wednesday, november 16, 2022

The Point
student newspaper of point loma nazarene university
volume 52 | issue 9

News, page 1-2 Features, page 3-4 Sports, page 4-5 A&E, page 6-7 Opinion, page 8

PLNU Students Take a Break from Showering Due to

Water Main Break
BY KATIE MORRIS
STAFF WRITER
system of valves…the shut-off valve nearby
[Young] was stuck open, so we moved to
the next valve up the line. This valve shuts
off the water to [all] three halls,” Bolster
said.
After Campus Facilities contacted
PLNU’s Residential Life, a commercial
plumber and excavating and repair crew
were brought in. Around 11:30 p.m.,
the water was turned off and a backhoe
was used to expose the pipe. It was then
discovered that the leak was caused by a
water main break.
Bolster explained that some of the
pipes that bring water to PLNU are old,
and from time to time, there will be a water
main break.
Bri Bortoluzzi, first-year biology
major was in her Hendricks Hall dorm
room when the water was turned off.
“All of a sudden the water stopped
FOUR PORTABLE TOILETS WERE PLACED OUTSIDE OF HENDRICKS HALL THURSDAY MORNING working. People couldn’t use the
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRI BORTOLUZZI bathroom and girls were out in the hall
Around 9:30 p.m. last Wednesday, It was eventually discovered that the leak talking about what to do. Shortly after, we
a water leak was discovered by a Public was coming from a water main that carries got an email saying it would be shut off for
Safety Officer on the road between fresh water to Young Hall. 8 more hours,” Bortoluzzi said.
Hendricks and Young Halls, while they Jeff Bolster (Ph.D.), vice president Notifications were sent to students in
were on routine patrol. for University Services explained why the the affected halls about the water being
The officer contacted Point Loma three residence halls’ water systems were shut off. Tessa Balc, Young resident
Nazarene University’s Campus Facilities, turned off when the leak was found before and second-year political science and
who brought their maintenance personnel Young. journalism double major, said that the
to assess where the leak was coming from. “The [university’s] water lines have a news provoked varying emotions.
“The initial text at night was kind
of funny to me like ‘Oh can’t go to the
bathroom until tomorrow,’ but when I
woke up the next morning and saw the
next email saying the water was still off, I
was kind of annoyed,” Balc said.
On Thursday morning, drinking water
and portable toilets were delivered to the
affected halls through the collaboration of
ResLife, Campus Facilities and Sodexo.
“Point Loma accommodated very well
by providing water and portable restrooms
for us super quick and efficiently,”
Bortoluzzi said. “Thankfully I could fill up
my water bottle in the lobby without going
all the way to the Caf.”
Dean of Students, Jake Gilbertson
(Ed.D), explained that other
accommodations were set in place for
students if the water main was not repaired
by Thursday evening.
“If the problem would have taken
longer to fix we were also assessing
shower facilities for students, however,
that wasn’t necessary given the timeline,”
Gilbertson said.
Without running water, students
from the affected halls resorted to using
other bathroom facilities on campus.
“After eating breakfast, I brushed
my teeth in the Caf bathroom with my
friends,” Bortoluzzi said.
However, some still used the
bathrooms in their halls despite the water
being shut off.
“I know people who peed in showers
because they really had to go in the
morning so the bathrooms smelled pretty
bad,” Balc said.
By Thursday afternoon, water service
was restored in the affected residence
halls, faster than what Campus Facilities
expected.
“They initially thought it was going
to be fixed around 6 p.m. in the evening,”
Bolster said.
While the pipes were exposed, the
plumbing crew installed a new gate valve
above Young. This was so Hendricks and
Klassen would not lose water if another
water main break happened near Young.
Sarah Beckham, resident director
of Hendricks, said she was impressed by
the speedy response of those involved in
finding a solution.
“So much gratitude for the facilities
team: Jeff Bolster, Dan Toro, and Jau
Medlam to name a few. From the moment
the leak was identified to the moment
it was repaired, they were extremely
communicative,” Beckham said. “Of
course, the situation was less than ideal,
but I am grateful for the way the university
responded.”

PLNU Students Participate in The AIGI Get Out the

Vote Poster Campaign
BY KYLIE CAPUANO
STAFF WRITER

Point Loma Nazarene University to utilize the power of design to remind

students in professor Courtney Mayer’s
typography class displayed their
artistic talents outside of the Nicholson
Commons last week, as they participated
in the Get Out the Vote campaign led by
the American Institute of Graphic Arts
(AIGI). The AIGI partners with Nonprofit
VOTE and the League of Women Voters
Americans to vote in the 2022 midterm
election and upcoming local elections.
The typography students were tasked
with creating nonpartisan posters to
encourage discussion and awareness
among the PLNU student body. Below are
photos of the students’ creations.

THE POSTERS WERE MADE BY STUDENTS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN PROFESSOR THE POSTERS WERE INTENDED TO SERVE AS A REMINDER TO PLNU
COURTNEY MAYER’S ART 3003 TYPOGRAPHY CLASS. STUDENTS TO REGISTER AND VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION.

