SPORTS Eileen stressling balances music major and cross country 10

lifestyle APU TWO WORKS TO AVOID THE EFFECTS OF THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP 6
OPINION how orthodox christianity changed a students perspective 8

Clause
student voice of azusa pacific university since 1965

WEDNESDAY, nov. 18, 2015 VOL. 52, No. 6 www.theclause.org

PROFILE

Victoria Kovatchs
goal sends the
Cougars marching
into the third
round of NCAA
playoffs 10

APU Sports Information photo

Syrian refugees flee to Germany for security

Professor Willis
tackles the refugee
crisis firsthand
Josephine Jimenez
staff writer

Dr. James Willis, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, is currently in

Germany for two reasons. The first is to conduct guest lectures at four German universities.
The second is to produce a story and photo gallery for the The Oklahoman newspaper about
the refugee crisis that Germany and much of
Europe is facing.
Refugees began fleeing to Germany last
summer but have been arriving in smaller numbers since 2011 when the Syrian Civil War began.
Germany, according to Chancellor Angela
Merkel, will take in at least 800,000 refugees in
2015 alone. This means that the country is letting in more refugees than any other European
nation. The majority of those refugees have
already arrived, but the country is quickly running out of room and resources.
It is estimated that 4 million Syrians will
leave their country to find asylum.
Sweden and Austria are also offering asylum to the refugees, most of whom are from
Syria and Iraq. But apart from Germany and
these two countries, the rest of the European
Union countries are not taking many, said
Willis. France has offered to take only 24,000,
while Great Britain is only taking 20,000 over
the next five years. Germany is pushing hard
for these other European countries and Britain
to take more.
While in Germany, Willis is visiting the
refugee sites where people from Syria, Iraq
and other Middle Eastern countries are being
housed and cared for. He is conducting interviews with key people in the hopes of publish-

ing stories and photos that will bring awareness

to America about the refugee crisis in order to
encourage people to help.
Before Willis became a professor, he was a
full-time journalist in Oklahoma City and Dallas. He has continued to write for The Oklahoman as a special correspondent and has covered
stories like the Oklahoma City bombing and the
three anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
I love doing this kind of work because it
does help people in need, Willis said. The
world has to know these crises exist before people will kick in and offer help.
Willis said he believes the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris may relate to the refugee crisis.
This open immigration policy in Germany may come under fire this week following
the deadly attacks in Paris Friday night, Willis said. It will be a test of Chancellor Angela
Merkels resolve to see if she can continue welcoming up to a million Muslim refugees from
Syria and Iraq.
The question is whether you deny asylum
to hordes of people fleeing terrorism themselves
because there might be a couple Islamic terrorists slipping in with them, he added.
Organizations such as Save the Children
and Doctors Without Borders are currently offering aid in Germany, as well as many local
volunteer groups. Police officers and soldiers
are also on the scene in order to keep the refugees safe and secure in these emergency accommodation sites.
According to Willis, there are many heartbreaking scenes of loneliness and families that
are trying to keep their children safe.
Germany is trying to bring order to the process, but winter is coming, which means that
things are only going to get harder for refugees
who are awaiting permanent registration.
Once refugees complete their registration, a
process that takes about two months, they may
choose to remain in the country permanently.

see Germany 2

Love Your Melon

James Willis photo

Syrian refugees gather on the streets of Berlin to take refuge and await their registration
for asylum. Nearly a third of the refugees are children, and the country is working to create child-friendly spaces where families can provide a safe enviroment for their kids.

APU discusses national

security, safety and ISIS

Guest speaker
addresses threat of
Islamic group in U.S.
Jamie Roebuck-Joseph
staff writer

Angela Norton photo

A group of APU freshmen women create a new campus crew program called
Love Your Melon to make a difference in the lives of children. For each hat and
beanie that the students sell, one is donated to a child with cancer.

see love your melon 3

The Department of History and Political

Science hosted a lecture highlighting the brutal
impact Islamic group ISIS has had on Middle
Eastern countries and may potentially have on
the U.S.
The lecture, held on Nov. 5 in Munson Chapel, was entitled, U.S. National Security and
the expanding threat of ISIS: Are we safe?
Chair and professor of the Department of
History and Political Science Dr. Daniel Palm
introduced the key speaker, Dr. Frederick W.
Kagan.
Kagan is the Christopher DeMuth chair and
director of the Critical Threats Project at the
American Enterprise Institute. He has credentials serving in Kabul, Afghanistan as part of a
strategic assessment team. Kagan is a former
associate professor of military history at West
Point and also an active editor of the Weekly
Standard with experience writing for publications such as The Washington post, The Wall

Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

During his lecture, Kagan explained the
terrors of the violent Islamic group actively
spreading to other countries and taking over
large portions of Syria and Iraq. This discussion was especially timely in light of worldwide
concern after attacks on Friday by ISIS in Paris,
Beirut and Baghdad.
With the Islamic group becoming increasingly mobile and news reports of young adults
in the U.S. being swayed by ISIS through social
media, Kagan asked the question: Does this
group pose a threat to us?
He immediately answered his question:
Yes. It does. This is Al Qaeda.
Throughout the seminar, Kagan expanded
on the history of ISIS and the direction it is
headed, while the U.S. government dismissively believes they are not a threat.
The end state of that ideology is [Americas] destruction, Kagan said. This is a revolutionary group we are dealing with. This is a
heresy and insurgency within Islam, and its objective is to seize powerfirst within the Muslim community and then to mobilize the Muslim community to attack the West and force the
West to convert or die, so the entire world will
be governed in accordance with their vision of
justice. Thats what this is all about.

see ISIS 3

Clause

Wednesday, nov. 18 2015

campus
safety
report
The following are selected incidents
as reported from the Daily Media
Log from Nov. 8 through Nov. 14
courtesy of Campus Safety.

Tuesday, nov. 10
west campus

RP saw two subjects speed

toward the trolley stop as if
they were going to collide with
it. The driver of the vehicle
slammed on the breaks just
before hitting the trolley.

tuesday, nov. 10
Softball field

RP saw a subject on top of the

softball field restrooms possibly vandalizing it. Officers
responded to the scene and
reported no property damage
or vandalism was done to the
building.

tuesday, nov. 10
aLOSTA AVENUE

RP saw a car pass several students while throwing eggs at

them. Campus Safety passed
the information on to their supervisors.

Thursday, nov. 12
University Village

Campus Safety received multiple notifications from the

fire system for the same fire
panel. Officers responded
and checked the area and fire
panel. Officers concluded the
fire panel was normal and the
area was secure.

CALENDAR

compiled by kimberlee buck

Wednesday, Nov. 18

SGAs The Table

Student Government Association invites students, faculty and staff

to join them at 5 p.m. for The Table, a huge, family-style spaghetti
dinner held on Cougar Walk to foster conversation between students, faculty and staff. For students with meal plans, the dinner will
cost 3.75 dinning points. No meal plan? No worries, SGA will cover
your meal. To RSVP check your email or stop by the office.

Thursday, Nov. 19

Lend Me a Tenor

Students in the Department of Theater Arts are performing Ken Ludwigs Lend Me A Tenor. The hysterical comedy is about a famous
Italian tenor by the name of Tito Morelli who is scheduled to sing at
a fundraiser, but the tenor has his own plans. Curtains open at 7:30
p.m. in the Mary Hill Center Warehouse Theater. Regular tickets
start at $15. Staff, faculty and alumni prices start at $10. All tickets
can be purchased at the box office on West Campus.

Friday, Nov. 20

natcww24 Courtesy

With Christmas vacation around the corner, APU students celebrate the
holidays early by taking a trip to the Los Angeles Grove.

Sunday, Nov. 22

Basketball Games

Both the womens and mens basketball team have games this
week. The Lady Cougars will play Western Washington at 5:30 p.m.
and the mens basketball team will play The Masters at 7:30 p.m.
Both games will take place in the Felix Event Center. Come dressed
in your ZU gear and cheer on your team!

Friday, Nov. 20

Gospel Choir Worship Night

The APU Gospel Choir directed by Letita Ugwueke presents an

evening of Gospel and praise music from 5-6 p.m. at Garden Grove
Church of God. Admission is free and no tickets are required. For
more information, contact the School of Music Concert Events Office at (626) 7815-3848 or email concertinfo@apu.edu.

Monday, Nov. 23

80s Skate Night

The RAs of Alosta Place and University Park have combined living
spaces for a night of 80s music and skating at Skate Express from
9-11 p.m. Ticket prices range between $9 and $12. Students interested in attending the event are strongly encouraged to wear 80s
attire. Contact your RA for more information.

Skimm Triva Day

Join the Skimm team on Cougar Walk at 11 a.m. to test your current
events trivia knowledge. Students will also have the opportunity to
meet some of the representatives from Skimm headquarters. Later,
the team will host a Q&A in Wynn 202 at 2:30 p.m.

Tackling the refugee crisis abroad

Germany, P. 1

FRIday, NOV. 13
East campus

RP informed Officers of a female subject lobbying for political party. Officers responded
and advised her that she needed permission to be on campus. The subject left.

Numbers
Keys lost/found......................6
ID cards lost/found..............2
Cellphones found..................3
Unsecured bikes found........4
False fire alarms.....................2

REMEMBER
1. If you see something, say
something.
2. Safety is everyones
business.
3. Dial 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
4. Non emergencies: Call
Campus Saftety at (626)
815-3898.
5. Lock all doors and windows to your dorm, apartment and vehicle.
6. Keep all valuables secured and out of plain view.
7. At night, keep to well-lit
areas.
8. Always be aware of your
surroundings.
9. Utilize the trolleys, safety
escorts or walk groups.
10. Avoid places where you
are vulnerable and there
are no exits.
11. Avoid texting or talking
on the phone while walking
as you may be distracted.
12. Avoid walking and jogging alone.
13. Secure your bike with a
recommended Kryptonite
U-lock.

theclause.org/nEWs

James Willis Courtesy

A few of the thousands of Syrian refugees in Berlin on their way to the

registration building that will give them and their families asylum.

