Written by Candace Guereque Exhibiting Boldness Nery Gabriel Lemus, whose exhibit I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Mewas displayed in Biola’s Earl and Virginia Green Art Gallery this fall, is a local artist from the Los Angeles area. Choosing no preferred medium, he lets art take him where it leads him. Lemus’ exhibit consisted of art made in a handful of ways—photographs from his childhood; words oil-painted on colorful backdrops; a reunion captured on video; and even halves of the American and Guatemalan flags stitched together. Grateful for the many privileges he’s had in his upbringing and education, Lemus draws predominately from his childhood and the many racial tensions…

Written by James O’Hearn Surely the warmest spots “Down Below” are being saved for the plague of transhumanism, recently landed upon the as-of-yet unsuspecting Christian community. What is transhumanism, you ask incredulously, perhaps wondering to yourself why you’re talking to a magazine. It sounds dangerous! It sounds new-fangled, and not old-fangled at all! Probably, you narrate, the devil’s work. Transhumanism is defined by that fount of knowledge we call Wikipedia as something rather complex having quite a lot to do with technology and the future. What, you ask in utter confusion, does that actually mean? In simpler terms, it’s the idea that what we think of as the traditional human…

Written by Torie Hamilton “And yet what a subtle magic there was in them! They seemed to be able to give a plastic form to formless things, and to have a music of their own as sweet as that of viol or lute. Mere words! Was there anything so real as words?” This quote comes from the classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Beautiful and intentional words such as Wilde’s have the unique ability of communicating with the human soul and inspiring others to use words with purpose in mind. However, more often than not, such immediate inspiration has become a rare reaction to words in modern…

Written by Melissa Wills The Biola Student “_I feel pressured to be the perfect Christian_.” “_I struggle to find community because I feel like I have to put myself out there to be a part of a group_.” “_I feel like I am constantly putting on this façade because if I were to open up about my real struggles people will judge me_.” Walking from a dorm room to the Caf, one will pass a diverse community of students, often laughing, saying hi to every person on every corner, surrounded by groups of friends. Never once would it seem that any one of those students was struggling to find himself…

Written by Keegan Cheleden “Single-serving sugar, single-serving cream, single pat of butter. The microwave Cordon Bleu hobby kit. Shampoo-conditioner combos, sample-packaged mouthwash, tiny bars of soap,” comments the nameless protagonist in “Fight Club.” In this scene from the 1999 film, the character, played by Edward Norton, is illustrating the idea of a “single-serving” culture. These items listed are meant for a one-time use. Understandably so, once the user has experienced some degree of satisfaction, or lack thereof, the remnants are to be discarded. After all, there is nothing permanent or long-lasting in the affection delegated to these products. However, the narrator expands this depiction to the consumption of people. “The…

Written by Thomas Harlander Rest easy, dear reader. You are not a racist. So why will the topic of racism not go away? Perhaps there has been a huge misunderstanding. After all, many students, especially those in the racial majority, do not see a problem. Racism is their grandparents’ vice, and they readily affirm that we are all one in Christ. For minority students, though, the disconnect is often real. Racial ostracism may be dwindling, but they still feel unwelcome. Racism must be a real force, or it would not keep coming up in chapels, conferences and Biola student magazines. It remains a contentious topic due to a lack of…

Written by Kathryn Toombs It is Sunday morning. You are sitting in church, and the sermon has just ended. The pastor is closing in prayer, and even as you try to focus, your thoughts wander. You have already started to think about what you are going to do for lunch, what you have to do that day and what your schedule holds for the next week. Before you know it, the prayer has ended and you are gathering your things to leave, even though you mentally walked out the door 10 minutes ago. As you exit the building, your eye catches the pamphlets and fliers tacked on bulletin boards announcing…

Written by Tayllor Lemphers Light laughter, soothing conversation, excited exclamation – the melodic sound of women in community. Another sound is woven amidst the female voices, a steady rhythm: the clicking of knitting needles. A single strand of yarn is looped over and over the metal instruments, adept hands orchestrating them in a well-rehearsed routine. Through the process, that single strand is evolving into a circular form. All around the room, infinity scarves of every hue are piled. Sitting among the other women, Sarah Sjoberg pauses her knitting and surveys the scene around her – the many skillfully-crafted scarves, the friends surrounding her, and the needles in her hands. A…

Written by Kahlie Colwell Two Camelback water bottles. A $25 dollar gift card to JCPenney. Brand new Nike Ruckus Low shoes. An Oreck vacuum. Unopened beef jerky. A Timbuk2 bag worth $100. An espresso machine. A $10 bill. These items represent just a tiny sampling of stuff found by Biola alumnus Parker Gross during a dumpster diving expedition around Biola’s dorms during finals week. While scavenging, Gross snagged everything that was in good and useable condition, compiling a list of unwanted and wasted goods that was valued at over $2,000. The sheer amount of stuff Gross found is overwhelming. If you are anything like Gross, such an extravagant example of…

Photography by Daniel Lambert Written by Kristina Nishi Say the word “fashion” and you will get a variety of responses. Some people enjoy it and voraciously flip through any magazine on the subject. Others shake their heads in dismay at the different and sometimes confusing trends. However, fashion is not just about clothing, but also style, mannerisms and customs — it has much deeper roots and implications than you might think. In the past four decades, fashion has exploded onto the scene, dictating the design of society. Now more than ever, people use fashion as a means of branding, to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Magazines such as Vogue, People…

Photography by Meagan Garton Written by Thomas Harlander The night air is warm and the sand is cool. As we walk to the shoreline, the first wave builds, peaks, tips and crashes. And it lights up blue-green. Bioluminescent algae cause the effect, but in the moment that seems irrelevant. We enter the water, the surface of the ocean stretching away until it falls over the horizon, dropping off into starry space. A dark swell eases toward us, rising. Then it caves over itself and bursts into a neon avalanche of froth, enveloping my field of vision as it rushes over me. Looking down, we find that our bodies glow as…

Photography by Daniel Lambert Written by Cassie Acosta She made her way from a horse-riding country gal from the hub of Tennessee to a teen pop sensation practically overnight. Although she tried desperately to separate her life on stage from her life as a daughter, sister and friend, the weight of the world rested heavily on her shoulders. As her talent continued to grow, so did her place in the public eye. She went from the girl next door to the object of every little girl’s affection, as her fun and catchy songs captured the hearts of many across the world. Suddenly, what used to be her private life became…