On Feb. 6, the CPC sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz asking to reverse the decision.

According to the text of the letter, the CPC argued on the grounds of the constant constitutionality of the national motto, “In God We Trust.”

The CPC is a bipartisan group within the U.S. House of Representatives whose members take on the personal duty to protect religious freedom in America and to maintain the presence of the country’s spiritual heritage.

“I think that it is messing with history,” Garrett Steward, first year cadet in the Air Force ROTC, said. “Our nation was founded on Christian values. I do understand that times are changing, but I would still like to hold fast to those values. Why take it out now? What’s the whole deal?”

The original RCO logo displayed the Latin motto “Opus Dei Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus” (Doing God’s Work with Other People’s Money), which was recently changed to say, “Miraculi Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus” (Doing Miracles with Other People’s Money). According to the U.S. Air Force website, the motto had become an inside joke among RCO members. It was changed after the MAAF originally objected to the God reference.

“There are a few sides to it because ultimately every branch of the military has to be unbiased,” Garrett Bauer, first year cadet in the Air Force ROTC, said. “As a Christian, it is offensive to be taking the word ‘God’ out, but at the same time they have to accommodate all the possible religions that are represented in the military. They are good about maintaining a certain level of respect.”

In November last year, the Air Force Academy made an accommodation to those who considered themselves pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths by dedicating [ES1] an $80,000 outdoor worship center. The L.A. Times compares it to a “small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with a propane fire pit.”

Ariana Bryant, sophomore first year cadet in the Air Force ROTC, had not heard anything about the outdoor worship center until now. By dedicating that much money to such a small percentage in the Air Force, the point they were trying to make is unclear, Bryant said.

Before building the Cadet Chapel Falcon Circle on a hilltop at the academy, chapel rooms were converted into worship spaces for last year’s 11 Muslim, 16 Buddhist and 10 Hindu cadets, according to The L.A. Times.

Building the Cadet Chapel Falcon Circle and removing the word “God” from the RCO logo may be an addition to a trend, Bryant said.

“There are a lot of situations where people are trying to take God out of everything, even though the Founders built our nation with God as the foundation,” Bryant said. “But now it seems as though the United States is feeling a bit prideful and invincible. People have made it seem as though we don’t need God anymore.”

Each of the cadets agreed that the Air Force is good about allowing equal opportunity to practice any religion not only Christianity. Before meals, there is a facilitated moment of silence. The Air Force does not use this moment of silence specifically to have the cadets pray, but as a way to respect each person who takes part in different religions, Steward said.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) is a part of the 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act, created to encourage people to work full time in public service jobs. Under this act, if these individuals make on-time payments for 10 years, the rest of the debt will be dropped. Federal loans eligible for forgiveness include Stafford, PLUS, Consolidation, Perkins and certain Health Professions and Nursing loans.

Qualifying employment includes any full-time work with a local, state or federal government or a tax-exempted nonprofit organization, including some nonprofit private schools and universities. Nonprofit organizations that are not tax-exempted still qualify if they provide certain public services such as public safety, law enforcement, early childhood education, public education, public library services and services for the disabled and elderly.  Full-time employment must average to 30 hours per week.

“I think the program is a good idea, especially taking into account that you typically don’t earn as much money in public service,” sophomore psychology major Stephanie Quan said. “It’s great that it cuts these people a break for the services that they do for society.”

Until recently, the government had no limitations regarding qualified organizations. According to the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid Office, the law stated, “The type or nature of employment with the organization does not matter for PSLF purposes. Additionally, the type of services that these public service organizations provide does not matter for PSLF purposes.”

As of last month, a disclaimer was added at the end: “However, if you work for a nonprofit organization, your employment will not qualify for PSLF if your job duties are related to religious instruction, worship services or any form of proselytizing.”

Ever since the act was passed in 2007, seminaries across the U.S. have held financial aid workshops to explain and promote the loan forgiveness program, according to The Huffington Post. The new guidelines excluding religious occupations from qualifying for the program has reportedly thrown the plans of new clergy such as pastors, rabbis and imams off track.

