Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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Volume 41 Issue 10
The Fermanian Business & Economic Institutes weather prediction for 2013: The forecast is clearing, but a stubborn haze remains. On Thursday morning, about 350 business leaders and students gathered for breakfast at the fourth Annual Economic Outlook Forum held for the first time at the Liberty Station Conference Center. According to Randy Ataide, the executive director of the FBEI, this was the most successful economic forecast event that PLNU has hosted yet, based on attendance and interest. We want PLNU to be a reliable place for the community to find practical economic input, Ataide said. He added that, while some economic forums tend to be obtuse, the Fermanian Economic Outlook Forum seeks to make data applicable in what he calls actionable economics with practical implications for the business world. The forum included a discussion of action steps for 2013. For Ataide and others, events like these are very important for PLNU to get its name out into the business community. He was proud of this years interdepartmental collaboration in hosting this event, and he was particularly pleased with the Liberty Station conference center venue. The
school looks forward to more events here in the future. Ali Turnquist, a student assistant for the institute, hinted at the prospect of expanding operations at Liberty Station as well. The day after the event I had a chance to read through surveys from those who attended, and there was an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm for the venue and the timing of the event [right after the election], she said.
Economists are predicting a recession if nothing is done to prevent the U.S. from going off the cliff.
For the 40 PLNU students who attended the event, the conditions were ripe for networking. Junior Billy Kailimai, another student assistant at the FBEI, said he had the opportunity to speak with a woman who works at AmericanWest Bank in the securi-
ties section. Not only did I gain a lot of knowledge on where the economy is headed, I really got a lot of experience networking, he said. The favorable business professionals to student ratio gave students at the forum a good chance to hand out business cards, Turnquist said. Events like these could potentially lead to internships and jobs. Ataide said he has in fact seen hundreds of internships, interviews and jobs come from FBEI events in the past. The theme for this years discussion was: Will the fiscal fog clear? PLNUs chief economist, Dr. Lynn Reaser, believes that economic prospects look good for 2013, but she emphasized that Congress must come together to avoid the fiscal cliff that awaits the American economy at the end of the year. At midnight on Dec. 31, a series of tax laws are set to change, and the debt ceiling agreed upon in 2011 takes effect, leaving lawmakers to deal with simultaneous tax increases and spending cuts. Economists are predicting a recession if nothing is done to prevent the U.S. from going off the cliff. But Reaser remains optimistic. In a post-event interview with the San Diego Daily Transcript, she said, I [CONT. ECONOMIC LOOK, P.2] OUT-
Seniors Victoria Repstad and Josh Wathen crowned homecoming queen and king during Fridays coronation ceremony.
In the recent election the votes for San Diego Mayor were drastically different between the northern and southern areas of the city. After 20 years of Republican mayors, San Diego has elected Democrat Bob Filner, who defeated opponent Carl DeMaio and will take over on Dec. 3. On election day Filner won with 51 percent of the votes. KPBS has provided a map that shows how the different San Diego regions voted; it displays the difference between Republican votes, the majority of which were from the north, and the Democrat votes, which primarily came from the south. You had two candidates who were very different from one another; it was a very clear decision for voters, said Lindsey Lupo, PLNU associate professor of political science. But just because the two candidates were ideologically very opposite
from one another doesnt mean that the voters were as well. The political lines that seem to be manifested in physical boundaries which separate San Diego in half might not be so disparate, according to Lupo. Rather than looking at it like, here is half of San Diego and heres the other half, probably what it is, is a whole bunch of people right in the middle that are probably not that different from one another, said Lupo. Its just that they had to make a choice between two candidates. PLNU students have different opinions on why such political division occurred. I think you can trace the lower class vote dominating the election to increasingly conservative stances on social and economic issues that affect the poor within the Republican Party,
As the former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin has done her best to step out of the world of politics in recent years, but PLNU history and political science professor Linda Beail is taking one more look at Palins highly criticized political career. Beail introduced her newly published book, Framing Sarah Palin: Pit Bulls, Puritans, and Politics, to the audience of her parents, husband, two young children and PLNU family at Thursdays Colt Lecture Series event in Colt Forum. With every one of the 85 seats filled, many students gathered in the back of the room to hear about Beails first book. [CONT. SARAH PALIN, P.2]
2 | NEWS
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 19, 26,2012 2012 November
San Diego will change, there will be new policies that we have not seen in the last twenty years...
