SPORTS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TITLE IX IN THE APU SPORTS PROGRAM 14
LIFESTYLE HUMANS OF THE ZU: UNCODING STUDENT WILLINGNESS TO TALK POLITICS 6
OPINION WHAT DO POLITICS HAVE TO DO WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS? 9
student voice of azusa pacific university since 1965
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 VOL. 54, NO. 8 WWW.THECLAUSE.ORG
THE WIRE
KRISTIN MILLER PHOTO
Syrian Attack
The Pentagon announced U.S.
military action in response to
news of the Syrian government
attacking civilians with poisonous
gas just days earlier. 4
TER GRIFFITH PHOTO
173 respondents out of 250 APU undergraduate students indicated that they
voted in the national 2016 general election in an administered sample survey,
roughly 70 percent of the sample population. See more survey results inside.
An Exclusive Interview
with President Wallace
President Jon Wallace has been
an active role model of political A bipartisan road trip for the ages
engagement for students. 5
What do you get
when you mix
GOOGLE COURTESY
a snow storm,
two opposing
politicians and
a rental car?
Purposeful Protesting
Ciera Cypert
staff writer
Protests should be more than
Insta-gold...To be an effective
protestor, you must know what it Congressmen Beto ORourke
is youre protesting for. 9 and Will Hurd have officially
mastered the art of a successful road
trip.
On March 14, 2017, a blizzard
consumed the northeast and
cancelled incoming flights. But the
SPORTS INFO PHOTO
weather could not stop two dedicated
politicians from getting to the House
for floor votes.
The two Texas congressmen,
ORourke (D) and Hurd (R) decided
that their best option was to drive
1,600 miles from San Antonio, TX
Climate Change to Washington D.C. together. They
hopped in a rental Chevy Impala
Are Californians willing to be and began what ORourke called a
leaders and innovators in the marathon 24-hour trip as he shared
environmental race for our a photo of the two on his Facebook
planets survival? 10 page. He invited his Facebook
friends to follow along, send us your
favorite road trip songs and places we
should see along the way.
The congressmen referred to
their trip as a town hall on wheels
SPORTS INFO PHOTO
as they took questions from viewers
that tuned into their Facebook live
stream.
#CongressionalCannonballRun
began spreading across Twitter,
as viewers increased and the word
spread about ORourke and Hurds
The Proposed Athlete Protection
journey. Even politicians began to
Act causes concern at APU. 13
tune in, asking questions to hear
the congressmens thoughts. Within
the first 30 hours, over ten political
figures from across the United States
were calling in or commenting on the
road trips live stream.
Faith Vander Voort, a senior
journalism major, tuned in to watch
the whole live stream out of curiosity.
I was intrigued, Vander Voort
said. Its very rare to see people from
both sides of the aisle interacting in
a cordial manner, let alone sharing a
car ride together.
Viewers suggested helpful traffic
Congressmen Will Hurd and Beto ORourke arrive in D.C. just in
time before House votes after the 1,600 mile bipartisan road trip of a
lifetime from San Antonio, Texas to the capital with a viral livestream.
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
tips, like avoiding certain toll roads,
and recommended popular dining
stops, like Gibsons Donuts, where
they stopped for a mid-trip treat.
But it was more than just snacks
and songs for this car ride; with two
politicians together for that long, its
hard not to talk politics.
Many viewers brought up
questions about the proposed
Republican health-care
immigration reformation
foreign policy. Both ORourke and
see ROAD TRIP 2
see SURVEYS 5
EO and
the EPA
Trump signs
Executive
Order to roll
back previous
environmental
policies
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
Kristin Miller
staff writer
April 22, 2017 marked the anniver-
sary of 195 countries signing the Paris
Agreement. The cross continental
agreement was a pledge made by
each country to do their part in keep-
ing the planet from warming more
than 3.6 degrees. Scientists say at this
temperature the earth will be locked
into a future of droughts, floods, dis-
eases, severe weather changes, rising
sea levels and food shortages. This
initiative is now under potential con-
test.
On March 28, 2017, President
Trump signed the Executive Order
on Promoting Energy Independence
and Economic Growth. This will cut
back on the United States environ-
mental policies which met the regula-
tions of the Paris Agreement.
According to the Office of the
Press Secretary in the first policy,
the executive order states that it is
in the national interest to promote
clean and safe development of our
Nations vast energy resources, while
at the same time, avoiding regulatory
bill,
burdens that unnecessarily, encum-
ber energy production, constrains
and economic growth, and the prevent
job creation, initially published on
whitehouse.gov.
One of the regulatory burdens
being targeted is the Clean Power
Plan introduced by Obama and the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) in August 2015. In the Clean
Power Plan, hundreds of coal-fired
plants would be shut down and/or
replaced with wind and solar farms.
This shutdown was intended to limit
the effects of coal mining on surface
water, groundwater, fish and wildlife.
An overarching theme was to limit
pollution as a contributing factor to
global warming.
Under Trumps new executive or-
der, coal mines that were assigned to
be shut down will remain open. The
bans of mining on federal land would
be lifted, and the order would remove
the requirement under the Clean
Power Plan that government officials
must consider climate change when
making federal decisions.
Under the Obama administra-
WIKIMEDIA COURTESY
tion, limiting pollution and lowering
the earths emission of carbon dioxide
gas outweighed the economic ben-
efits of the coal industry.
Conservative critics have said the
regulations under Obama are too re-
strictive and value environment over
business.
see CLIMATE 2
2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG/NEWS

campus Texas congressmen take their work on the road

safety ROAD TRIP, P. 1 that you guys are doing this. I am We hit a lot of issues, Hurd not just congressmen. They argued

report
Hurd shared their opinions speaking
on behalf of their party as well as
The following are selected incidents
how they personally viewed these
as reported from the Daily Media
issues. They even spoke on the
Log from April 5 through April 23
2016 presidential election and their
courtesy of Campus Safety
reactions to Donald Trump winning.
As the trip went on, more calls
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 poured in. Former House Speaker,
NO CRIMES REPORTED Newt Gingrich, was one of those
callers, ringing in to comment on the
road trip and the impact this could
THURSDAY, APRIL 6
have on our nation.
NO CRIMES REPORTED
This is the most bipartisan news
weve had in a couple years, Speaker
FRIDAY, APRIL 7
Gingrich said. I think this is fabulous
NO CRIMES REPORTED
really impressed with this level of said. We came to some agreement, over where to eat instead of how
we learned about things that we to vote and what songs to listen to
dedication.
will be able to work on over the next instead of which party was right.
The congressmen were on a time
couple years. ORourke appeared on the
crunch, trying to get to D.C. before
ORourke nodded his head in Dallas Morning News to discuss his
the House vote that was scheduled to
agreement. impromptu trip and how it changed
take place at 6:30 p.m. EST.
With just a few minutes left of him.
With 35 miles to go, one viewer
their trip, the two blasted the song At a time where so many people
jokingly commented on the live
The Final Countdown as they wonder whether our institutions
stream that maybe since they were
arrived in D.C., just before 6:00 p.m. still work, whether members of
members of Congress, they couldnt
Vander Voort recalled having Congress still listen to the people
be arrested for speeding because they
lasting impressions from watching they represent, whether a Republican
were en route to vote.
this interaction. A lot of their and a Democrat can get along and
As the drive was coming to a
conversation was actually quite work together I thought, lets try to
close, Hurd reflected on what he
humanizing. We saw them as people, prove the concept.
learned about their time together.

President Trump signs EO with economic focus

SATURDAY, APRIL 8
VANDALISM
Referred to Azusa Police
Department.
CLIMATE, P. 1
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
Charles Chen, Ph.D. APU
NO CRIMES REPORTED Assistant Professor in the
Department of Biology and
MONDAY, APRIL 10 Chemistry, acknowledges that some
ASSIST OTHER AGENCY people might feel that Obamas
environmental polices made business
hard for many people.
MONDAY, APRIL 17 Theres a valid argument in
NO CRIMES REPORTED the country on how to implement
environmental regulations. We
TUESDAY, APRIL 18 should have a constructive debate
NO CRIMES REPORTED about how [environmental initiatives/
policies] should be implemented,
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 Chen said.
NO CRIMES REPORTED Chen also noted that the
perception and interpretation of a
THURSDAY, APRIL 20 regulation changes based on the goals
STUDENT STANDARD OF and values of the person reading it.
CONDUCT-NARCOTICS Theres a translation that
happens when science informs policy

EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC

TRINITY HALL
Referred to Student Life.
THURSDAY, APRIL 20
STUDENT STANDARD OF
CONDUCT-WEAPONS
TRINITY HALL
Referred to Student Life.
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
NO CRIMES REPORTED
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
NO CRIMES REPORTED
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
NO CRIMES REPORTED
REMEMBER
1. If you see something, say
something.
2. Safety is everyones busi-
ness.
3. Dial 911 for life-threaten-
ing emergencies.
4. Non emergencies: Call
Campus Saftety at (626) 815-
3898.
5. Lock all doors and win-
dows to your dorm, apart-
ment and vehicle.
6. Keep all valuables secured
and out of plain view.
7. At night, keep to well-lit
areas.
8. Always be aware of your
surroundings.
9. Utilize the trolleys, safety
escorts or walk groups.
10. Avoid places where you
are vulnerable and there are
no exits.
11. Avoid texting or talking
on the phone while walking
as you may be distracted.
12. Avoid walking and jog-
ging alone.
13. Secure your bike with a
recommended Kryptonite
U-lock.
and when the regulations or rules are
written theres another translation
about how it actual gets enforced,
then another translation happens
when companies and people actually
respond to it, and achieve it, Chen
said.
During Trumps campaign, Employment within the United States mining industry has decreased by 40 percent since 2011.
miners who had expressed feelings
of being forgotten about under the Chen and scientists around the Warf recognizes that the effects patents on wind and solar energy that
Obama administration rallied in world acknowledge that we need to of climate change are real and would contribute to the economy.
support of his vow to restore lost coal reduce pollution emissions. whether or not we see them now, Right now, what they are trying
industry jobs. According to the New York we will feel them in the future. Warf to do is resurrect old industries
Mining jobs, however, have Times, the demand for coal even believes climate change should be a maybe the rest of the world has
been decreasing rapidly throughout under Trumps rollback would only priority in the government for future already moved on from. If you think
the years. From 2011 there has been be extended for up to ten years. generations. farther into the future the potential
a decline in coal mining by over 40 Under the Obama administration We cant wait for everyone to be economic cost of cleaning things
percent, according to the National the EPA claimed that the Clean convicted by climate change to make up or even health-related costs due
Mining Association (NMA). In Power Plan shows the world that a difference in society the government to diseases such as asthma, the
2008, coal powered plants generated the United States is committed to works at a large scale, protecting the problems that we get from poor air
almost half of the electricity for the leading global efforts to address environment will be one of the most and water quality end up costing us
United States. Today only 30 percent climate change. effective things they can do, Warf more economically in our country as a
of electricity can be contributed to Internationally we might not said. whole when we dont take care of the
coal. be considered leaders anymore. Market companies are already environment, Chen said.
The New York Times reports Other countries are stepping up pushing companies to more The EPA would be in charge
that it is not the Clean Power Plan its possible for countries worldwide renewable energy or at least away of writing the new order that would
that has reduced the need for coal; it is to internationally cooperate and from coal. rewrite the Clean Power Plan.Scot
because there is an increase in natural be informed to create constructive According to Chen, if the U.S. Pruitt, the EPA administrator, said
gas production which is cheaper to policy based on science to make an doesnt push forward and be the the Energy Independence Executive
produce, burns cleaner than coal and impact and help avert environmental leaders developing ways to store Order will help the United States be
allows coal companies to produce disaster, Chen said. renewable energy sources, the both pro-jobs and pro-environment
more fuel with fewer employees. Senior Sociology major Miranda country will miss its chance to own in an ABC interview March 28, 2017.
mailing address p.o. box 9521-5165, azusa, ca 91702
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sports editor brandon rodriguez voice imbued with truth, responsibility and opinions expressed in this newspaper do not
asst. sports editor nathan foster accountability. necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, staff
photo/design editor emily praske or administration of Azusa Pacific University.
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4 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG/NEWS
Days of Dialogue creates opportunity for understanding
Local law
enforcement and
civilians meet to
discuss topics of
concern
Caroline Connolly
guest writer
On Tuesday April 18, the APU
criminal justice department and the
Institute for Nonviolence in Los
Angeles (INVLA) hosted Days of
Dialogue in the LAPC.
The INVLA is a non-profit
organization that promotes non-
violence between Los Angeles law
enforcement and the community.
INVLA hosts several Days of
Dialogue events around the L.A.
area.
Deshonna Collier-Goubil, Ph.D.
chair and associate professor for the
department of criminal justice, said
the purpose of the event was to start
a dialogue between law enforcement
and the community.
Police officers are members
of the community, and their voices
matter just as much as the voices of
other members in the community,
Collier-Goubil said. This is a
community justice event. This
might not be the solution to solving
the problem of police brutality and
brutality towards officers, but its a
first step for the future.
United States responds to killing of Syrian citizens
The Assad regime
is suspected of
using chemical
weapons on its
own citizens
Michael Ayetiwa
lifestyle editor
On April 4, the Assad regime
released a chemical weapons attack
on civilians in Syria that left more
than 70 people dead, including many
children.
It crossed a lot of lines for me.
When you kill innocent children,
innocent babies, little babies, with
a chemical gas that is so lethal
people were shocked to hear what
gas it was that crosses many, many
lines, beyond a red line, many, many
lines, President Trump said in the
attack aftermath.
The Syrian military initially
denied using chemicals agents,
but hundreds have suffered from
symptoms that are consistent with a
reaction to specific nerve agents after
the alleged Syrian government air
strike.
Witnesses give testimony of
seeing warplanes attack Khan
Sheikhoun 30 miles south of the city
of Idlib, where many were asleep at
that time.
Mariam Abu Khalil, a 14-year-
old resident of the town that was
attacked, told the New York Times
she saw an aircraft drop a bomb on a
one-story building a few dozen yards
away after she had left home for her
examination on the Quran.
The explosion was described
to have formed a yellow mushroom
cloud into the air which stung the
eyes of anyone nearby. People began
to arrive on scene to help those that
were wounded but unknowingly
Police officers from the San
Gabriel Valley area, APU Campus
Safety officers, students, faculty
and staff attended the event.
Participants sat together at tables
and discussed current issues in
our nation that affect both law
enforcement and the community.
Each table had a facilitator to lead
the discussion. Some topics included
the impact media coverage has on
the communities perception of law
enforcement and what action could
be taken to ensure that criminal
profiling is fair, lawful and just.
At one particular table, Officer
C.G. Thompson of the Pasadena
Police Department, said, The media
will focus on certain areas, such as
South Central or other areas with
a large population of black and/or
Hispanic people, and therefore these
are the people being arrested. There
are three sides to every story.
Thompson went on to say:
Arrest can be a social failure. Law
enforcement needs to work more on
helping the mentally ill and those in
need. Arrest can do more harm than
good in certain cases.
Junior Criminal Justice major
Michelle Gonzales, who was involved
with planning the event, expressed a
moment that stood out at her during
Days of Dialogue.
I found it very powerful when the
officer at our event stated that he too
gets stereotyped the moment people
see him because of the uniform that
he wears. He continued by stating
that many people think that hes a
The U.S. launches missels targeting Shayrat Airfield in response to a
chemical attack on Syrian civilians.
inhaled the gas and died.
Many people have criticized
President Trump for his scrutiny
towards former President Obama
and his desire to be involved in the
Syrian conflict in 2013. President
Trump has made it known that the
chemical attack in Syria has in fact
changed him, stating that he is subject
to such evolving and flexibility.
It crossed a lot of
lines for me. When
you kill innocent
children...that
crosses many,
many lines
I will tell you that attack on
children yesterday had a big impact
on me. Big impact. It was a horrible,
horrible thing. Ive been watching it
A speaker addresses members of the audience, which included APU students, APU Campus Safety,
staff, faculty and police officers from the San Gabriel Valley area.
bad cop too because of his uniform
and because of their experience with
one cop. This response shows that
police officers are humans just like
you and I. Some make bad choices,
but most wear their uniform proudly
and believe and honor their oath.
Sophomore Criminal Justice
major Theo Mok agrees with
Gonzales.
Events like this help normal
citizens understand that the police
we see portrayed by media is overly
emphasized and their flaws are
magnified in order to fit ratings and
create support, Mok said. It is
important that the communitys faith
in their local law enforcement agency
is strengthened having understood
that they can create a bond with their
local department if they choose to.
The officers I communicated with
and seeing it, and it does not get any
worse than that. I have that flexibility.
And it is very, very possible, and I will
tell you it is already happened, that
my attitude toward Syria and Assad
has changed very much, President
Trump said.
That following Friday the
United States fired dozens of cruise
missiles at a government controlled
airbase in Syria in retaliation for the
suspected chemical weapons attack
on a rebel-held town.
The Pentagon released the
following statement:
At the direction of the president,
U.S. forces conducted a cruise missile
strike against a Syrian Air Force
airfield today at about 8:40 p.m.
EDT (4:40 a.m., April 7, in Syria).
The strike targeted Shayrat Airfield
in Homs governorate, and were in
response to the Syrian governments
chemical weapons attack April 4
in Khan Sheikhoun, which killed
through events and through field
work have all been living examples
that in our nation, the tensions that
are created between communities
and law enforcement are often made
worse by mass media because the
general public can believe anything
that is shown on a video.
Mok warns against the
temptation of believing in extreme
versions of situations.
These are examples of extremely
polarized magnification of the
problems between law enforcement
and communities, Mok said. This
is not to say that there are little to Justice majors and non-majors.
no flaws within law enforcement
agencies around the nation, as they
are all led by different individual and,
thus, there is a greater likelihood
of corruption and misguided
actions that go unaccounted for.
USS Ross fires a Tomahawk land attack missle from the
Mediterranean Sea.
and injured hundreds of innocent
Syrian people, including women and
children.The strike was conducted
using Tomahawk Land Attack
Missiles (TLAMs) launched from
the destroyers USS Porter and USS
Ross in the Eastern Mediterranean
Sea. A total of 59 TLAMs targeted
aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters,
petroleum and logistical storage,
ammunition supply bunkers, air
defense systems, and radars. As
always, the U.S. took extraordinary
measures to avoid civilian casualties
and to comply with the Law of
Armed Conflict. Every precaution
was taken to execute this strike with
minimal risk to personnel at the
airfield.
This retaliation created even
more controversy due to the fact
that the cruise missiles killed many
civilians in the attack.
Aljazeera reported that at least
six people were killed in the early
CAROLINE CONNOLLY PHOTO
However, because the Days of
Dialogue program is mostly based
in Los Angeles County, it serves
to strengthen a bond and create
understanding between agencies
and communities, especially in our
time where community-based justice
and policing methods are hitting
the forefront of the criminal justice
system.
For more information about
this past event as well as upcoming
events, Gonzales recommended that
students look into Criminal Justice
classes available to both Criminal
Its a great to get involved at
school and in your community,
Gonzales said.
For more information on the
INVLA, visit their website: http://
invla.org/.
GOOGLE IMAGES COURTESY
morning strike, according to the
Syrian army, which denounced the
US aggression as a violation of
international law.
The Trump administrations
response to issues of foreign policy
has been an aggressive one. President
Trump seems adamant about
keeping his word of aiming to end
terrorist attacks, such as the chemical
weapons attack.
Some blame the chemical attack
on the previous administration,
with the White House releasing
a statement calling it a result of
Obamas weakness.
President Trump demonstrated
more of that flexibility on April
13, when the United States military
announced that it had dropped a
GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air
Blast Bomb, otherwise known as the
Mother Of All Bombs on an ISIS
underground camp in response to
another attack.
President Wallace actively leads students by example
Through a letter
to President
Trump and
working on
SB 1146, Jon
Wallace has been
a role model for
how he wants
students at APU
to be engaged
politically
Nathan Foster
opinion editor
Azusa Pacific President Jon
Wallace wants students on campus
to be engaged politically. This is
not an empty statement, he has
taken initiative to set an example
for students of how to be politically
active.
On Feb. 2, Wallace teamed up
with the presidents of Point Loma
Nazarene University and Life Pacific
College to write another president,
Donald Trump. They sent President
Trump a letter concerning the
Executive Order that attempted to
suspend immigration from several
countries in the Middle East, from a
Christian perspective.
Many in our diverse
communities come to our campuses
on the shoulders of immigrants.
Indeed, we all share pages in that
American heritage of welcoming the
vulnerable, extending hospitality,
and inviting participation in the great
experiment of these United States,
Wallace wrote in the letter.
Scripture calls us to care for the
poor, the orphan, the widow, and the
Do you trust the media to deliver information you can trust?
From a survey of 250 APU undergraduate students, the question Do you trust the media to deliver information you can trust? was asked to the group of 250 sample students
as well. Two respondents replied that they trust the media wholeheartedly, 36 respondents replied that they trust the media most of the time, 96 respondents replied that they
sometimes trust the media, 81 respondents claim that they do not trust the media, while 25 respondents never trust the media.
From the same survey, the question Who did you vote for? was asked as well. 91 respondents voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton, 63 respondents recorded that they voted for
Donald J. Trump, 13 respondents voted for a Third-Party Candidate, and 83 respondents chose other or did not give an answer.
Clause opinion and asst. sports editor, Nathan Foster sits down with Jon Wallace to discuss his activism.
refugee. It also urges us that we work
with respect for the authorities of our
nation with fidelity to our Christian
identity. We contend that every
person bears the image of God and
deserves to be treated with dignity
and respect.
Wallace said that he felt it was
important to share his concern for
impacted students with Trump.
Its really important to remember
that this comes from our Wesleyan
Holiness tradition, Wallace said.
We want to be in the conversations
where there may be difference of
opinion. We want to stand in those
spaces in a God honoring way.
Wallace said that this wasnt the
first time, that there were areas of
disagreement with former President
Obamas administration.
These are our responsibilities
to speak on behalf of our students,
Wallace said.
The letter is not the only way
We, working with
a number of other
college presidents in
California and state
agencies, helped
reframe the wording
of SB II46.
Wallace has been politically active
this year. He was vocal when Senate
Bill 1146 passed in California, which
dealt with the treatment of LGBTQ
students at religious universities.
We, working with a number of
other college presidents in California
and state agencies, helped to reframe
the wording of SB 1146, Wallace
said. It became a transparency
bill, meaning that colleges and
universities are required to be as
transparent as possible with any
TERI GRIFFITH COURTESY
standards of conduct or expectations
that are directly related to their
religious beliefs, or directly related to
Title IX.
The bill was signed into law by
Governor Jerry Brown and will take
effect during next school year.
We saw that as an opportunity
to really tell our story, Wallace said.
Its not fully in place yet. Its required
of us to have the wording appear in
writing on our website. Well make it
available so that any person who seeks
out information about the university
will be able to find this information as
we head into the fall semester.
When asked about how he felt
about President Trumps first few
months in office, Wallace responded
that he had a unique leadership style,
especially when it came to his use of
social media.
His leadership style has been
unique to what we have seen
previously, Wallace said. The Bible
tells us to pray for our leaders. The
leadership at APU and I regularly
pray for President Trump and his
administration.
Wallace noted that historically,
college students and young adults are
the least politically active age groups.
He encouraged students at APU to
be more engaged politically.
What were trying to do is train
up men and women who engage
culture and society, who are the
kind of neighbors you want to live
next to. We want our students to be
that kind of a citizen, Wallace said.
In terms of engagement, theres all
kinds of stuff like the elections or the
political engagement on campus for
student clubs and organizations. I
think students need to express their
voice and encourage conversation
with their friends around issues that
matter.
He continued to say how
students could be engaged beyond
APU.
All politics are really local is a
famous quote. Engagement in the
city of Azusa in the political process
would be great, Wallace said. I
know that the mayor and the city
council currently in office and those
who will be running for office would
love to see student engagement.
At the state and national level, I
think that students need to inform
themselves on what the issues are
and follow those issues to some
conclusion.
Wallace was also part of the
committee that chose the university
passage for next year. He was
encouraged by the conversations the
university passage created this year
and looks forward to next year.
Micah 6:8 gives core values for
how we are to know and be known.
Acts 2:42-47 is really a picture of what
vibrant and robust Christ centered
community looks like, Wallace said.
Im really excited to think that well
spend a whole year looking at [them].
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
THECLAUSE.ORG/LIFESTYLE Clause WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 6

