News:

Pages 2-4 Athletics: Page 8 Opinion: Page 4 & 5

Q&A with President-elect Hagan Rams Update Letter from the student body president
Renea Braithwaite profile Lacrosse struggles You, God, and the future
Self-defense course recap in inaugural season

T he Northerner
NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY NCUNORTHERNER.COM MARCH 29, 2017 VOLUME 58 ISSUE 6

Community program offers homework help to local children

Elliot Park United launches volunteer-based initiative through recreational center
Erin Rustad

Weekly Homework Help

nights, an initiative for
North Central students
to provide tutoring, sup-
port and relationship
building for children, ad-
olescents and even adults
in the Elliot Park neigh-
borhood, began on Tues-
day, Feb. 14.
Students and com-
munity members meet
weekly from 6:30-8 p.m.
at the Elliot Park Recre-
ational Center.
Senior Rebecca Thom-
as, a social work major
and journalism minor,
initiated the idea through
her role as director of El-
liot Park United, a stu-
dent organization with
an external ministry fo-
cus.
Elliot Park is such a
transient community
with a lot of transitional
housing, Thomas said.
Homework Help offers
structure that kids dont
always have at home.
Besides specific help on
homework assignments,
Elliot Park children en- PHOTO BY: ERIN RUSTAD
joy fun and relation- Sophomore Jasmine Brandon (left) helps at the newly revived Homework Help Night at the Elliot Park Recreational Center. Homework Help Night meets every Tuesday night from 6:30-8 p.m.
ship-building activities
with any of the 10-15 stu-
dents who volunteer reg- other crafts, color and explore how their major the community in which Rebecca Thomass point dren of his own attending
ularly. enjoy getting to know can be used in a commu- they live. of contact in planning the Homework Help, appre-
Together they play bas- one another. nity, Thomas said, en- Newmann Thomas, the Homework Help nights. ciates the support from
ketball, ping-pong and Any North Central stu- couraging all students to recreational facilities di- Newmann Thomas, who North Central students.
pool, make slime and dent who volunteers can become a contributor in rector for Elliot Park, is has a niece and two chil-
see Homework Help page 3

QA &

Kristin Wileman
What factors were in-
volved with the decision
to leave Real Life Church
and accept the presidency
at North Central?
It was a slow and me-
thodical process. It began
about 5 years ago when
I got a call from Carter
Baldwin that I was be-
ing looked at for another
university. It was ran-
dom. I was in my masters
program at the time, and
this planted a seed in my
heart. I always felt in my
Hagan discusses
upcoming presidency
mid 50sIm 54 nowthat
I wanted to have my ed-
ucation completed to be
ready and positioned to
serve at a university. I
love the university set-
tingworking with that
18-22 year old student.
Last April, I was speaking
in Iowa when the superin-
tendent of Iowa (Tom Ja-
cobs) came up to me, told
me about the open pres-
ident position, and said
I really think you were
born for this. When he
said that, I think my heart
went up. I had that nause-
ated feel as well because of
my love for North Central.
My daughter graduated
from here in 2006 and I
taught here adjunct for a
while. I felt this was the
gold standard for our uni-
versities. I felt it is a spe-
cial and unique place. In
December, they narrowed
it to four people for inter-
views, so I flew to Minne-
apolis and my heart was
on fire for this role. I told
them at the interview that
since the day Tom Jacobs
mentioned this last April,
Ive thought of this every
single day. I told them I
had a strong desire for the
role and that I wanted to
serve in that role, should
it be Gods will. Id never
said that in my life. They
called the next morning
and said I was the unan-
imous choice.
One of the major prob-
lems that the school faces
right now is enrollment. In
the fall of 2016, North Cen-
tral enrolled 904 under-
graduate students. What
are some of your ideas to
address this issue?
PHOTO BY: JOSIAH MAYO
President-elect Scott Hagan will step into his presidential role at North
Central on June 1, 2017.
see Q&A page 4
2

News The Northerner

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Brathwaite boosts graduate program Elliot Park