“I would definitely be thrown by it and feel pretty irritated if I were them, thinking that the government has been promising me this, and now they just all of a sudden take it back,” sophomore biblical studies and Christian ministries double major Collin Barrett said. “I don’t think that’s fair at all.”

The fact that clergy are not included in PSLF, however, is acceptable to Barrett.

“Someone like a police officer or a teacher is directly influencing the public, but the pastor’s job description is to focus mainly on his church and his congregation,” said Barrett, who aspires to become a pastor. “[The exclusion of clergy] doesn’t offend me.”

Sophomore biblical studies and Christian ministries double major Alex Coleman is not fazed by the new guidelines.

“I took these loans out expecting that I would have to pay them off eventually, and that’s only fair,” Coleman said. “Even the Bible says, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.’”

On the other hand, there are many arguments to include clergy in PSLF’s definition of a public service occupation.

“Whenever there is a crisis in the nation, it tends to be the church that jumps in to help,” Coleman said. “People dealing with tough situations also often come to the church for help, so I think that it is definitely a public service.”

Many clergy members across the U.S. have started an informal campaign get clergy occupations to qualify for PSLF again. There is concern for financial help involved, as Protestant clergy usually go through four years of college and three years of seminary school, often racking up a six-figure loan debt.

“[Clergy] are doing things for the public,” sophomore psychology major David Schulte said. “They are constantly doing things like helping the poor and visiting jails. I don’t think they should be excluded from the act.”

Clergy occupations are also not known for high salaries, creating a larger need for inclusion in PSLF. According to The Jewish Daily Forward, the median salary for a full-time pastor is around $40,000 per year; for a Muslim imam, $30,000; for a Catholic priest, $25,000. In a huge contrast, Jewish rabbis earn an average salary of $140,000 per year.

Although the new guidelines could be seen as a logical separation of church and state, the religious community remains convinced that clergy have a great role in public service.

“There is no doubt about the public value of faith in America,” rabbi and Washington Post blogger Brad Hirchfield wrote. He described the newly updated regulation as clumsy and insensitive, actually taking an opposing stance on faith.

“I think this [new regulation] is following a tide where religion is being phased out of public service,” Coleman said. “It’s waning in significance in the public arena.”

According to the statement, the purpose of the law is not to prohibit people from throwing Frisbees and balls but rather to allow ball playing while providing a safe environment where no spectator will be injured.

The ball and Frisbee-throwing ordinance allows football, Frisbee and other ball playing during the off-peak beach season, but in the summer, when the beaches are more crowded, lifeguards have the ability to stop a game in crowded areas if it threatens the safety of others. If a person or group decides not to obey the rules, they can be issued a citation by law enforcement or the Code Enforcement officers.

“I absolutely love the beach, I understand where they might be coming from, but there is always going to be dangers every which way you look,” sophomore communication studies major Sarah Ottavis said.

The new beach ordinance does not forbid all football, soccer balls and Frisbees on all Los Angeles County beaches. Instead, the new law presents a set of rules for safe ball playing at the beach.

“The law for such activities encourage fun and physical wellness,” Ottavis said.

The Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors came up with the new law because of false facts given by the media.

Multiple medias reported that Los Angeles County was going to charge $1,000 fine for people who play football or Frisbee.  Many people were upset about this new rule.

APU wide receiver Nick Prescott feels that it is ridiculous for individuals to actually be fined for throwing a football or a Frisbee while at the beach.

“I think it’s absurd. While they concentrate on less threatening matters, there are more important matters to attend to,” nursing major Axl Primavera said. “It is not like footballs or Frisbees are creating pollution or threatening matters.”

According to the website for Los Angeles County, supervisor Zev Yarovslavsky and director Santos Kreimann of the Department of Beaches and Harbors corrected the policy by saying the new rules allow football and Frisbee as long as it does not endanger others.

The new policy states when people go to the beach they can throw, kick or roll any ball or light object on Los Angeles County beaches during the off-peak season between Labor Day and Memorial Day as long as persons or property are not endangered, and may do so year-round in established or designated areas or if they receive permission from the Department of Beaches or a lifeguard.