Clause

News Staff
editor-in-chief kelyn struiksma
news editor gina ender
asst. news editor kimberlee buck
lifestyle editor camille frigillana
opinion editor hankyul sharon lee
sports editor landon troka
asst. sports editor brandon rodriguez
photo/design editor ashley evans
copy editors meghan hui,
charlotte ward, lauren jacobs
business manager devon dejardin
staff writers anna ruth ramos, caroline
connolly, cynthia arroyo, jamie roebuckjoseph, josie jimenez, kennedy myers,
morgan eisenga, raelene kajkowski,
riordan zentler

Once they are registered, the

German government will help bring
over their immediate family. It is
very expensive for someone to get
out of Syria, which is why often only
one family member flees.
Chancellor Merkels open-door
policy for refugees is controversial
among Germans. The population is
fairly evenly split over whether they
approve of bringing in almost a million Muslim refugees in such a short
period of time. Some worry about
the long-term effect it will have on
the German culture.
The situation is dire for these
refugees. They are seeking a safe haven from the bombs and shootings in
their home countries. Many of them
are well educated and want to continue their schooling and university
studies in Europe. Overall, 3,400 refugees have drowned or are missing,
and 70 children have died crossing
the ocean to Greece.
By all means, the U.S. should
take in more refugeesnot simply
because it is in keeping with who we
claim to be as a nation, but because,
unlike Greece, we can afford it,
global studies professor Dr. Richard

Slimbach said. Those refugees are,

according to Matthew 25:40, at least
our neighbor and in some mystical
way Christ himself. Ultimately, Syria
must be made habitable again and
that is a far more difficult task.

By all means, the

U.S. should take in
more refugees...
Dr. Richard Slimbach
Within a year, refugees will represent one percent of the German
population. The country is the size of
Michigan and currently has a population of 80 million. One in three
refugees are children and some are
unaccompanied. They were sent to
Europe by their parents in order to
evade bombings and other harm.
One of the easiest and most effective things Americans can do is to
get on Facebook and Twitter and start
talking about this refugee crisis, said
Willis. The buzz has to get going,
because a lot of people are in dire
need over here. They are victims of
wars their governments started. They
didnt want to leave home, but they
had no choice.

mailing address p.o. box 9521-5165, azusa, ca 91702

phone 626-815-6000, ext. 3514
website www.theclause.org email editorinchief@theclause.org
FACULTY ADVISER dr. michael dean clark
The Clause is a student newspaper dedicated to providing a realistic, journalistic educational experience for students of Azusa Pacific University; to seeking truth and reporting
it boldly, fairly and accurately; to enhancing
the university community by providing a student voice imbued with truth, responsibility
and accountability.
The newspaper is published weekly, except during examinations and vacation periods, by the students of the Department of
Communication Studies at Azusa Pacific University. The newsroom is located on Cougar
Walk in between the Cougars Den and Paws
N go. The views expressed in all letters to
the editor and all signed opinion articles are

those of their authors, not staff or university.

Letters to the Editor
Please include a phone number for verification of all letters to the editor. Anonymous
and unverified letters to the editor will not
be printed. The Clause reserves the right
to edit the letters for length and journalistic style. The opinions expressed in this
newspaper do not necessarily reflect the
views of the faculty, staff or administration
of Azusa Pacific University.
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theClause.org/nEWs

Clause

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

APU helps battle childrens cancer with apparel brand

Love Your Melon
campus group aims
to raise money and
awareness
Brandon Rodriguez
assistant sports editor

APU students are looking to

make a difference in the lives of
many young children through the
Love Your Melon (LYM) Campus
Crew Program.
The program strives to promote
the products on campus while also
visiting hospitals, bringing beanies
and hats to children and planning
events in order to spread awareness.
50 percent of LYM's proceeds go to
cancer research through a partnership with CureSearch and The Pinky
Swear Foundation.
Rachel Jewett, freshman marketing major and public relations manager of APU's LYM Campus Crew,
explained the meaning behind the
organization.
For each beanie you sell, a hat
goes to a kid with cancer, Jewett
said. Thats why its called Love
Your Melon, because when youre
bald, your head looks like a melon.
The LYM organization was
founded in October of 2012 by two
friends and college students in Minnesota. Since then, LYM's Campus
Crew Program has spread nationwide to various universities.
Freshman marketing major Angela Norton started the APU crew
about a month ago and serves as the
crew captain.
Im from Minnesota, and back
home I realized that a lot of college

Angela Norton Courtesy

Every Love Your Melon beanie purchase provides a hat to a child who is battling cancer. It is a nationwide organization and has been recently facilitated by a group of freshman girls to APU. The beanies can be purchased at
loveyourmelon.com for $30.
campuses had the Love Your Melon
groups, Norton said. I realized that
APU didnt have a crew, but other
schools around California did, so
I thought that this would be a good
thing to start here.
APU is the 10th university on the
West Coast to start a Love Your Melon (LYM) campus crew. Other local
campus crews include Cal Poly Pomona, USC, UCLA and Biola.
Its important to students on
campus because I see people walking around with beanies anyway, so
why not buy one that helps somebody

else? Jewett said. There are so

many people affected by cancer, so to
be able to give back is both rewarding
to them and to another person. Thats
why it should be important to APU.
A campus crew is not considered an official campus club, because
any student can start their own crew.
Campus crews such as LYM are
unique because they can only have
20 people in the crew, with a waitlist for others who want to join. Currently, everyone in APUs LYM crew
is freshman women, but they hope to
expand to other students.

Even though it may seem strange

having a club that is all freshmen, I
think it gives us a lot of potential because we have four years to grow in
something that we are already so passionate about, freshman international business major and LYM campus
crew member Sophia Kitabjian said.
Hopefully, by the time we graduate,
we can see its growth and see it established or built into the school by
then.
For many crew members, such
as freshman nursing major Allison
Houck, this group and its message are

near to their heart.

I wanted to join [LYM] as soon
as I found out about it, because growing upwhen I was about three or
fourboth my cousin and one of
my best friends were diagnosed with
leukemia, Houck said. I remember
how sick my cousin was in particular, but looking back I remember that
through support, he and his family
got through it. Battling cancer, especially cancer with a small child, is not
something anyone should do alone,
so I wanted to do something to help.
The crew is open to anyone interested in joining. They believe that
something as simple as giving a hat
or beanie to a child going through
cancer, while giving them much
needed love and support, can make
that childs day brighter.
We want Love Your Melon to be
a common household phrase on campus, Jewett said. I think that with a
campus our size, that is not an unrealistic goal.
For members like Jewett and
Kitabjian, the future of the group is
important, and both have high expectations for Love Your Melon. They
believe APUs students can have a
strong impact in this world by showing Gods love through kindness and
compassion.
I think one of our goals for the
future is just to continue to expand
with members, Kitabjian said. We
only have girls in this group right
now, but we would like to have men
as well, especially since the organization was started by two men. We encourage everyone to join or support
the product, and just spread the word
on campus.
For further information on LYM
campus crew, contact Angela Norton
at anorton14@apu.edu.

Guest speaker discusses threat of ISIS to America

ISIS, P. 1
He went on to explain that, compared to another group that may plan
to attack immediately, ISIS may not
be as much of a threat. He emphasized that this does not mean they
shouldn't still be considered a threat.
ISIS is not a terrorist group,
Kagan said. It's an army, and it has a
state. It governs cities.
ISIS, also known as the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria or the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),
renamed itself the Islamic State by
the end of June 2014. Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, ISIS' leader since 2010,
has announced that he is now ruling
over all Muslims.
Muslims, however, are not welcoming of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
They are becoming a global organization, Kagan said. Are they
focused on attacking us at this minute? No, not necessarily. Are they
a threat to us? asked Kagan. Yes.
Are we safe from them? No. Do we
need to do something about this? Yes,
[but] are we? No.
Kagan believes that Americans
think the U.S. is a war-weary nation, and said, Were notand Im
notmaking an argument [that] war
is the solution to all things.
I don't like war, Kagan added.
I don't take this lightly, but the problem is that when people are at war
with you, its very problematic to say
that you're not at war with them.
According to Kagan, the humanitarian consequence of inaction
against ISIS and all the lives affected
in the Middle East is leading the U.S.
to moral bankruptcy.
I think we need to consider our

moral compass here, and decide why

we are comfortable with a policy of
inaction that is making no effort to
prevent this, Kagan said.
Palm concluded with a Q&A session where he asked Kagan his own
questions, as well as questions from
the audience. Kagan answered questions about ISIS influence on other
nations and gave his opinion on the
varying political stances of the issue.
A majority of the students in attendance were political science majors.

taking action against ISIS.

I would help them in whatever
way they needed, Nunez said.
Palm hoped that the lecture gave
students a chance to better under-

stand what ISIS is and the threat that

it poses to those in the Middle East.
I think the thing for us to think
about as Christians is, Do we have
any kind of obligation to help [those]

suffering from ISIS...and how can we

help protect ourselves, our families
and fellow citizens from the dangers
of ISIS spreading further? Palm
said.

I dont take this

lightly, but the problem is that when
people are at war
with you, its very
problematic to say
that youre not at
war with them.
Dr. Frederick W. Kagan
When I heard Dr. Kagan speak
about how we should be doing something about [ISIS] and shouldn't forget about it, it really sparked something inside me, and I thought, We
should be thinking about this more
and not letting it go to the side, and
why should we think that Muslim
lives don't matter? sophomore political science major Jackie Nunez
said.
Nunez plans to go into campaigning, and said she would fully support
a candidate who felt strongly about

Edgar Ramirez Courtesy

Dr. Daniel Palm (left) and guest Dr. Frederick W. Kagan (right) discuss the possibility of ISIS posing a threat to
the United States at a lecture on Thursday, Nov. 5. in Munson Chapel.