And I think you can trace it to the presidential election, which is where most people focus on their attention. I think minorities and the lower-middle class were alarmed at Mitt Romneys apparent disdain for the poor, and were mobilized into action, said Schultz. The majority of northern San Diego is made up of wealthier communities compared to southern San Diegos lower-income residents. In northern San Diego, which largely voted for DeMaio, the housing price ranges
from about $60,000 to $30,000,000, according to realtor.com. In contrast, in southern San Diego, which largely voted for Filner, the range is from $40,000 to $3,000,000. Socio-economic background drives partisanship which drives vote choice, so the higher-end neighborhoods will tend to vote more Republican, said Lupo. During the elections, there were different factors, such as economy and race, that influenced peoples choices. The Hispanic vote went 70 per-
cent democrat, which is extremely heavy population-wise in southern areas like San Ysidro, said student Justin Vos, who worked as a regional political director for Republican San Diego congressional candidate Brian Bilbray. Well, I think that DeMaios policies take a fiscally conservative stance, which historically aligns with the views of the wealthy, said student Tavis Robertson. Wealthier citizens typically dont need as much aid from the government, and so [they] are able to see
welfare programs as more wasteful and frivolous than do most poor people. That isnt to say that the wealthy dont have compassion and want the poor to suffer. It will be interesting; its a different kind of mayor, said Lupo. San Diego will change, there will be new policies that we have not seen in the last twenty years and Filner has some bold ideas; so it will be a noticeable shift.
Students and alumni walked Caf Lane on Saturday during the Homecoming Extravaganza.
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 19, 26,2012 2012 November
11/19 The Rawlins Trio @ Crill Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m.
11/19 How the Grinch Stole Christmas @ The Old Globe, 8 p.m. (through Dec. 29) 11/21 Rachael Yamagata @ Anthology, 7:30 p.m. 11/22 Thanksgiving Dinner @ Nicholson Commons or Your House 11/23 Holiday of Lights 2012 @ Del Mar Fairgrounds, through Jan. 1 11/23 The Maine & Mayday Parade @ SOMA, 6:30 p.m.
Sorry Im late, guys. I was practicing piano, said James as he entered Stage Right at the patio outside Bobby Bs coffee shop. Three members of the alternative-rock band Sleepless Pacific James Bishop, Esteban Cervantes and Taylor Eldreth met in elementary school and are now PLNU freshmen together. As Eldreth continued to drum a beat on his legs, Cervantes explained how they all connected through middle school band and high school marching band, along with their friends Robin Morris, a high school senior, and Logan Nelson, a college sophomore. Our high school was putting on battle of the bands, and I really wanted to be a part of it, said Cervantes. We practiced a couple times, went to sign up, and they said it was cancelled. I was like, Well, are we still going to be a band? The show went on. Cervantes was just learning guitar as the group
started practicing every Sunday at Eldreths church, thanks to the generosity of his father. They were dedicated to their collective musical growth, but their sound was not traveling far. The band started seeking out gigs. Booking shows at the San Diego County Fair, House of Blues, Lestats Coffee Shop, Whisky a Go Go of Hollywood and several local San Diego spots, Sleepless Pacific has rocked approximately 30 stages. The band came close to achieving their dream of opening for their biggest inspiration. We played before Switchfoot, Cervantes said, but didnt open for them. Sleepless Pacific finally received their second chance to vie for winner of battle of the bands. This time proved successful; the band won PLNUs battle of the bands on October 25, hosted by the Invisible Children club. Its good for us because we have a whole new fan base, said Bishop. Its also really accessible for our friends to come watch us.