THE AIGI REQUIRES THAT ALL PARTICIPATING ARTISTS CRAFT NONPARTISAN POSTERS. TOP POSTER BY LIBBY STORM TOP POSTER BY LAUREN MABRY
POSTER BY LOGAN FLEMING BOTTOM POSTER BY ELIANA TAYLOR BOTTOM POSTER BY KATIE COIL
2 | NEWS
Mold in Campus Housing: Students Tell Their Stories
BY SOFIE FRANSEN
STAFF WRITER
It is November, the time of year
when cold weather and cold symptoms
prey on students.
Some students, like third-year
organizational communications major
Bree Brandon, may not be so quick to
peg the long-lasting cough as a cold.
Last October, Brandon got a
cold that quickly turned into a two-
month-long cough, stopping only
when she went home to Colorado
for Thanksgiving. Her roommate in
Finch experienced the same thing. As
soon as they returned to Point Loma
Nazarene University’s campus, they
got sick again.
She then realized that her cold
symptoms must be attributed to her
living conditions. She put in a work
order, campus facilities tested for
mold, and she got an email back the
next day from her residential director.
The mold report stated extremely
high levels of mold in her dorm room.
“When we first found out we had
mold, they didn’t send us the mold
analysis. I reached out to see the
report, and that’s when I found out it
was actual toxic mold. Black mold,”
said Brandon.
In that same week, Brandon
said she experienced bumps on her
side abdomen that she attributed
to something called “mold skin.”
According to Healthline, mold skin is
rash caused by an allergic reaction to
mold.
The rash and the long-lasting
coughs were symptoms of mold
exposure. Healthline also stated that
Sundance Award Recipient and Short Film, “If I Go Will
They Miss Me,” Come to PLNU
BY SHELBY YORK
STAFF WRITER
THOMPSON-HERNÁNDEZ AND PROFESSOR JACQUE MITCHELL FIELD QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PROFESSOR SCOTT BENNETT
Self-taught filmmaker, director,
and author of The Compton Cowboys
Walter Thompson-Hernández
visited campus on Thursday, Nov.
10, to attend a screening of his award
winning short film, “If I Go Will They
Miss Me.” The film won the Sundance
festival award for best fictional short
coughing, wheezing, nose stuffiness,
skin rash and a sore throat can be
experienced with mold exposure,
especially for those who have a mold
allergy or weakened immune system.
Kiera Niemeyer, third-year
sociology-criminal justice minor,
dealt with similar symptoms. She
became increasingly sick over a long
period of time when she lived in
Young.
“I ended up in the ER because I
could not stop choking and throwing
up, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe,”
said Niemeyer.
She also requested that her room
be tested for mold; the test came back
positive. She said her health issues
slowly resolved after the room was
cleaned.
Mold is very common in regions
of high humidity. According to
the United States Environmental
Protection Agency, areas containing
extra water vapor plus a relative
humidity (RH) above 60%, create
the perfect home for mold spores
to grow. In San Diego where the
humidity levels have an annual average
percentage of 69%, the presence of
mold is inescapable.
Jeff Bolster, PLNU’s vice
president for University Services,
outlined the three most common cases
of mold that he deals with on campus.
The first issue arises when students
leave damp clothes or extra storage in
places that are not frequently cleaned,
like under the bed or in a closet.
The second issue of mold is a
film in 2022. Hernández is currently
working on producing another short
film, this one based in Barcelona.
Growing up in Los Angeles,
Hernández said he felt inspired by the
culture surrounding him. His family
and friends meant everything to him.
He went to University of Portland for
result of a leaking pipe or some form
of extra water in the room. Bolster
said that last year, three rooms next to
each other in Finch got mold because
sprinklers repeatedly hit their walls at
night. The third most common case
of mold that Bolster sees on campus
is found in the vents.
Students who either see mold or
experience health effects that might
be related to mold can put in a work
order at fixme.pointloma.edu to have
their room inspected by campus
facilities.
“We have a protocol that we’ve
set up with Sodexo Custodial and
our environmental health and safety
consultants,” said Bolster. “If we
don’t have a significant issue of water
intrusion, we go through a two to
three-hour cleaning process that
involves full surface wipe down.”
The process includes putting
an organic biocide in the carpet,
dry encapsulation cleaning of the
carpets, checking the vents, checking
any surfaces and looking for any
environmental hazards.
As the resident director of
Flex Housing and the Director
of Residential Life, Beth Denny
was trained in the work order and
protocol cleaning process for mold.
She said that in her experiences with
reports of mold, more common than
the presence of mold is the concern
of possible mold.
“We see work orders come
through, campus facilities has their
process, and more often than not it
his undergraduate degree (political
science) but focused largely on
his basketball career. An interest
in storytelling led Hernández to
purchase a camera – the rest is history.
Now carrying with him a passion for
cinematography and telling others’
stories, Hernández earned his
comes back as not detected,” Denny
said.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
exposure to mold may cause a variety
of health effects, or none at all. People
with mold allergies or weakened
immune systems are more susceptible
to fungal infections.
Second-year nursing major
Annabelle Rogers continually got sick
for most of the school year last year —
a cold, strep throat, the stomach bug.
This began after she got COVID-19
following New Student Orientation
and her immune system was down.
Her symptoms continued through the
fall and into the spring semester.
“Each day of the spring semester I
was expecting to get better, and each
day I kept getting worse,” Rogers
said.
Her nurse practitioner from home
sent her a Mycotoxin test in March
to see what the levels of mold were
in her body. Her mold levels were
very high. Now, she has been taking
supplements for almost a year and is
on a five-month regimen to target the
mold.
Rogers is still dealing with long-
term effects and said she has spent
$6,000 to $7,000 in medicine. Her
roommate, who had been living in
Hendricks with her the entire year,
was never once affected.
“We think it was because of Covid
that my immune system was down,”
Rogers said. “It was probably such a
small amount [of mold in the room].”
master’s degree for Latin American
studies at the University of California,
San Diego and eventually began
writing for the New York Times as a
global subculture reporter. His story
“Inside Japan’s Chicano Subculture”
revealed a growing trend that ushered
in an expression of Chicano/a culture
within Japan.
According to Madi Bucci, LJWL’s
department assistant, approximately
100 students and faculty attended
the screening. Second-year child
and adolescent development major
Kimberly Hosoda attended the
screening with high hopes and she
said they were met.
“I liked how he deliberately chose
symbols [in the film] that had multiple
meanings representing how he feels
and how many others in the same
situation would feel,” said Hosoda.
Hernández said his film explored
the line between fiction and reality;
it stars Lil’ Ant, a young African
American boy living in the Imperial
Courts projects with his family during
January 2020. Hernández said the
cast consisted of family or friends,
and is based on an experience he
lived through as a child where his
neighborhood was in near proximity
to a toxic jet fuel dump.
“I have a background in
journalism, so for me it’s like, this is
a fictional film,” said Hernández. “I
think first-time actors kind of help us
tap into that and it feels honest and
it feels authentic. How do you ask
someone to play a version of a lifetime
that already exists – no one can do
wednesday, november 16, 2022
Bolster said that every student on
campus deserves to have a safe and
clean room and that the university has
a standard to uphold and they stick to
it.
“Thankfully, we’ve never had a
room (and I’ve been doing this for four
years and was the dean of students for
10 years before that) where a student
has been subjected to a long term
toxic level of mold,” Bolster said.
Bolster said that the ongoing
conversation of mold provides
opportunity for students to be
educated on what’s really going on.
Niemeyer said that she would
appreciate more communication from
the school about mold.
“I can definitely verify that it is
not normal to live in mold causing
the level of health issues I was
experiencing, and that Point Loma
has vast improvements they could
make when it comes to student
awareness surrounding the mold
issue,” Niemeyer said.
The following list includes a
few simple guidelines to follow in
order to maintain a safe and healthy
environment, as stated in the routine
mold protocol cleaning email:
- Maximize fresh air circulation
with fans.
- Remove wet or damp laundry
from the floor.
- Promptly report any potential
mold concerns.
A work order for mold can be
submitted at fixme.pointloma.edu
that, except someone who lives that
life.”
Family ties to his cultural
background signified an inclusion of
a bonafide cast for Hernández film.
“I know men like Big Ant [father
of Lil’ Ant], right?” said Hernández.
