SPORTS men’s multi-event athletes go head to head in outdoor competition 8

lifeSTyle my sister’s closet provides community girls prom apparel 4

OPiNiON defining what it means to be ‘forever wrecked’ 7

ClauseWEDNESDAY, mArch 23, 2016 – VOL. 52, NO. 12 – WWW.thEcLAuSE.Org

student vo ice o f azusa pac i f ic un ivers i ty s ince 1965

SPORTS iNfORMATiON photo

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Senior class, led by forward Kelly Hardeman, ushers women’s basketball into success in NCAA era 8

More visitors are coming due to the new Metro Gold Line stations. The student populations at APU and Citrus College are growing. The av-erage Azusa resident is 30 years old.

Given all these factors, the Azusa Police Department (AZPD) recog-nizes the importance of communicat-ing through social media platforms.

Mike Bires, senior police officer and social media manager for the AZPD, was influential in the depart-ment’s social media strategy in early 2012. Chief Officer Sam Gonzalez tasked Bires with reinventing the department’s online presence to en-courage stronger community engage-ment. Bires and his team launched the new website and presence on various sites on January 1, 2014.

Only 15 days later, AZPD saw the benefits of using these platforms as they began communicating impor-tant information to local residents re-garding the Colby wildfires. Accord-ing to Bires, it didn’t take long until @AzusaPD was the featured Twitter handle on ABC 7.

The AZPD can currently be found on Facebook, Twitter, Peri-scope, YouTube and Nixel, a com-munication platform that sends alerts for critical city situations. Each con-tributes uniquely to the image that

Azusa police seek to build the communityAZPD uses social media to foster stronger community relations

APU students, athletes and fac-ulty welcomed over 3,000 children to the annual Night of Champions for the 32nd time on Saturday, March 19. The seven-hour-long event, which featured a carnival in the afternoon and a worship service at night, was meant to unite kids of all ages and introduce them to the Christian faith.

“It’s evangelistic,” event director Mike Barnett said. “The whole goal is to love on them here, send them inside to hear someone give their tes-

Donors give grand gift to Wilden

timony [and] unlock their hearts so they accept Christ and then change forever.”

For $10 in advance or $15 at the door, attendees spent four hours out-doors at the carnival, which included 30 games, face painting, In-N-Out lunch, T-shirts and a Bible.The night service featured worship music from the band For All Seasons; a testi-mony from blind USC student Jake Olson, who spoke at the event five years ago at age 12; a word from Fel-lowship of Christian Athletes worker Tatiana Leonard; spoken word from APU alumna Arielle Wilborn and an altar call from associate campus pas-tor for discipleship ministries Coba Canales.

“It’s a great chance to give back, to serve, to be a part of this,” Barnett said. “You get to be around 3,000 kids and just love on them, call them by name, hang out with them and see lives changed.”

Kelyn Struiksmaeditor in chief

APU, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and In-N-Out host event to bring students to Christ

Azusa Pacific University welcomes a 1,200-pound bronze cougar to its campus. The statue was donated by George and Bernie Fermanian, and is placed outside of Wilden to bring attention to APU’s School of Business and Management program.

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see NiGHT Of cHAMPS 3 see cOUGAR STATUe 3

see AZPD 2

university president Jon wallace rappels 50 feet down from the felix event center rafters to return to the chapel stage for the first time since his absence last fall. His unusual entrance served as a metaphor.

Azusa PD is trying to maintain and promote to city residents. Bires is also exploring how to effectively add Snapchat—the third most-down-loaded social media app, according to Martin-Wilbourn Partners’ nation-al research study—to the list.

Senior communication stud-ies major Stephen Jackson sees this community outreach effort as an im-portant platform for interacting with residents.

“Social media, like police work, can sometimes be a faceless entity where you know this organization ex-ists but you don’t know what it looks like, how to interact with it or what you can take away from it,” Jackson said. “By using social media that is run by officers and other civilian employees, members from the com-munity are able to take some of that mystery and form connections. It cre-ates better trust and opens communi-cation between the department and those who reside in Azusa.”

This social media strategy is working. Earlier this year, there was an attempted robbery of an APU stu-dent at a local store, which was caught on the store’s surveillance video. The police department compiled a video from the footage and published it on both YouTube and Facebook to get help in identifying the suspects. After 10 minutes, an Azusa resident entered the lobby of the police station with the first suspect and the location of the second suspect because she saw the Facebook post.

However, Bires understands that the power of social media is not solely used to capture criminals, but is meant to work with residents to create a safer community.

Night of Champions emphasizes faith

President gives sermon for the first time since returning from medical leave

Jon Wallace makes grand entrance

President Jon Wallace made a dramatic entrance at Friday’s morn-ing chapel in the Felix Event Center (FEC) on West Campus.

From a catwalk in the rafters, Wallace was lowered 50 feet down on a rope into the audience. This unusual entrance served as Wallace’s metaphor for trusting God and allow-ing others to be there for him.

“I know what it’s like to have someone carry you, because I’ve been carried,” Wallace said.

He added that it is a biblical foun-

Jamie Roebuck-Josephstaff writer

dation to carry others and be carried, alluding to his seven-month absence from APU due to metastatic carci-noma.

Wallace’s message was on Mark 1, a book he calls an “evaluation of faith.” He focused on the role of Jesus’ friends and their faithfulness.

“There is individual faith, but there is also a mystery to faith that says God will honor me when I sac-rificially give [and] its not needed,” Wallace said. “I’m not [the one] who is important. It is the other person that God has called me to carry.”

Wallace urged students to think about the loose rope God has called them to hold on to.

“I think one of my biggest sins...is when I [gave] up on God’s plan for other people, when I was responsible [for] simply holding their rope and making sure they wouldn’t fall,” he said.

Sophomore Christian ministries major and Chapel Services member

Cameron Rose said that students are more attentive when Wallace speaks, because there is an added vibrancy in his presence. Rose added that he val-ues Wallace’s vulnerability.

“I am happy that he is feeling bet-ter, and hope that he only continues to get healthier,” Rose said. “It was humbling to hear such a well-loved man be vulnerable and talk about how he has been carried through this past year. It reminded me that asking for help is not a display of weakness, but an act that helps make us stron-ger.”

Demonstrating that growing strength, Wallace is excited about the new General Education require-ments and new departments on cam-pus. Within the next 90 days, Wallace said the administration will be ready to announce some of their physical building plans. “We are actively work-ing to [fund construction] right now,” Wallace said.

see WAllAce SPeAKS 3

The following are selected incidents as reported from the Daily Media Log from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27 cour-tesy of Campus Safety.