Bishop explained that while each has grown as a musician individually, they have not been able to collaborate together as often. Its tough to stay focused practice-wise, said Bishop. Not having a practice room, first of all. And keeping focused academically with a whole social world. Though they hope to share their music with the campus, they are interested in integrating PLNUs community into their work. Though sound checks and harmonies do not happen frequently, the band recognizes a different kind of preparation fostered by PLNU. The values that were learning here and growing as people is going to overflow into our music, Bishop said. Our music has changed mostly lyrically and music-wise. Going from writing all about girls we have crushes on to things that we want to change. But we still write about girls, Cervantes interjected. The concept of the bands name, Sleepless Pacific, captures their desire to transition to this next stage
Taylor Eldreth, Logan Nelson, James Bishop and Esteban Cervantes, members of Sleepless Pacific, perform in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
of life. Wed grown up in the same town for 18 years, said Bishop. I felt sleepless, anxious about wanting to get out there. Their song Sleepless explores this feeling. Taylor came up with this other part of the name, said Bishop. We really wanted to incorporate the Pacific. Were San Diego kids. Their first album, Breaking Ground, will be released January 11,
2013, and features 12 professionallyrecorded original songs. Their current focus is enacting a publicity plan and sending the album to record labels. Until then, Sleepless Pacific hopes students will keep their ears open for a release party. For me one of the coolest things about being in a band together, is being in a band with my best friends, reflected Bishop. We grow in music and grow in love all for the glory of God.
The 50-person PLNU Concert Band starts cricket-like snaps, mimicking the sound of soft rain falling on a tin roof. Then the thunder comes in the sound of a deep bass drum. A flute gently narrates the scene of Robert W. Smiths In A Gentle Rain, the second composition performed Thursday night of Homecoming Week. Music Professor John Dally conducted the orchestra, which played to about 350 people, nearly filling the seats of Crill Performance Hall. The title of the Performance, From Above, is derived from John 19:11, when Jesus declares to Pilate that he would have no power over him if it were not given to him from above. This theme pervaded each piece, from the aforementioned In a Gentle Rain to the dissonant Sheltering Skies. The horns, drums, brass and woodwinds per-
sonified the different elements of the show. Midway through the performance, things got jazzy. Will Unkefer played the standup bass on the left side of the stage with Will Ah Sing jammin on the piano and soprano Annie Miller singing the Flash! Bam! Alakazam! of Orange Colored Sky. Taylor Pizzuto is a sophomore clarinetist in the Concert Band. We had most of the music for a couple months, some of them we had basically from the beginning of the year, and some of them were easy pieces. He mentioned that after the fall tour, they mainly practiced the centerpiece of the show Angels in the Architecture. This dynamic composition was a 14-minute struggle between darkness and light. A few percussionists waved tubes around their heads, making a constant boomerang-like sound, a rush of air. Into this sound soprano Krista Wilford sang: I am an angel
of light, representing the light in the ensuing battle. Her vocals were soon drowned out by the cacophonous dark of the swift, quick minor notes of the band. Thus, the contrast is made between the anxious, volatile dark notes, and the calming vocals of Wilford, the slow major notes of the horns and woodwinds. Kelsie Rich is a freshman who plays clarinet in the band, an instrument she has been playing since fourth grade. She talked about her favorite part of the performance, saying, I really liked the jazz piece. It was something new, and the other songs kind of get repetitive after a while of you playing them a bunch so you dont notice how beautiful they are until you play them at a concert and then they all sound so good. Sophomore Karina Bunten attended the concert and shared her thoughts. I really enjoyed how they used the full auditorium to include the audience in the performance, said Bunten. It just flowed nicely, the music was just really easy to listen to and enjoyable. After the performance, cupcakes from Cupcakes Squared and other treats were served to the attendants. The members of the Concert Band came out and were greeted and congratulated by their fellow students. The show was creative, exciting and very modern, using the myriad of instruments afforded the band and making use of the different levels of Crill, captivating the audience with vocals and horns from above.
courtesy of stereogum.com
The Green Sea carries a Green Sea wannabe off the stage at the Homecoming Variety Show on Friday, Nov. 16.
