To read the digital edition, click here. Or, look around campus to find a physical copy.

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

The semester is coming to a close. Due dates are approaching quickly, and final exams are looming over us. The race to the finish line for Winter Break is almost over; we just have these last few hurdles to clear before we can get there.

This period of fall semester always has a strange, in-between feeling to it. We have a week to rest over Thanksgiving Break while due dates hang over our heads. Then, we launch full-speed back into school for the busiest, most-stressful three weeks of the semester. It’s so easy to get caught up in the motions during this time.

While the huge Christmas tree on Cougar Walk and the Chick-fil-A Christmas lights across the street remind us that it’s that time of year again, it’s difficult to fully allow ourselves to feel like it’s Christmastime among all the chaos and stress of this season. We’re so busy trying to get to the end that we fail to see the moment we’re in.

In this issue of ZU Magazine, we hope to create a space for you to pause and reflect on the season you’re in, whether that’s the holiday season or a season of life. So, our second issue this year is fittingly titled, ‘Tis the Season.

This issue looks at aspects of the holiday season and what it means to our community. It celebrates our diverse backgrounds and traditions as well as this time of year that allows us to come together in community.

This issue also looks at seasons in our lives. As we live through this present season, this issue asks what it means to be present and enjoy where we are rather than rushing to the next season.

May this be an encouraging and entertaining way to look at the present season. Learn about APU students’ holiday traditions. Get to know students for their stories and backgrounds. Join us as we attempt to understand the meaning of this season.

Our hope is that as you read this issue of the magazine, you would find rest and a break from all the stress surrounding this season. We pray that you would be able to see this time as more than just a period to get past — that you would turn your mind to what the Advent season truly is: a celebration of God sending his son to Earth for us.

Best Regards,

Jesse Watson