This story was originally published in The Mooring Mast of Pacific Lutheran University on November 7, 2014. It was written by PLU A&E writer Michael Diambri.

Social equality is what the feminist movement stands for, but this has not always been the case. Whenever I have identified myself as a feminist to my male friends, I am usually met with blank stares, quick judgments or indifference.

As a middle-class white male, I thought that no one would respect or want to hear my opinions on equality because I thought they wouldn’t be welcomed. Feminism has been portrayed in our society and through social media as men being on trial, not about fair treatment of all people.
A few years ago when I was talking to a close friend, I described my beliefs in equality. She said that I was essentially a feminist. To which I said, “I am not a woman, so that is impossible.”

The label “feminist” leads many men away from feminism, because they see it being exclusively for women. This is not the intention of the word. It is supposed to be different from “chauvinist,” who is someone who believes a member of one sex or group of people is superior to another and thus deserves better treatment.

The feminist movement has not portrayed and advertised itself in a way that has been welcoming to men.
This is because the movement has been interpreted as feminist hating men and them no longer wanting ordinary white males to have a say in equality.

Social media campaigns like #YesAllWomen, a Twitter hashtag in which users share examples of mistreatment toward women, have made many men think that they are not allowed to be feminists and feminists do not accept them because of their gender.

This is something that needs to change. The feminist movement needs to be about equality. That is what many feminists are striving to do now.
Actress Emma Watson gave a speech on gender equality to the United Nations earlier this year for the HeForShe campaign, urging men and women alike to simply recognize equality and become advocates for change.

“If there is one thing I know for certain it is that this [feminism being considered man-hating] has to stop,” Watson said. “For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. I think it is right that I should be paid the same as my male counterparts, I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body, I think it is right that women be involved in the policies and decisions that affect my life.”

Watson worded this beautifully in her speech. Whether female or male, as humans we deserve to have our voices heard in society, so that no one gets left behind, has to suffer or is mistreated for who he or she was created as.
Men should be supporting campaigns like HeForShe.

“It’s about eliminating inequality, and creating equality of the genders…making an equal plane” said junior anthropology and women and gender studies major Nate Bannister. “If men support feminism, we are helping eliminating self-hate and unfairness in our society.”
Bannister said many Americans misunderstand the feminist movement.

“A lot of people in our society like Rush Limbaugh broadcast what they believe feminism to be, without really understanding it, and others listen,” Bannister said.

It is important for everyone to support social equality. If we want to see change, as Bannister emphasized, feminism is a movement for everybody.

So, men, if we believe in equality, let’s not be afraid to identify ourselves as feminists.

Let’s, at least, speak up and help others achieve the same rights we have. Let all members of humankind have their fundamental rights.

International students share their take on protests in Hong Kong.

On Monday, Oct. 27th, the Whitman College Office of Communications premiered a new promotional film for the college. The video, which was introduced by Chief Communications Officer Michelle Ma, features commentary from a few professors, administrators and current and recently graduated students.

Although it centers on academics, the film highlights a variety of activities and events at Whitman.

Junior Gillian Friedman, who was interviewed in the film, was very pleased with the final product.

“I thought it was really well-rounded and really beautifully shot,” she said.

Friedman was happy to be a part of the production.

“I felt like I had something to contribute,” she said. “I was happy to get involved.”

This story was originally published in The Mooring Mast of Pacific Lutheran University on October 24, 2014. It was written by PLU guest writer Erin Flom.

The film “Sweet Dreams” will be screened next week at Pacific Lutheran University. It’s a perfect fit, as this semester marks the beginning of PLU’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies minor.

The film follows women of the first female drumming group in Rwanda.

Not only does this group break gender roles, but it also brings women together from two sides of a tragedy. Rwanda’s two main ethnic groups, Hutu and Tutsi, had strong tensions between them. In 1994, these tensions turned into a violent climax in the form of genocide. Within a few months, more than 800,000 Tutsi were killed. 20 years later, the people of Rwanda are still in the process of reconciliation.

The women in the film were only children or young adults when the genocide happened, but they carry the scars of the genocide, some of them literal, said professor Kirsten Christensen of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies program.

Through their drumming group, both Hutu and Tutsi women are able to join together.

“It’s humbling to see these women have the capacity for joy after a genocide,” Christensen said.

Not only do these women seek their creative goals of performing, but they also pursue a business in the form of an ice cream shop called Sweet Dreams to help fund their drumming.

Christensen said this film examines what it takes to live after a genocide.

The film follows the ups and downs of starting a business and allows both Hutu and Tutsi women to tell their stories of the genocide.

“[The film] doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Christensen said.

Many PLU students had not been born, or were too young to remember this terrible event in history. It’s important to remind students of how recently genocide has occurred, Christensen said.

The film was an obvious choice for PLU, Christensen said. “Sweet Dreams” has connections to various programs, including women’s and gender studies, business and holocaust and genocide studies.

To help process the heavy topics discussed in “Sweet Dreams,” its Academy Award winning director, Lisa Fruchtman, will be at the screening for a Q-and-A.

This piece was contributed by Henry Samson.

