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Campus Chroniclevol. LXXXIX no. 4

PUC Alumni in Peace Corps

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Historic Volleyball Season Ends

By J. Shim, S. VatanananNEWS & FEATURES pg. 2

By David O’HairOP-ED, pg. 6

By Austin NgaruiyaNEWS & FEATURES pg. 5

THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2013

By Michelle Nguyen

Instead of spending their Thanksgiving afternoons watching football, more shoppers will be walking off their food comas in the aisles of major retail stores.

Best Buy, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Target and Walmart will give individuals a head start on Black Friday by opening on Thanksgiving evening. Meanwhile, Kmart will outdo all of its competitors by welcoming customers on Thanksgiving at 6 a.m., as it has for the last three years.

Junior AJ Scarpino, a former Best Buy employee, worked during two Black Fridays, once at 4 a.m. and the other at midnight. He mentioned that having to work at those times ruined his Thanksgiving since he could not sleep.

“I fell asleep mid-sell, but the lady still purchased the item,” Scarpino said. “It’s a rough holiday for the sales community.”

Black Friday, which is typically the year’s biggest shopping day, has been considered the official start to the holiday buying season. Stores offer special deals, opening in the early hours of the morning, until late in the evening.

Thanksgiving and Christmas used to be the only two days a year when stores were closed. However, the stretch of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is six days shorter this year, making retailers anxious about luring customers in early.

“This is a huge money making time for companies,” business major Lisa Akrawi said. “Starting a day earlier is going to bring in a lot more money.”

According to a survey by Accenture, a management consulting company, 38 percent of shoppers are likely to shop on Thanksgiving Day. Of those shoppers, 41 percent indicated that they will be out shopping between 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving to 5 a.m. on Black Friday.

Freshman Joseph Ramos, a current Target employee, believes that some staff members may be willing to work on holidays because of the additional pay. However, he thinks that they should have a say in whether or not they should be on duty.

“Thanksgiving is a very special time that is shared with friends and family, so for a corporation to take time like that away from someone is very unfair,” Ramos said.

There is an exception to those who are on call during Thanksgiving, such as medical personnel, law enforcement officers and military personnel. As for store employees, it is not necessary to be on call as they are not required to keep the public safe.

Time will tell how important Thanksgiving Thursday becomes for retailers, plus how early their schedules will go. So far, stores have not backed away from Thanksgiving Day business hours, even amid employee protests about having to work the holiday.

“It’s the day of giving, not getting,” Scarpino said. “Giving thanks and getting things should remain separate.”

Black Friday Gone WrongWal-Mart website glitch allowed customers to purchase $600 products for $8.85.

Black Friday Gobbles up Thanksgiving

By Ari Duran

First came Black Friday. Then there was Cyber Monday. Now Wal-Mart shoppers have stumbled upon Unintentional Wednesday.

On the morning of Nov. 6, Wal-Mart stores experienced an apparent glitch on the company’s website that allowed customers to purchase a treadmill for $33, a kayak for $11 and even a $579 projector for $8.85.

Wal-Mart spokesman, Rai Jariwala, told The New York Times, “We did, in fact, experience a technical error that caused some items on our website to display incorrect pricing.” Jariwala continued, stating that the Wal-Mart site “was not hacked, the company later discovered an internal technical error.”

Later that morning, Wal-Mart customers went to Twitter to share the news about Wal-Mart’s substantially low prices for products like a 24-inch, high-definition Viewsonic computer monitor for $8.85.

The actual retail price for the monitor was $578.89. These marked down products sold out in just a few hours. Wal-Mart’s glitch not only dropped prices, but also raised prices on other items as well. A can of Lysol was priced online for $92 and a Spiderman action figure was marked for $330.

Jariwala said that the company was scanning their online site to double-check if the technical difficulties were causing the price discrepancies. Sure enough, the glitch in the system was the reason behind

Unintentional Wednesday. While Wal-Mart was fixing their technical errors, Walmart.com was temporarily out-of-service.

“The issue has been resolved and Walmart.com is open for all,” Jariwala told ABC News later Wednesday afternoon. “Given the wide discrepancy in pricing, we are notifying customers who ordered these items that their orders have been canceled and that they’ll be refunded in full. In addition, we will send these customers a $10 e-gift card that can be used toward future purchases at Wal-Mart stores and Walmart.com.”

Wal-Mart refused to say how many sales took place or how much money could have potentially been loss.

“Heading into the crucial holiday shopping season, Wal-Mart has doubled the number of items it has on its website from last year to five million,” said Anne D’Innocenzio of USA Today. “That’s expected to help fuel 30 percent growth in online sales to $10 billion for its current fiscal year, which ends in late January. That’s still just a sliver of the $486 billion in annual sales Wal-Mart did last year.”

A break in the holiday tradition.

Wal-Mar t customer purchased two 27’’ ViewSonic LCD Monitor for $8.85 a piece.

Early bird gets the worm when it comes to Black Friday.

2 C ampus Chronicle no. 4

NEWS & FEATURES

By James Shim and Suwanna Vatananan

Getting the opportunity to travel the world while being able to make a difference is a once in a lifetime experience. For two PUC alumni, the choice to join the Peace Corps put their academic aspirations on hold.

Class of 2012 PUC alumnus Brian Lee turned heads when he broke news that he would be serving in the Peace Corps. Lee made the decision to forgo medical school and immerse himself in an alien culture.