Hooray! Its all finally over! I mean and so concludes the film saga adapted from the youngadult book series written by Stephenie Meyers. At last the fiveentree tale of a human teenage girl named Bella Swan, once again played by Kristen Stewart, and her vampire love interest Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, comes to an end. Continuing where Part One left off, Bella has been transformed into a vampire by Edward to save her life while she gives birth to their half-human, half-vampire CGI baby, Renesmee. The vampire government, Volturi, in Italy thinks Edwards coven has broken a law stating vampires cannot turn children into vampires. It believes punishment is at hand. As the Volturi gather minions and draw near, the Cullen coven rounds up other vampires for defense. As with the last Twilight movie, those who know well of the sagas awfulness and are not members of
the Twihard fan base know what to expect: A story with a minimal and weak plot that drags, overly melodramatic acting, cheap special effects and brain-dead character decisions and actions. Constant plot holes and inconsistencies that just keep coming. The ridiculous vampire lore Meyers invented. Its all there and more and it is so fantastically glorious this time. This is the most tolerable of all the Twilight movies. It is such a laugh riot, so deliciously terrible, with the addition of some intentional goofy, humorous moments that work to its advantage. With so many of the actors and actresses trying to give it their all, get ready to behold the magnificent hilarity that is Stewart finally deciding to care about playing Bella this time. Special praise goes out to actor Michael Sheen for his intentional carefree, over-the-top flamboyant performance as Aro, the head vampire of the Volturi, which is comedic gold. To top it all off, this movie has one of the best/worst grand finale endings ever made. A surprisingly intriguing action climax is followed by a twist ending that is a shocking punch to the face. If youre a fan of the books and like the movies, whats going to stop you from going to see it? But if youre a skeptic of the popular series, believe it or not, there is the chance that you could like it better than some of the fans do, primarily for the beautiful disaster that it is. After five years of annual releases of these jokes of movies, the punchline has finally arrived, and is surprisingly watchable.
4| FEATURES
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 19, 26,2012 2012 November
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. -Jon Stewart *Warning: These quotes may or may not improve your intelligence.*
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Brownlee and Brumbaugh refine their yo-yo skills. Keith Thompson is an aspiring yo-yoer, a Padawan to the Jedi Master Obi-Wu Kenobi. If I wanted to be cool, I would have to yo-yo, and I want to be cool, Thompson said. Thompson was invigorated with his first yo-yo hour. I felt a part of something bigger . . . the yo community, Thompson said. The future of yo-yoing lies not only in the Candy Rain and Gondola tricks of Brumbaugh and Brownlee, but in the transformation from the newb moves of Eiffel Tower and Walk the Dog to the creative art that yo-yoing has the potential to be. #yoyolo
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 26, 2012 November 19, 2012
FEATURES | 5
Rethinking the way we buy at the Christmas season can have a huge impact on others lives.
will be crowded with vendors, students, live music, interactive booths and coffee as the Roots of Giving Fair works to promote fair trade practices over the Christmas season. Just like Charlie Brown, people are trying to find ways to find Christmas Spirit through ethical buying practices that can help others instead of accepting unethical consumerism. Senior Andrew Schalin, intern at the Center of Justice and Reconciliation and director of the fair, said via email, The Christmas season is linked with so much buying and consuming. Rethinking the way we buy at the Christmas season can have a huge impact on others lives. Change starts with small steps, and the holiday season is a great first step. The Roots of Giving Fair is run through the Center of Justice and Reconciliation, which aims to inform and change patterns of oppression and injustice. The CJR is directed by Dr. Jamie Gates, PLNU professor of sociology. Its a great place to do Christ-
mas shopping, Schalin said. The items you will find at the fair will be unlike gifts anywhere else. The best part is, you can feel good about buying the items! The fair features both student and community vendors and will also have booths where attendees can try their creative hand at crocheting and making paper snowflakes. Students can sip coffee while perusing the wares for sale or just relaxing in Christmas spirit. Senior Katie Haeuser said that Roots of Giving is different from most of the events that occur on Caf Lane, comparing it to a Christmasstyle farmers market. Less is more, friends, Haeuser said via email. Theres nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts with the people you care about, but its not about stuff. We are so blessed remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Haeuser is a self-proclaimed fairtrade enthusiast working on the design of the fair this year, or the ambience, as she describes it. Roots of Giving advocates for fair-trade products by presenting alternatives to the products usually available for purchase. The purpose of the fair is to encourage students to rethink their buying practices during the Christmas season, where it is alltoo easy to get caught up in Lucys claim that Christmas is a commercial racket. According to junior Analise Eastman, one of the best parts is the fact that the fair provides an example for people to follow. It kind of shows a glimpse of how our world could function without using slave trade and child labor workers, Eastman said. Not only is it showing that its possible, but its doing it.
