Page 5 – The Waltonian

Europe is faced with a growing geopolitical crisis as tensions rise over the Catalan independence referendum. The northeastern region of Catalonia in Spain has enjoyed limited autonomy for much of its history. While the country remained under strict control during the Francoist period between 1935 and 1975, there has always been a substantial sectarian faction within the region. With the restoration of democracy in 1978, the government of Spain decentralized political control of the country. This gave way to old internal borders and increased autonomy for the provincial governments, of which Catalonia is one. This October, the regional government voted to formally succeed from Spain in a public referendum.

The sectarian group within the region has been pushing for this since the ‘70s, but it only gained major political power in local elections since 2004. Controlling a plurality in the regional government, and with moderate support, they were able to make the referendum happen. The results of the referendum are highly disputed. The Spanish government does not recognize its authority, but the Catalan government boasts a pro-independence vote of 90 percent. Critics have argued that while the independence vote won, less than half of all people living in Catalonia voted, many out of protest. The claim of the Catalan government that “this is what the people want” is doubted by many key political figures.

The King of Spain, Felipe VI made calls for unity among the Iberian states, while the prime minister and Spanish government took more direct action. Upon resolution of the vote, Spain initiated direct control over the region through force. The European Union, and the international community has largely supported this move, with some countries remaining neutral citing the Spanish government’s violent response. Catalonia seemingly stands alone in its political struggle. While no governments have supported independence, there have been many voices both domestic and foreign that have supported it. The Catalan parliament argued that the people of the region have a separate language, culture, and history. While no one would dispute those claims, the general counterargument has been that those claims do not constitute succession.

It remains to be seen if this event was purely idiosyncratic or part of a greater trend. Scotland, while not an autonomous state, showed substantial support for the independence movement, likely stimulated by a similar failed independence vote in Scotland in 2014. This idea of nation-state sovereignty has become a question in the middle-east, where Palestinian and Kurdish factions seek to carve out their own national boundaries. While the situation in the Middle East is drastically different from the one in Europe, the sentiments that drive both movements draw parallels with one-another. Regardless, the Spanish government moved to dissolve the Catalan government, leaving many Catalans in a state of uncertainty.

Source: BBC

As 2017 enters its waning months leading into the holidays, the House and Senate floors of Congress are still in high tension over the issue of healthcare. What started with the President’s campaign promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) characterized the first year of the new administration with heated debate, public outcry, and celebrity appeals to ethics. Talk of repeal of the ACA lead much of public discourse in the first few months of 2017, and in May the American Health Care Act, a widely decried replacement was offered to the floor of Congress. The bill was heavily criticized for pushing people in need off of their insurance plan and for giving little mind to women’s health issues. The bill just narrowly failed to pass, as it little support from either side of the isle. Left-wing congressmen fought the bill vehemently and some right-wing policy makers voted against the bill on the grounds that it was hastily put together, and not properly reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office. After the failure to pass, House Speaker Paul Ryan told the base that the debate was not over. The debate cooled down over the summer, but has regained the national spotlight as the President recently signed an executive order ending the subsidies for low-income insurance plans. This move is part of larger agenda to slowly erode the foundations of the ACA. Insurers will probably pull out of the program with those subsidies gone, which will hurt the healthcare system as a whole over time. The Modus Operandi of the GOP since the the bill passed during the Obama administration has been to sabotage the ACA to a point of uselessness until the public is dissatisfied enough to support repeal. So far, they have been unsuccessful, but that remains to be tested following the recent executive action. Our country’s unyielding faith in the ability of the private sector to handle health care costs seems almost self-destructive at this point. This strange and unique problem in the United States is all the more puzzling when the state of health care in other developed countries is observed.

Almost every country in Europe has full healthcare coverage, while the U.S struggles to cover even 80% of its people. The figures become more grim when the actual quality of coverage in the US is understood. Even countries in Europe with higher economic freedom show full coverage rates. Almost every single one of these countries has some form of socialised healthcare or single payer. In contrast, the United States continues to accommodate the insurance industry and employer-based health care. Many apologists of the American system claim that universal healthcare drives premiums up and costs the government more than it can manage. The problem here is that we know the US situation was and is not working, because while other countries enjoy better coverage, they also pay significantly less on health insurance as a percentage of their GDP than we do. The argument that it is not economically feasible is troubling as it ignores this widely understood truth.