Similarly, class of 2012 alumna Shanna Crumley put off going to grad school to serve as a Teaching English for Livelihoods (TEL) English Volunteer in the country of Columbia. “This isn’t rainy season like shiny rain boots and the misty Back 40—we’re talking about torrential, emergent, shut-down-the-city downpours every afternoon,” said Crumley.

The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States government related to social and economic growth, where people serve in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. The Peace Corps aims to promote world peace and friendship, and those who sign up for this program must commit to a minimum of two years.

Lee is currently stationed in a rural corner of Rwanda in the village of Mutendeli and has been working there for the past year. Lee works in the local secondary school as a science teacher of biology, physics and English. With teaching as his main focus, Lee’s secondary focus involves community work as well as youth development.

On the other side of the world, Crumley’s primary project will be co-teaching and co-planning with her Colombian colleagues to help achieve the country’s goal of becoming bilingual. She hopes to start an empowerment group for girls

where they will address topics like health, sex ed, conflict resolution and culture. “In the Peace Corps, we’re learners, teachers, professionals, mentors, hippies and diplomats all at once!” said Crumley.

Reflecting on the year she spent studying abroad, Crumley said, “They’re two completely different experiences. You go through culture shock, but there’s an understanding that you’re a student and a visitor in many ways. [In the Peace Corps], our first job is to integrate into the culture, sharing the ups and downs with our new home communities.”

Lee has a numerous amount of stories from running botanical surveys through the dense rainforest to climbing volcanoes on the Ugandan border. However, he said that the ability to reach out and connect to his students and teach without any resources has been an incredible challenge as it has made a lasting impact.

“Watching my student’s drive and determination to learn and succeed when they cannot even afford the 100 francs (20 cents) necessary to buy a notebook, or hearing them cry and beg to be taught when they cannot afford the 3000 franc ($4.50) school fees… To me, that’s crazy.”

Making the decision to commit to a minimum of two years in what may seem like another world can be difficult. However, Lee and Crumley have not forgotten the things that are important to them.

Crumley said, “There are so many professors and students at PUC who are passionate, think outside the bubble and drive to actively serve in one capacity or another. A big thank you to Laura Gore for helping me apply and to Pastor Laffit for talking me through the soul-searching part.”

Lee encourages students at PUC to keep a positive attitude, and explore the surrounding natural beauty that the college has to offer. “Oh, and never, ever, ever say no to a trip to Guigni’s, Bouchon or Buster’s. Trust me, you’ll regret every lost opportunity of culinary bliss.”

PUC Alumni Serving in Peace CorpsTwo graduates put their career goals on hold.

Students Soar on the Wings of Textbook PricesTextbook prices are on the rise, but there is hope in the form of alternative books.

By Tara Hattendorf

It’s finals week. John Smith needs to be studying for his biology final, but then his mom calls him reminding him to order his textbooks. Grudgingly, John opens a new tab on his Internet browser and goes to Lantern to see what textbooks are required for next quarter. After clicking a few buttons he arrives at the list of all the books she needs. There are a lot, and they are expensive. It would take an entire quarter’s paycheck to pay for the required books. What else can he do but have a breakdown in the middle of his dorm room and give up studying for the rest of the week?

With the new winter quarter right around the corner, it is once again time to buy textbooks. In the recent years, students have entered a new age of buying textbooks. Many textbooks have grown in size, content and readability. Unfortunately, they have also grown in price. Depending on the class, students can spend around $500 on textbooks each quarter, including the price of rented books. Luckily, there are alternatives to textbooks, and many PUC professors have caught on to the trend.

Digital TextbooksElectronic versions of textbooks became viable with

the introduction of tablets and e-readers. Textbook publishers such as McGraw-Hill and Pearson sell digital copies of their books for various devices at a fraction of the cost of a physical copy.

Some PUC professors allow the use of electronic textbooks, but problems can arise when page numbers differ. Due to being able to change font sizes in digital textbooks and having smaller screens to begin with, page numbers are different between physical and digital versions of textbooks. This can be an issue

when reading the assigned pages for class, following along in class and citing pages for papers.

Sophomore Marcus Helmer used his Amazon Kindle to read some textbooks last year, and he experienced these problems with digital textbooks. “It was difficult finding pages when chapters weren’t numbered,” he said, “but I saved a couple hundred dollars over the course of the year.”

Binder Ready Editions An increasing number of professors have begun

recommending “binder-ready,” also known as “loose-leaf ” or “à la carte,” editions of textbooks. Sold wrapped in plastic, these textbooks have no cover and are instead hole punched for easy insertion into binders, which are not included. Binder-ready textbooks are cheaper than full-priced, fully bound textbooks, making them advantageous for college students. Another advantage for the binder ready textbooks is the ability to securely add written notes between pages.

Professor Lena Escandón uses the binder-ready textbooks for her beginning Spanish class. “We bought them for money reasons,” she said. “They were less than the hardback books.” Results from a poll in her class showed that most students were in favor of the binder ready textbooks.

Yet for all their advantages, binder ready textbooks have many downsides. First and foremost, they cannot be sold back to the PUC Official Bookstore like normal textbooks can. Students are still able to sell the textbooks directly to other students at their own price if they are able to find a willing customer. But there is another disadvantage in selling directly: some textbooks come with unique, one-time use codes giving access to online content. If students choose to buy a used binder ready textbook, they will have to purchase the code separately.

Online SellersFor good, old-fashioned, physically bound textbooks,

students have the option of ordering textbooks from online sellers rather than through the PUC Official Bookstore. Companies such as Amazon, Chegg and eCampus have inexpensive textbooks for students to rent, buy and sell back. However, students must be careful that they are buying the correct edition of a textbook when purchasing through outside sellers. In general, it is sufficient to search for textbooks using an ISBN number specific to every edition of a book, but be cautious to ensure ordering the right book.

