211 4“Avengers

Assemble!”Report-ers address campus con-troversy

Pose, Snap, Post!8Educate yourself on the benefits of tea! 12

“The Past Has Arms...”

Volume 1, Issue 4, April 2014, San Diego Christian College

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lean-looking man sits on a medical examination table while the doctor looks

over his chart asking, “Do you want to kill Nazis?” The young man takes a second to re-spond: “I don’t want to kill anyone, but I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they are from.” Later on in Captain America, the doctor goes on to say, “A weak man knows the value of strength and compassion.” These kinds of ideals are what we have come to expect from superheroes, whether in the theater or in comic books. People will pay large amounts of cash to see their favorite crusaders on the screen, and many films have shown this trend. Even this month, both The Amazing Spider-man 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past will be hit-ting the big screen. Superheroes have invaded our culture (and according to most Marvel films, New York City), and they are here to stay. I love being entertained as much as the next guy, (who doesn’t love watching Captain America throw his mighty shield around or the quick-witted and slightly snarky Spider-man swing from web line to web line), but something draws me into a superhero flick more than almost any other type of film. Superheroes are known for being, well, super. They possess abilities that ordinary humans will never even come close to having, and so in a sense, we live vicariously through them with every “BAM!” and ”KAPOW!” Humans enjoy being powerful and simply identifying

with a particular character creates a sense that we are stronger than we really are. However, most superheroes (with perhaps the exception of Captain America) have flaws and/or weaknesses. Through-out the plot, these weaknesses are exposed and are used against them in one way or another. Have you ever noticed that very few supervillians don’t make sense at all? Their evil monologues often raise valid and intriguing points, albeit in a twisted and convoluted manner. They can make a pretty convincing argument. Evil is real and at

times can be pretty entic-ing. In the battle of good vs. evil, it may seem like the villain has complete control of the situation. And yet, good always comes out on top. Super-heroes remind us that no matter how dark our circumstances are, how far we think we’ve fallen, and how strong evil may

be, there is always hope and our weak-nesses may be overcome. As Christians, we are reminded that we ourselves are not the heroes of the story, but the true Hero will ultimately save the day.Superheroes are important, not merely for entertainment purposes, but because they provide inspiration and encourage us to hold on. They remind us that we are stron-ger than we think we are and to never give up. While the characters themselves are fictitious, they symbolize a greater truth: to rely on the One who can truly save the day.

By Luke Johnson

a new perspective into the superhero universeA

3pulse |

decided about three issues back that I would write a “letter from the

editor” in the last issue. It seemed ap-propriate and like an easy enough thing to do, considering I enjoy talking, and I enjoy it even more when people listen to me talk. This, then, by default, should be easy, right? Wrong. The best I could come up with was a sad compilation of cliches and a pathetic attempt at be-ing deep. However, Juliette came to my rescue, yet again, when she asked me what I really have to say. What is it that I want to tell you all in my designated 350 words? And once I really thought about it in those simplest of terms, it seemed so odd that I had found this so difficult to begin with. I want you all to know why I do what I do. Why I love to write and read and be surrounded by and work with people who also love those things. I want you to know that you have a voice, one worth hearing. It’s a beautiful thing, being able to put your

thoughts to paper and then share them, oftentimes with people that you don’t know. It gives you such a power to influence, to empower, to inform, and to create. You can help people discover something that was always inside of them or help them to understand that they’re not alone in their struggle. You can be someone’s John Green or J.D. Salinger. Rejoice with them because the scrawny guy never gets the girl, and this time Alaska chose you. You can sympa-thize with Houlden as he struggles to hold onto the past in fear of altogether losing his brother. Change: that’s some-thing we all understand. So, what do you have to say and to whom do you wish to say it? What are you passionate about, and how do you wish to share said passion? We all have such different thoughts and voices, and I have such a firm belief in the power of words. You can do so much good, or bad, with the inherent power in your words. And now I challenge you; how are you going to use it?

a Not So

TypicalLetter Fr

om

theEditor

By Allison Nava-Holstein

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Allison Nava-Holstein: Editor-in-Chief What’s your favorite word? BehooveWhat is one thing you want to accomplish before you graduate?Play on a college quidditch team. Or rather, announce for one. One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:fun-size, determined, ordered, visionary

Juliette Holder: Content EditorWhat’s your favorite word?

SerendipityDo you have any undisplayed talents?

I’m really good at packing suitcases. One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:detailed, driven, soft spoken, leader

Julie SchulzeWhat is one thing you want to accomplish

before you graduate?I would like to intern at the zoo one summer.