“Men from the hood who are tough,
who are hard for different reasons
but choose to pray and love in
silence, right, and I think that’s really
important because I know people like
that.”
Some viewers found meaning in
the pegasus and were able to form
their opinions about what it entails.
“I really liked the different things
it [film] resembled,” said second-year
biology major Aliya Valenzuela, “and
the importance of the angle that it
took.”
The filmmaker said he also found
meaning within these symbols.
“For someone like Lil’ Ant, who
conceptualizes ideas about flight and
escapism through this mythological
character, it shows that the pegasus in
some ways represents both an other
worldly idea about escape but also
something grounded,” Hernández
said.
In addition to filmmaking and
journalism, Hernández also created
a podcast “California Love” which
takes a closer look at the experience
of growing up in LA as an Afro-Latino
boy. To learn more about Hernández
or view his media, visit his website
http://www.wthdz.com
wednesday, november 16, 2022
features
MOSAIC Clubs Create a Safe Space for Discussion on
Disability and Mental Health
BY SARAH GLEASON
STAFF WRITER
EMILIO PRIETO SPEAKING TO STUDENTS.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIA DE NAVA
As she situated herself on the
screen, Reverend Letiah Fraser’s t-
shirt, which read “Jesus + Therapy”
was clearly projected on the Ferma-
nian Conference Center screen.
On Nov. 9, Point Loma Nazarene
University clubs Delta Alpha Pi and
BREAK held a collaborative event
called Men and Mental Health and
Women and Disability. Delta Alpha
Pi is a club that spreads awareness on
disability, chronic illness and mental
health, and BREAK focuses on gen-
der justice. The event was held in the
Fermanian Conference Center and
was attended by approximately 50
people.
Morgan Rego, fourth-year phi-
losophy and Christian studies double
major is the president of BREAK.
Rego, who uses she/her pronouns,
said that both topics being covered
were important to talk about in the
context of Christianity.
“I think especially because we are
on a Christian campus, there is a lot
of narratives with what it means to fit
into a male Christian body and what
it means to be in a woman Christian
body and it’s very black and white,”
said Rego.
Gianna Piva, fourth-year environ-
mental studies major, is the president
Dorm Friendsgiving on a Budget
BY RACHEL GRACE HECKLE
STAFF WRITER
My childhood kitchen was a mess
of dirty dishes around every corner,
children below counter height run-
ning around and mishaps with my
grandmother’s homemade cranberry
sauce being splattered on cabinet
doors and across our dining table.
Thanksgiving is a great time to gather
together, but feeding many people can
get expensive. For a dorm Friendsgiv-
ing before returning home for the hol-
iday, several budget-friendly options
can keep both your stomach and your
wallet full.
Turkey Cutlets: Rather than a
complete, ten-pound, turkey roast
that will take hours of painstaking
preparation and labor in a small dorm
kitchen, substitute the trouble for tur-
key cutlets. They can be found at most
of Delta Alpha Pi. Piva, who uses she/
her pronouns, said that oftentimes the
voices of disabled folks are not heard
and this event was meant to open the
conversation up.
“Oftentimes the church doesn’t
include those with disabilities or with
mental health conditions because
they’re afraid of them or don’t know
how to interact with them or how to
approach them,” Piva said. “So I feel
like the more we continue to have
conversations like this, the less afraid
of the idea people will be and the more
we can make it more of a normal thing
and change the narrative of Christian-
ity and disability.”
The event began with a Zoom in-
terview with Reverend Letiah Fraser
(PhD), ordained elder in the church
of the Nazarene, disability rights ad-
vocate and activist. She said there is a
sizable number of disabled folks who
have chosen to leave the Christian
church.
“A large portion of the disabil-
ity community that would either have
been Christian or grew up Christian,
or whatever have chosen not to be,”
Fraser said. “For two reasons, the is-
sue around healing or being fixed, but
also because the church, [the] large
church, not any specific denomina-
grocery stores for much less than a
full turkey and do not require carv-
ing. Plus, cooking time is significantly
reduced. Sprouts on Rosecrans Street
or Trader Joe’s on Truxtun Road of-
fer pre-prepared and ready-to-cook
cutlets.
Canned Gravy: Don’t get me
wrong, homemade gravy is liquid
gold, but when it comes to optimiz-
ing the use of your time and money,
canned gravy is a better option. Trad-
er Joe’s has a fantastic pre-packaged
turkey gravy for less than $2 that can
be prepared in a microwave. One box
will be plenty for a small gathering of
around five people.
Mashed Potatoes: Alongside gra-
vy, homemade mashed potatoes are a
staple piece in a Thanksgiving spread,
tion, lobbied against having to imple-
ment the Americans with Disability
Act.”
According to section 307 in the
American Disabilities Act, “provi-
sions of this title shall not apply to…
religious organizations or entities
controlled by religious organizations,
including places of worship.”
Fraser said that when working to
include the disability community with-
in the church, their culture should be
at the forefront. Church community
members should both work to learn
disability culture like they would any
new culture and also be careful not to
erase disability culture by approach-
ing disability with the intent of heal-
ing.
Fraser also said that language in
the church can be hurtful to the dis-
abled community. For example, in
common worship songs, the language
of being “blind” is often equated with
negative attributes or with sin.
Izzy Murphy, fourth-year theology
and philosophy double major, said the
meeting helped her understand able-
ist practices in the church that she had
not noticed before. For example, how
churches invite folks to stand to wor-
ship.
Ableism, as defined by Miriam-
Webster, is discrimination or preju-
LETIAH FRASER SPEAKING TO STUDENTS OVER ZOOM
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIA DE NAVA
but not everyone has the space for a
large pot and cooking materials for
this centerpiece dish. Found at most
grocery stores in the area, including
Target, Trader Joe’s and Jensen’s,
boxed and frozen mashed potatoes
are an excellent choice.
Biscuits: Who can deny a warm
and buttery biscuit? While it is one
of the easiest items to acquire at a
grocery store, it is also the easiest
to make yourself in a dorm kitchen.
Even so, ingredient prices would
surpass the convenience of popping
pre-mixed dough into the oven for a
few minutes. Unless you want a five-
pound bag of unbleached all-purpose
flour lying around your dorm, stick to
the store biscuits. “Pillsbury Grands!
Flaky Layers” sell for around $3 at
dice against individuals with disabili-
ties.
“We say let’s stand for the sake of
showing reverence to God, so instead
of narrowing it to standing, going
back to the broader meaning of show-
ing reverence in posture right now
with us,” Murphy said.
After the Zoom ended, Emilio
Prieto, Resident Director in Wiley
Hall, counselor at PLNU’s Counsel-
ing Center and medical social worker
at Sharp Memorial Hospital, joined
Rego and Piva in a conversation about
men and mental health.
Prieto said the main barriers he
has noticed in young men he works
with are access to mental health help,
insurance and pride.
Prieto said there are a few com-
mon excuses. One of them had the
crowd laughing with him.
“One that I go to all the time is, ‘I
made it this far,’” Prieto said.
Everyone laughed.
“I made it this far, so I’m probably
fine. No I’m not.”
Prieto said pride can often come
from machismo, a term from his Latin
culture.
“Part of masculinity, I’ll use my
Latin terms – machismo – is like this
belief that I have everything within
me to conquer this or there is noth-
many grocery stores.
Apple Cider Muddy Buddies:
What is Thanksgiving without a sweet
treat to end the evening? Apple Cider
Muddy Buddies are a comfort treat,
mainly because it is both a sweet
crowd pleaser and a motivating study
snack. These muddy buddies blend a
subtle spice with sweetness in a mix-
ture of soft and crunchy textures. All
of the ingredients can be purchased
for under $10 total at any local gro-
cery store.
Ingredients:
5 cups rice Chez cereal
1 bag (12 ounces) white chocolate
chips, melted
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1 packet (0.74 ounces) apple cider
mix
3 | FEATURES
ing outside of me that can help me get
past this,” Prieto said. “I am the only
solution.”
This is not helpful when seeking
mental health help; in fact, the gospel
illustrates the opposite narrative, said
Prieto, it is about seeking community.
Prieto said that the church does
not have to work in opposition to
mental health help.
“Sometimes a Lexapro prescrip-
tion is what we need on top of prayer
and that’s okay,” Prieto said. “Some-
times you need a therapist and a pas-
tor.”
Nicholas Ma, fourth-year social
work major, said this event is an exam-
ple of the power of clubs on campus.
“This is the type of event I wish
that ResLife did more of,” said Ma.
“I wish that all groups on campus did
more with prominent voices in a step
above where we are in life. These are
former students, but only by like two
years, so they understand where we’re
