Campus Life articles from January 2004

Campus Life archives from January 2004

Who's on the cover.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Drop by Valerie's church on Sunday morning and you might find her helping out in the nursery or singing with the worship team. Valerie also teaches preschoolers through her church's Awana program and is active in the youth group. When it comes...

Behind the story.
January 1, 2004... True Confession: I was kind of dorky in high school. (Ok, a lot dorky.) And when I saw other teens on TV, their lives sure didn't look like mine. As I thought about this lately, I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one who felt this...

Living the truth.(Speak up: your letters, emails and faxes)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I loved the article "I Lived a Lie" (Nov/Dec). Christians are not always perfect, and this story is a strong testimony. As a Christian high school senior, I learned in this article that we can do nothing without the Creator. Brittany,...

Inspiring!(Speak up: your letters, emails and faxes)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... Your articles have been a great source of inspiration to me. They have helped in transforming me into who God wants me to be. Please keep this up! Okwuchi, Nigeria

Matrix rethought.(Speak up: your letters, emails and faxes)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... It's sad how much we Christians try so hard to fit into the world. I'm disappointed that we'll go so far as to try to make movies like the Matrix acceptable to our beliefs (Nov/Dec's TV, Music, and More). It's nothing more than...

Ok to pierce?(Speak up: your letters, emails and faxes)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I read Jim Burns' advice about body piercings in the Sept/Oct issue. He said "I don't know why your mom is opposed to the piercing." It's because the Bible says so. The Bible warns us against cutting into our flesh in Leviticus 19:28: "Ye shall...

Reader spotlight.(Speak up: your letters, emails and faxes)
January 1, 2004... Name: Liz Age: 17 Home state: Washington Fave hobby: Bagpiping (yes, I'm wearing my bagpiping hat!) First thing I always read in Campus Life: Speak Up Best pizza topping: Canadian bacon and pineapples Fave Bible verse:...

Dating Mr. Wrong: I had to confront my best friend.(my life as a student)
January 1, 2004... I hurriedly tied my shoelaces and stuffed my gym clothes into my bag. The locker room was always full of gossip, and I couldn't wait to leave. I really didn't care to hear about last weekend's wild parties and who was dating whom. I...

The real you! When God made you, he knew exactly what he was doing.(Push pause: a quick stop for building your faith)
January 1, 2004... On my first day of high school, I somehow ended up in a class with all upperclassmen. But these weren't just any juniors and seniors--they were the ones who ruled the school. And I sat right next to the guy who was their leader. I knew who...

Zed.(Cartoon)
January 1, 2004... HEY GUYS, -CHECK THIS OUT! HUH? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S THE LATEST HI-TECH GADGET, A MUST-HAVE FOR EVERY AMERICAN HOME! UH, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A TV... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AH, BUT THIS IS NO ORDINARY TV, THIS...

Start with prayer: you can turn blah prayer times into adventures in faith.(Friend 2 friend: how to share your faith)
January 1, 2004... You've got big concerns about your non-Christian friends. You really want them to know what it means to follow Jesus. But when it comes to sharing you're faith, you might have a hard time knowing where to start. Here's a thought: Pray. Yeah,...

Again.(Poem)
January 1, 2004... again Here I go again telling God what to go as if I know the answers, and he hasn't got a clue. Why do I forget he knows me and sees my every pain? I act as if he's slow of mind, so I have to explain....

Off the team: was God telling me to drop out of tryouts?(my life in youth group)
January 1, 2004... It was Sunday morning and I was only half listening as Rob, my youth pastor, talked about upcoming events and activities. In my mind, I was with my teammates doing lay-ups over at my high school gym. I'd spent the summer before my junior...

King of kong.(brain snax)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... If a Mr. Wiebe starts teaching at your school, a word of warning: Don't challenge him to a game of Donkey Kong. He will beat you. In fact, he'd beat everybody on the planet. With a top score of 947,200, he holds the Donkey Kong World Record....