New director brings cultural awareness and critical thinking to the classroom benefits from
Josiah Mayo
Prove to me that the resur-
rection of Jesus is valid, the mid-
dle-aged theologian from Barba-
dos commanded his worldview
theology class at North Central.
The large, elongated classroom
doesnt intimidate the animat-
ed professor as he moves from
one end of the white board to
the other, ferociously wiping his
writing away with his hand be-
cause he doesnt want to halt his
teaching for the length of time it
takes to grab the eraser.
Orange Expo whiteboard
marker traces the board with
images of scrawled diagrams and
text as the class sits with a sense
of engagement.
Renea Brathwaite, director of
graduate and creative education,
is not afraid to ask the questions
that cause students to think crit-
ically about personal ideologies
and views of every area of life.
He uses this tactic to recognize
cultural differences (and appro-
priations) while acknowledging
the differences between groups
of people.
As the new director, Brathwaite
has the opportunity to imple-
ment changes to the graduate
and creative education programs
at a time when their future suc-
cess is still uncertain, given past
difficulties for North Central re-
garding these programs.
Brathwaite has a distinct vision
for North Centrals graduate pro-
gram. He considers both gradu-
ate and creative education to be
under the realm of adult educa-
tion as a whole.
My hope for adult education
[at North Central] is for it to be-
come a center of Christian adult
education here in Minneapolis,
Brathwaite said.
North Central has attempted
graduate studies programs in
the past. North Centrals most
recent attempt at developing a
graduate program was in 2013,
but the program was not ap-
proved by the Higher Learning
Commission (HLC) and the first
director, Susie Brooks, was let go
that same year. Brathwaite be-
lieves the earlier problems were
due to the programs primarily
external focus, while the current
graduate program has an inter-
nal focus.
This May, there will be four
students graduating from the
graduate program in strategic
leadership. This is step up in
growth from the fall of 2016 with
one graduate, and one graduate
in the spring of 2016.
Brathwaite envisions adding
more diverse categories of grad-
uate education in the future. A
graduate degree in biblical and
theological studies, as well as a
degree in business administra-
tion are in premature stages of
planning and are dreams for the
community
Homework
Help nights
Renea Brathwaite, director of graduate and creative education, energetically teaches his worldview class on Friday, March 17.
future of graduate programs.
Pastors or other Christian
leaders in the Twin Cities cur-
rently have to go outside of the
Assemblies of God tradition in
order to gain a higher level of
education in theology.
There is a great benefit of
learning your own tradition
[as the Assemblies of God],
Brathwaite said. Its a chance to
put your mark on the next gen-
eration of leadership.
The other program under
Brathwaites leadership, creative
education, is also developing in
new ways.
NCU Pathways is a cre-
ative education initiative that
helps alumni who are very close
graduating but have never fully
completed their degree due to
My hope for adult education [at North Central] is for it to
become a center of Christian adult education here in Minneapolis.
Renea Braithwaite
full time job opportunities that
pulled them away from pursuing
their education, or from other
life circumstances.
Ben Myers, a junior youth min-
istry major, had Brathwaite as his
professor for God and the Gos-
pel in the fall of 2016.
Hes probably one of the
smartest people that Ive ever
met, Myers said. Hes relatable
and cares about studentshes
easy to talk to.
Myers met with Brathwaite,
who holds a Ph.D. in theology
from Regent University, to dis-
cuss theology on a deeper level
outside of class.
He was able to answer theo-
logical questionsand speak into
my life personally, Myers said.
Like Myers, many students say
Brathwaite is very engaging and
and inspiring.
Brathwaite is not only a high-
ly-educated theologian and
professor, he has more personal
experience working with young
adults as a husband and father
of two adult children. Brathwaite
and his wife Joy, currently North
Centrals vice president of busi-
ness and finance, moved to Min-
neapolis from their home in Ohio
to begin their administrative po-
sitions at North Central in June
2016.
Their son, Andrew Brathwaite,
19, is a Ohio State Universi-
ty freshman music major that
knows his way around a saxo-
phone. Kara Brathwaite, their
20-year-old daughter attends
Malone University.
Brathwaite left his previous po-
sition as dean of the Ohio School
of Ministry to now serve at North
Central. Before the Ohio School
of Ministry, Brathwaite taught at
Evangel University, Malone Uni-
versity, Regent University and
Hosanna Bible Training Center.
Working in a professional man-
ner at the same institution is not
new for Brathwaite and his wife.
Brathwaite said their profes-
sional and personal relationship
are distinct from one another
and do not mix, in spite of the
fact that they both work in influ-
ential areas of the same admin-
istration.
We call it this great wall of
separationwhen we go home,
were home, Brathwaite said.
When we have to do business,
its business.
A published author, Brathwaite
assembles his expertise on the
Pentecostal experience in the
PHOTO BY: JOSIAH MAYO
compiled work of, Forgiveness,
Reconciliation, and Restoration
in which he and other contrib-
utors provide their unique per-
spectives.
Brathwaite uses his knowledge
of early North American Pen-
tecostalism to describe the tri-
umphs and difficulties of racial
integration and details the ten-
sions that mounted during the
construction of what we know
today as Pentecostalism.
I teach my students that a
grave failing in much of con-
temporary theologies and athe-
ologies is to pit Gods attributes
against each other and thus
to produce a caricature god,
Brathwaite described in a Face-
book post.
Brathwaite was born and raised
in Barbados, an island country
located in the Lesser Antilles. He
was the youngest of 10 children
and grew up in a financially poor
family environment. His father
was an alcoholic, causing the
family to separate themselves
from him when Brathwaite was
about 7-years-old. His mother
died when he was 12, a tragedy
that impacted him greatly.
I didnt grow up Christian,
my mother was a Christian,
Brathwaite said. I grew up
mostly agnosticI was very, very
anti-Christian.
Curiosity in theological proofs
led him to ask questions, espe-
cially on issues such as the Trin-
ity. Brathwaite met a man that
caused him to think critically
about Christianity and discover
proofs that would provide an-
swers to his theological ques-
tions. This turned around his
doubt about the existence of a
God and the person of Jesus.
And in order to pursue pastoral
studies, Brathwaite left Barbados
for Trinidad when he was 19, but
see Brathwaite page 3
Senior Rebecca
Thomas recruits stu-
dents to tutor, mentor
neighborhood kids
continued from page 1
My favorite part of the
Homework Help nights is see-
ing the youth [of the communi-
ty] interacting with other peo-
ple, Newmann Thomas said. It
makes everyone more cultured
by being around other person-
alities, which better prepares
them for life.
Of the North Central stu-
dents who regularly volunteer
at Homework Help nights, ma-
jors vary from youth develop-
ment to education to social
work and even mathematics.
Sophomore Jasmine Bran-
don, an early childhood ed-
ucation major, enjoys seeing
the growth the students make
throughout their time spent at
the program.
I enjoy working with the lit-
tle kids, Brandon said. I love
helping them learn and achieve
what they believe they can
achieve.
Michelle McKinley, a 2015
graduate and an associate with
the Antioch Initiative, has been
volunteering for Homework
Help nights through her par-
ticipation with Antioch.
Of the four pillars of the An-
tioch Initiative Pray, Give,
Go, Know this volunteer time
is an aspect of the pillar Go,
where students must reach
out to the community two
times per month. Volunteering
during a homework help ses-
sion qualifies as one communi-
ty outreach event for members
of the outreach society.
I love getting to know the
kids, McKinley said. I love
talking to them and seeing
their personalities and what
theyre like.
Junior Aaron Van Gorkom, a
children and family ministry
major, enjoys supporting Re-
becca Thomas, a friend of his.
The people who are involved
are good people, Van Gorkom
said, and I want to further
their dream and help them
succeed.
Whether the reason is for a
class requirement or their own
desire, Rebecca Thomas en-
courages anybody to volunteer
if they are interested in giving
back to the community and
being a positive role model for
kids in the Elliot Park neigh-
borhood.
 3
The Northerner
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 News
Self-defense course hosted by campus safety and security
Students, faculty and staff gain practical knowledge from Krav Maga courses
Kathryn Hoffland