No longer do students have only one choice when searching for textbooks. To save money, students can buy binder-ready textbooks or digital textbooks, or they can order them online. The pro to these alternative books is that students save money, but cons include not being able to resell them and buying a wrong edition. Pick your poison.

Photo Credit: Allison Regan

vol. L X X X I X 3T HURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2013

NEWS & FEATURES

By David O’Hair

On June 9th, Edward Snowden made history when he unveiled one of the biggest classified intelligence leaks in American history. Snowden, a former CIA employee, was working for the National Security Agency (NSA) as an IT specialist. Snowden’s simple life became world news when he leaked top-secret details of the NSA public surveillance program, PRISM. This program was responsible for spying on all citizens of the US by recording their phone calls and collecting users online data from popular sites such as Google and Facebook.

This information exposure created public outrage and the NSA has been in the public spotlight since. The revelation of these leaks had the consequence of starting internal reviews by the White House staff to determine the full extent of the NSA surveillance operations. This internal investigation brought findings to the public eye that were very controversial because it involved foreign countries. It was revealed that the NSA has been spying on approximately 35 countries in Europe, Central and South America.

The main countries that have taken issue with these revelations are France, Germany, Russia and Mexico. The extent and methods of surveillance vary with each country. In France, the NSA monitored 60 million citizens’ cell phone and

internet activity as well as tapping the communications of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The three most controversial cases of surveillance occurred in Germany, Russia and Mexico. In each of these countries the NSA tapped the phones of the respective countries presidents. Germany especially has taken issue with the tapping as it was discovered that the NSA had been monitoring German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone, text messages and emails since 2010.

There has been mixed responses from the 35 countries regarding the surveillance. The NSA chief director Keith Alexander attempted to justify his agencies actions and said, “What we do is bring back more US soldiers, airmen, and marines from dangerous situations... We see threats coming at this nation.”

The bigger issue that the people of the world are bringing up is whether president Barack Obama issued these surveillance orders or not. The official stance of the White House Administration is that President Obama was not aware of the surveillance programs and did not order them to start or continue at any point. However, Alexander claimed that he personally informed President Obama of the NSA programs in late 2010. The Obama administration denies that this conversation ever happened.

The United States is not the only country that partakes in surveillance, as it has been publicly noted that many other countries engage in undefined surveillance programs. However the specifics of these foreign programs have not been exposed.

NSA Caught Spying on Foreign LeadersCaught spying on domestic soil and now foreign countries.

The NAD’s Theology of Ordination Study Committee’s Suggests ReformBy Alex Blum

Nov. 4, 2013 marked an important day for advocates of Women’s Ordination within the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church.

The North American Division’s Theology of Ordination Study Committee posed a vote to the North American Division (NAD) Executive Committee regarding the ordination of women to ministry, a stance that is not currently endorsed by the Adventist church. The committee stressed that women’s ordination, if

voted in as policy later, would be contingent on the discretion of each division.

The NAD Theology of Ordination Study Committee recommends that “all people, men and women, may receive ordination as an affirmation of the call of God, and that the North American division support the authorization of each division to consider, through prayer and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, its most appropriate approach to the ordination of women to gospel ministry.”

The NAD vote does not mean that every church, conference and division will adopt the suggestion, but

rather that further information should be gathered on the subject and that women’s ordination should be made a priority.

Of the voting members present at the year-end meeting, 182 people voted in favor of the committee’s suggestion, while 31 voted against it and three abstained.

The NAD Theology of Ordination Study Committee’s next move is to collect additional data and present it in a formal report to be reviewed in June 2014.

Town Hall Recap: An Update on the Fall Quarter Progress Thus FarOfficers and senators sit down to chat with the student body.

By Webbo Chen

The 2013-2014 Student Association (SA) officers held their first town hall Wednesday night, Nov. 13, in the Campus Center.

After senators and students took their seats in the rows of couches, SA President Ivan Ostrovsky opened the meeting with prayer. Executive Vice President Arve Lloren covered some Senate updates, like senator portraits by the SA offices, and she explained how to get involved in Senate.

Campus Chronicle video crew’s first video of this school year, Advice from your SA Officers, segued town hall to the SA officers Q&A. Senator-at-large Daniel DeCaires MCd this segment. Ostrovsky, Lloren, Diogenes Lantern editor Allison Regan and video yearbook editor Zach Josse answered questions regarding their job descriptions. Regan and Josse had some fun with the questions, respectively describing their job as simply as “making a book that has pictures” and “making a video that comes out at the end of the year.”

Financial Vice President Kristy Guy, Social Vice President Kelsie Nielsen and Funnybook editor Micaela Ballew answered the icebreaker question

regarding their motivation. Guy finds her motivation in her father and grandfather. Nielsen finds hers in the team of SA officers and her social committee. Ballew also pulls motivation from the SA team but also finds inspiration from her favorite artists. Ostrovsky also chimed in, stating his motivation comes from his “personal, devotional life with Jesus.”

As religious vice president, Adam Washington defines his role as “taking care of the spiritual life on campus.”

After the icebreaker segment, Nielsen covered three upcoming Winter Quarter events to look out for: Winter Quarter Week of Welcome, SA Banquet and the Talent Show. Nielsen also discussed how she works with Ballew for posters, uses the PUC SA Facebook page and other social media like #PUCyearbook on Instagram to promote the SA social events.

