wednesday, february 15, 2023
The Point
News, page 1-2
What the Ban on Flavored Nicotine Means for
College Students Already Addicted
BY SARAH GLEASON
STAFF WRITER
She wakes up and it is right next to
her bed. It travels in her pockets wher-
ever she goes and sits in her lap while
she mans the steering wheel of her car.
It stares at her from the counter while
she is cooking and it boosts up its pow-
er on the charger while she showers. At
the end of the day, it gets one more use
before the lights switch off and her eyes
shut… until the next morning.
This is the journey of one Point
Loma Nazarene University student’s
electronic cigarette. It belongs to
anonymous student “A,” who request-
ed anonymity due to fear of university
disciplinary action.
Student A was in high school when
she was first introduced to flavored
nicotine.
“I remember hearing that it was
better tasting and better for you than
cigarettes,” said student A. “One of the
big things though was that most places
that would sell to minors only sold va-
pes to them and not cigarettes, so it was
basically the only way to get nicotine if
that’s where you were getting it from.
I think that stuck out to me the most,
also cotton candy sounded a lot better
than tobacco.”
Another PLNU student, anon-
ymous student “B,” who requested
anonymity due to fear of university
disciplinary action, was also a high
school student when she began using
flavored nicotine. She heard it was safer
than cigarettes and could help alleviate
stress.
A popular flavored nicotine
Pastors and Biblical Scholar Reflect on Gun
Violence, Share How Church Can Respond
BY REYNA HUFF
STAFF WRITER
According to the Gun Violence Ar-
chive, an online archive of gun violence
collected by an independent research
group, there have been 54 mass
shootings in 2023 in the United States.
Gun control has become an extremely
partisan issue in the US; democratic
states like California and New York
often respond to mass shootings with
legislation that increases gun control,
while Republican controlled states like
Texas allow for anyone over the age of
21 to carry a handgun without a permit.
Debates over gun control have
even seeped their way into the church.
Far-right Christian nationalists often
equate the problem with sin, not guns,
thus excusing a need for gun control.
Other churches avoid the subject of
gun control during their Sunday ser-
vice, drawing a line between the world
the student newspaper of point loma nazarene university
Features, page 3-4
electronic cigarette brand, Juul Labs
Inc., launched their electronic cigarette
in 2015, according to an Investopedia
article.
In a speech given by the Food and
Drug Administration Commissioner
(FDA), Scott Gottlieb in 2018, the FDA
declared the use of electronic cigarettes
by youth was reaching “epidemic propor-
tions.”
“We’re committed to the compre-
hensive approach to address addiction to
nicotine that we announced last year,”
Gottlieb said. “But at the same time, we
see clear signs that youth use of electron-
ic cigarettes has reached an epidemic
proportion, and we must adjust certain
aspects of our comprehensive strategy to
stem this clear and present danger.”
Since 2018, several school districts
have sued Juul Labs Inc. for causing harm
to students and/or targeting marketing
and advertising to minors. The Seattle
Public Schools sued in 2019, the San
Diego Unified School District sued in
2020, and the Portland School District
sued in 2022. Many of these lawsuits
claimed an increase in the use of elec-
tronic cigarettes within the years 2017,
2018 and 2019.
Student A and Student B were high
school students from 2015 to 2019.
Proposition 31, which passed in Nov.
2022, banned the retail sale of flavored
nicotine products in hopes of reducing
youth’s use of nicotine; however, the city
of San Diego allowed businesses a six-
month grace period to get any existing
product off their shelves.
of politics and religion. However, many
other Christian churches play a crucial
role in reducing gun violence, partnering
with groups such as Everytown for Gun
Safety Action Fund to lobby for gun
reform.
Kara Lyons-Pardue, professor of
New Testament at Point Loma Nazarene
University, shared how she feels when
news breaks about a mass shooting, via an
email interview with the Point.
“My personal response to the
frequent news of mass shootings in the
U.S. is incredulity, anger and a sorrowful
exhaustion,” Lyons-Pardue said. “I was a
freshman in college myself when the Col-
umbine high school shooting took place;
the fact that subsequent generations of
students and our broader communities
continue to face these horrors is deeply
grievous to me.”
Jon Middendorf, senior pastor of
Sports, page 5-6
District five San Diego city coun-
cilmember, Marni von Wilpert, helped
lead the passing of the bill.
The aim of Councilmember von
Wilpert’s act was to partner with schools
that were struggling alone, she said in an
interview with The Point.
Von Wilpert said that the issue of
youth use of electronic cigarettes is
bigger than businesses illegally selling
to minors. Instead, she said, big tobacco
was targeting youth.
“So the reason I got involved in this
is I actually spoke in front of a Girl Scout
troop in my district, a bunch of 6th grad-
ers, 12-year-old girls, and I asked them
‘You could be a city council member and
make a law for the city, what kind of law
would you make?’” von Wilpert said.
“And all of them unanimously said, ‘We
would ban flavored vapes.’ And I said
‘What? You guys are 11 and 12 years
old, you’re not supposed to be vaping.’
And they said ‘It’s in our bathrooms,
councilmember. It’s in the schools and
people are getting sick.’”
Many current college students, like
students A and B, were high school
students during the rise in minors’ use
of electronic cigarettes. Now, some
are wrestling with how to proceed after
the city of San Diego banned flavored
nicotine products.
For Student B, the ban was an
encouraging push to quit after months of
wanting to.
“I actually wanted to stop right before
the ban, and then the ban happened and
so I was like ‘Oh this is perfect because
the Oklahoma City First Church of the
Nazarene, was the Spring 2023 Renewal
Week speaker at PLNU. Held every
semester, Renewal Week is dedicated
to creating spaces for PLNU students
and faculty to Sabbath and spend time in
scripture, and invites speakers from all
over the nation to preach.
Middendorf spent the week encour-
aging students to be worried less about
getting their faith right, and to be more
concerned with operating from a place of
love of neighbor. He urged listeners to
think about the ways in which they have
been invited by God to promote healing
and wholeness throughout creation.
Middendorf said that anger and
lament are regular parts of what he expe-
riences in regards to gun violence.
“Now, to tip my hand, I don’t think
anybody needs these giant weapons be-
cause I believe that life is to be cherished
volume 52 | issue 14
A&E, page 7 Opinion, page 8
STUFF 2 PUFF, AN OCEAN BEACH SMOKE SHOP WHO’S WORKER,
GABRIEL BERDUGO, SAID CUSTOMERS ARE ANGRY ABOUT THE BAN.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH GLEASON.
I’m not gonna be able to get a hold of it,’
have them, so I guess it’s just kind of
even though they’re still selling flavors frustrating in a way, but it’s like only
under the table,” Student B said. ‘cause I am like an addict to it,” Student
For student A, the ban has sparked A said.
interest in quitting, but is not enough to An employee at an Ocean Beach
quit. smoke shop, Stuff 2 Puff, Gabriel
Student A said she would never Berdugo, said his customers are mad
smoke cigarettes, but it would take more about the ban.
for her to quit flavored nicotine than the “They are mad because they say
ban. Student A has quit nicotine several [that the government] controls our
times in the past, but none of the times life, you know they start to control my
stuck, she said. flavors, maybe they will control what I
The ban, however, has sparked her have in my plate or whatever. They are
thinking about trying to quit again. mad because you know it’s the privacy
“I feel like it [the ban] did put it into
side. It’s their choice,” Berdugo said.
perspective for me,” student A said. “I Berdugo said after the ban, the
got stuff when I was underage as well, store has experienced a 30% loss in
and it’s just kind of like ‘Maybe I shouldsales.
quit,” According to Von Wilpert, the
Student A said that if there is any way
ban will be enforced by the San Diego
to access flavored nicotine, even if that Police Department (SDPD). If a cus-
meant buying online or ‘under the table’ tomer sees flavored nicotine products
at a smoke shop, she would still use it. in a store, they can call the SDPD
non-emergency line and report it. The
Student A was also frustrated by the ban. number to the SDPD non-emergency
“We have more than enough research line is (619)-531-2000.
to get rid of cigarettes, and they still
and protected,” Middendorf said. United Methodist Church in San Di-
Middendorf shared that when he ego, Brent Ross sees prayer as a helpful
encounters violence in the form of mass tool in working toward justice.
shootings, he initially wants to weep with “I would say that lots of our actions
those who weep. Afterwards, he is mo- should be prayerful. The scriptures
tivated to mobilize people and organize talk about how we should ‘pray without
ways that they can write better policy. ceasing;’ that to me says that a lot of
He shared that engaging in the political prayer should be extremely active,”
world is something he sees as a crucial Ross said.
part of his faith. Ross said that internal and
“So as soon as we believe that faith individual prayer is important, but it
has to do with not just the soul, as soon as is not the only thing that he considers
we can acknowledge that faith has to do to be prayer. He argued that advocacy,
with the body, and bodies, then immedi- peaceful protesting and lobbying for
ately the gospel becomes political,” said gun control could be labeled what he
Middendorf. “And if it is about bodies, calls “prayerful action,” or prayer in
then it’s about not harming bodies.” action, even if we do not know what the
Middendorf admits that his faith may outcome of that prayer might be.
be perceived by some students at PLNU Continue reading on lomabeat.com
as political because he sees the gospel as
political, but not partisan.