The College Life Center gym-

nasium was filled with intense
energy March 18 as members of
the North Central community
learned introductory self-de-
fense techniques in the Krav
Maga style from Gail Boxrud and
Donte Pastrano, two Minneapolis
based Krav Maga instructors. The
course was offered a second time
March 20 to allow as many indi-
viduals as possible to participate.
The North Central Campus
Safety and Security department
organized and hosted the cours-
es, which were offered free of
cost to North Central students,
faculty and staff. A total of 64 in-
dividuals from the North Central
community registered for one of
the two courses offered.
James Crabtree, director of
the campus safety and securi-
ty department, has researched
self-defense solutions for the
North Central community
throughout the past year. Plan-
ning for the introductory Krav
Maga courses began in January.
Boxrud and Pastrano own and
PHOTO BY: KATHRYN HOFFLAND
operate Krav Maga Minneapolis,
Donte Pastrano instructs a North Central student in a self-defense workshop, an event hosted by Campus Safety and Security on Saturday, March 18.
and are certified by the Inter-
national Krav Maga Federation
(IKMF) to teach Krav Maga to law for both police and civilians. ety of techniques. The 90 minutes attack should the need arise. Maga courses at colleges. Boxrud
enforcement personal, civilians, When you are under stress, of instruction time was highly in- Sarah Sanders, a junior social finds the training process fun,
women, children and bicyclists. you wont remember complicat- teractive for attendees. Boxrud work major, registered for the and appreciates hearing stories
Each segment of individuals re- ed stuff, Boxrud said. The idea and Pastrano demonstrated each course hoping to gain confidence from people who have used what
ceives specific training for their behind it is to respond with an technique and explained the spe- in her ability to protect herself or they learned from these semi-
age, gender, or situation. Boxrud instinctual reaction and then cific movements involved. The others. nars. Most often, she hears that
and Pastrano are both ranked counter attack as soon as possi- course participants were then [The Krav Maga instruction] people have almost had to use the
Expert 1 according to the IKMF ble. given ample time to practice each affects the way I walk now, and I training, but were able to avoid
ranking system. The expert levels Krav Maga was developed in Is- technique with a partner. Each of am less afraid and more aware of fighting through prevention
of the IKMF ranking system indi- rael in the 1940s and is still used the techniques covered during my surroundings, Sanders said. techniques gained while learning
cate the highest levels of training by the Israeli Military. There is the course were self-defense We learned to react based on Krav Maga. Boxrud and Pastrano
and ability. a strong emphasis on quickly methods for common attacks our natural instincts of defense had a great time engaging with
Krav Maga is a simple self-de- counter-attacking and using si- seen in cities. and got to know a few people the individuals who participated
fense system that incorporates multaneous offensive and defen- Krav Maga seeks to increase personally because we got up in in the courses.
an individuals natural reaction sive moves. The fighting style uti- peoples awareness of their sur- each others space during the They were really fun, Boxrud
to an attack. Crabtree noted lizes hand-to-hand combat and is roundings so they are able to session which was both humor- said of the group attending the
that Krav Maga is well known in useful with unexpected attacks. avoid attacks, as well as build ous and helpful. course March 18. They were
the law enforcement industry At the introductory course, stu- confidence as individuals so they Boxrud and Pastrano have willing to get in and do [the tech-
as a standard of self-defense dents were introduced to a vari- can defend themselves against an taught many introductory Krav niques].