Even so, a comprehensive health care system will be payed for with tax dollars. For a country in so much debt and economic instability, why should we invest in such a program? It has become an issue of priority. We spend incredible amounts of money on our military infrastructure and corporate subsidies. How can it be believed that healthcare costs too much? The money is already being spent! Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, military hero and supreme allied commander of the allied forces in world war 2 once said in his “chance for peace” speech, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” The economic argument is potent, but I’d like to entertain a spiritual one. I talk very frequently about moral obligation, and it is no less important here. There are human beings who live in the most advanced country on the planet that do not have access to health care. That is a crime. More so, it is a crime we are complicit in. When Christ appeared to Peter for the last time, he told him to “feed my lambs.” In his parting words to Peter, that is the message he chose to leave him with. To take care of each other.

Sources: TIME.com, World Bank

This is a place where we study and grow together, where we challenge our understanding and learn how to be better, more diligent people. The core of what the university experience does is development. We take what cannot be taught and nurture it, and what can be taught is imparted through the expertise of our professors. In doing so, we develop the potential inside each student and give them the tools necessary to succeed. Each of us spends our few years here studying well, and pushing ourselves. It is clear then what our university is. A university is an academic institution first and foremost, but it would be foolish to argue that is all a university is.

We live here. For many, it is our home away from home. For others, it might be the only home they have right now. We eat, sleep, laugh, and cry. We thrive here. We play sports, engage with clubs, flirt with political activism, build friendships, and and even find love. The university, and specifically Eastern University is an incredibly important part of every student’s life. Good or bad, these memories will stick with us, and our lessons will guide us. It is not surprising then that the ability to determine our experience here is not taken lightly.

Through the student government and other channels, students often express their thoughts and feelings made by the university’s leadership. However, this sentiment does not always make its way through to those who make the decisions and voices go unheard. There are a couple of reasons for this, and you would be hard pressed to find any specific individual to blame. Ultimately, the course this university takes is not always in line with where its residents wish it would go. It might be argued that this isn’t a bad thing at all, but it happens nonetheless.

Some schools I have visited have a much more democratic understanding of student involvement. At one school, monthly meetings of the student body decide important residence life decisions through a direct democratic system. Now, academic policy is out of this body’s hands (for good reason), but this is still a far cry away from what we enjoy here at Eastern. It seems that the balance of control is somewhat difficult to manage. Should the balance lean too heavily on democratic governance, the system might grind to a halt or be overridden by whatever majority opinion was in control, but should it tilt too far the other way, would it be attractive to live in that place? I can’t imagine voluntarily agreeing to have every aspect of my life controlled, but I fear the dangerous temptation towards a totally democratic university. On average, students spend four years in college. By what rationale do they get to decide things that will affect people after they are gone in such a short time, or to overturn what those who came before set in place? This is an extreme example, but it drives home the point. Could we stand to allow more democracy in our academic institutions, or is the danger too great?

Martin Luther: From Pastoral Concern to Church Scandal

Written by Zachary Nelson

On Oct. 31, 1517, a pious Augustinian monk sent a letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, Albert of Brandenburg, informing him of the mass sale of indulgences near Wittenberg, Germany. This letter contained 95 theses concerning the power of indulgences (i.e., grants on behalf of the Pope to expedite temporal punishment in purgatory) to be discussed using the common academic practice of formal disputation. The content of the theses was not too controversial—after all, this man was a faithful Roman Catholic. However, his honest questioning of indulgences would come to expose one of the greatest corruptions within the Roman Church at the time. This man is none other than Martin Luther.

When Luther wrote the 95 Theses, his primary concern was the people of Wittenberg, who were buying indulgences as a result of the cruel manipulation of the theatrical indulgence seller, Johann Tetzel. He encouraged people to buy indulgences under the pretense that “once a coin in the coffer dings, a soul from purgatory springs.” People were promised that if they give a mere coin for indulgence, their deceased friend or relative would be released from the pangs of purgatory. Once Luther heard of Tetzel and his indulgence selling, he was infuriated. Luther believed that true forgiveness was the result of inner spiritual penance, not by an external good work such as buying indulgence. However, what was originally a pastoral concern for Luther quickly became an issue of theology and authority.

What Luther unraveled with his 95 Theses was a corrupt system laced with usury and greed. As Luther soon discovered after sending his letter on Oct. 31, Albert of Brandenburg was part and parcel to Tezel’s selling of indulgences. Albert, since he bought his bishopric with a loan from the infamous Fugger bankers, needed some way to pay back the interest charged by the Fuggers. Pope Leo X saw this as a mutually beneficial scenario, since he needed money to fund the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Hence, Pope Leo X granted Albert a special dispensation wherein he could sell indulgences in his jurisdiction and keep half of the profit to help him pay back the Fuggers, while the other half would go towards St. Peter’s Basilica.