What was your favorite article from Pulse Magazine this year?

“What is Your Spirit Chair”One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:secretly funny, reliable, mischievous, mellow

Deborah CardenasIf you were a tootsie pop, what flavor would you be?Mystery, because I’m indecisive.What’s a stand-out childhood memory?Miriam and I were trying to be nice and clean our older brother’s fish bowl, but instead we ended up killing the beta fish. One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:goofy, enthusiastic, serving, lovable

Miriam CardenasIf you were a tootsie pop, what flavor would

you be?Strawberry because I’d like to say I’m sorta

sweet!What is your favorite word?

JoyOne-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:supportive, reliable, smart, insightful

MeettheStaff* * * * * * * * * *

Rae ZelalemIf you could be one of our professors, who

would you choose?Dr. Hillaker. I’ll get into Med School with no

effort. What is your favorite word?

Zaboomafoo What’s a stand-out childhood memory?

Coming to AmericaOne-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:organized, on the border between witty and

sassy, friendly, personable * * * * * * *By Juliette Holder

5pulse |

Drake Senter: Layout and Design EditorIf you were a tootsie pop what flavor would

you be?I would be original because I’m a classic.

If you could be one of our professors, who would you choose?

If I could be one of our professors, I would be Bob Lightner because he is “the most interest-

ing man in the world.”One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:talented, creative, meticulous, intentional

Sarah HoodWhat’s one thing you want to accomplish

within one year of graduation? I would like to submit a manuscript or article

to a professional publishing company/maga-zine and see my name in print.

What was your favorite article from The Pulse this year?

The book to film featurette was my favorite.One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:serene, perpetually happy, steady, eloquent

Lexi De los SantosWhat’s your favorite word?My favorite word is “genuine,” because that is the character trait I value most in others.What was your favorite article from Pulse Magazine this year?The “Beginner’s Guide to Anime.” One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:outspoken, passionate, bold, creative

Rebeca AmayaIf you were a tootsie pop, what flavor would

you be?Cherry. It’s the perfect combination with the

chocolate in the middleWhat’s a stand out childhood memory?

When I was five, I remember my dad put me on his lap while he was driving in a parking lot

and allowed me to steer. One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff: artsy, dorky in the best way, authentic, opti-

mistic

Luke JohnsonWhat’s a stand-out childhood memory?

I had a spaceship tent/bed structure that cov-ered my bed when I was about 7-9 years old.

COOLEST THING EVER!!!! If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you hope/pray would NOT be there?Wookies. To live with a full-on hairy beast,

NO STINKING WAY!!!!One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:enthusiastic, approachable, considerate,

gentlemanly

Kyle Neuenschwander If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you hope/pray would NOT be there?GilliganWhat’s one thing you want to accomplish before you graduate?I want to have made strong contact with DARPA, or NASA, regarding future employ-ment.One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff: academic, bold, genuine, inquisitive

Paige Denton-HarvieIf you were stranded on a desert island, what would you hope/pray would NOT be there?

People.Do you have any undisplayed talents?

Picking things up with toes. It’s helpful when you’re this tall.

One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:

outgoing, quick wit, fashionable, hippie

Audrea TaylorIf you could be one of the professors, who would you choose?I would love to have Professor Hilderman’s knowledge of history! What was your favorite article from Pulse Magazine this year?“Missions Awareness”One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:brilliant, famous, informed, giggly

Molly MorgenWhat’s a stand-out childhood memory?

My father teaching me how to surf at a young age.

If you could be one of the professors, who would you choose?

Blackburn.One-word descriptions from the rest of the

staff:bold, hilarious blunt, confident, autonomous

Devin GallagherYou wake up one morning, and the whole world has turned into a cartoon. What do you do?Catch the roadrunnerIf you could be one of the professors, who would you choose?Indiana Jones...not a choice? Okay, then I guess professor Moulton because I would like to know everything he knows about the Bible. One-word descriptions from the rest of the staff:helpful, curious, hard working, loyal

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“Dogs! Cats are nasty, evil, and lazy. Dogs are cute, fluffy, furry, loyal, and actually want to hangout with you!” -Niki Metzger, commuter

“Dogs, cats are from the devil. Seriously, they are demon possessed! They are so unfriendly and selfish and dogs love you no matter what.” -Abby Ley, resident

“Cats! Because they’re like mini lions.” -Christina Baxter, commuter

“Cats, thats all we’ve had growing up because my sister had cats. I would feel unloyal if I said dogs because then they would hate me.” -Vivian Monroy, Registrar Assistant

