Written by Addi Freheit, edited by Lily Journey, designed by Phoebe Han, photographed by Brooke Schimmels After Northwest University junior English major Emma McFarland watched a season of “Schitt’s Creek” within 24 hours, she realized something needed to change. “It goes back to the idea that this isn’t how things are supposed to be,” McFarland explained about spending time on Netflix and Instagram. “When I feel that in my life, I long for a little bit of… escapism.” With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has spent much of 2020 groaning with the knowledge that this is not how things are “supposed” to be. Social isolation, a heightened…
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Online Chapels: finding faith and community in a time of social-distancing
Written by Rebecca Schwind, edited by Addison Freiheit, Photos by Julianne Foster, Designs by Phoebe Han Biola student Hannah Fodera is a chapel scanner. At least, she was until late last semester when students got sent home following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. After landing back home in various places around the globe, students have had to cope with all sorts of transitions. For Biolans, one of those transitions was going from in-person to online chapels. While this can be considered less-than-ideal, the transition also provides students with a chance to focus on their relationships with God. Fodera, a sophomore Christian ministries major, loved greeting people and welcoming them…
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Hard Conversations: Young voters navigate divisive political discussions
Writer: Ashley Grams, Story Editor: Amanda Frese, Designer: Tabita Bernardus, Photographer: Stephanie Guevara In the current political season, voters learn ways to stay informed and engage in conversations via social media. It’s just another day in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven months in and staring at a screen for hours on end is normal. What else is normal? Fighting with your followers on Instagram about the upcoming election. In the past several months, Americans have faced divisive rhetoric across all forms of media. The 2020 presidential election is no exception. Tomorrow, young voters are faced with a tumultuous decision. In an effort to establish normalcy, Generation Z has fallen…
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What’s the Point: How to be a Conscious Consumer in the Era of Misinformation
In light of the upcoming election and the divides we have seen in the United States this year, we asked our readers to send in questions for Professor Michael Longinow, chair of the Department of Digital Journalism and Media at Biola University. Question 1: How can we encourage others to be conscious consumers of media? Leadership by example is the best approach. Don’t preach at people about what they read, watch or listen to. Show them what’s best by being wise in how we approach news and information. When we use the word “media,” it means many things to many people. And it’s generational. Those under 25 tend to see…
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Closed Bibles? The Epidemic of Biblical Illiteracy in the 21st Century
Written by Eliza Lee If one decided to start a diet solely on Taco Bell and McDonalds, it would not take long before they ballooned up and died, or at least became seriously ill. No matter how good those quesadillas and fries taste in the moment, they were never made to satisfy. In fact, instead of satisfying, they actually end up doing a lot of damage. What if the same thing is happening in our souls? Instead of filling our souls with the rich Word of God, we fill it with Instagram posts, funny memes, YouTube videos and episodes of “The Bachelor.” Essentially, these things are the digitized equivalent of…
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Motivation to Move-The Mental Game
Written by Addi Freiheit You can see almost everything it takes for an athlete to perform. Almost. You can see their muscles flex and contract with every movement. You can see their long strides as they sprint around a track or across a field. You can see their eyes track the ball and focus on the goal right before they score. What you cannot see is their minds racing to think three steps ahead, tracking the other players or attacking the mental hurdle called fear. At a sporting event, the audience unknowingly watches the result of extensive physical and mental training. ATHLETE IQ Freshman finance major Enrique Montana III plays…
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Resting in a Restless World
Written by Laine Thomas Rest. The divinely decreed command calling the chosen people of God to set aside their daily agendas and redirect their focus to Him. Yet, this Biblical push for stillness opposes the bustle and drive of American culture. Stemming from the concept of the American Dream, modern society continues to hold self-achievement in high regard. This value has become especially prevalent in the corporate and educational realms, undermining habitual rest. The American College Health Association reports that 57 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do over the course of two weeks, and 55.1 percent felt exhausted from non-physical activity in 2018. This…
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Motivation to Move-Fit for Joy
Written by Addi Freiheit LOVE LEADS TO WORK It was all he could think about. The squish of his cleats in the muddied soil. The whiff of the grass that clung to his shin guards. The slam of the ball as it ricocheted into the net. That elementary-school soccer camp was the beginning of a love story for freshman finance major Enrique Montana III- a love story that led to an adolescence of working his way up from select to premiere to club teams. Now, Montana is on the roster at Clemson University. When a collegiate athlete redshirts, they extend their time on the team for one year in exchange…
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Video Games and Violence: An Ongoing Debate
Written by Yunah Elsner History With the increase of popularity in violent video games and the rise of mass shootings throughout the United States in the last decade, many could suspect a correlation between the two. Debates on whether or not violent video games cause violence has become a large societal and political issue. In 2011, the state of California tried to ban violent video games, and last August after the shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, President Trump gave a speech, encouraging people to stand against violent video games as they are the cause of mass violence and are the “glorification and celebration of violence.” Due to…
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Motivation to Move-The Comparison Trap
Written by Addi Freiheit “Looking good naked is a great side effect. I mean, people love that. It’s not what should be your priority of exercising, if that makes sense,” freshman business marketing and military science major Cameron Huelin said. Looking at Huelin, that sentence might surprise you. Huelin is currently on scholarship at Biola University through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and regularly practices CrossFit – an exercise practice that includes high-intensity functional movements. Simply put, Huelin is buff. But while Huelin carries his bulk of muscle with the utmost confidence, wisdom also marks his stride. “I think healthiness and happiness are intertwined. And I know I for one…
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Living in the Pursuit of Sadness
Written by Emma Fabros People are used to the idea of pursuing happiness. In fact, this country was built with that sentiment in mind. College students spend their young adulthood looking for something that will bring them a holistic sense of joyful purpose… or so they did. Now, more and more are finding comfort and identity in their embracing sadness. Society is beginning to spiral into an obsession with the community that comes with being sad. It is normal for individuals to listen to deep and dark music or engage with social media accounts that produce emotional and vulnerable content. It is fair to say that not everyone who participates…
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The Art of Balance
By Vanessa Morales Mental health and you Mental health has grown a stigma from the moment it began weaving its way into our lives. For some, it feels as though it can carry shame, guilt or even unease. In any case, in any shape or form of how we encounter and interact with mental health, one thing is for sure– we all need to take care of our mental health. The constant notions of relating our mental health to our physical health have helped to break barriers and certain stigmas that are attached. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, any variation or degree of these illnesses has surfaced over the past couple…
