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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

Reopening churches cannot become a threat to public health

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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

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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

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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...

The wealth gap is widening under coronavirus

Putting profit before people skews the Church's mindset and warps its message.
Billionaires should not be flourishing during a pandemic while the poor are suffering.
Brianna Clark, Opinions Editor (Spring 2020) September 7, 2020

COVID-19 has devastated the world—some more than others. Unemployment rates are higher than those of the 2008 Great Recession. Many have been threatened by landlords’ eviction notices, and in the earlier months of the coronavirus, we were all scrounging for toilet paper. Yet Jeff Bezos, founder of...

We need to extinguish fire season

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California’s environment must be saved before the damage is irreversible.
Brianna Clark, Opinions Editor (Spring 2020) September 4, 2020

There have been over 7,000 wildfires in California this year, and it is only the beginning of fire season. In recent years, California has experienced the most destructive fires in state history, becoming more and more frequent. Areas like Sonoma County are on its third major fire in four years, with...

Followers of Christ should be on the frontlines of racial justice work

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The Church cannot miss this opportunity to fight for justice and reconciliation.
Evana Upshaw, Opinions Editor September 2, 2020

Our world is in the midst of a racial reckoning. The brutal murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor set a racial tone in America with the backdrop of a global pandemic that has revealed longstanding injustices for African Americans in particular. Tension and anxiety surrounding the coronavirus...

Why the NBA’s decision to sit out matters

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Biola students share their experiences during a time of racial tension.
Andi Basista, News Editor September 2, 2020

On Aug. 26, the Milwaukee Bucks were scheduled to compete in game 5 of their playoff matchup between the Orlando Magic inside of the COVID-19 inspired NBA bubble at Walt Disney World in Florida. When the clock hit 4 p.m. EST. and the Bucks were nowhere to be seen for the start of play, an unprecedented...

Wearing a mask should not be a political statement

Wearing a mask should not be a political statement
Tying masks to politics distorts their true purpose and threatens public health.
Brianna Clark and Evana Upshaw August 31, 2020

The implementation of COVID-19 restrictions introduced masks as a staple of our daily lives. However, these face coverings also sprouted an intense controversy throughout the nation, and one that is, unfortunately, deeply politicized. Instead of public health and safety being the focal point of this...

Protests across the states reveal it might be time to slowly lift restrictions

Protests across the states reveal it might be time to slowly lift restrictions
Economic struggles and decline of mental health show that quarantine season may be coming to an end.
Hannah Dilanchyan, Opinions Editor April 28, 2020

Empty parking lots. Dark buildings. Solitary cars stopped at an intersection. Lines outside grocery stores. Across the nation, this is our new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of every American. Many unhappy residents have begun to protest the stay-at-home orders. Some have had to...

A USPS shutdown would be detrimental

A USPS shutdown would be detrimental
Difficult access to medications, voting rights and damages to companies would ensue without the USPS.
Adam Pigott, Staff Writer April 25, 2020

Whether it is the delivery of crucial medications, voting rights or connections with massive companies, there can be no question that the U.S. Postal Service is an essential component of American life.  The agency is facing crushing multibillion dollar deficits, and the volume of mail decreased by...

‘Heroes Fund’ could be the hero essential workers need

‘Heroes Fund’ could be the hero essential workers need
Senate’s premium pay proposal is a step toward treating essential workers right.
Addison Freiheit, Staff Writer April 23, 2020

On April 7, the Senate proposed the Pandemic Premium Pay Fund, or “Heroes Fund,” to increase pay for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus is proving we take for granted the work of doctors, nurses, grocery clerks, janitors, maintenance workers and thousands of others all...