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Professor to share home and life with students

Dr. Garry Friesen has sold his house in Vancouver in order to buy a house near the campus and share it with senior male students from his accountability group.

Dr. Friesen looked at several houses before buying Mr. and Mrs. Gibby's house on 83rd and Glisan. He planned carefully so that he would not be strapped financially after a year.

"I made sure that I could afford the house even if the idea of student renters did not work out," he said.

Dr. Friesen has decided to try this living situation for one year to make sure he can handle the energy and time required to live with younger men.

Scott Clemetson, Brian Cheney, Joel Thomas and David Lindner chose to live with Dr. Friesen.

"The two main reasons why I decided to move in were accountability and the house rules," Clemetson, 24, said. "We have to eat dinner together three times a week, forcing us to bond. We also must volunteer two hours a week in the community."

Clemetson hopes to gain an understanding of how to live with a group of people. He plans on being a missionary and starting an orphanage.

"I want to know what [living with a group of people] looks like, what to expect and how to facilitate an environment for spiritual growth, physical and emotional health," Clemetson said.

"My purpose isn't just to find renters," Dr. Friesen said. "My goal is for mutual accountability in a house to mentor students."

He has set guidelines for group prayer, meals and discussions.

The house contains four bedrooms. One room, which two students will share, has a large storage area that students can use for beds or desks. The remaining bedrooms will be single rooms.

Dr. Friesen has decided to name the house "Aslan's How." "'How' is a Norse or Teutonic word for mound or cairn (a pile of rocks used for a landmark)," Dr. Friesen said. "Aslan is the famous lion of C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles.

"Aslan died on a stone table, and it cracked in two at his resurrection. Later a mound was built up over the table. It became camp headquarters for Prince Caspian and Narnia's army.

"We men of Aslan's How will try to build our relationships, goals and service on the fact that the table is broken, and the Lion is alive."