As lead pastor of Normal Heights

2 | NEWS
Whale Watching at PLNU
BY MALIA CARRASCO
STAFF WRITER
The annual great whale migration
is taking place from mid-December to
mid-April, and students at Point Loma
Nazarene University are able to witness
it from their own campus.
Professor of biology Andrew Nosal
explained the current status of the
whale migration.
“At the moment, grey whales
are migrating south along our coast
to warm, shallow lagoons along the
central Baja California peninsula, such
as Laguna San Ignacio…We are very
lucky to be able to witness this amazing
phenomenon in our backyard,” Nosal
said.
Nosal clarified that this migration
is a part of this species’ mating and
reproducing process, as the lagoons
that they migrate toward will serve as a
winter refuge for the grey whales and
their calves. The whales will continue
to go south toward Mexico, where they
will establish nursing grounds for their
young.
Students like Taylor Roberts,
fourth-year software engineering
major, have witnessed these whales
passing by.
“Sometimes I’ll look out in the
PLNU To Celebrate Homecoming Week and 50th
Anniversary of Point Loma Move
BY KATIE MORRIS AND SOFIE FRANSEN
STAFF WRITERS
PLNU’S 2022-2023 STUDENT ALUMNI RELATIONS TEAM. COURTESY OF SASHA RIEDELL.
This weekend at Point Loma
Nazarene University is Homecoming
weekend, an annual event beloved by
current students, alumni and faculty.
According to Kendall Lucas, the
executive director of alumni relations
and annual giving, an estimated 1,000
guests will return to their alma mater
for the festivities.
PLNU’s Homecoming weekend has
been a tradition since the existence of
the university, according to Kimberly
White, the assistant director of alumni
relations.
This year will celebrate the 50-
year anniversary of PLNU’s move
from Pasadena College to its current
location. A photo display will appear
in Friday’s chapel as well as outside
of the cafeteria, giving students and
alumni the opportunity to reflect on the
school’s history.
PLNU is also celebrating the class
of 1973’s 50th reunion. White said
that the university is also celebrating
past classes’ 45-year, 30-year and 10-
year reunions.
Over the course of three days, the
alumni association will host an average
of 24 events on campus. Planning
for 2023 began immediately after
Homecoming week ended in 2022.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SIGN. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH
GLEASON.
ocean and then see a whale without even
consciously trying to see one. It’s just
awesome that at random moments of the
day I can pause for five minutes, look out
at the water, have some peace, and maybe
see a whale or two,” Roberts said.
PLNU students have the opportunity
to watch this great whale migration from
spots around campus such as Sunset
Deck, water-facing windows in Young
Residence Hall, the Young parking lot
and on Sunset Cliffs, as mentioned by
Roberts.
Moreover, she said that any location
from campus that has a clear view of the
ocean is a great spot to look for these
whales’ spouts and tails.
Not only does this migration serve
as a spectacle available to all students
on PLNU’s campus, but it also has an
effect on students studying biological
processes.
Andrew Kramer, second-year biology
major, said that witnessing this natural
event made him grateful to be at a coastal
school that values life, being “stewards
of the earth,” and being able to observe
God’s creation around him. To Kramer,
the experience was also accentuated as a
surfer.
“It’s mind-blowing and eye-opening
This year’s team is made up of four full-
time alumni association staff members,
25 members of the alumni board who fly
out from throughout the nation to assist
during the week and 13 student alumni
ambassadors (SSA).
This is fourth-year marketing major
Sneha Kollu’s third year as an SAA. SAA
is an opportunity for students who are
interested in connecting with alumni to
be mentored by them, plan Homecoming,
all to bridge the gap between current and
past PLNU students.
“It is an amazing experience to be a
part of and to work with the alumni team
because they will be our point of contact
when we graduate,” Kollu said.
Together, the alumni association,
alumni board and SAA curated events
to celebrate PLNU’s history, share
stories and build connections between
generations.
“We share people’s stories, and we
glorify God in the work we’re doing and
that is what drives me to do the work
that I do,” said Lucas. “A big part of my
job is getting to connect people with the
institution.”
After incremental changes to home-
coming week over the past four years
during her role as executive director,
Lucas said last year’s event hit a sweet
to see what you’d normally take for grant-
ed. You go surfing every day and don’t
pay much attention to what’s beneath the
surface, but this makes you step out of
yourself and take into account all of the
life under and around you,” Kramer said.
Roberts and Kramer both noted that
being conscious of this phenomenon
led them toward greater worship toward
God.
“It just leads me toward awe of who
God is and how he’s blessed us with see-
ing his majesty in creation,” Roberts said.
Nosal mentioned, however, that the
privilege to see this biological event from
campus has only been made possible
by deliberate and intentional conserva-
tion efforts. If it was not for federal and
international anti-whaling legislation,
the species would have been pronounced
extinct due to overharvesting by humans.
Since these anti-whaling laws were
put into effect, “the species have now
been considered fully recovered, with a
population of at least 27,000 individuals,
as of 2016,” Nosal said. “Seeing their
spouts now is a reminder that we can
indeed make a difference in protecting
the environment and the creatures we
share this planet with.”
spot.
The rise in social media has made it
easier for alumni to connect outside of
resources from the university, prompting
the alumni association to change a few
things.
“If you think about it, prior to
social media, we were the social hub of
reconnecting with your friends from col-
lege,” Lucas said. “That has completely
changed. We are really trying to rethink
the purpose of a reunion.”
Last year, cluster reunions were add-
ed as a way for alumni to engage with the
classes above and below their graduating
year, in addition to their own. The cluster
reunions and the return of last year’s
inaugural “Loma Live from the Greek”
will be held in the Greek amphitheater
during Homecoming, as well as many
other events.
Events on Friday, Feb. 17
Friday’s events will kick off with
Homecoming chapel at 9:30 a.m.
in Brown Chapel, honoring current
students and alumni. Three categories of
alumni awards will be presented: distin-
guished achievement alumni awardees,
spotlight alumni awardees and rising
alumni awardees.
INFORMATION GUIDE FOR WHALE WATCHING AT SUNSET CLIFFS.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAINIE ALFARO.
“It is fun for us to recognize students
before they even become an alum, that
they already are a part of that community
of 50,000 plus alumni across the globe,”
White said. “A concert is something sus-
tainable for the future of the institution
and it still has the heart of a variety show,
which is bringing students and alumni
together to have this grand experience
and celebrate Point Loma.”
Friday evening at 6:30 p.m., PLNU’s
second annual “Loma Live from the
Greek” will be held in the Greek amphi-
theater. Loma Live used to be a variety
show that was traditionally held in the
Brown Chapel where students and alumni
would perform.
“As I was thinking about our legacy
and the work we do here, I was thinking
about: what’s sustainable, what is some-
thing that we can actually do for the next
20 years?” Lucas said.
Yet this year, PLNU is hosting
husband-and-wife Los Angeles band
JOHNNYSWIM. White said that they
are hoping to sell out with about 1,700
students, alumni, faculty and staff in
attendance.