If anyone violates the code they can get charged with a fine in accordance with California Government Code which states every violation determined to be an infraction is punishable by 1) a fine not exceeding $100 for a first violation, 2) a fine not exceeding $200 for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year, 3) a fine not exceeding $500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year.

“I absolutely love the beach. It’s easily accessible in the L.A. County,” social work major Meripa Leaea said. “It’s a great place to enjoy God’s beauty and it’s also a great environment for fellowship and feasting with friends and family.”

People can go to the beach and play football or Ultimate Frisbee, but they have to make sure when they play that no bystanders can potentially be injured.

“Although I think it’s unfair to tell people that they can’t have fun, I do appreciate the fact that there is acknowledgement that those who play football and Frisbee at the beach cause a hazard to those around,” junior applied health major Victoria Perkins said. “It’s fine to play on the beach, just play far from others.”

Over the past several years during my time at APU, I have witnessed a watered-down version of Christianity sweep over the student body. This was made ever clear in a recent letter published in The Clause by a student claiming a homosexual orientation. In this letter, the student appealed to the student body to no longer condemn his lifestyle, but to accept it.

 
However, I find biblical error in the student’s request. We as Christians have no place to condemn one another in the body of Christ, but we do have the responsibility to judge one another. For it is written, “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning,” 1 Corinthians 5:12 (NLT). Yes, Christians are called to love the world, but they are also called to bring those out of the darkness of sin and into God’s light, especially those who are in the church. Christians do not have the ability to write the rules of the game; they can only submit themselves to the rules that God has laid out so clearly in His Word. And we as brothers and sisters in Christ cannot idly stand by when other people attempt to play the game in their own terms. For following God is a matter of obedience.

 
In his letter, my fellow classmate also claimed to have chosen to “come out” only after spending months of pleading with God to change him. However, God will NOT do by miracle what man is to do by obedience. When confronted with a temptation/desire that would lead man astray from God, man must not use the excuse that since God did not remove such temptation/desire from their life that they are free to give into such impulsions. And yes, I boldly say that homosexuality falls into the category of a temptation/desire that would lead man astray from God. There is no grey area with God — you are either with Him or against Him, hot or cold, true to Him or true to yourself. We cannot make our theology to fit our lifestyles; we must make our lifestyles to fit our theology.

 
To my fellow homosexual classmates: I write this letter to walk alongside you, for not writing this letter would be to walk away from you.

—Sellika Velasquez
senior history major

 
The film touches on Wilbur’s illness before the time of his death, flashing back to the brothers’ struggles and trials as they attempted to become airborne (including a trail in a courtroom, where I got to be in the crowd).

 
The story’s grand finale shows Orville letting go of Wilbur’s lifeless hand. The scene is juxtaposed with their memory of when Wilbur was running the glider on the dunes of Kittyhawk — as Wilbur released the wing, Orville lifted into the weightlessness of their first successful flight.

 
In their lifetime, Wilbur and Orville did not know for certain what they would accomplish until they actually did it. Although they had the tenacity to work against the seeming impossibility that they faced, their unexpected feat in aviation ended up blowing them — and the world — away in amazement at the turn of the century.

 
Then at Wilbur’s death in 1912, the sorrow of his passing could only be rivaled by the ecstatic joy of his flying.

 
This reminds me of the celebrated singer, Whitney Houston, who recently passed away on the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards. Her life bore similar stages of emotion and achievement.

 
While she sang in church growing up, Houston could only dream of where she would go someday. Once she hit the vein of displaying her talent in the 80s, she rejoiced in the spotlight of international attention as she graced the pop and R & B genres with her voice.

 
Now at the surprising news of her death, the world is dealing with the bewildering circumstances surrounding her final years and the loss of a gem in the musical industry.

 
After looking at these historical lives of renown, I think the same idea of expectancy and surprise could apply to us — even today. Today marks the first day of Lent, the prayerful, springtime season leading up to Holy Week.

