97.18

The Clocktower

April 5, 2023

Issue 18, Volume 97

Happy National Nebraska Day!

3 quirky state facts that prove Nebraska is the main character

Happy National Nebraska Day!

If you weren’t made privy to this particular holiday’s existence before, you have been now. Each of the 50 states have a day named in their honor that are in order of their admission to the union. Nebraska was the 37th state admitted, so its correlating day lands on April 5 — today! In light of this most momentous 24 hours — here’s three of my favorite fun facts about the Cornhusker State that you didn’t know you needed to know but might just leave you tickled anyways.

It’s a sweltering summer day in 2009. Younger-you is parched and feral for the sweet nectar that is your favorite summer beverage. Thankfully, a familiar bright red liquid sloshes against the condensation-soaked pitcher your mom clutches while she descends the porch steps. You unabashedly inhale the liquid like it’s the first thing you’ve drank in days. Life is good. None of TURN THE PAGE

©Planet Citizen this would have been possible if it weren’t for the inventive genius of a certain Hastings resident in 1927. Edwin Perkins, inspired by the concept of Jell-O powder, crafted the colorful crystalline Adventist favorite that is Kool-Aid. His creation gained quick national popularity and was named the official state soft drink in 1998. Today, let’s salute Edwin for his powerful contribution to our childhoods.

Nebraska state sign

Speaking of summer day activities … Amid the shockingly mundane geography and incredibly underwhelming biodiversity of

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

Pop Culture

Evan Majors

Comedy

Lacey Stecker

LIFESTYLE

Editor

Brian Peoples

Nebraska Politics

Aubrey Benton

Outlook

Gabriel Sanders

Nebraska Life

Sidney Needles

Nebraska stands the Henry Doorly Zoo. It’s an oasis in the plains, exploding with incredible wildlife and intoxicating exoticity. It’s not only great in comparison to its surroundings either! The Henry Doorly Zoo remains at the top of the charts as one of the most awarded zoos in the entire world. Recently, it was named USA Today’s “Best Zoo” for 2023. Let’s sit with that for a second. A zoo on the outskirts of Omaha, NE has consistently outperformed zoos in places like Australia and San Diego. It has truly earned every ounce of praise coming its way.

The last fun fact is regrettably lesser known and niche in application. Ever get the hankering for some quality porch-time but can’t indulge because your 24-member friend group can’t all fit on the same porch swing at once? Take turns? What are we, in the Stone Age? In Hebron, NE, there’s no need to ruin big-friend-group quality porch-time with something as nonsensical as rotating porch swing turns. This is thanks to the world record-holding covered porch swing that can sit — you guessed it — 24 people at once. Hebron is even dubbed “Nebraska’s Porch Swing Capital” thanks to this marvel of modern engineering — and the lack of a more impressive attraction.

Tell someone “Happy National Nebraska Day” today. Throw these fun facts into the next casual conversation after someone claims that corn is all Nebraska is good for. Let’s end the stigma together.

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

Everett Dick Building Amphitheater

renovation finalized

Students can now attend class in comfort and style

was difficult for many students to get comfortable during class. For those who were taller or heavier, it was a nightmare.

The long rows with no outlets in between made it difficult to make a trip to the bathroom or water fountain. Students risked disrupting a long row of classmates as they struggled their way down the aisle, possibly hitting someone’s head with their backpack as they tried to leave in peace and quiet. As the dawn of classroom technology hit in the 21st century, this proved to be a problem for the amphitheater as well. The tiny folding desks were too small to facilitate laptops and notebooks, and the projector screen was hard for people sitting in the back to see.

Thanks to the generosity of Union College donors that contributed to the Learning and Living Campaign project, students will no longer have to stuff themselves into their seats or juggle study items over a small workspace. The Dick Building Amphitheater has been completely renovated and refurbished for a new generation, now looking very similar to the layout of Lang Amphitheater in Krueger Center. The classroom now sports three large television screens instead of the old projector, a huge whiteboard replacing the chalkboards and rows of tables complete with built-in outlets for charging devices.

Many students remember their first time taking a class in the basement of the Everett Dick Administration Building. It was a memorable classroom. The amphitheater was the largest classroom on campus, but it wasn’t impressive when it came to comfort. The alternating red and yellow (or ketchup and mustard, as many called them) chairs with folding desks were packed so tightly together that it

Replacing the long rows of cramped chairs, walkways were installed down the middle to make running out for a quick drink or bathroom break easier. While seating capacity has been sacrificed in the renovation, the added comfort and accessibility outweighs the inconvenience.