Lucas shared how the alumni assoca-
tion decided on hosting JOHNNYSWIM
for the Loma Live concert.
“I was thinking about someone who
was Christian, who had spiritual beliefs,
who was fun and would bring a lot of
energy to the Greek. They are fun in con-
cert. They come out in the audience and
engage with people. We want people to
feel like they are a part of our communi-
ty,” Lucas said.
Events on Saturday, Feb. 18
At 7 a.m. on Saturday, the third
annual We are Loma 5k will be held at
the university’s track and field. The 5K
is a fundraiser event for the LomaFund,
which is for student scholarships.
“We are also partnering with the
Associated Student Body (ASB) to do
wednesday, february 15, 2023
some dorm room competitions where
the different dorm rooms will compete
with one another,” White said.
Mid-morning, there will be 13
academic department gatherings where
alumni can see their old classrooms and
meet with their professors.
From 2 to 6 p.m., the Homecoming
Marketplace will be held on Caf Lane,
where 35 alumni and student vendors
will be selling baked goods, home
goods and more. Live music, carnival
games, bounce houses and a Tailgate
BBQ with Hodad’s Burgers will also be
offered.
At 5:30 in the evening, the alumni
association will be partnering with
PLNU’s ASB, cheer and athletics to
have a spirit rally before the 6 p.m.
women’s and 8 p.m. men’s basketball
games against Hawaii Pacific Univer-
sity.
“We are going to be introduc-
ing the ‘Fight Song’ to the alumni
community for the first time, so that
will be a fun component that the alumni
community can learn,” Lucas said.
Lucas and White encourage
students to participate in the events,
and Kollu encourages students who are
interested in mentorship opportunities
and Homecoming planning to look into
SAA.
“Take a chance and try it, just show
up. There is so much that they want
to share with you, there are so many
networking opportunities,” said Lucas.
“Every person that is going to be on
campus next weekend is going to be
looking to connect with people.”
To learn more about the Home-
coming awards and events, visit
https://www.pointloma.edu/offices/
alumni-association/homecoming. To
learn more about SAA, visit https://
www.pointloma.edu/become-plnu-stu-
dent-alumni-ambassador.
wednesday, february 15, 2023 3 | FEATURES

features
Point Loma Nazarene University’s Arts and
Humanities Program Defies the National Trend
BY GRACE LEONARD too, those were the emerging values of vice-provost for traditional undergradu- According to McCoy, PLNU munication, reading, critical thinking
STAFF WRITER
capitalism, which basically says more ate studies and dean of the colleges, has humanities and arts students thrive and cultural perspectives.
According to the American is better — that making more money is also been affected by society’s negative because their programs provide a com- “We miss out on important skill
Academy of Arts and Sciences, the always better,” Pedersen said. views and abandonment of the arts. prehensive education in which students sets when we discourage study in
last nine years have shown a decline in The money-focused mindset In an email interview with The Point, learn about themselves in addition to these areas. For example, enhanc-
the number of people who have been continues to impact current society, Daichendt said that he has been told by the world around them. ing the ability to critically engage
applying to earn a degree in the arts and plays a part in the turn from the arts people in industries other than the arts Professor Pedersen also said that subjective information, fostering
and humanities. In contrast, Point and humanities, according to Pedersen. and humanities that choosing the arts was PLNU is special because of the Chris- reflective writing and reading skills,
Loma Nazarene University has had a When things like college and health- a poor career choice. As the dean of the tian desire for community, service and or developing an understanding of
steady increase in applicants to its arts care costs continue to rise, the appeal college of arts and humanities, he strives Biblical study. The Christian aspect of others,” Daichendt said.
and humanities majors since 2017, of an immediate high paying job grows. to make sure that students understand PLNU appears to bring in more human- Interdisciplinary studies are
according to PLNU’s Institutional Pedersen said the cost of healthcare is the connection between studying the arts ities driven students. a way to incorporate the arts and
Research website. Information from the a driving force in the cost of college ed- and humanities and their future careers. “If students can blend the ability to humanities into the predominantly
Assistant Director of Admissions, Con- ucation and directly correlates the idea Both Pedersen and Daichendt said serve people with that kind of human science and technology based world,
ner Mathisen, shows that undergrad- of education to a high-paying job pipe- that the relationships the faculty and heart and investment in the human sto- according to Pedersen. She says that
uate applications in the departments line. The Kaiser Family Foundation did students have in the arts and humanities ry, it fuels more of an interest, perhaps, with these programs, universities can
of Art and Design, Communication a study which found that over half of program is what makes PLNU an excep- in studying story, in studying music, train doctors who also detail the com-
Studies, History and Political Science, Americans struggle to meet health- tion to the national average. in studying art, as a way of telling the plexities of dealing with life and death
Literature, Journalism, Writing and care costs. When people are worried “I believe the relationships between human story and being part of the re- and computer scientists who grapple
Languages and Music have risen from about not being able to afford safety faculty and students helps students walk demptive work of God,” Pedersen said. with what it means to be human in a
770 in 2017 to 954 in 2022. and coverage in case of an emergency, through any doubts or frustrations that As PLNU’s arts and humanities world of artificial intelligence.
Despite PLNU’s success in the arts people will want to get a job that will they may encounter if they are worried department continue to grow, the “We can’t solve the big problems
and humanities, the nationwide depar- immediately help pay for the high costs about their area of study,” Daichendt greater nationwide turn from arts of human existence right now without
ture from these majors greatly saddens of living in America, Pedersen said. She said. and humanities impacts society as a the arts and the humanities. We
literature Professor Bettina Pedersen, said there are practical reasons people “The humanities departments are whole. The arts and humanities, while simply can’t do it,” Pedersen said.
who believes this downward trend in are making these decisions. going to draw more applicants than the seemingly on the decline, still have a
investment in the arts and humanities is “What is sad about that is we could national average because our professors prevalence and importance that weaves
one that humans are repeating, relating have a solution if we addressed the cost are so fantastic. They push you, care through society, said Pedersen.
it to the rise of industrialization in the of healthcare and provide a national about you, challenge you and really want McCoy argues that humanities de-
19th century. healthcare system in this country,” you to succeed,” said Emma McCoy, a grees make students diverse applicants
“As industrialization took hold Pedersen said. fourth-year literature major set to gradu- for jobs, seeing as they show excellence
and the values of industrialization did Professor G. James Daichendt, ate with a published collection of poetry. in vital job requirements such as com-
4 | FEATURES wednesday, february 15, 2023

Kicking off Driftwood’s Creative Arts Series

BY REYNA HUFF
STAFF WRITER
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Driftwood
launched this semester’s Creative Arts
Series with an open mic night in cele-
bration of this year’s literary journal.
Driftwood is a student-run literary
journal where students and faculty from
Point Loma Nazarene University can
submit their work every fall semester in
hopes of getting published.
Driftwood publishes poetry,
fiction, non-fiction, art, photography,
music and film. Each spring, Drift-
wood sells copies of a print journal
that showcases the PLNU-affiliated
creatives’ work who made it through
the application process.
Aliah Fabros, second-year writing
major, is the assistant editor of
Driftwood. As a member of the staff,
she is a part of the group that decides
which submissions will make it into the
journal.
“Our staff, which is about 10 to 12
people, breaks up into groups and over
the course of about a month we read
over the submissions,” Fabros said.
“Then we individually score it, talk
about it as a group, then we send our
scores and our thoughts to the editors
and they make the final decision.”
Fabros said that anyone can enroll
to take the Driftwood workshop as a
class, have a chance to read creative
work from their peers, and give input
on what makes it into the journal sold
in the spring.
Events like the open mic night exist
to sell copies of Driftwood but also to
celebrate the creativity and work of
contributors. The winners of different
categories are often invited to share
first, before the floor is opened to
anyone in the audience.
Meghan Coley, fourth-year writing
major and second-place winner of this
year’s fiction category, was one of the
students who shared at open mic night.
