Letter to the Editor
April 16, 2012 » Ruth McCollum
I read with interest a recent article by Anthony Verdesca, Jr. about the importance of learning the language of the country one intends to visit on a missions trip. I agree with his premise that it is important to communicate with the residents, but a two-year program in grammar should not be necessary for such a trip.
Talking the Talk
April 02, 2012 » Anthony Verdesca, Jr.
In response to last week's missions edition, associate librarian Anthony Verdesca, Jr. raises the question about the role of language in short term missions trips.
A Christian response to Kony 2012
April 02, 2012 » Juan Jose Cavallo
"Make Kony Famous!" was the resounding cry of the microblogging newsfeed in recent weeks due to a video that non-profit organization Invisible Children came out with. Many have said the cause is noble, good, just; the list goes on. However, the hype has died out: many have seen the video and ceased posting. As Christians, what should we make of this? How do we reconcile our order to look after the cause of orphans and widows (Jas 1:26-27) with the fact that this organization seems to fulfill that?
Kony2012: Sharing is caring?
March 19, 2012 » Cash W. Lambert
Not only is it a testament to the power of social media, but it's a testament to humankind's desire to help those in need. Whether you agree with Invisible Children's Stop Kony 2012 campaign or not, you must admit that it is an unprecedented and incredible movement sweeping the hearts of those across the globe.
Banking on Walmart
February 13, 2012 » Tony Rizzo
Walmart is frequently criticized for allegedly not being the most employee-oriented workplace. Now, perhaps not surprisingly, an iconic institution, the "Walmart Greeter," is going the way of the full-service gas station; and possibly, if the discounter has its way, the traditional bank will soon follow: not necessarily completely as a thing of the past, but at least end up as indelibly transformed as some of the communities where the retailer now imposingly looms large.
Why I will continue to sip my Starbucks
February 13, 2012 » Chris Hernandez
Last week, a new Christian "prohibition" emerged. This time, it was against the consumption of Starbucks products. The president of USA Christian Ministries, Steven Andrews, has asked the evangelical community to join him in protesting Starbucks due to its support of gay marriage.
Christian Love
February 13, 2012
» Sara Nicastro
The day before Valentine's Day is my birthday. The day after Valentine's Day is February 15. By telling you that, I'm not trying to be the next Rebecca Black. My point is that Valentine's Day is a day just like any other.
In refute of the 'inspirational messages' proposal
February 13, 2012 » Kayla Viaud
The Florida Senate passed a bill (CS / SB 98) allowing prayer in school as long as adults are not involved. The bill is known as the "inspirational messages" proposal.
Getting to the root of SOPA
February 6, 2012 » Cash Lambert
You log on Facebook and post a funny video that a friend showed you. After your next class ends, you check it again to see if anyone commented. You try to log on but your profile no longer exists. Then an email shows up from Facebook saying that you have been removed from the site because of copyright issues and now Facebook is likely to be removed from the Internet because of your actions.
Wait, what?
The problem with North Korea
February 6, 2012 » James Carter
James A. Carter III, a student at PBA who has worked with the Korean community, provides insight into the problems N. Koreans are predisposed to.
What's next after Florida?
February 6, 2012 » Matt Crumb
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Mitt Romney won a decisive victory in the Florida Republican Primary with 46 percent of the overall vote. Newt Gingrich came second with 32 percent, Rick Santorum came third with 13 percent, and Ron Paul rounded out the votes with 7 percent. But Romney should not feel safe leaving the sunshine state.
The hidden horrors of female circumcision
January 31, 2012 » Amber Braaten
Most of us have learned about the ancient tradition of foot binding that the Chinese practiced to make women more appealing to potential husbands. We now shake our heads in disbelief at something so barbaric. But if we think our 21st Century world is much more enlightened, maybe that's because we're uneducated about a present-day horror that anywhere from 100 to 140 million women are living with. That horror is known as female circumcision.
Readourblogs:
We live in a world struggling with the question of what happens when you die. Whether you believe in God or believe in nothing, your theology affects the way you live your life. As you turn on the tv, listen to your favorite pop song, or choose a certain outfit, you are entering the theology of another person and taking a little of that theology into your own.
I started this blog as a means to dig through the theological pop world we live in to garner a better understanding of other's beliefs as well as how those beliefs are viewed in the western world.
College life is hard. Let's face it. You have class, a few jobs on the side and a weekly paper you have to write and shoot video for. Okay, this may not be the typical life for most college students. For people in the Beacon Lab, however, this is a reality.
Join us every week as the students from the Beacon Lab give you a behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a journalism student at PBA.
"Mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved…"
This bit of passage from Jack Kerouac's On the Road is responsible for starting the journey of my becoming a writer. But as I grow older in age and wisdom, I see that these are not enough–I am also mad to love. Mad to love God, mad to love others, mad to love the written word. To me, this reflects my writings and what they entail the best.
Most of the posts written here are Christian-based with a bit of humor tossed in because, really, who likes a Christian without a sense of humor? Answer: Hardly anyone. That being said, most are rather personal, and tell a bit of my own story.