While Luther slowly uncovered this systemic corruption in the Roman Church, there was another historical development that intensified Luther’s moderate actions: the printing press. An efficient printing press was still relatively new in 1517. Consequently, publishers tried to find any material that would be of popular interest in order to bring attention to the effectiveness of the printing press. Unbeknownst to Luther, printers found his 95 Theses to be perfect to reprint and distribute across Europe. It is perhaps the first instance in history of a published work going “viral.”

Much of the Western world learned about the 95 Theses within months of the initial letter to Albert. Most importantly, Pope Leo X found out about Luther’s theses. Pope Leo X sent Cardinal Cajetan—one of the leading Thomist theologians of the Roman Church at the time—to Augsburg, Germany to meet with Luther and solicit a formal recantation from the monk. Pope Leo X most certainly underestimated Luther’s temperament. The forthright demand of submission to the Papacy only exacerbated Luther’s end game, and he refused to recant. It was clear from the exchanges between Cajetan and Luther that there was not going to be an easy resolution. Luther’s continued resistance earned him a papal decree declaring him to be excommunicated from the Roman Church in 1521.

In April of 1521, at the Diet of Worms, Luther publicly refused to recant of his writings on the basis of his conscience being held captive to the Word of God. He boldly declared: “Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise,” before Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. This is the momentous event that most people reflect on in light of the Reformation. The Diet of Worms proved that Luther would not be as easily suppressed as previous Reformers, such as John Hus. It was only a matter of time till the spirit of reform would spread across Europe, thus resulting in other Protestant traditions, such as the Reformed, Anabaptists, Calvinists, and the Church of England.

These historical developments find much of their origin in Luther’s humble, pastoral concern expressed on Oct. 31, 1517. While Luther is certainly not the sole cause of the Protestant Reformation, his initial enquiry into indulgences on Oct. 31, 1517 is a convenient way to reflect on the past and try to make sense of how these events have shaped the present, and how they will inevitably impact the future.

Christ Prays For Unity

Written by Anthony Barr

The prayer recorded in Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John is often called Christ’s “high priestly prayer.” As high priest, Christ intercedes for us, praying for the accomplishment of particular works in which we participate, but which we cannot actualize through our own merits. One such work is mission: Christ speaks of his followers being “sent out into the world” (John 18) in what is likely a manifestation of the “Great Commission,” our call to evangelism.

Another such work is sanctification in truth, a condition for our being in the world but not of it, the means by which we are kept protected in faith against the snares of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Perhaps the most significant work, however, is that of loving unity and unity through love: “ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 26.)

How are we to pursue these works in this 500th year of Reformation? What does it mean to speak of unity despite denominational divisions? Truth amidst rigorous doctrinal disputation? Evangelism when church missions are often at cross-purposes with one another? What does it mean to speak of love when churches sue other churches for land rights and picketers stand with signs proclaiming God’s hatred for this or that group of people? 500 years after the Reformation, and some 963 years after the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western traditions, and what do we have to show for ourselves as the labor of our work? This is a serious question because Christ himself points to our unity as the means by which the world might believe (John 21.)

If “we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing” proclaims Luther in his classic hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God. There is much that could make us despair in this 500th year of Reformation, but, as Luther would tell us, to confide in our own strength or trust in our own work would be to miss the central point of Christ’s priestly prayer. Christ prays for the grace of the Father to be given because we are always in need of that grace, and that was as true for the “early church” in the centuries following Christ’s ascension as it is for us now.

Pray for unity. Pray for grace. Trust that in living out the faith in truth and love, that you are bearing witness to the truth of Christ in this broken world. Work diligently for unity: abolish stereotypes, deepen knowledge of Christian traditions that are not your own, argue charitably but earnestly for dogmatic truth as you see it, celebrate the many points of agreement, serve the needs, material and spiritual, of your community, together with your Mennonite, Episcopal, and Eastern Orthodox brethren.

