knight times (may 2016)

Knight TimesMay 5, 2016 • Volume 7 • Issue 4 • Warner Pacific College

in this issue:Global EncountersFrom Ireland to Tanzania, students share their stories

Critical ThinkingThe rewards of drinking coffee in local cafés

Gender PoliticsOur national conversation on gender and public toilets

Vol. 7, Issue 4May 5, 20162

Picture yourself when you were a freshman. The faces around seemed so much brighter and more informed than yours. You spot a girl, a

senior, who catches your eye because of how undoubtedly prepared she is for what she is doing with her life. Her Microbiology and Organic Chemistry books tell you of her major in some area of science, and her bold pose in conversation with a professor tells you of her confidence in her choice of major. Maybe I could be a science major, you think, searching for some way to match up to the mystical upper-division students. You mentally scan through all of the options for majors you know of, but nothing seems sure enough. You are undecided.

Many students enter college feeling that they are inadequate; that because they do not yet know why they are in college, they might not make it in the real world. However, there are many myths associated with college students’ expectations and perceptions regarding majors. Researchers at the University of La Verne give us some data that can help uncover reality.

MYTH 1: MOST STUDENTS ENTERING COLLEGE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO MAJOR IN.

Wrong. According to national statistics, at least 50% of students en-tering college are completely undecided about their majors. Many

students simply write a planned major on their college applications, but, in truth, they do not want to major in that subject at all; they just want to appear more prepared to the colleges they are hoping to attend. Other students simply write “undecided.” Brandon Bush, a junior at Warner Pacific College, recounted his own experience. He started as a music major, then switched to communications just after his freshman year. “Students should really only take classes required for core studies at the beginning of college, and take the time to fig-ure out what they enjoy most and are the best at,” Bush said. “That way, they don’t waste valuable credits on classes that may not end up corresponding to their majors, which can cause a graduation delay.”

MYTH 2: STUDENTS DO NOT CHANGE MAJORS ONCE THEY HAVE DECLARED ONE.

Absolutely not. According the National Center for Education Statis-tics of the United States, 80% of students change their majors at least once, and the La Verne study reports that some will change majors at least three times before they graduate. Students who started college ahead of you may seem like they’ve got it all figured out, but it is likely that the major they have now won’t be the one they have when they graduate. Don’t let the feeling that choosing your major is an ir-

When Roads DivergeMyths About Choosing a College Majorby Julia Feeser

Photo by Garrett Harris

Knight Times Warner Pacific College 3

reversible decision stop you, because changing your mind is possible, and even common. Try not to make a habit out of it, though, because each major requires certain courses, and, at some institutions, they may only be offered every other semester, or even every other year. Before switching to a new major, students should always analyze its impact on their schedule and anticipated date of graduation.

MYTH 3: THE PERSONALITY STRENGTHS SURVEY OR CAREER ASSESSMENT YOU TOOK SHOULD DETERMINE YOUR MAJOR.

Think again. While assessments like StrengthsQuest and Career Fit-ter are great for determining what types of situations you can handle and what you might enjoy and be good at, they are not a singularly reliable source for determining your career. Don’t let being told that you should be a teacher chase you away from your dream of being a musician. Facts from these tests can, however, give insight as to what skills you might be able to carry into your potential career track or major. For example, combining your strengths as determined by the test with your musical skills could steer you in a whole new direction, like teaching music, music therapy, music business, or even a private music teacher as a side job to your music performance career track. Use these tests to your advantage, but don’t let them change your mind about anything.

MYTH 4: STUDENTS MUST CHOOSE A MAJOR THAT RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE CAREER THEY AIM FOR.

Nope. Actually, more than 50% of college graduates end up excelling in ca-reers that are not related to their majors. For instance, a degree in communica-tions might get you a job in business as a marketing executive, given all of the time you’ve spent developing presenta-tion and writing skills. Or, a degree in business could lead you to an administrative role in a church, and eventually pursuance of a ministerial position. What students do in their graduate programs and in internships is much more likely to dictate their career paths than their undergraduate major. Further-more, some employers just want to see that you have the work ethic to have obtained a degree, and are not necessarily looking for one degree in particular.

MYTH 5: STUDENTS MUST CHOOSE A MAJOR DUE TO ITS CORRELATING CAREER’S POTENTIAL INCOME, AND LEAVE THE FUN STUFF FOR HOBBIES.

That is simply untrue. We may hear frequently that certain arts and performance degrees and their corresponding careers, such as being a mixed-media artist or part of a professional orchestra, couldn’t possibly bring in enough money. In fact, according to the United States Census Bureau, persons who earned bache-lor’s degrees in visual and performing arts and became interior

designers, averaged $2,100,000 in work-life earnings as of 2010. In addition, job trends are ever-changing, and a career someone says didn’t bring in enough money 20 years ago might be far more lucrative now.

MYTH 6: A DEGREE IN ANY GIVEN MAJOR WILL GUARANTEE SUCCESS IN YOUR “DREAM” FIELD.

Unfortunately, as many of us have been told far too often, there are no guarantees. To some employers, a master’s degree or higher is absolutely necessary, and to others, experience is what matters, not education. However, employees with bachelor’s degrees have highly increased odds of career satisfaction, and of getting jobs in the first place. Additionally, having a degree keeps adults from being unemployed for long amounts of time after losing a job for any reason, as compared to those without degrees. Having a bach-elor’s does in fact make a difference, and all the work and expenses to get through college are certainly not in vain.

When I first entered college, I thought Human Biology was the major for me. I saw other, older students excelling in science, and I wanted

to be a dentist. It only took me one se-mester and a difficult experience in a sci-ence class to discover that this was not for me. I made the timely decision to switch to a major in communications, and I am so happy that I did. I enjoy my classes far more, and the creativity involved gives me a certain kind of freedom that I, personally, wouldn’t get from being a science major. The students who excelled in science majors simply had different talents and strengths from mine, and the image of the girl who looked so suave holding her science books and speaking with her professor is not far from how I see myself, now that I am in the major that is right for me.

According to the Pennsylvania State Division of Undergraduate Studies, “Most [first-year] students will not be developmentally ready to make effective decisions based on identity and self-re-flection, such as choosing a major [...] it is not until a student has begun experiencing the trials and many options college has to offer, that they should be considered ‘ready’ to choose their ma-jor.” Some scholars would even argue that college students should not even be given the option to declare a major until their second year at an institution.

All this being said, do not stress about this decision. Everyone who plans to graduate from college has to choose a major, and not everyone knows right away what to do. You do in fact have multiple chances to change your mind, and plenty of time in the beginning to make the initial decision, in case changing things up isn’t your game. Furthermore, students who are close to graduat-ing, as well as alumni, academic advisors, professors, and other staff and faculty at Warner Pacific College are there to help you make this decision. You are not alone.