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

Clause

theclause.org/nEWs

ZuVenturez participants compete in semifinals

With $15,000
at stake, seven
remaining teams
compete for the
chance to jumpstart
their business
Riordan Zentler
staff writer

With ZuVenturez's semifinal

event coming to a close, seven teams
have been named finalists and will
move on in the competition.
The ZuVenturez program debuted in the spring semester of 2014.
The nine-week series of workshops
has allowed students to make their
innovation a reality and receive
coaching from mentors who are part
of successful businesses.
"It's fun to see so much pent-up
energy around growing ideas and to
build faith-based ways of developing
a platform for growing businesses,"
said Janice Orlando, chair of the
Board of Innovators.
Since its inception, ZuVenturez
has expanded consistently in size and
scope. The number of participants
has more than tripledfrom 30 to
more than 100causing the department to hire more coaches.
Accordingly, ZuVenturez has
grown more competitive with increasingly ambitious projects being
pitched each semester. This round,
many students have already managed
to solidify patents and work with
manufacturers. Agap, the emerging
luxury organic perfume company,
brought samplings of products to its
pitches. The company seeks to empower men and women in "natural,

Riordan Zentler Photo

A competitor presents his pitch to the ZuVenturez judges at the semifinals competition in Wilden for his company
Thanks!, an online donation aggregator that allows users to contribute to free content providers on the Web.
authentic beauty."
Faith integration is of paramount
importance in the entrepreneurial
program. Sophomore business management major Drew Dierickx actually got the name Agap"all-encompassing fatherly love"through
motivation from prayer. "There's so
much inauthentic beauty in America
[that] is, in reality, unattainable," Dierickx said. "You were born in the
image of God."
Nate Lu, director of the Office of
Innovation, spoke on the significance
of instilling a Kingdom focus in the
program.
Theres a reason that God gave
you an opportunity, [and] you need to
respond to that, Lu said. You have
to ask yourself, 'Why does God con-

tinue to open doors for me?'

Orlando said that she believes
APU students have "a heart for giving."
For the Zuventurez platform, it is
important to come alongside those
passions and create sustainability so
theres a way for those missions to
grow and create a lot of good Kingdom-focused work, Orlando said.
For James Feller, passion plays a
key role in the program. Feller, one
of the minds behind the aerial photographic company Perfect Pixels,
explained how Zuventurez is helping make his hobby of flying picture
drones a reality.
I owned a couple drones, and I
fell in love with them, Feller said.
My parents told me that if I love

them so much, I just [have to] find a

way to make money with them.
Fellers teammate, freshman
pre-engineering major Madi Hunter,
explained the benefit of Zuventurez
for participants outside the School of
Business and Management.
[We] practice being professional; [weve] learned all about financials, Hunter said. Were not business majors, were techie people.
Lu said students of all majors are
welcome to compete in the competition.
In the past, a lot of people
[have] assumed that a business plan
competition is solely for business students, Lu said. Thats not true at all.
[Were] starting to see computer science majors working with design stu-

dents, [and] communication students

working with accounting majors.
We dont have a majority of
business people in this system because everyone has great ideas, Orlando said.
Lu said Zuventurez has sometimes been likened to the television
business competition show "Shark
Tank."
Theyre very aggressive and opportunistic when they look at ideas
and business plans, Lu said. We
bring that perspective, [but] our goal
is to equip our students with the resources and knowledge to be the light
in those places.
The business plan competition
will conclude its final round the night
of Nov. 17 in the UTCC. Finalized
pitches will be made in front of a panel of judges, who will then nominate
the winners. The team that wins first
place will be awarded $15,000 to start
its business, as well as $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place.
There are similarities and differences to Shark Tank," Dr. Annie Tsai,
vice president of Alumni, Vocation
and Innovation said. "The similarity
is the intensity and real feedback you
get from investor-type judges, as well
as a real cash prize of $15,000. The
difference is [that] APU is not here to
benefit from students. We do not take
equity. APU is here to help students
dream, build and launch their Christian ventures."
In addition to Perfect Pixels and
Agape, finalists include Lord's Light,
featuring high-technology lightbulbs;
Precept Me, a mobile application for
medical students; Thanks!, an online
donation aggregator; Thread Safe, antibacterial medical garments and Urban Vinyl, wood-cased headphones.
This article was written on Nov.
16 prior to the Zuventurez final competition on Nov. 17.

IDEA survey to be administered online only

Evaluations
determine
professors futures
and give students a
voice
Brandon Rodriguez
assistant sports editor

As the fall semester approaches

its end, many students are beginning
to receive the Individual Development and Educational Assessment,
also known as the IDEA survey.
The nationwide survey is administered by professors either midway
or at the end of the semester, and was
designed in 1968-69 at Kansas State
University as one of the most reliable
and valid instruments of the market
for getting student feedback about
instruction.
Student feedback is an important part of understanding what is
working well in the classroom," said
Associate Provost for the Center for
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Stephanie Juillerat. "We want students to be able to identify whether
or not they think they learned in different areas and whether theyve had
a good educational experience."
It is a requirement for all faculty
to administer the IDEA, but the process varies depending on the current
contract between a faculty member
and the university.
At APU, all new faculty and adjuncts must return feedback on 100

percent of their courses. Faculty on

three-year contracts must return feedback on at least 50 percent of their
courses, and faculty on five-year contracts (or longer) must return feedback from at least 30 percent of their
courses.
The IDEA is typically given in
class. However, it can now be sent to
students through email.
The company that produces
IDEA recognized that using a scantron sheet and a number two pencil
where the forms have to be mailed to
an external companyis outdated,"
Juillerat said. "This will be a more efficient and safer process."
With this new technique, students will be able to take the surveys
on their smartphone or tablet, doing
away with the old paper version typically given during class.
Some students are not entirely
fond of IDEAs mobile delivery. Junior journalism major Caitlin Slater
voiced her concern about the online
survey.
Students may be less prone to
doing it [the survey] online, whereas if youre given a survey in class,
youre going to take it in class and
youre going to get more feedback,
Slater said.
Sophomore communication studies major Megan Franklin agreed that
this new means of administering the
survey could result in less student engagement.
I dont like the idea of going
paperless because you feel more content in giving someone something
physical," Franklin said.
Both Slater and Franklin have al-

ready submitted surveys in a few of

their classes. They prefer giving their
feedback mid-semester rather than at
the end, because they can voice their
comments and critiques and see if the
faculty take that advice into consideration.
However, it seems that many faculty members prefer to give the survey at the end of the semester. Mathematics adjunct professor Leonard
Popp explained why its important
for him to wait until the end of the semester before distributing the IDEA.

Student feedback
is an important part
of understanding
what is working well
in the classroom.
Stephanie Juillerat
I always administer [the survey]
at the end of the semester," Popp said.
"I want to make sure that they have
most of the material under their belt,
and that theyve experienced the entire class before they give me their
opinion, because I want to know their
opinion on everything weve done."
Juillerat also explained why most
professors should wait before giving
out the survey.
If students are rating their progress in the middle of the semester, it
cant be as rich as rating how much
progress theyve made after experiencing most of the course," Juillerat
said. "Its very important for an in-

structor to give mid-course feedback,

but the IDEA should be administered
somewhere in the last couple weeks
of the course to give students the best
opportunity to say how much they
have learned."
Nationwide, if a faculty member
is given many poor reviews, their
position with their university may be
in jeopardy. If they do not meet the
national average, they will not be offered another contract by the university.
However, positive reviews can
benefit faculty members in many
ways. The university will recognize
any positive effect from certain faculty and offer them extended contracts
with the university.
One of several things that keep
me around is my IDEA scores, said
Jennifer Buck, adjunct professor in
the Department of Practical Theology. Reviews from students over the
years have had an effect. [In] areas
where I havent scored as high, Ive
really taken [that] into consideration
and reevaluated my curriculum.
The survey provides a way for
APU students to have their voices
heard regarding professors.
I think sometimes as students, a
survey can feel like a hassle because
were so busy, but I think that its one
of the most important things we can
do as a student in getting our voices
heard," Slater said. "Something so
small, as in taking a survey, can make
a huge difference."
According to Juillerat, during
the 2014-15 school year, the Office
of Faculty Evaluation evaluated approximately 3,754 courses and sent

approximately 68,408 surveys to students to evaluate their learning.

By evaluating these courses, it
is extremely important that students
take it seriously and that they answer honestly, Juillerat said. This
process is not designed to advantage
faculty they like or to disadvantage
faculty they dont like. It is designed
to assess student perceptions of their
learning. The process will fail if students dont complete the instrument
and if they dont complete it honestly.
If students and faculty can manage
this process with integrity, then we
will have success all around the university.
According to Juillerat, faculty
will automatically receive their results at the end of the term but never
before grades have been submitted.

Lifestyle

The tradition continues Cinnamon glazed apple cider donuts

Students and
faculty come
together for
Writers Read
Riordan Zentler
staff writer

An APU tradition since 1981,

Writers Read showcases a handful of
faculty and students greatest original
poems and short stories. For many
students, the event is a unique opportunity to present their written works
in a vocalized format.
Ryan Dodge, a senior English major who presented his poem
Palms, said his favorite aspect of
the event was getting to hear work
by fellow students and my teachers.
Its always fascinating to me to hear
the work of others, especially people
I know well and care about. It shows
a different side of them that doesnt
always come out.
Dr. Ralph Carlson, professor
emeritus in the Department of English, explained how verbalizing written works helps authors realize how
their compositions can be modified
and improved upon.
Reading something aloud brings
a different dimension to the writers
experience, Carlson said. This continues because its a good experience
for writers and helps them improve
their writing skills and confidence.
Carlson created the Writers Read
event in 1981. Im very glad that the
tradition continues, he said.
Associate professor in the Department of English Dr. Christine
Kern presented Carlson with a pen
and notebook during the event, thanking him for his dedication throughout
the years.
Previously held in the LAPC, this
is the first time the event has taken
place in Wilden Lecture Hall.
We outgrew the previous room,
Kern said. Its amazing how [Writers Read has] grown. We had a reading last year where people were all
along the walls and sitting in the
pathways.
She explained how the size increase could have potentially left
empty space that would take away
from the sense of community.
I was thrilled with the turnout,
Kern said. We had people from the
Writing Center, alumnipeople from

the whole spectrum, not just our department event.