at and are not separated from our
lives.”
Students can find mental health
resources through PLNU’s wellness
center website.
Students can find disability re-
sources through PLNU’s Educational
Access Center.
Directions:
Add the powdered sugar and the
apple cider mix into a plastic bag and
shake to combine.
Put the Chex mix cereal into a
large bowl.
Melt the white chocolate chips in
the microwave for 45 seconds and stir
until smooth. If not fully melted, mi-
crowave for an additional 10 second
increments until you have reached
the desired consistency. Careful not
to burn the chocolate.
Pour the melted chocolate over
the Chex cereal and mix until the ce-
real is coated. Add the cereal to the
dry ingredient plastic bag and shake
until the cereal is completely coated.
4 | FEATURES
Behind the Scenes of a Professor: James Wicks
BY ZACH DINSMORE
STAFF WRITER
James Wicks, Ph.D., is a pro-
fessor of film studies at Point Loma
Nazarene University. He is constantly
working on film and other creative
projects whether that be for a student,
one of his alumni, or a personal proj-
ect. On top of this, Wicks teaches 12
PLNU courses related to the creative
arts.
This may seem like a lot for one
person to take on, and that is because,
well it is. Not only does Wicks devote
his time and energy to his students, he
is proud to never compromise time
with his family.
“I try to surf and skate three times
The Amalfi Coast Comes to PLNU
BY MADELYN WALTHALL
STAFF WRITER
Ciao Lomans!
Point Loma Nazarene University
offers many classes to its students.
Within the Literature, Journalism,
Writing, and Languages (LJWL) de-
partment are courses such as Greek,
Hebrew, Spanish and French lan-
guage classes. Last semester, the
LJWL department added Italian as
a course. With advising upon the
PLNU population, the creator of the
course, Professor Marianna Spinelli,
shares what the new class has to offer
students.
Spinelli has been teaching French
at PLNU for ten years and worked to
devise the curriculum for the brand
new Italian course last semester.
The Point: Why is it important to
learn about other languages and cul-
tures?
sports
Spinelli: Learning a language
PLNU Rugby Club Looks to Maintain Legacy
BY STEVE ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER
JENSEN FRENCH OF PLNU RUGBY CLUB AT A SCRIMMAGE IN SDSU
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENSEN FRENCH
Twice a week, about 10 minutes
from campus at the Ocean Beach
Athletic Area, a group of about 10
Point Loma Nazarene University stu-
dents gather for practice. From afar,
it is plausible that these students are
a week. And I’ve been doing that since
the age of 28, so I’ve been doing that
19 years now. I would say that I love
my free time and I love my job, so the
two really are blurred. I’m constantly
engaged with my family, which is
something I can’t and won’t compro-
mise,” Wicks said.
Although born in Taiwan, Wicks
is no kook when it comes to coastal
breaks and skateparks in Southern
California. Wicks and two of his bud-
dies know how to properly tear it up
on any given Saturday morning.
“I have two surfing buddies and
we go every Saturday morning. We’ve
means being able to welcome others,
their cultures, their traditions and
their way of thinking. A language is
the key to acceptance of diversity.
Languages enrich humans because
they help build a solid foundation for
mutual understanding and respect.
TP: What was the preparation
process like when creating this new
Italian class from scratch?
Spinelli: It took me an entire
summer to create this program and I
am just talking about ITA 1001. I had
to research, implement and add ma-
terial to the course presented in the
textbook in order to make it more ap-
pealing and relevant to the students. I
looked up Youtube videos with songs,
grammar explanations, games and ac-
tivities that could add content to the
program in terms of vocab, grammar
and culture.
playing football, but a closer look at
the wide, elongated oval-shaped ball
reveals that they are playing the sport
of rugby.
Rugby is one of the most popu-
lar contact sports in the world, and
gone in all different kinds of waves.
We’ve surfed Ocean Beach for like
three years, Dog Beach for another
three years, then we surfed the [OB]
pier for another three years. And now
we’ve been at Del Mar 25th Street for
the past couple of years. And we just
tried to find a place where we can all
meet up and get in the water before
it’s too crowded and we all have family
obligations,” Wicks said.
‘Everyday’s a vacation when you
love your occupation’. A common
phrase used when people love their
jobs but more than true when it comes
to Wicks’ time at PLNU.
TP: Why should students take
Italian as opposed to any of the other
languages offered here?
Spinelli: Italian is a very beautiful
language to start with. Its beauty is re-
flected in the passion Italians have for
their gastronomy, art, music and fash-
ion. Italian is the language of love and
is the language of us being human.
TP: Why is Italian so important to
you?
Spinelli: Italian is the language
we spoke at home, the language of my
parents and grandparents, brother,
sisters and cousins. It’s my heritage.
To find this class on Workday
look for LAN 1001/1002. It is not la-
beled under ITA.
at PLNU the rugby club has a history
of success. After two years without a
team, the PLNU rugby club is trying
to get back on its feet.
The PLNU rugby club was es-
tablished in 2001 and went by the
Knights. In 2012, the club received
university recognition and aligned its
name with the school’s mascot, the
Sea Lions.
The club played in the Gold Coast
Conference of Intercollegiate Rugby,
and made a name for itself. In 2005,
the club finished fifth in the USA Rug-
by Division II. It also won back-to-
back Western Region Challenge Cup
Championships in 2016 and 2017.
This year’s team is led by former
US rugby player Fijian-born Bob
McFadyen. McFadyen has been the
head coach of PLNU’s rugby club for
the past two years, but since 2020,
the club has not played a full season,
largely due to COVID-19 and the in-
ability to gather enough players.
“We just haven’t had the num-
bers. Ever since COVID things
haven’t been the same,” McFadyen
said.
However, he is hopeful of the
students from PLNU who have been
coming out to practice with the team.
“I think that teaching here over-
laps with some of my core interests,
so I really feel like I can’t take it for
granted. I love cinema and then I have
an occupation where I get to be with
students who love it, or are intro-
duced to it and discovered that they
love it too,” Wicks said
The impact that professor Wicks
leaves on his students can have a rip-
ple effect on others. The alumni that
come from his department have been
very successful in their respected
fields.
“I have a student that’s starting
a production company right now. I
“Seeing the kids coming out from
PLNU, we’ve got a lot of talented
kids. The trouble is getting them all
committed to come out at one time,”
McFadyen said.
The club’s president, second-year
data science major Chris Lynch, also
explained the need for players.
“We’re supposed to have about 17
to 18 [players] on a team. We’ve only
been able to get about half of those
people out at practices,” said Lynch.
However, Lynch said that more
players should be coming out for the
spring semester, and the club has
been able to add players to the team
by recruiting them from community
colleges that may not have a team.
“We’re able to get [players] from
local junior colleges that don’t have a
rugby club,” McFadyen said.
So far, the PLNU rugby club has
recruited students from Mesa Col-
lege, San Diego City College and
Grossmont College. Despite the low
numbers, both Lynch and McFa-
dyen are hopeful that they’ll be able
to compete in the upcoming season.
If the club can pull a team together,
their first game of the season is in
February 2023, and the playoffs end
in April.
wednesday, november 16, 2022
have two students in Japan right now
teaching English, then they’re apply-
ing to graduate school and putting on
their application that they’ve gotten
teaching experience abroad,” Wicks
said
Wicks gets very excited when he
sees his students succeed in the film
business. He loves helping students
develop a love for film and turning
that love into a dedicated passion.
“When you see that, like, ‘okay,
these students are having a ripple
effect that I will never, ever see. So
that’s cool for sure, it keeps me en-
couraged,” Wicks said.
“The first thing is to develop a
team and the next thing is to be com-
petitive,” McFadyen said.
Lynch said that students don’t
need rugby experience to join the
team. One PLNU student who has
no rugby experience and has been
committed to the team is second-year
business administration major Jen-
sen French. French played football in
high school and was looking to play a
sport in college.
“I needed to do something physi-
cal,” French said.
Lynch explained that despite
players like French having natural
talent, they are still in desperate need
of live rugby gameplay, so the club
set up a scrimmage with University of
California San Diego on Dec. 2.
As the season commences in the
following months, McFadyen ex-
plained that they hope to maintain
the legacy of past PLNU rugby teams.
McFadyen said, “We’ve got some
big footsteps to follow.”
If you are interested in joining the
PLNU rugby club, email Chris Lynch
at clynch0021@pointloma.edu.
wednesday, november 16, 2022 5 | SPORTS