Talk to the animals.(brain snax)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Got the feeling you and your pet cat simply aren't communicating anymore? Then you need Meowlingual! This new handheld device claims it can translate feline language; into human speech. And it's only 74 bucks! The Tokyo company that created the...

Food for thought.(brain snax)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... So you want to do your best on your final exams, right? Then devour a box of Twinkles just before sitting down with your no. 2 pencil. Well, maybe not a whole box. But a little junk food prior to test-taking may actually up your scores. That's...

Rotten potato?(brain snax)
January 1, 2004... Imagine grabbing a fry from your best friend's plate, swiping it through a glob of ketchup, then biting into the incredible taste of... chocolate. Or maybe cinnamon. Or sour cream. Of course, those original-flavored blue fries are interesting,...

Welcome to cow high.(brain snax)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... There are days you leave school and feel like you haven't learned a thing, right? But have you ever felt like cows in a barn were getting a better education than you were? That's exactly how some parents over in India felt about the education...

My friends hurt feelings: are your friends in control of your feelings?(what's with my friends & family?)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... q: love my friends. But sometimes, they hurt my feelings. Sometimes we disagree or one of my friends breaks a promise to me. I get very upset, almost to the point of crying. Why do my friends have so much control over my feelings? a: There...

Bruce Crisman: X Games champion.(upclose)(Biography)
January 1, 2004... Winning an event at the X Games? The thought never crossed Bruce Crisman's mind. "I've heard people say their dream would be to win at the X Games," says Bruce, a pro BMX rider who won a gold medal in the bike park event at the 2001 X...

I'm doubting my faith: do you feel like you have more questions than answers?(what's with my faith?)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... q: I've been having doubts and insecurities about my faith. I feel as if I need something more tangible, something I can see, touch and understand. And I don't know anyone who has had these same feelings. How can I get rid of these doubts? ...

No one understood: when Dave first moved from the Philippines, he was lonely and angry.(my story: how Christ changed my life)
January 1, 2004... "So, did you wear clothes over there?" "Do you speak English?" I'd only been back in America a short time when I got bombarded with those kinds of questions. My parents were missionaries to the Philippines and they'd decided to move us back to...

Are the Simpsons okely dokely?(tv, music & more)
January 1, 2004... q: I love Simpsons. They're hilarious, but sometimes they put Christians down. Is it wrong to watch this show if it doesn't affect me in negative ways? a: After 14 years, The Simpsons is still one of the most popular (and funniest) shows...

Not Slipknot!(tv, music & more)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... q: I'm bands like Slipknot and Slayer, but I think my faith has suffered after listening to them. Any Christian bands with that sound? a: I appreciate your honesty about how those bands have affected your relationship with God. It sounds...

Mute the cussing?(tv, music & more)
January 1, 2004... q: I'm a Christian and I don't curse. Is it wrong to watch movies and listen to music with cursing in them as long as I don't use those words? a: Great question. Let's start by asking what the Bible says about "cursing," "cussing" or...

Can you be counted on? Is keeping your word the last thing on your mind?(campus life quiz)
January 1, 2004... When you say yes, do you really mean it? When the going gets rough, do you stick it out or do you hit the highway? Take this quiz to see how well you keep your commitments. (1) When you make a New Year's resolution, you: A. Stick to...

Is it stealing? Stealing small things opens the door to bigger problems.(what's with my life?)
January 1, 2004... q: I think I might have a problem with stealing. I don't take anything expensive--just cheap stuff. Even though I feel bad about what I'm doing, it seems like nobody will miss what I've taken. What does God say about this? a: God says,...

How do I lead younger teens?(what's with my life?)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... q: I'm 16, and I'm serving as the leader of my church's puppet team. Most of my puppeteers are in middle school, and I'm having a difficult time getting them to respect me as their leader. Do you have any advice on how I can get their respect?...

