Written by Alissa Sandoval When I got off the soccer field my breathing was erratic. It came in the rhythm of three uneven breaths. Sitting down had clearly become my next priority. My body usually responds this way after I do sprints or a large amount of running — the heat was not helping either. “You can barely breathe,” chimed my roommate with the usual look of concern on her face. I looked up, shrugged with a half-hearted smile and plopped to the ground.When I got off the soccer field my breathing was erratic. It came in the rhythm of three uneven breaths. Sitting down had clearly become my next…

Three days. Three days was all it took for God to change how I viewed my life in America. In three days I met people that will be a part of my story for the rest of my life. The Lord broke my heart for the people of Haiti in three days. I continued to photograph the church dedication while the children clapped and sang. I knew that if I didn’t take the time to remember I was worshiping our Creator with Haitian brothers and sisters, I’d regret it. So I let my camera rest around my neck. I found a spot in one of the back pews and took…

A 10-foot, turquoise nylon kite lay on the beach in front of me, the frequent gusts of wind causing it to hover slightly over the sand. A tangle of red, white and blue lines extended from the sides of the kite and attached in some complicated way to the short bar I now held in my hands. The conditions were perfect, or at least that is what Jesse told me. I looked out at an ocean of advancing white caps that dotted the clear, blue water, the palms swayed on the beach around me and grains of sand danced about. Nothing was left untouched by the ripping wind. I had…

Photography by Alissa Sandoval When I looked out at the coral reef from inside my kayak, it was not anything impressive. I was able to spot a few rocks poking through the surface of the water and peer down at some sort of dark shapes, but that section of ocean basically looked like any other. That all changed once I got out and jumped in. Streams of sunlight beamed down from above, illuminating an active and colorful other world. Yellow, white, blue and silver fish darted in and out of the coral. Octopuses slinked in the shadows, while sea turtles chilled near the surface. Then, with a flash of silver…

Photography by Jaicee Almond When I was little, I dreamed of growing up to be a horse trainer. I had it all planned — exactly how I was going to purchase our neighbor’s property and redesign it into stables and pastures. I spent endless afternoons sketching it all out. But today, those plans sit in a box in the corner of my closet, all but forgotten. The passage of time dimming that dream. And isn’t that how it is for most of us? As life moves forward, we define new goals and vocations as we ourselves change. We smile back on our childhood aspirations and marvel at how differently life…

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…

Written by Cassandra Gonzales Biola sophomore Madison Krueger was walking into class when a girl stopped her mid-stride to compliment her outfit. Another girl, pointing to Krueger’s sweater asked, “Where do you get your style ideas from? You’re always dressed so stylishly!” Krueger shrugged and replied, “I’m from Washington; I just shop at the local stores.” In a community of more than 6,000 students from all across the country, Kreuger is just one example of how students represent their hometowns through their personal style. Biola, like almost any other college, is a social melting pot, and in many ways, students share more and more common ground with each other as…

Written by Melissa Gutierrez I want to frame the following set of works with a fact: people take up time and space. Your body occupies a certain volume in the universe, and your actions occur across a series of seconds, minutes, hours, and years. This is simple stuff, but stuff that’s hard to remember in an increasingly busy world that tries to ignore basic physical limitations; a world that is constantly trying to be more and do more with less effort and less time. It’s a sort of environment that sets the standards for success in our culture today: getting the best things the fastest, or overcoming the hardest obstacles…