■ Tuesday, Feb. 23TriniTy lawnReporting party reported a sub-ject standing and staring in an area for a long time. The RP said the subject had left the area, so officers met with the RP and gathered information.

■ wednesday, Feb. 24parking loT aRP called and reported that she saw a car with windows that appeared to be broken. Officer responded and determined the owner was inside the car and there were no broken windows.

■ wednesday, Feb. 24parking loT gRP reported she was in a traf-fic collision and the other party drove away without exchanging information.

■ wednesday, Feb. 24universiTy driveRP reported being hit by a ve-hicle and receiving a minor in-jury to her foot. The subject in the vehicle drove away without stopping. An officer responded and assisted the RP.

■ Friday, Feb. 26mary hill TheaTerRP reported a subject in a vehi-cle that matched a recent timely warning. Officers responded but were unable to locate anyone matching the description.

■ Friday, Feb. 26alosTa ave. RP reported a subject in a ve-hicle who tried to get the RP into the vehicle. RP ran away and called Campus Safety.

numbersKeys lost/found.........................6ID cards lost/found..............8Cellphones found..................0Unsecured bikes found........2 False fire alarms.....................4remember 1. If you see something, say something. 2. Safety is everyone’s 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.

2 WedneSday, maRCh 23, 2016 Clause TheClauSe.oRg/neWS

campus safetyreport

Friday, April 1living spaces/Commuter ChapelStudents will worship in their living areas and commuter students will meet in the Wynn Amphitheater.

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 5-6wegive Thanks daysThe Office of University Advancement is hosting weGIVE Thanks Days, where students can come to Cougar Walk to write thank you cards to APU donors and enter a raffle for prizes.

CALENDAR compiled by gina ender

Clausemailing address p.o. box 9521-5165, azusa, ca 91702

phone 626-815-6000, ext. 3514website www.theclause.org email editorinchief@theclause.org

news sTaFFeditor-in-chief kelyn struiksma

news editor gina enderlifestyle editor camille frigillana

opinion editor hankyul sharon leesports editor landon troka

asst. sports editor brandon rodriguezphoto/design editor lauren jacobs

copy editors meghan hui,charlotte ward, cynndie hoff

business manager devon dejardinstaff writers caroline connolly, mandy

mayfield, jamie roebuck joseph, joshua d. guilas, kenny langrell, kezziah costello, kiki

roman, kristin miller, tyler wilborn, rudy reynoso

faculty adviser steve scauzillo, m.a.

The Clause is a student newspaper dedicated to providing a realistic, journalistic educational experience for students of Azusa Pacific University; to seeking truth and reporting it boldly, fairly and accurately; to enhancing the university community by providing a student voice imbued with truth, responsibility and accountability.

The newspaper is published weekly, except during examinations and vacation periods, by the students of the department of Communication Studies at Azusa Pacific University. The newsroom is located on Cougar Walk in between the Cougars’ Den and Paws N’ Go. The views expressed in all letters to the editor and all signed opinion articles are those of their authors, not staff or

university.leTTers To The ediTor

Please include a phone number for verifi-cation of all letters to the editor. anonymous and unverified letters to the editor will not be printed. The Clause reserves the right to edit the letters for length and journalistic style. The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, staff or administration of Azusa Pa-cific University.Follow us! our Facebook page: facebook.com/apuclauseOur Twitter handle: @apuclauseadverTise wiTh us!Contact devon dejardin atclauseads@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 23women in ministry ForumAzusa Pacific Seminary is hosting a forum on women in ministry at 2 p.m. in the Felix Event Center VIP Room. The panel includes Janette H. Ok, Ph.D. (cand), Karen Strand Winslow, Ph.D. and Kirsten S. Oh, Ph.D. To RSVP, go to goo.gl/forms/CG7iKuvMfu. For more informa-tion, call (626) 815-5463 or email apseminary@apu.edu.

Friday, March 25good FridayIn observation of Good Friday, no classes will be held today.

Tuesday-Monday, March 29-April 11housing sign-upsStudents can come to housing Services in engstrom hall to pick up 2016-2017 appointment tickets for Housing Sign-Ups. Tickets are is-sued randomly during office hours. For more information, visit www.apu.edu/housing/signup.

Thursday, March 31Final Cut Talent Competition An American Idol-style contest will be held in the Wynn Amphitheater from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Thursday, March 31hairspray The premiere of APU theater’s musical “Hairspray” will be from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Warehouse Theater. Tickets are $15 for faculty, staff, students and alumni and $20 for general admission. on april 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16, the show will start at 7:30 p.m. There will also be matinee performances at 2 p.m. on April 2, 9 and 16.

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Members of APU’s West Campus chapel band enjoy Donut Man tiger tails with lead campus pastor Woody Morwood on March 16.

Azusa PD unifies residents via social mediaJackson agreed with Bires’

perspective that social media is a platform that ignites conversations within the community, specifically millennials. As a college student, Jackson said it is rare to see millen-nials watching the news or reading the newspaper. However, it is not uncommon to see students scrolling through Twitter.

“Social media can get on millenni-als’ level and make them feel comfort-able,” Jackson said. “[The AZPD] has been doing a fantastic job with their efforts, and people love the live vid-eos that are being posted. It is a fun and interactive way to grab and keep people’s attention.”

Last week, the AZPD posted a live video on Facebook that ad-dressed the demolition of Burger King and the relocation of the Alosta Starbucks. The video reached over 100,000 people and generated more than 26,000 views with 123 com-ments.

Although the AZPD started us-ing social media as a communication platform in early 2014, the image of police officers became a national is-sue later that August with the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mis-souri. Since that incident, police of-ficers have been scrutinized through-out the country.

“I do not know anything about

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Ferguson PD; I can only talk from what I believe personally,” Bires said. “The problems in that community were there before the Michael Brown shooting…From my understanding, there wasn’t that big of a social media presence by law enforcement in that community. There was only one side telling that story, only one voice to listen to and that was [the] activists’, members of the community [who] were upset [about] what happened and the rest of the world offering their opinions.”

There are at least two sides to every story, and Bires believes it is important that law enforcement joins those conversations and becomes ac-tive participants in building commu-

nities toward unity.Despite police officers facing

national scrutiny, Azusa Mayor Jo-seph Rocha is proud of the work and dedication of Azusa PD has taken in building community relationships and adapting to new forms of tech-nology.

“[Police officers] used to be viewed as an enemy, now they are viewed as our friends,” Rocha said, and added that resident involvement has increased with Azusa PD’s inclu-sion of social media.