Although the format has changed
minimally over the years, the hosts
are open to implementing new ideas.
Ive tried in the past to get staff
and faculty members from a variety
of departments to participate, Carlson said. Perhaps someone from
religion and philosophy could do a
short psalm in Hebrew, then in English.
The event is designed to give
authors and poets a platform upon
which to express themselves and
receive feedback from their fellow
writers. Carlson said many students
come away surprised at how well
they did, encouraged to keep on writing because friends and [others] complimented them, [telling them] what
in the material moved them most.
Writers Read is unique in the
sense that it provides a space for writers to read their work aloud, something many writers rarely do. With no
podium to hide behind, the authors
are laid bare before their audience.

Reading something
aloud brings a different dimension to
the writers experience.
-Dr. Ralph Carlson

I have never read my poetry in a

public setting, Dodge said. [I] felt
like this was a good stepping stone
for trying [out] this type of performance.
Graduate student in the English
program Matthew Parker presented
his short story, This is My Husband
Paul, and said it was his first time
participating in Writers Read.
I was super nervous going in
since public speaking is one of my
biggest fears, but Im glad I did it,
Parker said. I feel like I managed it
much better than I was expecting.
Writers Read is held once each
semester. Although it is hosted by the
Department of English, submission is
open to all.
I really like seeing the talent and
imagination we have here at APU,
Parker said. I think art and literature
are very important, and Im glad APU
is encouraging its community to participate in that world.

A sweet treat that

is perfect for the
fall season
Camille Frigillana
lifestyle editor

The fall season has officially begun, and the start of sweater weather
also marks the start of pumpkin flavored everything. In a world bombarded with pumpkinfrom cookies to coffeeit can be hard to find
something that isnt flavored as such.
But fear not! Here is a recipe for a
sweet snack that is easy to do and
doesnt involve the orange gourd.

Ingredients for
the dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

Pumpkin N Spice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two donut
pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

1/2 teaspoon salt

3. Add in the cider, milk, egs, vanilla extract and butter. Stir to mix the
wet and dry ingredients.

3/4 cup apple cider

4. Pour mixture into a large Ziploc bag and cut tip of bottom corner.

1/2 cup milk

5. Pipe mixture into prepared donut pan.

2 eggs

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until donuts are slightly firm.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

7. Remove from oven and cool completely before adding glaze.

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

8. To prepare the glaze, add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and
cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Ingredients for
the cinnamon
vanilla glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

9. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

10. Take each donut and dunk about halfway into the bowl to glaze.
11. Repeat until all donuts are glazed. Enjoy!

For more great fall recipes, see Festive Fall

Foods online at www.theclause.org/lifestyle.
Heres a sneak peak:

Creamy Garlic Mash Potatoes

Pecan Pie Milkshakes
Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

theClause.org/lifestyle

Clause

Wednesday, nov. 18, 2015

APU Two hosts sophomore-centered The Tonight Show

Programs first
major event filled
with audienceinvolved sketches
Jamie RoebuckJoseph
staff writer

On Thursday, Nov. 12, APU Two

presented its rendition of the popular
late-night television series The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
in UTCC.
APU Two is an on-campus organization founded in the fall of 2014.
Its members strive to serve sophomores in any way they can, whether
by connecting them to groups and
departments on campus or creating
events to help them relax.
The event included games and
activities featuring participants from
the audience, as well as members
from the Student Government Association (SGA). A live band played
throughout the evening, imitating
Fallons show. APU alumnus and
program coordinator of APU Two
and Office of Orientation and Transitions officer Drew Brown hosted.
The event was so much fun,
and it was definitely a stress reliever,
which was great because Im hitting
the sophomore slump right now,
sophomore psychology major Rachel
McMenamin said. I missed having
events just for us. Freshman year just
had a great sense of community, and
there were always events to go to
with the hall or Alpha groups. Sophomore year has made it a lot harder to
see everyone.
McMenamin explained that the
event was a nice reminder that the
APU Two organization still cares
about sophomores having a fun experience.
Sophomore attendee psychology
major Raylin Cline had the chance to
help with a portion of the event.
I loved the event; I thought it
was super fun, and something that
got us away from the craziness of
school, Cline said. Sometimes I

forget that the other sophomores are

going through the sophomore slump
as well. I just automatically assume
that its just me.
Drew Brown explained that
sophomores are often overlooked,
which is why the organization is dedicated to providing fun and resourceful events for the students. Coming
off of the usually exciting freshman
year, sophomores experience more
of a shift toward really adjusting to
college life in terms of school and
friend circles. This shift leaves a lot
of second-year students feeling overwhelmed, causing the sophomore
slump.
I am really passionate about
making people feel welcome,
Brown continued. I want them to
feel worthy of excellence and worthy
of love.
Brown also revealed the inspiration behind hosting the APU Tonight Show.
I feel like a lot of todays comedy is super raunchy, and I think humor can be so funny and also clean,
Brown said, reflecting on television
talk shows. I thought for APU Two,
what better way than to have people
[meet the] different people I work
with, but also have a really good
time? Sophomores get enough seriousness in their daily life, and thats
all good and well, but I really wanted
to give them a chance to just relax,
celebrate and laugh.
According to Brown, APU Two
exists for students.
The organizations goal is to do
big events while also having oneon-one conversations with students.
Brown explained that there are many
departments on campus that have so
much to offer, yet students are unaware of that.
He hopes to bring light to these
departments and assist students in
getting connected with them.
Although they are still in the
drafting stage, APU Two has more
events planned for the next semester,
such as another Tonight Show.
Brown urges students who have
event ideas to come into the office
and brainstorm with them.
I want sophomores to know

Edgar Ramirez PhotoS

Above: Host Drew Brown and some of the APU Two Staff do the Stanky Leg as part of the opening act.
Below: Various members of the audience take the stage and participate in sketches during the show.
that they deserve excellence, said
Brown. They deserve the best, and
an awesome experience. Sophomore
year is a year to embrace and thrive
in.
APU Two has already put on a

movie night and a fair where sophomores can go and get connected with
different offices on campus. The
program is planning to put on more
events as the year goes on.
We want to get to know them

and support them, Brown continued.

Sometimes the struggle is real, and
we dont want to ignore that. We want
them to know that when theres struggleand when theres good things
we want to be there for both.

BSA, students discuss the N word

Ethnic organization
discusses
controversial term
Camille Frigillana
lifestyle editor

On Nov. 12, students from various

ethnic backgrounds filled a Wilden
classroom for this weeks Black Student Association (BSA) meeting. The
topic for the night was on the use of
the N word and whenif everit
is okay to use.
Its an issue that we face, and its
a controversial topic, Vice President
of BSA and senior biblical studies
major Rami Nious Flores said. We
just thought that it was a good thing
to start a discussion about and get
people talking about it.
This was senior biology major
Ellen Emerys first BSA meeting.
When I heard what the topic
of discussion would be at this BSA
meeting, I was intrigued, Emery
said. I really wanted to listen to the
discussion because [use of the N
word] is highly controversial in our
society. It seems as though a double
standard has developed for when it
is acceptable to use, and I was interested to hear the discussion from a

perspective different than may own.

The meeting started with some
of BSAs board members explaining
the myths related to the word, such
as If I say it, Im cool, All black
people use it, Its okay [to say it] if
Im singing/rapping lyrics to a song
and I can say it because I am black.
The group then discussed the
history of the word, explaining that
it was established as a derogatory
term in the 1800s during the time
of slavery in America. White southerners mispronounced the word negro, which meant black person, and
turned it into the more offensive word
that exists today.
Further conversation then revolved around how the word is used
in pop culture, specifically in rap
songs and how even celebrities like
chef and cooking show host Paula
Deen faced dire consequences after
being caught using the word. BSA
then showed a video of Dr. Neal Lester, an English professor at the University of Alabama, talking about the
word and what he thinks it is truly
about.
The N word is about an identity, Lester said in the video. Its
being born into an identity that was
somehow expected to be uncivilized,
un-educatable and buffoonish.
Later, the meeting shifted into

an open forum and discussion with

board members acting as moderators
who would ensure the conversations
went smoothly.
Before it started, President of
BSA and senior English major Maurice Johnson laid down some ground
rules, emphasizing that it was a safe
place for people to express their opinions, and that it was okay to disagree
with each other in order to gain a
deeper understanding of the topic.
For the next hour and a half, students sat in a circle on chairs, tables
and the floor while listening to each
other discuss various aspects of the
N word.
As I listened to others share in
the discussion, I gained new insight
into multiple perspectives surrounding the use of the N word, Emery
said. I was thankful that all perspectives are welcome in BSA. Even if
we disagreed with one another, it was
clearly in love and support.
Even close to the meetings end,
many people were still waiting for a
chance to say what was on their mind.
Many of them stuck around after the
meeting to continue the conversation
in smaller groups.
It was definitely a good conversation, BSA member and senior
mathematics major Isaac Lyles said.
There were good points made, and I

Ashley Evans graphic

During the meeting, members of BSA shared a list of common justificatrions people use to explain why they use the N word.
was happy to hear what other people
were saying. But its a long conversation, and its been going on for years,
and it will still be an ongoing discussion.
In general, most of the attendees
had a general consensus about the N
word: Dont use it at all. Many believed that African Americans should
set an example by not using the term
even when referring to their friends.
Additionally, other races should feel
more of a need to interject when they
hear the term being used. However,
at the meeting, a few decided that
they still wanted to use the word. The
other students response was that ev-

eryone has the right to free speech, as

long as they remember that their actions can have consequences.
In terms of continuing the discussion, Flores hopes to one day find a
larger platform in which to facilitate
those conversations on campus.
I know itd be a long shot, but
[Id love to] do something like this
during chapel or maybe a bigger
forum, Flores said. Even though
ethnic organizations are open to everybody, not everyone comes, so I
feel like open forums would work to
reach a bigger audience.
BSA meets every Thursday night
at 7:30 p.m. in Wynn 130.

theClause.org/lifestyle

Clause

Wednesday, nov. 18, 2015

Lend Me a Tenor is not your typical comedy

APU Theater puts
on farcical play as
second production
Anna Ruth Ramos
staff writer