We know what is our work: to live out the Gospel as it has been given to us. But we dare not trust in this work, nor do we dare presume to know in what ways God will see fit to use our work in the furtherance of His Kingdom. We trust only in the work of Christ: we trust in his earthly ministry, his atoning death, his victorious resurrection, and his continual priestly intercession. And we pray, as Christ taught us to pray: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The Reformation: PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE

Written by Gaelan Campbell

This year, 2017, marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. To many, it is a reminder of a once whole church, now fractured into parts. To others, it is a point of pride, where their church finds its beginning. Regardless of your sentiment regarding the history of the Reformation and the events that followed, it is undoubtedly important to both the Protestant and Catholic traditions. Still, outside more academic circles, it is only given a passing thought by many of us today. In modern America, where sectarian conflict among different Christian traditions is almost unheard of, we take the impact of the Reformation for granted. Like Shakespearean idioms, the pervasive influence of the Reformation 500 years later might be too innate in our culture to notice. Still, there is much wisdom we can learn from our past that might inform how we act in the future.

The Reformation brought much conflict to the church, but through conflict the church was transformed. When Luther wrote his 95 Theses, his intent was to reform the Catholic Church, not to break it apart. In a way, he did change the Catholic Church, while also laying the groundwork for what would become a large schism within the church. His desire for change arose as a response to what he saw as corruption in the church, both in its leaders and theology. The practice of selling indulgences to expedite salvation for those who could afford it was a perversion of in Luther’s eyes. He saw the church moving further and further away from the example set forth by the New Testament, and decided to do something about it. He and many other reformers sought a more theologically- pure church, and also looked at ways to make the church more accessible to the common person.

To varying degrees, this thinking spread all across Europe and clove the Roman Catholic Church in two. Some reformers, like Luther himself, were even considered moderates by the time the separation was fully complete. While not in the same vein as Luther or Calvin, many Christians today are disenchanted with the church and its alleged corruption or impurity. Megachurches sell self-help books in contrast with the Gospels, lobbying groups deal with governments for their own purposes, and in some places theology has become so different and culturally-minded that one might wonder as to why it is called Christianity at all. The need for reform is constant in every age of the church. Those with desire to reform are not without company. Beyond the reformers, we know there is a long history of conflict within the church. The Monastics showed us this, and even Christ himself challenged the status quo of his time.

With this in mind, we could simply joyfully celebrate the Reformation, but that would ignore the history of violence surrounding sectarian conflict in the West and not pay homage to what we might have lost. While pursuing theological reformation, the Reformers threw out much of the old tradition. The saints that tied us to our history and even the sacraments themselves took on a lesser quality within the new reformed church. Some find themselves disgruntled with the watered-down nature of contemporary worship and half-hearted attempts at asserting our faith, while the Catholic Church maintains the old traditions.

The overall value of the Reformation is maybe not as clear as we would like to believe. Up until the mid-20th century, there was still considerable violence between Catholics and Protestants, but we see a slowly shifting paradigm. Very recently, there have been many calls for unity among Christians of all traditions around the world. Pope Francis made calls for forgiveness for the church’s past sins, and openly apologized for the part the Roman Catholic Church played in the violent wars between his and the Protestant traditions. Further still, we could focus our lense past the larger goings on of this century, and instead focus on finding unity in our backyard. At Eastern University, we sit in class together, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, and others to learn and grow together. We were all raised differently, our religious rituals and practices almost alien to one another, but we all share a desire to follow Christ and seek redemption. In memory of the Reformation, let us look forward to the future of Christianity together.

WHAT WE THINK:

Anna Van Deventer, Class of 2020:

“When talking about the Reformation, we have to think of reformation in general. Reformation in general is something that continues to happen and, hopefully, is done well. As Karl Barth says, “The Church must always be reformed.” It’s possible to change the church and make a dramatic difference through recognizing corruption and lack of understanding and being able to change it.”

Gary Jenkins, Professor of History:

“Most of the things that most Protestants and evangelicals today would say are the good things about the Reformation all the leading Protestant Reformers would denounce: freedom of conscience, popular Bible reading, the so-called “right of private judgment,” and separation of Church and state.“

Ian Wright, Class of 2018:

“Though there is much to be said about the Reformation, I wish to simply highlight one positive and one negative I see deriving from movement. The good development is the emphasis on justification by faith alone. The bad development is individual interpretation of the Bible removed from Christian tradition.”

Dr. Steven Boyer, Professor of Theology:

“It seems to me that the Reformation should never be over, for the sake of both sides. The Church in its fullest sense…should always be reforming itself. We are always seeing God making the Church all that it ought to be.”