San Diego: Sun, Surf … and Soccer?

BY CADE CAVIN
STAFF WRITER

In January 2017, Chargers owner
Dean Spanos announced that the
team would be heading up the I-5 to
nearby Los Angeles. Fans were out-
raged and many questioned if San Di-
ego was a city capable of harboring a
professional sports team of any kind.
The Clippers were long gone and the
Chargers had just packed their bags.
To some it seemed like only a matter
of time before the Padres, with atten-
dance ranking 10th out of 15 in the
National League, would go out for
cigarettes and milk.
In 2022, it has become clear that
this was not the case. Although the
Chargers are still residing in Los
Angeles, the Padres attendance has
soared, indicative of the intense pas-
sion San Diegans have for profes-
sional sports.
Major League Soccer commis-
sioner Don Garber has taken notice
of this influx of athletic passion to the
sunny Southern California metropo-
lis. As the MLS continues to work
toward adding a 30th club, San Diego
and Las Vegas have emerged as the
front runners for a team that looks to
be finalized sometime in the first half
of 2023.
“I’m a big believer in San Diego,”
Garber told Jonathan Sigal in an ar-
ticle for MLS, “I think there’s a view
that San Diego, it’s too nice there and
people are out surfing and hanging
out at the beach and I just don’t buy
it. I think San Diego’s a great sports
market, it’s a gateway city.”
The 619 is currently home to two
soccer teams, one professional and
one semi-pro: the San Diego Loyal
and the San Diego Wave. According
to NBC San Diego, the Wave, a mem-
ber of the National Women’s Soccer
League, set two attendance records in
three weeks. Both the Wave and the
Loyal have been heavily supported by
die hard San Diegan soccer fanatics.
Second-year accounting major Ja-
cob Smith said San Diego natives love
soccer and the idea of a professional
team in the area excites him.
“It’s very exciting to hear that an
MLS team may make San Diego their
“I think there’s home,” he said, “San Diego sports
fans love soccer and would certainly
a view that San embrace a new professional sports
team to root for!”
Diego, it’s too Newly constructed Snapdragon
Stadium, home to the SDSU Az-
nice there and tecs and the San Diego Wave, is the
prospective home of a San Diego
people are out expansion team, as the stadium was
built with specific modifications and
surfing and features in order to accommodate
something of this sort. The stadiums
hanging out at seating is capable of being expanded
from 35,000 seats to 40,000.
the beach and I In terms of personnel, it is not yet
known who would play on a San Di-
just don’t buy it. I ego club, as the team would need to
be finalized beforehand. However,
think San Diego’s newly established St. Louis FC pro-
vides a good look into how this pro-
a great sports cess would work for San Diego.
An expansion draft will be held
market, it’s a in which expansion teams are allot-
ted five picks from the pool of players
gateway city.” eligible for the draft. Eligible players
are determined by each individual
club, as each team is able to choose
to protect 12 players on their roster
from selection in the draft. Five clubs
are exempt from St. Louis’s 2022
expansion draft, due to Charlotte FC
selecting players from their roster in
2021.
Although expansion teams are
seldom able to select flashy players
or superstars in the expansion draft,
there are examples of teams selecting
players that produce for their new
franchises for years to come, as well
as examples of expansion teams that
enjoy immediate success. As a fellow
expansion team, the Las Vegas Gold-
en Knights of the NHL finished as
Stanley Cup runner up in their first
season in the league, afterall.
The coming months will prove
vital in determining which city will
be granted the opportunity to host
the next MLS expansion team. Soon
enough, Garber will make his deci-
sion, leaving one city rejoicing, and
one hung out to dry.