80% OF STUDENTS CHANGE THEIR

MAJORS AT LEAST ONCE, AND SOME

WILL CHANGE MAJORS THREE TIMES BEFORE

THEY GRADUATE.


When nature calls, which bathroom should you use? For most people, this question is easy to answer. The available options—a

blue stick figure wearing pants, a pink stick figure wearing a skirt—suit the needs of the majority of people whose gender identity corresponds with the gender of their birth (cisgender). But for those whose gender identity does not match the gender of their birth (transgender), the answer to the question is complicated, and, as an institution that values diversity, it is a question our community must attempt to answer.

What does it mean to be diverse? The dictionary defines diversity as “the act of including many different people and things.” In practice, diversity often refers to ethnic diversity. As a Latina woman, the subject of ethnic diversity is an important part of my life; however, other un-derrepresented groups fall under this category, including the LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Asexual) community. For transgender individuals, deciding which bathroom to use can be a choice between the threat of violence or the threat of discrimination.

Transgender and non-binary individuals are often saddled with the task of deciding to enter a bathroom they are uncomfortable with, one in which they will face ridicule. Jody Herman, Manager of Transgender Studies and Research at Williams Institute, has found that 70% of transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents experienced problems in gen-der-specific restrooms in Washington, D.C., with people of color and

people who have not medically transitioned to the gender with which they identify often faring worse than others. In response to the aggres-sion against transgender or non-conforming people, Herman found that many have turned to drastic measures in order to avoid the hate; they decide to instead “hold it in” until the end of their day. As a result, 54% of respondents experienced adverse health effects such as dehydration, kidney infections, and urinary tract infections. This has led to negative impacts on education for those still in school, ranging from excessive ab-sences to dropping out of school entirely: 58% reported that they avoid going out in public due to a lack of safe public restroom facilities.

Discrimination against transgender communities is occurring on a larger scale nationwide. Marcie Bianco, reporter for Mic, explained that several states, including Arizona, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, have proposed legislation referred to as “bathroom bills” that restrict transgender people from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) expands the list of states to propose such laws to include South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, South Dako-ta, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. These proposed bills would make it a crime for transgender individuals to use a bathroom that does not match the gender on their birth certificate, with penalties ranging from a class B misdemeanor (Illinois) to a felony (Mississip-

IT’S JUST A TOILET:THE POLITICS OF USING THE

by Selena Montoya


pi), punishable by fines of up to $5,000 or five years in prison. North Carolina recently passed a bathroom bill, known as HB2, which has been met with widespread criticism. South Dakota’s legislature passed a similar bill, but it was vetoed by the Governor. According to CNN, the city of Oxford, Alabama passed an ordinance on April 26, 2016 that would punish those who use a bathroom that does not correspond to their birth certificate with up to six months in jail. Bills in other states are currently under consideration; some have died in committee.

Bathroom bills are framed as protective measures against sexual predators, but are seen as an effort to discriminate against transgender communities by LGBTQA activists, who note that predatory activities such as sexual harassment and sexual assault are already illegal in every state. Voyeur-ism is also considered a crime in many states, including Oregon, under “Peeping Tom” laws. Vincent Villano, the director of communications for NCTE, said that the organization has not heard of a single instance of a transgender person harassing a [cisgender] person in a public restroom. Those who claim otherwise have no evidence that this is true and use this notion to prey on the public’s stereotypes and fears about transgender people.” Marcie Bianco spoke to members from the Transgender Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union and was told that there is no statistical evidence of violence from the transgender community against other people. The sexual predators against whom these bills are intended to protect are not members of the transgender community. These criminals act in violation of already exist-ing laws when they commit offenses.

Scott Skinner-Thompson, Assistant Professor at the New York University School of Law, argues in the Northwestern University Law Review that bathroom bills may be unconstitutional. “The Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution prevents the government from disclosing individuals’ intimate, sensitive information—including someone’s [LGBTQA] iden-tity,” Skinner-Thompson writes, and enforcing bathroom bills would require “outing” individuals who violate them. These bills may also vio-late Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, and the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection of the law. North Carolina’s bathroom bill is currently be-ing challenged in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Some advocates are fight-ing for the rights of trans-gender individuals on a local level. The Los Angeles Times reported that Santee Education Complex is the first high school in the L.A. School District to allow students of different genders use the same bathroom at the same time. The school’s Gay Straight Alliance created a campaign called “It’s Just a Toilet” and gathered 700 sig-

nature in petition for a gender inclusive bathroom. On April 14, 2016, one of the girls’ bathrooms had its sign replaced to allow all students to use the fifteen-stalled bathroom in order to create a safe environment for everyone in the school.

In Oregon, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal, and Multnomah County has ensured that there will be access to gender-neutral bathrooms in all county buildings in the future. On June 11, 2013, Jeff Cogen, County Chair, signed an executive rule to require gender-neutral restrooms when upgrading or building new county facilities. The rule makes Multnomah County the first county in the nation to mandate the gender-neutral restrooms. According to the county’s website, gender-neutral bathrooms will also benefit families, older people, and people who need help while in the bathroom.

On campus, Mantra, a student organization formed in Fall 2015, focuses on issues surrounding gender equality. In partnership with other campus organizations such as Black Student Organization and Student Diversity Council, Mantra has created theme months during the academic year to raise student awareness about legislation in the larger community. When I asked Kori DeSimone, senior and founder of the organization, how we can address transgender equity on campus, she said, “For change to occur, you need to seek it.” We students need to be proactive to create a welcoming community for our LGBTQA peers. DeSimone said we also need “a dual partnership between the students and the institution to create space for these topics,” emphasizing that students can initiate the conversation in the community. Student organizations are creating safe spaces to contin-ue these discussions on campus. Mantra meets on Friday at 2pm in the Multicultural Room in the SUB and Bridge Builders meets on Friday at 3pm. All students are welcome to join the conversation.

Photo left by Getty Images. Photo center by BET. Photo Right by WireImage. Graphic by Baby Wale Restaurant. Shawna Downes contributed to this story.

Legislation proposed in twenty states would require transgender women such as Laverne Cox (left), actor in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, and Jazz Jennings (right), teen reality show star of the TLC program I Am Jazz, to use the men’s bathroom. Transgender men such as Tiq Milan (center), national spokesperson for GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders), would be required to use the women’s bathroom.

BATHROOM LAWS IN ACTION


“Can I see your yellow card sir?” I have dreaded this question on entry into the three previous East Africa countries I have

entered in the past weeks, and now I am faced with a possible night-mare. The customs officer glares at me like a lion at a gazelle who for-got what running is. I fumble around with the American passport I hold in my sweaty hands, tapping the corners on the concrete counter top across which my fate would be decided. “I, uh, well, the doctor never gave me one when I got my vaccines last year…” I trail off as my plea is met with the glare of the Ice Queen who is not amused by my cute American smile. She wants proof I am not going to bring any diseases into her beloved country.