Parker Desautell, Class of 2018:

“I see the Reformation as a well-intentioned idea that had some costly effects. Some of the reformers may have been a little nearsighted, but I’m not sure how much we can blame them. How easy is it to see the outcome of your belief 300, 400 years later? It’s not that easy; it’s hard.”

Dr. Peter Enns, Professor of Biblical Studies:

“The Reformation is not the savior of Christianity, but it introduced something we take for granted today, something that is a great privilege and a great challenge—that is, the individual reading and interpretation of the Bible. This legacy has embedded within it both the seeds of great possibility and the seeds of destruction at the same time.

Liz Margolis, Class of 2018

“I think that pluralism is essential…especially in the Church. Like a tree that starts with a single seed and grows branches and stems and leaves, the Church grows and branches out and in so doing reflects the beauty of God’s creation and human diversity.”

In 1945, the United Nations was founded by 51 separate countries to secure peace in a world torn apart by two world wars. Today, 193 countries hold membership and several others enjoy observer status. For over seven decades the UN has been committed to promoting human rights, diplomacy, and peace. The nature of the UN general assembly allows it to act as a literal “world stage” for diplomats and leaders to express their respective nation’s concerns and represent them authentically. It seems apparent that one would want to show a certain decorum at the UN, and that how we do indeed represent ourselves is vitally important to our relationship with the international community. It is for this reason that I can not support our President’s recent actions at the 72nd general assembly.

A few weeks ago our President exchanged soft threats with North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. The tense situation was instigated by nuclear weapon tests from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that were followed with boasts that such weapons could and would threaten American soil. As is standard with the current US administration, the white house opted for a show of strength by making preparations for possible military engagements on the Korean peninsula. The President felt that this warranted military action needed his own personal touch by tweeting about the superiority of the US military and criticized China for not “helping” the US with the situation. He also chose to call the DPRK’s bluff by dismissing their claimed nuclear readiness.

At the 72nd general assembly, the President made more remarks concerning the situation, referring to the North Korean leader as “rocket man” and threatening to “completely destroy” the DPRK. He followed these threats by again criticizing the international community for lack of military involvement, unfair trade agreements, and for generally taking advantage of the United States. The President echoed his own campaign rhetoric by claiming to always put “America first.” Supporters of his have praised these brash actions as bold and courageous, which is hardly surprising given the precedent set during the election. I myself do not share this sentiment.

The President’s actions range from irresponsible to blatantly dangerous. Regardless of our ability to “win” military conflict, this should not be something taken lightly. To provoke an already tense situation is hubris of the highest degree, and I am afraid that our President is more concerned with appearing tough than he is with making responsible foreign policy decisions. I hope I am wrong. The other issue with this situation is the underlying current of American exceptionalism and general disregard for the international community. While you and I might be safe here on the East Coast, there are 50 million people living in South Korea. Did the lives of those people cross the President’s mind when he so callously threw around violent threats? He does this while pushing away our allies and trading partners. Supporters have praised his “anti-globalist” agenda, but what does that mean for international relations? Yes, we live in a relatively peaceful time, but that peace is not invulnerable. It is unwise to pretend we can prosper independently of the rest of the world while economic decline, climate change, and other global issues loom on the horizon. The United Nations in its ideal is a way we can sustain peace and diplomacy, something our current President seems to desparately need. The United States must be careful about how we present ourselves on the world stage.

UN.org / Waltonian

Sources: United Nations, CNN, Twitter (Trump)

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of experiencing the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The museum is relatively new, and boasts several exhibits that weave into one another to create a roadmap of the events surrounding our nation’s birth. Relics and pieces of art from the past dot the walls and create an atmosphere of awe. Several rooms show depictions of events with wax figures and interactive screens. Entering one room I was followed by a voiceover explaining the artifacts kept in the glass cases and the deep significance those seemingly mundane objects once had. This was all very interesting, but the thing that struck me was how familiar it all felt. There was political propaganda demonizing the rebels and the crown. There were great speeches and imposing personalities. The American revolution saw a longstanding social order challenged and contested. The world began to see enlightenment principles in action, and for better or for worse, they have endured.