Humans of the Zu talk 2016 politics and beyond

Students around campus share their willingness to talk politics amongst their peers/classmates
Yasaman Khorsandi
staff writer
Karina Acevedo Kalani Alapai
sophomore social work major, theater minor freshman graphic design major

Q: How comfortable do you

feel sharing your political
views on campus?

A: I feel moderately Q: How comfortable do

comfortable. Im very liberal you feel sharing your
and more open-minded political views and values
to different viewpoints, on campus?
however, I dont feel as
comfortable sharing that A: I am very open to
in certain organizations sharing my political
on campus like SGA or beliefs with people on
Communiversity because campus. Its a lot easier
in my experience, they tend for everyone to grow in
to cater to conservative their own beliefs if we are
students on campus. When all open to sharing and
I do share my views, its discussing.
frustrating because its met
with a lot of opposition.

Q: How did you first get

Q: How comfortable and
interested in social justice
active were you during the
and politics?
presidential election season
about your beliefs?
A: When I was younger,
I was bothered by issues
A: Since Im Canadian and
such as human trafficking.
wasnt able to vote myself,
I kept getting frustrated
I wanted to be active in the
because I felt like people
political season as much
were just putting bandaids
as I could. In the arts, we
over the problem. I started
are more open talking
to get interested in politics,
about our views. I dont
because if you can change
really like when people shy
something like policy from
away from those topics,
the top down, then you
but I think theres a way to
can fix the system and the
do it respectfully with one
problem. Thats how my
another. Theres not a lot
passion started. I believe
of talk in the middle with
that in order to do social
our polarized viewpoints
justice you have to have
in society, so I like to
action.
understand where other
people come from so I can
respect them.

Sarah Bedore Nick Ekren

junior social work major junior acting major
THECLAUSE.ORG/LIFESTYLE Clause WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 7

Campus-wide student sample survey reveals the

political climate of select undergraduate population
Hankyul Sharon Lee
editor in chief

This semester, like many, I found

myself confused and overwhelmed
in the aftermath of one of the most
divisive political battles in national
history. How were we supposed
to move upwards and forwards
while being stuck in patterns of
mudslinging, blaming and partisan
political agenda?
Amid my personal crisis,
however, also began the spurning
of my curiosity at where the political

EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC

viewpoints of my peers on campus
stood. Instead of assuming certain
traits, whether desirable or demonic,
upon those who share or contest
my personal leanings, perhaps was
worthwhile to engage with those
surrounding me, I thought.
With this in mind, The Clause
conducted a campus-wide political
climate survey for the first time.
Taking a small sample size (roughly
five percent) of our undergraduate
student population, 250 participants
took part by filling out a 12 question
survey set.
You may have seen us scurrying
around with stacks of papers, maybe
we even approached your with wide
smiles and strongly suggested your
participation in a survey that you took
because of you are kind souls. If you
fall into the latter category, we greatly
appreciate you.
Our survey touched upon
potentially uncomfortable issues,
not in an attempt to stir controversy,
but to show that only through
fully acknowledging our difference
can we begin to break the barriers
between us. We cannot keep
thinking that hiding in the face of
difficulty will solve our inability to
communicate with one another. We
need to stay informed, not only of our
surroundings, but of the people who
make up our contexts as well.
Our survey revealed many
student perspectives concerning
issues students considered most
important to their vote, their
candidate preferences and thoughts How safe do you feel to reveal
concerning our newly-elected
Commander-in-Chief, among many your political stance
other topics that were not able to
make this issue including opinions on campus?
about several recent policy decisions.
We hope that the results of our
experimental sample survey fosters
sincere communication on campus
where we strive to understand each
other with the knowledge that
listening can be the most powerful
tool for enacting change if we let it.

EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC

Who did you vote for

in the 2016 general election?
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
What do politics have to do with college students?
What it means to
be a politically-
involved college
student
Annie Ellis
copy editor
I remember the day I registered
to vote. I was a senior in high school
and my AP Economics professor had
decorated the classroom with Ameri-
can flags and asked local representa-
tives to come speak.
I remember filling in the little
bubble next to the party my parents
belonged to, as probably most of the
class did that day a class full of new-
ly-registered democrats, republicans
and a sprinkling of libertarians.
I wish I could say I had a pro-
found moment of transcendence in
which I remembered all the women
before me who fought for suffrage
and my right to participate in the po-
litical sphere, but to be honest I prob-
ably didnt think much more of it after
I sealed the envelope.
The act felt like an important ini-
tiation into adulthood and American
citizenship and yet, a bit anticlimac-
tic. The 2012 election had just passed,
and it would be four years until we
could participate in our first general
election.
Fast forward: I am now a senior
in college and was able to vote in my
first general election this past No-
vember. Campus buzzed with con-
versations, and many students spent
time researching and discussing the
different bills and issues that would
appear on the ballot. We proudly
filled ours out and dropped them in
Giving protest a purpose: Educate yourself first
Protests should be
more than
Insta-gold
Erika Hunter
staff writer
Everyone has their opinion about
protesting. Some may see it as pro-
ductive while others think of it as a
waste of time. In my opinion, it is only
a waste of time if you are doing it with
the wrong intent. To be an effective
protester, you must know what it is
youre protesting for.
Not too long ago, a friend and I
were talking about what it means to
protest. She mentioned that she gets
frustrated with individuals who only
protest for the purpose of posting it
online for their friends to see. She
said that she found herself extremely
displeased with some of her friends
who had gone to the Womens March
because it was trending on Twitter.
While it may seem important to
millennials to let others know what
theyre doing, the message behind the
protest is lost when this becomes the
main concern.
I remember the first march I ever
participated in: I was in New York
City, studying at The Kings Col-
lege. One day, I looked outside of my
window to find several people walk-
ing along 34th street with signs of
College students have historically been the least politically active demographic even though most of them
get their first chance to vote while in college. However, voting is not the only way to be engaged politically.
the mail, donning I Voted stickers
and glowing with the hope that our
voice might make some small differ-
ence.
It wasnt until the age of 21 that
I submitted my first ballot, but there
is no starting age for caring about
and investing in the world around
you and taking steps to contribute to
making it a better place. But voting
in the general election is by no means
the only, or even the most important,
way to participate in politics.
Particularly in the current polit-
ically-charged climate full of crucial
issues, it is as important as ever for
college students to educate them-
selves and to find ways to contribute
to improving our society and world.
College campuses have long
There have been several notable protests in the last year from Black Lives Matter to the Womens March.
African American men who had been
killed by the police. At the time, I was
also instructed by a professor to dive
deeper into an issue that I was pas-
sionate about.
Since my focus was of the Black
Lives Matter movement and the cre-
ators of it were from New York, I
made my way downstairs in hopes of
joining and speaking with those par-
ticipating in the protest. I was also
committed to protesting in an effort
to stand up for the lives that had been
lost and to seek out justice for the Af-
rican American community.
In the conversation I had with
the friend, she also made mention
that many people use the term woke
when they are protesting. She said
that she has lost count to how many
times she has heard someone say that
they are woke on an issue they know
little to nothing about.
been centers for thought and en-
gagement. The 1960s saw numerous
student protests as a part of the civil
rights movement, the feminist move-
ment, anti war protests and other
political issues. And the crazy thing
is they actually created change. What
began as groups of students raising
their voices actually had national con-
sequences.
Aryana Petrosky, a senior po-
litical science major, said that shes
seen student political involvement
less as organized clubs and more as
informed conversations with one an-
other.
Those discussions keep us root-
ed in thinking about what we are
committed to as individuals, what we
think the proper role of government
Protesting isnt the only thing we
should do as activists, Taylor Allen,
a senior graphic design major, said.
It shouldnt stop or begin there.
Allen believes that there should
be constant dialogue on an issue pre-
sented to the public.
Many people think that pro-
testing is enough when in actual-
ity, it isnt, Allen said. Thats whats
wrong with our society now.
She said that we put on a protest
and not too long thereafter, stop play-
ing a part in the efforts of moving for-
ward in justice. She questions where
the conversation goes after.
Angelique Pickett, a senior theol-
ogy major, shared similar views.
I remember talking to a girl who
had gone to the Womens March,
Pickett said. She couldnt even tell
me what she was standing up for.
Pickett hopes that our world
GOOGLE IMAGES COURTESY
is in our daily lives, and to hold our
government accountable to the com-
mon good, said Petrosky.
These are the very conversations
and seemingly small acts which cre-
ate ripples of change.
It is no secret that politics can
be a touchy subject. Everyone jokes
about avoiding political talks when
heading home for the holidays, and
weve all heard the nervous laughter
that rumbles around a classroom
when a controversial candidate or is-
sue is brought up.
But a little disagreement is
healthy. It keeps us from becoming
stagnant. It allows us to understand
differing perspectives and to seriously
consider our own.
Some students prefer not to ven-
GOOGLE IMAGES COURTESY
moves beyond just protesting and
recognizes the roles we play as citi-
zens in making change come to pass.
At the time that I was in New
York, I had done an extensive amount
of research on the Black Lives Matter
movement. I hadnt joined the move-
ment solely because of my African
American decent. I joined because
of what it stood for and how it was
actively pursuing justice within this
particular community. At the time
of the protest, I was only concerned
about engaging in conversation with
other activists.
I could have very well posted it
on social media for all to see but be-
cause I was so fixated on having dia-
logue with others, this wasnt a prior-
ity of mine. In fact, I dont have any
pictures from it. Instead, I have great
knowledge of how others were feel-
ing at that moment, which eventually
ture into the treacherous waters of
politics and even believe that their
vote doesnt really count. It is impor-
tant to remember that politics are not
limited to a ballot or a vote.
For local and national political
involvement, read, speak and listen
on repeat. Then, if there is a particu-
lar area of policy or issue that you are
being called to do more than just be
informed, take action, Petrosky said.
Grassroots movements are
highly effective for those who are the
activists; lobbying and calling your
legislators is extremely effective for
those of you who are the pushers; and
working at a non-profit, local govern-
ment, federal government, etc. are
all extremely effective for those who
want to make a career out of partici-
pating in politics.
Being politically involved can
mean educating yourself, participat-
ing in marches and protests, signing
petitions or even deciding how to use
your power as a consumer. Even vol-
unteering with non-profits is a politi-
cal act: It is an action which seeks to
change the nature of the society we
live in, which is inherently political.
All around the country, students
are demanding to be heard and are
taking their place in national and
global conversations. Students are
not just the future, they are the pres-
ent, and over and over again it has
been demonstrated that they have the
collective power to make others pay
attention to the issues that are impor-
tant to them.
Whether or not you voted, re-
member that your investment and
involvement in the world around you
is a privilege and an opportunity to
shape your community for the better.
turned into a story for me to add to
my Black Lives Matter research.
I distinctively remember talking
to a young woman in New York City
who told me that she was walking to
the store at the time of the protest.
She said that she joined the protest
shortly after witnessing the tears of
a young teenage girl. She knew that
she couldnt stop her tears, but she
also knew that she wasnt as educated
on the issue at hand to present any
kind of solution.
Once she joined the protest, she
spoke with people of the protest who
handed her information about all of
the lives lost to police brutality. She
told me that she never felt so encour-
aged to walk as many miles as she did
that day upon learning more about
the issue.
This is the kind of attitude that
we should have when it comes to pro-
testing. We should want to engage
in conversation with those who have
more knowledge on a topic than us.
This is how we learn and grow as ac-
tivists. Protesting isnt a waste of time
if you know what it is youre standing
for and why.
I believe protests are a beautiful,
united time of mourning, Danielle
Harris, a first year college counsel-
ing and development student, said.
They are a significant step towards
healing for those affected by different
oppressive systems.
10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG/OPINION
Intentionality slows climate change Trump strikes back
Californians can
be leaders and
innovators in the
environmental
race for survival
Kristin Miller
staff writer
Californians have certainly
felt the effects of climate change:
We see the cloud of smog over our
downtown buildings, have read the
freeway warnings telling us to use
less water due to the drought and
had heat waves setting record high
temperatures, then experienced one of
the coldest, rainiest winters southern
California has ever experienced.
This past Saturday, April 22, was
Earth Day. According to EarthDay.
org, this years theme focused on
climate literacy to empower global
citizens with knowledge to inspire
action for environmental protection.
In celebration of Earth Day,
the climate community marched in
downtown Los Angeles to show they
valued the state of the planet in the
Los Angeles March for Science.
In this particular march for
science, many were protesting officials
in government not acknowledging
climate change being a real issue.
Some signs read: Scientific
Evidence Trumps Alternative Facts,
Climate > Opinion, Science=Real
and Science not Silence.
Californians have made it loud
and clear that they do not agree
with some individuals in the current
administration who dont believe in
the severity of climate change.
Our governor is even fighting
back against prudent environmental
policy changes.
Gutting the Clean Power Plan is
a colossal mistake, and defies science
itself, Brown said. Erasing climate
change may take place in Donald
Trumps mind, but nowhere else.
Governor Jerry Brown has also
said that California will not surrender
to the roll back on the release of carbon
dioxide gases that are destroying our
ozone layer and depleting the earth.
Medicaid needs to be fixed ASAP
While it looks
good on paper,
Medicaid is
causing huge
problems for U.S.
Noah Jackson
guest writer
Human dignity was Lyndon
B. Johnsons goal when he signed
Medicaid into law in 1965. He
believed that the wealthiest country
in the world should be able to
provide healthcare for those who
cannot afford it. Little did he know
how complicated Medicaid would
become.
There are 43.1 million people
in poverty in America. Without
government-funded healthcare, those
with little or no income could not
receive the care they need. Most of us
know people who are on Medicaid,
and recognize it as an essential safety
net to a flourishing society.
Still, very few people talk about
Medicaid, much less understand
how it works or how much it costs.
Medicaid is health insurance
originally designed to cover people
The effects of climate change can be seen in Los Angeles smog.
California resides under a labor
program that recognizes its direct
negative effects of toxic pollutants.
California has a unique ability to
set tougher restrictions than federal
standards.
An example of an aggressive
policy is the new 12 cent tax on gas
that is meant to improve Californias
roads and infrastructure. Automakers
are also being strongly encouraged to
build more hybrid cars for California
regulations.
California politicians are trying
to raise the price of gas so the public
is forced to either buy clean emission
cars or take public transportation.
California has also recently
launched their cap and trade
program which uses a market-based