The police department has also partnered with the city of Azusa to offer a variety of community engage-ment events this year, including Cof-fee with a Cop, Golden Days Parade

and the Canyon City Marathon.“There is power in unity,” Rocha

said. “Once it clicks, it makes a big difference in the community.”

Both the private and law enforce-ment sectors have benefited from in-creased social media usage within the criminal justice department. How-ever, Bires is aware of the challenges that social media presents.

“People render opinions that stay online forever,” Bires said. “They ren-der opinions on critical incidents in less than 140 characters… There is no way in 140 characters you can solve an issue or offer a valid, educated opin-ion as to what happened.”

Despite the difficulty of trying to encapsulate a situation or issue in a limited-character count, Bires com-mented that the work his department is doing provides a positive image not only to Azusa, but impacts law en-forcement as a whole.

“We are using it for our commu-nity, to help our community,” Bires said. “But we don’t just help our com-munity...social media is world-wide and it bleeds out everywhere.”

To follow the Azusa Police De-partment on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Youtube, Nixel and Insta-gram, search username “Azusa PD.” To get emergency notifications from AZPD, text “AZUSA PD” to 888-777. For more information about AZPD, visit www.AzusaPD.org.

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TheClauSe.oRg/neWS Clause WedneSday, maRCh 23, 2016 3Department recognizes National Social Work Month

March is National Social Work Month—a time of reflection, educa-tion and involvement. For organiza-tions like The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), it is a time to celebrate the work and contri-butions all around the nation.

NASW, founded in 1955, is the combination of seven different orga-nizations that work in the discipline. Since its founding, NASW has done much to contribute to the recognition of those involved in social work from the college level to the professional world.

As a part of National Social Work Month, and in partnership with the NASW, APU’s social work program is featuring a number of events, programs and information sessions to promote both the social work program and current social is-sues.

Social work students hold poverty forum to facilitate conversationTyler wilbornstaff writer

Last fall, nearly 150 students on campus were reportedly either part of the social work major or in a ma-jor with a specified interest in social work. Because the number of social work majors on campus is just un-der two percent of the entire under-graduate population, the program has sought to increase its presence at APU.

Last Thursday in LAPC, the Department of Social Work hosted a forum dedicated to the discussion of poverty and its lasting impact on today’s society. This event promoted awareness and raised critical discus-sion points, as many attendees came from different backgrounds and points of view. Questions raised at the event ranged from the origins and definition of poverty to the nature of poverty itself to how to end poverty nationwide and globally.

Anupama Jacob, Ph.D., profes-sor of social work at APU and one of the organizers of the event, high-lighted the importance of the forum in producing well-rounded conversa-tion among a number of individuals.

“The main goal of the poverty forum was to initiate an interdisci-plinary conversation and discussion on poverty in America, particularly around the issue of defining and mea-suring poverty,” Jacob said.

The Social Work Club, made up of all social work students, also con-tributed to the event.

“[The forum was meant] to talk about poverty through a multidisci-plinary lens,” said Jennifer Fraga, a senior social work major and presi-dent of the Social Work Club. “[The goal was] not to solve it but to have an open conversation. Social work ex-ists to help those in the margins. [We] aim to lessen the gap that people put between different groups.”

For social work majors and APU students in general, National Social Work Month presents an opportu-nity to learn and converse about cur-rent issues, as well as consider future opportunities to become more aware of social issues.

For Fraga, the hope is to not only raise awareness about social issues post-graduation, but to make an im-pact.

“I want to work in policy to help create and change existing policies,” Fraga said. “I want to ensure policies are achieving what they were [meant] to achieve, and to fix ones that aren’t.”

As National Social Work Month continues, the social work program and the Social Work Club will con-tinue to spread awareness and seek support for the program, social work-ers and current social issues.

Donated statue makes campus debutA 1,200-pound bronze cougar is installed outside the School of Business and Managementrudy reynosostaff writer

In light of many campus reno-vations, students may have noticed that despite the barbecue grill and Wilden’s flat screens and exclusive suites, the most talked-about update is the first of five bronze statues.

The seven-foot-tall and larger than life bronze cougar statue was installed over Mid-semester Break and has quickly become an overnight celebrity and Internet sensation.

“I knew it would be a buzz, but I didn’t know it would be this big of a buzz,” Executive Vice President Da-vid Bixby said. “On Sunday when I got here, there was a line of students taking pictures, so I just got in line.”

The bronze statue has raised questions about current decision making and the overall financial sta-tus of the university.

“I can’t share [the price of the statue], but let me be clear—it was a gift, and we didn’t pay a dime for it,” Bixby said.

The statue was a housewarming gift from George and Bernie Ferma-nian, who are major contributors to the Wilden renovation project and other artwork, such as the Staircase

to Success and other artwork.“We donated the museum-quality

bronze cougar for the business school to elevate the profile and increase the prestige of the business school to the APU student body and the business community at large,” said the Ferma-nians in a statement.

The monumental statue, dubbed the “Turning Point” by artist Jocelyn Russell, was originally imagined as a tabletop-size sculpture.

“I think it’s a great allegory of the school spirit,” APU professor of geography and history Charles Carrillo said. “It’s not just a piece of artwork, it’s a wonderful execution of the animal, which is the mascot of the school....It’s marvelous! I’ve never seen the animal captured like this ex-cept in a photograph.”

Senior business economics ma-jor Marcus Gonzalez said the statue complements the other renovations recently made to Wilden.

“It’s totally different, but it defi-nitely flows with the new remodel, so it makes sense,” Gonzalez said.

Senior psychology major Siob-han Gadallah said that she admires the specificity of the statue.

“It’s pretty wild looking, and the detail is impeccable,” Gadallah said.

For some students, the statue will serve as more than just some-thing nice to look at. According to senior nursing major Christian Lim, it has the potential to turn into a pop-ular meeting place.

“It gives the school more person-ality, and is definitely more of a land-mark,” Lim said. “Now you can tell your friends, ‘Hey, let’s meet next to the cougar.’”

Along with these upcoming plans for the future, Wallace said his goal for APU is to be vigilant helpers in Azusa and urged students to be neighbors within the Azusa commu-nity. He suggested that this would cause others to see APU students as a helping hand in the city.

“If we were able to live fully as a community of Christ followers, ev-ery family and every neighborhood in close proximity to the university would wake up every morning and say, ‘Thank goodness Azusa Pacific University is there,’” Wallace said.

In his time away from campus, Wallace said the leadership at APU functioned efficiently and effectively despite his absence.

“What an amazing statement to have the president away for seven months and the administration and Board of Trustees continued to ac-complish the tasks that were put be-fore them,” Wallace stated.