“I think that open mics are a safe
space for creative people and non-cre-
ative people who just come to listen and McCoy said.
enjoy art,” Coley said. To learn more about Driftwood and
Coley was on the Driftwood staff the Creative Arts Series, visit https://
during her first three years at PLNU. Yet www.ljwladvising.com/driftwood.
this year, she decided to be on the uni-
versity’s yearbook staff to try something
new.
“I heard that it was a writing publica-
tion before I even got here, and that it was
all student submissions, which I thought
was fantastic,” Coley said. “I knew I
wanted to eventually put my own stuff
in it. Then I heard you could literally be
on the staff that makes Driftwood, and I
immediately wanted to be a part of that.”
Coley is a fan of open mic nights; she
is also the president of Point Poets Soci-
ety, a club for poetry lovers on campus
that hosts open mic nights of their own
every month. She shared some advice for
students who might feel nervous about
going up to share in front of peers.
“They don’t have to read something
of their own; they could start by getting
up and reading something from a favorite
book or favorite poem, something that
isn’t theirs but they just want to share
because it means something to them,”
Coley said.
Emma McCoy, fourth-year liter-
ature and English education major, is
the co-editor in chief of Driftwood. She
agreed that the Driftwood open mic
nights are a low-stakes and welcoming
environment for sharing creative work
among peers.
“The main purpose of the creative
arts series is to give people a chance to
share their work, celebrate the journal
and have a really good time hanging
out while selling the journal at the same
time,” McCoy said.
McCoy encourages students who
have creative work they want to share to
submit to next year’s journal.
“Driftwood is a great journal to sub-
mit to if it’s your first time because the
submission process is really easy and you
DENISE MAGLOIRE, WINNER OF THIS YEARS FICTION AND POETRY
can get feedback at almost every level,” CATEGORIES, SHARES AT OPEN MIC NIGHT. PHOTO COURTESY OF
REYNA HUFF

Writers’ Symposium by the Sea: Everything You

Need to Know
BY CADE MICHAELSON
STAFF WRITER
Authors Anthony Doerr, William
Finnegan, Maria Hinojosa and Navarre
Scott Momaday will be headlining the
28th Annual Writer’s Symposium by
the Sea from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24 at
Point Loma Nazarene University.
The Writer’s Symposium by the
Sea is an event that was started by
Dean Nelson, the journalism depart-
ment head at PLNU. The goal of the
event is to bring in writers of different
backgrounds and genres to stimulate
conversation applicable to almost
anyone, but specifically targeted
toward aspiring journalists and writers.
The past symposiums have brought in
well-known writers and figures such as
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Cornel West,
Alice Walker and many others.
This year’s arsenal of guests are all
Pulitzer Prize winners, with three of
them winning them on books they’ve
written. Maria Hinojosa won one in
audio reporting for a podcast titled
“Suave” that was produced by the
media company she founded, Futuro
Media.
Anthony Doerr is most well known
for his 2014 book “All the Light We
Cannot See,” which won him the Pulitzer
Prize for fiction that year. The title is also
going to be released as a series on Netflix
in the coming days. Netflix has yet to post
a release date for the series. However, he
has gained recognition from multiple oth-
er novels, such as his 2021 work “Cloud
Cuckoo Land” and 2005 book “About
Grace.” The author hails from Boise,
Idaho and has been writing short stories
and novels since 2002. Doerr’s interview
with Nelson will take place on Tuesday,
Feb. 21 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at
Brown Chapel on PLNU’s campus.
Members of the surfing community
will most likely be familiar with the name
William Finnegan, as he is regarded as
one of the most influential surfing writers
of all time. Finnegan is a staff writer
for The New Yorker and has written on
various topics in his time as a writer. He
has written journalistically and authored
books on politics, the economy and surf-
ing. Finnegan’s memoir “Barbarian Days:
A Surfing Life,” published in 2015, won
him a Pulitzer Prize and increased his
popularity within the surfing community.
Finnegan’s interview will be with Ben Ca-
ter, head of the PLNU Honors Program,
on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 p.m. at
an unspecified location on campus.
The third author being interviewed,
Maria Hinojosa, has written multiple
personal books and has been influential
in media journalism. Hinojosa was a key
player in the making of “Latino USA,” a
radio segment on National Public Radio.
She has been the host of this segment
since its formation in 1992. In 2010, she
started her own media company, Futuro
Media Group. Hinojosa has written a
few memoirs, one that’s written from
the perspective of a mother and one
that’s written based on her experience in
America as a Mexican American woman.
Hinojosa’s interview with Nelson is on
Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7:00 a.m to
8:30 p.m. in Crill Performance Hall on
PLNU’s campus..
The final author being interviewed
for this annual event is N. Scott Mom-
aday, an author especially recognized
among the Native American community.
Momaday has written memoirs as well as
fictional books and contributed poems to
magazines that have been incorporated
into his books. His Pulitzer-Prize win-
ning novel “The House Made of Dawn,”
is a fictional book that is suspected to
contain aspects of his real life as well
as parts of his imagination. Momaday’s
interview with Nelson is virtual and will
be streamed by UCTV on Friday, Feb. 24
at 7:00 p.m.
Ashley Montaño has been helping co-
ordinate this event for the past five years
and gave some insight on ways in which
the event has changed over time and the
impact it has had on people. An addition
to the event that has appealed to many
audience members is live music. Certain
musicians from the area will be there to
greet the audience with music to set the
mood for the night.
Montaño gave some comments on
what the atmosphere of the event is.
“The interviews are always so good
because if you haven’t read the authors
or not, Dean does a really good job at
explaining context and making questions
understandable for everyone,” Montaño
said. “It’s a cool combination of cultures
all meeting in one room.”
For those worried about not being
able to relate to the event because they
aren’t aspiring writers or journalists,
Montaño said not to fret. Montaño also
said that even those who aren’t think-
ing about going should give it a second
thought.
“I think they should give it a shot
because there’s no other event like this
in San Diego.… Iit’s such a unique op-
portunity to go and listen to someone
talk about something that gives them
passion,” she said.
Second-year journalism major Nick
Hancock had very positive remarks
about his experience at the symposium
as well. Hancock had a few takeaways
from the event that have helped shape
his habits and improvement as an
aspiring journalist.
“These people get invited to speak
for a reason. They have a lot to share,
and the stuff they talk about can be re-
ally eye opening. It never hurts to hear
what some really smart thinkers have to
say,” Hancock said.
For tickets and other information,
visit https://www.pointloma.edu/
opportunities/writers-symposium-sea.
sports
wednesday, february 15, 2023
The Impact of Athletic Injuries
on Student-Athletes’ Lives
BY MADDY TUCKER
STAFF WRITER
Bad luck can change the future of a
student-athlete within a moment. Not
only does an injury alter an athlete’s
physical health, but it can also cause
athletes to feel disconnected from
the rest of their team, damaging their
mental well-being as well.
Alana Diaz, a third-year psychology
major and player on Point Loma Naza-
rene University’s women’s soccer team,
tore her ACL, MCL and meniscus in
her right knee this past fall season. So
far, she is three and a half months into a
nine-month recovery.
Diaz said that thinking of herself
as an injured player was a “big reality
check” for her because it was her first
time ever being injured in the 17 years
she has been playing. Even though she
attends practices and weight training
Manchester City Receives a Red Card for Financial
Breaches
BY CHRISTOPHER BROZE
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO CREDIT TO WIKIPEDIA.
On Feb. 6, the Premier League
announced that it has charged Man-
chester City with over 100 counts of
financial wrongdoing and breaches of
the league’s rules. These charges date
back to 2008 when Sheikh Mansour
bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi’s
royal family bought the club. Since his
time as owner, Manchester City has
won six Premier League titles, two FA
Cups, six English League Cups, and
has spent an estimated $1.8 billion on
players.
To sum up the charges, the football
club is accused of providing inaccurate
financial information that concealed the
true view of their financial position, in
particular with respect to their revenue
and operating costs from 2009-2018.
This includes providing inaccurate
information and details of manager
remuneration while Roberto Mancini
managed the team from 2009-2013.
