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The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

The Student News Site of Biola University

The Chimes

Our phone addictions are unhealthy

Our phone addictions are unhealthy
Self-awareness and self-control are crucial to breaking free.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor October 2, 2020

By all reasonable measure, most Americans have a normalized addiction: smartphone use. According to The Atlantic, we “tap, type, swipe, and click on our smartphones 2,617 times a day.” We sleep with our phones, go to the bathroom with our phones and turn to them when we feel the slightest twinge...

America needs major police reform

America needs major police reform
The Breonna Taylor case is just one example of our (in)justice system.
Evana Upshaw and Brianna Clark September 30, 2020

The U.S. has a long history of police brutality, and of protesting that brutality. This summer has brought another conversation about police reform into the mainstream.  The resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests this fall are the result of new developments in the case around Breonna Taylor’s...

Our economic system has failed the younger generations

Our economic system has failed the younger generations
The American dream remains just that—a dream.
Brianna Clark, Opinions Editor (Spring 2020) September 29, 2020

Growing up, the younger generation was encouraged by the idea that they only need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to achieve their dreams, just as their parents did. They became the most educated generation, with 39% of millennials holding a bachelor’s degree, and entered the workforce with...

Virtual learning challenges students’ spiritual formation

Biola reduces required Bible units for transfer students as well as robotics and engineering majors.
The online semester brings about difficulties and triumphs alike for students.
Zachary Devane, Deputy Sports Editor September 25, 2020

With Biola going online, our community experience of spiritual formation has drastically changed. We are no longer on campus for chapel in Sutherland Hall or Chase Gymnasium, and our professors and mentors are no longer a five minute walk away. Rather, we are at home, where a surrounding Christian...

A new Supreme Court justice should not be appointed before the election

A new Supreme Court justice should not be appointed before the election
All Americans should have a voice in this decision.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor September 23, 2020

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Sept. 18, left a vacant seat in the Supreme Court that the Republican Party is wasting no time to fill. Shortly after her passing, President Donald Trump said plans were underway to appoint a new female judge. A formal nominee announcement is scheduled for Saturday and...

Distance learning is difficult to navigate and can be unhealthy

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
It may be necessary, but it should only be temporary.
Brianna Clark, Opinions Editor (Spring 2020) September 21, 2020

With the first few weeks of the semester under our belts, distance learning is becoming familiar to students—but not easier. In this new age of technology we are privileged to have accessible education amid a pandemic and we should not take that for granted. However, learning remotely is far from the...

“Cuties” stirs controversy

“Cuties” stirs controversy
A questionable movie plot and execution shroud an important message about cultural sexism.
Emily Coffey, Managing Editor September 19, 2020

“Cuties” was released in France on Aug. 19 and internationally on Sept. 9 on Netflix. What followed was a firestorm of political tweets, articles and posts arguing whether the film crossed the line of child sexualization, or if it shone a brutally honest light on the truth of cultural sexism and...

We should all celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

We should all celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Our goal in celebrating should be inclusivity through appreciation.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor September 18, 2020

Making up 18% of the U.S. population, people of Hispanic/Latino heritage have been instrumental in shaping the culture of our nation. Now is the time to intentionally commemorate influential Latinos from the past and present, while also lifting up the next generation of Hispanic children who are our...

Reopening churches cannot become a threat to public health

Photo by Gregory Hayes on Unsplash
California Christians should love their neighbors by obeying the law.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor September 16, 2020

A major cultural shift has happened since the coronavirus pandemic: churches across the nation are empty on Sunday mornings.  The state of California released amended guidelines in July for how places of worship should function in light of the coronavirus, stating, “Places of worship should continue...

We need churches to be open during lockdown

Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash
The pandemic should not be keeping us from our faith communities.
Brianna Clark, Opinions Editor (Spring 2020) September 16, 2020

God calls the body of Christ to help each other in hard times, but it is difficult to serve one another when our places of congregation are closed. Given the gravity of the pandemic, it is understandable that churches, as places of socialization and large crowds, would be temporarily shut down. However,...

Colleges should not have reopened

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Invest in online learning to keep students and faculty safe.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor September 14, 2020

The pandemic has redefined every facet of our lives and has hit the world of higher education in a unique way. Colleges and universities all over America were given the task of deciding the fate of their students, and in some cases, had to do so without the guidance of their local state or city governments. While...

The potential COVID-19 vaccine requires our cooperation

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
We all play a part in reaching herd immunity through vaccination.
Brianna Clark and Evana Upshaw September 9, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control has announced a plan to release a COVID-19 vaccine by early November, but many Americans are hesitant to trust the statement and are concerned it is only a result of political pressure. However, this endeavor is less due to the political climate and more due to the desire...