Opinion

Dress to express: Who we

dress for and why it matters

Dinner Conversations:
Reversing heartburns
In response to the
adage No politics
or religion at the
dinner table

How a thrifted alien

t-shirt brought on
an ironic, convicted
moderately punk
feminist response

Hankyul Sharon Lee

opinion editor

Elena Ender models the thrifted shirt (on right) with the displayed sexist tag label (on left).

cause I am passionate about... I think

that it is important to be conscious
of where you invest your time and
money.
It is noble to give up a trendy
wardrobe and go through the hassle
for a more simple, guilt-free one.
I definitely see clothing and
fashion as a way to express who
you are, Brackbill added. I would
say that who I am is in some way
represented by the clothing that
I wear. I tend to clothe myself in
simple but quality clothing. Her
personal representation in her style
is reflected in the fact that it is as
respectable and respectful to others
as her clothing is.
However, as it is a gray area for
those who dont see it to be a passion
point, I dont think its necessary for
us as Christians to swear off less-thanChristian brands. Kezziah Costello,
senior communication studies major
student leader, shared her fashion
philosophy.
I think clothing acts as a visual
representation of your personality,
Costello said. Its often your first
chance to communicate to others
who you are, and people can learn a
lot about you simply from looking at
how you dress. In a way, your clothing
speaks for you before you ever have a
chance to open your mouth. Her
idea is honest and empowering. I
place a lot of value in clothing that
makes me feel happy and confident,
Costello added.
This is the mindset I believe we
all should have: Dress to be the best
version of yourself. Style is an art and
form of expression. So if you love
a bit of art that isnt blessed by the
Pope, you should feel free to enjoy it
regardless.
After a mental moral debate, I

wore the alien shirt. I wore it, not

only because I still found it to be an
amusing shirt, but because I didnt
want my choices to be made for me
by this company or by the society
around me. I wore it to empower
myself in a simple way and to say
a polite: Screw it, screw them, I
bought it and washed it, I get to
wear it.
It was ironic, feminist and even
slightly punk, the way I chose to
represent myself in it, so I dont regret
not burning it or returning it. Other
people could have come to another
conclusion and thats fine, but the
fact that I put in the thought and felt
comfortable in my own outcome was
enough to settle my debate.
Above all, Id advise you to follow
your convictions.
If you do feel convicted to sell
your meaningless clothes to make
room for an ethical wardrobe, do it.
It would be a rewarding journey to
help a plethora of people. But if you
feel convicted to express yourself in
whatever clothes you like and feel
confident in, without regards to
societal pressures to do the former,
then do that. Ignore the judgement of
peers or the marketing of companies
and feel comfortable in your own
fabric. Other people should not be
the reason you arent representing
yourself authentically. It should be
that simple.
Elena Ender is a junior
English major with a writing
concentration.
Her
hobbies
include: busting out spontaneous
haikus, building IKEA furniture,
screaming Fall Out Boy lyrics in
the dead of night, drinking an
abundance of coffee with sugar,
and pondering the science of how
glow-in-the-dark stars work.

A scrumptious meal, drinks,

silverware, family and friends and
Settlers of Catan may sound like the
perfect recipe for a successful dinner
party, but one crucial, invisible
ingredient may ensure a better
night than all the food and games
combined: the absence of politics.
Dismissing
politics
as
a
conversational topic at dinner has
increasingly become a popular
practice, as the saying no politics or
religion at the dinner table limits the
discussion of controversial topics in
intimate settings.
Notorious family members like
haughty Aunt Irma or extremist
Grandpa Karl bring about either
uncomfortable silences or explosive
arguments, making dinners a
prelude to heartburn, as NPR host
Neal Conan puts it.
However, dismissing politics as
a viable topic of conversation leads
to the faulty belief that political
engagement stimulates frustration
instead of change.
Ultimately,
the
lack
of
conversation contributes to the
pervasive thought that there is no
productivity in discussing political
topics, and ultimately no productivity
in politics itself.
Dinner Conversations as a
weekly column seeks to bring politics
back into our daily conversations on
campus, not in an attempt to sound
politically correct, but in order
to foster sincere communication
between diverse people in an attempt
to understand each other.
As
former
CIA
officer
Amaryllis Fox reflected about
her experiencefrom conductting
interrogations in the Middle East,
The only way to disarm your enemy
is to listen to them. Communication
is a powerful means to break social
barriers.