Ostrovsky explained his future projects as well. He plans to continue transportation to local malls and shopping centers. Ostrovsky is also working with Fabio Maia to plan an off-campus project. Lastly, the SA president plans to establish better communication between PUC’s student body and the faculty and staff.

Not only did the SA officers discuss their Winter

Quarter plans, but they also offered future possibilities for their offices. Although Regan focuses this year on the print version of PUC’s yearbook, she keeps a digital format as a possibility to consider. Lloren also invited some senators to speak on upcoming bills.

Senator-at-large Daniel Schmitz talked about two bills on which he is currently working/co-working: making adjustments to meal plans and lowering the age requirement to live off campus from 23 to 21. Though Schmitz addressed in detail the challenges with implementing these two bills, he expressed the student body’s hopes and the benefits it would receive from these changes.

SA officers wrapped up town hall by explaining various ways to get involved and help. Ostrovsky reminded everyone of the officers’ office hours, a time dedicated to the student body to open up means of communication. Guy also invited students to provide feedback on the progress that SA officers have made so far. Lloren brought the methods down to their root, imploring students to talk to SA officers and senators.

This town hall marks the first of three — one per quarter — that SA officers put together for the student body.

4 C ampus Chronicle no. 4

SPORTS

What’s Your Workout?Students at PUC showcase how they stay fit and healthy.

By James Shim

Damien HernandezJunior

Exercise Science

Describe one of your workouts: Deadlift Set: This is a great exercise that works almost every

muscle in the body, but form is very essential. Focus on form first, and the weights will come.

Pull-ups Sets: If you can’t do many pull ups or any at all, its ok.

Place a chair or bench where your feet would be, place your foot on the bench and do your pulls. The bench will lighten your weight, and the pull-ups will come easier. Use this until you build the strength to do full pull-ups.

Barbell rows Sets: For a thick, strong back, rows are great. But like

the deadlift, if the form isn’t there, it throws all the benefit of the exercise out the window and you could possible hurt yourself. Focus on having a neutral spine.

Farmer Walks Sets: Use the heaviest dumbbells in the gym, like the

90lb or 100lb are great. Stand up straight and just walk. Your forearms and traps will thank you later.

Finish with a 20-30 minute walk. Low intensity cardio is a good for getting rid of fat without softening the muscle.

What I avoid in the cafeteria: Diet is the hardest thing for me, but I try to avoid

any processed food. I eat mostly eggs, with the yoke (yes, I eat yoke!) brown rice, broccoli and potatoes (not tater-tots).

Best motivational advice: Don’t be embarrassed if you aren’t “strong” for “fit” enough to go to the gym. Strength is built by overcoming struggle. Just by starting, you’ve already gotten stronger. Have faith in yourself.

Any other health tips: Drink plenty of water and sleep well. Water aids

in weight loss and all functions of the body. Sleeping allows your body to recover from hard workouts and also helps you function properly. I saw my biggest strength gains when I slept a full 8 hours.

Kimberly ClarkJunior

Exercise Science

Describe one of your workouts:Squats: 5 sets of 8 at steady weight Hamstring curls: 3 sets of 8Calf raises: 4 sets of 20 Split jumps: 3 sets of 10 each leg with medicine ballSide lunges: 3 sets of 10 each leg with medicine ballWhat I avoid in the cafeteria: I avoid eating overly greasy foods and portion sizes

I don’t need to be eating when I go to the caf. Also I try my best to not stop and get a dessert or snack… To be honest I just try to avoid the caf all the time.

Best motivational advice:Working out is hard and eating right is not fun, but

investing time and effort in your body and health is worth it. Be patient with yourself, wake up every day and tell yourself you are going to reach your goals. Healthy weight loss, toning, or even weight management is a marathon-not a sprint. Eating a salad once a month will not make you thinner, nor will one day of working out. Make the gym a regular stop during your day and don’t be afraid to get a little sweaty and dirty. **Ladies: a good hair style can take maybe an hour…a good body can take about a month…stop worrying about your hair and do it because skipping out will cost you more time later.

Any other health tips:Eat, food is not the enemy. Sleep, if you’re never

resting you won’t be able to keep working. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.

Timothy BuellOld

Emergency Services/Pre-PT

Describe one of your workouts:Barbell squat: 4 sets of 6-12 repsBench press: 4 sets of 6-12 repsBent-over barbell rows: 3 sets of 6-12 reps Dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 6-12 repsLeg extensions: 2 sets of 10-15 repsLeg curls: 2 sets of 10-15 repsBarbell curls: 2 sets of 8-12 repsWeighted dips: 2 sets of MAX reps Side lateral raise: 2 sets of 10-12This workout will usually takes me anywhere from

an hour to an hour and a half. I know recommended is about 45 min and I would actually advise if you are just a beginner, you should stick to 30-45 min. This is to get your muscles accustomed to the added workload and then from there you start to build up if you would like. But honestly, even if your muscles were accustomed to it, I wouldn’t advise people to be in the gym that long. I honestly do it because I have nothing else to do and I enjoy working out. But the best tip I can give, and its something I need to work on more also, is to give your body time to rest. That rest time is what your muscles need in order to grow and become stronger.

What I avoid in the cafeteria? I’m not the best person to be asking diet advice

from since I don’t stick to a strict diet and usually I’ll eat whatever I want. I don’t recommend it for anyway because everyone’s body is different. But to answer what food I’d avoid in the café, I’d probably have to say any of the fried food, which is almost everything that is decent tasting in the café. Very rarely will you see me eating the fried food because it is full of oils, saturated fats, and everything else that has no good nutritional value for you. They usually have a “healthier” option to eat, but if not then I usually stick to my full loaded salads which consist of basically everything in the salad bar packed into that small to-go box because I’m cheap.