mechanism to lower greenhouse
gas emissions. According to their
website, this program is only second
in size to the European Unions
Emissions Trading System. first mentality.
Scientists are in the process of
studying how to contain solar energy
for renewable use. This would be a
big step forward for the state if we
patented this technology.
Charles Chen, Ph.D. ecologist
and professor of biology, global
change and plant physiology at Azusa
Pacific University believes science
should lead policy.
Chen compared the current
administration to the Reagan
administration, another pro-business
conservative leader who used science
as a basis of his international policy
and did not deny facts.
Former president Reagan
worked with Margaret Thatcher
in poverty, disabled people and
pregnant mothers. It is a dual federal
and state-run program intended to
provide healthcare to those who
cannot otherwise afford it. In 2015,
Medicaid cost $545 billion, or roughly
$4,500 per income tax payer.
A majority of recipients are
children in single-parent homes. If
the money spent on Medicaid was
simply used to buy private insurance
for every family in poverty in
America, the current budget would
be able to purchase premium plans
and the government would be left
with billions in surplus; this is even
taking into account the rising health
insurance costs.
Yet as Ronald Reagan said: A
government bureau is the nearest
thing to eternal life, and because of
the strength of bureaucracy, we can
bet that Medicaid is here to stay.
Today, Medicaid covers far more
people than just those in poverty. It
is the largest health provider in the
nation with over 68 million people
enrolled, 21 percent of the population.
There is no question that
Medicaid is an absolutely necessary
program. Yet the above statistic
begs the question: Do one in five
Americans need to be covered by
Medicaid?
GOOGLE IMAGES PHOTO
to form the Montreal Protocol.
Regulations under the protocol
managed the production of chemicals
that deplete the ozone according
to research from scientists the UK
and California. A financial system
was created to enable developing
countries to comply with the treaty.
This protocol was the most
successful treaty because science was
respected and taken seriously, Chen
said.
California has the potential to be
one of the world leaders in innovative
effort to slow down climate change.
We have all felt the effects.
Katie Kimanzi, assistant director
for the global learning engagement
program, said everyone is to blame.
Climate stewardship is not
everyones priority which is in itself a
problem, Kimanzi said.
She recognized that a lifestyle
change may be the result of a climate-
Jennifer and Kenneth
Teetermoore, Los Angeles March for
Science organizers and volunteers,
said they are both willing to make
life changes in their dedication to be
better stewards to the planet.
Right now we live in Orange
Country so there isnt public
transportation that could take us
to [downtown Los Angeles]. My
husband and I are actually looking
for a place that has better public
transportation so we can use it,
Teetermoore said.
That is the main factor: asking
whether or not we are willing to make
the necessary sacrifices for the planet,
or wait around until its too late.
The official poverty rate
according to the U.S. Census
Bureau is 13.5 percent, meaning a
third of Medicaid recipients are
above the poverty line. While it is
wonderful in theory to have as many
people receiving free care as possible,
expanding eligibility to those above
the poverty line is damaging the
quality of care received by those who
truly need it.
Medicaid has caused many
problems. The government has been
unable to pay the bills that they owe to
medical providers, with a repayment
rate of 90 percent, according to the
American Hospital Association.
In some cases the underpayment is
much worse.
Dr. Stephan Zerlang, said that
the clinic he works for in Greeley,
Colo. only receives 48 percent of the
money owed to them by Medicaid.
This has forced the clinic to cover
costs by cutting the time each
patient gets with the doctor, and by
also inflating the amount the clinic
charges per visit.
The problem is worse in hospitals
because many states provide services
with no copay to those on Medicaid.
A copay is a portion of the medical bill
paid by the insured individual. The
theory behind Medicaid not having
U.S. takes swift
action after Syria
attacks own
citizens
Emily Praske
photo & design editor
On April 7, the Pentagon
announced that the United States
had launched 59 Tomahawk cruise
missiles targeted at an airbase in
Homs, Syria.
The launch was in response to the
Syrian government attacking their
own civilians with poison gas three
days earlier, which was confirmed by
the U.S. government. The missiles
were aimed at the airbase where the
attack originated.
In June 2014, the Syrian
government claimed the last chemical
weapons they possessed were
shipped out of the country. Syria
notified the United Nations that
they had complied with the United
Nations Security Council Resolution
2018, to destroy all chemical weapons
and production facilities.
Dean and professor of the college
of liberal arts and sciences, Jennifer
Walsh, Ph.D., commented in regards
to President Trumps contradicting
opinions on Syrian involvement.
President Trumps decision to
use force was an emotional response
to a horrific human tragedy, Walsh
said. It contradicted his previous
stated position to not get involved
in the Syrian civil war. Although the
scope was limited this time, Trumps
willingness to change his political
stance on Syrian involvement raises
many questions about his willingness
to change his mind on other positions
and his willingness to get involved in
other Middle East conflicts.
Chair and professor of the
department of history and political
science at APU, Daniel Palm, Ph.D.,
provided insight regarding the role of
the U.S. in the Syrian crisis.
The president has this question:
what to do when chemical weapons
are used? Palm said. There is
significant agreement and there had
been for most of the 20th century
that since WWI a hundred years
a copay is that those who qualify for
Medicaid cannot afford the copay.
However, entitlements without
personal responsibility attached to
them reward people for remaining in
poverty and foster complacency.
Dr. Zerlang explained that a visit
to the ER that would cost anyone
with private insurance between
$100-$300, costs Medicaid recipients
a maximum of $3. This causes
emergency rooms to be flooded with
Medicaid beneficiaries who come on
a regular basis for often trivial needs.
According to one study done by
The Atlantic, the average emergency
room visit costs $2,168. This means
that millions of ER visits for non-
emergencies end up costing billions
of dollars.
ago... That led to agreements after
WWI. International agreements
that nations would limit or not use
chemical weapons. And that sort of
extended to biological weapons, as
well.
The action by the U.S. has
received bipartisan support in
Congress. The U.S. put the Syrian
government on notice: should
another chemical weapons attack
take place, the U.S. will take a
much more aggressive action to
permanently rid this threat.
The attack stemmed from
a significant flaw in the lack of
honesty and transparency within
their government in 2014. That
dishonesty lead to a corrupt system
of government and jeopardized
relationships with other nations.
Chemical weapons should not
be an option on the battlefield under
any circumstance. The fact that the
Syrian government still has these
weapons and is willing to use them
is troubling from a moral viewpoint.
There is a certain broad
humanitarian sense in what should
be done when chemical weapons
are used and there is significant
GOOGLE IMAGES PHOTO
civilian loss of life, Palm said. This
particular president opted to use
military force to make a point that
the use of chemical weapons in this
conflict did not go unnoticed and was
unappreciated by the United States.
Nazi Germany was an oppressed
nation under Hitlers rule from 1933
through 1945. The killing of six
million Jewish people during WWII
has a haunting correlation with
innocent Syrian civilians being killed
by their own government.
It was not necessarily [an]
attempt to make the definitive
[futures] use of those weapons not
going to happen, Palm said. It
was to make a point that it is clearly
noticed, and it got the attention of the
United States and that the President
wanted to make it clear that to [their]
response... theres consequence.
There are over 470,000 casualties
of the Syrian civil war and over
seven million people are displaced.
If the United States remains on the
sideline in the Syrian crisis, arent
we disregarding a humanitarian
responsibility to save innocent lives?
Luckily there is a simple solution
to this problem: attach a copay to ER
and clinic visits to encourage people
to only go to the doctor and ER when
necessary. This is what almost all
American citizens who pay for their
health care have to do already. This
would be the first step in promoting
personal responsibility for those
receiving Medicaid.
While this one step of adding
copays will save our government
billions of dollars, it is only the first
step in a long list of needed Medicaid
reforms. My hope is that we as a
population start paying attention to
these issues because our government
is borrowing trillions of dollars
in order to pay for programs like
Medicaid, and we are going to be the
generation that pays for it.
12 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG/OPINION
Kaepernicks political actions may doom starting chances
Colin Kaepernick
brings unwanted
attention and
performance to
the NFL team
that decides to
sign him
Michael Ayetiwa
asst. lifestyle editor
Isaiah Vargas
staff writer
Its been more than a month
since the free agency period started,
and former 49ers quarterback, Colin
Kaepernick, has yet to be signed by a
National Football League team.
Last season, Kaepernick was at
the center of a national controversy
when he kneeled during the national
anthem as a sign of protest to racial
and social injustices in the country.
Many fans of the sport believed he
disrespected the nation, the United
States Flag and veterans alike,
resulting in Kaepernick being booed
by fans.
At the same time, he posted one
of his worst stat lines of his career
while leading his team to an abysmal
record of 2-14.
So lets beg the questions for
arguments sake: Why is Colin
Kaepernick still unsigned? Is it
because of his play or because of his
politics?
I firmly believe it is a combination
of both. Lets be clear: Kaepernick
was not the worst football player in
the league last year, but he certainly
was not among the best. If you add
his refusal to stand for the national
anthem on top of his mediocre play,
he becomes a very unattractive option
for any NFL team who would like
to steer away from controversy and
instead focus on winning games, or
Patriots players decide to skip White House visit
A look at the
increasingly
blurred lines
between sports
and politics
Isaiah Vargas
staff writer
The New England Patriots
made history this past season after
coming back from a 25-point deficit to
defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super
Bowl LI. Now, the Super Bowl
champions a
re making headlines in sports and
political media because some players
have decided to not attend the annual
White House visit.
After every season, the Super
Bowl champions earn the honor of
going to the White House to meet
the president.
Every year there are a handful of
players on the roster who decide to
not go for various reasons, but this
year is different.
It seems like nowadays
everything is politicized. If you visit
the president, you must support him,
and if you turn down an invitation
to visit him, then you must be a
protester.
Its this kind of public ultimatum
that places unnecessary pressure on
Kaepernick infamously sat during the national anthem in the first three preseason games of 2016. He began kneeling at the last preseason
game in San Diego on Sep. 1, 2016. He now plans to stop kneeling during the anthem.
ultimately Super Bowls.
It should be noted that there
are other solid free agents with less
controversial and political baggage.
FOX Sports writer Dieter
Kurtenbach wrote, Teams dont lack
quarterback options in free agency,
and right now there are certainly
better quarterbacks to be signed than
Kaepernick. Its as simple as that.
Kaepernick is not the only starter
remaining in free agency. Other
quarterbacks like Jay Cutler, Robert
Griffin III and Ryan Fitzpatrick
started for their clubs last season and
remain unsigned as well.
I agree that his protest plays a
factor into his current unemployment,
but thats only one side of the coin
here. Others believe it is the sole
obstacle for NFL teams and owners.
The Patriots honored President Trump by giving him a personalized
jersey. A total of 34 players attended.
these players.
So far, six players on the Patriots
roster publicly announced they will
not be visiting President Trump
at the White House. Some of the
players cited political reasons and
others did not.
I am totally against the
politicizing of sports
entertainment, but people have to
and
realize that professional athletes have
personal opinions on politics, too.
From the statements of a couple of
players, it is fair to say theyre not the
biggest fans of President Trump.
I will not be going to the White
House. I dont feel welcome in that
house. Ill leave it at that, Patriots
They argue that Kaepernick is better
than many backup quarterbacks;
therefore, the league must be