The plot of Ken Ludwigs Lend

Me a Tenor, reminiscent of Shakespeares Twelfth Night, tells the
story of mistaken identity.
A similar case unfolds in Tenor
between senior acting and stage major Jonathan Fierros, who plays Tito
Morelli, the world-class tenor, and
sophomore acting and stage major
Matt Bolden, who plays Max, the unlikely tenor of the opera.
Directed by Eric Scott Gould,
Lend Me a Tenor is set in 1934 in a
fancy, first-class hotel suite in Cleveland, Ohio. Morelli is a world-class
tenor scheduled to perform as Othello
at the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. The event, however, doesnt
quite go as planned, due to Morelli
setting off a chain reaction of farcical results.
Farce is the comic dramatization
using buffoonery and horseplay, with
plot progression highly dependent on
the exaggerated movement of the actors and the situations they find themselves in.
Farce dates back to ancient Greek
and Egyptian theater, and is an absurd
situation or event that helps the characters restore balance in their lives.
It is essentially a comedy that takes
a deeper look into what it means to
be human.
The difference between farce
and regular comedy is that comedy is
more relaxed, while farce demands a
sense of urgencythe execution and
timing has to be precise and clean
in order to get to the punch line.
Junior acting major Kristina
Meyering found the physicality required of farce exhausting, but said it
kept her in shape. [It] is one of the
most difficultif not the most difficultstyle of show to do, said Meyering, who plays Julia. After this,
any other show is kind of a breeze.
Jill Brennan-Lincoln, associate

APU Theater courtesy

Directed by Eric Scott Gould, Lend Me A Tenor is a comedic play that is about a tenor who faces some
trouble before his show. The whole play takes place in his hotel suite, which was how the stage was set up.
professor of theater arts and program
director of BFA in acting for the stage
and screen, said that most Christian
institutions are afraid to do farcical
plays because of the innuendos associated with it.
Philosophically, I think the challenges in terms of storytelling and
everything else are only negative
if you choose to look at them that
way, Gould said. Sometimes, being
limited forces you to make creative

choices that you never could have sat

at home and figured out alone.
In terms of sexual content, Gould
alluded to the old television rule
where even married couples were not
allowed to be seen in bed together
unless one of them had a leg on the
floor.
Because of beds and bodies and
all of these things, it seemed [like a]
perfect idea to go with...the I Love
Lucy rules, Gould said. We chose

Delicious dining at the Chefs Table

Chef Angela
Arebalo showcases
holiday cuisine for
students
Caroline Connolly
staff writer

On Thursday, Nov. 12, APU Dining Services hosted the Chefs Table
event in the Presidents Dining Room
for the second time this semester.
I wanted to give students a preview of some of the late fall/winter
meals that will be served within the
next few weeks and months, Dining
Services chef and host of the event
Angela Arebalo said.
The event was a chance for members of the APU community to come
together to enjoy a wonderful meal
and have some interesting dinner
table discussions.
APU Assistant Director of Dining Services James Cacciatore sat at
our table and told us about some of
the new renovations and additions
the Dining Services Department is
thinking about adding to campus this
summer, freshman English major
Katie Mraz said. This made me re-

ally excited.
Director of Auxiliary Services
Jim Nasipak stated that the focus of
the event was for students to meet the
people behind the food being served
to them on campus, as well as voice
any concerns and ideas about Dining
Services.
I always encourage students
to participate in the events that we
host, Nasipak said. It provides an
opportunity for students to meet our
chefs and senior staff.
The menu included items usually
associated with the holidays, such as
pork tenderloin with cranberry sauce.
My favorite food item at the
Chefs Table last night was the combination of Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with caramelized onions and the
roasted brussels sprouts, Cacciatore
said. I also enjoyed the salad with
the ricotta lime vinaigrette.
The good food and company
made the event a big hit for those in
attendance and encouraged them to
attend any future, similar events.
I definitely plan on attending
the next Chefs Table! Mraz exclaimed. I was surprised there were
not more people at the event, because
who doesnt like free food, especially
when it is so delicious?
Cacciatore also encouraged stu-

dents to attend the events that Dining Services will put on in the future,
so they can voice their thoughts and
ideas in order to improve their food
experience on campus.
For those who did attend this
event, Cacciatore hoped they left
with more knowledge about what
Dining Services does.
I hope the takeaway for those
who attended is that Dining Services
is genuinely interested in the each
students dining experience, Cacciatore said. We truly value their
input. We are always working on new
projects.
As for the rest of the semester,
Dining Services will help put on various on-campus events in conjuction
with other departments as well as sell
some sweet Christmas treats.
As of now, we are planning
a Christmas Basket promotion at
Paws N Go, Cacciatore said. The
gift baskets will be available when
students return from Thanksgiving
Break, and some will include Sees
Candies and Peets Coffee items.
In the near future, Dining Services will provide the food for SGAs
The Table event on Nov. 18, and will
also partner with Communiversity
for Midnight Breakfast on Sunday,
Dec. 13.

to have two twin beds over there

thats written as one bed.
Farce is the hardest thing there
is, Brennan-Lincoln added.
Both Brennan-Lincoln and Gould
specified that if something is not funny, youll know it.
Business management junior
Emily Meyers said she could not stop
laughing while watching the play. I
really liked how exaggerated everything was, Meyers said.

Max and Saunders were Meyerss favorite characters. She wished

the student body was more aware of
the talent that the theatrical students
have to offer: People [should] come,
be entertained and have a good time.
Consisting mostly of juniors and
seniors, cast members included Linda
de la Fonteijne as Maggie, Maxs
love interest, who is also romantically attracted to Morelli. Maggie
McCall plays Maria, Morellis wife;
Owen Smith plays Henry Saunders,
the operas manager; Kristina Meyering portrays Julia, chairwoman of
the opera; Michael Donnell plays the
Bell Hop and Alli Roberti is Diana,
the struggling actress.
The Bell Hop was my favorite;
he stole the show, junior communication studies major Micayla Brewster said.
Compared to Shakespeare, which
is harder to grasp, Brewster said
Tenor is easier to follow and have
a laugh. I think its good to come
and support our fellow students, and
I think its a good thing to come and
experience.
Junior psychology major Lindsay Burkes favorite characters were
Max and the Bell Hop. In terms of
other school productions, she said
that this one is the funniest and had
more physicality to it. She also recommended the play as a fun and easy
way to support the theater program.
Amazing is the word undeclared freshman Michaela Belluomini would use to describe the play.
She said she laughed the entire time,
and credited the technical quality of
the set along with the acting. She
cited Max and Tito as her favorite
characters.
Its a good way to get out of the
life of the stressed college student,
and its a good time to just relax and
have fun, Belluomini said. [Its]
definitely worth the money.
Lend Me a Tenor opened on
Nov. 12 and will be playing until
Nov. 21 at the Warehouse Theater in
the Mary Hill Center. Tickets are for
sale online, via phone or at the Felix
Event Center. General admission is
$15, $10 with an APU student ID and
$5 with Thursday Night discounts.

#claustagram

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Last cheer

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band pride

Name: Lauren Myering

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Opinion

APU in need of more social sensitivity

A reponse to Active
campus group and
Juan Direction
Raelene Kajkowski
staff writer

Recently, there have been several

accounts of racial incidents occurring
on school campuses, including APU
where we are enduring or own racial
slurs.
Five female APU students
dressed up in fake mustaches, sombreros and a T-shirt reading Juan
Direction for APUs Homecoming
dance.
The responses to these students
actions have been varied; however,
most came from Activate.
The conversation went viral after
Activate posted the image of the girls
on its Facebook page.
The post read, Our experience
is legitimate...and like a sleeping giant Activate rears its head. These five
women at Azusa Pacific University
wearing sombreros and fake mustaches dressed up as Juan Direction.
We will not cloak these incidents
with fancy runarounds.
This is not merely an issue of
diversity or racial insensitivity
this is RACISM, the post continued.
The perpetuation of racial stereotypes that appropriates the Latina/o
identity through demeaning costumes
is RACISM.
Within hours, the post received

over a hundred comments, shares and

likes.
The issue hit hard for many minorities at APU about whether or not
this campus has social sensitivity.
As a campus, we lack the empathic ability to correctly understand
others feelings and thoughts.
I dont have a relationship with
any of the girls, Jessie Gomez said.
So I cannot say they are racist. But
if you didnt think what you were doing was wrong, then thats ignorant of
you and our institution needs to address that.
Gomez and many other students
are angered by a perceived continuous lack of attention on this subject.
And in that silence, APU is willingly being part of a nation that encourages micro-aggression and insensitive comments.
Activate members agreed that
Missouri and APU students are handin-hand when it comes to causing an
uproar on matters of disrespectful racial incidents.
At the University of Missouri,
African American students have been
protesting in response to racial slurs
made on the overwhelmingly white,
35,000-student campus.
Missouri students and students
across the nation are upset by years
of systemic oppression, Gomez said.
From their institutions, their peers
[and] years of racial slurs.
Perhaps the incident is being
overlooked due to the minority group
being targeted.
For instance, if we changed the

Google Images courtesy

Student protests erupt at Missouri State University in light of the

deans lack of response to the racial discrimination acts on campus.
five female costumes of Juan Direction to represent an African American group and the costumes included
painting ones face black, the issue
would be more easily understood as
to why it appears racist.
Contrary to Activates position,
many of the comments made on the
Activate post reflected that of Jesse
Jimenez, Honestly this is hilarious.
In reality, the people that find things
like this racist are racist themselves
because theyre just looking for an
excuse to call others bigots. Find
the humor in it, its a clever play on
words.
But comments like these show
the lack of sensitivity that the issue
is being given.
It continues to be seen as a simple joke. However, when has it been

okay to laugh at each others race and

culture?
Many students still feel that the
issue has had no consequences as a
result of the lack of awareness.
I feel like some sort of consequence needs to happen, senior
computer science major Saleen Sanchez said. We do not want to be
represented by someone who laughs
at our centuries of oppression and exploitation.
As a university, we are a community that represents one another, not
one that brings each other down by
mockery.
APU strives to create a welcoming and diverse community.
Quoting Romans 15:5-7 in our
third cornerstone of community,
May the God who gives endurance

and encouragement give you a spirit

of unity among yourselves as you
follow Christ Jesus, so that with one
heart and mouth you may glorify the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Accept one another, then, just
as Christ accepted you, in order to
bring praise to God.
Aaron Hinojosa, acting executive
director for the Student Center for
Reconciliation and Diversity (SCRD)
commented in a previous interview
with The Clause that though students
may desire an immediate resolution,
the correct manner to address this issue requires a longer process.
Accepting one another and becoming unified means it is not okay
to mock or laugh about other nationalities, ethnicities or sexualities.
These women lack knowledge,
Gomez said. With knowledge comes
power, and power leads to change.
Our institution needs to make
itself aware of whats occurring on
campus before a protest breaks out
over the the lack of attention its been
given. This issue continues to grow in
the silence.
If you do not understand why the
group of girls were offensive, then
you have lived a privileged life.
What the girls did is a form of
mockery toward an entire race.
The matter needs to be taken seriously by our institution in order to
raise awareness and educate others
on social sensitivity and racial issues.
Stop the silence and shine light
on a recurring issue, APU. Only then
will we feel safe and unified.

