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…

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…

Written by Daniel Vera Competition among humans is nothing new, but the medium through which we display our drive for domination is constantly evolving. In the workplace, on the field, tearing up the dance floor, we relish the chance to show off our skills and defeat any challengers. Yet this modern, technological age is beginning to witness the rise of a new arena for competition: major league video gaming. Moreover, gaming at a professional level is more than just an outlet for people to burn off steam or validate themselves with fame and fortune. It’s a full-fledged community, and one that affects lives in surprisingly meaningful ways. Video game enthusiasts…

Written by Claire Callaway “I remember when I was in kindergarten, and I had a friend whose parents had broken up,” says Sarah,* a sophomore. “I asked my mom if she and my dad would ever get a divorce, and of course she said no. It was so surprising because they both loved God — they still do. Neither of them expected it to happen.” —Fractured Trust— Sarah’s parents divorced when she was eight after her father had an affair. He was a musician and toured frequently with his bands. “[My mom] trusted [my dad] even though he was gone a lot,” Sarah says. “My dad used that opportunity to…

Written by Kelsey Osterman “That smile is going to get you married!” the African American man exclaimed as I walked by him on the sidewalk. I laughed and thanked him. He was not the only black man to greet me as I made my way through the group of homeless people gathered in front of the shelter. By the midpoint of my semester, I started getting used to this treatment. I was a blonde-haired white girl living in Washington D.C., — a rarity that received a lot of attention. Fifty percent of the D.C. population is black, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. At times, riding the Metrorail or the…

Written by Shanley Knox Jeremy wrote me two months after deployment. I had been waiting, anxious, since before he left. I knew Afghanistan would change him. A part of me knew I would change, too, and that those changes would, together, change what was between us. By the time his first letter came, things were already different. We were three months in, and there wasn’t much that hadn’t changed. The first time he called, I just heard gun shots. He came in and out, and I sat, in green AE boxer shorts and a sports bra and listened. I hung up after a million years had gone by, tossed my…

Written by Carizza Sioco CURSIVE WRITING As elementary school students, we painstakingly tackled this alleged shortcut in handwriting. We were told fanciful tales of teachers who would only accept work in cursive and that our college careers were at the mercy of our penmanship. Such myths were debunked as our fluid font was quickly replaced with typed text. Because professors are more concerned with the formatting of a paper than our personal penmanship, those tricky cursive G’s and Q’s are now mere memories. MIXED TAPES A mixed tape was a hug in the form of a cassette, encased in plastic and passed on to a best friend or a potential…

Defining Porn from The Point on Vimeo. Pornography is all the rage. That’s what Roxxanne Bliss, a bold, blonde 29-year-old adult film star says. “Everybody does this,” she remarked at the 2009 AdultCon Expo in Los Angeles. As an escort, Bliss claims she has seen every sort of customer “under the sun” — including the Amish and a few rabbis. Bliss, who began her career with dancing at age 10 and practicing striptease by age 14, has now spent almost a decade in the porn industry. Resident Director (R.D.) of Hart Hall Ryan Low, 36, saw his first Playboy magazine at age 7. Low struggled with pornography for years, but…

Digital Detachment from The Point on Vimeo. Written by Patricia Diaz A starving little boy stares out from the photo, transfixing the 6-year-old girl. “That isn’t real, Daddy, is it?” she asks. “That’s just pretend, right?” How does a father explain to his daughter that somewhere in the world children just like her die every few seconds because they can’t get enough to eat? “She was incredulous,” remembers her dad Jonathan Acuff, a copywriter by day and popular blogger by night. Her questions set him to thinking: What could they do to change the pain of that reality? So one day last November, Acuff took up the challenge. He announced…

Porn/Art Q&A from The Point on Vimeo. Written by Karin Hamilton How do you define pornography? Lisa Swain, Professor of Cinema: Any narcissistic enjoyment of pleasure that has utter disregard for the other person in the relationship. Jonathan Anderson, Professor of Art: The objectification of a person’s sexuality for personal, private consumption. Gary Strauss, Professor of Psychology: Consumption that is specifically for the purpose of self-gratification. How do you draw the line between porn and art? Strauss: An image that’s very much focusing on the body itself, the intimate portions of a person’s sexuality, sexual activity or even just the portrayal of the nude body, where there seems to be no purpose other than…

Written by Katelynn Camp John LaDue thought he would get expelled from Biola before he graduated. But he didn’t care. He’d rather be free to admit his identity as a gay man — even in the face of a community in complete opposition — than remain in the bonds of secrecy. Now, as a 30-year-old struggling to overcome same-sex attraction, LaDue sadly sees how far from freedom his homosexuality took him. “It was like coming out of a closet and into a bird cage, from one bondage into another,” he says. As a boy, LaDue didn’t live up to his father’s expectations. Finding more solace in drawing, painting and even…

Written by Rachelle Brown Nadine Robinson has discussed the location of her mansion in heaven with God. She’s put in a request to live next to her grandmother with a Disney theme park in between the two. But this is no mere Disneyland or even Disney World. This is Disney Eternal, and it contains a roller coaster far and above any roller coaster ever imagined by mortal man. She describes the ups and downs and twists and turns, speedily guiding her hand through the air to show how the track would turn. She makes zooming noises — it would be fast, too. “I gave him the blueprints and everything!” she…