Wallace said he was pleased to see the university move forward. Without the responsibility of being president, Wallace said he was able to get to know students during that time, which served as a reminder of what APU is truly about.

“It was really good for me to hear from them without being worried if they were going to offend me,” Wal-lace said. “[It was good to hear] what their honest thoughts were.”

wallaCe speaks, p. 1

President gives first sermon in seven months

“What an amazing statement to have the president away for seven months and the admin-istration and Board of Trustees continued to ac-complish the tasks that were put before them.”-Jon Wallace

Carnival, concert seek to evangelize nighT oF Champs, p. 1

The event theme was “Rooted in Him,” based on a sermon that co-directors Barnett and APU track and field assistant coach Bethany Blomquist heard on Colossians 2:6-7 at Christ Church of the Valley.

“We want to get kids foundation-ally built on and centered in Christ,” Blomquist said. “It’s being reminded that [God] has to be the center of ev-erything we do, so we felt like it fit really well with the main goal of this event and the main purpose.”

Blomquist said that one of her favorite aspects of Night of Champi-ons is that it is a collaborative event between students, faculty, campus offices, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and In-N-Out .

Student athletes from the swim, football, soccer and track and field teams helped monitor booths and play with the children. Senior lib-eral studies major and track athlete Danica Dabosy hopes the guests felt APU’s loving community at the event.

“APU is [a place] I feel like we should share with others,” Dabosy said. “Outreaches like this are hon-estly a big deal and a big success.”

Junior business management ma-jor and soccer player Jorge Pesquera said it is crucial to give back to others through service opportunities, and helping, guiding and advising chil-dren is an important part of the event.

“We have to give back to the com-munity around us,” Pesquera said. “We have to contribute.”

Swim coach Tim Kyle attended the event with his wife Tricia and his 8-year-old daughter. Tricia Kyle said she hoped the guests would have fun while learning about the Gospel.

“It will give [their faith] a good base,” she said. “It’s fun to believe in God and be with fellow Christians.”

Tim Kyle expressed his desire for student volunteers to make an impact on the lives of guests at the event.

“[I hope student athletes use] the outreach, and really connect with the

kids and have the opportunity to min-ister. I think this is a great way to do it,” Tim Kyle said.

Mesa College freshman Mersay-dz Morrell attended with her youth group from New Assurance Baptist Church in San Diego. She said that she has been to the event before and was especially looking forward to the message later that night. With a mix of both Christian and non-Christian guests, Morrell hoped that the people who were not saved came away with a different impression of Christians.

“A lot of people think Christians judge a lot, but we’re actually fun, nice and encouraging,” Morrell said.

Eighth-grader Aaliyah Lopez came with her church group from Centro Cristiano Luz y Esperanza from the High Desert. Lopez said she was excited to grow in her faith and spend time with others who share her values.

“[I’m looking forward to] getting to know more about the Lord,” Lo-pez said. “It’s an opportunity to inter-act with other Christians.”

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Above: Children wait in line for one of the inflatable bounce house games during the night of Champions festival on the Cougar soccer field Saturday, March 19. Below: While For All Seasons perform, APU student volunteers worship alongside Night of Champions attendees in the Felix Event Center.

LifestyleSmall teams, large impacts: Students serve locally and abroadThree lesser-known mid- semester break teams discuss their trips

Often shadowed by Mexico Out-reach, three Action Teams also went out during Mid-semester Break to do short-term mission work. These teams went to Utah, Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic. For one week, a total of 32 APU students and faculty served the Kingdom of God in various ways.

Utah

The Utah team’s objective was to start conversation with members of the Mormon Church. They were not going with the intent to convert or do any projects; they were simply there to create friendships and engage in interfaith dialogues with Mormon students.

Senior practical theology major Jake Tastad claimed that Utah was his first choice and that he would go again if he was not graduating.

Tastad explained that the dia-logues are “a relaxed way of sharing one’s faith with someone of another faith; both faiths challenge each other while respecting the journey that each one is on.”

The team participated in three dialogues, one at the Institute of Religion at the University of Utah, another at the Institute of Religion at Weber State University and the last at the home of a faculty member at Brigham Young University.

Tastad explained that the most rewarding part of the trip was learn-ing to share one’s faith in a way that builds deep relationships.

“You think to yourself some-times—when you come out of these dialogues with Mormon students—that you have a deeper connection

Kenny Langrellstaff writer

with them than most of your friends at APU,” Tastad said. “The reason for this is because when you are al-ways in your little faith bubble, you never get challenged or asked why you believe what you believe. Every-one just assumes that everyone is a Christian at APU.”

Tastad said that the most chal-lenging part of the trip was the Mor-mons not understanding the theology of the Trinity.

APU’s team found this frustrat-ing because they themselves had to understand that they did not have all the answers.

Tastad’s advice for others consid-ering this trip is to just go for it.

“You will make deep friendships and learn how to share your faith in a more non-academic way,” Tastad said.

Los Angeles

While other teams left the coun-try or traveled a few states away, the Los Angeles team drove less than an hour away from campus for its desti-nation.

Every day, the LA action team engaged in different parts of the city, including going down to Skid Row, passing out granola bars and soda while praying for the homeless, partnering with the Dream Center and taking part in “Adopt a Block,” leading small Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) and visiting Angelus Temple.

Christina Saad, a junior psychol-ogy major, claimed that every aspect of this trip was challenging.

“There were people living on the streets who still had faith in God,” Saad said. “That was definitely hard to see—that even people who were broken still found their hope in God and carried that hope throughout the rest of their lives.”

Freshman Christian ministries major Josephine Wang stated how it was strange to drive around during the trip and see places that she had visited frequently.

“We go for our own pleasure, but it never occurs to us that there is a need in LA more than ever,” Wang

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Top: team Utah spent much of its trip conversing with sudents and staff from Brigham Young University.Middle: Lead by prof. Gregg Moder, team L.A. partnered with the Dream Center for their week of service.Bottom: the women of the Domincan Republic trip worked with other missionaries in various ministries.

said. “Many people think mission trips and serving is all about travel-ing to a third-world country, but out-reach and ministry should be done all the time, anywhere and everywhere.”

Both women would tell those considering an action team to not be afraid. They encourage students to open their hearts and let God speak.

Dominican Republic

As the only other mid- semester break action team that left the coun-try other than Mexico Outreach, the Dominican Republic team spent the

week split into various vocational ministry sites, such as community health care, dentistry, microfinance, education and social work.

At these various sites, the team worked alongside missionaries to help support their ministries.