LAFC Wins First MLS Cup in Overtime Thriller

BY CADE MICHAELSON
STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC GARCETTI ON FLICKR
For years, LA soccer has been
associated with the LA Galaxy. Since
winning their first championship in
2002, they have been dominant, and
they have the most MLS champion-
ships of any club with five. The peak
of their club was in the David Beck-
ham and Landon Donovan era when
the club won three MLS Cups in four
years (2011, 2012 and 2014).
However, a new club is in town
and has already won its first MLS
Cup, despite only being in the league
for five seasons. In their five years,
they have finished first in their confer-
ence twice, along with finishing third
in their first season. They’ve only had
a record below .500 once.
The Los Angeles Football Club
(LAFC) has brought LA its first MLS
Cup since 2014 in exciting fashion.
LAFC was the favorite going into the
game, but the Philadelphia Union
gave them a much tougher game than
anyone expected, especially consider-
ing the game was in LA.
An MLS Cup win was a rather fit-
ting end to a tremendous season for
LAFC. The Philadelphia Union also
had a great regular season, finishing
with a record of 19-5-10, ending with
the greatest record in the club’s his-
tory.
In this showdown of two power-
houses, LAFC struck first 27 minutes
into the game when Kellyn Acosta
scored a free kick that deflected off
Union midfielder Jack McGlynn into
the left side of the net. LA fans erupt-
ed and held the momentum for the
next 32 minutes.
Philly countered in the 59th min-
ute when Jose Martinez attempted to
net one from long range but wound
up kicking it directly to his teammate
Daniel Gazdag, functioning as a pass
rather than a shot attempt. Maxime
Crepeau, the LAFC goalie, bit on the
shot from Martinez, giving Gazdag an
easy chip shot to tie the match at 1-1.
The real madness started in the
83rd minute when Carlos Vela boot-
ed a beautiful corner kick for LAFC
center-back Jesus Murillo to head
into the net. All of the momentum had
once again shifted back to LA’s favor.
LA fans’ joy was short-lived as the
Union struck right back in the 85th
minute with a header of their own
from Jack Elliott, set up by a freekick
from left-back Kai Wagner. That con-
cluded the goalscoring in regulation,
and the game went into extra time,
which equates to about 30 more min-
utes of game time.
In for LA came Gareth Bale, the
veteran winger that was once a part
of the historic Real Madrid team that
won four Champions League titles
in five years. He hadn’t played much
in the playoffs to this point due to an
injury in his left leg, but his presence
was much needed toward the end of
this game.
It was the 110th minute (roughly 13
minutes into extra time) when Union
striker Cory Burke had a breakaway.
Crepeau came out from the goal to
try to stop Burke early, but it led to
a nasty tackle that resulted in a red
card for Crepeau as well as a broken
leg. The only positive for LA was that
it didn’t result in a penalty kick since
Crepeau was out of the box when the
foul was committed. John McCarthy
was tasked with taking Crepeau’s
place at goalie.
After a sequence of shots from
Philly, Elliott scored yet again. The
ball deflected off backup goalie Mc-
Carthy straight to Elliott for an easy
ten-foot score. At the time, that was
the latest-scored goal in MLS playoff
history. However, that wouldn’t be
the case for long.
A mere four minutes later, the leg-
end of Bale returned with yet another
clutch moment to add to his already
impressive resume. In the 128th min-
ute, LAFC left-back Diego Palacios
drove down to the baseline before de-
livering a soaring left-footed pass that
Bale leaped over Elliott to head into
the goal, just past the outstretched
arms of Andre Blake. Bale had done
it again. The man that already scored
two title-clinching goals in different
Champions League championship
games scored another one of the big-
gest goals in his career.
The game then went to personal
kicks, and LAFC sealed the title
after only three PKs. McCarthy mi-
raculously saved two of the three PKs
kicked his way, with the other soaring
over the crossbar. The inspiring and
unlikely performance of McCarthy led
to his winning of the MLS Cup MVP.
Though LAFC just won the title,
do they really have the loyalty of LA
soccer fans? On the one hand, the
Galaxy have the history and have had
the hearts of LA fans for years now.
On the other hand, LAFC has had
an amazing start to its career and the
championship game captivated many
of the LA soccer fans. Could this lead
to a divided LA rivalry? Given the suc-
cess LAFC has already had, don’t be
surprised if many fans jump on the
bandwagon.
a&e
A&E | 6
Noah Kahan Channels his “Northern Attitude” in His
New Album “Stick Season”
BY KYLE CASSANI
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO CREDIT TO GENIUS
It’s the season of the sticks and
it has been since Noah Kahan, Ver-
mont-born folk-infused pop artist,
released his third album, “Stick Sea-
son.”
Kahan began his music career
Her Voice Blossoms Among The Wilting: Natalia
Lafourcade
BY TONY LE CALVEZ
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO CREDIT TO GENIUS
After several years of critically-
acclaimed albums consisting of
covers and traditional tunes, Natalia
Lafourcade has returned to releasing
original songs with her newest record,
“De todas las flores.”
With over an hour of material,
with the release of his first single
“Young Blood” in 2017, which quick-
ly racked up 9 million streams.
In an interview with reporter Jerry
Nunn, he cited Paul Simon, Cat Ste-
vens, Counting Crows and Hozier as
Lafourcade displays an extensive
range of growth and mastery; she
leans into an edge of experimental
composition and instrumentation
while simultaneously stripping
back her typical, traditional
instrumentation. This project is lined
inspirations to his music style.
“Stick Season” is a profoundly
nostalgic and introspective collec-
tion of songs about transition and
loss. Kahan sings about all the things
he’s left behind – his hometown, his
with dark, resonant and distorted
guitars, and horn lines that seem to
bequeath a feature to the ghost of
Albert Ayers.
The opening track, “Vine solita,”
opens with lush strings, played as
if plucked from one of Mozart’s
childhood, his past relationships and
his past self – all within the context of
small town life in New England.
In an interview with Insider, Ka-
han described “Stick Season” as “the
time between peak foliage and Hal-
loween and the first snow — when all
the leaves are off the trees. It’s a time
of transition.”
His album carefully encapsulates
this theme into 14 songs.
In the first track of the album,
“Northern Attitude,” Kahan dissects
the challenges of growing up in the
isolated environment of a small town
in New England. With allusions to
Mumford & Sons in its harmonies,
instrument choice and powerful
foot-stomping chorus, “Northern
Attitude” depicts a hardened and
lonely heart as the season of winter.
Throughout the song, Kahan explores
his insecurities and fear of failure and
its ability to control his life through
his relationships. Kahan comes to
self-awareness of his hardened heart
when he sings, “Forgive my northern
attitude / Oh, I was raised out in the
cold.”
In the album’s title-track, “Stick
Season,” which was released in July,
three months before the album’s re-
lease, Kahan struggles with change
and the feeling of being left behind.
He laments the loss of a past-love as
fond memories have been replaced
with pain.
“’cause your voice trailed off ex-
actly as you passed my exit sign / Kept
“Requiems,” and lushly dwindles
to a single guitar that remains in
order to cradle Lafourcade’s gentle
voice. The stripped instrumentation
exposes Lafourcades vulnerable
and isolated voice; every note, every
word, is delivered with an exquisite
tenderness, like a whisper in your ear
or a kiss on the cheek.
Her voice rests on a dark canvas
like a lily among a field of night tulips,
with shadows of Spanish guitar and
Cuban jazz-piano fermenting on the
edges of each track. Her voice, and
the production, create a sense of
warmth amid such a cold background;
the sound of her breath and her
proximity to the microphone create
this clash of light and darkness that
retains its presence even among the
more populated tracks.
“Mi manera de querer”
accomplishes this quite well as one
of the busier tracks of the album.
The sharp guitar playing of Marc
Ribot stands atop of piano lines that
remind me of the great Bebo Valdés.
Tracks like “Maria la Curandera”
and “Muerte” produce that darker,
more experimental sound; the way
Lafourcade employs a small band
is rooted in traditional genres, yet
fueled by experimentation, and it
reminds me of David Bowie’s final
wednesday, november 16, 2022
on driving straight and left our future
to the right,” sings Kahan.
Kahan ends the chorus with a line
of utter acceptance of his broken-
heartedness. “Now you’re tire tracks
and one pair of shoes / And I’m split
in half, but that’ll have to do.”
In his song “Homesick,” Kahan
portrays the simultaneous feelings of
comfort and sickness of one’s own
home.
“I would leave if only I could find a
reason / I’m mean because I grew up
in New England,” sings Kahan.
He uses ‘homesick’ as a play on
words to simultaneously describe
the readiness to leave his hometown
and the longing to return after he did
move away.
Throughout the entirety of the
album, Kahan laments the loss of
his childhood, his past loves and his
past self. He conveys the struggles of
heartbreak, addiction, mental health
and emotional intimacy. He grapples
with both resentment and distance as
well as love and longing.
“Stick Season” offers valuable in-
sight into the challenges of leaving be-
hind and moving on. Kahan’s vulner-