Around campus and online I hear very often that “our country is more divided than ever before,” but is it? The modern age differs from the past in that it is dynamic. Life has always changed, but more than ever, life changes so quickly. It is not unreasonable that many people have seen the political conflicts in this country become more palpable, but it would be naive to assume they are new. Common knowledge would have us believe that the revolution was a mostly unitary effort on behalf of the colonists, but in reality, the revolutionaries were political outsiders who were fighting for the political support of the colonies as much as they were fighting the british army on the field. British loyalists were extremely prevalent outside of more elite circles, and most of the country remained neutral. Of the major Native American tribes involved, only two supported the revolution, with the rest siding with the British. To many African slaves, “freedom wore a red coat.” Even as the war ended, immediately the former brothers in arms split into multiple conflicting political factions. It was not certain that this fledgling country would survive its infancy.

Freedom was won, but not for all. Women’s rights were a distant idea, and countless black Americans were still in bondage. There was an idea expressed in the museum’s introductory video that framed the revolution as not just a war to succeed from the British empire, but as an ongoing idea that has existed throughout our nation’s history. The seed of liberation existed when they wrote the words “all men are created equal,” and in time that seed grew into an idea that tore the United States apart in a war fought over the institution of slavery. With women’s’ suffrage in 1920 and the voting rights act in the 1965, the right to vote, and thereby participate in government was extended to all. Some might even argue that this “revolutionary spirit” drives much of the social transformation we see today.

In the past year, there has been so much argument over the course the country has taken. In many places it has devolved into outright violence. It can be terrifying to go to sleep every night wondering what the world will be like in the morning, but I hope we can rest a little easier knowing that we are not the first, and we will not be the last to feel that way. There will be hard times, and sometimes things will seem hopeless, but there is no good without the bad. It is through this struggle that we have grown and will continue to grow in the years to come.

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In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era policy that protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children from being deported. There are currently around 800,000 people living in the U.S. under DACA. Many of them have been here for many years, which for some has been most of their lives. The policy was introduced five years ago, and is now under threat as the current administration has decided to rescind the policy. The President has made clear that the policy will be rescinded, but has decided to give Congress six months to either create an alternative or pass legislation permanently protecting it. In a move that has many Republicans in Congress uncertain about where they stand, the President met with Democrats in Congress to negotiate a deal in which the residency of DACA members would be made more permanent. In exchange, the Democrats would have to agree to increased border security. The President made it clear later last week that he was not advocating for “amnesty” and reassured his supporters that for DACA to be made permanent, “massive border security would have to be agreed to.” In spite of talks over increased border security, the border wall has been left off the table in negotiations. Should Congress fail to decide on a plan for DACA, the policy will end sometime in February 2018, leaving the fate of those 800,000 members uncertain.

Part of what has makes this policy so fragile is that it was never signed into law. Instead of going through congress, former President Obama opted instead to act independently. DACA and several other policies of the time were introduced as executive orders. This reliance on executive power has made it easy for the current administration to break apart any gains made by the Democrats in the last eight years. This could be attributed to an overconfidence in his successor on Obama’s part, but was more likely influenced by the then Congress’s unwillingness to work with the former president on any legislation. The causes of this fragility could be given a more nuanced approach, but regardless, Obama’s legacy was built on an unstable foundation. I could argue the moral reasons for why we should allow children amnesty in the United States, but this country does not care for moral arguments. The only question Americans want an answer to is “What will it cost?” or “What can I gain?” The argument being made among the President’s constituency has been that the presence of these DACA members has negative effects on our economy, violates our sovereignty, and brings a criminal element to our shores. The opposing argument is that DACA members help our economy and do not exhibit any negative effects on American workers. Under the language of the policy, DACA recipients must register with the federal government, be graduated from high school or pursuing a GED, and must have no criminal record. Any DACA member that violates these rules faces deportation. DACA members are subject to US labor laws, pay taxes, and must sign up for selective service. They are hardly the lawless criminals they have been depicted to be. The former argument is uniformed and deceitful, but while the latter makes a stronger case, it also falls short of our moral expectations.

Is it not written in Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”? For a country that claims moral authority, we have fallen short of integrity. Have we become so devoid of moral understanding that we have simply reduced others to their usefulness? Whether we were born on this side of a line on a map or somewhere else we are all made in His image. I believe that we can look beyond flags and nations to see the beauty and value in every living person, “legal” or not.

Sources: CNN; The Washington Post; Twitter

Over the course of this semester, students of all backgrounds will sit in the Jammin’ Java or their favorite coffeehouse off-campus to have conversations. These conversations will range from the casual to the political, but they will all share a certain intrigue. Is it the subtle music in the background, or perhaps the smell of hot coffee brewing out of sight? What mysterious quality draws so many people to the corner couches and high tables for debate? Like any art form, the conversations had in these public settings are means of expression. The dorm or classroom would be just as suitable for such an undertaking, but the coffeehouse offers something more. In the coffeehouse, ideas flow freely and people step in and out of normally restrictive social circles. You might end up contemplating some deeper meaning with a complete stranger. You might be put on trial by your peers to stand for your beliefs. There is a certain beautiful chaos to the way the open air stimulates these interactions.