Best motivational advice:Don’t give up. All I can really say is just don’t give

up. You are capable of more than you may think. Keep working hard in whatever you do and soon you’ll be able to see what exactly you are capable of.

vol. L X X X I X 5T HURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2013

SPORTS

Lady Pioneers Start Season on the Wrong Foot

Pioneers Historic Season Ends in Semi-Finals

Pioneers Can’t Corral Mustangs

By James Shim

After playing two non-conference games on the road, the Lady Pioneers returned to the covered wagon for their home opener against the Holy Names University Hawks. With 13 new athletes joining the Pioneers women’s basketball program, the new players make up for the largest recruiting class in the history of the program.

As the Lady Pioneers came home to a welcoming crowd, they looked to bounce back from their two-game losing streak against Northwestern Christian University and Southern Oregon University. The Lady Pioneers looked motivated and determined, as they sought their first win of the season.

In the first half the Lady Pioneers struggled to defend, as the Hawks were able to score 35 points with what seemed like ease. Sloppy play by the Pioneers led to turnovers, and a 13 point deficit at the half.

The second half was much the same as the Hawks offense caught fire, as they were able to score 47 points. The Pioneers could not keep up with the opposing offense, as their 24 turnovers led to easy transition points for the Hawks. However, both teams shot below 30 percent for the game, as the Pioneers could have taken

the lead if it were not for their missed opportunities at the free throw line. With 51 attempts at the free throw line, the Pioneers were only able to convert on

25 of them to turn them into points. However, Holy Names were able to score on 27 of their 39 attempts at the free throw line, as they were able to gain easy points.

The Lady Pioneers home opener resulted in a loss, 82-61, as more time may be needed for these student athletes to come together and gel as a unit. Hayley Ryals led the team in scoring with 13 points, and Kyra Navarrete was not far behind with 10.

With plenty of non-conference games left before their conference games in the late winter, head coach Glover and the Lady Pioneers will look to come together and fix mistakes to become better as a team. ““Each of these players brings a significant part of the game of basketball that our program needs,” said coach George Glover. Although starting the season on a subpar note, the Lady Pioneers hope to gain confidence and grow as a team in order to start winning games. December marks the beginning of conference play for the Lady Pioneers, as they look to build confidence heading into the conference opener. Through the number of tournaments played prior to conference play, the Pioneers’ identity as a team will be revealed, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

Women’s basketball team returns home after two game losing streak.

Women’s Volleyball loses to Menlo in the semi-finals of the Conference Tournament.

PUC’s Men’s Basketball team falls to Mustangs 71-55.

By Austin Ngaruiya

The Pioneers entered the conference tournament as the number three seed facing the second seeded Oaks of Menlo College. The Pioneers dropped the match in three sets (25-23, 25-7, 25-21) thus ending their season. Menlo College advanced to the championship round where they defeated La Sierra University.

Menlo came out with a very defensive minded gameplan against the Pioneers. The Oaks had five players record double-digit digs and prevented any player from recording more than six kills. As the Pioneers struggled offensively, Lauren Secchitano stabilized their defense with her steady play in the

back recording 20 digs. On the offensive end, Sarah Cuisak led the Pioneers with six kills.

The Pioneers have a lot to be proud of this season. They won a school record 17 games this season, which included a sweep of a preseason tournament and a six-game win streak. Their success this season resulted in the Pioneers collecting several individual awards. The Pioneers had three players named to the all-conference team: Lauren Seccitano was voted first team and both Kailey Faust and Viridiana Gallardo were voted second team. For her role in the Pioneers remarkable turnaround season, coach Brittany Brown was voted as the Cal-Pac Coach of the Year. The coaches of the Cal-Pac conference also voted Lauren Secchitano as the Libero of the Year.

The Pioneers Cinderella season is over, but they have much to look forward to for next year. They will be losing one senior, Lauren Secchitano, but will have every other player returning. Losing Secchitano will be tough, but the Pioneers will rely on a strong recruiting class and the improvement of their underclassmen to fill the void. Players like Jenna Glantz, Viridiana Gallardo, and Kailey Faust will be relied on to maintain the Pioneers winning ways next season.

Coach Brown has established a strong culture for the volleyball program and the program should only continue to grow under her guidance. This loss for the Pioneers does not mark the end; it marks only the beginning.

By Peter Thornburgh

On Nov. 16 the PUC men’s basketball team faced The Master’s College Mustangs at Bross Gymnasium in Santa Clarita, Calif. After a competitive first half, the Pioneers could not combat their turnover problem in the second half and lost 71-55. The loss drops the Pioneers to 0-5 on the season.

Junior guard/forward Gurpreet Sangha and sophomore guard Trevor Nogueira paced the Pioneers with 9 points each in the half. Crisp ball movement and aggressive driving created open looks for PUC shooters, who made 6 of 14 (42.9 percent) from three-point range. However, rebounding was another story. The Master’s College outrebounded PUC 21-10, including a 9-2 edge on the offensive glass. Mustang guard Jason Logan had five offensive rebounds to go with his team-high 10 points in the half. The Mustangs also went to the line eight more times than the Pioneers, making six of their nine free throw attempts.