 
While giving something up is an important part of the Lenten Season, I believe we should also focus on the hope and anticipation of what might come by the end of those 40 days.

 
What do you think Jesus’ followers were thinking about 40 days before Passover? How about during it? And then after? They always wondered about what Jesus had been telling them, and some of them could barely believe their eyes after the conclusion of those 40 days.

 
With all of that in mind, look forward, unafraid to plan big and shoot for the spectacular — because life often goes beyond all expectation.

——

Mark Miller is a sophomore journalism major from Lancaster, Penn. He loves to travel, learn foreign languages, write poetry and make music. He also looks rather dashing in a suit from 1904.

 
The Internet meme started out mainly on Twitter but has now spread to Facebook pages and viral videos. Recently, the meme now has its own APU-related incarnations in the forms of the Stuff APU Students Say Facebook page and the “Stuff APU Girls Say” YouTube video.

 
The Facebook page started in early January, when six APU students wanted to create something similar to the “Stuff Girls Say” web series. The students wanted to create something simpler and decided upon a Facebook group page.

 
In the short time that the page has been online, the response has shown the power of word-of-mouth, or Facebook invite, per se.

 
“We originally invited about 30 of our friends to the group, and then they invited their friends who invited their friends and so on,” Chanel Fuchigami, a senior applied health major and one of the page’s founding members, said. The Stuff APU Students Say page has gained a lot of positive response, creating many discussions between students commenting on posts.

 
“The Stuff APU Girls Say” video was created and filmed by junior screenwriting major Yolanda Rodriguez. Starring Shelli Marr, Ekaterini Angelis, Lindsay Cooper and Leslie Horrisberger. The video covers a wide variety of sayings derived from girls at APU. The topics in the video include the frequent use of the phrase “so good,” Wi-Fi-induced irritation and the awkwardness of the steps on West Campus.

 
“The video is funny because it is so realistic,” Horrisberger, a junior communications major, said. “There is a lot of truth to it, and I have personally heard a lot of people I know say things from the video. [And I have] said a lot of it myself, which makes it fun to laugh at.”

 
The video has gained a positive response from students.

 
“I thought it was funny because most of it is so true — maybe not typical for every girl at APU, but that stuff still happens,” freshmen graphic design major Alyssa Zavala said.
One of the greatest concerns raised about the meme is whether or not it encourages stereotypes. While that may be true to an extent, there seems to be no harm done. Both Fuchigami and Horrisberger expressed that stereotypes may exist in the meme, even though that was not its intention.

 
It is important to remember that these sites and videos are meant for humor. It may be considered somewhat stereotypical, but there is truth in the stereotypes. Obviously, not every single girl at APU dreams of marrying Tim Tebow, wears Tom’s shoes and excessively uses the word “community.” But there are enough people to make the statements in the video absolutely hilarious. There is no need, furthermore, to get worked up over another fad in Internet humor.

 
Stuff People Say will most likely remain popular for only a few more months — its popularity will die down after a while. Memes have a tendency to lose their pop culture relevance. Try to think of the last time someone actually referenced “My Life Is Average” in a conversation, for example.

 
To be quite honest, it is downright comical to think about how often we say or think about certain things. What makes these videos and sites so humorous is how true the content actually is and how people identify with it. Viewers know people who have said the exact same things from the videos and are often guilty of it themselves. “The Stuff APU Students Say” and “The Stuff APU Girls Say” videos are just glimpses of student life. Truth be told, life sometimes is just plain funny.

——

Maddison Shook is a freshman journalism major from Tyler, Tex.

 
As revealed in an article in The Wall Street Journal entitled, “No More Résumé, Say Some Firms,” Union Square Ventures, a New York venture-capital firm, stopped accepting paper résumés altogether. Instead, they now request links to applicants’ blogs and social networking sites in order to assess their web presence.

 
I will admit that on more than one occasion, I have breathed an exasperated sigh at the thought of having to revise and update my résumé, yet again, to send out to employers, and I am sure many students and young people have felt the same.