Brathwaite seeks to combine Pentecostal experience with biblical knowledge

continued from page 2
he never finished due to lack of
financial support from a church
that pledged to support him.
This move led him to meet his
Joy, who Brathwaite followed in
matrimony to the United States.
Brathwaite received summa
cum laude honors with a Master
of Arts in theological studies con-
centrated on biblical languages
and exegesis from the Assem-
blies of God Theological Semi-
nary in 2004. He later earned his
Ph.D. in theology from Regent
University in 2013. Brathwaite
received both a Master of Arts
and a Ph.D. even though he never
achieved more than 35 credits in
an undergraduate program.
Brathwaites dissertation looks
closely at the beliefs of William
Seymour, a black theologian who
played a very important role in
the founding of the early Amer-
ican Pentecostal movement in
the beginning of the twentieth
century.
Brathwaite spoke in front of
the North Central community in
chapel for the first time as a sole
speaker Feb. 21-23.
After being honorably intro-
duced to the stage of Trask Word
and Worship Center, Brathwaite
walked onto the platform and
turned to the audience with a
sense of passion and vigor.
The sermon series, called
Spirit Filled Life, addressed
the potential shortcomings of
Pentecostal leaders in pass-
ing down what it means to be
a Pentecostal Christian and
provided an in-depth view of The use of his illustrations at the core of Christianity.
the baptism in the Holy Spir- create imagery among listeners. Brathwaite said he highly re-
it, including controversies that In order to make a pickle, the spects President Gordon An-
surround the topic. He began vegetable should be baptized in derson as a powerful mentor
by describing the spirit filled the vinegar solution, Brathwaite and leader.
journey for a Christian as being analogized in chapel, speaking With Andersons upcoming
both a state and a goal. about the meaning of baptism in retirement, Brathwaite looks
forward to working with Pres-
ident-elect Scott Hagan to
There is a great benefit of learning your own tradition. Its a chance to put foster the graduate program
at North Central. Since Hagan
your mark on the next generation of leadership.
has an extensive background
Renea Braithwaite in leadership, Brathwaite sees
the possibility of him teach-
ing classes within the graduate
His extensive research may the Holy Spirit. leadership program.
lend itself the feeling of com- He introduces a perspective Its good for the university to
prehensive credibility within lis- to the North Central com- have a young president, some
teners. His words are used very munity that allows for deep- new ideas, a different approach
carefully, clever and witty but er thinking. Brathwaite leaves to thingswho is already gen-
humorous, almost to the point comparison aside and breathes erating some great ideas for us
of causing latent reactions of a new life on what it means to pursue, Brathwaite said.
laughter across the audience. think outside of culture to look
4
News
continued from page 1
I think the enrollment issue
is an exposure issue. Since I was
announced, I think I have gotten
17 applications turned in.
North Central is a powerful
brand, its been around a long
time, thousands of people car-
ry North Central in their heart,
but I think its more of an un-
veiling of this place. Its been
more concealed to a new gener-
ation. I think its one of the most
beautiful campuses. I think its
powerfully positioned in a great
city.
As I have tested and told the
story in the last 9 weeks, Im
finding an instantaneous in-
terest in the university. I think
bringing a new culture of how
to be proud is what I bring to
the table as an outsider. North
Central is a obvious, wonderful
university.
I think we have to leverage
greater social media. I love so-
cial media and I love telling
the story. There are ways to
tell people of this campus. Its
a beautiful place both in con-
tent experience and setting. Its
easy to present something thats
beautiful. When you go through
a time of budget cuts and finan-
cial difficulty, its hard to main-
tain a high level of enthusiasm.
We see it all over the country
where enrollment is stagnant,
but you get a fresh alignment, a
fresh breeze, some new leader-
ship, and it takes off again. Im
very hopeful. I wouldnt be here
at this stage in life if I didnt
think that would happen.
What are some policy
changes you plan on imple-
menting?
Im going to spend year one
on listening and learning. Im
going to step into Dr. Ander-
sons schedule, so everything is
pretty much going to stay in the
same cadence. Ill probably do
presidents chapel on Wednes-
days instead of Fridays because
Im wrapping up my Ph.D. and
I have some Friday night things
I have to do where I have to go
visit the university.
I think all the typical meetings
are going to stay the same with
the vice presidents, teachers,
faculty and staff. Policy is an
interesting thing. Atmosphere,
then vision and culture... poli-
cy comes last in that spectrum.
You dont start with policy. You
start with relationship and love.
A university is not a flow chart;
its a family. You have to see it
like that. Im not coming in with
policy thinking.
Scott Hagan
The Northerner interviews the president-elect
On March 25 during chapel, President-elect Hagan speaks to the North Central community about decision-making during college years.
At Real Life, you and your
wife are co-pastors. What will
be Karens role at North Central
next year?
When I was getting inter-
viewed, she wasnt with me for
the first few interviews. I told
them, If you even remotely like
me, youre going to be blown
away by Karen. She really is a
dynamic leader. Shes going to
dive in here. She has a great
passion for prayer, for disci-
pleship. Shes a great influence
on young women, a world-class
leader and human being.
Shell also speak here; Ill share
some of my Wednesday presi-
dents chapel with Karen. Once
the students here get exposed to
Karen, theyre going to find a
tremendous role modelsome-
one they can relate to. Shes a
tremendous woman of God with
a servants heart, and a great
communicator. She will be a
very wonderful presence and
contribution to the university.
Last year, North Central
faced some difficult times sur-
rounding the budget deficit
faculty members were laid off,
scholarships were cut. What are
some of your plans to get the
university back to a stronger
place financially?
Yesterday, while meeting
with Andrew Denton (vice pres-
ident of university relations),
I saw his phenomenal work
in fundraising this year with
re-engagement of young alum-
ni. His work has been fantas-
tic. I think the worst part of it
is over. Dr. Anderson has really
done the behind the scenes work
to get this ready for the new
president, and thats an under-
statement. Hes done excellent
leadership with making changes
and getting things repositioned,
getting things stable for the new
president. Hes done so much
hard work that now I dont have
to do, to be honest. Im tremen-
dously grateful to Dr. Anderson
for the tougher decisions that
were made. The financial giving
is strong, though. Theres obvi-
ously enrollmentweve got to be
strong in enrollment. But were
basing next years budget on ac-
curate, conservative enrollment
numbers so there are no surpris-
es in the year.
Could you tell me about
your leadership style.
I come from a pretty chaot-
ic childhood in some respects.
I dont come from money. I
moved 27 times by the time I
was 16, so I was in a different
school every year from kinder-
garten to the seventh grade.
Every September, I was with a
new set of people. I had to cre-
ate and develop socialization
skill sets to be around new peo-
ple: engagement skills. When
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
PHOTO BY: KEN SCHROCK
youre on the playground in
elementary school, you dont
understand that God is creat-
ing your deep wiring for your
leadership life.
I love people. I love engaging
with people. Im trying to be-
come a skilled listener. I have
a great passion for diversity. I
have a love of learning. My Ph.D.
program changed my life. I view
an organization like a family,
not a flow chart. I understand
excellence, but hate elitism. If
a university comes across as a
bunch of elites, theres no bless-
ing on that entity.
Theres tremendous potential
in the outcast. I think most of
our great leaders come from un-
usual places. Im always on the
lookout for potential in people.
Whatever weve gone through is
to help those now going through
similar things. A persons story,
the conflict in their youth, is
the gold and the treasure of the
obstacle in their life. I latch on
to people who come from very
strange and difficult places in
life. I see that thats the person
Im looking for because if that
can get redeemed, if they can
turn the pain into teaching,
theyll be used greatly.
Im trying to stay more alert
and be less ingenuous at this
stage in my life. I like to ask
people who theyre becoming.
When I have to answer that, I
say Im becoming less disingen-
uous.
The Northerner
What do you see as some
of North Centrals greatest
strengths?
The setting of the univer-
sity is a huge strength. It has a
culture of worship, a culture of
passion that is rare. Many oth-
er Christian universities would
covet the culture of the chapel
service. Thats always been this
place, and its been preserved
well. Its a spiritually focused,
spiritually passionate campus.
The leadership team thats in
place with the vice presidents
and the faculty are outstanding.
Theres a healthy camaraderie
that Ive felt. Maybe thats because
were on the heels of some tough
timesIm a realist. I know its
been tough. Im not a utopian; I
know its going to be a tough job.
But everyone here really wants
the university to soar, to flourish,
to thrive, and believes it can.
Being in Minneapolis is an abso-
lute plus. The urban setting gives
students a chance to meet, con-
nect and access their passion and
to develop their leadership skills
in ways that a sprawling, subur-
ban campus would not give. Thats
huge.
What are some weaknesses
you see in the university?
I think we need to complete
the healing process a little bit,
especially with the stuff that the
school has gone through the last
couple years. I think were on the
back edge of that. I think it needs
to be a far more diverse university,
both with the faculty and the stu-
dent body. It needs to boldly and
proudly reveal itself to Minneap-
olis and beyond. Its somewhat of a
hidden treasure. I think my job as
the president is to help champion
the school and get it known for
what it is. Its somewhat insular.
That can wonderfully change, but
nothing happens overnight.
What is something you want
the student body to know about
your upcoming presidency?
The reason Im here, along
with the faculty and staff, is to see
students develop into promising
leaders so you can do everything
thats in your heart. This is place
isnt about my career, its about
developing the potential of the
student and giving them a world
class education and a world class
place thats an incubator and ac-
celerator of their academic life and
spiritual life.
Sometimes universities can be
about faculty and the president,
but thats not our reason for exist-
ing. Its about the students. Thats
what the school is about.