A perspective from a converted APU returner

How converting
to Orthodox
Christianity
changed my APU
experience
Liam Young
guest columnist

I first enrolled at APU in 2007.

I was a rather poor student, and I
dropped out in 2010 due to financial reasons. Between then and my
eventual re-enrollment in spring
2014, I converted to the Coptic Orthodox Church. This conversion was
not easy. I was raised in a devoutly
Protestant Evangelical household that
took doctrine very seriously.
My family began investigating
the history of the Bible, and this study
eventually lead us to reject the Protestant doctrines of sola scriptura (the
idea that the Bible is the only source
of Christian doctrine and practice)
and sola fide (the idea that faith,
which is reduced to mental assent
to correct doctrine, is salvific), and
to embrace the traditional Christian
teachings on salvation and the Bible.
I was baptized into the Coptic Orthodox Church in 2013 by Fr. Daniel
Habib at St. Johns Coptic Orthodox
Church in Covina, CA.
Returning to an Evangelical
(originally Wesleyan) institution like
APU has been a rather jarring experience. It highlighted how far from

Sharon Lee photo

APUs contemporary chapel worship may be different for members of

other denominations, particularly the Coptic Orthodox tradition.
Evangelical culture my conversion
had taken me. The biggest change
was in my attitude toward those outside the Church (in this case, I mean
the Orthodox Church as a whole).
As an Evangelical, there was a
clear line between those who were
saved, and those who were unsaved. You had either said the correct prayer and mentally assented to
the right doctrines and were saved,
or you hadnt and were unsaved.
In the Orthodox Church, salvation is
a lifelong process of sanctification.
There is no guarantee of salvation unless a Christian finishes his or her life
living the life of the Church through
regular participation in the sacraments. Those outside of the Church
may be saved, but we cannot make a
judgment either way, since we cannot
even be certain of our own salvation
until our own race is finished.
This lack of certainty has com-

pletely stripped me of my ability to

hold a judgmental attitude toward
others. I no longer have to look at
people through that saved/unsaved
lens, but can now treat them for what
they aremade in the image of God
and hopefully struggling toward salvation just as I am. This realization
has helped make me far more tolerant of differences and disagreements
with other people. The removal of
that critical difference has allowed
me to truly begin loving my neighbor.
Another change this shift in theology has allowed is my intellectual flexibility. Beyond the nature of
Christ and the sacraments, there are
not many parts of Orthodox theology
that are set in stone. Even within the
parts of theology that are firmly established in Orthodoxy, there is room
to say what you do not know. There
are mysteries, like the Eucharist, that

we simply do not fully understand.

This ability to debate the less critical aspects of my faith without fear
of ostracism, and to be able to simply
say, I dont know, has trickled over
into the rest of my life. Im more able
to engage in debates, both theological and otherwise, without vilifying
someone or questioning their intentions or salvation. This is an ability
I found sadly lacking in my previous
religious experiences. Too often, the
line between doctrine and, say, political opinion, has been nonexistent.
Shedding the doctrine of sola
scriptura and its requirement that the
Bible be inerrant has also helped me
be a better scholar. It has forced me
to think more deeply and with more
nuance about why I hold the moral
ideas that I do. I can no longer assert
that some doctrine or idea is true just
because I can twist the literal meaning of a Scripture verse to agree with
it, and the removal of that intellectual shortcut has helped my ability to
think about matters of faith and philosophy.
The last significant shift so far
has been in my understanding of what
discipleship is. In my previous Evangelical community (and at APU), discipleship meant studying Scripture
with peers under the guidance of a
Christian whose only qualification
was that he or she happened to be on
staff at my church. If you were very
lucky, youd have the mentorship of
someone much older and more practiced in the faith than you were. However, none of this was seen as neces-

sary for salvation.

In all Orthodox churches, and in
the often-persecuted Coptic Church
especially, discipleship is critical to
living the life of the Church. Each
Orthodox Christian has a personal
priest to whom they confess and who
mentors them in the faith. While there
are rules for just about every single
aspect of a persons life, those rules
are administered at the discretion of
that personal priest. The priest sees
himself as responsible for leading
those he guides to salvation through
a Christian life.
Far from being a stifling experience, this close mentorship has
helped me grow very much as both
a Christian and a thinker. None of
the changes I mentioned previously,
or even my very conversion, would
have been possible without it. Being
able to turn to a member of the body
of Christ whose whole life is dedicated to shepherding Christians is a
very different experience compared
to hearing a topical preaching from
my former pastors every Sunday.
Overall, my conversion to the
Coptic Church has upended my entire
life. It has changed the way I view
God, Scripture, the world and even
myself. It has, in a very real way, enabled me to put God First in my relationship to scholarship and the world
as a whole.
Liam Young is a Marine Corps
veteran and a senior at APU. He is
graduating in December with a degree in English. He prays at St. Johns
Coptic Orthodox Church in Covina.

theClause.org/opinion

Clause

wednesday, nov. 18, 2015

If its not us, who will educate?

Who is Activate,
really?

Josephine Jimenez
staff writer

Like a sleeping giant, Activate

rears its head, reads the student
groups first Facebook post of the
school year on Oct. 27 after almost
six months of silence. In this post,
Activate showed a female APU students Instagram picture of herself
and four other women dressed up as
Juan Direction.
Activate stated in its post, This
is not merely an issue of diversity
or racial insensitivity this is RACISM.
The post was seen by many APU
students, and people both for and
against the post had something to say.
Racial insensitivity is real, Activate, but it is not always intentional.
Racism is intentionalbut racial
insensitivity is not.
This type of insensitivity should
definitely be dealt with, but not like
this. Whether you see it as such or
not, this post was an attack on these
young womens character.
This was cyber bullying.
Internet activism is the latest
thing, and although social media is
a good platform to get your message
across, that does not give you or anyone else the right to demean another
human being by publicly chastising
them on social media.
Fighting against racism and stereotypes is always a worthy cause,
but not at the cost of doing damage
to others.
These outfits may have been of-

fensive, but that does not mean that

the women in costume were being
blatantly racist. These women were
not trying to say that Mexicans were
less human than white people.
As a Mexican American woman,
it is my right not to be offended and
it is others right to be offended, but
no amount of offense justifies the
measures taken here. No one is taking racial insensitivity seriously, because people are now sensitive about
anything and everything. No one can
address it properly, because they are
attempting to address everything instead of picking their battles.
I think Activate should be disbanded, junior vocal performance
major Mekela Tyler said. Activate is
nothing more than a group of overly
sensitive individuals looking to make
an issue out of nothing.
In its post, Activate said it rears
its head, but where are its members
faces? People fighting against racism
have always put their names behind
their cause. If you are unwilling to
put your name to what you believe,
then the cause loses its meaning.
There shouldnt be an intentional
effort to keep hidden, because in order to win the war, someone needs to
show up.
APU Assistant Art and Design
Professor Brent Everett Dickinson
disagreed with the mode of the Activate response.
While these students actions do
seem to suggest a cultural insensitivity, it seems to me that Activate should
utilize a more responsible platform to
mount their protest, Dickinson said.
On Activates post, Mahala
Hughes said, Its time that students
of color on APUs campus are allevi-

ated of the burden of always being

the educators about racism. Students
of color have repeatedly carried the
weight of educating white students
on APUs campus.
However, if not us, then who?
Racism stems from ignorance,
and one cant expect people who
dont know about an issue to fix it.
Educating about racism is not a burden, it is a reality. It is a reality that
people like Martin Luther King Jr.
have been fighting against for years.
They didnt make all the progress
they did by bringing white America
down, but by educating and loving
through nonviolence.
Above all, they were heard and
they were firm, but they did not bully,
and they did not hide behind a computer screen.
It is not our job to throw around
the racist label to those who dont understand what it is like to live in the
absence of privilege.
It is our job to overcome that
privilege and make a better way, not
just for ourselves, but for future generations.
Martin Luther King, Jr. only
dreamed about the world we live in;
he never got to see it the way were
seeing it, but that doesnt make his
struggle and his fight any less valid.
If anything, it makes him even more
of a hero because he fought for the
future.
Dear Activate, lets fight for the
future. Lets pick our battles and lets
continue to be educators, because, I
ask again, if not us, then who?
Show this campus your faces
so that we can truly start to make a
change, because the longer you hide,
the longer youll have to wait.

Whats one thing you want to be

remembered by?
Sharon Lee
opinion editor

Always being joyful.

I think that if you are a
joyful person, you can
bring a lot of happiness
into peoples lives.
And thats a beautiful
thing.
Sara Wright-Avila

Senior
Applied Exercise Science

That God came first

in my life.
Donna Strange

Ph.D of Higher Education

APU Noel Strengths Academy

Graduate, then change the world

I dont want to be
remembered. There are
so many who are nameless and forgotten on
Earth whose names are
written on Gods hands
in heaven. Their praise
is higher than those who
are praised on Earth. As
Jesus said the last will
be first. I think I want
my tombstone to say
servant of God.