Union College faculty, staff and students celebrated the grand reopening of the amphitheater on March 23, 2023. Since

Brand new amphitheatre ©Shelby Jongema

then, many larger classes have transitioned into the new room popping with the cardinal red and anthracite gray colors of our college’s branding.

As students once again make their way downstairs for classes in much more comfort and style than previously, let’s remember to thank our donors for the way they help make life on campus so much better.

Lights. Freshmen and transfer students may be wondering, “What is Night Under the Lights?”

Business and Computer Science Club President, Morgan Wolzen, provided some insight on what Night Under the Lights is, and what to expect this year:

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

Night Under the Lights preview

A sneak peek into one of the best events of the year

ON THE RADAR

THURS. 4/6/23

Career and Graduate School Fair | Thunderdome, 10:30 a.m.

FRI. 4/7/23

Good Friday | No Classes!

SAT. 4/8/23

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

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

V2 | Woods Auditorium, 6 p.m.

MON. 4/10/23

Self-Care Workshop | 6:30 p.m.

TUES. 4/5/23

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

Night Under the Lights is typically the last event of the year and acts as one big party to wrap up the year before the chaos of finals ensues. There will be plenty of activities and festivities for everyone to partake in. Some of these include: everyone’s favorite bouncy boxing ring, the absolute classic Night Under the Lights past time; the mechanical bull; a massive ultimate inflatable obstacle course and jousting! While many of these activities may sound violent, or have a high risk of injury, there is no need to worry. All of the activities are inflatable Lights ©Pexels

SA events that everyone looks forward to are the banquets, Acrofest and Night Under the

and injuries are unlikely. However, outside of these inflatable activities, there are still more things to look forward to.

Night Under the Lights always has incredible prizes, but they also can be incredibly random. In the past, people have walked away with prizes ranging from kayaks to air fryers to brand new Apple watches. These prizes are more expensive because this event is hosted by Student Association and the Business and Computer Science club. When speaking to Wolzen regarding the prizes for this year, she stated that there would be fun things such as some lego sets, a TV and maybe a couple of gaming consoles.

In years past, there has been food along with other surprise giveaways at Night

Under the Lights. The event is a great way to wind down the year and enjoy one last Saturday night event with all of your friends. It is always one of the best events, and I hope to see you all there!

Creative Writing class exhibits in McClelland Art Gallery

Poetry, art and expression come to serve life

When it comes to creativity and art, students at Union College are never short on ideas. Last week, a class from the English program hosted an exhibit in the Ortner Center’s McClelland gallery. The exhibit was called, “Finish Your Sentence” by the Creative Writing class. The exhibit will be displayed from Monday, March 27 to Sunday, April 9.

Within the gallery, poetry and art projects were displayed. The most noticeable, however, was the mannequin with the

Creative Writing exhibit ©Shelby Jongema

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

orange jumpsuit. The gallery was also decorated with police tape, which added to the exhibit’s theme.

This event was set up by Professor Lori Peckham, a communication and English professor. The Creative Writing class is offered in odd spring semesters and hosts an exhibit every two years.

Evan Majors, one of the students with his work on display, said, “On one hand, I’m nervous about sharing my work with strangers; on the other hand, it’s nice to get some recognition for all the hard work I have put into this class. If I can put something out there that is relatable to others or impacts them in some way, then it has been worth it.”

TikTok’s CEO testifies before Congress

Popular app’s fate remains uncertain

On March 23, 2023, the United States Congress held hearings over a potential ban on popular video-sharing app TikTok amidst privacy concerns. Since 2020, TikTok has been caught in the crossfire of the deepening rivalry between the U.S. and China.

TikTok was first launched in 2017 as an internationalized version of Douyin, a

video-sharing app available exclusively in mainland China and owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Following its limited release in 2017, it became available worldwide in 2018, following its merger with Music.ly, another Chinese social media app.

Critics of TikTok claim that it shares user data with the Chinese government. TikTok has denied any accusations of sharing data with the Chinese Communist Party and insists U.S users’ data is not at risk. It claims that all U.S. data is kept within the U.S., is subject to U.S. government audits and that data cannot be accessed by foreign governments.