punishing him based on his politics
alone. But this is not an intellectually
honest take on the Kaepernick
dilemma.
Mike Dinovo from USA
TODAY put it, Theres only 32 of
these jobs if youre a starter. If youre
a backup, theres 64 more of them.
Now are there 90 quarterbacks in
the world better than Kaepernick?
Probably not.
Yes, maybe Kaepernick deserves
more credit, but the fact is that
while players are allowed to be
entitled to their opinions they
are not on the field to make political
statements. They reached that level
of professional sport due to their skill
GEOFF BURKE PHOTO
running back LeGarrette Blount
publicly said.
Another Patriots player, Devin
McCourty, expressed similar feelings
in his explanation for skipping the
White House visit, saying he did
not feel accepted and accused the
president of having strong opinions
and prejudices.
I may or may not agree with
their personal feelings and political
opinions, but I do believe they do
have the right to skip out on the
opportunity to visit the White House
and meet the president if thats what
they really want to choose.
Blair Lewis, a sophomore
communication studies major,
in the craft, not because of their ideals
or political outspokenness. I believe
professional athletes must remember
that their job comes first and their
passions second.
I would compare this not only to
being a Christian in the workplace,
but also specifically to Tim Tebow
and his football career. I like Tebow.
I applaud him for being outspoken
for his faith and his ideals, but his
faith doesnt win Super Bowls.
When owners of NFL teams are
looking to win a championship ring
and wish to recruit those that will
make that vision a reality, they arent
looking at the QB who shows the
most civil rights activism or the tight
end with the biggest cross around his
neck. They are looking at the stats.
Kurtenbach continued, But
shared similar thoughts concerning
the players decisions.
Im okay with their decision.
They can do what they want, Lewis
said. I understand why they can be
offended so its fine with me.
If we want to keep politics out
of sports, then we should not care so
much about who is and isnt going to
the White House. We also shouldnt
be outraged or encouraged by their
reasons for skipping.
I may or may not agree
with their personal
feelings and political
opinions, but I believe
they do have the right
to skip out on the
opportunity to visit the
White House and meet
the president if thats
what they really want
to choose.
Sterling Bennett, a junior sports
journalism major, understood
why this situation received a lot of
attention and noted his outlook on
the entire situation.
You have to look at the election
as a whole. It was just a crazy year
OTTO GREULE JR PHOTO
right now Kaepernick is Tim Tebow.
Both men should be lauded for their
activism, even if you dont agree with
the impetus for that activism, and
both are bad quarterbacks who won
playoff games in this decade.
There is some truth to the
Kaepernick and Tebow comparison,
but the difference between the two is
that Tebow never backed down from
his beliefs.
Kaepernick no longer wants his
method of protest to detract from the
positive change he believes has been
created, an ESPN author wrote.
I understand Kaepernick has
been donating $100,000 every month
to charity, and his message has clearly
made its way across the nation, but
the timing of this decision seems like
hes selling out.
for politics, Bennett said. I dont
think people should be shaming the
players decisions or glorifying their
decisions.
Ultimately, its their personal
choice and if their personal choices
involve political bias, then so be it.
To be outraged at a player for their
political beliefs only politicizes the
situation further.
Obviously, I am not in the
Patriots players situation. I am not
a Super Bowl champion and I did
not receive an invitation to the White
House. However, I dont think I
would make the same decision as
them.
I wouldnt care who was in office;
I could never skip out on a chance to
visit the White House and shake the
hand of the President of the United
States.
For me, that would be an honor
and an opportunity too good to pass
up.
Whether you like the president
or not, you have to respect that he is
the leader of the free world, Bennett
said.
Even if I support or dont support
all of his policies wholeheartedly, Im
still going to shake his hand or take a
picture with him because its a once in
a lifetime opportunity.
A total of 34 players from the
active roster, practice squad, and
injured reserve list made the journey
to the White House, 34 did not,
according to NBC Sports.
Proposed Athlete Protection Act is cause of concern at APU
If passed,
the nations
first Athletic
Protection
Committee would
gain strong
power over all
collegiate athletic
departments in
California
Brandon Rodriguez
sports editor
Earlier this year, AB 1435,
otherwise known as the Athlete
Protection Act, was proposed to
the California State Legislative. On
March 15, State Assemblywoman
Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San
Diego) officially introduced her
proposed bill. Although this is not
the first protection act created to
help college athletes, it is the first
of its kind, which would introduce
the nations first Athlete Protection
Committee if passed. The committee
would oversee all health and safety
regulations for collegiate athletics
through the state of California.
If it gains enough support, the
bill could pass to become new state
law, which in turn can bring some
interesting changes to Azusa Pacifics
athletic department.
Gonzalez Fletcher is joined
by Ramogi Huma, the executive
director of the National College
Players Association (NCPA) and
a former UCLA football player, as
well as Marshall and Janie Ross,
parents of former USC and NFL
player Scott Ross. All four would
lead the committee, and would have
extraordinary power over college
athletics in the state.
I have introduced the Athlete
Water polo breaks even, prepares for GCC Tournament
Cougars hit
.500 after losing
final regular
season game on
senior night, but
looks forward
to competing
in conference
tournament
Alexander Perez
guest writer
The Azusa Pacific womens water
polo team has been around since 2009,
and has never had a winning season.
The closest they have come to that
benchmark was hitting .500 in 2011.
This year, they finished at .500 again
with a record of 13-13.
The team played their last
home game of the regular season
on Saturday, April 22, where they
lost in overtime against Cal Baptist
University 11-10. This was their fifth
overtime game of the season.
We played a hard-fought game
through six quarters. We never gave
Protection Act to do the job that the
NCAA and campus administrators
have utterly failed to do of keeping
players safe, Gonzalez Fletcher said.
No parents should ever lose a child
because a school valued winning
a game more than they valued the
health of a player.
The bill has created a mixed
reaction at APU. Payton Williams
serves as the Director of Compliance
for APUs athletic department. If the
bill passes, he would be in charge of
making sure that APU obeys the rules
and regulations of the commission.
Its the first of its kind. They
havent conducted anything yet, so its
tough to say what it would do or how
far it would reach, but their focused
goal is the same that we have, which
is the safety and well-being of our
student athletes, Williams said.
At the moment, Williams is not
against the bill. Williams worked for
the NCAA National office for eight
years and is a former student athlete
who suffered from a career ending
injury. He supports anything that is
intended to help support the overall
health of student athletes.
The end goal of the bill is fine
Anything that makes people more
aware of [student athlete health and
safety] is a good thing, Williams said.
However, not everyone within
APUs athletic department feels the
same way as Williams. April Hoy
serves as APUs director of Sports
Medicine and Wellness. She oversees
all athletic trainers and strength
and conditioning coaches, while
working alongside with performance
psychologists, the counseling center
and campus nutritionists at APU.
My fear is that it would have a
very negative effect, Hoy said. Im
fearful about the direction this group
would head because of their lack
of knowledge, understanding and
resources.
Hoy has two main concerns
regarding the Athlete Protection
Act: the financial impact that it would
have on the athletics department and
Alex Paxton was one of only two seniors leading Cougars water polo.
up. We were up, we were down, head
coach Julie Snodgrass said after the
game. We had a few breakdowns,
we need to clean up a few things as a
team.
Senior attacker Megan Myers
was not discouraged from the loss. In
fact, she is looking forward to playing
Cal Baptist again.
Cal Baptist is always a hard
game. Its always a good banter back
and forth so I am not disappointed
with how we played today, one team
always has to come up on top I fully
believe in the team, that we can come
back with a win.
the actual intentions of the people
behind the bill. If the bill passed, all
California college athletics would
be required to fund the commission
every year. Its estimated that APU
would have to pay up to $75,000 per
year.
If I felt that this was a good use
of $75,000, because you cant put a
price on player safety, I would be
behind it 100 percent, but I dont have
any confidence that their interests are
genuine and that they really are going
to be able to deliver, Hoy said.
In order to pay the commission,
APUs athletics department would
have to make budget cuts somewhere
which could mean a reduced
amount in athletic scholarships, or
worst case scenario, the elimination
of a APUs sports program.
The idea of people who dont
fully understand the entire concept of
student athlete health and well-being,
while having control of the decision-
making within athletic departments
greatly concerns people such as Hoy.
Another risk would be having
an outside entity that doesnt really
understand college athletics, coming
in and telling you how to do your job,
Hoy said. I strongly oppose this bill.
In addition, one of the
bills main focuses is on chronic
traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),
otherwise known as brain trauma or
concussions, which has been a very
controversial issue in the world of
sports in recent years particularly
with contact sports such as football
or boxing. Football is one of the
only contact sports that APU has
where injuries such as concussions
are common. Aside from CTEs,
the Athlete Protection Act fails to
mention other important on-campus
issues.
There are so many other things
surrounding student athlete health
and safety and risk management,
things such as nutrition, sleep
patterns, mental health, etc. that are
not mentioned, Hoy said. The fact
that they name drop only CTE and
SPORTS INFORMATION PHOTO
The team also honored their two
seniors, which included both Myers
and center Alex Paxton that afternoon.
Theyre our captains and have had
four years of maturity here. They are
doing a good job of leading the culture
of team cohesion and support for the
rest of the girls, Snodgrass said.
They do a good job of being there for
each other. They are impacting the
next generation of APU leaders that
are coming through.
While everyone recognized
senior day, Myers and Paxton were
still looking to continue the grind
as a team, with the Golden Coast
AB 1435 can lead to huge changes within APUs athletics department.
sexual assault, which are big buzz
words concerns me of their intent,
genuineness and their effectiveness.
Im concerned that this is more
political, instead of actually caring for
college athletes.
According to Huma, one of
the four members behind AB 1435,
athletes are nothing but a profit to
many universities.
College athletes need a
watchdog looking out for them, plain
and simple. Athletes are suffering and
dying because schools are prioritizing
money over the lives of their players,
Huma said. Athletes get treated like
disposable cash machines by some
universities, and its costing people
their lives.
However, its important to ask:
How true is this statement? The key
phrasing here is some universities
mistreat their student athletes, but
not all. Azusa Pacific is one of many
smaller universities in the state of
California that is not considered
an athletic powerhouse or athlete
factory.
As for the actual concern
of concussions, APU has been
involved in a major scientific study
since 2015 called the Grand Alliance
Program a partnership between the
NCAA and the U.S. Department of
Defense, which conducts the most
comprehensive study of concussions
Conference (GCC) Tournament
coming up.
Its our last home game and its
sentimental, but we still have a whole
tournament ahead of us, Myers said.
Were not done.
Paxton would agree with Myers
on the day and the teams future for
this season.
Its bittersweet. Its been a really
long four years, and this year has been
a really good year, Paxton said. Were
still not done so it has not really sunk
in yet.
Myers is the leading scorer on
the team with 38 goals. This ties her
college-best she set in her freshmen
year. Myers is one of the most
decorated players on the team, and
was named to the GCC All-Academic
team three years in a row. She has
scored 132 goals and has 101 assists in
her career.
Senior center Alex Paxton is tied
for second in both steals and hat-tricks
and is tied for first in field blocks. She
is more of a reliable player, who scores
goals and is there to help when others
on the team may be struggling.
