As a sophomore at George Fox University (GFU), I remember sitting on my bed staring at my next assigned reading, “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu. It was a brand new Penguin Classic: shiny and unadulterated by pen scribbles. This was it. The infamous novel that had unraveled the senior class. 

Ever since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the region has been plunged into an increasingly bloody conflict. Instead of reckoning with the complicated history of colonialism in the Middle East, much of the world understands the conflict as something it fundamentally is not: a clash between Jews and Muslims. This misunderstanding, heavily fueled by Zionist rhetoric, serves only to dehumanize the Palestinian people and encourage global anti-semitism. 

College has long been a surefire route to job security, higher pay, and life-long benefits. More Americans seek out a college education to obtain those things now more than ever. However, many believe that a bachelor’s degree has lost its potency and that the master’s degree is the new bachelor’s. This phenomenon is a consequence of education becoming a product and the constantly evolving barriers of access to high-paying jobs.

For millennia, Christianity has led thousands to leave their homes for remote places to minister to the community through evangelism, scripture translation, and church planting. In recent decades, however, the face of mission work has changed to American young people with a savior complex going to economically underdeveloped countries to build schools, hospitals, and homes with a determination to display their hearts for Jesus. This work often does more harm than good to those communities and undermines the purpose of mission work.

Christianity is supposed to be a faith rooted in community, but what happens when the community picks and chooses who it accepts? Grace Semler Baldridge, who goes by Semler, has been exploring this question through music since they became the first openly queer artist to top the Christian music charts in 2021. On Sept. 15, Semler released “Night Aches.” Their new EP contains songs like “Faith” and “Be Like Jesus,” which specifically explore the pain and beauty of being a queer Christian in spaces that try to lock queer people out of religion.

Every fall semester, George Fox University (GFU) hosts Serve Day. According to GFU’s website, students, faculty, staff, and alumni go across the community to support local organizations on this day dedicated to service which aims “to utilize serving as a means of greater proximity, deeper learning, and mutual empowerment with our neighbors.” The goal of this event is to inspire students to volunteer year-round and, through this, deepen their relationship with Christ.

This month, former student Camilla Carpenter settled a lawsuit for $4 million against George Fox University (GFU) and another former student Marshall Magill on claims of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

We are just weeks away from the end of another year. Classes are winding down, projects are due, tests are coming up, and the summer sun is almost here. While the excitement and anticipation is almost unbearable, students have to remain engaged and focused on finishing out the year strong before it is time to head home for the summer. Adding to the chaos, students are expected to pack up their temporary homes.

Have you decided to call campus your home over the summer? If you have, you are one of the few students who have decided to hang out on the quad a little longer than the rest. Whatever is keeping you here, one thing is for sure: it’s probably not the luxurious dorm rooms with amazing air conditioning (AC) made to withstand the elements.

I haven’t paid much attention to my schedule for this semester. During the first semester, I was very aware of when the breaks were and when I was going home. This semester, through no fault of my parents, I have paid little attention to when I might be going home. However, I did notice that all of my friends at other schools were comfortably enjoying spring break before I was. 

TikTok’s domination over society’s consciousness is undeniable. Adolescents and young adults flock to the app to uncover pending trends, lifestyle hacks, and hilarious pop culture moments. It is the epicenter of social media and youth culture. To be off TikTok is to be out-of-the-loop, a phenomenon keeping people tethered to its use. 

In the last year, horror movies like Pearl, Nope, The Menu, and Bodies, Bodies, Bodies have made a significant splash in online discourse. Content creators on TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube had field days diving into and obsessing over these and other recent horror films, making it seem like horror is the only important film genre right now. While this is objectively false, the impact of horror on culture cannot be understated. Why has the genre suddenly taken up so much of society’s consciousness? 

It’s a beautiful day on the quad: the sun is out, there is a slight breeze, and all of your friends are gathered together to soak up the rare but precious bit of sunshine. You lay out a blanket, grab some snacks, and set out for a productive day of doing homework in the fresh air. A beautiful sentiment, isn’t it? Unfortunately, the reality of a spotty internet connection will likely force you back inside or strategically pick a less-than-ideal spot near a building.

The act of sipping grape juice (sometimes wine if we’re lucky) and eating a cracker that tastes like cardboard each Sunday at church is supposed to remind me that Jesus broke His body and shed His blood for my sins. However, instead of feeling gratitude for Jesus’ death, I find myself more worried about spilling the juice on myself or making too much noise as I remove the wrapper of my wafer. 

It seems to be a pinnacle question for any conversation about basketball now: “Who do you think is the GOAT?” But this constant debate over who has become the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) has become exhausting and trivial in today’s sports media landscape.

In Nov. 2022, an Instagram account called @help_hobson popped up to show how George Fox University’s (GFU) Hobson Hall is in disarray. The activity of the account was brief and is part of a long list of student-run Instagram accounts that fizzle out. But, it does show the rising discontent many students feel about the conditions of university housing, especially in the older buildings.

Up until this last academic year, all incoming George Fox University (GFU) students were required to take HHPA 120 (Lifelong Fitness) for one semester in order to graduate. But frankly, the class itself doesn’t add a singular drop of value to my college of education. Guess what? Carbohydrates exist! Feeling depressed? Try thinking positively!

It's the week leading up to the new semester. If you're a type A personality like myself, you are constantly checking Canvas to see if your classes have been published. As they pop up, you scan the syllabus and course description so you can mentally prepare for what you are about to enter. Dread creeps in as one class' page is not published. Nine times out of ten, this dread is met with relief, as after the first class meeting, the professor publishes it, averting a crisis. But every now and again, there is that one class that never comes.

Remember back in high school when it was normal to wake up before the sun and roll out of bed to turn off your alarm at 6 a.m.? Yeah, neither do I. As I looked at my spring semester schedule discovering that I had to be up, ready, and in class by 8 a.m. every day of the week, I questioned how I ever woke up before 9 a.m. and how I was expected to do it now.