Through stolen and hacked docu-
ments released in the German magazine
Der Spiegel in 2018, it was revealed
that Mancini had been making an extra
$1.75 million a year through the act
of consulting an Abu Dhabi football
with the team, being an injured reserve
(IR) player feels different than being a
healthy member on the team.
“Sometimes watching practice is a
lot harder than I imagined it to be,” said
Diaz.
Another student-athlete at PLNU,
a third-year on the volleyball team who
wished to remain anonymous for medical
privacy, recently experienced the discon-
nectedness an injury can bring.
“When you are out due to injury, you
really feel disconnected from your peers.
It made me feel distant and not close to
those around me,” they said.
This athlete explained that the sport
they play is a lot of their identity, and
when they were unable to play, they felt as
though they were “not worthy.”
Abby Schmidt, a third-year market-
club. The Abu Dhabi United Group, the
holding company that controls Man-
chester City, would circulate the money
to the Abu Dhabi football club which
would then be paid to Mancini through an
offshore company.
Other leaked documents showed that
the club inflated the value of sponsorship
deals with firms tied to the team’s owners
in Abu Dhabi. One of these many docu-
ments showed that
$63 million of the
club’s $73 million
sponsorship deal
with Etihad Airways
was coming directly
from the owners’
pockets, leaving only
$10 million coming
from the airline
company.
This allowed City to get around UEFA’s,
and later the Premier League’s, financial
fair play (FFP) regulations, which entail
ing major and teammate to Diaz, also
expressed feeling separated from her
team during her injury. Schmidt had
surgery on her ankle at the beginning
of last fall season and was out for seven
months. Even though she attended every
practice and game, she said her mental
health declined.
“I was definitely struggling more
mentally. … There’s a certain type of
bond that can only be found when playing
together,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes,
when your team wins, it doesn’t really
feel like you deserve it because you didn’t
contribute in the same way that you
normally do.”
To stay engaged with the team, in-
jured athletes attend games and practices
with the rest of the team. The volleyball
player said that the ability for them to
that respective clubs cannot spend more
money than they earn.
Associate Professor of accounting
Carl Hammond provided insight as to
why the FFP regulations were established
in the first place.
“The golden rule of football is that
whoever has more money has the advan-
tage,” he said. “People with lots of money
started to invest in football clubs because
they saw the benefits that came from it.”
Hammond referred to Roman Abro-
movich, a Russian oligarch, who pur-
chased Chelsea in 2003 and transformed
the team into a 21st century powerhouse.
Under his ownership, Chelsea won five
Premier League titles, five FA cups and
two Champions League titles.
“Abromovich completely changed
the way businessmen saw football,” Ham-
mond said. “When people started to see
the success, they wanted in too.”
Many invested in small and histori-
cally underperforming clubs because of
the affordable price tag attached to them,
Manchester City being one of them.
UEFA established the FFP rules
following the 2008 global financial crisis
because it feared the clubs could go out
attend practice with their teammates
and eventually begin lifting weights with
them helped them physically heal but also
allowed them to “spend time and deepen
connections” with them.
Besides teammates, many others step
in to help student-athletes recover and
“It’s not the same.
You have to change
your mindset and
find new ways to
contribute,”
cope with their injuries. Diaz said since
the first moment of her injury she has
felt “surrounded by love and care by
family, friends, coaches and even pro-
fessors here at Loma.” Her roommates
especially were there for her to lean on.
“[They] were always willing to help
out in any way possible and it truly
made my recovery 100% easier,” Diaz
said.
Schmidt said she received support from
of business due to rising player wages.
Critics, on the other hand, believed
that these regulations were used to halt
emerging clubs from accelerating and
taking advantage of their owners’ deep
pockets.
With these clubs now forced to
only spend as much as they earned
through sponsorships, they could not
achieve the hardware as quickly as
Abromvich’s Chelsea team was able
to. This resulted in many clubs finding
ways to get around the FFP rules to
achieve glory, which Manchester City
is now being accused of by the Premier
League.
The rest of the charges consist
of failures to comply with UEFA regula-
tions from 2013-2018, the Premier
League’s profitability and sustainability
rules from 2015-2018 and not coop-
erating with the league in its investiga-
tions from 2018 to the present day.
James Wicks, a film studies pro-
fessor and avid Arsenal supporter, was
surprised to see these charges come to
light again.
“I thought the previous investi-
gation of Manchester City, and then
their subsequent successful appeal
to the Court of Arbitration over their
Champions League ban, had concluded
all investigations into alleged wrongdo-
ing,” said Wicks.
Hammond was also surprised to see
these charges reemerge.
“It’s interesting that the Premier
League is charging them over these
issues that UEFA wasn’t able to follow
through with,” said Hammond. “UEFA
has some of the best lawyers in Europe
and they weren’t able to convict Man-
chester City of any wrongdoing. It’s
surprising that the Premier League is
trying to do the same thing without the
strength that UEFA had.”
Manchester City was originally
banned from the Champions League in
2020 by UEFA for breaching spending
rules and not cooperating with UEFA
5 | SPORTS
athletic trainers on campus who created
rehabilitation programs for her, and
she also saw a counselor on campus at
the time of her injury.
Diaz and Schmidt confirmed that
staying connected with their team is
part of a personal mentality. No matter
how much your coaches or teammates
try to keep you involved, it will not feel
completely the same.
“It’s not the same. You have to
change your mindset and find new ways
to contribute,” said Schmidt.
Diaz said, “I do believe that God
has a plan for everyone. Although this
is not the ideal situation, I realize this is
something I cannot change but rather
I can decide how I approach these next
nine months.”
investigators, but the decision was
overturned in an appeal deal with the
Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS)
due to excluded evidence because
of time-barrage and some unproven
UEFA evidence.
The Premier League is now investi-
gating this issue, as it is the third count
in the list of charges, and the Premier
League is able to fully dive into the
evidence because its court system does
not have a time-barrage.
The penalties of these charges
are severe if Manchester City is found
guilty. The options include large fines,
point reductions and even expulsion
from the Premier League. Wicks hopes
to see that these charges are followed
through.
“I think they should be relegated,”
said Wicks. “I would not have a prob-
lem with City being dropped to 20th
place and prevented from playing all of
their following matches this season.”
According to SkySports, when
asked by reporters what he would do
if City was found guilty, manager Pep
Guardiola said, “The day after, I will
not be here.”
The future of the club hangs in the
balance of an independent commission
who will decide the verdict in private.
Once a decision is made, an appeal by
City can be made to a separate appeals
body within the League. Nonetheless,
this is the most significant financial
scandal in the history of the Premier
League and could potentially create
a snowball effect in which other clubs
could face the same charges and con-
sequences if Manchester City is found
guilty.
6 | SPORTS wednesday, february 15, 2023

Bengals-Chiefs Game: Was it Rigged?

BY CLAIRE PLATH
STAFF WRITER

PHOTO CREDIT TO ERIK ECKEL ON FLICKR.

On Jan. 29, 2023, the Cincinnati
Bengals played the Kansas City Chiefs
for the National Football League (NFL)
AFC Conference Championship.
This game was the deciding factor
of who would play the Philadelphia
Eagles at the Super Bowl. The Chiefs
ended up taking the victory in the
last quarter, winning by three points
from a field goal with a final score of
23-20. However, the calls made by the
referees against the Bengals caused
some controversy over if the game was
fairly balanced or if the game proved an
underlying bias in favor of the Chiefs.
Charlie McClaflin, a second-year
film studies major, watched the whole
game and was disappointed with the re-
sult and the calls made by the referees.
“The Chiefs got a free third down
because of the ref’s own mess-up of
not setting the time correctly, and so
instead of changing the time, the Chiefs
were allowed to play another third
down,” said McClaflin. “There were
calls made by the refs in the Chiefs’
favor having to do with holding and
the same calls were not called for the
Bengals on many plays.”
Christopher Broze, a second-year
media communication major, also
watched the entire game and had his
own thoughts on whether the game was
rigged or not.
“I saw a lot of posts on social media
saying that the NFL fixed this game to
allow brothers Jason Kelce (Eagles) and
Travis Kelce (Chiefs) to play each other
where the NFL posted about it and
dubbed it as ‘The Brother Bowl’ en-
hancing the ratings,” said Broze. “Andy
Reid, the current coach of the Chiefs,
was the Eagles’ head coach for 13 years
before being fired by the management.