National governments banning TikTok date back to 2019 when multiple nations either temporarily or permanently banned the app due to either content or security concerns, or both. Most notably, the Indian government permanently banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in July 2020. India’s carpet ban on these apps was seen mainly as a political move, as during this time tensions between India and China were heightened following a military skirmish between the two in disputed territory claimed by both nations.

Shortly after these bans, the U.S. government decided to place TikTok under review. In July 2020, then-President Donald Trump ordered ByteDance to relinquish ownership within 45 days (later extended to 90 days) or TikTok would be banned in the U.S. After Trump left office in January 2021, President Joe Biden revoked Trump’s order and instead placed TikTok under investigation by the Secretary of Commerce. In December 2022, Biden signed into law a bill that prohibited the use of TikTok on all federally-issued devices. 32 out of 50 state governments also have banned the use of

Robert Tengker is sophomore nursing major from Redlands, Calif.

At the hearings a couple of weeks ago, TikTok’s Chief Executive Officer, Shou Zi Chew, testified before Congress concerning the app. Chew repeatedly denied allegations of sharing users’ data and claimed that TikTok’s handling of data is just like other American apps. “American data is stored on American soil, by an American company, overseen by American personnel,” said Chew.

After over five hours of testimony, Americans were left with more questions than answers. U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy says that the House of Representatives will move forward with the bill that could be used to ban TikTok. Americans can only wait and see what happens next.

I Zumba-ed

A first attempt at “fun” exercise

Ihate exercising. Newton himself recognized that an object at rest will stay at rest — and, boy howdy, do I love to rest. I recognize the importance of exercise, but it’s the absolute worst. I feel inadequate while exercising, exhausted immediately after and sore for days. Recently, a few friends invited me to do Zumba with them. In an attempt to find the fun of exercising, I decided to give it a whirl.

First and foremost, I am White and Adventist. I have absolutely no rhythm. I can sort of sway like a tree in a gentle breeze (just as the good conservatives allow), but staying on beat is not in my repertoire. Zumba requires a certain amount of rhythmic understanding that I simply do not have. I was about 10 and a half steps behind on everything. I can safely say I had no clue what was going on.

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

Zumba also requires a ton of physical movement, hence it being a good form of exercise. Unfortunately, I was cramping really hard before starting. My heart was saying yes, but my body was saying no. As soon as the instructor started jumping, I knew I was completely out of my physical element. Not only was my uterus screeching for its next hit of ibuprofen, I was expected to let my brain crash into my skull multiple times in a row? Absolutely not.

The physical commitment required for Zumba is not something I’m into. It’s awkward trying to commit to the bit of practically throwing your body across the room. I ran into everything and everyone

Tik Tok CEO, Shou Zi Chew ©The Guardian

in that basement, and I wasn’t even close to doing it right. By the end of the night, I was about as close to one big bruise as a person can get.

That being said, it was one of the more fun exercises I have ever done. Because I was with good company, I was able to laugh off my mistakes without feeling bad for causing harm to the rest of the room. It had the intensity of a good workout while distracting me from the pain I was experiencing. I’m excited to do it again … as soon as my legs stop hurting.

State Senator ends three week filibuster

Tensions high as LB 574 passes through first round of debate

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha made national headlines with her resolution to “burn the session to the ground” over Legislative Bill 574. LB 574 would prohibit genderaffirming treatment including puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and genderaffirmation surgery for individuals under 19 years of age. The bill also restricts medical providers from making referrals for the procedures. The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Kathleen Kauth.

Cavanuagh used multiple filibusters, a tactic common in the unique Unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Filibusters are a political maneuver used to extend debate on a bill to delay or block its passage. She spent three weeks filibustering almost every bill that appeared before the Legislature, including ones she supported. Her protest began when LB 574 advanced out of committee.

Senator Machaela Cavanaugh ©Yahoo News

Zumba class ©Fatcamera

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

After three weeks, Cavanuagh reached an agreement with Senator John Arch, the speaker of the legislature, and ended her legislative technique. LB 574 was pushed to the front of the queue and debate on the bill started on Tuesday, March 21.

The debate was contentious. Cavanaugh stated that if the vote passed, she would resume filibustering every bill for the 90day session. Kauth responded by calling Cavanuagh’s filibusters “self-serving and childish.” During the debate, Senators

Jen Day, Megan Hunt and Danielle Conrad said they would join Cavanuagh’s filibusters.