This team is so different from
years past. Were definitely smaller,
and at times it can be looked at as a
weakness, but it has definitely served
as a strength for our team, Myers said.
On April 28-30, the team will
SPORTS INFORMATION PHOTO
to date.
Studies such as this have led to
major changes within the NCAA
the most recent change came on April
14, 2017, as a result of emergency
legislation, where the NCAA
decided to eliminate two-a-day
contact practices in the preseason for
all NCAA football teams, including
APU, for health and safety reasons.
Two-a-day practices, which have
been traditionally known as hell
week for football teams throughout
the country, have been reduced to
single-practice days. This change will
be implemented for the first time this
year.
You can never mitigate all risks,
but the NCAA has been at the
forefront of injury surveillance and
rule management, and weve been
doing concussion management in
the NCAA better than the NFL ever
has, because we arent just driven by
revenue, were driven by wanting to
really look out for the health and safety
of our student athletes, Hoy said.
To say that no one is looking out [for
them] is a very false statement.
As time goes on, APU athletics,
along with many other colleges in the
state of California, will be keeping a
close eye on the movement of the bill,
as major changes and implications
are on the horizon if AB 1435 is
passed as law.
travel to Santa Clara University to
conclude their season with the Golden
Coast Conference tournament where
all eight teams in the conference will
have their chance to take home the
championship.
Snodgrass said their main focus
for the tournament is defense.
Coming out and continuing to
get out matchups and our defense on
lockdown... You talk about hunger,
and these girls want it. More than Ive
ever seen them want it, Snodgrass
said.
Azusa Pacific is looking to redeem
themselves from last years appearance.
Last year, the tournament was held in
San Diego, and the Cougars lost in
the first round to rival Cal Baptist.
This put them in the losing bracket
where they ended up beating Fresno
Pacific, and ultimately lost against
Santa Clara University, which is how
they ended up ranked sixth in the
league.
These girls are fighters. Weve
had some really good games, some
really big obstacles to overcome,
and crucial injuries of key players,
Snodgrass said. We should be
healthy for the tournament. We have
all good things coming together at
the right time. Its been a continuous
process, so it wouldnt be a surprise if
they performed exceptionally.
14 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG/SPORTS
Title IXs indelible impact on APU athletics
Its been 45
years since it
was passed, but
Title IX remains
one of the most
controversial
topics in
collegiate sports
Nathan Foster
asst. sports editor
Azusa Pacific has had a
memorable year in athletics with
the football team taking home the
conference title and the baseball team
climbing as high as number three
in the NCAA Division II national
rankings. Both of these teams
represent the mens side of sports,
which can sometimes dominate
media coverage in comparison to
womens sports.
Womens sports often seem
underrepresented, even though there
are three more womens sports than
mens at APU; there are 10 womens
sports teams and only seven mens.
This may seem a bit lopsided, and in
some ways it is, but it is not without
reason.
APU must comply with Title IX,
like all schools that receive federal
funding. Title IX is a law that was
passed in 1972 which makes sure
women have the same opportunities
as men at all colleges and universities.
One of the biggest parts of this is
making sure females have equal
opportunities as males in athletics.
No person in the United States
shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded
from participation in, be denied
Baseball and softball pursuing strong finish
Baseball fights
for first place
in the PacWest,
while softball
celebrates seniors
and continues
impressive hot-
streak
Brandon Rodriguez
sports editor
Baseball
Azusa Pacific baseball returned to
their winning ways this past weekend,
going 3-1 in their series against Point
Loma. The Cougars are currently
34-8 on the season with only eight
more games left before playoffs.
Last week was a different story,
where the Cougars lost their first
series of the season to PacWest rival,
Cal Baptist (1-3). The tough defeat
was a growing experience for the
team, as the Cougars realized the
need to tighten up on pitching and
defense, and to start every game more
aggressively.
I dont think that we played that
great last weekend. It started with
pitching and then that fed into what
we did offensively and vice versa,
head coach Paul Svagdis said. We
were able to clean some of that up and
start quicker as a team, defensively and
on the mound, and that really helped
us this week.
Senior pitcher and team captain
Title IX was created for equality, but has led to controversy over time.
the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any education
program or activity receiving Federal
financial assistance, the law states
according to the U.S. Department of
Education.
In the past 45 years, Title IX has
caused serious debate concerning
collegiate athletics. Many universities
have had to shut down mens sports
programs in order to stay Title IX
compliant. Fortunately, APU has
not been one of them, according to
athletic director Gary Pine.
The impact of Title IX over the
history of APU is seen in the numbers.
We have 17 sports, 10 womens sports
and seven mens sports, almost a
two-to-one ratio, Pine said. If you
go back 40 years ago, we had about
two womens sports and probably
about seven mens sports at that time
too. We have grown quite a bit over
Senior pitcher Carly Xepoleas had her 15th career shutout against HNU.
Michael Fairchild echoed this
importance of winning this series.
It was so important to bounce
back. Going against Point Loma,
winning three out of four, and
taking the series really put us back in
contention for winning the PacWest
conference championship, Fairchild
said. Overall, the guys perservered
and did a really great job on defense.
It was a great team win.
The Cougars are currently 21-7
against PacWest opponents where
they are pursuing the conference
champion title, but are neck-and-neck
with Dixie State and Cal Baptist.
Fairchild believes that the team
will continue to succeed as players hold
each other accountable in practice and
on the field. He stated that the recent
losses were a necessary process, as
great teams prove themselves in the
final stretch of the season. The team
is taking their season one opponent
at a time, and they all have one
autonomous goal in mind.
Were going straight for the
PacWest Championship. We want
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
the years with our womens sports
offerings.
Pine said that APU did have to
cut mens wrestling in the 70s, but it
was a financial decision unrelated to
Title IX. And although APU has not
cut any mens sports because of Title
IX, there have not been any mens
sports added since it passed.
We have not added a mens sport
since 1972 when we started mens
soccer, but Title IX and the growth
of womens sports in high schools
have allowed us to have continued
and sustained growth of womens
teams, Pine said.
On the other side, there are
now five times as many womens
sports at APU than there were in
1972. Womens track and field was
added in 1981. Softball was added in
1986. Womens tennis was added in
1999. Womens swimming & diving,
SPORTS INFORMATION PHOTO
to win the conference championship
bad, and I think everyone on the team
knows that and is locked in on that
goal, Fairchild said. Right now, we
have in mind of winning each pitch,
winning each game, winning each
series and ultimately finishing strong
so we can make playoffs.
The Cougars will play their next
series at Concordia on April 27-29. The
team will finish out their last regular
season series at home against Dixie
State from May 8-10, which will most
likely determine this years champions
of the PacWest Conference.
Softball
Azusa Pacific softball is on a hot-
streak after sweeping both Notre
Dame de Namur and Holy Names
at home this past weekend. Through
those four games, the Cougars
outscored their opponents by a total of
39-2 runs. The team is currently 31-17
this season.
The doubleheader against Holy
Names also included the Cougars
final home game of the season, which
acrobatics and tumbling, and water
polo were all added in 2008-09.
There is still the issue that there
are three more womens teams than
mens teams. This is because the
football team has over 100 athletes
on the roster. The four sports that
women have and men dont have a
total of 56 athletes, only about half of
football. In fact, women make up a
little less than half of APUs student
athletes.
One of the challenges for a
small liberal arts school like us is
that our student population is about
65 percent women and 35 percent
men. One of the prongs of Title IX
says that your athletics should reflect
your student body. Our athletics is
about 54 percent men and 46 percent
women, not quite half and half, Pine
said. That makes it a challenge. We
dont meet that aspect of Title IX but
we meet a couple others including
showing a history of adding womens
sports.
This would seem to create
cause for concern, that are still more
male athletes at APU despite the
infamous ratio. There are several
misconceptions about this and about
Title IX, according to April Hoy,
the Director of Sports Medicine and
Wellness.
We were given statistics that
women being the underrepresented
sex have less scholarships across the
nation in the NCAA. Thats actually
not true at APU, Hoy said. Even
though we have more male student
athletes, our women get a higher
percentage of scholarships.
One of the other misconceptions
Hoy mentioned was that APU did
not have to comply with Title IX.
I think for a long time there was
a rumor that since were a private
school, Title IX didnt apply to us.
Thats not true, it does, Hoy said.
was when the team honored their
seniors.
Senior starting pitcher Carly
Xepoleas had a perfect game through
six innings in the first game, shutting
out the Hawks. This was her 15th
career shutout as a Cougar.
I go into every game with a steady
approach, but with the realization
throughout the day that this was
the last home game of my career, I
just tried to soak in the whole thing
and make everything memorable,
Xepoleas said.
Senior second baseman Nikki
Sprague also totaled seven RBIs on
the day against Holy Names. The
three-time PacWest Player of the Year
continues to add to her stat book,
totaling 60 RBIs this season, which
leads the PacWest this season.
Outfielder Abry Moreno and
pitcher Ariana von Zboray round out
the seniors that were recognized.
The girls had a lot of fun, and
I think thats always nice when you
can walk off that field smiling and
laughing, enjoying your teammates
and enjoying their last time on that
Its something that were continually
wanting to add support resources
to make sure were equitable. It is a
priority for us.
Pine also emphasized that Title
IX was a priority for the athletics
department. He said that Title IX
isnt just about adding sports teams
its about making sure the athletes
get the same opportunities in terms
of scholarships, coaching, equipment
and travel.
One of my goals is to make
sure that the 10th runner on the
cross-country team here had just
as wonderful of an experience as
the starting quarterback. I dont
want the number of spectators to
determine the value of an experience,
Pine said. The value comes from
the opportunities, the coaching/
mentorship thats provided, the
athletic [financial] aid.
Payton Williams, the Director of
Compliance and Academic Support,
noted that APU has done well at this.
The experience between athletes
is very similar across the board,
Williams said. Opportunity-wise
with resources we provide, were on
par with making sure its the same for
females and males.
Title IX remains controversial
even 45 years after it was passed.
Stephen Hinkel, associate sports
information director, said that the
spirit behind the law when it was
passed differs from how it is enforced
today, a source of controversy.
However, Hinkel still commended
what Title IX has done.
The idea of women in sports
wasnt a prevalent concept prior to
the passage of Title IX. Ive seen the
benefits of it first hand at the different
schools I have worked at. Im not
entirely sure what the landscape of
womens athletics would look like
without Title IX, Hinkel said.
field, head coach Carrie Webber said.
They did a great job and I love them
tremendously. They have all done
amazing things for this program at
APU.
With only two more games left in
the regular season, the Cougars are
looking to carry their momentum into
the final series and into playoffs.
After a rough Tournament of
Champions outing ended in early
April, the Cougars have gone 9-1,
with their only loss coming from Cal
Baptist, who is currently in first place
of the PacWest.
The tide changed, and you want
to be peaking at the end of season
anyway, and thats what were doing.
We put ourselves in a good position to
move forward past the regular season,
Webber said. We want to take the
momentum that we have right now
Take the small things that make up
the entirety of the game, and just do
them well against Concordia.
The Cougars will take on
Concordia in a doubleheader to close
out the season on April 29 in Irvine,
Calif.
EMILY PRASKE GRAPHIC
THECLAUSE.ORG/SPORTS Clause WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 15