GOOD & FAIR CLOTHING A clothing company that specializes in fair trade and organic materials. They partner with cotton farmers and garment workers to provide fair and ethical jobs and guilt-free clothing.
Stress is a large part of student life, but with the proper information it can be managed in a way that can help students have a healthy lifestyle.
well and it is very stressful, especially in combination with other stressors, said Lewis. Junior Veronica Parker explains that managing all the different aspects of her life can cause stress.
Find out more ways to deal with stress by searching Tame Your Stress at: healthy.kaiserpermanente.org
6 | SPORTS
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 19, 26,2012 2012 November
11/20: Mens Basketball vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7 p.m. 11/23: Womens Basketball @ Cal State Dominguez Hill, 1 p.m. 11/24: Womens Basketball @ Cal State Los Angeles, 3 p.m.
On Saturday, hundreds of PLNU students, faculty and alumni gathered in Golden Gymnaisum to support the basketball teams in the annual Homecoming games. The Green Sea was packed with screaming fans decked out with painted faces and an assortment of green and gold clothing, while the Jazz Band provided a live soundtrack for the evening. The night kicked off with the
season opener for the womens basketball team. The ladies hosted former conference rival Biola University. All-American Nyla Bailey led the way with 23 points on 10-20 shooting, and the Sea Lions cruised to a 59-46 victory over the visiting Eagles. The PLNU women smothered Biola on defense, limiting the Eagles to just 26 percent shooting from the field. After the womens game ended, Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton took a moment to honor the contributions of longtime Sea Lion supporter Sharon Irwin, who passed
away about a month ago. Sharons husband Ross, who along with his wife has rarely missed a PLNU sporting event over the years, was presented with a framed collage of pictures of Sharon that was signed by members of the athletic faculty and staff. Additionally, two of the green chairs in the special Point Loma Sports Assoctiates (PLSA) fan section were spray painted gold and marked with signs reserving them for Ross and Sharon Irwin. Next up was the mens game, a brutal contest against Northwest
Nazarene University that doubled as the PLNU mens home opener. During the team introductions for NNU, members of the Green Sea held up copies of the Point Weekly to illustrate their lack of interest. But when the Sea Lions were introduced, the crowd exploded with noise. Unfortunately, the mens team did not give the Green Sea much to cheer about after the opening tip, losing to the Crusaders 53-36. After cruising out to an early 10-3 lead, the Green and Gold could not find their shooting stroke against the stingy Crusader defense.
The men shot just 32 percent from the field, including an abysmal 2-22 from 3-point range. They also made just six of 21 free throws. The men were able to get the crowd up out of their seats with a pair of thunderous slam dunks from freshman Arren Wells and junior AJ Ussery. But the Crusader defense was too much to handle. But with a spectacular win from the womens team, a rabid Green Sea, fun tunes from the Jazz Band and a host of alumni and supporters in attendance, the 2012 Homecoming night was one to remember.
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march 19, 26,2012 2012 November
SPORTS | 7
PLNU Professor Carl Hammond is an avid soccer fan, to say the least. He has created websites such as Powerstats.com that are able to track statistics and enhance the game for fans.
com, which has raised more than $200,000 for youth soccer programs in Southern California. I am a busy guy, said Hammond.
Its because I dont ever sit around and watch TV. Unless, of course, soccer is on.
courtesy of ibtimes.com
Hanlin scored the gamewinning penalty kick in the Sea Lions shootout win over Azusa Pacific in the NCCAA West Regional Semifinal. A junior from Denver, Hanlin also scored on her first shootout attempt, and then Sea Lions won 8-7 on PKs.
