97.13

The Clocktower

February 8, 2023

Issue 13, Volume 97

Student Association elections announced

Be a part of campus leadership

Nominations are open for people to join the 2023-2024 Student Association team. There are five positions open for nomination: The executive president, executive vice president, vice president of finance, vice president of public relations and the vice president of social life. Each of these positions are incredibly important with big jobs.

The executive president is the student representative for the Union College Board of Trustees meetings. They are also responsible for supporting all of the other executive officers and ensuring they are doing their job. The executive president runs each SA meeting and makes sure they go as smoothly as possible. A great president can help boost an entire SA team.

The executive vice president is the chair of the Student Senate. They make

SA Elections ©UC Student Association sure the senate meets at least seven times per semester and present approved legislation to the president. The executive vice president also helps the Vice President of Finance get the SA budget approved through Student Senate each year and keep the SA Constitution and bylaws up to date. To be eligible for this position, service on the Student Senate is required.

The vice president of finance creates an official SA budget and calculates all of the

TURN THE PAGE

Editor–in–Chief

Annika Cambigue

Assistant Editor

Annelise Jacobs

Lead Photographer

Joseph Lee

Assistant Photographer

Christopher Jacobo

Assistant Photographer

Reef Peckham

Layout Editor

Shelby Jongema

Assistant Layout Editor

Arlyse Wash

Web Manager

Justin Anderson

Social Media Manager

Mariah Lee-Wong

NEWS

Editor

Lyndsey Elsey

Student Life and CM

Charles Metz

SA, Senate and Safety

Andrew Schwartz

Academics and Residential

Robert Tengker

ENTERTAINMENT

Editor

Hannah Olin

Sports

Fortune Ogulere

Pop Culture

Evan Majors

Comedy

Lacey Stecker

LIFESTYLE

Editor

Brian Peoples

Nebraska Politics

Aubrey Benton

Outlook

Gabriel Sanders

Nebraska Life

Sidney Needles

expected expenditures for the year. Once calculations are made, they present the budget to the Student Senate for approval. They are also responsible for making sure funds are not being misused by overseeing the spending for all of SA.

The vice president of public relations connects the communication bridge between SA and all of the students. They ensure all campus activities are publicized to Union students and work with the vice president of social life to guarantee the events are on the calendar. The vice president of public relations is in charge of the Student Association Instagram account and designing SA shirts for the year.

The vice president of social life is responsible for planning all of the SA events. They maintain the calendar of events and keep everything organized. They have the ability to create a social committee to help run and plan events. The Social Vice President has one of the biggest responsibilities in ensuring activities for students to join.

Are you or a friend a good fit for one of these positions?

SA nominations are open and elections will be held on March 9th. Please reach out to any member of the Student Association team for questions.

“SA nominations are open and elections will be held on March 9th. Please reach out to any member of the Student Association team for questions.”

Scan here to submit your nominations!

Andrew Schwartz is a senior business administration major from Lincoln, Neb.

Christ on Demand

All are invited to attend

When it comes to school, nothing is easy and stressfree. However, that does not mean there is nothing to be done about it. On campus here at Union College, there are ways to deal with the stress of school and studying for classes and tests. Resources such as tutors, counselors and even study sessions are available for students to take advantage of. Another method to deal with school related stress would be attending Christ on Demand.

Christ on Demand happens every Tuesday at 7:30-8:30 p.m. Its purpose is to offer people who are tired with studying an opportunity to rest their minds and worship together with other people. The event is hosted by Campus Ministries and takes place in the Student Success Center located in the Don Love building. Students and faculty are both invited to attend the event. Worship credit will be available.

Basketball games

are a go

Union’s basketball teams’ rosters

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, both the male and female basketball teams will have an away game at Kansas Christian College. The names of the Union College male basketball players are: Jehiel Exil, Danset Okemwa, John Mungandi, Blake Essex, John Obas, Derek Warren, Michael Mecklenburg, Yann Birasa, Jadon Gibson and Garrett Fortney. The coaches responsible for the male team are head coach Drew Mekelburg, assistant coach Daniel Force, Demion Dublin and Aaron Flores.

The names of the individuals on the female team are: Dardielle Joseph, Emma Trumble, Nyanbay Puok, Regan Garman, Savannah Fortney, Ty Picard, Xiara Lopez, Jailly Gadea-Sanchez, Lauren Rester and Rylee Matthews. The coaches responsible for this team are head coach Jaylen Vella and assistant coach Angela Washington.