I am finally in Tanzania, the last stop on my East Africa journey. The goal of the trip has been to meet with partners of Lahash In-ternational, an American non-profit organization focused on holistic care of vulnerable children in East Africa. My specific role on this trip is to be part of the media team; I am taking pictures, lots of them, interviewing folks, as many as are willing to say anything, and writing about the trip as it is happening. In three weeks we have been to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, spending time with four different partner locations. I am now heading to the little town of Shinyanga in the middle of the northwest region of Tanzania, the final location I will visit on this hectic month-long journey.

After a conversation with her minion, the Ice Queen directs her full attention back toward me. “You must have a yellow card, I cannot let you through without it.” I’m kicking myself for not asking the doctor back at Fred Myer how I prove my immunizations are up to date. How did I make it through three border crossings, only to get picked off like one of the sick ones of the herd at the last stop? The Ice Queen’s glare bores into my skull as the rest of the occupants of the plane wander through the door into the rest of the airport. How I wish I could slip in with them, unnoticed and safe. “They never gave me a card with my immunizations on it. I know I had them all and

they are good to go.” I try to perk up and sound confident. After a bit of back and forth with the Ice Queen and her minion, my fate is decided: I am deemed not a threat to the country without my yellow card and allowed entry. “We will let you go, here take this yellow card, but make sure you have your doctor fill it out as soon as you can.” The Ice Queen does not let an ounce of her authority go as I utter my extreme thanks and gratefulness to my deliverer.

I have a long day yet ahead of me since I have to get out of the airport and meet my friend, Wright, who will take me to Shinyanga. I attempt to make my way back into the herd and find safety in anonymity, an impossible feat as I am surrounded by black faces. After almost making it through customs, I am again picked out as the weakling; why can’t I just make it through? I am stopped as my large plastic trunk is found interesting to the inspection officers. “What is in the box, no, no, no, just tell me what is in the box and then open it.” The man is much gruffer than the Ice Queen, I wish she were here. He is tall, and very skinny – Lanky I will call him. Officer Lanky grabs his baton and be-gins to flip over my clothes, some gifts for the kids in Shinyanga, and my camera’s tripod. “What is this?” he grunts. “It is for the camera,” I respond and point to the shoulder bag my Cannon Rebel resides in. I can smell the Tanzanian air, my freedom is waiting just beyond this dim hallway. Officer Lanky gives a curt nod to me: “It is okay, go on.” I throw my bag back together, and I am out of there!

Finally able to breathe in the passage leading to the exit, I let out a sigh and begin to really feel the place I am in. There is a tingling sensation in my fingers as I run my hands on the walls. A mixture of concrete and mud smoothed out to a polished finish forms the walls of most buildings here. If not painted in a bright white finish, the walls stay true to their natural tan, brownish color. The air is thick, it comes in my lungs almost like a soup. Even though the humidity is low today, the air feels heavy. Ahead the doors are lit as if they are the final light many will see in this life. I feel as if I am walking into

Mud Walls and Fish EyesNonfiction by Josh Petersen


eternity when I step through the doors and into the world. My eyes are seared with the bright light; I have to stop as I am basically blind and can’t see where I am going.

“Mzungu! Mzungu!” are the only words I recognize as a swarm of young men and boys comes toward me all speaking in Swahili offering to carry my bags for a fee. “The rich white man, here he is again, and he will tip us well,” their faces seem to say as they press toward me. My mind is brought out of the moment of ecstasy I reveled in, and the reality of where I am sets in. “Hapana asante! Hapana asante,” I have to yell as the small crowd threatens to knock me off my feet. I push through to the end of the boardwalk and gasp for air while one hopeful young teenag-er stays hot on my tail trying to take a bag out of my hands as I walk. There is a taxi driver at the end who looks my way, an older man unimpressed with the white foreigner. He goes back to his cigarette and newspaper. I stand next to my bags breathing hard, shocked, reeling with frustration, and mad at myself for feeling how I do—I envy the man and his cigarette.

I take a peek at my watch, 12:33; good, I still have a few minutes before Wright is going to be here and pick me up. It allows me to gather myself. I bend down and pick up a handful of dust, the taxi driver raises an eyebrow and then shakes his head. I run the fine, tan grains through my fingers and watch them fall and blow away in the wind. Everything feels dry here, almost as if the sun is up there sucking the H2O out of everything he sees. There are a couple of lizards watching me from the parking lot. They look dry too. The taxi driver’s hands are old and rough, cracked from a lack of moisture and

too much time spent behind the wheel and one too many cigarettes. I am frustrated with myself, that I let the situation and reality of Tanzania take me out of my place when I stepped through the airport doors. How come it has to be this way? Why is it that the situation feels as dry as the environment? What has sucked the money and possibility from this place like the sun sucks up moisture – leaving it dry and begging for a drink? There are proud people here to be sure, there are the taxi drivers who look at the Westerner and see how this Mzungu is complicit in the sucking out of possibility from his Tan-

zania. Perhaps it is naiveté which keeps the younger ones rushing to the white foreigner to see if their small help with a couple of bags with generate a coin. Maybe naiveté is where I exist in even coming to Tanzania, blind to my own responsibility for its system-ic problems.

On the flight I met a native man who is local manager of one of

the diamond mining operations in the region. He talked about all the Western investors who support his operations and who he hosts when they visit by taking them on safaris and out to the best places for local food and drink. Was there ever a time when Tanzania was its own place, free of other’s rule over them? What about when Muslim slave traders would sail down the coast, kidnapping and purchasing humans for work in faraway lands? When the Europeans took over after pushing the Muslim traders out, did they in turn decide to wa-ter this thirsty land? History tells us different. They came colonizing, conquering the lands in the pursuit of “civilizing” them. Tanzania was merely a pawn used to leverage the scales, resources only used to fill pockets. How much of my own life is built on these grounds; am I also complicit in a history which only granted Tanzania its

Ahead the doors are lit as if they are the final light many will see in this life. I feel I am walking into eternity.

A field in northern Uganda is surveyed as sweet potatoes begin to sprout while storm clouds gather in late May 2015. Photo by Josh Petersen.


independence in 1961 in order to transfer power from overt methods of deprivation to covert ones? This mine manager will never make a salary even close to the Westerners who he takes on safari, but he is placed at a position where he is elevated above his own countrymen. He is the one doing the dirty work of attaching hoses to the pool of resources which others will suck dry.

As I burn with confusion, anger, and sadness, I miss the life around me: the birds flying overhead, the two children chasing each other and squealing in laughter, the flowers a young man gives to his mother as she deplanes from our flight. I again become envious of the cab driver with his cigarette and wish I could have one to calm my mind and gain an even perspective again. Where is Wright anyway? I check my watch again, 1:25! Where is he? My worries escalate until I see a taxi come roaring down the airport road and slam to a halt in front of me.