The Pioneers led 17-16 midway through the first half, but the Mustangs went on a 22-13 run to open up a 38-30 lead at the half. PUC started quickly in the

second half, cutting the lead to 40-35, but that was as close as the Pioneers would get. The Mustangs scored the next seven points, and the lead grew to 20 at 62-42. PUC battled to the end, but couldn’t overcome 19 turnovers or the Mustangs’ 46-30 rebounding edge.

The Mustangs had balanced scoring as four players finished in double figures. Dominique Lanier led the way with 15 points, Bernard Ireland scored 14 and Reid Shackelford and Jason Logan each finished with 13. Zach Stalin had 9 points in addition to his game-high 11 rebounds.

Trevor Nogueira led the Pioneers in scoring with 15 points, shooting 50 percent from the field (6-12). Junior center Taureaus Maxwell added 11 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. Sophomore forward/center Ben Vincent scored 10 points, including two-three pointers. Junior forward Jordan Greenwell led PUC with 5 assists, scored 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

The Pioneers will have to put this loss behind them quickly as they prepare for a long trip the Westminister College Tournament in Salt Lake City, UT. The tournament will take place over the holiday weekend as the Pioneers look to capture their first win of the season. PUC Men’s Basketball talking things over a timeout.

6 C ampus Chronicle no. 4

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems

By David O’Hair

I’m scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed and come across a random picture of a shirtless Ryan Gosling when reality hits me: I do not have the upper torso of those guys. For those who don’t know me, I have a slender frame of 5’9 and 125 pounds. I know what you are thinking, and the answer is yes: I am the epitome of “yoked.” Haha, not.

I have recognized and accepted the shortcomings of my frame, but every school year I sit down and decide that this is the year I will get buff. I immediately go online and download workout plans from random sites while simultaneously busting out pushup sets. The next day, I pick out an extra tight V-neck that hugs my shoulders nicely, and think that I do not need to work out for a slight moment. I then see myself in the big mirror in the cafeteria and weight of reality comes down on me like the cursed bar bell. The gym needs to happen and it needs to happen now.

When I finally make it to the weight room, I step through the door and enter the world of testosterone, random power grunts and 10,000-yard stares into the wall of mirrors. I saunter over to the bench press and stand there for a minute because I simply do not know what to do down there. In the end, I go to the corner machines and begin busting a sweat. After what seems like hours, I begin to look in the mirror and see my slightly bigger muscles, but then realize it has only been 20 minutes. When I simply cannot lift any more weights, I start to do the most popular activity in the weight room: I start to meander around and throw manly looks into the mirror. But whenever someone catches me looking at myself in the mirror, I pretend that I am looking for a friend. After that tiring exercise, the real fun begins: protein shake time! I down that

drink like I was born to drain that bottle; that is the exercise where I can compete with the muscle heads.

But the price I pay for getting ripped greets me when I wake up the next morning. That sweet lactic acid courses through my muscle and reminds me never to go to the weight room again. When this happens, a highly introspective and slightly depressing moment begins. I come to the realization that some people are not built for the weight room and I must live with this. However, I am going to try again to move into the ranks

of the muscular and overcome the inherent boredom that follows me to the gym since 2014 is coming up.

Everyone should go out of their comfort zone and attempt to better themselves by making their lives more healthy. So I encourage all of you to try a new exercise that is not typical in your routine and go for it! As for me and the rest of my 2013 journey, I will be on the treadmill.

A little mans persevtice in a big man’s gym?

A bit of advice on Bitcoin.

By Luke Thornburgh

I’m not a business major, but I’ve watched like three seasons of The Apprentice, so needless to say I’m pretty qualified to be telling you how to spend your money. Or for you Loma Linda kids, your parent’s money.

Bitcoins aren’t necessarily exciting. But they’re important. And you should know about them. So think of me as a Bible teacher: talking about stuff that will inevitably put you to sleep, but still saying things that matter and will most likely affect you.

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which means it is a decentralized, peer-to-peer, digital currency. (And right there with that sentence I know I’ve already lost like half of you. But stick with me! Don’t let that sentence scare you off. I promise I’ll talk about Pokemon in a few paragraphs). Cryptocurrencies are to banks and similar services what email was to the postal service; they’re changing the way the system works.

If you had bought $27 worth of bitcoins in 2009, they would be worth nearly $2.1 million now.

There are three main things that make Bitcoin different. It’s decentralized, anonymous, and allows anyone to pay anyone else.

“Decentralized” means that Bitcoin is the first electronic currency not controlled by a single organization or government. Put simply, Bitcoin is cash for the Internet. Bitcoins are owned by their users, not by a central authority. Every other non-cryptography currency system has relied on trusting somebody — banks, the Federal Reserve, kings — but Bitcoin doesn’t. Its trust relies only on the laws of

mathematics. This means that there is no middleman. Which means that fees are much lower and you, in turn, save more.

If you’ve ever had to spend a minimum of $5 or $10 at a small business to use your credit/debit card, that’s because they are trying to counterbalance the fees they pay to let you use a card. Bitcoin transaction fees are a fraction of those of credit cards, which would make microtransactions possible.

With credit cards now, microtransactions aren’t really possible because requiring transaction fees to accept and send such small payments would end up being higher than the payment itself. With Bitcoin, it would be possible to pay in $0.01 or $0.10 increments.

Bitcoins have been accused of shady dealings and dodgy practices, but over the last five years with Bon Appetit here at PUC, we’ve already gotten used to that. Up until Oct. 2 this year, there was a website called the Silk Road that utilized bitcoins and let users buy and sell goods anonymously and (nearly) untraceably. Some people obviously didn’t read their Student Life Agreement, as it quickly became a hub for buying and selling drugs. Before its shutdown, the site’s transactions equaled nearly $1.2 billion in revenue.