The Northerner
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Its been an honor: a note from the student body president
Tony Elder
When people ask what my
duties entail as student body
president, it can be a little bit
frustrating. How do I explain
the honor of my duty while
rattling off a list of objective
facts? I could talk for hours
about my experience and how
much I have learned and grown
from this year.
I wanted to be President this
year to serve the student body
and to help leave North Cen-
tral better than when I first
got here. Leslie Hernandez and
my campaign focused around
listening, supporting and uni-
fying the student body. We in-
tentionally did not have specif-
ic goals of things we wanted to
change because we still did not
know what we would be able to
change.
I still remember being told
that we had been elected. I was
so excited for the opportunity
PHOTO BY: ERICKA SURA
North Central senior, Tony Elder, reflects on
his term as student body president.
I was being given. Thats when
It all started.
Now here we are, over a year
later, and my term as student
body president is coming to
an end. It feels like it was just
yesterday that I was beginning
meetings concerning the flag-
pole. I consider this to be one
of the most important things I
have done this year. It was the
first concern that was men-
tioned to me by a student on
campus once I was elected
president, and I was happy to
take the baton from Tiffany
Larson, former student body
president, to finish the proj-
ect. I am proud to say that we
will be putting up a flagpole on
campus next month! This has
been a long process, but I hope
it will be a visual sign of re-
spect to our veterans and our
great country.
Another big project we have
worked on is a restructure of
the student senate. Working
with Nicole Palser, we have
decided to eliminate the peer
mentor leadership position
and instead have a larger sen-
ate who will take on Welcome
Week responsibilities.
The renovated senate, as it
will be more populous, will be
able to take on more school
improvement and service proj-
ects. There will also be more
Opinion
people to hear what the stu-
dent body is saying and the
concerns they may have. Our
overall goal this year has been
to make senate a stronger
presence on campus and to
better our service to the stu-
dent body. I believe these im-
provements to the system will
only better the mission of the
Senate and the health of the
North Central community.
After a year of serving in this
position, I have grown to love
North Central more than ever
before. Beyond meeting more
of the incredible staff and stu-
dents of this university, it has
also been an honor to see God
moving through the campus
and see how he has healed the
wounds of last year.
I had the opportunity to be
part of the Presidential Search
Committee and hear Presi-
dent-elect Scott Hagans heart
for this community and the
people in it. I am so excited
5
for what God has in store and
what is to come.
But the best part of my job
this year has been you, the stu-
dents. It has been so fun walk-
ing down the halls and learn-
ing your stories. You all make
every office hour, every email
and every meeting worth it. It
has been such an honor serv-
ing all of you this year. Without
you, North Central would not
be the place that it is.
As I now begin to transition
out of this position, I encour-
age you to continue pouring
your heart into the people and
community at this universi-
ty and this neighborhood. You
have the opportunity to create
the culture here. Without you,
North Central University would
not be what it is. Be intentional
to continue creating the deeply
spiritual and communal atmo-
sphere for future students.
It is up to YOU to make North
Central the best it can be.

Gods control of the future is not exhaustive

Allow Scripture and study to shape preconceived ideas of theology
Tyler Hanna
God does not exhaustive-
ly control the future. He also
does not exhaustively know the
future.
The future, by definition, is
partly unknowable; it has not
been settled. It is illogical to
think that God knows the en-
tirety of the future since there
are things that are not there
for him to know.
Some aspects of the future
are not even set until they are
resolved by free agents, human
beings.
If this is the case, then how
can I trust a God who faces a
future that is partly settled and
partly open? If he isnt in con-
trol, then who is?
I would first like to offer an
argument against the classical
Christian view of Gods fore-
knowledge being exhaustive,
then offer an argument in fa-
PHOTO BY: ERICKA SURA
North Central junior Tyler Hanna
vor of Gods foreknowledge
consisting of both settled facts
and unsettled possibilities.
I believe the latter position to
be most faithful to biblical ev-
idence, logic, and experience.
The classical Christian belief
of Gods exhaustive foreknowl-
edge is founded on the deeper
conviction that God is unable
to change; he is immutable.
Many think that if God did
change, it would indicate some
kind of imperfection, accord-
ing to this line of reasoning.
The thinking continues, if God
is immutable, then his knowl-
edge must also be immutable.
All of reality is then settled ac-
cording to the will of God (Cal-
vinism) or in the knowledge of
God (Arminianism).
I would argue that this belief
in Gods immutability is influ-
enced more by Hellenistic phi-
losophy than the Bible.
For one, what is admirable
about not being able to be af-
fected by others? One might be
able to make the case that this
kind of behavior is sociopathic.
If God is not affected by his
creation, then how can he ex-
perience regret or surprise, as
we see in Genesis and Isaiah?
How can one genuinely experi-
ence regret or surprise if they
knew from the outset what the
outcome would be?
The explanation that I would
like to offer is that God knows
the futurein one sense as de-
termined, in another sense as
open.
If this was not the case, then
one would expect God to speak
in absolutes throughout Scrip-
ture. There would be no may-
bes, ifs and mights for a God
who exhaustively knew every-
thing that was to pass.
If we read Scripture plainly,
however, we see that there are
many possibilities that God is
open to.
Take the example of Moses,
who was not certain that hav-
ing God on his side would be
enough to convince his Israeli
elders as is referenced in Ex-
odus 4. In verses 8 and 9, God
specifically uses the word if
to indicate the possibility of
the elders disbelieving Moses.
Wouldnt a God who knew the
future exhaustively know with
certainty if the elders would
believe Moses?
Furthermore, wouldnt that
same God know exactly how
many signs Moses would need
to show the elders in order to
get them to believe?
The conclusion is that God
was leaving this event up to
Moses to resolve, rather than
determining the outcome him-
self.
This occasion is evidence
that the future is partly open
in the eyes of God.
This notion might be scary to
think about, as Gods exhaus-
tive foreknowledge is a place
of security for many believers.
I believe, though, that a God
who faces a partly open future
is more admirable, wise, and
trustworthy.