ability can create a sense of relatability
and reassurance within many listeners
as they feel that they are not alone.
Noah Kahan is bringing “Stick
Season” to San Diego on Nov. 20. He
is scheduled to perform at The Ob-
servatory in North Park with another
East Coast folk-infused pop artist –
Adam Melchor.
album “Black Star.”
Of course what carries this album
is Lafourcade’s voice. The past few
years, I have felt like Lafourcade has
been putting the music, as a whole,
at the forefront of her projects,
allowing the band and the melodies to
carry her performance, but not here.
Always stacked right on top of the
instrumentals, Lafourcade does not
just sing, she narrates, she carries and
she reigns over every direction of the
album.
Like Diego Cigala without the
rasp, or Francis Cabrel without the
glassiness, Lafourcade’s voice is
more than just an instrument, it is the
main course and the guiding force
behind everything. A whisper or even
a breath can direct a change in tone
that sends the band spiraling into a
cacophony of anarchy or reverting to
rest in the shadows.
As Lafourcade looks into Yorick’s
plaster visage, I wonder, “where be
your gibes now? Your gambols? Your
songs? Your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a
roar?” They may return soon, but
for the moment, I resign myself to
the darkness in which Lafourcade
enshrouds us and I marvel at its depth.
wednesday, november 16, 2022
“Midnights,” I Was Not Enchanted to Meet You
BY EMMA MCCOY
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO CREDIT TO GENIUS
Taylor Swift Sparks Tour Presale Scramble
BY JORDAN STOKES
STAFF WRITER
With the release of her 10th stu-
dio album, “Midnights,” Taylor Swift
is back in the game as the world’s
top-selling artist. Just this month,
Swift became the first and only musi-
cal artist to claim all top ten spots on
the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying the
album as a “blockbuster” (as the New
York Times puts it). On the morning
of Nov. 1, following the success of her
new album, the pop star announced a
North American tour.
Swift took to social media to an-
nounce her next tour “The Eras
Tour,” a tour in which all her musical
eras will be explored on stage.
“I can’t WAIT to see your gor-
geous faces out there,” Swift wrote
on Instagram, “It’s been a long time
coming.”
Swift hasn’t toured since her Rep-
utation Stadium tour in 2018.
Ticketmaster, the largest ticket
sales and distribution company in
the world, has partnered with Swift to
handle the presale and release of her
upcoming tour tickets. According to
Ticketmaster’s website, fans have the
opportunity to be the first ones to get
their hands on tour tickets: “A simple
registration is all it takes to get veri-
fied for the opportunity to be invited
to shop for tickets. While it does not
guarantee that everyone will get a
ticket, it does level the playing field
– without racing against bots – for
ticket access.”
From Nov. 1 to Nov. 9 at 11:59
p.m. ET, fans had the opportunity to
go on Ticketmaster and register for
the TaylorSwiftTix Presale. Fans en-
tered their email address and concert
preferences into the website and then
received an email confirming that
they had “successfully registered.”
However, Ticketmaster has said that
they expect the demand for “The Eras
Tour” to be extremely high. As stated,
while it does not guarantee a ticket for
every person that signed up, it helps
fans have priority when it comes to
ticket sales.
Second-year history major, Ame-
lia Thomas, detailed the start of her
presale signup: “The process began
at 8:30 a.m. when I checked my phone
and I saw that Taylor had made a post,
and I looked at it, and suddenly there
was a tour! Immediately, I went on to
Ticketmaster and I signed in and then
it said I was in line.”
When fans registered on Ticket-
master they were digitally taken into
a waiting queue where they waited in
line for a chance to be signed up for
this Verified Fan Presale.
For the past two weeks, I’ve heard
non-stop praise for Taylor Swift’s
newest album, “Midnights,” and I just
don’t understand it. She’s claimed all
10 top spots on The Billboard Top
100, and broke Spotify’s record for
most streams in a single day. This al-
bum did that?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Tay-
lor Swift as much as the next person.
Middle school Emma listened to
“Speak Now” like it was the basis of
her personality, and in high school
I played “1989” and “reputation”
around the house so much my father
still occasionally asks me “how is Tay-
lor doing?” like she’s part of the fam-
ily.
Is Taylor Swift a pop icon? Yes. Is
she a shrewd businesswoman and tal-
ented performer? Yes. Is she the idol
of two generations (both millennials
and Gen Z)? Yes. Has she written
wonderful music before? Yes.
Is “Midnights” living up to the
hype? Well…
Coming in at thirteen tracks,
Swift’s album is the musical equiva-
lent of a trending book you picked up,
read and then wondered why it was
topping the lists. You didn’t hate it,
but you didn’t see the appeal either.
In her own words, Swift is tell-
ing the story of “thirteen sleepless
nights.” Well, at least the title makes
sense. But for such a potentially emo-
tional album, I was left disappointed
by both the lyrics and production.
In “Anti-Hero,” one of the fan fa-
vorites on the album, the chorus pres-
ents the most blunt line ever: “It’s
me! Hi/ I’m the problem, it’s me.”
Fans are raving about her lyricism; I
looked up “Taylor Swift Midnights”
on Twitter, and the top five posts were
all about her genius and how well she
can craft a song and how deep her lyr-
ics are.
Really?
“It’s like snow at the beach/ weird
but f****** beautiful” from “Snow
On The Beach (feat. Lana del Rey).”
This is the lyrical genius? I simply
cannot understand how people are
praising all the ‘meaning’ behind her
songs while the actual songs them-
selves could be taken straight from my
high school diary.
Now, I don’t want to come across
too harsh. Swift pulls off some lyrical
meaning in “Lavender Haze” where
she addresses the media obsession
Eden Bombino, a second-year
journalism major, spoke about wheth-
er she had a positive or negative expe-
rience with registering for this tour
on Ticketmaster: “It was negative but
not Taylor’s fault, definitely Ticket-
master because they can’t handle that
amount of traction on the website so
it took hours in line!”
“I swear to you my circle (in the
line) did not move for hours!” Thom-
as said about her waiting queue expe-
rience. “It was so terrifying.”
While fans reported having to
wait a long time in the queue, their ef-
forts did not prove fruitless when they
both secured a confirmation email
from Ticketmaster. After signing up,
fans received an email with the tagline
“Your TaylorSwiftTix Verified Fan
Registration is Complete” with a vi-
brant poster of Swift attached to it.
A&E | 7
over her relationships. “Bejeweled”
is a defiant song against relationships
that drain your confidence. Swift has
pockets in her album that make me
snap my fingers and want to root for
her in every and any circumstance.
The problem is that Taylor Swift
talks about herself so much in this al-
bum that I lose the music, and I think
she does too.
No song on this album has me
jamming along. No melody gets stuck
in my head. At no point do I really feel
moved on any level, and the music
itself comes across as fairly bland. I
had high expectations and was disap-
pointed by songs that lacked inspira-
tion, emotion, or even a decent tune.
How could such a talented songwriter
fail to write even one song that made
me feel something?
“Maroon” should be renamed
“Beige” because of how neutral the
melody is. “Mastermind” had poten-
tial, but like most of the other songs
on the album, it came across as flat
and frankly, uninteresting to listen
to. There was nothing distinguishing
about it, and my ears couldn’t find
anything to grab onto. It wasn’t a bad
song, per se, but it was nothing close
to what I’d expect from Swift.
I know the position of “but her
old stuff was better!” is a tired, cliche
one, but it’s the one I’m taking. I was
so excited for this album, and it let me
down hard. I’m turning back to her
old stuff for comfort.
The tracks from “Midnights”
blend together, and none really stand
out (kind of like Lana del Rey’s fea-
ture). I want to make it clear: the
album isn’t bad, but it isn’t her best
work and I’m shocked at how people
are raving about it.
Taylor Swift isn’t going to make
more music like she did ten years ago.
I have to accept that, and I’m going
to do my best to not let it color my
opinion of the stuff she makes going
forward. I’m still listening to “Mid-
nights” and I’m enjoying a few of the
tracks, bopping along to them in the
car or nodding my head at Target as I
try on yet another sweater that’s way
more cropped than I first thought.
I’ll let the rest of the world fawn
over a decent-ish album and will hold
my enchantment for when “Speak
Now (Taylor’s Version)” finally
drops.
“I feel like I’m going to have this
underlying anxiety if I don’t get tick-
ets,” Bombino said. “But I’m excited
because I’ve never seen Taylor.”
The only thing Taylor Swift fans
can do until Nov. 15 is wait. If they
are selected for the tour presale, they
will be notified the night before and
receive a personalized code to use the
following day on Ticketmaster.
“I’m so nervous,” Thomas
laughed. “I’m so excited! I really
hope I get to go even if I don’t get
presale.”
“The Eras Tour” presale starts
Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. PST for
all selected parties. If you are not se-
lected for the Verified Fans presale,
tour tickets will go on sale to the gen-
eral public on Friday, Nov. 18 at 10
a.m. PST.
Opinion
wednesday, november 16, 2022 OPINION | 8