Booker siblings inspire one another to leap forward AROUND THE DEN

during track meets and practice.

David and inches, with 19 feet 4.5 inches as
her record long jump. Last indoor
Cyinna Booker season, Cyinna earned All-American
honors in a triple jump over 40 feet in
encourage each the preliminary round of the National
Championships. She then proceeded
other as siblings to the championship finals, where she
ranked fifth.
and teammates Even though David did not rank
on APUs track as well in the championships, he still
cheered Cyinna on as a supportive
and field team brother and teammate.
I think when one of us has a
Katrina Williams successful day and the other doesnt,
staff writer it gives us both a chance to support
David and Cyinna Booker each other and bring each other up,
bring a special attitude of support Cyinna said. If he does well, I get to
and encouragement to each other celebrate with him, and if I dont do
as siblings, as well as everyone on well, he can encourage me.
APUs track and field team. This outdoor season, Davids
Both David, a senior, and longest record triple jump is 23 feet,
Cyinna, a junior, chose to attend 7.25 inches, with a record long jump
They have a little bit of a sibling
After Davids graduation this
spring, Cyinna will continue to
perfecting my technique.
In the meantime, both David
rivalry, Grey said. But theyre also
each others biggest fans.
pursue track and field, inspired by his
Godly character and loving support.
and Cyinna will continue to inspire
each other and their teammates
When Cyinna graduated high
school, she immediately joined APU,
I just want to be a better with love and encouragement in
jumper next season, Cyinna said. order to athletically perform at new
which prompted David to transfer Get stronger, faster and work on championship levels.
here to join her. Its beneficial just
being around each other everyday,
Cyinna said. Even for a few hours.
Being without his sister in Fresno
was rough for David as a brother and
as an athlete. Once he transferred,
both siblings felt a sense relief.
I didnt get to see her compete at
all when I was in Fresno, David said.
But now I get to see her learn, and
love what she is doing as she takes her
talents to another level.
As first-generation college
students, the duo grew up in what
David describes as, not the best area.

APU with track and field as their
number one priority. Since they
joined, they have been comforted by
the track and field family who pushes
them to perform, specifically in long
jump and triple jump.
As a captain on the womens
team, Cyinna has had a unique,
dynamic relationship with the other
long and triple jump girls.
I love my teammates, Cyinna
said. Having the chance to work
of 46 feet, 10.75 inches. For David,
however, being in track and field
is not about the records, but more
about growing in relationships with
Cyinna and the rest of the team.
Mens track and field head coach
Kevin Reid, has worked in the
athletic department for over 20 years.
Since David transferred to APU
from Fresno City College, Reid has
been directly involved in his athletic
career.
DAVID_THEJUMPER COURTESY
Being here at APU has propelled
both siblings with thankfulness for
their loving and supportive team.
The relationships with my
teammates are very special, David
said. Ive had the privilege to get
to know a number of them this year
through a captain-led Bible study and
it has definitely helped me grow in my
faith.
Looking forward this semester,
the track and field team will be

SPORTS INFORMATION PHOTO

and compete with them has definitely
been a highlight of my seasons here.
Womens head coach, Preston
Grey, has had the opportunity
to train with Cyinna directly
through her years at APU. She is a
consistent, solid person, Grey said.
To see [David and Cyinna] thrive is
awesome.
This outdoor season, Cyinnas
longest triple jump is 39 feet, 8.5
David does his work and is very
task oriented, Reid said. [David and
Cyinna] are both very close, and very
kind, which translates around the
team.
In order to inspire one another
athletically, David and Cyinna
embrace the spirit of encouragement
by challenging one another.
Coach Grey has noticed Cyinna
and Davids friendly competition
participating in the PacWest
Championships at Point Loma
Nazarene University on April 28-29.
At the same conference last
year, several track and field athletes
(including Cyinna) saw improved
marks and times.
We ended with men and women
coming out on top overall, Cyinna
said. I think were in a good spot to
do that again this year. Senior David Booker (top) and his sister Cyinna Booker (bottom) help
motivate each other on and off the track as teammates and siblings.

By the numbers: Sports year in review

A look back
at the Azusa
Pacific 2016-17
athletic year and
accomplishments
by the numbers
Brandon Rodriguez
sports editor
FALL
Football: 1st
The Cougars cleared the path to
their first NCAA Division-II (D-II)
playoff appearance in school history
since joining the NCAA in 2012. After
going 9-2 in the regular season, and
going undefeated in conference (8-0),
the Cougars finished in first place of
the GNAC.
Mens Cross Country: 11
Juniors Jeremy Porter and
Cody Drisko led the mens team to
a 11th overall finish at the Stanford
Invitational on Oct. 1, 2016. Both men
had career best performances in the
8k distance, finishing in the top-30 of
177 competitors. Porter finished 21st
overall with a time of 24:09.4, and
Drisko finished 27th, with a time of
24:17.2.
Mens Soccer: 4
Senior Tim Ogunniyi scored
four goals against the Academy of
Art, leading the Cougars to a 6-0
win. Ogunniyi became just the fifth
PacWest player to score at least four
times in a game, and was only one
goal away from tying both the school
and PacWest records for most goals
scored in a single game.
Womens Cross Country: 3
This is APUs third consecutive
year having an individual representative
at the NCAA D-II Cross Country
National Championships meet.
Junior Eileen Stressling was the APU
representative, earning her second
straight bid to nationals after finishing
fourth overall at the D-II West Region
Championships, with the fastest time
for a PacWest athlete (21:16.94).
Womens Soccer: 48
The womens season ended with
a loss in the second-round of the
NCAA West Regional playoffs on
Nov. 12, but prior to that, the Cougars
had gone 48 consecutive days since
their last loss (which was on Sep. 24,
against Concordia). The team played
12-straight games without losing in
that time-span and finished their
season with an overall record of 12-4-4.
Volleyball: 9
The team had nine freshmen
this past season. With a roster of
only 14 girls, just about all of the nine
freshmen had made a major impact
on the team. Middle Blocker Julianne
Miller was named PacWest Freshman
of the Year, becoming the first Cougar
to earn a specialty Player of the Year
award since the team joined the
PacWest four years ago. The Cougars
finished the season on a six-game win
streak, with an overall record of 16-13.
WINTER
Mens Basketball: 48
Senior forward Joey Schreiber
scored 48 points against Hawaii Hilo
on Feb. 7. Schreiber broke the school
record for most points scored in a
game (previously was 45), and also set
another school record for most three-
pointers scored in a single game (10).
Mens Indor Track & Field: 7.77
Sophomore Shakiel Chattoo
won the 60-meter hurdles with a
D-II leading time this season of 7.77
seconds. Chattoo would go on to
defend his indoor heptathlon national
title and would earn All-American
honors for a second straight year.
Swimming & Diving: 7
There were seven total athletes
who competed in the NCAA D-II
National Championships in Alabama:
five swimmers (Tamara Miler,
Rosalee Mira Santa Ana, Abigail
Wiet, Alyse Darnall, and Elodie Poo
Cheong) and two divers (Kianna
Mourer and Rachel Johns). This was
the second trip to nationals for Santa
Ana, Wiet and Johns. Mourer earned
her place in nationals for a third
consecutive season.
Womens Basketball: 0
There were zero returners from
the 2015-2016 season who were in the
starting lineup for the Cougars this
season. This past seasons starting
lineup consisted of four transfers
(Tara Casey, Gabrielle Kaiser, Abigail
Goodsell, and Casey Wortley) and
one freshman (Zoe March), creating
a completely different team compared
to the previous season.
Womens Indor Track & Field: 5
Five female athletes competed in
the 2017 NCAA D-II National Indoor
Championships. Eileen Stressling
and Cyinna Booker were selected in
two events each; Daphne Chambers
(pentathlon), Jacky Chasteler (weight
throw), and Sara Wagenveld (pole
vault) rounded out the womens
nationals team. Both Stressling and
Booker would go on to earn All-
American honors.
SPRING
Acrobatics & Tumbling: 286.435
Cougars highest score of the
season so far is 286.435, which came
in a win against Concordia (Wis.) on
March 15.
Baseball: 31
There were 31 combined
homeruns between Pablo OConnor
(16) and Adrian Tovalin (15) this
season (and counting). The two
rank first and second in the PacWest
homerun category for the second
straight year. In addition, both players
have combined for 108 RBIs this
season as well.
Mens Tennis: 19
Sophomore Oliver Frank
currently holds a 19-match winning
streak and is undefeated in singles
play. Frank has played the No. 1
singles position all year, and has yet to
drop a match. He is currently ranked
as the No. 1 singles player in all of
D-II, and he holds the first perfect
singles season in APU history.
Mens Outdoor Track & Field:17.10
Junior James Jones shot put
distance of 17.10 meters, which edged
his career-best, and was part of 11
personal-best performances set by
the Cougars at the Pomona-Pitzer
Invitational.
Softball: 60
Senior Nikki Sprague has 60
RBIs (and counting) this year and
is currently leading all players in the
PacWest. Sprague has also been
named the PacWest Conference
Player of the Year over the last three
years, becoming the first player in
PacWest history to earn the most
prestigious conference award through
her first three years.
Womens Outdoor Track & Field:188
Jacky Chastelers new personal-
best in the hammer throw, which
cracked the top-10 of the NCAA
D-II national performance list in the
womens hammer, is 188 ft. She is
currently sitting at ninth on the D-II
list.
Womens Tennis: 41
Senior Natalie Johnson has the
total number of career wins in both
singles and doubles of 41 and is ranked
No.1 in the APU record books. She
is also ranked second in the APU
records for the most singles wins in
one season with 20.
Water Polo: 5
There were four overtime games
played this season. Before the 2017
season, the Cougars last overtime
game was in 2014. So far, their 2017
campaign has been more competitive
compared to previous seasons with a
.500 win percentage.
16 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 Clause THECLAUSE.ORG

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