The Northerner Staff Email

Editorial Staff Writers ncunortherner@gmail.com

Editor-in-chief Kristin Wileman Kathryn Hofand Kyle Crowell Twitter

News Editor Josiah Mayo Yannis Garcia Erin Rustad
@ncunortherner
Sports Editor Christian Morris Samantha Bergum Tyler Maag
Design Editor KaLeigh Johnson Teghan McCarthy Nathan Wileman
Web Editor Kazden Risk Marissa Kari
Facebook
Photo Editor Ericka Sura Hillary Streitberger
facebook.com/ncunortherner
First issue is free of charge; subsequent issues are 50 cents each.
6

Variety The Northerner

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Friesens Unfolding stems from a story found in prison

North Central professor publishes eighth book through Zondervan Publishing House
Samantha Bergum

Jonathan Friesen stood in

front of the mass of people, re-
counting the emotional story
of his personal struggles. The
group was unlike Friesens usual
crowdhe was in a prison, sur-
rounded by inmates. Conclud-
ing his speech, Friesen watched
a prison guard begin calling
out numbers. The group slow-
ly trickled out of the room. As
the guard called number 68, the
flow changed. Turning around,
the prisoner didnt follow the
others out the door, but ap-
proached Friesen in tears. He
began confessing his wrongdo-
ings, telling Friesen about the
people he killed and the way
he did it. He recited things no
one else knew, he unfolded his
secrets. This opened the flood-
gates. One by one, other men
began to confess their stories to
Friesen. Once they finished, the
PHOTO BY: ERICKA SURA
guard told him that was the first On March 14, Jonathan Friesen held a book reading in the parlor of T.J. Jones library for his newly published Young Adult novel Unfolding. More chairs had to be added to the room to
time something of this nature accomodate for all the people who came to hear Friesen speak.
had ever happened.
This made Friesen contem-
plate the secrets held in prisons. out, the secret does too. write for young adults. novels in addition to his profes- Christian bookstores or public
He began to wonder what would Friesen considers himself both After some thought and con- sorial duties. He speaks across sectors like Barnes and Noble.
happen if those secrets were to a speaker and a writer. Growing versations with his wife, Friesen the country on the weekends He said that he does not cur-
get out. up, he never enjoyed writing be- quit teaching and became a and writes in the summer. rently have an idea for his next
These thoughts brought to cause of his turrets syndrome. full time writer. For 10 years he Friesen writes for Penguin book, but will begin another
life Friesens most recent book, He knew he loved to tell stories, wrote books and spoke at vari- Random House, the worlds larg- when he does.
Unfolding. A book about a sin- but didnt see himself as a writer. ous conferences. One confer- est publishing house, as well as My goal for my books is al-
gle secret bound in a town, he It wasnt until he was sitting with ence was at North Central, and Zondervan, a Christian publish- ways that somewhere in [the
tells a tale of a prisoner holding a room full of fifth graders about a year later, the fall of 2014, he er, who produced his latest nov- book], Friesen said. If someone
a secret in a jaila secret that 20 years ago that his eyes were found himself back at the uni- el. The publishing house that he can find hope in the pages, I feel
holds the whole town in captiv- opened to the possibility of cre- versity working as an education uses varies from book to book, like I did my job.
ity. The prisoner is the only one ating novels. These elementary professor. depending on where he wants Unfolding can be purchased
held in the jail, and once he gets students gave him to passion to Friesen continues to write the book to be sold either at at Barnes and Noble for $11.48.