Lainie Alfaro// Editor in Chief
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The opinions in this section may not reflect those
of The Point or of Point Loma Nazarene University.
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President of the President of the

Democratic Club’s
Response to Midterm
Elections
BY ANGELO RAMOS
CONTRIBUTOR
My name is Angelo Ramos and I am the
president of Point Loma Nazarene University’s
Democratic Club. First, thank you to everyone
who made their voice heard in this recent election
by voting, especially as college students who do
not have a lot of time. I feel like our generation
in particular is overlooked because young people
do not normally turn out in large numbers. That,
however, was not the case for the 2022 midterm
elections. This election had the second-highest
turnout among young people, trailing only 2018 in
the past 30 years. Current data is suggesting that
it may have been enough to win races in key states
such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and New
Hampshire for the Democrats. So the more that
we as a group vote, the more likely issues that are
important to us, such as student debt relief, will be
heard by the state and national government. That is
my pitch to you all to continue voting.
Out of all the various elections, not a lot
surprised me in the Senate. Those who I thought
were going to win eventually did, such as Mark
Kelly, John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez-Masto,
Michael Bennet, and Maggie Hassan. However,
the one race that I am still somewhat surprised by is
the Rev. Raphael Warnock race in Georgia, mainly
due to how weak of a candidate Herschel Walker
is compared to Raphael Warnock. Herschel
Republican Club’s
Response to Midterm
Elections
BY JONNY BRINTON
CONTRIBUTOR
Walker is involved in a vast amount of scandals, My name is Jonny Brinton, and I am a second-
including allegedly threatening to kill his ex-wife and year political science major. I am the president
allegedly paying for multiple abortions while actively of College Republicans at PLNU and the non-
advocating against abortion rights. The Georgia affiliated group, Turning Point USA. I am also the
senate race was a really good example of what went author of my newly published book, “The Bigger
wrong for the Republicans. The Democrats fielded, Picture,” which some of you may be in the process
for the most part, very average candidates who in of reading right now. I am writing this piece
other election years, would have really struggled because I have some serious concerns about this
to either keep or flip the seat they were running country and the direction we are headed, especially
for. However, the Republicans fielded perhaps the after seeing the results of these past midterm
weakest group of candidates in their party’s history. elections. I look forward to hearing back from
A notable exception to this was the Pennsylvania some of you about my analysis.
senate seat where the Democrats had a very strong I believe it is appropriate to start off by saying
candidate in John Fetterman who ran against an that these elections were full of surprises. The
average Republican in Mehmet Oz who had great Republican Party expected to win more seats than
name recognition. they did and the Democrat Party expected to lose
That leads me to my reasoning for why the more seats than they did. The Republican Party was
Republicans ultimately did not have a “red wave’’ but expected to easily take the majority in the Senate
instead a “red dribble.” What made many of their as well as the overwhelming majority in the House.
candidates so weak was how extreme many of them Unfortunately, this is not what we saw happen.
were on social issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and In 2010, Republicans picked up 63 seats in
abortion rights in particular. Abortion was in fact the House of Representatives. This marked one of
the second biggest issue for voters this cycle, trailing the biggest pickups in American history. This was
only inflation. Historically, when voters feel that the a result of the Obama administration’s failures in
economy is very poor, the party in power tends to get their first two years regarding foreign policy, the
handily defeated in the midterm elections. economy, tax hikes, healthcare, the weakening
Read the rest of the article at lomabeat.com of the U.S. military, and the weaponization of
terrorist nations. Over the last two years America
has experienced intentional destruction from our
government leaders that is incomparable to that of
2008-2010. This is why it is shocking that in this
year’s midterm elections, although the results are
not fully released yet, the Republican Party has lost
the Senate majority and are likely to lose the majority
in the House as well.
One of the very few positive aspects of these
elections so far include Florida’s landslide victories
in the Governor and Senate races featuring Ron
DeSantis and Marco Rubio. This is a state many
people have considered to be a “swing state,”
but these two men are proving that Florida is
undoubtedly a red state. We saw Miami-Dade
county turn red for the first time in 20 years. Ron
DeSantis won his race by almost 20 percent, and he
is emerging as the new superstar for the Republican
Party. I guarantee that we will see a presidential run
from him in 2024.
I firmly believe that the United States cannot
handle another two years of a Democrat controlled
Senate, House and Presidency.
Read the rest of the article at lomabeat.com

Workday is a Registration Office of Records Explains

Nightmare
BY EMMA MCCOY
STAFF WRITER
It’s officially the time of year for registration,
that lovely process where students scramble to fit
their F.E’s, major classes, electives and try to stay
on track for graduation. As a senior graduating in
the spring, I’m grateful this is my last time having
to register for classes because Workday has been
guaranteed to give me a very special headache
twice a year since Point Loma Nazarene University
switched over to the platform in my sophomore
year.
As an open major my first year, I have vague
memories of my advisor working the Point Loma
website, signing me up for F.E (formerly G.E)
courses. I see beige and green, and thin slots filled
with Old Testament, Intro to Communication,
Ethics and Diverse Voices. The old program might
have been fine; I don’t know, having not registered
myself on it. The first time I registered on my own
as a newly minted literature major, I was presented
with the white, blue and green of Workday.
I’m not trying to rag on Workday because
it’s an easy target, having no voice or face (which
would most assuredly make everything worse). I’m
grateful that PLNU is trying new programs and
softwares to make student life easier. The rollout of
online mental health resources and the TimelyCare
app makes working with the Wellness Center
much more streamlined, and I think that’s great.
The problem is Workday just isn’t… working.
The process of registering for classes is
confusing, and it’s only my many semesters of
figuring it out that kept me from tearing my hair
out this go round. Creating a “saved schedule”
is one thing, but when you go to “find course
sections” there’s a million different calendars! I’m
PLNU’s Shift to Workday
an undergraduate, but what makes me a “green”
calendar versus “gold?” Why are there two different
catalogs of classes, and why is one composed of all
classes at PLNU regardless if they’re offered that
semester or not? That year or not?
I was sitting across from a friend last week, and
he almost quit trying out of frustration. Together,
we finally figured out how to edit his saved schedule,
actually find the classes he needed, request a course
override, realize that two of his chosen classes
weren’t offered in the spring and email those
professors to try and work something out.
It shouldn’t be that hard. I’m a planner, the kind
of student who knows what they’re going to take and
when, and has that path to graduation all mapped
out. Workday, come midterm season, still manages
to snarl up my plans and make everything way harder
than it needs to be.
Workday takes too much effort to learn
considering most students use it for registering for
classes and paying tuition. Which leads me to ask,
why are sea lion dollars and printing money located
not in Workday, but in an entirely different website?
Seriously, what’s the point? But that has nothing to
do with registration, so I digress.
I don’t mean to insult anyone, or critique those
who advocated for the implementation of Workday
unnecessarily. Rather, I am gathering my own
frustrations and the frustrations of my peers to state
that Workday simply isn’t working. It isn’t user
friendly, and takes a lot of time and trial and error
to figure out how to find a class, make a tuition
payment, set up direct deposit or figure out how to
add more printing money.
Read the rest of the article at lomabeat.com
The Point staff contacted the Office of Records for a statement regarding their choice to switch to the Work-
day platform and tools to navigate the website. Holly Irwin, the Vice Provost for Academic Administration,
offered the following statement:
Workday is a platform that supports Point
Loma Nazarene University’s financial, employment
and student systems. The university began using
Workday for student registration, student billing
and grading in 2020, though conversations to
identify the best system to serve PLNU now and
into the future began in 2014. PLNU was forced to
make a change because the prior software system,
which was 35 years old, was no longer going to
be supported by the vendor. In order to serve our
students and university well, we took a year to
investigate several potential platforms and ended
up choosing Workday since it was the system that
best met our needs.
As students engage with Workday, they may
notice different calendars (i.e., green, blue and
gold). This was done to distinguish between the
different types of courses offered, whether in
the traditional undergraduate program (green
calendar), or one of the graduate and professional
programs (blue and gold calendars). Having
this distinction in place keeps students from
inadvertently registering for a class that is not
applicable to their degree program.
There are two catalogs to try to reduce
confusion. One catalog (found at catalog.
pointloma.edu) focuses on the policies, programs
and course descriptions for PLNU traditional
undergraduates, and this is the best place to find
detailed information about the required courses
for a major. The second catalog has the policies,
programs and classes for the graduate and
professional studies students.
With any change, there is a learning curve. As
Workday Student was rolled out, the university
held training sessions for both students and faculty.
In addition, a set of searchable “how-to” videos
and guides were developed. These can be found in
PLNU’s Knowledge Base. To access Knowledge
Base, go to help.pointloma.edu. Students should
look in the upper right hand corner, click “Sign In.”
Once logged in, the user should click “Knowledge
Base,” which will display a menu of helpful PLNU
information. Picking the box that says “Workday
Student’’ will bring up the location where a number
of instructions for different tools are located.
Once in the Workday Student area there are
two sections: “Student Academic Records and
Registration” and “Student Financials.” For each
of these topics there is a collection of instructions as
well as some video demonstrations. In the “Student
Academic Records” section, topics covered include:
finding class sections offered, planning a schedule,
registering for classes, asking for a prerequisite
override, finding unofficial transcripts and changing
home address. There is even a tips and tricks
category. In the “Student Financials” section,
topics covered include understanding the financials
worklet, setting up payment elections such as direct
deposit and maintaining friends and family.
We know that when something is only done a
few times each year, it can be difficult to remember
all of the details. So during the registration time each
semester, we send students a reminder about how to
access these resources and instructions.
Read the rest of the article at lomabeat.com