A lot of people are speculating that this
game is fixed and storied as a ‘redemption
and revenge story’ for Reid.”
With the calls made by the refs occur-
ring during the Bengals vs. Chiefs game,
there comes the recurring question: Is
the entire NFL rigged?
“The NFL is classified as a sports
and entertainment business along with
the WWE,” said Broze. “A lot of people
think that games are fixed because of the
2018 legalization of sports wagering
along with the ongoing and ever-present
advertisements of gambling platforms
that the NFL profits from.”
In the past, fixing games is an issue
that has occurred with referees making
unfair calls in professional sports besides
the NFL.
“A prime example of this is former
NBA referee Tim Donaghy who fixed
games for a professional gambler, which
led to Donaghy being sentenced to 15
months in prison,” Broze said. “He also
publicly claimed that the NBA encour-
aged referees to call fouls that manipulat-
ed the results of games.”
There are two sides to the coin as to
whether or not people believe the NFL is
rigged, but the Bengals vs. Chiefs game
reignited controversy leaving people
speculating afterward.
“I do believe the game was rigged
because it just seemed like nothing was
going for the Bengals and everything was
going for the Chiefs,” said McClaflin.
While some people believe the game
was set up in favor of the Chiefs, others
have differing opinions on the outcome of
the game being a fair matchup.
“I am not a part of the conspiracy
group saying that the game was fixed
because referees are not perfect;
they’re human! We all make mistakes!”
said Broze. “At the same time, how-
ever, they are supposed to be as close
to perfect as possible because they
are refereeing a game that leads to the
Super Bowl.”
If the refs hadn’t made the calls
they did toward the Bengals during the
game, would the Bengals have been
celebrating with popped bottles of
champagne on their way to the Super
Bowl, or did it make no difference for
the fate of the Chiefs taking the win?

Significance of Lebron’s New Scoring Record

BY JOSHUA SCOTT
STAFF WRITER
It’s the third quarter with 20
seconds left on the clock. Wearing the
number 0, point guard Russell West-
brook looks to find his teammate Leb-
ron James, dressed in the Los Angeles
Lakers yellow and purple uniforms,
sporting a headband — an accessory he
was once known for during his earlier
years in the National Basketball Associ-
ation (NBA).
At the top of the key, James
receives the pass and begins his dribble
as his teammates clear out of his way.
Shouldering into his defender, James
backs down the opposing Oklahoma
City Thunder player before stepping
to the side and shooting a fading shot
from the top of the key — swish.
The crowd goes wild. The clock
is stopped, and presses and cameras
surround the newly crowned all-time
scoring leader of the NBA. The un-
breakable record has been broken.
Last Tuesday, Feb. 7, Los Angeles
Lakers player Lebron James scored 38
points, propelling him to the No. 1 spot
in most points scored all-time in the NBA
with 38,390, passing the previous record
holder Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s total of
38,387.
As a feat that many thought would
never be achieved, James’ stellar per-
formance had the sports world debating
once again: Did James’ new title as the
scoring “King” officially cement his lega-
cy as the greatest player of all time?
Coby Barnes of Point Loma Nazarene
University’s men’s basketball team
weighed in on the significance of James’
performance.
“I was watching with some of my
friends on the team. … It was weird
because it’s like a moment in history
your kids could ask you about one day,”
Barnes said. “It’s getting harder to deny
that Lebron is getting closer to that top
spot after passing Kareem. People never
thought that record would be broken, but
now it is and he still has a few years left in
the tank.”
As the debate around the GOAT
status arose, as it typically does when
discussing basketball achievements,
Barnes paused with a smile before giving
his opinion of James’ ranking when com-
pared against all time great basketball
players of the NBA.
“It’s hard. I didn’t get to watch MJ on
a nightly basis … but I would go Lebron
one, MJ two and Kobe three,” he said.
Barnes’ ranking of James as the great-
est basketball player is not an unpopular
opinion, but PLNU men’s basketball
assistant coach Justin Downer seemed to
have a differing stance on the significance
of James’ recent performance.
“We’re leading down the path to,
‘Who’s the greatest player of all time?’
To me, someone’s got to actually define
that criteria,” said coach Downer. “When
you’re talking about the best singular
basketball player of all time, this, to me,
has no impact on that.”
Coach Downer has different criteria
for determining GOAT rankings.
“I just personally think there’s an eye
test. I think there’s a feeling that goes
into it. Michael Jordan in ‘06 or Shaquille
O’Neal in 2001— there’s no version of
Lebron that was ever better than those
two guys,” coach Downer said.
PLNU men’s basketball head coach
Matthew Logie shared a similar sentiment
in an email interview with The Point.
“I’m not sure how (if at all) it will
impact Lebron’s legacy considering he’s
been firmly established as one of the all-
time greats for a while. … I tend to value
‘winning’ over ‘stat-based’ arguments
so for me, I have to take Michael Jordan
#1,” he wrote.
Whether or not the sports world will
ever come to a consensus on who gets to
be titled the greatest basketball player of
all time is unknown. Regardless of the
opinion held of James’ legacy, the signif-
icance of the moment seemed paramount
to sports fans.
“I have a 10-year old son who loves
basketball,” said coach Logie. “It was one
of those historic moments a basketball
family just couldn’t miss!”
LEBRON JAMES SHOOTING ONE
BASKET OF HIS 38,390 POINTS.
PHOTO CREDIT TO ERICK DROST
ON FLICKR.
a&e
wednesday, february 15, 2023
Makena Williams’ Senior Recital in Composition
BY LILY DAMRON
STAFF WRITER
WILLIAMS PLAYING “SONG FOR ANGELA,” WITH ANGELA’S BROTHER NICO DOMINGO. PHOTO COURTESY OF
LILY DAMRON.
The hallway leading to the recep-
tion room was packed full of people
buzzing about the performance after
fourth year composition major Makena
Williams’ senior recital. Much of the
music department had been involved in
the performance and many of Williams’
friends and family had attended. Wil-
liams, smiling and holding an armful of
bouquets, squished into a picture with
a dozen of her friends.
The recital began with a piece for
strings played by the school Chamber
Orchestra, inspired by the big sound
of a traditional Chinese orchestra. The
program moved through nine diverse
ensembles, which grew smaller and
smaller and ended with an intimate
piece where the composer sang and
accompanied herself on guitar.
“I thought it was kind of fun to end
small instead of ending big, kind of
the opposite of what people expect,”
Williams said.
Audiobooks: A Form of Reading, Or Something
Different?
BY EMMA MCCOY
STAFF WRITER
Over the past decade, the popular-
ity of the audiobook has experienced
explosive growth. With the transi-
tion from CD audiobooks to a fully
digital platform, the demand has only
increased.
In 2017, Forbes reported that
audiobooks sales were up 20% across
the publishing industry, compared to
print books sales, which only grew by
1.5%. Publishers Weekly released a
report stating that in 2019, audiobook
production was up 18%, and Harper-
Collins stated that 25% of their digital
revenue came from audiobooks alone.
As audiobooks (as well as podcasts,
and other forms of audio storytelling)
have gained a great foothold in the
cultural consciousness, people can not
help but ask the question: Does it still
count as reading?
Popular reading platform Go-
odReads posted a blog asking their
users to chime in, and a thread of over
400 messages, excluding comments
and replies, argues this point, with
readers going back and forth. Psychol-
ogy Today released an article claiming
audiobooks do not count as reading
because they simply are not equivalent.
That quiet conclusion was the result
of months of hard work, and the culmina-
tion of four years of music and composi-
tion classes. In the months leading up to
the recital, Williams spent hours editing
music and preparing parts, recruiting en-
sembles, rehearsing and putting together
a program. She also had to find student
conductors to lead her pieces and trust
them to bring the music to life.
“I’m feeling very relieved that it’s
done,” said Williams, “but I’m kind of
sad that it’s over, because it was a really
special experience…. But I’m proud of it,
it went well and the hard work paid off.”