There is a formal tradition to the art of the coffee house conversation. As academics, we are always searching for some higher truth. To some, that truth is in the joy of the company of others, but to some, there are pressing issues that need to be addressed and questions that need to be answered. Together, we engage in these conversations to find truth. It is foolish to argue to achieve victory. It is not productive to sit down at the table, mind made up, ready to debate your side and nothing more. If we are wiser, we approach with more humility, ready to learn together with our peers. The art of the coffeehouse conversation lies in the ability to listen. It is an art as much about receiving as it is about giving. There is a delicate balance to be considered in the coffee house. We weigh the desire to speak our minds with the need to listen, sipping away at our coffee. It is difficult to achieve that perfect balance, but as with any craft, practice sharpens the mind and brings with it patience and wisdom. Like a master musician or great painter, becoming a great artist in the art of the coffeehouse conversation is no easy task. The unnoticed significance of these uncounted, seemingly unimportant, meetings is that it was meetings like these that gave rise to the very ideals that shape modern society.

It is believed by many historians that the arrival of public spaces like the coffeehouse in Europe gave rise to democracy itself. These venues were unique in that they welcomed a wide range of people from different classes and social standings. In these places, political topics that were often shied away from the common folk were treated with more honesty and presented to a wider audience. Long-held beliefs were questioned, and the legitimacy of the current system was examined much more closely. Another socially significant invention of the time, the print newspaper, was always readily available in coffeehouses. Many people at the time gathered a better understanding of the world around them through these papers, just as we do now, coffee in one hand, smartphone in the other.

Will the next great thinkers sit down in our very own Jammin’ Java, discovering new ways of thinking as they laugh and enjoy warm, freshly-brewed coffee? It’s possible. Even the most mundane parts of life can take on an artful quality. We shape words like a sculptor cuts marble. Artists often find their relationship with God in their desire to create. If the conversation is indeed an art form, then what the artist desires to create is an idea. What makes the coffeehouse conversation unique is that the great work we create is created together.

What is a liberal arts college? What is a Christian college? What is college at all? All these questions could be answered separately, but together they ask another question. What is Eastern University? The sum of those individual answers wouldn’t be enough to do that big question justice, because Eastern University is more than the sum of its parts. As the world changes and the role of Christian higher education is examined more closely, it is important to understand our identity as a college. This question has become even more pressing as the university undergoes changes each year. The addition of a football program, the new “courage” brand, and the restructuring of the academic environment come to mind. To some, these changes represent a positive evolution in this institution’s continuing history. Others worry that too much change will lead to EU losing what makes it unique. It is easy to speculate where we will be in a few years from an outside perspective, but to gain a clearer understanding of what our identity is, and how these trends affect it, I sat down with a few key figures who have been guiding these changes.

Dr. Bettie Ann Brigham spoke with the Waltonian staff at the beginning of the semester about the practical importance of expanding our sports programs and why certain decisions were made in the past year. “Sports programs bring students,” said the then vice-provost. Dr. Brigham is confident that amidst lower enrollment rates, we can invest in programs like the new football program to grow our traditional undergraduate population. The lower enrollment rates Dr. Brigham referred to are part of a larger trend. Across the country, four-year colleges are struggling to keep enrollment growing. This has hit private liberal arts colleges especially hard in recent years. Out of context, the push to increase enrollment through investment might draw criticism, but in the context of the larger trend, it is prudent to focus here. This was a point Dr. Brigham stressed over the course of the interview.

Dr. Joseph Modica, the university chaplain had a hopeful perspective to share. “Faith, Reason, and Justice is who we are,” explained Dr. Modica. In his view, the changes to academics, residence life, and marketing were evidence that Eastern University is “not changing, but building bridges… …not reinventing, but rethinking its approach.” He referred to our identity as a Christian school as our “anchor.” Dr. Modica explained that “while there is always a tension between identity and remaining relevant, students come here to learn and faculty to serve because of our identity.” “Eastern is committed to its robust Christian tradition, and remains committed to shaping students in Faith, Reason, and Justice.”

