There’s something absolutely magical to me about a pink balloon. For one, people look at you differently when you’re carrying a balloon. They wish you a happy birthday, or just generally send warm fuzzy feelings in your direction. They smile when they see the bright pop of color unexpectedly bobbing above your head. With it tied to your backpack, you can feel like you have a friend with you at all times. One of the great myths of American society is that you need a particular reason to have a balloon. If you believe this, let me tell you — you’ve been duped. Absolutely anyone can trot down to the…
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Lost in Translation
Written by Claire Callaway Being unable to speak the same language as your parents is probably unthinkable to most Americans, but for Amy Ortega and her family, it’s an everyday reality. Each year thousands of Mexicans make the huge sacrifice of leaving their home country and come to America in search of better opportunities for their families. Often, one of the secondary effects of this decision is that the immigrants’ children are born and raised as members of a culture that is foreign to their parents. Since most immigrant adults who come to America spend considerable time working to provide for their families, their children might not get to spend…
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The Talk: Addressing Chastity from a Biblical Perspective
Written by Cassandra Gonzales Introduction: When the word “chastity” is mentioned, some people might wrinkle their noses or scratch their heads in confusion. It is a word that is either revered and readily understood or repressed and approached with indifference. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis defines chastity amongst the Christian community as, “the most unpopular of all the Christian virtues.” While some might argue that this notion is still true in the Christian community, perhaps this statement most aptly applies to the college age generation. Many forget that chastity is, indeed, a Christian virtue and a spiritual discipline that is to be practiced within the community. Theological giants such as…
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Top Ten Music Venues
Written by Amy Ortega 1. Bourbon Street Bourbon Street, which channels New Orleans through its decorations and cobblestone walkways, is located seven miles from Biola in downtown Fullerton. With space for up to 150 people, Bourbon Street often hosts private parties, but most come to enjoy the live jazz music while they dine. Admission is usually free. Distance from Biola: 7 miles Hours: 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Contact: (714) 626-0050 2. Steamers Café A block away from Bourbon Street, Steamers Café is known for hosting jazz bands in its small, intimate space that fits no more than 50 people. Steamers offers the opportunity to sit as close to the act as possible — attendees…
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Friend$hip: Tackling Tuition as a Community
Written by Alyssa Alvarez Most students at Biola have one thing in common: a tight budget. Keeping up with the pace of university life while balancing tuition costs can certainly squeeze the wallet, especially when one is making the college journey without financial help from relatives. When a lack of funds threatens to force a departure from Biola, options may seem few and trust in God’s provision is the only beacon of hope. For most, saving grace comes from family members, employment or financial aid. For other students, help arrives from an unexpected source: friends. Austyn Lewis Raising $4,000 in 24 hours might sound impossible. But at first, even Emerson…
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Top Five Ethnic Eateries
Written by Candace Arce-Lindsay Living at Biola can sometimes seem culturally isolating, especially when it comes to cuisine. While on-campus eateries do a great job of keeping students fed and happy, one cannot help but wish for more foreign fare at one time or another. While it’s quick and easy to get your Mexican food fix at the nearest taco stand or to feel cultured wielding chopsticks at Panda Express, Southern California has so much more to offer when it comes to ethnic foods. We tracked down ten students with backgrounds in cultural cuisine, who know the most authentic ethnic restaurants in the Los Angeles area. These places not only…
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A Faith-full Ballot: How Does Biola Vote?
Written by Ethan Froelich Today a conversation about politics in Christian circles can get heated very quickly. Mention “Obamacare,” or the economy, and opinions will fly, from both left and right. From the pulpit, and the front of many Biola classrooms, preachers and professors talk about the latest political debacle, or the new policy that, if enacted, that could threaten Christianity. In the wake of a GOP primary in which the Republican election has been a near toss-up between three, four, sometimes five candidates, it is important to ask the question — “what kind of candidate should I, as a Christian be voting for?” John Mark Reynolds’ family has been…
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Coach Holmquist: The Man Behind the Wins
Written by Conner Penfold In an upstairs corridor of the Chase Gymnasium, at a window overlooking the soccer field and the distant La Mirada Civic Center, sits a quiet, reserved man. He presides over all Biola University athletics, and is the mind behind a flourishing men’s basketball team and its countless wins and successful seasons. He is Dave Holmquist, an icon on campus not only for his incredible basketball achievements, but for his character, his love for the players and his love for the game. Holmquist’s passion for basketball, and consequent successes on the court, have elevated him to a level of achievement on par with the greatest coaches of…
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Extra Innings: Biola Pitchers Pursue Pro Baseball
Written by Ashley Shafer It’s a good thing I met Bobby O’Neill in Common Grounds for our interview, because he really needed a cup of coffee. The exhausted super senior is busy enough with typical college responsibilities like class and a part-time job in the lumber industry. But O’Neill also plays minor league baseball, and the road to the majors is an unbelievably tough and taxing one. O’Neill emphatically ordered black coffee — something his dad introduced him to when he was 12 years old. In addition to teaching his son the importance of a proper caffeine jolt, Vince O’Neill also emphasized hard work and faith in God. These two…
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A Beautiful Arrangement: Behind Music Composition at Biola
Written by Kristi Yumen A blank page is an intimidating prospect. A college student faces it as he begins an essay. A painter faces it as she approaches a future masterpiece. And a composer faces it as he, or she, explores the limits and endless possibilities to be found in the world of notes and chords, clefs and octaves. It starts with improvisation. Dabbling around on the piano, stringing together notes, then scratching them out. Exploring, discovering and evoking emotions and pictures, adorning a blank canvas with inspired music. The work of the composer has only just begun. The Road to Composition Whether it is a recognizable classical piece, an…
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Teaching to a Different Tune
Written by Michelle Hong Although teachers are often defined by their occupations, what truly individualizes them are their quirks and their unique pasts. Professors, like anyone in the workforce, have lives and interests beyond what their jobs demand of them. For some Biola professors, this outside interest lies in the realm of music — an art they have pursued in a variety of ways. Elizabeth Larson: Concert Violinist, Music Professor Elizabeth Larson began playing the violin at age 3, made her debut at age 6, toured with the Boston Pops at age 11, joined an international chamber ensemble at age 26 and founded The Geneva Conservatory of Music, in New…
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Kent Twitchell: A Portrait of an Artist
Written by Bethany Miller The 12-story building a few blocks outside of Skid Row seems, because of its age, that it must have stories to tell, but the blacked-out set of double-doors next door to Subway are nondescript. That’s why, when Kent Twitchell lets me in, my jaw nearly drops: Never, from those unassuming doors, would I have guessed that behind them was a cavernous studio space with enough paintings and sketches to fill a wing of the Getty Museum. On the floor, there’s partly-finished portraits of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan measuring easily 15 feet long; on one wall, sketches of the Founding Fathers, the Statue of Liberty,…