Junior psychology major Re-bekah Guerra stated that the most rewarding part of the trip was being able to see the team experience God.

“God moved and transformed lives in a different context than what [the team] is used to,” Guerra said.

Guerra also explained what it was like to do a mission trip in a

country largely known for its vacation spots.

“The part of the country [that] we were in was not necessarily known as a vacation region, since it’s not near any beaches and [it’s] up in the mountains,” Guerra said. “We didn’t see the typical resorts and beach para-dise that a lot of people think about; it was mostly dirt roads and serving communities that have a lot of issues with poverty.”

Guerra recommends this team to people looking for a shorter mission experience and want to get their “feet wet” in the world of action teams.

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My Sister’s Closet takes stress out of prom dress shoppingAnnual event provides an opportunity for high school girls to get the perfect outfit for their big nightCamille Frigillanalifestyle editor

My Sister’s Closet, an annual event put on by the Department of Social Work and the city of Azusa, filled the LAPC room with racks of prom dresses on Saturday, March 19.

The event, now going on its ninth year, allows girls from local high schools to come pick out dress-es, accessories and shoes to wear on their prom night—for free.

“We’ve been planning this since October, so it took about five months to plan,” senior social work major and intern for the social work depart-ment. “We had to reserve a room,

gather enough donations, get vol-unteers and other stuff to make this possible.”

Everything available for the girls came from donations from members of the community. Along with differ-ent styles of dresses, there were tables lining the perimeter of the room filled with a plethora of heels, handbags and shawls, as well as brand-new makeup. Whatever the girls leave with, they can keep.

Preparation for the event started late Friday afternoon, with volun-teers—mostly APU students—com-ing in to set up LAPC. The day was split into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Those participating in the event preregistered online, giving the My Sister’s Closet staff an idea of how many girls would attend.

“There [are] a lot of girls [who] registered, but there are also some who just show up, and of course we let them in, too,” senior social work major Rachel Bailey said.

Most of the girls come from Azu-sa or surrounding areas, but others come from the greater Los Angeles area.

“We have some girls from Rialto, from Lawndale, from Bell Gardens,” Fraga said. “Anyone can come. It re-ally just all depends.”

Before entering LAPC, each girl took a number and waited until a vol-unteer was available to help them out.

Each girl had an assistant with her as her very own personal stylist, helping her with picking out and holding on to her dresses, as well as escorting her around the room to make sure she had everything she needed.

Junior English major Caylen Smith volunteered as a personal styl-ist for the first time this year.

“This just took a burden off my shoulders.”

–Deija Smith, high school junior

“I remember how much time and effort went in when getting ready for prom, and sometimes it can get pretty stressful,” Smith said. “I wanted to help out so that I can at least help ease the stress.”

One of the girls Smith helped, Deija January, a junior at Rancho Cucamonga High School, expressed her gratefulness.

“I heard about this event through my boyfriend’s mom, and decided to give it a try,” January said. “I’m glad this exists. It’s really helpful.”

Along with the personal stylists, there were also volunteer seamstress-es from the surrounding community who were available to make custom adjustments to the dresses.

Makeshift fitting rooms were used to ensure that dresses fit just right, or to see where adjustments needed to be made.

In the end, January left with her perfect prom outfit—a black gown embroidered with sequins and spar-kly gray shoes.

“This just took a burden off my shoulders,” January said. “Now, I’m just excited to have it all come togeth-er for prom.”

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theCLAUse.oRG/LiFestYLe Clause WeDnesDAY, MARCh 23, 2016 5Battle of the Big BandsAPU and Citrus hold an evening of music in honor of their friendly rivalryLauren Jacobsphoto/design editor

“Zootopia” is more than a kid’s movieDisney’s newest release tackles the tough issue of stereotypingCamille Frigillanalifestyle editor

What happens when tough social issues become a kid-friendly, animat-ed movie?

Disney’s newest feature film, “Zootopia,” seems to answer that question.

Released on March 4, “Zootopia” takes place in a world where animals take on humanistic roles—getting jobs, raising families, shopping and so on.

The audience follows a rabbit named Judy Hopps on her journey to becoming a police officer.

In the movie, this was a rare feat because police officers were usually bigger, more aggressive animals like rhinos or cheetahs. Despite the hard-ships and doubts, Judy overcame all odds. She not only became the first rabbit to graduate from the police

This movie could not have come at a better time.academy, she also graduated at the top of her class. This leads to her as-signment in the main district of Zoo-topia, a place considered the best of the best.

After more bumps in the road, Judy finally gets a major case involv-ing missing animals in the city. To solve it, she teams up with Nick Wil-de, a fox she meets early on in her job.

Much of the first half of the film can lead to the assumption that this is another typical movie about fol-lowing your dreams and persevering through whatever challenges may come, but as the movie progresses,

viewers soon realize that it is much more than that.

Audiences first see Judy struggle through the police academy and po-lice station because of her size and the fact that she is a rabbit.

But the real message does not really click until the audience learns about Nick and how he was bullied as a child simply because he was a fox—an animal deemed untrust-worthy because they are considered predators. The other animals judge him based on stereotypes, without considering his true character.

This message that stereotyp-ing people is dangerous and hurtful seemed to be the overarching theme that directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore tried to portray, and they succeeded.

There were moments regarding stereotyping that had a comedic ef-fect, but most of it revolved around the serious topic of judging people—or in this case, animals—based on their background and what they look like.

At a time when racial, gender and other social tensions are at their peak, this movie could not have come at a better time. Additionally, it has made these sorts of issues easy for children to comprehend by putting it in a setting with lovable and relatable characters.There were also jokes in the movie that adults could relate to as well, making it easy for them to sit through an animated film.

“Zootopia” has already earned over $500 million worldwide and has a 95 percent audience score on Rot-tenTomatoes.com.

This movie is a must-see, regard-less of age, because there are different elements that different people will pick up on. It is perfect to watch with friends, younger relatives and older relatives over and over again.

This movie gets four out of four Jon Wallace heads.

APU’s Jazz Ensemble played alongside Citrus College’s Blue Note Orchestra for round 12 of its big band-style event in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on March 18 and 19.

APU and Citrus alumni, stu-dents and friends enjoyed listening to the ensemble and orchestra, directed by APU’s David Betty and Citrus’ Robert Slack and Alan Waddington, respectively.

During the performance, both bands’ tuxedo-clad musicians went back and forth, playing songs to chal-lenge one another.

The evening featured traditional jazz elements, such as swing pieces and scatting, but also featured more contemporary pieces like a cover of pop group Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” Both bands came together and played as one large, soulful band at

the beginning and end of the show.This is the second Battle of the

Big Bands show that junior comput-er science major Zach Clark has seen during his time at APU.