The Northerner
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Video game journalist resigns from company after controversial tweet
After 14 years in gaming media Colin Moriarty pursues a different vision
Kazden Risk
Colin Moriarty recently left
the video game journalism in-
dustry after 14 years in the field
as a senior editor of IGN, host
of the most popular PlayStation
podcasts, and co-founder of the
most successful crowdfunded
Internet community, Kinda Fun-
ny and Kinda Funny Games. His
departure comes immediately
after a controversial tweet that
exposed a conflict of visions for
the future of Kinda Funny.
Kinda Funny is an entertain-
ment channel that receives
most of its support via Patreon,
a website that allows fans to of-
fer monthly pledges to content
creators in exchange for tiered
rewards. The group is composed
of IGN veterans Greg Miller,
Moriarty, Tim Gettys, and Nick
Scarpino.
The group dubbed their die-
hard audience as the Best
Friends, who have constantly
strived to be a positive force on
the internet. When we broke
away to do Kinda Funny, we
wanted to build a community
that celebrates the good and
strives to be better than the In-
ternet commenter, Miller said
in a statement.
On March 8, International
Womens Day, Moriarty said in
a tweet, Ah. peace and quiet.
#ADayWithoutAWoman. This
immediately attracted a contro-
versial response from both the
fans of Kinda Funny as well as
those in the industry. Moriar-
ty said he was not sorry, while
Miller said in a tweet, The
Tweet was in poor taste, and
Im personally sorry to the Best
Friends who felt slighted on a
day meant to celebrate.
[Colin has] also consistent-
Original Segue location transitions to coffee shop church
Grace in the City Church will focus on ministering to downtown Minneapolis communities
Yannis Garcia
Since their doors opened in
2010, Segue Coffee, located at 609
S. 10th St., has been a staple loca-
tion for North Central students
and Elliot Park residents. The
quirky dcor and inviting atmo-
sphere crafted Segue into a com-
munity icon, a local hangout. Af-
ter the opening of a second Segue
location on 11th Avenue, the orig-
inal shop has seen less foot traffic
from students. In January, Jane
Lundquist, Segue owner, decid-
ed to hand off her original coffee
shop so it could become a coffee
shop church under the leadership
of Pastor John Steger.
Since June 20, 2015, Steger has
worked taken strides toward be-
coming an inner city pastor, fol-
lowing a call to ministry he feels
the Lord has placed on his life. Af-
After 14 years as a video game journalist, Colin Moriarty has resigned his position at Kinda Funny after releasing a controversial tweet.
ly said and done controversial
things for the decade Ive known
him, Miller said, We dont al-
ways (or even often) agree with
him, but thats who he is. Jus-
tin Davis, the executive editor
of IGN Features and former
co-worker of Moriarty said in
response to Moriartys tweet, Is
this really the person you want
to be? and followed with, Dis-
appointed to see someone with
smarts be a low-road troll.
Many fans found the tweet
to be a funny joke, while oth-
ers were not so happy. Robert
Smith, a follower of Miller and
Gettys on Twitter, said in a
tweet This joke isnt funny, and
Im sad by the replies. Are these
the fans [Kinda Funny] wants?
Gettys said in response, These
are absolutely not the fans I
want.
Moriarty announced on March
13 that he would be leaving
Kinda Funny. Its with a heavy
John Steger, pastor of Grace in the City, meets with Rebecca Thomas, North
Central senior, for a church planting meeting.
ter 34 years of managing car deal-
erships, Steger is not working to
start Grace in the City Church, a
nondenominational church plant.
Our mission is to glorify God;
creating unity, by building a com-
munity, said Steger. Our vision
heart and great sadness that I
announce my resignation from
Kinda Funny, effective immedi-
ately, Moriarty said in a Face-
book post. It was later said
during the Kinda Funny Morn-
ing Show, a daily live program
discussing nerd culture news,
that Moriartys departure was
the result of different visions for
the company.
Miller insisted the tweet had
nothing to do with Moriartys
departure in the wake of sev-
eral news outlets reporting that
Moriartys resignation was a di-
rect reaction to the backlash.
Moriarty said in an interview
with Dave Rubin of The Rubin
Report on March 17 that he was
not forced out of the company.
I simply want to reconnect
with whats most important to
me. Politics, history, philoso-
phy, Colin said in his Facebook
post, Talking about things I feel
are most impactful and essential
PHOTO BY: YANNIS GARCIA
is to build a community of believ-
ers in Jesus Christ. We believe in
discipleship, evangelism and mis-
sions.
Rebecca Thomas, North Central
senior and part of the churchs
32-person volunteer team, shares
Variety
PHOTO FROM: TWITTER
for a person like me.
Miller said, Were just going in
two completely opposite direc-
tions in terms of what we want
to do, and that the tweet was a
symptom, if not the most pub-
lic expression, that there was
something happening in terms
of us growing apart.
Moriarty has since launched
a Patreon page and a new You-
Tube channel titled Colins Last
Stand, which will begin releas-
ing content on April 3. Colins
Last Stand represents my innate
desire to return to the roots of
what I adore most -- history
and politics -- where I can cre-
ate thoughtful videos that strive
to both entertain and inform.
Colins Last Stand accumulated
$10,000 in monthly pledges in
less than one hour, and at the
time of writing this the current-
ly monthly support pledges sit
at over $39,000 per month, with
over 6,000 patrons support-
Stegers vision for Grace in the
City Church. Thomas will be
working alongside the pastor as
a relational greeter for Sunday
services and will focus on con-
necting with people from the El-
liot Park community. She believes
the new church will have an allure
that other churches do not have
because of its unique setting and
eclectic feel.
With the formation of the
church, Segue Coffees name will
be changed to Jaur, meaning just
as you are. The name change is
a reflection of the mission for
Grace in the City Church, which
Steger hope will be a safe har-
bor for people.
Throughout 2017, Grace in the
City Church hopes to grow past
the four walls of Segue Coffee
and obtain building leases from
surrounding businesses like Stu-
7
ing Moriarty. Moriarty doesnt
believe the support will stay at
that level, but simply thinks that
people are speaking loudly.
Colins Last Stand will focus
on American politics, producing
two videos a week. For the time
being, Moriarty is abandoning
video game discussion after
over a decade in the industry.
Im sure there will be a video
about them here and there, if,
say, one is politically or histor-
ically relevant, Moriarty wrote
in his Patreons frequently asked
question portion, If youre
looking for gaming content, this
Patreon (and YouTube channel)
isnt for you.
As for PS I Love You XOXO,
Kinda Funnys PlayStation show,
the future is uncertain. Mill-
er and Moriarty had hosted a
PlayStation podcast together
for over 300 episodes. I dont
know what to do about PS I Love
You XOXO, Miller said in a tweet
on the day of Moriartys resig-
nation, Should we retire it or
keep going? Id love your feed-
back. Miller then listed a link to
a forum thread which is now 34
pages long. Im going over all of
it, Miller said in a comment.
Kinda Funny has received
continuous backlash for the way
they handled the situation with
Moriarty. In the last 30 days,
Kinda Funny has lost over 1,500
patrons and over $7,000 across
both of their Patreon pages, as
well as 8,000 subscribers across
both YouTube channels. Most
uploads average above a 50 per-
cent dislike ratio.
Opportunities are already
popping up for me, Moriarty said
in a Facebook post. Last week
he appeared on the Glenn Beck
radio show as well as The Rubin
Report, and just appeared on the
Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
dents Today Leaders Forever,
Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc.
and Finnegans Brewery. Leasing
these spaces will open opportu-
nities for a sanctuary for Sunday
services.
Grace in the City Church will be
launching on Easter Sunday, Apr.
16, for their opening message se-
ries titled Decisions, from bad to
good!
The new church will meet ev-
ery Sunday from 4-5:30 p.m. with
fellowship before service at 3pm
and after from 5:30-6 p.m.
After the Easter opening, Juar
hours will be changed to 7-8 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and 8
a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays. They
will be closed, apart from the
church services, on Sundays.
For more information visit
www.graceinthecity.org
8

Athletics The Northerner

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Lacrosse experiences a rocky start in first season