Putting faith into

action through
Teach For America
Brittany Clone
guest columnist

Senior year is turning out to be

everything I hoped it wouldand
then some. I finally made it into Dr.
Stuards American Sign Language
course, after sitting on the waitlist
for three years. Directing and dancing with the Azusa Pacific Dance
Company keeps me sane. Chick-fil-A
gives out free coffee on Thursdays.
Every single day, Im reminded
that I am exactly where I need to be.
The only downside to this year? The
fact that it will end in May.
When I first came to APU as an
undeclared freshman, I felt like I had
a failing at life sticker on my back.
As a kid, I had always wanted to be
a teacher. But at the beginning of
college, I shied away from that profession. I felt like it was too easy
or not big enough. I needed to do
something that meant something. So
I stumbled through aptitude tests,
conversations with friends and a
whole lot of prayer to declare a major
(and then a different oneand then a
different one). My classmates, meanwhile, seemed to have the college
thing all figured out.
Then, sophomore year, something started to change. My studies
started to bring me to service learning projects that put me directly in
front of students. I found myself
waking up willingly at 7 a.m. to put
on teacher clothes while everyone
else slept in. I stayed up late writing
lessons that sometimes went much

Google Images courtesy

Teach for America trains and places teachers in schools for two years.
differently than planned. I wrote
pages (and pages) of reflection assignments that pushed me to think
deeply about why I believe teaching
is so important. Through all of it, I
felt more clarity of purpose than ever
before. The kids I worked with and
taught are worth every ounce of my
time, energy, effort and more.
Unfortunately, even with so many
people working on their behalf, too
many kids across this country do not
get access to the opportunities they
deserve. The problems in our schools
reflect deep, systemic, overlapping
injustices across race, class and geography. A family who cant access
health services struggles to keep both
parents employed. Parents working
multiple jobs need after-school care,
but dont live in communities with
the resources to provide it. Each inequity makes the next one worse.
And so, after all that, here I am
now on a path to Teach For America
and the career Ill begin in education
this fall. Everything about teaching still makes me anxious. Will I
be good enough for my kids? Will
I feel at home in my new city? Im
sustained by what I know. Education
isnt serving all kids in this country, and I am called to play a role in
changing that. I am called to love a

community, to build relationships

that matter, to make an impact, to invest in my students, to put my faith
into action.
When I think back on all the
doubts I had about teaching, I cant
help but roll my eyes at my younger
self. How could I have ever believed
that teaching isnt impactful or big
enough? It is the biggest and most
impactful job I can imagine. But I
think if freshman-year Brittany could
see current Brittany, shed be proud.
Shed see that Im working to make a
difference in the lives of the students
I tutor, serve and love. She would see
thatthough it took awhile to recognize itI was born to teach.
I have a feeling I will keep teaching for a long, long time. Eventually,
I might become a principal, or launch
a start-up to address some of the challenges my students face. But theres
no doubt in my mind that wherever
I go, Ill empower my students to
break the cycle and strive to become
part of a better one.
I cant wait for school to start.
Brittany Clone is a senior liberal studies major with an emphasis
in school psychology. She is also the
director of the Azusa Pacific Dance
Company and the campus campaign
coordinator for Teach For America.

Kenny Koung

Junior
Music and Worship major

I think it would be
cool to be recognized
as someone who sees
the potential in those
around me.
Ian Seabolt

Senior
Psychology major

That I always tried to

give my best effort in
everything that came
my way.
Morgan Dawson

Senior
Liberal Studies major

Sports

Womens soccer headed to third round of playoffs

Cougars defeat
the Sonoma State
Seawolves 1-0 to
advance
Sharon Lee
opinion editor

Isaac Lee
guest writer

After a 15-2 regular season,

APUs womens soccer team earned
the No. 2 seed in the West Region for
the NCAA playoffs, earning a bye in
the first round.
APU hosted Sonoma State University (SSU) in the second round after the
SSU Seawolves advanced with a 1-0
win over Point Loma in the first round.
The Cougars entered the postseason playoffs with many accolades
for its players: junior Katelyn Rogers, junior Allyn Brown, sophomore
Hayley Patterson and senior Mayra
Almazan all earned first team AllPacWest honors. Almazan was also
recognized as PacWest Player of the
Year.
Receiving the news about Player of the Year was nice because of the
recognition, but its more of a team
award, Almazan said. Our 15-2 record allows for those kind of awards
to be earned individually, [but] the
only reason I was able to get this
award was because of each and every

one of my teammates.
For the Lady Cougars, its been a
long journey to get to the championship.
To be able to do something like
this is something special, but you
give up a lot, head coach Jason Surrell said. Theres a lot of sacrifices
we all have to make to be part of this
team, but were all willing to make
them and were doing it together.
Freshman midfielder Maizy McCormick pointed to this team as the best
group of girls shes ever played with.
Everyones playing for the same
purpose, to glorify God, McCormick
said. Everyone works their butt off,
knowing that theyre playing for
something greater than themselves.
Almazan agreed, saying, I think
its amazing that we have already
done something that no APU womens soccer team has done in history.
We are in the second round of playoffs and its a huge deal. Once playoffs [came] around, every team [had]
to turn it up a notch, so I definitely
[expected]...just to keep fighting.
And fight the Cougars did, as
they battled against Sonoma State
University.
Junior Victoria Kovatch scored the
games lone goal on a corner kick in the
seventh minute. She hip-checked a ball
sent onto the back post by Almazan.
Both sides were fairly even in
possession, and both generated several good chances to score.

The Cougars were superior in

the first half, with Almazan providing good runs across the flanks. Unfortunately, they missed a chance to
increase their lead, and in the 29th
minute, the Sonoma State goalkeeper
saved an effort at the near post.
The Cougars kept their lead,
however, and the teams went into
halftime with APU leading 1-0.
The second half began with an
incredible pace from the Seawolves,
who began to dominate possession.
The Cougars, however, got back into
the game with several offensive maneuvers of their own, and Almazan
had a shot saved in the 53rd minute.
The craziness then began: Sonoma State immediately counterattacked and won a free kick. The Seawolves effort cleared the wall of Lady
Cougars and Seawolves before it, only
to be saved phenomenally by APUs
keeper, sophomore Zoey Bauman.
Immediately, the Cougars launched
their own counterattack and very nearly
scored as an Almazan shot rattled the
crossbar.
The match settled down, and
some disciplined defending from the
Cougars was enough to peter out the
majority of SSUs attacks.
For the most part, APU seemed
content to defend its lead in the second half, while looking for opportune moments to counterattack. They
received two solid chances, with
their midfielders and strikers going

APU Sports Information courtesy

Victoria Kovatch (right) scores the lone goal in the Cougars 1-0 win over
Sonoma State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
wide, but the resulting crosses were
cleared. Sonoma States goalkeeper
was forced to make another save on
her near post in the 83rd minute, after the Seawolves defense offered
a surprising amount of space for the
Cougars.
The last five minutes of the match
passed without incident, with the
Cougars holding out for a deserved
win. Other than the free kick and the
short-ranged effort following Ko-

vatchs goal, the Seawolves had made

little progress.
We have a rich history of getting
to the playoffs, Surrell said. This is
our 16th national playoffs appearance.
Were a program that wants to be in
these situations and wants to keep
proving ourselves.
With this victory, APU advances to the third round and will play
against Western Washington in Bellingham, Wash. on Nov. 19.

Mayra Almazan paces Cougars offense

Senior leads
Cougars to
successful regular
season, postseason
push
Cynthia Arroyo
staff writer

Senior forward Mayra Almazan

played like a superstar during her
time at Azusa Pacific.
In fall 2013, she scored the gamewinning goal against Dallas Baptist,
sending APU to the National Christian College Athletic Associations
(NCCAA) national championship.
This season, she contributed six goals
and seven assists for the Cougars
on her way to winning the PacWest
Player of the Year award. She also assisted on the goal that sent the Cougars through to the third round of the
NCAA playoffs.
Almazan knows that her accomplishments resulted from a team effort, starting with her parents who
supported and motivated her throughout her life.
When I was little, my dad always took me out to parks, Almazan
said. If I could have a dollar for every hour we spent practicing, Id be a
millionaire.
From age 10-18, Almazan played
club soccer in Newport Beach, CA,
where her mother drove her three to
four times a week.
She hated driving on the freeway, and Newport isnt close, but
she would make the sacrifice for
me, Almazan said. All the sacrifices they made, that definitely pushes
me.
Her teammates respect and camaraderie also drive her to excel. Senior
forward Haley Fisher particularly notes
Almazans skill and vision as an im-