 
Despite their being lauded as the golden ticket to a job, it is impossible for one page of printed paper to encompass all of the facets of an applicant’s personality and work experience. Thus, I can see why a move away from paper résumés would seem appealing to many.

 
However, if the majority of employers were to adopt this method of prescreening, I believe it would do more harm than good.

 
The first, and most glaring, problem with requiring applicants to divulge so much of their identity before any sort of screening has taken place is the potential for discrimination based on race, sexual identity, fitness or attractiveness. While I am sure most employers would not admit to choosing to interview one candidate over another based on the abovementioned factors, it is completely possible for one to make a decision they believe is founded on objective qualities which pertain to the job, when in fact this “objective decision” may be seeded in unconscious discriminatory biases.

 
Furthermore, an applicant’s Facebook page or personal blog may or may not contain information which indicates whether they are a good match for the job. Just because a candidate knows how to operate Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites does not mean that he or she knows how to utilize them in a work setting for business purposes. Further unrelated details gleaned through a person’s online presence may encourage prejudgment based on factors that have nothing to do with job performance.

 
Union Square Ventures also required that candidates submit a short video expressing their interest in the position.

 
While some people may find this type of promotion appealing, I am certainly not one of them. An introvert through and through, the last thing I want to do is record a video of myself smiling and energetic, attempting to outshine my competition.

 
These kinds of video auditions automatically skew the favor toward extroverts and people who come across well on camera. While it is important to make sure a candidate fits the personality and culture of a company, assessing a candidate’s personality is what the face-to-face interview is for.

 
Some argue that sifting through hundreds — even thousands — of résumés is an arduous task, but having to watch countless “audition” videos could actually take longer than assessing a résumé. With the influx of unemployed people due to the recession, résumé receipt at companies continues to grow. Thus, recruiters often spend about 30 seconds reading a résumé (less depending on the number of applicants). Video applications would surely take longer than 30 seconds to view.

 
Despite these shortcomings, I do believe that the current résumé-only approach could use rethinking in a way in which does not involve a chance for discrimination.

 
Another method that many companies have utilized is an online survey/assessment. These surveys include questions about an applicant’s personality, values, job adeptness and critical thinking skills.

 
I remember taking such a survey when applying for a job a few summers ago at Michael’s craft store. Completion of the assessment was paired with a submission of my résumé, and I feel this was an adequate screening method. Taken in conjunction with the interview I eventually attended, Michael’s’ hiring practice encompasses a variety of assessment types, which is ideal when trying to glean a well-rounded look at an applicant’s skills and personality.

 
One article, “The 4 Hiring Practices of Highly Successful Organizations,” published on inc.com, reiterates the notion of a multifaceted assessment. The four techniques they outline include job interviews, “where candidates are asked to describe specific examples of their skills;” resume collection (often an automated digital screening process); assessments, which can predict “whether candidates are motivated by the factors associated with a particular jobs or a company’s values;” and finally, simulations, which can “gauge specific job-related abilities and skills.”

 
It is immediately apparent that these practices encompass a comprehensive hiring plan. Although in some cases an employer may not be able to use all of these methods — whether because of time or resources — employers who do not already do so could benefit from an adoption of at least three of the four in order to get a more accurate picture of the prospective employer and make a more educated hiring decision.

 
But students should not get excited about a move away from résumés.

 
The truth is that alternative hiring practices are a niche market; most companies still utilize the traditional résumé and interview process.

 
For students nearing graduation and preparing to embark on a job search, this is good news, as there are resources on campus that can equip students for traditional hiring practices. The Office of Career Services, located next to the Health Center, offers a variety of services including help constructing a résumé and résumé critiques, as well as interviewing tips and mock interviews.

 
We should not think of a résumé as an annoying obligation we must complete in order to get a job. Rather we should consider it an opportunity to showcase our personality and accomplishments in a tangible way.

——

Nicole Flewellen, a senior English major, is the employer relations assistant in the Office of Career Services. She is also a consummate foodie and enjoys few things more than a delicious meal. She loves reading and reminiscing, crafting and cooking and working wonders with words. She hopes to pursue a career in the publishing industry or culinary arts.