CREATIVE COMMONS COURTESY

Like many moderately hip young

people, I go thrifting for parts of my
wardrobe. Its a great way to find
pieces no one else has at a great
price. During one of my excursions,
I came across a like-new T-shirt that
I couldnt resist getting: black with a
simple white star pattern and a green
alien head with the words We out
here on the breast pocket.
Sick as frick, I whispered
to myself gently, profoundly,
enthusiastically as I paid a measly two
dollars for it.
It wasnt until I took it home and
flipped it inside out to throw in the
laundry did I notice the shirts tag. It
read: If washing becomes completely
necessary give to momma or gf then
go skate.
I was stunned by the lack of
necessary commas and capitalization
as well as the sexist values this
company possessed. I wondered if
I could wear this shirt with a clear
conscience, if my values as a feminist
and my values as a Christian would
be compromised by wearing this
silly shirt, or rather, if my image as
those would be compromised by
this. If someone saw my shirt, liked
it and decided to do further research
on how to obtain one of their own,
would I be okay representing what
they found?
In the simplest of concepts, I
wonder if what we consume should
matter to us or to others. There
are so many deep layers to ethics in
consuming certain products, but
with clothing it is far more blatant
who and what you like, and what you
want to say through your image.
We all speak through our
clothing, even if that statement is:
Im cheap, lazy and bad at fashion so
I got this at Target and am hoping
for the best. The most Christian
thing to do might be to buy free-trade
textiles and make your own shapeless
clothing with your mom. The most
practical thing to do is see an item
that fits and buy it.
The common APU conversation
is: Buy local and support brands
that have mission statements you
wholeheartedly believe in. This is
ideal, but seemingly unrealistic.
Psychology
major
senior
Sarah
Brackbill,
director
of
communications within the Student
Government Association (SGA),
decided to, as @helpsarahsimplify,
her Instagram pages bio says,
Reduce the amount of stuff [she has]
and focus on supporting brands that
benefit those in need. She created
the page this summer to sell the
clothing she owns that have no true
significance to her.
I do stay away from brands that
I know do not treat their employees
fairly, Brackbill said. I am more
willing to pay a higher price for
something that I like if it supports a

ELENA ENDER COURTESY

guest writer

CREATIVE COMMONS COURTESY

ELENA ENDER COURTESY

Elena Ender

That being said, today marks

42 days until the 2016 Election Day
as the nation looks to both major
party nominees for responses to the
New York bombing and more police
killings in Oklahoma and North
Carolina.
In turn, both major party
nominees look to overcome major
barriers as November nears.
Trumps campaign has launched
an outreach to African Americans to
ensure more votes in his least polling
demographic.
Clinton, on the other hand, has
attempted to reach the millennial
voters by appearing on Internet
shows like Between Two Ferns
with Zach Galifianakis and speaking
at colleges around the nation.
Both candidates face obstacles in
their last attempts to leave their mark
before Election Day.
Trump faces continuous racial
controversy as more people raise
concern about the practicality of his
stances on issues like the refugee
crisis, immigration policy, and
supporting controversial measures
like stop and frisk.
Clinton faces a battle for the
millennial vote, who are increasingly
considering third party candidates
Jill Stein and Gary Johnson.
Though Clinton and Trump
can be perceived as privileged, both
nominees can also be considered
underdogs in some respect.
So many times we make the
mistake of thinking that simply
looking presidential and having
a charismatic personality are
requirements for our Commander in
Chief.
However, we desperately need
perspective when looking at our
nominees. Trump is not solely full
of hate spews, and Clinton is not
defined by her scandals.
When looking forward to the
future debates amongst the election
mayhem, may we not forget to
humanize the leaders who represent
us.
Each of the eight installments of
Dinner Conversations as a weekly
column will strive to stimulate
dialogue throughout campus that
will transform politics from an
avoided and taboo topic to many
essential conversations.