Hot

Butt nIssues

An in-depth study of several controversial issues conducted by Deb and Miriam Cardenas

Ca

tsDogs

7pulse |

“Mac, they don’t viruses while PCs do. Macs work at a faster paste than a PC and PCs crash too much.” -Sergio Flores, resident

“I prefer Macs because no viruses can go in.” -Ramiro Castillo, resident

“I paid over a $1000 so, it better be better than a PC.” -John Gonzalez, Admissions Counselor

“I prefer PCs because it is way easier to copy and paste images and texts to a document, also, I’ve only used PCs so I wouldn’t take the risk on switching over to Mac.”-Karla Camarillo, resident

“PCs, they are cheaper.” -Micah Parks, resident

“Macs scare me!” -Susie Parks, Registrar

“Coke and camo and ammo and ducks and trucks!” -Jordan Morgan, commuter

“I like coke because their commercials are very at-tractive.” -Hongye Ji (David), resident

“Coke, you can have a vanilla coke.” -Tyler Sanborn, Admissions Counselor

“Pepsi, I think it has more sugar.” -Rae Zelalem, resident

“I like Pepsi’s because I like their blue cans.” -Veronica Martinez, commuter

“Pepsi is big on advertising for soccer and I’m a soc-cer player. In their commercials they use big time soccer players and these are the players that I follow.” -Andrew Robles, commuter

MacPC

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ea is the second most con-sumed beverage in the world

because of its many benefits. For centuries, the delicacy of tea drinking has been practiced for its herbal medicinal quali-ties, health benefits, and variety of delicious wholesome flavors. Today, researchers have discov-ered that tea can protect against many health problems, such as headaches, preventing colds and cancer and improving your overall health. Making a warm cup of tea after a long day of studying for finals will be sure to hit the spot and soothe the soul.

Green Tea: An excellent source of antioxidants that prevents cancer. It improves your metabolism and aids in weight loss, along with boosting your immune system.

Ginger Tea: Helps with al-lergies and works wonders for a headache. It also helps with motion sickness. Stud-ies have found that ginger tea reduces inflammation in about the same amount of time as aspirin. It also pre-vents colds.

Turmeric Tea: Natu-ral anti-biotic. Helps to suppress hay fever symptoms

Dandelion Root Tea: Helps with bloating and detoxi-fies the liver. Drink it after eating a heavy meal.

Oolong tea: Helps with weight loss and soothes tummy aches.

Peppermint Tea: Eases muscle fatigue and pain, relieves constipation, heals acne, and relieves tummy aches.

Black Tea: Helps cardio-vascular health. It prevents the symptoms of asthma, as well as bad breath by stopping plaque from building up. It aids in focus by stimulating the brain.

Chamomile Tea: Reduces stress and aids sleep. It relieves mild pain and cramps.

Rooibos Tea: Helps with exercise recovery. Roobios is also caffeine free and helps with fatigue.

t

t e a t i m ewith Rebeca Amaya

9pulse |

lot of the time, I don’t want to be called an introvert anymore. It’s because I feel

like it’s become an excuse: a crutch to lean on or a hole to hide in. It’s a word I can throw around to marginalize my social anxiety. It’s a label used in order to cope with past hurt, to feel like I belong to a community of people just as misunderstood as myself. It creates a “me-against-the-world” mentality. And I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. It’s an easy trap to fall through. I’m sure any person who is shy or introverted can identify with feeling underestimated or over-looked by those around them. I’m sure they’ve been called out more than once for being “too quiet” or “too sensitive.” Perhaps people have formed negative impressions before getting to know them, assuming that they are snobby or cold. It may even be that certain people have outright rejected them to their face for having a personality type deemed inferior, unlikable, or just plain weird. Yes, it’s all too easy for these experi-ences to cause an introvert to retreat. We’ve spent so long caring about what people think of us and feeling so much embarrassment as a result that there comes a point where we don’t

want to care anymore. As a result, we seques-ter ourselves away in a self-created introvert bubble. It becomes our identity, affecting who we choose to associate with and the activities in which we choose to participate. We fancy ourselves underdogs. The world is cruel. So we stay away from it. That’s how I feel so much of the time. But I don’t think it’s quite right. Colossians 3:14-15 states it well: “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Looking so far beyond our personality type or what’s comfortable for us or how people have treated us, we were called to something greater. The love and peace that we have been commanded to let “rule in our hearts” overlooks all of these boundaries. It doesn’t dwell on feeling misunderstood. Gosh, I don’t think anyone has ever been more mis-understood than Jesus was. Yet he loved those who spat on him with such earnestness. That’s why, instead of living as an advocate for introverts, I seek to live as an ad-vocate for Christ—in whom my truest identity is found.