“It was different than the last show I saw,” Clark said. “There were more theatrics and comedic ele-ments. I enjoy watching the jazz en-semble play. There is a lot of talent in our music department.”

Throughout the performance, master of ceremonies David Jer-emiah and the two conductors joked about the rivalries between the two music programs.

“We didn’t have a Battle of the Bands last year, so I think there was a lot of built-up tension,” APU music in performance major Jonathan Schlitt said.

Schlitt revealed that members of both bands actually look forward to spending time together practicing for the performances.

“The rivalry really is friendly,” Schlitt said. “A lot of Citrus students transfer to APU. Sometimes APU students and Citrus students play gigs together on the weekends. Some of the music faculty teach at both schools. Both music programs keep their students very busy, but it’s nice to all get together when we can.”

Mint: your own personal financerApp helps users monitor finances and practice healthy spending habitsMandy Mayfieldstaff writer

Want to know where your entire paycheck went in one weekend? Mint is a free finance service application that will do just that.

The service is an all-in-one tool for incompetent budgeters who want a quick look into where their money is going.

According to nerdwallet.com, Mint has attracted more than 20 mil-lion users since its creation in 2006.

By intertwining all of your ac-counts, Mint keeps track of every transaction you make while showing you the big picture of your financial status. In doing so, it allows you to review virtually every aspect of your financial life.

The application’s dashboard in-cludes your debit and credit card bal-ances, investment performance and

your credit score. Under a separate tab, you can find a color-coded graph-ic depicting your weekly, monthly or annual spending habits.

Some of the categories include gas and fuel, fast food, shopping and business services.

A large part of what makes Mint so successful is that it automatically syncs to your banking applications, tracking your spending patterns with virtually no effort required.

In my case, it let me know that I was spending 65 percent of my in-come on fast food, informing me of not only my poor financial decisions but of my poor eating habits.

Mint also offers educated bud-geting. When independently budget-ing, many begin by estimating what their spending habits are, which is

inefficient and often takes months to nail down the real numbers of where your money is going.

Mint tracks how much money is deposited into accounts, takes note of how much money you have previous-ly spent on something—like grocer-ies—and then offers suggestions on how much you should be spending based on past purchases and current income.

A particular feature in the appli-cation is the Trends tab. The tab of-fers a color-coded graph with a broad overview of where you spend your money.

Some of the categories included in this tab are shopping, fast food, bills and utilities.

Another exceptional feature to this app is the Alerts section. The ser-vice can send out notifications when bills are soon due or when a budget has been surpassed, which helps keep spenders out of trouble.

The app is also very aesthetically pleasing. The app’s charts and graph-ics are separated by distinct colors with sharp lines offering clear and easy-to-understand information.

For those looking to take a hands-off approach to budgeting—or to life in general—this is the app for you.

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6 Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Clause theclause.org/lifestyle

Playing on Infinite Loop Sia is shouting it out and you can hear every word

I don’t know about you, but there is a certain kind of addiction that hap-pens when you consume pop culture.

Whether that is binge-watching Netflix, that dystopian novel you can’t put down or a song you have on infinite loop.

In my case, it’s my affinity for Sia’s new album, which I’ve had on repeat for almost a month now.

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, com-monly known as Sia, is an Australian artist and songwriter.

You might know her from her hit single “Titanium” popularized by the movie, Pitch Perfect. If it’s a famous song about the empowerment of women, chances are Sia wrote it.

At 40 years old, Sia sounds better than her younger counterparts who have to rely on auto-tune.

I remember when I first heard Sia on the radio (apart from “Tita-nium”—released 2011) was rapper Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” (2012).

When I found out the vocals were from the same artist, I did not match her face with her voice.

More recently, Time magazine compiled the 73 songs that Sia wrote for other artists like Beyonce, Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera among many others. Some of those songs in-clude Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” “Pretty Hurts” by Beyonce and the new Kelly Clarkson anthem, “Invincible.”

Shortly after the release of “This is Acting,” “Try Everything,” Sha-

kira’s new single, was released, which also happens to be the theme song for Disney’s Zootopia (an animated film about the first female bunny cop).

Hearing it during the movie, I thought it was inspiring and had a suspicion that Sia might have been involved. When the credits rolled, my guess was right, the song was indeed written by Sia Furler.

Famously known for hiding her face when performing, Sia’s voice is distinct but also familiar.

As Time mentioned, “a Sia song has a signature uplifting chorus…with vivid metaphors and a message of empowerment and triumph.”

Sia has said she did not want to become famous, this is why she hides her face behind a black and white wig or through models and proxies who wear the wig, which has become a signature look.

Sia’s new 2016 album, “This is Acting,” is her seventh studio album following her 2014 “1000 Forms of Fear.”

Compared to “1000 Forms of Fear,” where Sia reportedly derived her inspiration from her bipolar dis-order and alcohol addiction, this time around it seems as if Sia is out of the cage.

Sia is always singing about fight-ing through life, wanting to live and being set free. She doesn’t want to die. She is all about living. This is more evident in “This is Acting” than “1000 Forms of Fear.”

While she may not be aware of it, Sia is just not the type of artist, let alone person, who can fly under the radar. She is making noise and peo-ple are taking notice.

Sia is someone who keeps go-ing, and she’s shining with every new song—whether she wrote it, sang it

or both.Although Sia’s critics say “This

is Acting” is too impersonal, I think that’s exactly why it’s beautiful, why it works and what makes this new al-bum so powerful.

It is customizable. Depending on who the listener is, the meaning can be subjective to each person’s personal experience.

Two years ago, she was swing-ing from the chandelier screeching in despair and desperation. It’s prob-ably something you listened to when you wanted to forget your troubles.

This time around, it’s a procla-mation of life. After all this time, Sia is still breathing as she sings breath-lessly in “Alive.” She’s found her voice and herself in a “Bird Set Free.”

She’s an impressive artist be-cause she writes her own songs and churns out all these albums every other year or so.

Maybe it’s an anthem to set her-self free, maybe she is indeed still act-ing, still putting on a face, but either way, her words are empowering.

One thing is for sure, Sia is a Porsche with no breaks, and she is unstoppable, just like her new album.

Anna Ruth Ramosguest writer

We all want it. Millions in the world seem to want it. People crave it. What is it?

It’s a home.The cliché goes, “home is where

the heart is.” People can spend years searching for home, moving from place to place.

Home is where objects invoke memories in the house. That couch is where my family spent movie nights throwing popcorn at each other. That driveway is where I learned to ride a bike. That porch is where we had barbecues.