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off in their first of three
debates on Monday, Sept. 26 in New York.

Clause

THECLAUSE.ORG/OPINION

APUs freeze tag

record helped me
set goals for the
semester
Tien Thai
guest writer

CREATIVE COMMONS COURTESY

On Aug. 30, APUs freshmen,

transfers and Alpha Leaders broke
the Guinness World Record for the
largest single game of freeze tag.
Introduced as part of APUs
New Student Orientation, the game
consisted of 551 students, which
communicated a strong sense of unity
and connection on campus.
We have a lot of traditions at
APU, so maybe this will become
one of them, Stephanie Gala,
associate director of orientation and
transitions, told The San Gabriel
Valley Tribune.
The broken freeze-tag record
serves to remind us all of the
excitement that new traditions bring
to a season of life, especially to a new
school year.
Personally, my new school year
resolutions aim to bring different
experiences to the table, whether
it is to fully engage in my classes or
learn about different perspectives
by joining ethnic organizations on
campus.
For my new adventure as a
freshman this year, I spent many
moments in contemplation about
my social and academic involvement
in high school. I then came up with
new goals to make my university
experience a positive one, such as
learning about the subjects that I
have always desired to study but
never got a chance to learn while in
high school.

I purposely chose to take

intellectually mind-opening and
academically enriching university
classes. In fact, the wealth of
information that I was given in the
orientation sessions about my major
was invaluable, and I would attend
orientation every year if I could.
Following in the footsteps of my
passions and dreams, I also desired
to get connected with the social work
club, guest write for The Clause,
participate in community service
events with the Rotaract club, learn
to make a difference through Free
the Captives and also educate myself
to look at the world from a different
cultural perspective by joining Latin
American Student Association
(LASA).
Ever since I stepped foot on
campus, I have been able to practice
new traditions that were even better
than I imagined them: Chapels, Bible
studies and discipleship groups.
Prior to APU, I have never had
a chance to actually worship the
Lord or participate in any ministry
activities that prioritize God, other
than reading the Bible and praying
by myself in my bedroom.
I am grateful that I now have set
a brand new tradition to practice,
which is prioritizing God in
everything that I do, say or think, and
also getting the spiritual support and
motivation for me in following God
and growing in His grace and mercy.
Overall, my new school year
traditions have been insightful,
fascinating and eye-opening to me,
because they have created within
me the practice of self-reflection for
growing throughout this new season
of my life.
Tien Thai is a freshman social
work and journalism double
major who hails from San Diego,
CA.

This moment during New Student Orientation marks the first time a world record was
broken at APU.

Caput Mundi: New territories

A sneak peak of
heaven found on
the streets of Los
Angeles

CREATIVE COMMONS COURTESY

Broken world record

encourages new thinking

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28, 2016

Laura Lacombe
guest writer

Author Ray Bakke in A

Theology as Big as the City
refers to Rome when he says:
It was called Caput Mundi
the head of the worldand if
all roads went there, so did all
the sewers as well. As time has
passed, Los Angeles, the modern
capital of the world, can now be
held to a similar description.
Over the course of the
semester, APU students on
Los Angeles term will reveal
their insights into the heights
and pitfalls of the inner city.
Sophomore global studies major
Laura Lacombe speaks to the
diversity of Los Angeles in the
first column below.
Its just over a week that Ive
been living here in L.A., and it really
feels like its been way longer. There
has already been a whirlwind of
emotions, and I know that its just the
beginning.
To begin with, I have the
blessing of living with a woman who
is different from me in almost every
way. Theres the age difference
about 57 years, to be exact. Theres
the fact that shes from a different
country and shes a vegetarian. She
follows a different religion than I do.
And anyone who knows me knows
that I am not a neat person. Yet here I
am, living with someone who expects
all aspects of cleanliness.
Different can seem like such a bad
thing. It can seem like our comfort
and familiarity is taken away from us,
which we like to think were entitled
to. But the thing is: Difference is so
good for us.
Different means new experiences,
new perspectives and new ways to see
God. Yes, its hard. But I try to think
about the fact that I am getting an
inside perspective of what its like to
move to a new country as a young
immigrant, and face discrimination
for the rest of your life because of
it. Or I think about the fact that I
get to try a whole new type of food
(homemade!) for a whole semester.
I get to hear new tidbits of wisdom
every day from someone who has

