I am a colporteur, and I have been canvassing for some time now. This ministry has been a BIG blessing in my life and has helped strengthen my relationship with Christ. God really uses canvassing to bring hope to people. One day while I was canvassing, I entered a tattoo/smoke shop. The thought that came to mind was, "I hope this is a quick rejection.”  I thought that a place like that was not the prettiest place to bring Christian books to. I stepped in and saw the lady behind the … [Read more...]

Longboarding is a viable form of transportation and should be embraced as an on-campus travel option. Southwestern has stated that they cannot allow skateboarding for insurance reasons, but what the University, or insurance, may not realize is that skateboards and longboards are far different than they may at first appear. I would compare a longboard to a bicycle before I would compare it to a skateboard.  Skateboards have little plastic wheels that are great for tricks, but are dangerous … [Read more...]

I must admit there are just some things I don’t understand. Most things, I just dismiss as unimportant. However, there is one thing that I have noticed since coming to college that I just simply can’t dismiss: the kinesiology department’s anti-jeans policy. I grew up on a small farm in central Texas. I wore jeans almost everywhere. Need to round up the cows? Okay, that’s fine. I’m wearing jeans. Need to run after a stray animal? Say…the dog, for instance? Sure. I’m still wearing … [Read more...]

I believe going to Southwestern Adventist University is preparing me for my future. I’m in college because I want to become a police officer. Interestingly enough, you don’t need to have a college degree to become a police officer. However, I believe I need a form of higher education. You never truly know what tomorrow could bring. You’re drinking hot coffee, watching the football game on your nice soft couch one moment, and then out on the streets jobless the next. I knew going … [Read more...]

I originally started this article with the intention of finding something wrong at Southwestern so that I could in some small way right this injustice. I tried to find something wrong, maybe even looked a little harder than most. It was like I was struck with writer’s block and couldn’t think of anything that was wrong with the place. I was a little perplexed, even upset, that for all my complaining when given the opportunity to put it on paper, nothing came to mind. As I took a mental … [Read more...]

Have you ever noticed that we’re constantly surrounded by music? Whether it’s an annoying little jingle about kitty litter that gets stuck in your head or a three-and-a-half hour opera at a prestigious performance hall, music is everywhere. With popular music, it seems as if the trends are always changing. I never thought I would turn into one of those odd middle-aged people who still wear tie-dye shirts and say “groovy,” but sometimes when I turn on my radio only to hear one Justin … [Read more...]

Growing up with a father who is a pastor and a mother who is a teacher puts quite a bit of stress on how other people perceive you. I am eternally grateful for my parents and how they have raised me, including how I have grown in my religious beliefs because of their example. Through the example of my parents and that of Jesus Christ that I have studied, I saw and to this day attempt to utilize in my own life, the shared qualities of humility and a nonjudgmental attitude. Upon my arrival to … [Read more...]

I’m not gonna sugar coat this: I broke my arm taking a flying leap of stupid off of a three high. It was no one’s fault in particular and while, yes, it could have been prevented, it could also have happened to anybody. It’s just a risk you take being on an acrobatic team like S.W.A.T. Just  a few days prior to my accident, another member of the team fell off of a similar three-high flat onto his face; he just had the good fortune of having fallen onto a softer mat and having bones that … [Read more...]

I just got finished watching “A Thousand Words,” a movie featuring Eddie Murphy. The story is about a book agent who develops a psychic connection to a mysterious tree. He discovers that for every word that he says–or even writes–a leaf falls from the tree. He determines–with the help of a holy man–that when the tree loses all of his leaves, the tree–and he–will die. On the surface, the film is about how casually we use and misuse words. That has a lot to say about us as … [Read more...]

Windows down, I slammed on the brakes at a stoplight on Renfro. The car squealed and rolled to a leisurely stop. I don’t recommend driving with cut brake wires! “Some people are just not classy,” said my friend Angel, sitting in the passenger seat. Then, the radio turned into an ear-splitting buzz. It tended to do that. Turning down the volume, I replied, “I know! There’s a difference between having class and wearing a classy costume.” At the green light my sister’s car eased … [Read more...]