Free the Leashed Kids

A call to justice, in-depth rants, and parenting advice is on the menu for freshman Russell Baldocchi’s Facebook page, “Free The Leashed Kids.” Starting as a call to action, and to warn Facebook users of inequality, this page has landed 60,269 fans since November of 2009 and continues to rise.

On his page, Baldocchi says that Disneyland is supposed to be the happiest place on earth, but not for the children who are restricted by leashes.

“The inhumane act I have observed at Disneyland disturbed my moral compass so profusely, that I had to take action,” Baldocchi exclaimed. “Leash your dog, not your child.”

Baldocchi believes that this problem is more than a physical embarrassment — it serves as a negative statement to society. If this negative image can be cured, there would be no option of leashing their children, and potential of a new movement.

“It’s not just the prevention of inhumane treatment, it’s a revolution,” Baldocchi concludes.

Musings of a Life Humbled By Grace

Blogging is has become a way to express emotion, random feelings and funny videos, but Kevin Zimmerman is taking this to a new level. “Musings of a Life Humbled By Grace“ is the name, and spiritual content is his game. In this blog, through Tumblr, Kevin keeps his blog structured in a spiritual mindset, instead of throwing anything, and everything in it.

“These are the simple thoughts of a young man whose life has been radically and forever changed by Jesus Christ,” Kevin writes.

“I have had nights where I was thinking so much I could not sleep until I wrote it all down,” he continues. “So, I decided to write my thoughts on a blog, hoping it would be read, but I wanted to write whatever the Spirit puts on my heart.”

Blogging has potential to increase morale by becoming a release of the mind. Kevin says that it is a form of release, and he doesn’t like the idea of keeping his thoughts inside. Whether his writings are read or not, he says that his mind can relax once his thoughts are on paper.

Revealed In Nature

Freshman Jake Davis takes joy in photography, and he tries to reflect the glory back to God. The meaning of his website, “Revealed In Nature,” is that God shows himself in the environment.

Davis takes pictures all over the United States and Canada. Also, Davis signs his work with a signature that serves as a conversation starter and a ministry.

“My prints will be signed ‘YHVH,’ standing for ‘Yahweh,’” explains David. “This means that God is the artist instead of me. It is cool, because people may look at the pictures and think, ‘Wow, I wonder who the artist is?’ And it is almost like God is saying ‘I am.’”

“My whole thing is that I feel like God is the artist and I am just the photographer,” he continues. “All I did was turn a few dials and click a button. God created it. He is the real artist. The goal, purpose and mission of Revealed In Nature is to bring glory to the Lord.”

It’s Wednesday

Blogging, dressing in suits and short-term memory loss are on sophomore Morgan Lott’s weekly agenda. On his blog, “It’s Wednesday,” you can find pictures of sharply dressed gentlemen, prank videos and stories about life. Facebook also has a page with the same title, which directs you to the blog.

The reason for starting this blog dates back to high school.

“Everyone was the same in high school,” Lott explains. “So on Wednesdays I would wear a tie, and throw a curveball. I have short-term memory loss, and I wanted to remember my senior year twenty years from now. I started this blog and it has evolved into a collection of stuff.”

“It is a collection of thoughts and events from the week,” he says. “Even if I am not interested in it, or agree, I’ll ask why something is popular and voice my own opinion.”

Be on the lookout every Wednesday, because not only does Lott update his blog, but also may be seen strolling campus in a vibrant suit and tie looking like a boss.

Vocalot.com

Austin Friesen and Dillon Jacobsma have at least two things in common: they live on the same floor (Mosaic), and they share a zany website called Vocalot.com.

Vocalot is not a word, and that is OK with these two Biola students. This title is a combination of the words: vocalize a lot. Short, to the point, and obscurity was the goal, according the makers of this site.

Inconvenient annoyances are part of the reason for which the Web site was built.

“We had all these pet peeves and we wrote them down,” Friesen and Jacobsma. say. “So we created the site to express pet peeves and the overflow of what is Dillon and Austin, and wanted an outlet to do that.”

“We want to involve as many people as possible,” they say. “We are more than happy to feature songs, paintings, and local stuff. We want to encourage involvement in our surrounding community.”