Both basketball games will be available and livestreamed on the uTV which can be accessed through the main school website under the Athletics section. For more information regarding the games and schedule, visit the official Union College website.

Men’s Basketball ©Joseph Lee

Robert Tengker is a sophomore nursing major from Orlando, Fla.

Campus Ministries announces Film Festival

A call to producers

On April 13, 2023, lights will dim at uGather as short films parade across the screen. These won’t be any ordinary films – they’ll be the top submissions in their category, produced by students, faculty and staff of Union College.

David Kabanje, vice president of Spiritual Life and campus chaplain, unleashed an uproar of excitement on campus when he announced earlier this year that Campus Ministries (CM) planned to host a film festival on campus. It was an idea that came out of nowhere, said Payton Arnett, who works in CM on the Video Production Team. “We are just doing a

project where people can submit short films that will be judged by the school … and we will decide as a campus which movies are the best.”

There will be four categories of film projects – spiritual, comedy, stop-motion/ animation and a fourth category: “day in the life of a Union student,” Arnett said. “It’s inspired by … the idea of following around one person, just in a standard day to day life. Most movies involve crazy plot lines; this would be more simple … you can have fun with it.”

Three winners will be chosen from each category with cash prizes being awarded. Over $1,000 will be awarded to the winning cinematic masterpieces.

Submissions are being accepted from Feb. 2-March 31. CM requests that the films be three to seven minutes long and meet specific guidelines CM has set out for

ON THE RADAR

THURS. 2/9/23

Winter Break!

SAT. 2/11/23

The Well | CVC, 9:45 a.m.

Worship Service | CVC, 11:00 a.m.

SUN. 2/12/23

Super Bowl Watch Party | Student Center 5:00 p.m.

MON. 2/13/23

CPR Skills Session | IRR #223 9:30 a.m.

Women’s Basketball v. Calvary (HOME) | Thunderdome 5:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball v. Calvary (Home) | Thunderdome 7:00 p.m.

TUES. 2/14/23

Christ on Demand | Student Success, 7:30 p.m.

CM Film Festival ©UC Campus Ministries

the contest having to do with copyright, appropriateness and safety, etc. “If it’s a movie that aligns with Christian values, you’re probably good,” Arnett said. He encourages those interested to reach out to him, Kabanje or Halie Garrett, CM public relations via email.

“I love this idea,” Arnett said. “I think we have a campus … full of some amazingly talented people, and I can see so many totally different movies coming out of this…I really think these are going to be high quality films. I’m just looking forward to watching them.”

“I think that this is a great idea. … And it’s really cool that it’s being run out of Campus Ministries…I think it gives [CM] something really special to look forward to.” Arnett said in closing. CM is excited for students to turn in their submissions and prepare for the event in April. Watch uGroups and their Instagram page for further updates.

Charles Metz is a sophomore theology major from Lincoln, Neb.

Social Media’s Façade

Why you should be skeptical of social media body standards

I’m sure that at some point while scrolling through TikTok or Instagram you’ve come across fitness influencers looking absolutely jacked while promoting a particular lifestyle or product. I’m also sure that some of you have wished to look like some of these influencers. I know I have. However, the fact of the matter is that the majority of these influencers haven’t been completely honest with their fanbases.

A recent scandal that comes to mind is the Liver King saga. Long story short, fitness influencer Liver King (real name Brian Johnson) became known for his enormous physique. He claimed to have naturally obtained his build through living an “ancestral” lifestyle. Despite multiple of his fellow influencers calling him out for this bogus claim, he insisted that it was 100 percent natural. Later on, a set of emails were leaked, revealing that Liver King was taking $11,000 worth of performance-enhancing drugs each month. His natural claims were all a ruse to continue to promote and make money off his supplements that he claimed helped him attain his physique.

“Later on, a set of emails were leaked, revealing that Liver King was taking $11,000 worth of performance enhancing drugs each month.”

This has become an ever-growing issue in social media. Influencers are being dishonest about their lifestyles for the sake of financial gain, therefore generating false hope among their fanbases that they can also obtain their chemically-enhanced physiques through natural means.

Now if your favorite fitness influencer uses performance-enhancing drugs, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t give valuable advice. The important thing is that they are honest about their usage and not attempting to deceive you. Chemically-enhanced influencers who come forward and disclose that they are not natural athletes definitely deserve more respect than influencers willing to send their fans down a dangerous path for money. Just because some influencer achieves their physique through risky means doesn’t mean you should too. Many of these enhanced influencers work alongside professionals and doctors and undergo regular testing to make sure the health of all their bodily systems is in check.

have dedicated their lives to making sure each individual can be their healthiest self. Be healthily skeptical and don’t aspire to social media blindly.