Out from the passenger seat jumps Wright, and my heart practically leaps out of my chest as I see him. He is a striking man, handsome if any-one ever matched the word. He keeps his hair in traditional Tanzanian super short style, has a perfect jawline with high cheekbones and a slightly larger than we might like to imagine nose. Wright has a soft smile with welcoming eyes, full of wisdom and hope. He swiftly closes the distance between us and embraces me. He is not built with large muscles but his grip is strong, receiving. “Karibu sana kaka, Josh!” he exclaims. “Asant kaka,” I reply, with a smile going from ear to ear. “Are we late for a bus?” I ask him while we load my luggage into the trunk. “No, we have quite some time before we need to be at the bus station. I was hoping we could go and eat and share life before we leave town.” Wright has perfect English, he speaks with dignity and clarity, utilizing language I only wish I could. He has a measured tone that doesn’t rush and is filled with words meant for the moment and not said just for the sake of saying them.

There is plenty of time for us to talk on our way to get lunch. Traffic in Mwanza is horrendous and it takes us nearly an hour to get a few miles across town. Wright tells me about how his wife and son finally were able to move here with him from their hometown in Kenya. “Brandon is so big now! You will love meeting him,” Wright informs me. We spend time talking about families and school while we eat fish, beauti-ful Tilapia caught fresh from Lake Victoria, fried whole and served with beans and rice on the side. It is one of my favorite dishes, yet one of the hardest to eat since it is expected for a person to eat the entire fish, head included. I remember the first time I encountered this dish during my travels in Tanzania. I stared at my poor aquatic acquaintance and asked him why things are so different here? “What makes you so delicious to folks here that they decided your fins, crunchy as they are, must be eaten?” Slightly curled and twisted from the heat of the pan, the fins are curved upward, making it appear as if it was caught in that exact same defiant pose. The last thing we eat is the head: eyes, brain, and all. I gaze into the fish’s fried eyes and am surprised to find how juicy they are while also entertaining a crunchy texture in the center.

After our fried fish, we head to the bus station. As we roll in, I start laughing. “Wright! How are we going to get through this zoo?” The

bus station is a gigantic parking lot separated by vendors aligned to sell their wares to hungry and tired travelers. Buses are coming and going at extremely high rates, people are stuffing luggage and livestock into storage areas in the bus undercarriage, I am pretty sure I saw a few geese in one compartment. We thank our taxi driver, negotiate a fee for his time of driving us through Mwanza, and Wright hops on a one of the buses to purchase our tickets. It is a big yellow beast, yellow like a sunflower and shaped like a freight train with the words “Mo-hammed Trans LTD” inscribed on the side, front and back. “Josh!” Wright yells at me from the steps of the bus, “We have tickets, but they don’t leave for an hour yet. Let us go and find a soda.”

Our next few minutes are spent dodging buses and vendors alike as they flock toward the mzungu wandering like a lost puppy through their jungle. I am offered a swath of different items ranging from peanuts (cooked or raw) to new sandals in case mine are worn out. We figure out how to navigate the bus station hustle and dance our way through the merchants and the buses to a little shop on the edge. In a moment of peace and quiet, I laugh and tell Wright how much

I have missed it all. “I just love it here,” I tell him. “There is a sense of crazy and intense life, everyone is vibrant and moving and doing.” Wright looks at me and smiles. “Africa is surely a good place to be. One can find a lot of love here, but also a lot of pain.” I take a sip of my Tangawizi (Tanzanian ginger ale, strong version) and nod my head. “In-deed there is. Do you see much hope for Tanzania?” I ask. “Sure, sure, I really do.

It will take a long time but we have many good people working right now. There is a chance for better days, but we will have to do a lot of work.” I look out at the crowds as I sip my soda. The women in their colorful dresses are carrying baskets of goods on their heads, weaving in and out of crowds and dodging buses with an almost unnatural grace The men wear their jeans and flip flops with button up shirts. They are gruff, almost rigid as they go about their tasks. As I watch it seems that the men almost expect others to move out of their way and force their way through the crowd while the women integrate with the crowds and become one with the movement.

“Wright! Look!” I exclaim as our bus begins to move out of its berth and into the exit lane. We hastily throw down some money for our sodas, grab our packs and begin to sprint toward our bus, only to find upon reaching it that they are simply positioning it for depar-ture which is not for another thirty minutes. “Josh, you had me so worried!” Wright heaves between laughing and wheezing from the sprint. We board the bus and decide to wait in our seats for depar-ture. I try to fit my body into the rough felt material of the seat. I close my eyes and take in the moment again. I feel the harsh tex-ture of the seat, observe the closed stares of the folks boarding and those outside the bus, and I see the trees swaying in the distance over the mud-brick buildings. I breathe slowly and take in the dusty and dry flavors of the air. I am happy without forgetting the realities of where I am. This place isn’t inexorably bad or good; it is full of people who are trying to live their lives. I sit uncomfortably in my seat as the bus rumbles to life. The colorful scene begins to blur as we roll out of the station, and my thoughts evaporate in the dry air.

Was there ever a time when Tanzania was its own place, free of

other’s rule over them?


I remember the freshman year experience at Warner Pacific in which my first academic

year was already planned by my admissions counselor. I had all my textbooks, and my only job was to figure out who my roommate was and where the A. F. Gray classrooms were. Those were simple times filled with broom hockey during Welcome Week and Ultimate Frisbee on the lawn, oh, and going class, too. As a freshman I appreciated the structure, the peace of mind to know that I was not being thrown in at the deep end.

While the class schedule my freshman year was set in stone and seemed impossible to change, it provided a balance between differ-ent core classes and classes that exposed me to different majors and what they would be like. As I climbed the ladder and continued on the business major track, I discovered that the course freedom gets limited as the academic lens becomes more focused on the chosen field of study. Professors who dou-bled as academic advisors helped guide my educational journey so that I could finish my degree by my projected graduation date.

As a freshman, cracking open the course catalog felt like opening an ancient artifact, and finding the translation was another col-lege quest. This is where academic advising came in. Academic advising is handled in two ways. Some institutions hire designated staff to learn the classes required for a specific major. The other method, which is practiced by Warner Pacific College, Linfield College, and other liberal arts institutions, is to have

professors also be advisors for students in their degree program. This allows students to choose a major and work directly with the professors in that field.

However, at Warner Pacific, professors in all departments also advise students who are undeclared and have not yet chosen a major. Transfer student Stephanie Davis related her experience with academic advising: “In high school, I won three scholarships to commu-nity college for video production, so I was actually paid to go there right after my senior year. Although I loved film, it wasn’t what I ultimately wanted to study. After I opted out of the program, I stopped receiving help with advising. Every time I sought advice, it was a long process of finding the right people and getting them to respond. Although the classes were good, I was glad to finish that year and move onto a college that aspires to help all students with their planning.”