Home is special because it’s where you live, play, love. For me, it’s a lot of places.

For the first 18 years of my life, I didn’t have to search for home. I grew up in the same house my great-grandparents built in 1947 when they emigrated from Europe. I slept in the same room my mom grew up in and cooked in the same kitchen as her mother and her mother before that.

I never had to experience mak-ing a house a home, because our four walls had been a home for many de-cades.

I never had to move until I found myself living in three different places other than my family home in the span of a year and a half. Because of that, I learned something invaluable.

The cliché that says “home is where the heart is” is true, but maybe not as expected, because your heart can be in many different places.

I once believed home could only be where your whole heart was, and for most of my life, my whole heart was in one home with my family. Then, I moved to college.

It was the first time I had to put my belongings in boxes, load up the car and go somewhere with all my stuff. I went somewhere I had never been before.

I encountered white-painted brick walls in my new home and, my gosh, I didn’t know how to feel. I had spent my whole life up until that point in one place, creating memories, and now I had the daunting task of mak-ing this dorm room in Engstrom my new home.

And it was, but not for long.I made the mistake of thinking

that this room—with the heavy metal door that wouldn’t compromise with a door stop—had to consume my whole heart in order for it to be my home.

As God would have it, a short time later, I packed a suitcase for South Africa.

This foreign country was the new place that I would call home. Again, I was determined to make it so.

It wasn’t the pictures I put up on the walls of my friends and family that made it home. It was the clean-ing workers that would joke with us over our bad Zulu. It was the night my entire cohort stayed up to play werewolf one last time instead of packing up for our flight home. It was the little girl in the village who stole my heart.

Then, I moved again. This time back to Azusa, back to APU into a mod. This little yellow mod is every-thing a home should be.

The semester is only half over and I already have incredible memo-ries of dropping just-made dinners on the kitchen floor with my room-

mates, lounging on the couch while yelling at Ben “The Bachelor” on TV and hosting random dance parties when we should have been studying.

Each one of these places became a home for me, and it’s unfair to say that they cannot each contain a piece of my heart.

Home is not where the entire heart is because pieces of my heart have been left behind in every place I have lived. I will always have multiple homes.

These will always be homes to me:

The house I grew up in, with all the memories I have of my family. Inside the halls of Engstrom, where

I would wander between rooms mak-ing some of the closest friends I have today. The African Enterprise cam-pus in South Africa, where I would joke with Pindy in extremely broken Zulu. And my mod where my room-mate and I make dinner every night while listening to Frank Sinatra re-cords.

The house that I’ll raise children in someday will be my home, just like how visiting my parents and hope-fully going back to South Africa one day will be like coming home.

Sometimes in the search for the perfect home, people may not realize that they have already found it.

Multiple times.

Mission possible: Finding home in all the right placesMoving can be tough, but it leads to new places to call homeKenny Langrellstaff writer

Opinion

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Langrell studied a semester abroad in south Africa, pictured above, during her time at ApU. This experi-ence contributed to her realization that home is a concept that stretches across the globe.

I am forever wreckedThe furious hope found on LA streets

“Seminary did not prepare me for this,” said Professor Michael Mata in a guest lecture about his first reaction to practicing urban ministry in Los Angeles.

During mid-semester break, 15 students, including me, had the op-portunity to spend one week learn-ing about the city and the people of Los Angeles as a part of the course MINC 487: Exegeting the City, taught by Professor Gregg Moder, D.Min., alongside guest speakers, including Mata.

The class also partnered with the Dream Center (DC), a nonprofit church organization founded in 1994 that fulfills the needs of over 80,000 individuals and families each month through outreach programs.

We served alongside some of DC’s ministries such as the clothing ministry Helping Hands, foster care intervention, the children’s ministry KIDS Zone and Skid Row outreach. DC also houses over 700 residents enrolled in various recovery pro-grams year round.

My first experience on Skid Row, one of largest areas of homelessness and poverty in the nation, had me echoing a similar sentiment to Ma-ta’s: I was not prepared for this.

I didn’t know what to do or say to fix people’s situations. I couldn’t will the problems away or transform someone’s life with a wave of a wand. And so, helplessness invaded my heart.But soon, as the experience continued, hope began to push out the helplessness.

Sharon Leeopinion editor

As fellow classmate junior psy-chology major Christina Saad said, “We are all the same.”

There’s something so powerful about the inherent dignity God plac-es in us, something that circumstance or the enemy can’t strip away. It is in this God that we trust.

The more I walked the Los An-geles streets, the more it profoundly hit me. From the very architecture of the city—the sidewalks, the compet-ing stores, the buildings, the commu-nities—to the graffiti left by gangs, we’re all screaming to be noticed.

We all want to be acknowledged because we were created with such adoration by our God. Our desire to be known is inherent; it’s in us, and it’s powerfully palpable in our cities.

Classmate junior psychology major Corin Thornburg said, “I was trying to change the circumstances around me. But I think God was using the external circumstances to change me.”

I am forever wrecked by this trip—wrecked because I know I can never forget what I witnessed on Skid Row. There is a very real system of oppression that is deeply embed-ded in society that I can’t repair, and that I even contribute to sometimes.

But more than that, I am wrecked by God’s unfathomable grace. He chose us, continues to choose us and imparts in us dignity worthy to be His children. He gives us hope that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

As Walter Brueggemann wrote in “Prophetic Imagination,” we “must always learn that our hope is never generated among us but always given to us. And whenever it is given we are amazed.”

Everyone de-serves a good anthem. Every Sia song has a story, and each one of them is for every woman.

es Association awarded Hardeman with an honorable mention as the Conference Commissioners Associa-tion recognized her as a second-team honoree.

Kelly Hardeman averaged 17.3 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, as well as contributing 43 blocks and 57 steals on the season.

“I didn’t average the most points in the league or the most rebounds. The fact that our team was so suc-cessful, I couldn’t do it alone. I had people on my team who helped me shine,” said Kelly Hardeman, who humbly deflected the attention.

Indeed, she did have a talented cast of teammates. Senior guard Cydnie Jones was named PacWest Tournament MVP and second-team All-PacWest, while Greene and ju-nior center Maggie Dumphy were named to the third team.

Still, there was the leader. The focal point. The senior from Manilla.

“No one ever had to doubt her in-dividual effort. She would always stay after practice and get extra shots. She did everything she needed to do to be our leader,” senior guard Miriam Zabinsky said.

Her mark will forever be on the Azusa Pacific record book. She’s the all-time leader in three-pointers made, and fourth in total points scored.