Shying Away from an Identity of Introversionby Lexi de los Santos

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ach one of us is undoubtedly famil-iar with the phrase, “hate the sin,

love the sinner.” We are taught to look to the inherent human worth of every-one we encounter, recalling the words of Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” As hard as we may try, we often abandon this concept as it applies to our perceptions of fellow Christians. Of course, we recognize that we are all still bound to this earth and may fall prey to temptations, but this knowl-edge in our minds is rarely realized in the core of our hearts. (Galatians 6:1 reads, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; {each one} looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Often, we focus more on the parts of this verse that state, “you

who are spiritual” and “restore such a one” rather than the equally crucial “in a spirit of gentleness” and “each one looking to yourself.”) Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” The “spirit of gentleness” is a spirit of love. Love does not keep record of wrongs. Any im-moral action is ultimately against God, and not anyone else. It is His moral law that is violated; everything else is merely collateral damage. When we “look to ourselves,” we ought not only do so to avoid temptation, but also re-alize that none is greater in measure of salvation than another. All are in equal need of a savior, ourselves included. Therefore, if God has forgiven those who have transgressed against Him, Why should we do any different? We are therefore called to love others and correct them only in a spirit of gentle-ness and love.

[I = x/0 by sin]

By Kyle Neuenschwander

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very real and even more dan-gerous. This “selfie” epidemic has become dangerous in more ways than just mak-ing college a bit harder; it has caused a rise in plastic surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, since 2000, the number of breast augmenta-tions has risen by 37%. This a dangerous trend, because as the numbers of people receiving these procedures is rising, the age of said people is falling. It used to be that only adults would get plastic surgery, but now we hear about sixteen-year-olds getting nose jobs. The repercussions of said proce-dures are not only physical but also psychological. Just like any surgery, it’s risky and could end in death or infec-tion, which would harm an otherwise perfectly healthy person. In 2013, 215,641 people got eyelid surgery. You’re probably thinking the same thing I did when I saw that. Why would anyone even need that? I don’t know about you, but I don’t stare at people’s eyelids. I’m usually so much more focused on the blue of their eyes or that one cute dimple or how hard they’re making me laugh. Stop scrutinizing. It’s so hard to enjoy ourselves when we’re busy comparing and trying to one up the girl one seat over. Let’s be people who encourage beauty--inside and out--for ourselves and everyone we may meet.

not entirely sure how long this

whole, “selfie” craze has been going on, but it has officially gone too far. We have let it get to the point where selfie is officially a word in the English dictionary. I get it. Sometimes, my dress fits particularly nicely or my hair seems to be falling just right, and I want all 345 of my Facebook friends to see it. But some-how, after fifteen minutes of re-taking and scrutinizing my picture, I find myself thinking of how fat I actually look in my dress and how my hair is, in reality, flat and frizzy. I know, that escalated quickly. I also know that I’m not alone in this. With the exponential rise in technol-ogy comes the sudden boom in social media, which con-nects everyone all the time. I know this topic seems worn out; we’ve all talked about how everyone is beautiful, and you shouldn’t compare yourself to the models in the magazines because they’re basically not real people anyway. But the thing is, on Facebook and Instagram it’s not about the models anymore. Sure, you still see them, and you might feel that twinge of pure ha-tred for their perfect skin and toned abs, but they’re not real.Your best friend, however, or the pretty girl in your Econ class, they’re very real. The undeniable need to compare yourself is also

I’m “But first, let me take a selfie.”

By Allison Nava-Holstein

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the

Armsof Time

by Paige Denton-Harvie

T14

The past has arms. They are strong and they hold you tightly, despite your endless efforts to break free. Running forward has become exhausting and even painful at times, and you won-der if it is best to just stay where you are. Maybe those arms are comfortable, or they are all you have ever known. Maybe you look around and you are the only one trying to break free, and you know you would be completely alone if you were successful. Maybe it is just simpler to stay completely still. But what if you decided to stop fighting through it? What if you stayed right where

you feel safe and comfortable? How would you feel knowing the world kept moving without you? Or worse, you allowed the evolv-ing to culture determine your development, so it wasn’t truly your choice? The word “change” often comes hand in hand with a cer-tain stigma. We disregard things that are different and out of our comfort zone because they are difficult and scary. How can we possibly know if we are prepared to deal with them? Change means dealing with diversity; it means losing something familiar, and it often means a dramatic shift in