Michael Flores is an enrollment counselor at Warner Pacific and works with many incom-ing students. Flores works to create initial class schedules for students, and then “hands off” each student to faculty advisors. As a graduate of Linfield College, another liberal arts institution, he understands the blend of academic freedom with the structure of required classes. “Advisors should be stressing the core requirements and exposing freshman to different courses early on in their academic career. Being undecided is okay and encouraged,” he said. Since Warner Pacific College is a liberal arts school, there is a significant number of classes that students are

required to take. For example, there is the Hu-manities core in which students take an English course, followed by two Humanities courses, and finish with the crowning jewel of HUM 410. This series of courses will challenge even the most esteemed scholar, no matter what her major. These classes broaden our horizons and help us see beyond the business spreadsheets, microscopes, and books.

During my junior year, I remember barely registering in time because I simply did not want to go through all the hoops of course approval and signatures to override different class conflicts. That semester, classes started on time but my backpack was yet to be filled with the “required” texts. But as time went on, I felt braver that I had the system figured out, and I could now enjoy the last semesters of my collegiate career.

Choosing a major is a vital step in the pro-cess of identity and education. There comes a time in our lives when we have to grab our education by the giant raging bull horns and hang on for dear life. Throughout much of our younger lives, education feels forced on us. It gets a bad rap because some become scared of the learning experience. Remember those days of faking sickness so we could avoid learning about Mesopotamia, or how long it takes Sally to get to Grandma’s house if she leaves at 10 a.m. and is traveling at speed of five miles an hour? As we get older, though, we recognize that choosing to do our home-work and choosing to go college falls squarely on our shoulders. Continued on page 16.

academic advising: Putting the Pieces Togetherby Jordan Olson

Vol. 7, Issue 4May 5, 201610

As I stepped off the plane at the Dublin International Airport, it dawned on me that I was 4,600 miles away from home with

nothing but a backpack and a Bible. I made my way down the ter-minal exit as my anxious thoughts became louder and louder. “Am I crazy for leaving everything behind for six months to live with people I’ve never even met? Will this be worth the work it took to get here?” Let me tell you, it was more than worth it.

My passion for missions and cross cultural volunteering began when I was eighteen. After becoming part of a church for the first time in my life, I encountered God and learned about His character and per-sonhood through Jesus. As I grew in faith and became close with the leadership, I started to hear a lot of buzz about overseas missions. The more I asked questions, the more my pastor insisted that I experience it myself. That summer, I went to Uganda for four weeks to work in multiple orphanages, distributing clothing, school supplies, and Bibles as well as working through trauma counseling in small groups with the children. After that trip, I was hooked. I yearned to expe-rience other cultures through the native people and to grow in the understanding of diversity in the world. That same summer, I went to Italy for three weeks to work with a partner church in Naples. I was astounded that so many people came to know Jesus while I was there and that an eighteen year old girl from Oregon got to be a part of it.

I returned home and made it through my first year of college. All the while, a feeling of restlessness was settling over me. I couldn’t ignore the blaring signs from God any longer; He was beckoning me into a new season in a new place. I applied for Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training in Northern Ireland in the summer of 2014. YWAM is an international interdenominational missions organization with over 300 bases around the world. The six month Discipleship Training consists of a three month lecture phase and three months of outreach, which can range from preaching the gospel in the villages of Nepal to helping women in the red light districts of Thailand. After experiencing the lecture phase for three months in Ireland, my team and I headed to Lebanon in the Middle East to

work primarily with Syrian refugees. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. To say the least, missions has molded, shaped, and changed my entire life.

Raising Money: The price tag of international travel is what hinders people the most from global volunteering. However, if that is the only thing holding you back, I encourage you to look past it. First, save what you can. Take the money you’d spend out on coffee, a trip to the movies, or more clothes you probably don’t need, and put it away. I have a “missions jar” that I’ve used for all of my tips from working at Dutch Brothers Coffee the past year. The discipline and sacrifice it takes to pinch pennies is worth it and allows you a greater appreciation for the trip once you go.

Second, develop a fundraising plan. Write a support letter, then send copies to everyone you know. Starting a youcaring.org account is a great way to raise money online and can easily be sent to others via Facebook, email, etc. No one likes asking for money, but it teach-es humility and actually lets others contribute to the change in the world they may not be able to physically be a part of otherwise. We are all the body of Christ; if we are called to serve a specific area, then He’s calling others to work alongside us in that goal.

Finding a Mission Trip: One of the best places to start is your home church. Most mission opportunities through churches do a good job of easing people into the mission field. If you’re looking for some-thing more intense, I highly suggest doing a six month Discipleship Training School (DTS) with YWAM. Freshman Aly Edwards did a DTS in Kona, Hawaii with an outreach in the Philippines, and said this about her experience: “The most impactful thing I learned was how to hear God’s voice, and what it means to know God as a Father. It all became so personal to me.”

Look for nonprofits based in the Portland area that need help in their overseas work. Look for organizations or teams that help and uphold already existing ministries going on in your desired destination. The

Into All the World:How to Get Involved with Global Missionsby Stephanie Davis


best way to make a lasting impact is to support people who are in the field long term. Word Made Flesh (wordmadeflesh.org), a local non-profit focused on serving the most vulnerable and impoverished of the world, are constantly looking for volunteers or interns to help in their overseas work. Josh Petersen, a senior at Warner Pacific, has volunteered with Lahash International (lahash.org), another Northwest nonprofit, whose focus is on partnering with local ministries across East Africa to care for children in need. “Lahash provides holistic care: mental, physical, social, educational, and spiritual,” Peterson said.

Purpose: Why go on a mission trip? Because it will change you. Aly Edwards explained how her experiences changed her perspective. “I think it’s important that we understand that God isn’t just our God. He does care about the whole earth. He loves everyone in it, whether they know Him or not. The call to missions shows God’s heart for everyone. If you’re going and showing who Jesus is, that creates a more lasting impact than whatever you bring,” she said.

Grasping the world on a global scale is something only obtained through experience. In addition, experiencing the world through missions is a stark contrast to simply being a tourist. I once asked an older couple at my former church why they only chose to do missions instead of va-cationing. They replied that they would have only seen the world, not experienced the fullness of the people or culture. Being fully embedded in a culture and creating relationships with the people who live there

is a much richer and deeper experience. Josh Peterson explained how missions changed his world view: “Essentially it’s affected the entire way I want to live. I want to live with less. I don’t need a new car. I don’t need another shirt. I don’t need to eat as much. Because of what I’ve seen, I want to live aware. I want to bring honor and respect,” he said.

In the Field: After her DTS and two years as a full time staff member in YWAM, Aly Edwards described her leap into missions: “Die to self. Trust that where you are going is where you are meant to go, that He’s orchestrated that and put you in the right place. Be willing to jump in and do whatever. Be yourself because that’s what people want to see, and that’s what’s genuine.”