Los Angeles, whether one views it as La La Land or the entertainment capital of the
world, embraces humanity at the core, everything from the beautiful to the broken.

many more years of life than me and

who truly grew up in a culture of
wisdom.
And most importantly, I get
to discover God in unconventional
ways. Yesterday, Prabha (my host
mother) asked me what I learned
in church that I didnt know before.
How cool is it that we can share about
God across different religions? Ive
learnedand will keep learning
how God is not confined in a box.
He isnt strictly a part of Christianity,
but He is in every spiritual realm and
is part of all things. I can still learn
about the character of God through
someone who is not a Christian. Only
looking to Christians to find God is
limiting the parts of Him that we can
discover.
Apart from living in someones
home, L.A. is a whole new world.
After such a short time here, one of
the biggest difficulties for me is how
much we tend to glamorize L.A.
Usually, people like to think of the
good food, the endless museums, the
amazing street art, famous people,
you name it.
Yes, L.A. is all of these things.
But it is also so much more.
Its the struggling family on the
brink of becoming homeless. Its
the kids who think they cant break
the cycle of poverty because thats
all they know. Its the girls who are
tricked into human trafficking. Its
the endless number of people slowly
losing their sense of identity.But
with all of this brokenness, there is so
much room for Gods light to shine
through. And thats my favorite part.
My heart has been breaking for
the homeless this past week, and
I dont think thats going to end
or get any easier. I think God has
been planting this in my heart for a
while now, and He is going to keep
growing that. When you ask God to
break your heart for what breaks His,

be prepared.
Im learning that we cannot keep
turning away because we dont want
to see it. We cant stare up at the tall
buildings, look at the nice art and
tell ourselves how great L.A. is if we
dont take a look down at the people
lying on the streets and at least offer
them a smile.
I want to end with challenging
this idea of being comfortable. We
so badly want to be comfortable, but
God calls us to be pushed out of our
comfort zones to love those who are
hard to love. Christians are called
into the mess instead of away from it.
When you read the Bible, its pretty
clear that Jesus and His followers
were never really comfortable. They
moved around without possessions
or a place to stay. God called them
to go into cities that had previously
persecuted them, and He called
them to become part of new cultures
for the sake of the Gospel. So why
do we think thats not still true for us
today?
L.A. offers such a beautiful
picture of diversity, and I believe that
its a glimpse into what heaven could
be like. When people of different
races, ethnicities, backgrounds and
languages come together in worship,
its truly representing the people of
God in this idea of unity.
So here we are, a group of 11 APU
girls in L.A. for a semester. I pray for
strong relationships built and for
never-ending opportunities to share
Gods love. I pray that we will gain
influential knowledge as class starts
this week, and I pray for internships
for each girl that will allow her to do
Gods work in the area. Lastly, I pray
for each of us to see the hope of the
Lord in this great city.
This article has previously
been published as a WordPress
blog on September 5, 2016. It has
been edited for length.

Trump. I just think it

would be kind of fun and
unpredictable.
Daniel Takanishi
Junior
Physics

Who would you rather

go to Disneyland with:
Clinton or Trump?
Sharon Lee
opinion editor

Clinton. Shes more tolerable. I think if I went to

Disneyland with Trump
there would be a lot of
negativity. You want to
have a good time when
youre at Disney.
Janet Cisneros
Junior
Music Education

Thats really hard. I really

like Disneyland, and I dont
want to defile it with either
of them. I think Clintons
too corrupt to be in the
happiest place on earth, so
Id rather go with Trump.
Osvaldo Zarate
Sophomore
Music