He lives a Forrest-Gump-box-ofchocolates kind of life. One moment hes a rookie with the Chicago Bulls, applying to work at Circuit City so he can take advantage of the discounts. Next hes in the lower level battling fans in Detroit. The next moment hes releasing a rap album. The next hes giving a tipsy postgame press conference after his first (and hopefully last) NBA title with the Lakers. If not just purely for his entertainment value, I love Metta. Whatever he does for his next act, the only thing youll be able to count on is that youll have no idea what to expect. For the links to all of the videos showing Mettas insanity, visit lomasportsguy.wordpress.com.
VOLLEYBALL
11/13 L 1-3 @ Concordia University
MENS BASKETBALL
11/17 L 36-53 vs. Northwest Nazarene University
WOMENS BASKETBALL
11/17 W 59-46 vs. Biola
WWW.PLNUSEALIONS.COM
8 | OPINION
the point weekly | Monday, monday, march5, 26, 2012 November 2012 November 19, 2012 Kyle Lundberg Shannon Barr Callie Radke Jacob Roth Kathleen Rhine Hana Eades Megan Pittam Janelle Hiroshige Kendra Pittam Rachel Barr Keio Lewis Editor-in-chief News editor Features editor Sports editor A&E editor Opinion editor Layout editor Assistant Layout Copy editor Web Editor Ads manager
The opinions in this section may not reflect those of The Point Weekly or of Point Loma Nazarene University. Letters to the editor and columns are subject to editing for length, taste, grammar and clarity. Letters to the editor must include the authors name, major, class standing and phone number and be limited to 500 words. Please submit your opinions to hanaeades2009@pointloma.edu
www.pointweekly.com
This is dedicated to all the Wikipedia haters. Among the trash talk Wikipedia garners, the most common debate is over the accuracy of the information. Who is credible enough to say who has the accurate information to give? People with Ph.D.s? Obviously I would rather have people with Ph.D.s in Psychosomatic Medicine be writing the concurrent Wikipedia page than some little mischievous junior higher who gets joy from rolling pumpkins into traffic. But why in the world would that junior higher lookup Psychosomatic Medicine and falsify information just so some random person may be misled? Just because the possibility is there doesnt mean that everyone exploits it. Wikipedia is a very respect-
fully run organization. How many advertisements have you seen in the past 11 years since its launching? Zero. This is for the same reason that Mid City Church of the Nazarene has no graffiti people in the community respect it. People in the world respect Wikipedia as a legitimate means of sharing information. Thats how it has survived these years by donations not by commercial influence or shareholders. I wonder; are the makers of Wikipedia aware that perhaps some of the information is onesided? Of course! When I was looking up the ingredients of Sudafed, under the section Switch to phenylephrine there was a caveat box that stated, The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. It then provides the opportunity for the reader to improve the article, or link to a
talk page on which one can see challenges made to the articles accuracy. This step is exemplary for an information-sharing website that reaches millions of people, yet The Wikimedia Foundation that runs Wikipedia only has a staff of 146 (wikimediafoundation.org). Wikipedia is a semi-solid mass of information that is consistent enough to provide facts on things in the past, but open to new developments on things instantaneously, a fact that might make it better than other scholarly based, rigorously edited encyclopedias because it changes in real time, rather than in two years time (after the appropriate editors thoroughly examine the likelihood of all aspects of the information without any bias or editorializing whatsoever). If I am doing a report on Abraham Lincoln, am I going to get the undeniably best and most accurate information from his entry
on Wikipedia? No. Is that the purpose of Wikipedia? No. Those who criticize Wikipedia dont fully understand what it is. It is a means of communicating current information by the world to the world. Its a community. Now, in an attempt to show off the prowess of Wikipedias vandalism-sensing software, I thought about vandalizing Nicolas Cages page. What did I find? A lock on it. What does the lock entail? No unregistered users can edit the page that means no seventh grade hooligans. The purpose of Wikipedia is to make information available to those who have expert knowledge on classically academic things, as well as those who know intimately about something that you cant get a Ph.D. in, like roller derby. All in all, people keep reading, haters keep hating and Wikipedia keeps thriving.