The Fall 2014 semester for Glacier Mountaineering students at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington began with a twist. Throughout the first week of introductions to new classes and settling into living spaces, we geared up for an ice-climbing trip to Mt. Hood. For many it was the first time ice climbing and being on an alpine glacier. After preparation and summer long wondering about the course, the high mountain air on Mt. Hood hit our noses and brains.

How delightful was the view of Hood and burned forest on the sunset drive up to Cloud Cap Campground. Our minds were relaxed from readings and labs, and focus shifted to the new challenges of climbing and glacier travel.

Glacier Mountaineering class trips are led by the course instructor, and Whitman College Outdoor Program Director, Brien Sheedy. On the Mt. Hood trip he co-led with two other Mazamas, Tom Piekarz and Terry Donahe, two mountaineers well familiar with the region and willing to instruct in the backcountry. They led a crash course on techniques for proper crampon travel and using ice screws to make V-threads. Up on Mt. Hood’s Elliot Glacier we set up ice anchors and top-roped down in to and climbed up out of crevasses.

The beautiful view from the Elliot got us all excited about high places and the possibilities of mountaineering. During two long days of climbing and scrambling in plastic boots and crampons we shared fun, challenging and exciting moments. Many good laughs were had under the starry night sky over our headlamp lit picnic table kitchen.

Our second trip, two weeks later, was to Mt. Baker, Washington where we made it to the summit and back to the Climber’s camp in eight hours and forty-five minutes on our second day there! When on Baker’s nearly 10,800 ft. summit we huddled in celebration, and took photographs that captured an elated team of resilient, cooperative friends.

The Whitman College Fall 2014 Glacier Mountaineering class keeps the “stoke” high. Our learning experiences have motivated plans to revive our college’s mountaineering club, take part in Mazama courses, and set our sights on new challenges. Mt. St. Helens awaits the class in mid-October. The laughs, meals, miles, and wise words spoken from experience by our teachers will always be cherished.

A mountaineering student ice climbs out of a crevasse in the Elliot Glacier.

After a day of ice climbing, the class poses for a picture on top of Mt. Hood’s Elliot Glacier.

This story was originally published in The Mooring Mast of Pacific Lutheran University on October 3, 2014. It was written by PLU guest writer Genny Boots.

My Language My Choice is taking to the streets of Pierce, Thurston and King counties.

The passive poster campaign that began at Pacific Lutheran University is teaming with Clear Channel Communications to release a “Words Can Hurt” public service announcement. There will be 112 billboards around the Puget Sound area spotlighting the My Language My Choice (MLMC) challenge: to accept personal responsibility for your words.

In 2012, Diversity Center director Angie Hambrick and designer Lace Smith began a poster campaign focusing on everyday derogatory language with funding from a grant by the Seattle Pride Foundation.
The posters feature PLU students, staff and alumni ripping through the word or phrase of their choice.
The project started with “That’s so gay,” “Bitch” and “Illegal” and has grown to include “Exotic,” “Retarded” and “Ghetto” to name a few. These words and phrases are examples of “micro-aggressions.”

Micro-aggressions are regular sayings that are derogatory and insulting despite the intent.
Taking responsibility for personal language, becoming cognizant and beginning the conversation are the integral steps to the MLMC campaign.
It caught on. With over 200 Facebook shares and 6,000 notes on Tumblr, the wave of social media attention kept MLMC flourishing.
During the 2013-14 school year, MLMC partnered with the Women’s Center, the PLU Athletic department and the local school district to develop specialized editions.

These days it’s rare to find a notice board on campus that doesn’t have a poster about MLMC. What Hambrick and the Diversity Center started doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

The campaign’s success is credited to student leaders. “Whether it was in your res hall, the D-Center, your team, your classes, people took responsibility. Saying ‘Hey, I’m choosing not to say this. Whatever you do, is up to you, but I’m choosing not.’” Hambrick said.

Now, as the billboards start to go up, the conversation is spreading.
The billboards have been donated by Clear Channel, on a space-available basis. They are printed on fully recyclable “Eco-posters” and will be located on major secondary arterial roads. The boards will be up for the full academic year, and will be located in the South Sound.

There seems to be no stopping this campaign. From cork boards to billboards, universities around the country have applied the MLMC format for their own communities.
Even as the MLMC campaign sets its sights to a national level, it will carry on here at PLU.

“Wherever you find community on campus, I hope you have these conversations,” Hambrick said.
And that’s where it all starts. A conversation.

This story was originally published in The Whitworthian of Whitworth University on October 15, 2014. It was written by Whitworth columnist Matthew Boardman.

According to the Whitworth website, “Whitworth is a private, residential, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.” One of its mottos is to “honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity.” It is, at its core, a Christian university. However, this fact does not prevent Whitworth from cultivating a diverse student body of varying backgrounds. Subscribers to myriad beliefs attend Whitworth, including both Christians and non-Christians. I myself, in broad terms, am an agnostic theist—though I will spare you from a lengthy deluge of the particulars of my personal beliefs. So, what is it about a Presbyterian-affiliated university that appeals to a non-Christian?