Escaping the pain: Justifide's Jason and Sambo Moncivaiz grew up in a family that was falling apart. Then they started falling apart too.(music)(Biography)
January 1, 2004... Jason Moncivaiz was so stoned, he didn't have a clue which way was up. All he knew was that he was at the bottom of a pool, and somehow, he had to find his way to the surface. "I thought I was going to drown," Jason says. "That's about as...

Something to smile about: for RJ Helton, "American Idol" was just another way to share his faith.(music)
January 1, 2004... If you watched the first season of American Idol, you couldn't miss RJ Helton's huge smile. After RJ became one of Idol's top 10 finalists, it seemed people were talking about his pearly whites almost as much as his great voice. While RJ...

We recommend Christian alternatives.(Directory)
January 1, 2004... ARTIST/ALBUM COMPARE TO NOTE THIS POP ROCK [ILLUS- Warren a longtime fan of TRATION Barfield Steven Curtis OMITTED] ...

Is that you? Perfect looks, perfect hair, perfect plot, perfect ending. Are these Hollywood teens anywhere close to the real you?(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... For a long time, a mirror hung above my TV. And that was a bad idea. The problem was that I could glance up at my reflection as I watched old reruns of Saved by the Bell every day after school. That's how I am supposed to look? I worried. They...

How to un-date a friend? Would asking Christine to the dance ruin their friendship?(Fiction)
January 1, 2004... When Ben saw Dave heading over to his lunch table, he figured he was in for another earful of hockey news. Dave followed the sport like a bloodhound, and while Ben didn't share his devotion, he watched enough SportsCenter to be able to add a...

A different kind of rave: I went to the rave to sell drugs, but I walked out with something that would change my life ...
January 1, 2004... I've got a confession. Well, a few confessions, actually. I've done drugs. I've done witchcraft. And I've done time... behind bars. But somewhere along the line, somewhere between the highs and the lows, between the agony and the Ecstasy,...

Confessions of a grumpy camper: I was sure the trip couldn't get any worse. I was wrong.
January 1, 2004... As I stared down at the dark, endless pit in front of me, I began to get a sick feeling in my stomach. The thought of jumping over it--wearing a 45-pound pack--made all my muscles scream out in agony, and my legs nearly gave out from under me....

Mean spirit! The Pantherettes didn't want to support my cheerleading squad. They wanted to take over.
January 1, 2004... I stood at my locker, shoving books into my backpack. There were just a few minutes between classes, and I was trying to get to chemistry on time. As I bent over, my Panthers gym bag fell out onto the floor. I stuffed it back into my locker...

More than a photo.
January 1, 2004... She was no longer just a kid in a photo I sent some money to each month. After my trip to her home in the Dominican Republic, Carolina was suddenly a smiling little girl with hopes, dreams and loving hugs. She had become my new little...

Am I a flirt? Just being friendly? Or sending the wrong signals?(love, sex & real life)
January 1, 2004... q: I am very friendly with guys. I give them hugs and I often smile at them. My friends call me a flirt. But I think I'm just being nice. Are my friends right? Am I sending the wrong signals? a: Your question is a pretty common one. When...

Struggling for pure thoughts.(love, sex & real life)
January 1, 2004... q: I know that one way to avoid sexual temptation is to stay away from situations that cause you to become turned on--like certain TV channels, websites or music. But what can I do when sexual images or ideas pop into my head? I've tried...

Trying to change.(love, sex & real life)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... q: My girlfriend and I have had sex with each other in the past, but recently we realized it's wrong to have sex until marriage. The thing is, we have both had sex in other dating relationships, too. She seems to be handling it OK, but I am...

Web directory.(Special Advertising Section)(Directory)
January 1, 2004... Short on budget? Not enough time? How can you possibly make the best decision about which college to attend if you don't have the time or money to visit each one? Using the Web is an easy way to save you time, save you money, and put you...

Prayers for the new year.(amen)
January 1, 2004... Now that the mad rush is over, now that the needles are falling from the tree, we thank you that you are still God-With-Us. As we face the year ahead, help us to accept the difficult parts of our lives; help us to make...