Evan Majors is a sophomore English major from Lincoln, Neb.

The lesson to be learned here is probably one that you’ve heard many, many times: social media’s standards are simply not realistic. You never know what is truly behind these “dream physiques”. Though some influencers may give good advice, just be sure to do your own research and listen to the medical professionals who

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

– Romans 2:12 (NIV)

A date by any other name?

An attempt to uncover the difference between a date and just being kind

$7 burrito will put you in more debt than student loans already did. Does the cost matter?

Situation 2:

Say you are invited very nonchalantly to go on an activity with someone. Perhaps you and that person had talked about wanting to go to the same place, though never specifically said you wanted to go together. Maybe it even sounds as if they would go to the activity even if you say no. At no point is it called a date while you are planning or out, but they pay any entrance fees. Does the payment of any entrance fee signal a date, or are they just being kind and paying because they invited you?

Have you ever gone out with someone and halfway through thought, Wait, is this a date? The instant panic of trying to figure out if someone is into you or not is crippling. The older we get, the more confusing relationships are. With all the nuance between just talking, hanging out, a situationship, and then hopefully a date, it can be almost impossible to tell if there’s a deeper connection. I wish I had the answers, but alas, I have none. Instead, I have some real-world situations for you to decide for yourself if the situation qualifies as a date.

Situation 1:

It’s midnight, and you’re starving. Being the good citizen you are, you ask your friend to go with you. They, also being a good citizen, offer to drive. Because it’s late, you go through the drive-thru at D’Leon’s. They pay for both meals, and you sit and chat while you eat. Does their paying for the meal, no matter how low the cost, signal a date? It’s not like a

Situation 3:

They invite you to go for a walk. Unlike now, the weather is lovely, and you think the sun will do you some good. Because you are both humans, you talk while you walk. Suddenly, you realize you’ve been out for nearly three hours. Were you on a date?

Forget wondering if you were on a break. Were you even on a date in the first place? Does the proximity to Valentine’s Day make a difference? Relationships are weird and confusing, especially when the other person never directly tells you if they’ve asked you out or not. I’m curious to know what elements in particular make a date.

A date? ©Joseph Lee

Lacey Stecker is a senior English and communication major from Noblesville, Ind.

Jim Pillen presents the State of the State address

Plans for tax cuts and education funding

Pillen spoke about his plan to reduce taxes saying, “We all agree — we are taxed way too much. Our tax policy chases our kids and grandparents out of the state. We can’t grow Nebraska that way.” He supports a bill that would lower property taxes by limiting year-over-year tax collection by schools to a 3% increase in revenue per year. He also wants to accelerate tax cuts introduced by Ricketts’ administration that affect individual and corporate tax rates.

Pillen restated his plan to increase education funding. His plan will increase public education funding by over $2 billion over the next six years.

Nebraska’s current annual budget is around $4.5 billion. Pillen’s two-year budget would increase spending and rely on Nebraska’s current cash reserve of $1 billion. Pillen’s plan has similarities to former governor Pete Ricketts’, a large supporter of Pillen’s candidacy.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen delivered the State of the State address in the Lincoln capitol building on January 25. Comparable to the national State of the Union address, the State of the State is an annual speech where the governor addresses the state legislature and sets out their objectives while in office. Pillen used the opportunity to expand upon his budget and present a vision for Nebraska’s trajectory.

The proposed budget would give the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services a $29 million increase that is meant to address issues with staff shortages. The budget also included a plan to increase funding to build the unfinished 1894 Perkins canal. The canal will divert water from the South Platte River to Perkins County for agriculture, municipal drinking water and power generation.

Responses to Pillen’s address were mixed. State Senator Robert Clements of Elmwood, who has recently taken leadership of the Appropriations Committee said he agreed with Pillen’s proposals and that they fall within the

Taxes

©Reef Peckham

budget. State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City, a member of the Appropriations Committee, agreed with the plan, citing its balance with resources and important issues like property tax relief. State Senators Tom Briese and Lou Ann Linehan praised the budget for being tight enough to allow historical tax cuts.

Senators Carol Blood and Tony Vargas raised concerns over a lack of attention to health care access and affordability. A joint statement from ten Nebraska health organizations said that the budget proposal ignores the crisis facing Nebraska health care and human service providers and jeopardizes the care of rural Nebraskans.

Aubrey Benton is a junior international relations major from Smithsburg, Md.