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Life is much more like getting lost in San Diego. You were just driving south, and all of the sudden, the 5 and the 805 are two completely different freeways that will take you two completely different places. Friendship, school, and careers can all be like that. God drew the map,but God is not driving the car. He has one plan for us: to make our lives more like Jesus’. God wants us to take advantage of the gifts and opportunities He’s given us, but I’m not entirely sure He is too concerned with whom we marry or where we go to school or where we end up living. Our lives should not be based on a set of choices over which we had no control. It is based on a daily choice to love God, care for our-selves, and chase after happiness. Through this joy, we will better emanate Christ’s love and divine plan for our lives. Life is full of beautiful choices and a million directions to explore. Do not just accept change, but pursue it whole heartedly. The past has arms, but so does the future. They can be uncertain and scary, but they can be wonderfully exhilarating at the exact same time. And they’re waiting for our full and passion-ate embrace. May the future be beautiful, but let it also be chal-lenging and make us strive to be people we never thought we could be.

commit against the people we love. Watching our friends and loved ones grow without us is so painful because it often means that we are growing apart. We do our best to convince them that they are exactly where they belong because we decided that they belong with us. However, unconditional love is supportive of change and is confident in growth. People, both in the physi-cal and social sense, are tempo-rary. Only God is constant in life. God and ourselves. It is undeni-ably comforting to have a God that is always there to answer prayers and to respond to confu-sion or heartbreak. Be confident in Him and how He made us. Be confident in our choices and our wisdom that come from Him. Be confident in our personal growth and development. Be confident on our paths. When I meet Him in heaven, I do not want to have to tell him that I was too busy worrying about my past to pursue my future or too busy worrying about other people to take care of myself. God calls us to respect and cultivate our emotional health and spiritual maturation first and foremost. It is important to recog-nize that we can never be certain of where life will take us. We like to try to look at our lives like a map from an aerial view so we can see where everyone is going and where everyone will end up.

our relationships. Letting go of the past and moving on to our future is the most terrifying and exhilarating experience of our young lives, but it is a necessity that should never be avoided or overlooked. Change also means growth, self-betterment and modification. Every day is a new beginning, an opportunity to transform your life to make it more like you dreamed it always would be. We cannot remain still and stagnant in a world that is constantly revolving. To deny someone of the opportunity for change is one of the biggest crimes we tend to

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by Audrea TaylorSenior Section

After graduation, Student Body President David Diaso will be spending a year intern-ing for a leadership consulting firm and working in human resources. David plans on going on to get his Masters in Leader-ship and Organizational Development and eventually follow that with a Ph.D in LOD. “In addition to consulting I would like to study Biblical manhood and be a speaker and writer on the subject.”

“After graduation, I’m going to spend an entire month just trying to reclaim all the pieces of my scattered brain.” But after that month Naomi will be heading off to Colo-rado Springs for an amazing internship with Focus on the Family through the Focus Leadership Institute. I don’t really have any long term plans as of yet, except to find and marry a rich cowboy who can pay off all my student loans. I think that’s a pretty good goal.” - Love the way she’s thinking!

Senior Spotlight

Chad Coyle will be pursuing his dream job of working for a regional airline. Chad’s taking his aviation training and will begin flight instructing at a flight school to build flight time and experience. Chad’s goals, “to obtain my multi-engine rating in the summer after graduation and reach 1,500 total flight hours in a year and half. It is my hope to be hired by a region-al airline by the time I am 23 and make my way up to the major airlines as soon as possible. My dream would be to work for United Airlines as a captain.”

Andrew RoblesSDC was a life changer for me. Found God, found my gorgeous wife, and made life long friends. I will be forever grateful :) Shout out to Lynwood, LA, and my family.

Nikolett MetzgerAm I really graduating in a month? It feels like it was just yesterday I set foot on SDCC’s El Cajon campus. From too many late night study sessions to unhealthy dietary choices while under stress to awkward first dates, to sketchy hiking adventures, life as a college student was never uneventful. I am beyond blessed for the journey God has taken me on, enabling me to grow academi-cally, spiritually, and just overall in maturity. The friendships and memories I have made here at SDCC are the kind that will last beyond graduation, they will last for a lifetime.

Rio DavisAs I think about my years here at San Di-ego Christian, I am thankful for the people that I have met. I have been challenged to learn more about myself, and my personal style of leadership through professors, and faculty members who dared me to be faith-ful with the little, so that in time of much responsibility I would know how to lead as Christ would. The friends that I have met have made life changing impact, challeng-ing me to love God with all that I have, and additionally to enjoy life and laugh often. I believe that I could not have experienced this at any other institution, Praise be to God!

Senior Wills