APU Sports Information courtesy

Mayra Almazan navigates between two BYU-Hawaii defenders during the Cougars 3-0 win.
portant part of the teams leadership.
Senior midfielder Cassidy Burr
finds inspiration in Almazans intensity on the field. She is super explosive
on the field, and shes always playing
above and beyond, said Burr.
Furthermore, Almazan attributes
her success to her coaches. She transferred from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) to APU
after her freshman year, and said that
she wouldnt have gone anywhere
else.
APU assistant coach Scott Mocabee also serves as the head coach at
South Hills, where Almazan attended

high school. Their history together

set a solid foundation for the collegiate level.
Head coach Jason Surrell credits
Almazans influence to part of the
Cougars success this season. Surrell
said, Her desire and passion for the
game is strong; she cares about her
teammates, and thats how shes leading the team.
However, the leadership role
evolved a bit this year for Almazan.
Leading by example has been huge.
Scoring goals hasnt been my emphasis. Its more about getting the team
going, she said. Everybody kind of

piggybacks off of it. If I go hard into

a tackle, the next girl will go hard into
a tackle. Its been cool to see my role
on the team change.
Though her leadership style may
have shifted, some things remain
constant: The players work hard as a
unit every day, and look to the team
verse for strength as they approach
the playoffs:
And not only that, but we also
boast in our sufferings, knowing
that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope, and
hope does not disappoint us, be-

cause Gods love has been poured

into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit that has been given to us,
(Romans 5:3-5).
Almazan builds on that Christcentered mentally by facilitating
F.I.G.H.T. Partners, an original
idea of assitant coach Shannon Jenkins. The acronym stands for Family, Intentionality, God, Humility,
and Tenacity. Almazan matches girls
on the roster, and encourages them
to go get lunch, go write them a
note, send them a text, or send them
a verse. It just kind of brings unity to
the team.
She learned the importance of
team unity during her time with the
Costa Rica Womens National Team.
With Costa Rican parents, she carries dual citizenship and first earned
a place on the roster in at the age of
14. She joined them again in 2014 on
the Under-20 team in the U-20 World
Cup. Finally, Almazan appeared on
the national team roster for matches
played in August in Pittsburgh (PA)
and Chattanooga (TN) against the
United States for the United States
Victory Tour.
Almazan shared the difficulty
she faced as an American woman on
a Costa Rican team, saying that although the playing experience was
great, they werent always welcoming. It spurred her to be more welcoming and hospitable with her teammates
and new recruits whenever she can.
Im probably one of the most
intense girls on the team. Its just a
certain level of professionalism that
you have to have. I mean you cant
be messing around at a national practice, Almazan said.
That level of dedication has
served her well and will continue to
motivate her as she looks ahead to her
future beyond APU. I could coach,
or maybe do private lessons like I do
now, she said. God will come up
with something, and itll be good.

theClause.org/SPORTS

Clause

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

11

Football posts third straight winning season

Cougars maintain
winning culture
with young team

GNAC STANDINGS

Conf. Overall
Humboldt St. 6-0
9-1
Western Ore. 5-1
7-4
Azusa Pacific 3-3
6-4
Central Wash. 3-3
5-5
S.D. Mines 2-4
5-5
Dixie State
2-4
3-7
Simon Fraser 0-6
0-9

Alexis Nagem
staff writer

After winning back-to-back

GNAC crowns, Azusa Pacific football
had similar hopes for this season.
The Cougars began the season in
Canyon, Texas, taking on perennial
Division II powerhouse West Texas
A&M. The Cougars won 27-24, beginning the year with an out-of-conference win.
The season quickly turned, however, as the Cougars lost a nonconference game to GNAC foe Humboldt
State, 62-41 at home.
They followed the loss with two
wins; 16-10 against Simon Fraser, and
34-5 against Dixie State. The Cougars
lost conference games to Humboldt
State on the road, along with enduring
a heartbreaking finish against Central
Washington, where freshman running
back Kurt Scoby was taken down
at the one-yard line after running 77
yards on the games last play.
The Cougars produced a 56-27
win against the South Dakota Mines
for Homecoming, and won two of
their last three from that point, finishing at 6-4.
APU finished the year at home by
drubbing Simon Fraser 38-17, highlighted by wide receiver Blake Robertson throwing a touchdown pass in
the third quarter on a trick play.
Sophomore quarterbacks Chad
Jeffries and Andrew Elffers split time
throughout the year. Jeffries led the
team in passing this season with 1,473
yards and seven touchdowns through
the air. Jeffries also had 449 yards
and four touchdowns rushing. Elffers
threw for 648 yards and for six touchdowns, and rushed for 483 yards and
another six touchdowns.
Junior defensive back Jonathan

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sports Information Courtesy

Junior linebacker Jonathan Thropay (25) pursues a Hardrocker during the Cougars 56-27 homecoming win over
South Dakota Mines. Thropay led the cougars in tackles this season.
Thropay felt that Andrew Elffers was
a particularly helpful asset to the team
this season.
Andrew Elffers [is] more of a
running-style quarterback, Thropay
said. I feel like hes able to avoid the
rush a little bit more and [is able to]
see little gaps in the defensive line;
[hes able to] just take off and get
some yardage.
The Cougars brightest offensive
star was freshman running back Kurt
Scoby. Scoby rushed for 1,108 yards
and 11 TDs throughout the season.
Scobys performance this year gave
APU a 1,000-yard rusher for a fifth
consecutive season.
Thropay thought the team had
a solid season, but admitted he had
hoped for different results.
I thought we would go undefeated and make playoffs, he said. But I
think our whole team grew, [especially

the] underclassmen, knowing that we

have to work to produce what we got
in the last few years.
The team began the 2015 season
with roughly 65 new players and 60
returning players. The new faces on
the roster put the Cougars through
some growing pains, and the team focused on getting the new players into
its system.
This is one of the most talented
rosters weve had, head coach Victor
Santa Cruz said. But, having a talented roster, football is a team sport,
so it took [the new players] a while
to be able to learn our systems, learn
what veterans learn.
In order to ensure that newer players transitioned in smoothly, coaches
met with players individually. They
worked with the players during their
study hours, and hosted Bible studies
to help players explore their faith and

better understand what it means to be

an APU college student and athlete.
[Coaches will do] a lot of individual drills, too, [to help the newcomers] fit the system, Thropay said.
Just [in] every aspect, coaches are
giving those newer guys extra time,
and you can just tell.
During spring practices, Santa
Cruz plans to focus on developing
younger players.
Our goal in the off-season is to
develop these guys, and go into the
next fall with a better understanding
[of the game], Santa Cruz said. [We
want] to play fast, and come out right
away with a real purpose and intention
to be the best in the country.
Senior offensive linemen Jacob
Thomas believes the extra time the
coaches have been investing in the
newcomers has paid off.
[The new players] are very

Date Opponent
Result
9/3 West Texas A&M W, 27-24
9/12 HUMBOLDT ST. L, 41-62
9/19 Simon Fraser
W, 16-10
9/26 *Dixie State
W, 34-5
10/3 *CENTRAL WASH. L, 24-21
10/10 Humboldt State L, 34-16
10/17 DIXIE STATE W, 61-14
10/24 *S.D. MINES W, 56-27
10/31 *Western Oregon L,17-14
11/14 *SIMON FRASER W, 38-17
* Denotes GNAC Game
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
talented, and they really caught on
quick, Thomas said. They meshed
really well with the returners.
Despite losing a few key players,
Thropay said that the teams coaches
did a good job recruiting the positions
that needed to be filled.
I think we are heading in the right
direction, Thropay said. We got a
bright future for next year, if we can
just keep our heads up and keep rolling,
regardless of how this season ends.
The Cougars will begin their 2016
campaign at home against West Texas
A&M on Sept. 1. Azusa Pacific will
also play against Colorado School of
Mines and Colorado Mesa; this is the
first time the Cougars have had three
non-GNAC opponents scheduled for
nonconference games since joining
Division II.

Eileen Stressling manages music and cross country

Sophomore runner
also excels with
Chamber Singers
Riordan Zentler
staff writer

As captain of the womens cross

country team, Stressling led her
teammates to a second place finish at
the PacWest Championship meet.
Head coach Preston Grey said
Stressling was a hard-working captain.
Shes more of a lead by example person than a vocal person,
Grey said. She set the tone in training; she was always ready to go at
practice.
According to Grey, the team was
the youngest it had ever been. That
presented challenges, but also opportunities, he said. Theres a certain
excitement to having a young team.
Stressling and her team struggled
at the beginning of the season, but
quickly gained momentum.
[Stressling] was fit the whole
time; it was just [about] getting the
confidence, Grey said. [In the]
middle of the season, the workouts
started to get a lot faster, and her confidence grew along with that.
Stressling finished first overall at
the Triton Classic and the PacWest
Championship meet, the last two
meets of the regular season.
Im glad I made the decision

halfway through to really put myself

in it, Stressling said. It was worth
the extra effort.
Stressling and her teammates focused their efforts on earning a place
in the Nationals, despite knowing that
the team as a whole didnt make the
cut.
We had a lot of moments
where we understood what it meant
to go to Nationals, [and] Im proud
of [my team for] using it as a learning experience, Stressling said.
Lets take what we learned and go
from there. Were excited for next
year already.
Stressling herself will compete
in the Nationals, and hopes to finish
within the top 35 runners in order to
earn an All-American honor.
Grey described Stressling as a
runner that likes to go to the front of
the race and hang on.
Usually where you start, you
dont vary too much from there, Grey
said. With the type of runner she is,
shell just hang in there and fight.
Stressling also faces relentless
competition in her musical efforts,
particularly in her involvement with
APUs Chamber Singers.
Only nine colleges are awarded
the opportunity to perform at the
National Collegiate Chorale Associations annual conference, and Chamber Singers made the cut.
Most colleges had summer rehearsals, Stressling said. We didnt
start in the summer; we were told we
could do it in seven weeks.
The choir performed eight pieces,

Sports Information Courtesy

Eileen Stressling outpaces her competetion at the NCAA West Region meet on Nov. 14. The sophomore finished
sixth overall, earning a place at the NCAA National Championship meet.
all originating from Irish composers,
with only one of the numbers sung in
English.
I like ensembles, Stressling
said. As a team player in both sports
and music, she said, I just love
performing with a group. Its way
better than what I could do on my
own.
Due to the time-consuming nature of cross country and her studies
as a music major, Stressling calls it a
sacrifice to have little time to pursue
any other interests.
I love both enough to do only

those things, she said. It wouldnt

be worth it if I didnt love both of
them.
Grey said, We [the athletic and
music departments] both share her to
a certain degree, and shes passionate about both things and wants to do
both things well.
Stressling also mentioned the
dedication required. I could go
through the motions and be a decent
runner, [merely] exist in choir and
leave no impact, she said. [But] I
want to be excellent at both of them.
Despite the demanding nature of

her college career, Stressling noted

that APU has made it easier for her to
pursue both music and sports.
Its nice to have such a good
school with professors and coaches
who will take care of you, she said.
They notice if you want to pursue
excellence, and theyre helpfulas
long as you show them that youre
going to put the work in.
Stressling will compete individually in the 2015 NCAA Division II
Womens Cross Country National
Championships in Joplin, Mo., on
Nov. 21.

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Clause

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015

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