The problem with Bitcoin is that it’s an ideal currency for illegal transactions. But as with all things, it also can be used for good. In America, it is easy to take our freedom for granted, but in other nations you could be punished for how you spend your money. If you chose to donate to or financially support an anti-government blogger, those transactions would be visible and could put you in danger. Bitcoin’s anonymity and elimination of the middleman lets users donate without fear of repercussions.

Since bitcoins are all stored online, they’re also very easily transferrable. You could

David O’Hair hanging with the “Big Boys” Santhush Weerasinghe, Paul Cimino, Keoni Real & Kevin Loyola. PC: AR

vol. L X X X I X 7T HURSDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2013

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Christmas? I Still Have Halloween Candy

By Taylor Pittenger

We are just barely a week away from Thanksgiving and there are already Christmas decorations up and ready for the holiday season. Just an FYI, it’s still November.

I want to make one thing clear before I dive into this topic: I do not hate Christmas. In fact, I really enjoy it. It’s a time for families to be together and for people to give and receive gifts. It’s a nice ending to the year and a nice break from school. However, there is no reason for an equal amount of Christmas and Halloween decorations to be sold at Target in the middle of October. There is a time for Christmas and there is a time for other holidays.

Let me make a prediction: by Thanksgiving Day, most people will be writing out their game plan for Black Friday and some may even be already lined up outside of Best Buy. By Dec. 1 (if not sooner), there will be all sorts of Christmas specials on TV. This may include, but is not limited to: a Santa that wants to

cancel Christmas, a bunch of outcasts that find the true meaning of Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life playing on repeat.

You can expect that an assortment of jingles will play in the background of Macy’s until the first week of January. There is also a good chance that the next few Sabbaths we have will incorporate the nativity and sermons on what it means to give. How do I know that all of this will happen?

Like I said, I have nothing wrong with Christmas, but its been coming earlier and earlier. While shopping in early October this year, I walked passed a Macy’s display window and there was a gingerbread man with a smug look on his face. There were still two significant holidays that needed to pass before I would consider this appropriate.

What happened to the “After Thanksgiving” rule? This year, some stores are even having a Black Thursday!

I think Christmas has become over commercialized, and the holiday season has been pushed earlier in the year. Why are Christmas advertisements happening

months before December? In some ways, I feel like we’ve lost the meaning of Christmas. Commercialization is inevitable, but please just leave it in December. Don’t even get me started on Christmas in July.

Is Christmas coming too early?

By Bonnie Thew

For those of you not native to the Internet, there is a mythical place online called Craigslist. Craigslist is an online bulletin board that started in San Francisco and has a section for almost every major metropolitan area in the world. (Laugh now, but I promise that there is at least one person reading this that didn’t know what Craigslist is.) It has the typical sort of things you’d expect to see posted on a bulletin board, conveniently all in one place online. There are for sale postings, personals, jobs hiring, services required, apartments for rent and of course, missed connections. Okay, it falls under the personals section instead of existing as its own category, but it does make for some interesting reading. As of Nov. 12, someone in San Francisco is

looking for “the beautiful owner of a dog called Bruno.” Someone else wants to find the person who “winked at me during lunch.” Missed Connections is a social outlet for the things you didn’t say to random strangers that you should have, or you know, shouldn’t have.

Though it got its start on Craigslist, Missed Connections have been popping up in other places as well. Some universities now have their own official Missed Connections pages on Facebook. If you don’t believe me, you should go check out the page for UC Davis. The Facebook pages seem to have a bit more oversight and editing, but contain similar sentiments. Would it work at Pacific Union College though? Now that really is an excellent question. Who would monitor it? Would anyone use it? Would it be on Facebook? Why did everyone start suddenly anonymously posting their feelings online? Oh wait…

Missed Connections PUC?The place where you could read awkward anonymous romantic notes?

transfer your Bitcoins to family or friends across the globe for the same mere cents it would cost you to pay someone ten feet away, which can’t be said for dollars.

On that note, Bitcoin is more appropriately compared to gold instead of dollars. Both gold and bitcoins have a finite supply that must be mined (one physically, one logically) and their prices reflect investor confidence and desirability. Contrast this with the USD (the dollar), which devalues with oversupply (when the government prints more money, the value of the money out there decreases).

So how do you get bitcoins? Either by downloading the free online wallet and converting dollars to bitcoins, or by mining them. But just like a pastor avoids reading the book of Numbers in evangelical meetings, I’m going to avoid going into detail about how the mining process works. Just trust me when I say it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and that buying them is faster, easier and more cost effective.

Right now, the marketplace for Bitcoin is still growing. Several businesses and even a few Subway’s have started letting people pay in store with bitcoins. However, the marketplace is still primarily online.

But real talk; does Bitcoin matter? You spend dollars to get bitcoins to spend your bitcoins on stuff that you probably could have bought with your dollars in the first place.

It comes down to a few things: how much you trust the dollar, how important anonymity is to you, how much you care that your money is government controlled, and how much risk are you willing to take.

The most likely way that bitcoins will fail is if they stop being used. But that

can be said about every currency. If you take a step back, just the idea of money/currency is incredibly interesting. Someone, somewhere, decided that this piece of paper was going to be worth something, and we’ve all accepted that. In the same way we could decide that the dollar isn’t worth anything anymore.