When you’re doing cross cultural work, be flexible and be open. Don’t be too stuck in your Western mindset to miss out on the amaz-ing opportunities God places in front of you. Josh Peterson offers some advice: “Missions can be something that people do without thought or care. Be mindful, do your research. Read When Helping Hurts. What are constructive ways and methods of going forward? It’s easy to think I’m coming in and I know it all. That kind of view really messes up things. Go slow. Be thoughtful. Go as a listener, not a speaker. Be an observer. Learn to eat something you don’t like, and finish it all. The worst thing I ever ate was an entire fish. That was the hardest meal. The eyes were like crunchy raisins. And the brain, eh, it was bitter, so bitter. But I ate it.” Continued on page 16.

Photo of Ugandan landscape by Stephanie Davis. Passport photos by David Sasaki.

Vol. 7, Issue 4May 5, 201612

the art of critical thinkingRAIN OR SHINE

by Jordan Olson

“It’s been raining quite a bit lately,” my brain says to me as I kick open my car

door and almost step into a puddle on my way out. My thoughts argue with each other about the pros and cons of my decision to move to Portland. I trudge down the street and grab the handle on the door I am so familiar with. The door swings open easily and the bells on the door clang repeatedly. I look up and see the baristas busy at work making lattes, mochas, and the popular breakfast bagel. I have arrived at Rain OR Shine, a popular coffee shop for Warner Pacific students and native Port-landers alike. I have been here before, and today is no different. I feel content because I know my hands will soon be holding a nice hot cup of coffee. I do not consider myself a regular, but I am a local customer. I do not need caffeine every day, but I like to treat myself on occasion. Today is going to be another day filled with thoughts.

As a transplant from the hot climate of Califor-nia, I found myself in Portland, Oregon. I had a lot to learn about beards, coffee, and climate. The Pacific Northwest has held a special place in my heart ever since high school when I traveled up to Seattle for a cross country meet. Portland has always surprised me with the many things it has to offer, and I have enjoyed fully immersing myself in this “weird” city. I have even become a Portland Timbers fan. While the city itself will always have a certain tune it plays into our lives, there are specific places that can change your individual rhythm. One such place is on the corner of 60th and S. E. Division.

There is a college student mentality about go-ing somewhere off campus to get homework done. Somehow, it helps keep the homework more interesting or exciting. When I step into Rain OR Shine, I occasionally get homework

done, but it has also become a place for my brain to run on the treadmill for a little bit and flex its muscles in the weight room. A cup of coffee taught me the art of critical thinking, or more specifically, the act of drinking coffee in a certain location. The drink remains the same even as the person drinking it changes. The coffee shop itself serves the purpose of pro-viding this magical elixir. The employees may change, the roast may change, but the coffee is still delicious, and the final product is served to quench the desires of many.

I park myself in a comfortable chair. It is rare I am able to find a good seat this late in the day. Around the room are sharp minds: creative types, logical thinkers, or people looking to just escape the rain for a bit and enjoy a hot beverage. This place is an equalizer. People come here to plan out their vacation time, or they are already on vacation catching up with an old family member. An important thing I have learned when stepping into this place is to keep an open mind. When I first came to college as a freshman in 2012, my world was very small. I understood what I was supposed to do in college and that I needed to get my work done. Critical thinking was something that I was not always conscious of. For me, it was not a skill that was going to be used all the time. It was something that was only used for math problems and short answer questions. My time at Rain OR Shine would help change that perspective.

Questions are all around in college. We ask them and are asked to respond to them. Yes, no, short answer; it could be any number of answers or solutions. The realization came one day to me over coffee that questions are not simply applied from education to everyday life. This became most evident when writing about a paradox for the humanities capstone course. While in the process of writing down thoughts and questions, my brain was think-ing about many different pieces to add to my essay. The questions from this paper started

seeping into my everyday life, and I began to have conversations with my parents and family about concepts that I was working with. I had to get out of the mentality that education only stayed within the boundaries of a college or university. The reason I say this is that I have felt slightly depressed by all the work of college and seeing no imme-diate play off. It is hard to see the end

goal when we are in the midst of assignments and questions. Critical thinking helped me understand that my education goes beyond four years I will always be constantly learning.

Learning is like making a complex beverage composed of many ingredients and carefully prepared. It seems so fruitless to put so much effort in a drink that is only going flow into the gaping mouths of humanity and trickle out later into the sewer pipes of Portland. “I’ve got a Mocha Mud on the counter!” the barista says with confidence, knowing the drink is made to perfection. A young woman gets up from the camp she has established in the corner of the shop and carries her drink back to her seat, much like a bear would take prey back to their cave.

Conversations can also be complex. A simple hello can turn into a discussion about where

“Learning is like making a complex beverage composed

of many ingredients and carefully prepared.”


society is headed and how it is changing. These conversations take a lot of thought and effort. Even if we forget the dialogue, the thoughts remain. The brain can think of some impressive things and create some personal changes to its host.

One sunny day in the coffee shop, I was seated in a chair that was probably purchased from a thrift store. I was working on an assign-ment and eating a bagel. There was an older gentleman at the counter ordering a drink and some food and chatting with the baristas. He seemed to make everyone smile and laugh. I imagine he was talking about some story from his past, or had a told a terrible joke and the baristas were just laughing because they had good manners. He shuf-fled his way over to where I was sitting. Brandishing his breakfast ba-gel he said, “Anyone sitting here?” I responded with a simple no and gestured him to take a seat. “You know food has been bringing people together for thousands of years,” he said. We began to talk about many different things: our faith, family, and jobs. The conversation flowed naturally. This man clearly had a lot of experience that he was willing to share with the world. I often think about what people this age were like when they were my age. Did they have conversations with people like I do? Does every generation share the exuberance for life? No, I realized. It entirely depends on an individual’s outlook. Going into this conversation, the two of us wanted to listen to each other; our relationship was a two way street. This man did not see me as someone who he needed to lecture. He wanted to know my story, and I wanted to listen to him. As the day continued on, I had to leave this safe haven and head back into the wilderness. He thanked me for sharing some words with him, and we parted ways. As I sat in my car and turned the engine over, I realized that we never exchanged names.

“Spiritual Encounters” is a term I heard used by the author and scholar Tony Kriz. He is a man who believes that people meet for a reason because God has it planned that way. I would agree based on the number of planned and unplanned conversations I have had within the confines of Rain OR Shine. This place is where problems are discussed, both public and private. “Well, how do you feel about

humanitarian intervention?” my friend would say as we prepared for our discussion the next day in Humanities 211 “I’m just really stressed, and I need to process things with you,” another friend might say. Conversations can stray any which way as long as we let humans be humans. We live busy lives, and these conversations are necessary.

In these conversations, we can tell each other stories. Stories are the most effective way to communicate. I used to believe that you can either tell stories well, or you can’t. I used to think that it was almost like a spiritual gift that God would give out. Now I believe story telling is a skill that everyone needs to work on. We are so absorbed with trying to tell all the details of a story quicker than a rabbit run-ning away from a fox that we lose out on the characters, setting, and experience. People will only give us their focus for a brief amount of time, and we cater to short attention spans and the constant streams of information flowing in and out. So we need to find a space for our storytelling, some place like Rain OR Shine.