More important, she and her team leave a legacy—ushering in the new era of success.

Multi-event athletes compete among the best

Fresh off an indoor heptathlon na-tional title, Shakiel Chattoo turns his attention to the outdoor season and the decathlon.

The freshman will have additional competition in the event from his own teammates. Senior Justin Balczak, who won the heptathlon at last year’s indoor meet and the decathlon at last year’s outdoor meet, didn’t have any remaining indoor eligibility this year, but will be back on the track for the outdoor season. He also placed 10th at last summer’s USA Track & Field championship.

Chattoo dominated the indoor heptathlon. His 5,554 points in the event placed his name in the history books with the seventh-best perfor-mance in Division II history. Howev-er, his performance was still 52 points behind Balczak’s winning score from last year.

Now, the two will compete in the 10-event decathlon. Balczak admits that he is impressed with the accom-plishments of Chattoo thus far.

“Last year when I won, it was real exciting because I had been working up to that for about three years,” Bal-czak said. “These guys are animals, es-pecially Chattoo. When I was a fresh-man, I wasn’t even thinking about winning a national title, so it’s just im-pressive. What he’s done so far is just ridiculous.”

Sports

Tears welled in her eyes as she walked off the court and toward the bench. It wasn’t the ending that she or any of her teammates wanted. It was the waning moments of the Cou-gars 87-77 loss to UC San Diego in the West Region semifinals, and senior forward Kelly Hardeman had just fouled out of her last game.

She would soon be joined by her teammates.

The Cougars came into the semifinals as winners of 16 straight games, one away from tying the pro-gram’s all-time record. For the first half, it looked as if the streak would go on. The Cougars led by 12 after the first quarter and eight after the second. A whirlwind third put the Cougars behind by 10, and from there it was over.

It wasn’t the ending that the Cou-gars wanted. It wasn’t the tears they wanted. The goal was to be hoisting a trophy in Indianapolis as national champions, not walking back to their locker room inside the Felix Event Center defeated.

While winning the national

championship is obviously the goal for any team, it was plausible for the Cougars.

“We took offseason super serious-ly. We were determined to come into the year and do as well as we could. That was our mindset from the get-go, that we know we’re a very talent-ed team,” Hardeman said. “We could win the national championship.”

The Cougars had a successful 2014-15 season and a returning group of seven seniors and four starters. Be-yond the talent, they had the chemis-try.

“We wanted it for each other,” senior guard Alison Greene said. “It wasn’t just an individual thing. We wanted it for APU.”

Although they fell short of their goal, it was the most important sea-son in Cougars history, even more than the NAIA National Champion-ship in 2011.

Leading up the 2011 season, Azusa Pacific had been the best ath-letic department in the NAIA for six seasons, winning six Directors Cups. The award was given to the best overall athletic department.

The women’s basketball team had been to the National Tourna-ment in 10 of 11 years, including a national runner-up in 2010. In short, the Cougars were known. They were respected.

The same can’t be said after their transition to the NCAA Division II. The Cougars were back to square

one across the board and needed to build their brand of excellence from the ground up.

This year’s team did that for the women’s basketball program. They made the excellence in Azusa known.

“To make that transition from an NAIA power to now, I think a lot of people understand [this] is a solid program,” head coach TJ Hardeman said of the seniors.

This year’s women’s team made its program known just like last year’s men’s basketball team. At the center of a group of seniors, one player led

them.For the men, it was Troy Leaf.

For the women, Kelly Hardeman.Kelly Hardeman was named Pac-

West Player of the Year after leading the Cougars to the PacWest regular season and tournament titles. Both are firsts for the Cougars. She was then awarded West Region Player of the Year for her efforts in leading the Cougars to the top seed in West Region.

Hardeman ends her career by earning a pair of All-American hon-ors. The Women’s Basketball Coach-

Despite loss, Cougars are still moving forwardKelly Hardeman leads women’s hoops into NCAA eraLandon Trokasports editor

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The Cougars starting five celebrate a win over No. 2 California Baptist in December. Kelly Hardeman (21) had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Teammates train together and compete against each other in outdoor seasonBrandon Rodriguez assistant sports editor

Chattoo believes that a major-ity of their success as multi-event athletes comes through bonding and having a relationship with his team-mates. Comparing them to family, he explains that he’s grateful to have that support, because they want what’s best for each other.

“We have a form of cohesiveness. The team itself has this togetherness and motivates you in whatever cir-cumstances you’re going through. I just love everything about this school right now. I’m so humbled through this,” Chattoo said.

The other two men’s multi-event athletes, junior Miles Poullard and freshman Corey Reid, have had a ma-jor impact on the team as well. Reid finished in ninth place at the indoor nationals, scoring 5,072 points, while Poullard came in at 10th place, scoring 5,061 points. Both athletes will com-pete in the decathlon with Balczak and Chattoo. Reid’s goal is to not only make nationals, but to also regain his national record in the 400-meter dash and the decathlon.

“For the multis, we all have differ-ent strengths, so we mentor each other. Right now, me and Justin [Balczak] help Shak [Chattoo] with pole vault, because that’s one of his weaker events, but one of our best. Then Shak will help us with our long jump, because that’s his best event,” Reid explained.

All of the multi-event athletes have developed a sense a humor on the track and use that to their advantage when competing. Knowing that there is a time for everything, they use that humor to help their teammates survive the long practices.

“In practice, we have to crack jokes and mess around sometimes, be-cause we’re out here one to two more hours than everybody else every day.

So, they’re long days and we’re miser-able,” Reid said. “You got to find the joy and happiness in it. If you stay too serious for this long, you’re going to get worn out.”

Chattoo added to that theory, believing that by keeping the atmo-sphere fun, they generate positive thoughts and happiness. It’s another one of the many ways they help each other get better.

“These guys are some of the best people that I’ve come amongst thus

far. [Balczak] cracks me up daily, and [Reid] always says some ridiculous stuff that cracks me up; I’m just here to add to it. I think we have a perfect bond right now, and we’re recycling it. I really appreciate these guys,” Chat-too said.

No matter what, even though they may compete against each other as teammates, APU’s men’s multi-event athletes all support each other to do their very best. From Balczak to Chattoo, and Reid to Poullard, an in-

teresting relationship has been formed to help them all succeed, and so far the formula has worked well.

“So between all of us, we want each other to do well,” Balczak said. “I may not want one of them to beat me, but I want them to do their best, and if they beat me at the end because they did their best, that’s perfectly fine.”

The next track and field outdoor-event will take place in San Diego at the Aztec Invitational on March 25 and 26.