Valentine’s Day in the City of Hearts

Is the Cornhusker State home to the most romantic town in the U.S.?

Santorini. Bali. Paris. Are you planning on whisking away your lover to one of these inarguably romantic destinations this love season? If your answer is no, one can only assume it was due to a lack of money, time, or the aforementioned lover. If you’re out of time, tough luck. Aren’t we all? If it is a lover you’re lacking, that is also a bummer since we have not heard from @uc_match in a while. But if your only

issue is funding, there just might be a more budget-friendly alternative found right here in our very own Cornhusker State.

A five hour drive from Union’s campus in Cherry County, NE, lies the quaint town of Valentine, nicknamed the City of Hearts. Does it have whitewashed cliffside towns overlooking the Aegean Sea? Secluded bungalows nestled in lush tropics? The Eiffel Tower and croissants? Shockingly, it does not. But don’t let its apparent mediocrity fool you. Due to its location on the border of the mountain and central time zones, Valentine has, not one, but two time zones. Not impressed yet? Dual time zones don’t spark romance for you? Fair enough.

In 2007, National Geographic included Valentine in its list of top 100 adventure towns and cities. Its natural features include the Niobrara River. This scenic waterway is perfect for canoeing, kayaking or tubing, with a current that allows visitors to float leisurely if preferred. Smith Falls State park is home to Smith Falls — Nebraska’s tallest waterfall at 63 feet. Valentine is also

Cowboy Trail in Valentine, NE

©Cherry County Tourism

positioned amid the Nebraska sandhills. This expanse of grass-stabilized dunes is roughly 265 miles long and is the largest group of sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere. If you would prefer to see some critters, check out Fort Niobrara and Valentine National Wildlife Refuges. While on a hike at either of these locations, one might catch a glimpse of animals like elk, bison, prairie dogs, and waterfowl.

On the extremely unlikely chance that sand dunes and waterfowl fail to give you butterflies and heart eyes, Valentine goes all out for its holiday namesake. The streets are decked out in heart banners, local restaurants serve heartshaped steaks and some couples even choose to tie the knot at the Cherry County Courthouse. Valentine’s most popular love day festivity is its remailing program. Each year, thousands of sweethearts worldwide send their love notes to the Valentine Post Office, where they are stamped for free with a custom postmark that is designed by a local artist each year.

Unable to swing a trip to Paris? Journey to the Paris of the Midwest. Is a dinner cruise down the Seine out of the question? Float down the Niobrara River while eating a heart-shaped steak. Do not let budgetary restrictions prevent you from treating your lover on a holiday dedicated to the socially-mandated expression of monetary love.

Sidney Needles is a senior international relations and history major from Centralia, Mo.

Healthy habits for a happy life

Top mental health tips for college students

College can be hard. As we continue into the semester, things can stack up and we can be easily overwhelmed. I have 4 tips to help you get ahead of your problems and make your life easier from day to day.

1. Stick to a Routine

One of the most important things to do to maintain your mental health is to create a routine. Knowing what your next step in your day is can be really beneficial. This schedule can create major stability in your daily life. Not only does a routine provide stability, but also helps you establish good habits, have more selfcontrol and procrastinate less.

2. Creating Good Habits

Something that goes hand-in-hand with a routine is having good habits. A great routine is nothing without good habits. If you structure your life with good habits, then you might as well count yourself ahead of the group. For example, one of my good habits is waking up early on Sunday, getting my laundry done, and getting a head start on my homework for the week. This habit has been with me since the beginning of freshman year and I do not want it to ever leave me. But if you have one bad habit, it can disrupt your entire routine and all of your other good habits.

3. Know your limits

When it comes to setting your limits, you are the only one that gets to make these decisions. When you decide what

limits you put on yourself, you have to be fair. Do not give in to the voice that says just ten more minutes of sleep or one more episode. Get on that laptop and get going! It is up to you when to stop or start. Remember, through it all you must make sure that your self-talk is kind and helpful. If at any point you are not kind and it becomes toxic, step away.

4. Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep is very important, especially as a learning college student. We are constantly taking in information and one of the best ways to process that information is to get proper sleep. We need our brain to process that information and we need our bodies to rest. Our bodies need the rest so we can wake up and get that natural energy to go throughout another day. It will also help you grow both mentally and physically.

Welcome to our world: InDesign

Behind-the-scenes memes from Annika and Annelise

Healthy Life ©Unsplash

Gabriel Sanders is a sophomore English major from Apopka, Fla.