For purely academic reasons, Whitworth is an exceptional school. For 15 consecutive years, Whitworth has been listed in U.S. News & World Report’s top 10 best private colleges and universities in the West. The Class of 2018’s average GPA was 3.76, and less than 15 percent of applicants were enrolled at Whitworth this year, according to the Whitworth website. Whitworth is a selective school, and one to be proud to be admitted to.

Part of Whitworth’s general education requirements is taking three credits of biblical literature. That fact seems natural enough for a Christian university, but that does not negate the importance of the credit requirement for non-theological reasons. Historically, Christianity has been present in the U.S. since its conception. References to Christian beliefs, both praising and criticizing them, are dispersed throughout literature of all kinds. As an English major, taking a class on biblical literature will be crucial to understanding references in the books I have read or will read in the future. According to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, one-third of the world population identifies as Christian. Exposure to Christianity, as well as other religions, is important for understanding and successfully working with people who differ from yourself, particularly in social, economical or political interactions.

Abby Nyberg Graphic Artist

Whitworth consists of Christians from many denominations, so a non-Christian attending Whitworth witnesses an expansive portion of the spectrum of Christianity. The diversity of Christian beliefs goes above and beyond the student body to also include faculty. New faculty are asked to “articulate a clear Christian commitment,” instead of signing a doctrinal statement, according to Whitworth’s website, because “to do so would limit the rich mix of denominational and theological diversity that Whitworth has enjoyed since its founding.” This allows for the denominationally varied faculty to “engage one another on the widest variety of important intellectual and social issues,” according to Whitworth’s website. Consequently, both Christian and non-Christian students benefit from exposure to numerous perspectives on a single theological topic. The different interpretations and their applications encourages students to consider each perspective carefully. Students can compare the various perspectives to their own preconceptions, thus promoting individualistic thinking. In my experience, this results in a more personal validation and genuine conviction in the conclusion, whatever it may be. The diversity of Whitworth’s community promotes individual growth, something that each person, regardless of belief, can benefit from.

As a non-Christian at Whitworth, I find myself grateful for the openness and free thinking Whitworth promotes. Exposure to the differences in Christianity leads me to consider my own beliefs, and amend or uphold them as I deem necessary. I believe that the reverse takes place as well. Having non-Christians ask hard questions causes Christians to confront their own beliefs. They can determine whether they need to be amended, or, if not, their beliefs have been strengthened on a personal level. In this mixture of beliefs and hospitality of diversity, Whitworth makes itself home to a community of personal and social growth, and it is for that reason, I believe, that Whitworth distinguishes itself from the majority of Christian universities.

This story was originally published in The Mooring Mast of Pacific Lutheran University on October 10, 2014. It was written by PLU Editor-in-Chief Reland Tuomi. This story is printed here through the Northwest News Network, a collaborative project between many northwest collegiate newspapers.

The Lake Union Civic Orchestra (LUCO) is a Seattle-based community orchestra, known for its friendly atmosphere, astounding musicianship and regular performances of student-written pieces from across the state. Pacific Lutheran University senior Taylor Whately is one such student to have his piece played by LUCO.

Editor PLU senior Taylor Whately won the chance to have his composition, “Fanfare of Giocoso,” played by the Lake Union Civic Orchestra. Photo courtesy of Taylor Whately.

Whately, a music and composition major, plays double bass and some piano in PLU’s orchestra program. He was introduced to the competition by composition professor Greg Youtz.

“There was a general email sent out first to everyone,” Whately said. “He sent me an email a few months later saying ‘hey, you should really do this.’ So I ended up doing it.”

Whately’s piece is titled “Fanfare of Giocoso,” and is happy and playful, as the definition for the Italian word “giocoso” suggests.

“I wanted to make a piece that was exciting from beginning to end, since it’s an opener to a concert,” Whately said.

Whately said he wanted to write a fanfare centered around a seven-eight beat instead of a strict, even meter fanfares are known for. He usually finds inspiration from things he hasn’t heard before.

“If I haven’t heard it yet, I want to write it,” Whately said.

LUCO will play Whately’s fanfare at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in Seattle’s Town Hall. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $13 for students and senior citizens. You can purchase tickets here.

Whately’s music career began in middle school through a mandated music program.

“They jot you down for band or orchestra and say ‘pick one,’” Whately said, “so I picked orchestra.”

Since middle school, Whately has played in youth symphonies and youth orchestras in and around Tacoma.

After his final year at PLU, Whately plans on looking for graduate schools, but anticipates he’ll wait a few years before continuing his education.

“For composition, it’s more about finding good composition teachers specifically rather than a good program,” Whately said.

Whatley’s dream job is to compose music, especially for film scores. His favorite composers are Hans Zimmer, known most recently for “12 Years a Slave” and “The Lone Ranger,” and John Williams, who’s composed music for movie studios since 1954 and themes for the 1984, 1988, 1996 and 2002 Olympics.

“Those types of jobs require a lot of compositional speed, and I’m good at that,” Whately said.

This story has been updated to indicate that Reland Tuomi is Editor-in-Chief of The Mooring Mast, not a reporter.