Sitting in this shop in 2016, I ruminate on some of the conversa-tions I have had with friends and strangers in this place. I set my drink on the table and think about the essays I have written here and the times I have held down the backspace key as my creative brain fights the editorial side. I know that my thoughts are not finished. This is different from the 2012 Jordan Olson. He would just say that there was no reason to keep thinking and that someone would figure it out. That was one thing I struggled to come to grips with at the end of 2014. I may have reached a conclusion to one question only to find another where there may not be a direct an-swer. I would come close to finding a place to land, but the thought would not be finished, and it would be like landing a plane on an unfinished runway, or with the landing gear partially extended. On several occasions, I had to press the eject button and abandon the idea to the four winds, as I tried to parachute my sanity back to earth. But I knew I had to get back in the plane.

I bring the cup to my lips and tell my brain to start running again.

Photo courtesy of Rain OR Shine Coffee House, 5941 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206. Illustration by Andy Mangold.

Vol. 7, Issue 4May 5, 201614

“Okay, so we left off in a room with a sword sticking out of a stone and murals on the wall depicting King Arthur. There’s a door on

the other side of the room with an indentation in the shape of a sword.”

I had a black notebook open before me, a page of handwritten notes gleaned from the internet and another page with ratty edges that lists important things to remember. Just behind that, the overstuffed chain-mail bag that held three full sets of dice and eight extra twen-ty-sided ones (d20) spilled out into the middle of the table. It’s hard to believe that six months ago, I didn’t know how to roll for stats, I had never sat in on a game, and everything I knew about Dungeons and Dragons was gleaned from ten episodes of the 80’s cartoon of the same name.

Sitting with the five other, more seasoned gamers around the table, I was by no mean an expert, but at least I knew what I was doing. Together, we had made it through one smaller campaign—our quest being to rescue a kidnapped prince—which was meant to prepare us for the dungeon we were now exploring.

“I’m going to try pulling the sword out,” said Shawn. His character, Uthano, is a Giant. In the party, he is our Barbarian and Fighter—if something needs to be killed, he’s the one to talk to.

“Roll for strength,” Kevin, our diabolical Dungeon Master, replied, in-dicating that Shawn needed to roll a d20 to determine whether or not he was successful in this feat of strength. The sword wouldn’t budge. “I suppose I’ll try,” I said, a d20 already in my hand. I rolled a 16.

“You pull out the sword and it transforms into a clawed gauntlet that stretches all the way up to your shoulder.” Kevin rummages through a bunch of papers, showing the very edge of a sketch of an arm, but hiding the rest of the body. “Like that. The very tips of the claws are black and the rest is red all the way up your arm.”

Dungeons and Dragons is a role-playing game where the players act as characters who are all on a quest mediated by a Dungeon Master (DM) and, depending on the DM, they have free reign to explore the world that they are adventuring in. In the 2014 CNN article, “Forty years later, ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ still inspiring gamers,” Larry Frum revealed that 3 million people were playing it in 1981, a number which had risen to 6 million by 2007 and is still rising. I know there’s at least one more person to add to that number: me. In his 2004 article, “What happened to Dungeons and Dragons?” Darren Waters marvels that, in a world of so much electronic sensory stimulus, a game that uses a pen, paper, friends and a set of dice has survived and flourished.

There are a few things you need to do before you can enter a game. The first is to create a character. To start creating a character, you need to roll your stats: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitu-tion, and Charisma. These will affect certain things that your character can do and, on a poor roll, can save your character from severe damage.

After you have your stats, there are three main things you need to figure out for your character: race, class, and background. All of these can affect how a character acts. Certain races have certain perks, too; dragon-born, for example, have a breath weapon that changes based

by Deborah Landers

Stats, Dice, and Other Mild Addictions:Getting Hooked on Dungeons & Dragons


on what color they are. Their class determines the kind of damage they can do to their enemies. Warlocks, Mages, Sorcerers, Clerics and Bards primarily use magic, while Barbarians, Fighters, Rogues, Pala-dins, and Rangers use physical weapons. But almost everyone can use a little of both. Backgrounds in D&D relate to the kind of knowledge a character would have. A scholar would have more academic knowl-edge while a forester would have more knowledge of nature.

I got into Dungeons and Dragons largely by accident. In spite of my generally shy and introverted nature, I befriended Tarale Wolffe, a transfer student in her junior year, and then I met her friend Kevin. Together, they were working to build a D&D cam-paign as co-Dungeon Masters, so I started asking questions. A week later, I was sold on the idea of joining their party and they helped me create my first character: Mishann Norixius, a female Dragon-born Warlock whose stats, background, and bonuses came straight out of the fifth edition Player’s Handbook. On my own, this book might as well have been one of the tomes of knowledge that such a character would have studied. But it’s really just an in-dex of information needed to create and level up characters. Short of reading that cover to cover, I needed the help of an experienced player to understand how I was supposed to apply that information.

Tarale, unlike me, has been playing D&D for 18 years; her parents were the ones who got her hooked on it. She started with the first and second editions, but has played a few other versions and variations. For beginners like me, it’s generally agreed that fifth edition, which came out in 2014, is the best place to start.

Kaleb Hood, who I recently discovered is also into D&D, has been playing for two years—roped into it as he was by some friends in the-atre. I found that his introduction to the world was not unlike mine. “I had wanted to try it for a really long time,” he said. “So when I found people who had played it and wanted to start a campaign, I jumped in.” He prefers the revised third edition (3.5e) over the fifth edition, as well as Pathfinder, a free, open source role-playing game similar to D&D.

There can be variations within the different editions as well. In the first session with our party, they introduced me to homebrew (fan made) races, classes, and backgrounds. On the fly, I made a completely home-brew character: Grace Coppertail, the one currently dealing with the demonic Excalibur gauntlet. She’s a snarky human-wolf hybrid who was raised by a wolf pack, uses shadows to cast magic, and doesn’t really trust humans. She often falls back on her animal instincts, which can help her avoid a fight she really shouldn’t be getting into.

As we progressed through the dungeon, Kevin turned to me and said, “You notice that the black is creeping up your arm, like the gauntlet is cooling, and it’s now halfway to your elbow.”

Every time I go into one of our game sessions, I am suddenly a different person. There’s a little bit of me left in there—the brave but careful part that walks into a situation knowing I’m in over my head—but rest is that snarky wolf girl who gets her jabs in when she

can. That, Tarale said, is one of her favorite things about D&D. “I like being able to be someone so completely different from me.” She is currently in two games with two very different characters—neither of which are anything like her. “And that’s what makes it fun.”

