermione Granger or Peter Pan or Iron Man, we admire these characters, dress…
-
(Not) Home for Thanksgiving
Writer and Photographer: Jenna Wirtz For the Students not Going Home this Thanksgiving Whether you are in class, walking around campus, or grabbing coffee with a friend, chances are that the topic of your Thanksgiving break plans came up this week. Whether that is to a relative’s house nearby, driving up north or down south, or hopping on a plane, many Biola students are going home for the holiday. Although the break is only 5 days long, including the weekend, students return home to family and friends for a momentary refuge from the busyness of the fall semester. There are many reasons why a student may choose not to return home.…
-
The Cult Craze
Writer: Joan Schueller | Photographer: Dania Lopez Humanity’s grotesque obsession with the unique and macabre is a tale as old as time. The American media responds to the call of consumers by saturating movies, TV shows and podcasts with bloody violence, psychological horror, explicit sexual scenes and plots bordering on psychotic. One significant topic that the media has extrapolated on in recent years are cults. The media employs both retrospective and realistic fiction to create the narratives of popular shows such as “Keep Sweet, Pray, and Obey,” “Under the Banner of Heaven,” “Midsommar” and much more. Common reactions to this topic include fear, confusion, but most of all interest due…
-
Is Alpha Haunted?
Writers: Grace Morales and Dania Lopez | Photographer: Dania Lopez When approaching the topic of the all girls dorm Alpha, much of the conversation may proceed with discussions on the possibility of its haunted halls. Built in 1966 and being one of the oldest buildings on campus, it’s no surprise rumors have spread like wildfire about the concerning themes amongst the dark walls. Is this quiet campus dorm hiding more than what meets the eye? It is believed that a horror movie was once filmed inside the dorm but no one has any concrete information that proves this to be true. “I heard that they filmed a horror movie in…
-
COVID-19 and the Shifting of Missions Focus in the Church
When the world seemed void of promise, new opportunities for missions arose. For many churches during the pandemic, opportunities to serve across the world grew scarce and they began to recognize a greater need in their local community. Others worked around obstacles to continue serving other countries. Churches have seen a shift in missionary focus leaning in either direction in the wake of COVID-19. Local Missions Focus For sophomore music composition major Michael Fausett, the pandemic shifted his focus toward local outreach. His love for missions stems from his home church in Texas church, Coronado Baptist, which often emphasizes the importance of Acts 1:8. “With missions specifically, we are called…
-
Are Virtual Friends Real Friends
According to a January 2020 survey published by the health company Cigna, roughly 3 in 5 Americans are lonely. Since 2018, when Cigna first began conducting annual surveys of loneliness, there has been a nearly 13% rise in loneliness. Nonetheless, we have never been so connected with the advent of social media. In their Friendship Report, Snapchat revealed that 79% of survey respondents affirm the helpfulness of digital communication in maintaining relationships. However, it is hard to reconcile the increase in American loneliness to the rise of virtual friendships. Social media is a powerful tool, but its impact is paradoxical — as virtual, relational connectivity increases, interpersonal satisfaction decreases. Something…
-
Top Tips: Adjusting to Campus Life When Everyone Else is, too
As Biola’s first month back on campus for in-person learning comes to a close, students may still be feeling confronted with this transitional season that has now been extended to both freshman and sophomores alike. Here are some tips that were received and compiled from students, alumni, and others who have experienced times of transition and change. 1. “Don’t worry about feeling like you aren’t sure about what you want to do. A lot of us are too…” It’s totally normal to be unsure about your major of choice. In fact, if you ask any upperclassman Biolan, they will most likely have either experienced a change in their…