 
This old stereotype has been reinforced by Hollywood in the past. Lucille Ball and her partner in crime, Ethel Mertz, were very clever at times, but it would be difficult to argue that the two of them were smart. The majority of the I Love Lucy episodes revolved around the two of them making idiotic mistakes and then coming up with clever ways to remedy the situation.

 
On the television show Three’s Company, three singles, two female and one male, shared a house. The show portrayed the ditzy blonde as the sex symbol and the one more sought after. The other female roommate was painted as the smart one, depicted as less desirable to the audience.

 
In the 90s, on the television show Step-By-Step, the character Karen is painted as the attractive one, while her sister Dana was the smart activist whom men did not like.

 
Currently, the show Modern Family portrays this concept in two different families. Gloria is the clear sex symbol of the show and is not very bright at all, but yet has married a very successful businessman. Haley has failed many high school classes and yet has many suitors in high school and has a thriving social life, while her sister Alex, the overtly intelligent one, struggles significantly socially.

 
Even with the hit television show Modern Family around, this idea that women who are less intelligent are more attractive to men has come to a close for the most part.

 
In the majority of hit televisions shows and movies in the past 20 years, you would be hard pressed to find an idiotic woman that is shown in a good light, due to her unintelligence.

 
Even though Hollywood has reinforced this stereotype over the years, Hollywood has created the most damage in destroying it. Hollywood has created a childhood for our generation where woman were encouraged to be intelligent. Kelly Kapinsky of Saved by the Bell graduated with honors and went to college, Topanga Lawrence of Boy Meets World was valedictorian and received a full ride to college, Hermione Granger is the smartest witch I know and Belle from Beauty and the Beast borrowed books from the library with such frequency that they gave her books for her own collection.

 
Hollywood helped raise our generations with the morals and values of Dr. Cliff Heathcliff Huxtable and Dr. Clair Huxtable (his lawyer wife). Thanks to these shows, our generation has been encouraged to attend college and support women.

 
With that being said, Anna Nicole Smith’s husband did not marry her for her enormous brains, the Kardashians have multiple television shows and Jersey Shore is on its fifth season while the highly-rated science fiction show Firefly was canceled after 14 episodes. It is true that these reality stars are mocked, but those that watch them largely emulate their actions.

 
Overall, I believe the reason for the statistical change is due to the changes in values. Over the years, more and more families have consisted of two-parent incomes. The traditional mindset of having one breadwinner has become obsolete. Higher education and higher salary generally come hand-in-hand, leading to the change as well.

 
In the end, I do not believe that a woman’s education is where the issue lies. Those with similar values will ultimately end up together. A woman who values education is more likely to marry a man who values education and vice versa. The average age of when people get married has risen, the percentage of married women with degrees along with it. I believe there is a direct correlation between the two. The average United States citizen is getting married later, allowing people to become established in their careers and finish their higher educational endeavors before they tie the knot.

——

Tyler Wilson Humphries is a senior communications and journalism double major from Hawaii. He aspires to be prosperous and enjoys surfing, listening to music and reading in his leisure time.

 
Is APU a church?

 
This is a question that I have been pondering recently. The longer I have been at APU, the more often I have thought about it.

 
If you see APU as a church, then that means that certain spiritual standards apply to the school. It also means that, given those standards, you will need to think and behave differently. If you do not see APU as a church, however, then there are implications that stem from that conclusion as well.

 
In either case, I think this is a prevalent issue that is worth thinking about and coming to grips with.

 
Over the course of the past week, I had the chance to talk with 10 students and a professor about their thoughts on the matter. I was surprised to find that many students had at least given a little bit of thought to the issue — I honestly was expecting a less vibrant response overall.

 
Students’ responses were varied in content and mechanism, and they each had their own unique way of addressing the question. I tried to best synthesize and represent what the major sentiments were, although they are by no means an exhaustive representation of student thought.

