I had just started first grade when my teacher pulled us all over to the carpet and explained to us that school was over for the day. I learned it was closed because some planes had crashed into some big buildings in New York City. She was crying, and that scared me.
Read moreOur Poverty of Purity
I have recently been reflecting on the spiritual formation I experienced in my high school youth group. I want to share how our views on purity may have set us up to fail in dealing with sexual brokenness. Simply put: The thoughts and attitudes of contemporary church culture toward purity are inadequate. There are two primary viewpoints: flippancy and hyper-purity, both of which cause harm in our community.
Read moreGive Christian Entertainment a Chance
In a community where we believe “In All Things Christ Pre-eminent,” Christian entertainment gets a bad rap. We believe in common grace as one of the reasons The Silence of the Lambs is an artful movie, and I have seen more “not church-approved” movies in Covenant classes than I have all my life. We know doing art and entertainment for the glory of God doesn’t always mean painting a Thomas Kinkade picture of perfect houses glowing with perfect lighting in front of a perfect sunrise.
Read moreAn Open Apology to Covenant Administration
As I opened up The Bagpipe last week, I was slightly horrified by what I read in Carrie Woodward's article entitled "Mandatory Meal Plan." When I read my own name and the comments about the meal plan that were associated with it, I was shocked by what I read. The comments attributed to my name were highly critical and accusatory. I couldn't believe I had actually written them on the change.org petition, so I went and checked to make sure I hadn't been misquoted or taken out of context. To my embarrassment, those were my words.
Read moreThe Secretary Files
If you pass by President Derek Halvorson’s office in Carter and glance in the secretary’s office window, you will see Joan Stanton working hard to organize the busy schedule of Covenant’s beloved president.
Read moreResponse to Gender Inequality in the Music Industry
A few weeks ago a Bagpipe article was written that looked at the real amount of gender equality that exists in the music industry. The author begins by talking about how a new producer named Arca was mistakenly given credit for being the only producer of Björk’s album Vulnicura.
Read moreResponse to Global Warming
Before spring break, I noticed an article in the Bagpipe that showed how the changing weather we’ve all experienced does not disprove global warming, citing NASA’s data on the issue. I decided to write a response, not to show how wrong someone is if they believe in climate change, but to show that there is another side that ought to be taken into consideration.
Read moreChatty
Jane Tjahjono’s article from a couple of weeks ago, “Praying and Looking Off the Mountain,” reminded me that I’ve been wanting to write a Bagpipe article for a while now. If you recall, Jane’s excellent article challenged students to look beyond the confines of Lookout Mountain and be dedicated to praying for those suffering in our world. Similarly, I want to suggest that we can do a better job engaging the wider Chattanooga community; we can play a small part in the efforts to alleviate the pains of those suffering locally.
Read moreA Realignment
I think we all expected an article like this. Let me state initially that the purpose of this article is not to present arguments for either side, but to give a diplomatic opinion that fairly presents a broad summary of the facts as well as a suggestion of how we have responded and should respond to such an issue.
Read moreTop Ten "Social Sciences" at Covenant
A little known fact is that I am an Economics major with a minor in History and what would be a minor in Art History if we had one. I have had the opportunity to take a diverse class load so sometimes it has felt like I am barely a social science major. However, no one in the social sciences has overlap with the other social disciplines anyways, aside from occasionally reading their research and making fun of it.
Read moreFavorite Covenant Humanity Classes
Preliminary thought: you could read the best work by the best authors at the best times, be taught the best techniques in the best way with the best supplies, but if the professor doesn’t 1) know how to articulate that what you’re doing is valuable or 2) actually believe that what you’re doing is valuable then you’re probably going to spend a semester just barely stimulated enough to not fall asleep.
Read moreOn Singleness
Every year the marriage conference rolls around and many of us can become contrary and bitter. Maybe it’s just me, but I know that the marriage conference is not everyone’s favorite time of the year, especially considering how close to it is to Valentine’s Day. How many reminders of my singleness can I get in one month? Not only this, but, along with it, all those true but vague reminders to trust the Lord, wait on him, and find your identity in Christ. Yes and amen, but what does that even mean?
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Virunga
“All that could happen to me... I will accept it. I am not special.” This is the heart of Rodrigue Mugaruka, warden for the Rwindi Sector of Virunga National Park. And this same heart beats in the rest of the Congolese rangers selflessly serving beside him in Virunga. They are truly faithful and humble people, courageously facing death that they might preserve life.
Read moreAfter Fifty Shades
The highly talked about movie and book, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James is the driving sales force in many theatres and bookstores across the globe. The book alone has sold over a hundred million copies. It tells the story of a young attractive billionaire named Christian Grey and the young woman he sexually dominates, Anastasia Steele. Fifty Shades of Grey explicitly depicts sexual practices between a successful business man and a young college graduate.
Read moreResponse to "Holiness for a Laugh?"
Three years ago, Professor Deborah Kirby and I began what is now called Laugh Track, Covenant’s first official improv team. It was an exciting time to have so many talented people here at Covenant working together to make people laugh. From that moment on, improv and Laugh Track have been both my passion and my outlet for creative expression.
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