Students at PUC could make up their own currency. Let me finish the thought you’re all thinking — Pokemon cards. By assigning value to certain cards (eg. Charizard = $100, Goldeen = $.01) you could then start paying each other with different Pokemon cards instead of dollars. Exchanges might sound something like “Hey nerd, if you do my homework I’ll pay you a Mr. Mime.” “Nah man, you know I’m all about that bug type; you got a Butterfree??”

In all seriousness, currency competition is a good thing, and it forces continuous innovation. If you’ve got a problem with Bitcoin, then you are absolutely free to kick the cryptocrap out of Bitcoin and make a better, even Bitcoinier cryptocurrency. Ultimately the market will decide, and market competition drives innovation.

And whether or not you think Bitcoin is necessarily better than the dollar, you’d be ignorant to deny it as a financial instrument.

Final words: Bitcoin is growing stronger every day. What started off as a tiny venture has grown rapidly as the idea has spread. It’s a chance to revolutionize the financial system. If that interests you, I’d suggest you take the time and check it out for yourself. If not, then go play some Pokemon.

And remember: if it all goes wrong, just blame Obama.

Has Christmas become over commercialized?

Chronicle Thanksgiving scavenger hunt:Submit total amount of seen Tommy the turkeys

Follow Campus Chronicle on Facebook and first correct user submission recieves Guigni’s

cer tificate.

8 C ampus Chronicle no. 4

By Araya Moss

On Thursday, Nov. 14, REVO partnered with Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company in St. Helena to host REVO’s annual ROCO Art Show, from 6-8 p.m.

Open to PUC students, faculty and local residents, Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, known to most as ROCO, was filled to capacity in anticipation of REVO’s first event.

The event showcased an array of student artwork available for purchase, including original pieces from Sienna Stewart, Daniel Withall and JJ Massey. Jessica

Martinez’ “Woman, not object” was among the first pieces to sell. The art show also featured live music from PUC students including Kélanie Aragon, Luke Thornburgh, Danielle Nelson, AJ Scarpino, Tad Worku, Sarah Lee and more.

Those in attendance were encouraged to buy the artwork, which would be donated to REVO. Additionally, 20 percent of the proceeds from any drinks or pastries bought were also donated to REVO’s cause, which is still unknown at this time. REVO leader Nithi Narasappa revealed that this year’s cause will be announced at SA colloquy, the Thursday after thanksgiving.

The ROCO Art Show arrived earlier than expected, as last year’s show took place in early winter quarter of 2013.

“Because the main event is during spring quarter, people tend to hear about it in March and April,” said Narasappa. “We want it to be made known that REVO is an ongoing event that takes place throughout the year, not just one day. We wanted to give people a heads up and get them motivated and excited for our cause.”

Granted REVO PUC 2014 has not officially started calendar year wise, Narasappa wants to put REVO on

the map for new students and even returning students who may not know what REVO is all about.

Fourth year nursing student Keoni Real is among those who is not too aware of REVO. “This was surprising my first time going [to the ROCO Art Show],” Real stated. “After going to this one I wished that I had gone to the ones in the past.”

Typically winter quarter is used to gear up for the main event that takes place during spring quarter. REVO is trying to throw in more events like the ROCO Art Show to ensure that students are well aware of what this student-run movement does.

At the end of the night, only three out of the ten art pieces remained. Thanks to many donations and the continued purchases of drinks and pastries, REVO raised well over $100 so far. Since the art show was such a success, there is a possibility of more shows like this in the future.

“ ’We’re not waiting on our world to change’ is REVO’s motto,” Narassappa added. “As students we’re all blessed with the ability to make a difference and make that change.”

For more information about REVO or how to get involved, email revopacific@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/revopuc.

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By Taylor Pittenger

On Saturday, Nov. 9, in Taipei City, Taiwan, Spencer Swetnam, a Pacific Union College freshmen, and his partner Katelyn Rodgers won bronze for Junior Team Dance in the World Championship artistic roller figure skating competition. Teams from Italy won gold and silver. Each skater received a duck plush toy which symbolizes peace and happiness to the Taiwanese people.

Swetnam and Rodgers traveled to Taipei for their first world championship. The pair represented the United States for the junior division in team dance. Swetnam had been roller skating since he was age 10 and finally accomplished his dream. He spoke about the experience and stated, “I have realized through my skating journey who I am and who I want to become. I still cannot believe my dream came true. It all starts with believing in yourself.”

Spencer Swetnam Brings Home Medal

Announcements

REVO hosts annual ROCO Art Show

Artistic roller figure skater wins bronze at the world championship.

PUC’s student-led, non-profit organization is in full swing.

Clarissa David, George Tuyu

Lindsey Orellana, Suwanna V.Photo Credit: Allison Regan

Spencer Swetnam and his par tner Katelyn Rodgers Roller Skating in Taipei.

Bills presented over the past quarter:“Memorial Day Bill” - Senator Daniel DeCaires“Yoga Mats Bill” - Senator Aliesha McEvers“Barbells & Deadlift Platform Bill” - Senator Maurice Pandjaitan“Defibrillator Bill” - Senator Brandon Singh“Open Parking Bill” - Senator Aliesha McEvers“First-Aid CPR SA Bill” - Senator David Sur“Off-Campus Housing Policy” - Senator Daniel Schmitz

Pacific Union College, La Sierra University, and Loma Linda University working together to support ADRA International relief efforts in the Philippines.

Support this TriCampus $5 Relief Campaignwww.adra.org/site/PageServer

Guest Speaker: Holocaust SurvivorWhere: Scales ChapelWhen: 2 p.m., Monday, December 2

Come join the History Department for the opportunity to hear a personal account of the atrocities perpetuated against the Jews in Germany.