 
Students Responses

 
In some cases, students’ reasoning behind their choice to think of APU as a church was experiential and essentially utilitarian. In other words, they sought to do what they felt “worked best” for them.

 
Many students felt that they were overcommitted to too many programs here on campus. In light of this over-commitment, some felt that they would be better off treating APU as their church rather than marginally committing to a local body. They have replaced congregation and corporate worship on Sunday with weekly chapel, small groups with bible studies and other functions of the church with a myriad of loosely-structured spiritual activities.

 
I would like to note the irony here. Students who view APU as a church are at one particular advantage over those who do not: an advantage in the area of giving.

 
If students think they are obeying biblical commands like those in 2 Corinthians 8-9 to give generously and sacrificially, then they are certainly out-giving us all with their tuition (that is, unless they are a recipient of the Trustees Scholarship). Furthermore, that giving no doubt comes at a significant financial hardship.

 
Other students’ reasoning for concluding that APU is a church was more conceptual but also seasoned with experimentalism.

 
Some students define the church as essentially “a group of people intentionally living their lives as followers of Christ while the Holy Spirit is at work within them as they further the Kingdom of God.” These students would argue that the definition of the worldwide church that includes all believers enables a place like APU to be considered a church as well.

 
Still other students saw APU as a mix of the two: part church and part “something else” (this is where the variability came into play).

 
Even within this category there were varied and mixed responses. Some students saw APU as being a training ground and a gathering of members of individual churches. Still others saw some overlap between the two.

 
Finally, there were students that saw APU as decidedly not being a church but rather a Christian training ground or as a parachurch ministry (a faith-based ministry independent of church oversight). However, they would also add that APU shares very many similar characteristics with the church and that it is a great privilege to study alongside other Christians. I would include myself in this group, but more on that later.

 
Interestingly enough, the proportion of each general category was roughly equal.

 
I found that the key determinant for students’ thinking was their ecclesial definition — what they defined a “church” to be. The definition that they chose influenced all of their corresponding thoughts and actions. This is essentially what we are trying to determine and what is at work here.

My Two Bits

 
So, it is my turn now — my chance to weigh in.

 
First and foremost, we have to understand what APU thinks it is. After all, this really is what we should start with.

 
If APU is not trying to be a church, then those who would say that it is are operating outside the intentions of the school. The same goes for the contrary reality and subsequent position. We need to respect the intentions of the institution if we are to maintain both intellectual honesty and a loving disposition.

 
APU does not see itself as a church.

 
While it has campus pastors, they operate to facilitate and foster spiritual life here at APU — not to serve as the directing force, leaders or shepherds of the school. And while APU has leaders and a board of overseers, they do not see themselves as leading a church. We have marketing teams, payroll experts, CFO’s and other executive administrative personnel. These are all hallmarks of a business and are not fundamental aspects to a church.

 
Thus, APU is more than, but cannot be reduced to less than, a business. Furthermore, it is a Christian business. We pay tuition for a product that we receive. But the fact that it is run by Christians and for the purpose of equipping Christians does mean that is, in many ways, not like most Christian businesses.

 
Finally, not all students here at APU are Christians. This fact by itself ought to dissuade us from defining APU as a church.

 
Now, I want to be careful here. I am aware of the fact that there are many people at churches today that are not Christians. This is a sad and sobering reality. However, this is a self-defeating fact for those seeking to define APU as a church.

 
A church is, in the words of professor Michael Bruner, “The unique manifestation of God’s incarnate presence in the world, tasked with the primary responsibility to be the mouth, hands, feet, ears and eyes of Christ, and to the degree that it does not live up to this, it fails in its calling. The Church is the New Israel, the continuation of God’s people Israel, whose life and purpose together is constituted by their covenant with God.”

 
Thus, the spiritual demographics of the student body of APU as well as its definition are enough to prevent it from being a called a church by someone desiring to be intellectually honest and loving (at least in my opinion).

 
But beyond considering how APU thinks of itself, we ought to examine the implications of treating APU as a church.

 
One problem is in regards to the use of spiritual gifts.