Rams team still searches for first win after multiple defeats
Tyler Maag
In its first season, North Cen-
trals lacrosse team has endured
a learning curve. Sixteen men
are on the roster, many of which
have never played lacrosse be-
fore.
At the helm of the Rams la-
crosse program is coach Billy
Frick. Frick brings his love of the
game and his vast experience as
a player, coach, official and ad-
ministrator to the university.
"I am thankful to the staff at
North Central University to have
the opportunity to build a la-
crosse program from the ground
up at an institution where I will
be able to combine both of my
passions, personal faith and la-
crosse, to impact young men
for eternity." Frick told ncurams.
com.
Frick and his Rams faced a
bitter reality in their first-ever
scrimmage against the six-time
UMLC Division II conference
champion St. John's Johnnies,
resulting in a 19-0 thrashing.
The Rams didnt have time to
dwell on the loss, as they faced
another tough team, the Division
II St. Thomas Tommies days lat-
er.
A great crowd turned up for
the first home lacrosse scrim-
mage at Elliot Park in another
very challenging game resulting
in a 25-1 trouncing in favor of the
Tommies. The Rams were able
to keep their heads held high,
which resulted in the first goal
in the history of North Central
lacrosse scored by sophomore
Jake Nelson.
With much of the team com-
ing from backgrounds in other
sports, lacrosse is a sport en-
tirely new to many players. One
of the teams newcomers Ben
Majerle has not played organized
lacrosse before, but has played
hockey all his life.
Being my first year of lacrosse
ever, its definitely been a learn-
ing experience the past couple of
weeks, Majerle said. With a new
program we really have been
stressing fundamentals of the
game and we spend a lot of prac-
tice learning some main plays
used in the sport.
After learning fundamentals
and having two scrimmages un-
der their belts, the Rams looked
to start their first season in Be-
loit, Wisconsin for their first of-
ficial game, only for it to be can-
celed due to weather. The game
was rescheduled for April 5 at 7
p.m. in Beloit, Wis.
Instead the Rams squared off
against Carroll University in a
historic inaugural NCAA Division
III game for North Central la-
crosse. The Pioneers had played
four official matches going into
the game, including a 9-8 victo-
ry over Northwestern. The Rams
fell to the Pioneers 15-4. Sopho-
more Seth Hanson, who played
lacrosse in high school, netted
two goals in the loss. Tim Dok-
ken and Jake Nelson also scored
for the Rams.
The Rams had time to regroup
before their first home game
against the Northland Lumber-
jacks which resulted in a 13-4
loss and saw Junior Tim Dokken
score two goals and record an
assist to a Jake Nelson goal.
The team bounced back the
following week and competed in
the local Northwestern/North
Central rivalry for the first time.
Northwestern, who is also in
their first competitive lacrosse
season, was victorious in a hard
fought battle against the Rams
6-4.
A busy month of April lies
ahead for the Rams, and plenty
of time still remains for them to
salvage their inaugural season.
The teams next game is March PHOTO BY: ERICKA SURA
North Centrals Jake Nelson runs down the field during a lacrosse match.
30 in Kalamazoo.

Softball, baseball teams struggle to North Central

Rams Sports Recap
win during spring break competitions
Teams travel to The team was able to hit well, players than the Rams, the rest BASEBALL

Folrida, Arizona
with both freshmen, Alex Rodri- of the trip was a grind. The Rams The baseball team lost both games of a doubleheader against Bethany
guez and Brooke Wayfield, con- played seven games in five days Lutheran at U.S. Bank Stadium on March 25. The first game ended af-

to launch seasons necting with the ball on the first

Marissa Kari
North Centrals softball team
flew to Florida on March 4 to be-
gin a series of six games against
St. Vincent, Husson, Roanoke,
Lebanon Valley, Mount Union
and Bates College.
From Monday to Thursday, the
women were faced with some
stiff competition. They went 0-6
during the week. They were able
to gain experience and had the
opportunity of playing ball be-
fore the calendar hit spring.
The softball team has not tak-
en a spring break trip in three
years. Some of the competition
North Central faced, such as
St. Vincent, Lebanon Valley and
Mount Union, had winning re-
cords last season.
It was an opportunity for us
to see live pitching, head coach,
Allison Meadows, said. We were
able to work on some things as a
team that we wouldnt be able to
work on in the gym with a small
roster size.
Just 12 women are on the ros-
ter this year.
day of competition.
The softball team is still
searching for their first win,
with an 0-14 record and a bat-
ting average of .217. Amanda
Roth leads the team in batting
average, hitting .447. Roth has
hit the teams only homerun.
Roth and Nora Sullivan are tied
for the team lead in RBIs with
five each.
The baseball team took a five-
day trip. They achieved success
on the first day of competition
with a 6-5 win against Bethany
Lutheran College, a conference
team whom they will play four
more times throughout the sea-
son.
The win was not only the
teams first of the year, but new
head coach Justin Browns first
as well.
Coach Brown has put in so
much work and dedication into
the program that being able to
win under him was reward-
ing, sophomore captain, Bryce
Riege, said.
Outside of a thin, 14-player
roster, and other schools be-
ing more developed with ros-
ters ranging from 10 to 28 more
and ended the trip with a 1-6
record against some well-estab-
lished programs.Rams players
said they were able to discov-
er some of their strengths and
weaknesses.
One major weakness is the
depth of pitchers, Brown said,
You have to have options from
the health standpoint, which we
dont have.
Brown said that most pitchers
can only throw about 100 pitch-
es before needing three or four
days off, and the Rams do not
have that luxury this season. He
said they only have seven pitch-
ers, about half the typical col-
lege roster of 12 to 14 pitchers.
The team is young and still
developing with just one upper
classman.
Riege said the men emphasize
focus during practice, which
must translate to games.
They stayed the course well
because its not easy doing what
they did, Brown said.
The baseball teams record is
1-9. The team is hitting .231, led
by Brandon Scotts .393 average
and eight RBIs. Blazsen Ferreira
has the teams sole pitching win.
ter six and a half innings, final score 10-2. The second game went a full
nine innings, final score of 4-3. Brandon Scott had four RBIs on the day,
with one in the first game and three in the second. Grant Payne had the
Rams other RBI. Bryce Riege pitched all six innings of the first game,
surrendering 10 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits, with four walks and two
strikeouts. Blazsen Ferreira pitched the entire nine innings of the sec-
ond game, giving up four runs (two earned) on seven hits, seven walks
and three strikeouts.
SOFTBALL
The softball team played four games against Finlandia over the March 24
weekend, losing all four by a combined score of 70-11. Errors plagued the
Rams over the course of the weekend, with 18 committed between the
four games. Nora Sullivan, Abbey Erzberger and Amanda Roth each had
two RBIs, with one of Roths coming from a home run. Kylee Bommers-
bach added an RBI. Roth had a busy weekend from the mound as well,
facing 132 batters in 18.1 innings pitched. Roths only relief was Bom-
mersbach, who pitched 2.2 innings and faced 30 batters.
LACROSSE
The lacrosse team remains winless in its inaugural season, but is show-
ing signs of improvement as the season goes on, losing to Northwestern
6-4 on March 24. Tim Dokken scored 3 unassisted goals for the Rams.
Jake Nelson rounded out the scoring with another unassisted goal. Paul
Mellendorf recorded 12 saves at goalie.
WOMENS TENNIS
The tennis team lost two home meets against Martin Luther and St.
Marys on March 18 and 25, respectively. The Rams won only one match
between the two meets, the lone win coming in a doubles match against
Martin Luther, in which North Centrals Esther Leung and Jalia Cappelli
defeated Ella Loersch and Anastasia Bornschlegl 8-3.