Victor Labenske, a professor of mu-
sic at PLNU and Williams’ composition
teacher, praised her organization leading
up to the recital. He also explained the
different skills composition majors have
to learn to prepare for such a big project,
such as the ability to create parts for
different instruments and create strong
melodies and melodic structures. They
Students and faculty at Point Loma
Nazarene University are no different;
many listen to audiobooks for various
reasons and there is no easy answer to
come by. How, exactly, can we define
what an audiobook does?
Rachel Grace Heckle, fourth-year
literature English education student, uses
audiobooks as a way to better understand
her class readings.
“I think my reading comprehension
goes way up… I’m reading ‘Wuthering
Heights’ with an audiobook because
reading it physically and listening to the
audiobook is the best method for me,”
Heckle said.
Heckle finds that as a commuter,
audiobooks are a way to fill the time.
“I think it’s way more accessible.
When I’m cleaning, or when I’m driving,
I’m able to just pop on an audiobook. It’s
more compatible with my schedule as a
student,” Heckle said.
The Point reached out to the Educa-
tional Access Center (EAC) for comment
on accessibility, but they declined to be
interviewed. In their email response, they
said, “Audiobooks are a needed accom-
modation for some students registered
with the EAC and all accommodation
approvals are made through individual
assessment by our staff.”
take classes for specialized instrument
groups so they know how to write music
for each type.
Williams’ recital featured parts for
string instruments, woodwinds, piano,
guitar, percussion and even accordion,
which she included in a piece called
“Aboard the Ladies Ship,” inspired by
eighteenth century female pirates Ann
Bonny and Mary Read. The piece is what
Labenske described as ‘programmatic’
music, taking inspiration from an outside
story and telling it through music. Ac-
cording to the recital program, Williams
used details like the pirates’ names and
the sensation of a swaying ship to inform
her composition.
In addition to the historical research,
Williams drew inspiration from different
musical modes, composers and scenes for
her pieces. Part of the composition major
involves learning to write for different
ensembles and sounds. For example, in
“The Peculiar Pathway,” she used the
Heckle firmly believes that despite
the audio format, “you’re still embrac-
ing an art form. So when it comes to an
audiobook you’re still reading… you’re
still getting the same experience and the
same story.”
Rick Moncauskas, professor of media
communication and director of PLNU’s
television and radio studios, explained
how audiobooks are a subgenre of audio
productions.
“I remember playing ‘Star Wars’ in
the car for my sons, and it was an audio
production, not a book. It was a drama-
tization of the script… an audiobook is
just a reading of a book,” Moncauskas
said. “One of the things I tell my audio
production students is that audio is
performance.”
Moncauskas said audiobooks exist on
a spectrum between a simple reading of
a book and a more involved production
with music, sound effects and multiple
voice actors.
“For some audiobooks, there’s going
to be almost no production value,” Mon-
causkas said. “And there for some there
will be a lot, and there’s going to be a lot
of space in the middle. Is an audiobook
reading a book? Depends a little bit on
how it’s produced.”
Full-scale productions might be de-
QR CODE FOR THE RECITAL RECORDING ON YOUTUBE, COURTESY OF
MAKENA WILLIAMS.
whole tone scale and drew inspiration
from video game music and composer
Danny Elfman to create a mysterious
feeling. In “kinda lydian,” which won an
award for composition, she created a pi-
ano duet influenced by Debussy and the
minimalist compositions of Phillip Glass.
Williams said she was also inspired
by the music of different cultures, like
Hawaiian guitarist Keola Beemer, which
showed in sweet chord progressions of
“Kalani.” Another piece, “La Lucha,”
came about as Williams learned Maleg-
ueña guitar pieces from Spain.
“I get obsessed with random music
from around the world,” said Williams.
“Traditional Indian music, or Chinese
music, once I went on a Middle Eastern
music thing. So at that point I was listen-
ing to a lot of Spanish and Middle Eastern
stuff.”
All of that came together for what
Labenske called “a really remarkable
performance.” The day of, Williams said
viating from the way a print book is read,
while a stripped-down reading adheres
more to the traditional mode of reading.
Additionally, Moncauskas made the point
that all non-dialogue audio does not need
to be processed consciously.
“Sound can influence you, and
your emotions, without your assent or
knowledge. In that sense audio books can
be very different from printed books,”
Moncauskas said.
Schuyler Eastin, adjunct professor
of literature, finds that readers can both
lose and gain something by reading print
books or by listening to audiobooks.
“Audiobooks give us an opportunity
to encounter what we read in a different
way. Both print books and audiobooks
are valuable, it just depends on what you
want to get out of it,” Eastin said.
Eastin, as a literary scholar, said that
if someone wanted to read a book for
literary criticism or to study a book, the
print book is best. Interacting with the
text in an audio format makes it difficult
to draw the specific evidence needed to
write a review, write a scholarly paper, or
have an informed discussion with textual
examples.
Eastin said audiobooks seem to play
into the oral tradition of literature, where
early stories in humanity’s history were
7 | A&E
she was worried about the performance
going by too fast, but she was able to
be in the moment and watch her songs
from backstage. She was moved by the
number of friends and family that came
out to support her, and by the support
of her peers in the music department
who helped make the recital possible.
“It’s kind of weird to be done with
it… it’s kind of like how in high school
or in college you look forward to grad-
uation and think: ‘That’s so far from
now, I’m going to be so much bigger
and cooler by then, it’s the climax.’ And
then you get there and you’re like: ‘Oh,
this is cool, but I still have so much
more coming.’”
In addition to upcoming events in
the Music Department, there are two
student recitals in March and April: Syl-
via Strickland’s senior recital on March
24 at 7:30 p.m., and Adam Nenn and
Caleb Marroquin’s junior recital on
April 4 at 7:20 p.m..
shared out loud long before they were
ever written down.
“Technology, in a weird way, is
allowing us to revisit something we
thought we have left behind. In fact,
technology has allowed us to leave it
behind in the first place,” Eastin said.
With the invention of cell phones, Eas-
tin said, people can listen to whatever
book they want, pretty much whenever.
“I’d be fascinated if people ever
got together to listen to audiobooks
together,” Eastin said. “Because the
experience in an oral tradition, like
‘Beowulf’ or ‘The Iliad,’ was a very
communal experience. Now, we listen
to things orally but mostly in isolation.”
In the wake of COVID-19, it will
be interesting to see how people inter-
act with audiobooks and the communi-
ty, and how the tradition of consuming
stories will continue. Depending on
who you ask, you might get different
opinions about audiobooks, but it’s
clear that consuming stories in all
formats is here to stay.
opinion
8 | OPINION
Homecoming Week: PLNU Alumni Catch Up and
Reminisce on Point Loma Memories
BY KERRY MICHAELSON AND
MOLLY YANITY
CONTRIBUTORS
Kerry Michaelson (‘97) and Molly
Yanity (‘96) were Point Weekly staff
members who are back in San Diego for
Homecoming. Michaelson lives in Nam-
pa, Idaho and is a magistrate judge in
Canyon County. Yanity is a journalism
professor at Quinnipiac University in
Hamden, Connecticut. Here, they share
some of their PLNU memories.
Kerry: I can’t believe it was nearly
three decades ago when I stepped foot
on the PLNU campus as a freshman.
I was raised in a Nazarene home, in
Idaho, and my childhood dream was to
go to school there. How Nazarene was
I, you ask? Over four years, I attended
PLNU with my brother and five cousins
from both sides of the family.
Molly: The first time I was in
San Diego, or had even heard of
Point Loma, was five months before
I attended my first class. The college
hosted a high school sports journalism
conference the spring of my senior
year of high school. I won a trip to it.
The gorgeous campus took my breath
away. Dean Nelson inspired me from
the moment I met him. I was hooked.
But that contract – no dancing? Chapel
three times a week? They couldn’t be
serious, right?
Kerry: As a freshman, I wasn’t sure
how I’d find a path forward making
Writer’s Symposium Brings Legendary Surf Writer
William Finnegan to PLNU
BY STEVE ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER
Point Loma Nazarene University
has a rich surf culture. Its proximity to
the ocean makes it an ideal school for a
surfer to get their degree. Among the
surfing privileges at this school, there’s
also a great opportunity for students to
hear amazing writers share their stories
in Brown Chapel at the annual Writer’s
Symposium by the Sea.