Amy Cruse
Polite conversation is rarely either. -Fran Lebowitz What I am about to present will not be pleasant or polite. It may be social banishment, but since Im a writer I consider my ostracism a common hazard of the job. Polite comes from the Latin word meaning to polish. Today, polite has come to mean refined manners, but the idea predates our current perception. In medieval France, due to boredom and no jobs, nobles invented etiquette a code governing conduct which they shared with nobles throughout Europe. With the rise of empires, western etiquette spanned oceans. And thus, humanity polished its behavior. Although updated, etiquette
still governs society. Conversations, once seeking to communicate information, have become empty and routine. It is polite to say hello to people you know, even if they are just a passing acquaintance, and to ask how they are. The polite response is I am well. Everyone seems to know this response whether or not it is really how a person fairs. I have been saying hello to hundreds of acquaintances for years, but all I seem to know about them is that they are well. Apparently. But even if they werent well, I wasnt really asking for their honesty. In fact, if someone were to respond honestly and say, Life sucks. I just failed a test and my parents are getting a divorce, I really wouldnt know how to respond. My mind would be flipping frantically through the pages
of its social etiquette manual for the appropriate polite response. Excuse my honesty, but polite just means carefully placed lie. It seems completely absurd to me that people conduct hundreds of meaningless, polite conversations a day. Many people would guffaw at the antiquated practice of bowing/curtsying at an introduction, and yet polite conversation is no different. Some would believe conversing outside the boundaries of etiquette would be unpleasant and uncomfortable. Yes, but I dont see the problem. True growth comes out of uncomfortable conversations. Polite conversation becomes a question of sanity. We abide by rules of etiquette because a world of complete honesty would be a world of insanity and chaos. But we are all crazies dis-
guised in sane costumes, parading around talking about nothing so others dont catch on to how insane we really are. Well, I think hiding our crazy is just another form of neurosis. Let us be crazy. Let us be honest. Let us grow from real conversations. Words are power. Let us make every one we use count. Lets spend less time focused on a polished faade and more time facing the reality of our brokenness. I believe a world freed from the empty casket of blind etiquette, although uncomfortable at times and almost certainly unpleasant, would be a world opened to clarity, reality and honesty. What good comes from avoiding the truth to make people feel more comfortable? The truth still exists. And acknowledging truth invites understanding.
Its a small world after all. This tune may make you cringe, or it may transfer you to a nostalgic dreamlike state of ecstasy. This familiar song is the melody of one of the busiest theme parks in the world: Disneyland. A few weekends ago, I joined my family along with what seemed like a million people on a trip to Disneyland. One thing that shocked me, besides the large number of shameless middle-aged men wearing Mickey Mouse ears, was the insane number of people at this park. Imagine that the entire population of Point Loma and Ocean Beach took a road trip to Disneyland. This is about how many people visit Disneyland daily, according to themeparks.com. Disneyland gets an average of 40,000 visitors a day, but on weekends it can be twice as busy. According to the Orange County Register, Disneyland hit record attendance in the first three months of October. It is estimated that 16 million people visit Disneyland in one year, making it the second most popular theme park in the world only behind Disney World. Phoebe Burton, a yearlong pass holder to Disneyland, experienced a time this year when she and her family were turned down at the entrance because the attendance was too high. She and her family were allowed to enter the park at a later hour when the crowds had died down. Californias population has more than doubled since the opening of Disneyland in 1955. Along with the population increase, the constant innovation of the park is one of the reasons Disneyland continues to draw huge numbers. A lot of people want to see the Holiday decorations in the Haunted Mansion around this time, said Dawn, a female employee at Disneyland. The new Cars ride in California Adventure is also bringing a lot of people to the park. Walt Disney once said, Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. He could have very well finished this quote by saying Disneyland will never be completed as long as tourism exists in the world. With such high attendance, one might think that this park doesnt cost very much, but that is just pixie dust. Disneyland statistics show that from 1982 to 2009, there have been 21 ticket price hikes for adults. The current price is $87 for adults and $81 for children 3 to 9 years old,which is actually a pretty fair price to pay to have all of your dreams come true.
Camron Cluff