 
When we refuse to give of the gifts that God has given us, we end up depriving churches of the chance to be blessed by us. We can use our gifts here at school to bless other and in turn be blessed by them, but our gifts were in many cases designed to be used within a church community.

 
While students have cited being overcommitted to things at school, there is no point at which giving of time to a church and being involved to the degree you can will be a bad thing. It should, in my estimate and I think in Paul’s, trump other responsibilities. So giving your time at a church will be blessed and ought to figure highly in your list of priorities.

Conclusions

 
There are a myriad of complications and implications that come with misconstruing APU to be a church. It seems to me that APU does not want to be considered a church, that its nature prevents it from being called one, and that if you consider it to be a church, then you are depriving both yourselves and others of spiritual blessing.

 
Overall, it appears to me that many students seem to be confusing the definition of a church as a whole with what it means to be a discrete, autonomous church.

 
So go to church and not just chapel.

 
Get involved in the churches in and around the surrounding communities. Give of your spiritual gifts and be blessed in return. Be a part of the Bride of Christ. Let APU be what it wants to be, and take great joy in the chance to learn alongside fellow Christians.
Go to church and be a part of the Church.

——

Mark Thomas  is a junior English and economics double major from Burbank, Calif. He enjoys coffee a little too much and has a particular affinity for sloths. Follow the blog that he and Reed Woodyard run at www.rantifestos.org.

A food truck sets up camp at the Foothill Swap Meet held on Sundays in the Citrus College football parking lot.

There were four food trucks at the swap meet, three independent stands selling aguas frescas, one churro stand, one shaved ice stand and one hot dog stand. The four food trucks offered the same foods: tacos, quesadillas, carne asada plates and burritos.

After having an $8 carne asada plate that included rice, beans, salsa, corn tortiallas and a salad, I started to feel queasy. The meat looked strange when it came out of the small window on the side of the truck. It was not marinated at all, and it was a purple-gray color. It did not look like it was cooked on a grill, but fried in a pan of oil.

I am mostly Caucasian, but I grew up in a city an hour from Mexico. The majority of the population was Mexican, so I grew up eating Mexican, especially Baja, food. The carne asada plate did not compare, and it was made from some of the cheapest meat I have ever eaten. Having lived in Brazil for a short while, visiting Mexico frequently and giving tours of downtown L.A., I did not think twice about eating street food. It had never hurt me before, so why would it hurt me now?

I ate about half of the food before throwing away the rest of the plate, and I decided to walk around the swap meet looking for more food to review. Finding another food truck with shaded picnic tables, I ordered a chicken quesadilla. It was served to me by a nice man and his mother, who was teaching him how to use the cash register.

The quesadilla was topped with grilled onions that were seasoned with chili powder, and the whole thing tasted great. The lady reminded me of my friends’ mothers from back home; she tenderly wrapped up the uneaten parts of the quesadilla and sent me on my way, thanking me for my business. But I did not feel well.

Finding a stand selling aguas frescas, I ordered my favorite drink, horchata. I took a sip as I scoped the swap meet for my next culinary adventure. It was the worst horchata I have ever had. It was not the creamy, frothy, sweet drink with the faintest smell of cinnamon. It tasted like a watered-down cup of milk with almost no sweetness or spice.

That is when it happened. I darted toward the nearest trash can. My stomach was not very happy with my food choices that day, and I lost it.

Feeling much better after my visit to the trash can, I figured that I had gotten rid of whatever had made me sick, so I found a churro stand to fulfill my longing for some comforting spice. The churro was really good, so good that I ate the entire thing: crispy, fried golden brown, with the sparkling of cinnamon sugar.

It was about this time that the vendors started to pack up their things, so I started to walk home when I felt it again. I guess the first time I threw up, I did not get rid of whatever it was that made me sick, because I was leaning over the grass this time clutching my saved quesadilla in one hand and clutching my stomach with the other. After my body rejected everything I ate that day, I finally was able to make it back to my apartment and lie down. I would not recommend the swap meet food to anyone, but I would go back for that chicken quesadilla