Kaleb identified the heart of the whole community. “D&D allows people to hang out and get to know each other at a deep level. You see people’s deep feelings and nature and get to be vulnerable with each other.” He also likened the experience of gaming with acting. “You get to play char-acters you wouldn’t normally be. It’s a lot like stage acting, but the stage is on the table and in your imagination, and all the acting is improv.”

Just like there is a director behind every play, there is a DM behind every campaign. Before we had gotten into Kevin’s part of the cam-paign, Tarale was running the show, and he still consults her for some of the decisions he makes at the table. With a couple of co-DMs put-ting the whole gambit together, we know to be prepared for twists, though we have the perk of a more fully realized world to explore. “I’ve really liked coming up with a world that the gamers can get into and figuring out what the characters can do,” Tarale said. “But sometimes you have to come up with things on the spot without letting the players know that they fucked up your plans.”

Kevin was actually the one who screwed up her plans. We had tracked down the people who took the prince, and Kevin’s character, who we call Keldo, had even figured out roughly where to find him. He then proceeded to share this information by shouting it down main street and getting us all caught. “It worked out for the better,” Tarale pointed out. “He got you more time to find the prince.”

I didn’t expect that getting into D&D would be so easy, and my proudest moment was

when the others in the party diagnosed my new obsession with dice—something that is apparently quite common among players. In that moment, I felt like I actually fit into the community.

Tarale offered advice for others who want to get into D&D. “Keep an ear out for people who are discussing it; there’s more of them out there than you think. Wait for a lull in the conversation and just start ask-ing questions. You might get invited into a game.” One thing that she stressed was the need to emphasize that you are new to the community. “There are certain things that experienced gamers assume other players already know, but if you’re new, you aren’t going know any of it.”

I am still figuring a lot of these things out. I have only recently discovered how to properly cast my spells and that my class gives me a bonus in seeing things that are hidden. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to the day that I can help someone else figure everything out.

At the end of the session, Kevin turned to me. “The gauntlet on your arm is now completely black.” After a moment, he ominously added, “I’m sorry.”

It is too late for me—my character is stuck with the demonic Ex-calibur, and I have been sucked into the world of Dungeons and Dragons. There’s no going back. Photo by Deborah Landers.

“D&D allows people to hang out and get to know each other at a deep level. It’s a

lot like stage acting, but the stage is on the table and in

your imagination, and all the acting is improv.”

The Knight Times

Layout Editor: Shawna Downes Freelance Coordinator: Julia Feeser Faculty Advisor: Dr. Connie Phillips Contributing Writers: Stephanie Davis, Julia Feeser, Deborah Landers,

Selena Montoya, Jordan Olson, Josh Petersen

Contact Us: [email protected] Warner Pacific College 2219 S.E. 68th Ave Portland, Oregon 97215

The Knight Times is a publication of The Sword, a student organization supported by ASWPC.

Vol. 7, Issue 4May 5, 201616

College can feel like the start of a hike at the base of Mt. Everest. We should not be alone in times like this, and there are people placed in our lives to help with the journey. On a more emotional level, we have our friends and family who help through the stress. On an academic level we have our professors and academic advisors. They are here to guide us on the trail to completing our courses.

At a critical point in our lives, the bulk of our decisions are no longer made for us. This is where the balance of academic advising must be taken seriously. Do advisors grab the student by the hand and pull them through a degree track in which everything races by like a blur? Or, are students dropped from the helicopter into the wilderness and given a spoon and compass to find their way to civilization? Ideally, there is a balance: the support of an advisor when a student is in too deep and the willingness to let a student figure things out on their own.

There will always be the student who was ready for college by their freshman year in high school. They roar into college with running start college credits or AP classes. Their major is already chosen and they take at least sixteen credits a semester. When they meet with their advi-sor they have scheduled the courses they want to take, all they are wait-ing for is advisor approval. Academic advising in this scenario is like

operating the starting gates for a horse race and watching the stallions gallop through four or maybe even three years of college, depending on the student. Seniors can become so focused on this goal that they put blinders on like a horse and sprint towards the finishing tape.

Warner Pacific takes the approach of having professors take the role of advisors. Professors in certain departments have a thorough knowledge of the classes needed to be taken within the specific major as well as the strengths and challenges of the students in their classes. An academic ad-visor can help a student navigate their way through all the prerequisites, course sequencing, and time conflicts. Advisors also have many different course catalogs to refer to, as requirements can change from year to year.

Advisors have at least three different roles: expose, encourage, and empower. As a faculty advisor, it is important to expose students to the variety of courses available at a liberal arts college. Advisors also\ encourage students to choose a major they are passionate about and want to pursue, or when everything goes wrong in the beginning, help them pick a new major that better fits their skill set. Finally, faculty advisors empower students on their journey to finish strong and keep their head up. Getting to graduation may leave students out of breath and bruised, but at least we know we did not go through it alone.

I had a similar experience in Uganda. I was visiting a young girl in her small village when they brought me out an entire meal. Knowing that this was a complete honor to be given that meal, I ate it all, even though I knew the vegetables were washed in foul water that had mixed with their sewer. At that moment, with the entire village watching me, I simply had to pray for God’s protection and scarf it all down. I never got sick, thank the Lord.

Finally, know that coming home isn’t always easy. “The culture shock was hardest coming back,” said Petersen. “No one can prepare you for re-entering society after experiencing a life altering event. Un-derstanding ahead of time that no one else will fully understand the things you’ve experienced may feel isolating, but know that you can use that to share and hopefully educate others on things happening in other parts of the world,” he said.

In the end, global volunteers know that it is hard work, but the ex-perience is worth it. Aly Edwards described the impact of her work in the Philippines: “When we were doing typhoon relief, we stayed with a family whose house was destroyed. The family slept in their church even though some of the church’s walls were ripped away. Ev-ery night they would come together and have a family worship night.

In the middle of total chaos, they were worshiping Jesus and were so thankful for what they had,” she said. “The people were incredibly welcoming and loving and wanted me there. I knew I was supposed to be there and completely fell in love. I’ve been to Haiti and Nicara-gua, but the Philippines is home. I’m also going back in July for two weeks. It stole my heart unexpectedly,” she said.

After living in Lebanon for two months, I knew that I would never be the same. I sat with refugee women as they cried on my shoulder telling me the stories of how they saw their husbands gunned down by ISIS. I watched a classroom full of six year olds raise their hands high in the air when we asked if any of them had nightmares from the war in Syria. I got to pray with former extremist leaders and hear their testimonies, see children healed, become friends with the kindest people I’ve ever known, and watch the saving power of Jesus transform people’s lives, as well as my own. My time there solidified my passion and calling to be a mediator and advocate for peace, reconciliation, and justice on a global scale. This summer, I’ll be going to Lebanon and Morocco to volunteer with refugees. If you feel the slightest pull on your heart to experience missions, don’t be afraid. Take that leap of faith. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Cover photo: The first glimpse of Ireland, where Stephanie com-pleted her YWAM training. Photo by Stephanie Davis.

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knight times (may 2016)

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