This year, students and, more
specifically, surfers, have the oppor-
tunity to hear William Finnegan, the
author of “Barbarian Days: A Surfing
Life” speak. Finnegan won a Pulitzer
Prize for this memoir detailing how his
life has centered around surfing from a
young age.
Finnegan has lived a surfer’s
dream. He spent part of his childhood
on Oahu and got exposed to amazing
waves and surfers as his parents pro-
duced television shows. He experi-
enced the shortboard revolution when
he was 15 years old, and as Finnegan
describes in his book, “with a solid
command of the basics, I was at a good
age to make the switch to shortboards.”
Later, he dropped out of college
and moved to Maui with a girlfriend
to surf Honolua Bay, a beautiful right
hand point break. Finnegan then trav-
eled the world in search of the perfect
wave, a search that he dubbed “the
endless winter.” He stumbled upon an
unknown wave at the time, now known
as Tavarua, along his travels in the
South Pacific.
friends. After a few months on campus I
found myself at a Point Weekly meeting.
The older students graciously published
a feature I wrote about how weird it was
to grow up in Idaho and then move to
San Diego for college. l mean, a fellow
student actually asked me if Idahoans
traveled by covered wagon (no, we owned
cars). My article was well received and I
discovered that I loved writing. I changed
majors, spent the next four years report-
ing on interesting things that occurred
on campus and made friends for life.
Including Molly.
Molly: My first semester at Loma, I
was, well, grounded. I got busted coming
home intoxicated from Tijuana back
when you didn’t need a passport to hit
Avenida Revolución. I had a two-week
bedcheck at 9 p.m. I also voted for the
first time that fall – for Bill Clinton. The
cheerleaders who lived across the hall
cried when he won, convinced the Apoca-
lypse was near.
Kerry: If you haven’t realized this
part about college yet, it’s a time in your
life when you’re able to form opinions
free of intense pressure from your family,
and church. That’s true for every student.
For young reporters, that also means
reporting the truth, irrespective of the
consequences. Molly, remember the flak
we caught for publishing an expose on
the abusive hazing practices of a campus
fraternity?
He lived in Australia for a bit and
became a regular surfer at Kirra. He then
bummed around Indonesia and eventually
ended up in Africa where he became a
schoolteacher. He finally settled down in
San Francisco and became familiar with
the locals at the notoriously gnarly Ocean
Beach.
At heart, Finnegan was a writer,
and along his travels, Finnegan wrote.
Specifically, he honed in on the issues
of apartheid in South Africa and became
an international journalist for the New
Yorker. He currently lives in New York
where he continues to write for the New
Yorker.
Now, his journey has led him to the
surfer-infested Nazarene university on
San Diego Bay’s peninsula, known as
PLNU. It’s no doubt that PLNU is a surf
heavy school, even many of the people
who don’t surf are dying to learn. So,
when an influential voice in surfing comes
to speak, it means PLNU’s community of
surfers is being heard.
Finnegan has lived a life that most
PLNU surfers daydream about in their
8 a.m. lectures. He’s gotten the chance
to surf the best waves in the world and
immerse himself in the cultures around
them, all while doing it in a world without
multi-million dollar surf resorts and a cell
phone telling him where to go.
Finnegan’s overarching theme
throughout his book is how his surf-
ing addiction has guided his life. He
describes it as this: “When you surf, as I
wednesday, february 15, 2023
Lainie Alfaro // Editor in Chief Emma McCoy // Copy Editor The opinions in this section may not reflect those
Katie Morris // News Editor Eliana Taylor // Web Manager of The Point or of Point Loma Nazarene University.
Letters to the editor and columns are subject to editing for
Charis Johnston // Features Editor Kelli Kinder // Business Manager
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Sofie Fransen // Opinion Editor opinions to sfransen257@pointloma.edu
Molly: I do! I also remember how
many emails – oh, wait! They weren’t
emails; we didn’t have access to the web,
yet! I remember the phone calls and
letters our staff received after I wrote
a column expressing disgust over the
campus visit of world-class homophobe
Roger Hedgecock and the school’s affil-
iation with James Dobson. Those were
tough to receive. But I didn’t stop writing
and we didn’t stop investigating. Some of
the columns I wrote embarrass me – not PHOTO FROM MOLLY YANITY. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: KERRY’S BROTHER
for the pro-choice or otherwise “liberal” MARK (CLASS OF ‘00), MOLLY, DEAN NELSON, KERRY, AND KERRY’S
slant I took – but for the immaturity of my BROTHER STEVEN (CLASS OF ‘05).
argument, or that I certainly could have niors broke into the storage room… later). When I wasn’t writing, much of
written more efficiently. er, let yourselves in with the key I gave my college experience was composed
Kerry: As Point Weekly staffers, we you. Thinking of those days still make of chapel services, church services and
occasionally asked for forgiveness, not me happy – how Jennifer Newlin put Bible studies. Exodus International,
permission. One time, our edition was herself on the line to go undercover in a now defunct ministry whose stated
deemed “too controversial” for dissemi- a newly-formed sorority, how Bethany goal was to “help people who wished
nation on campus (something about the Willbanks found herself behind her to limit their homosexual desires”
words “spiritual” and “masturbation” in camera, how Jessica Gerardy paved her held their conventions on the PLNU
a headline). We broke into the storage way to the Peace Corps, how Jeremy Fry campus. There was simply no space for
room where the confiscated papers were defended us so staunchly, and how Trisha young people, particularly those raised
hiding and handed them out, anyway. Hubbs could write as eloquently about in religious homes, to come out. I am
On graduation day. Knowing we could a local murder or “the Coop Bubbler.” heartened to know that has changed.
face disciplinary measures. Between late What a group of people. Continue reading on lomabeat.com
night burrito runs and classes, we learned Kerry: In the years since we attended
that challenging others, in both word PLNU, both Molly and I have come out.
and action, is the only way to bring about We are both married to exceptionally
positive change. cool women. We look back at our time
Molly: Allow me to clarify that last on campus together and, upon reflection,
point. I was actually walking across understand why we didn’t talk to each
the commencement stage of the Greek other about the fact we were both gay
Amphitheater when you and the non-se- (those conversations occurred many years
then understood it, you live and breathe champion surf team to the once-a-month Finnegan is set to speak at Brown
waves. You always know what the surf wavestorm surfers, surfing runs deep Chapel on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Student
is doing. You cut school, lose jobs, lose in the veins of this school. The fact that tickets are $5 and can be purchased at
girlfriends, if it’s good.” William Finnegan, being a prominent https://www.pointloma.edu/opportu-
Finnegan was able to encapsulate modern day surf writer, is speaking nities/writers-symposium-sea.
this feeling of a euphoric addiction in at PLNU displays how strong our surf
his memoir and since then has become a culture is. It’s an important milestone in
prominent figure in surfing and writing. the school’s surf history.
Surfers at PLNU are no exception to this
addiction and lifestyle. After all, there’s
a reason why there’s a mad rush to get
the closest dorm to the ocean every year.
Surfing has guided the lives of many
PLNU surfers; they wouldn’t be at the
school if it wasn’t so. SCAN THIS QR CODE TO READ MORE
Over the summer I got the chance to ON OUR WEBSITE, LOMABEAT.COM
read Finnegan’s memoir and was incredi-
bly moved by his knowledge of the ocean
and wave-riding. He writes about surfing
with such elegance and care that even
non-surfers will grasp the intense feelings
that the sport brings.
I’m eager to hear Finnegan speak
about his experiences from his memoir.
Like Finnegan I’ve been able to immerse
myself in the surf cultures around me.
From growing up on Kauai to attending
PLNU, I’ve always been surrounded by
surfing. I too, like many people, was
drawn to this school because of the
opportunity to surf whenever I pleased.
After reading “Barbarian Days”, I real-
ized how important a community is to the
surf spot and that is very apparent here
at PLNU.
PLNU has an amazing surfing
community. From the six-time national