To talk about several branding changes such as the switch from “wake up the world” to “courage,” I interviewed Dr. Michael Thomas, our new chief marketing officer. When asked what he thought EU’s identity was, Dr. Thomas explained that Eastern University is “more than just job training or getting a degree.” “The world is in desperate need for people to be courageous to stand up for things,” namely, Faith, Reason, and Justice. He stated that Eastern is “a place where we shape people of courage to live lives centered on Faith, Reason, and Justice.” Dr. Thomas talked about the need to adapt our programs, but that we don’t need to sacrifice our identity to do so. Citing the Faith on the Field event, he explained how more active marketing strategies will only serve to enhance our values and expose more people to what we’re about. “You go to many parts of Philly and people don’t know about Eastern. It is time for that to change,” he said in closing.

There is always the fear that as we adapt to an ever-changing environment, we might be losing a piece of who we are. While that feeling never goes away, I am much more optimistic about the direction we’re headed after talking with a few of the people who have been doing everything they can to care for and grow this university.

Sources: CNN

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Each faculty member, student, and surrounding residents of the Eastern area bared witness to the eventful year of activism that was 2016. Last year, indigenous Americans and their allies protested the construction of an oil pipeline through their land; women and friends all around the country marched in response to the then incoming administration’s perspective on womens’ issues, and many marches and vigils were held for black americans who died at the hands of the very people meant to protect them.

Later, in 2017, major US cities saw “marches for science” that were meant to draw attention to the lack of environment awareness in the government. There were also events, both spontaneous and planned, that were held to fight back against the travel ban. For Eastern students, it becomes an inescapable reality that political activism is becoming a part of their lives. How can these young men and women navigate the complex nature of protesting?

“Acts of protests, or as Martin Luther King Jr. calls it, ‘direct action’ seek to pressure a community to confront an issue. Direct action tends to form when the community refuses to negotiate with it’s citizens on an issue. It is an expectation of citizens to be represented by their communities and representatives. Practicing direct action continues to show results as it keeps our trusted officials accountable,” Jon Thomas, who leads the political activism club (PAC) on campus said.

Effective protests always have clear goals. While the crowd might come from many different backgrounds, the overall goal revolves around causing (or preventing) something to change. This was the case with the travel ban protests earlier this year. Students of Eastern, nearby colleges, and residents of the Philadelphia area mirrored several other cities across the country by organizing to take up space in the local international airport in an attempt to get the travel ban lifted and release green-card holders being held by customs. However, other protests were done without a specific policy in mind. Instead, events such as the march for science and women’s march were done to galvanize public opinion and simply raise awareness. Many of the students here at Eastern watched these demonstrations on TV and the internet, but on the ground, the situation is often different than depicted.

“Any protest really depends on the hearts of the people. Hopefully, if you’re at a protest that you truly identify with you’ll feel love, acceptance, and support,”Thomas said regarding his own experiences at protests.

Depending on the type of event, the peacefulness can vary. The weekend of the travel ban was wrought with spontaneous protests differing in size and civility. Urgency and anger characterized such events. The marches formally organized the following weekend starkly contrasted the haphazard gatherings that preceded them.

Recently, this has become an issue from Berkeley to Charlottesville, where tense protests broke out into near riots. In contrast, the upcoming “march against white supremacy,” in Philadelphia and many other major cities, is planned to be peaceful and is even being coordinated by members of the Black Lives Matter movement. Students who find themselves called to direct action will have ample opportunity to participate in several events while they are here at Eastern.

“Always be mindful of your surroundings when at a march, outing, or event. Be the bigger person and turn the other cheek. Most importantly, for everything you advocate for, do it out of love,” Thomas said for future protesters.

How to get involved: Sept. 22, the new Campolo Institute for Applied Research and Social Justice is hosting Social Justice Day on Eastern University’s campus. The Campolo Institute will bring together speakers, social justice organizations, student clubs, university faculty, and student performance groups in order to raise awareness for various social justice issues. There will be events all day, starting at 10 a.m. with Dr. Tony Campolo speaking at Windows on the World, and then followed by a social justice fair between McInnis and Walton Hall. There will be performances by different student groups throughout the day, and a 2 p.m. round table discussion in Eagle Great Room led by Dr. Campolo, students, alumni, and faculty focused on “Eastern University Social Justice Legacy: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” The day will come to a close with a special social justice-themed coffee house at 7:30 p.m. sponsored by the Student Activities Board. Be sure to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to educate, learn, share, celebrate, and discuss Eastern University’s future role in social justice.