A motion to end the debate called “cloture” passed with a 33-16 vote. The bill advanced to another round of debate with a 30-17 vote. LB 574 must pass through two more rounds in order to become law. The first round of debate can take up to eight hours, the second round four hours and the final round two hours.

In response to Cavanuagh’s filibusters, Senator Steve Erdman of Bayard introduced new rules for the Legislature that restrict motions to pause debate, return a bill to committee or postpone discussion. The new rules limit each type of motion to be used once per day, per round of debate. Prior to this rule change, Senators could file unlimited priority motions on bills. The new rules passed with a 32-13 vote.

Senators Cavanaugh and Hunt have stated their intentions to continue obstructing legislation through other methods. One such method is filing amendments for bills that pass through committee. Cavanaugh, Hunt, and Conrad have filed 742 motions as of March 28.

Visibility. Hundreds of individuals gathered outside the Lincoln Capitol building to protest the legislation. Opponents of LB 574 argue that it is an infringement of parental rights and discriminatory. The legislation introduced in Nebraska is following a nationwide trend, with around 150 bills regarding transgender individuals introduced in state legislatures this year.

Springing into action

5 Tips for managing your spring semester

Here we are in the home stretch of the semester. We are within reach of finals and the coming anxiety is looming in the distance. But how can a college student achieve greatness in such little time? I am here to tell you that there is always redemption in sight and never to forget your goals. Here are five ways that you can strengthen your last weeks of the semester.

Write Down Your Goals:

Friday, March 31 was Trans Day of

A strategy I use every year after returning from spring break is to write down my goals and a checklist of things left to accomplish. Doing this gives me hope for the future because I can see the light at the

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

end of the tunnel. I can see my way out of this semester and complete it unscathed.

Get Study Help:

We all know that those big tests can be damaging to our grades, but what about those smaller hits? Each and every one of those tests can make or break your grade in a class. Whether it is two or three percent, it can be the difference between a letter grade. Each and every point counts, so now is the perfect time to ask for help. Whether it is a theory you don’t understand from one of those four hundred-level classes or maybe a simple idea from a general education class, there is never a dumb question.

Make Time for the Things You Enjoy:

With all of the homework and cramming for tests, you still need to make time for the de-stressing activities that get you out of your room. It could be as simple as a walk in the park or a drive around town. It doesn’t have to require spending money, but it should get you out of your study atmosphere. This will help your mind recognize that you aren’t studying and it’s time to relax.

Stay Positive:

While being inside for extended periods of time can be detrimental to your health and attitude, a short break may change that for the better. It is good to remember once in a while to stay positive through tough times. We all know the troubles that college can cause, but perseverance is key to success. Through every presentation, test, and project stay positive and keep a level head.

Manage Your Health:

It is important to be aware of not only your friend’s health and well-being but your own as well. Stress can cause a lot of problems to the body and it is not pretty. Make sure to not only check up on your

friends but remember the person that you look at in the mirror every morning. They are important and needed too. To all the students that are surviving out there, hang in there and you’ll make it!

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

Typical college student in April ©Pexels

Squirrel protests affect Union College’s bottom line

If you mess around, you’re gonna find out.

On April 1, 2023, 10:32 a.m., the first squirrel attack was reported to Union College Campus Health. Kristin Matthews, a sophomore bioengineering major, saw a squirrel behaving strangely near the East door of Krueger Center. When she approached it, the squirrel became hostile and threatened to hurt her if she came closer.

“I didn’t understand what he was saying to me at first,” said Matthews. “Nobody told me that the squirrels had been taking English classes, and his accent was too thick for me to understand.”

When Matthews came too close, the squirrel pulled out a statistics textbook and began to hit her with it. Passerbys called Campus Safety and the squirrel was taken into custody. Matthews was rushed to Campus Health, where she was treated for heart failure and papercuts.

The news of the squirrel arrest spread quickly from tree to tree, and the squirrel community began planning and hosting protests.

The first scheduled protest was April 5, 2023. When Union employees arrived on campus, they discovered the masses of squirrels covering every inch of the campus, leaving no room for walking without risking stepping on them. Classes were canceled for the safety of the students.

“We are working on peace negotiations

with the squirrel leadership,” said the president of the college. “They are good folk, and we estimate that school will reopen for classes on April 10, 2023.”

When asked to address the hostage situation with the dorms, a student dean stepped up. “We realize that many of the students relied on the cafeteria for meals.This is a good lesson for us all to learn that we cannot trust that the cafe will always be there for us. I’m sure that it was an accident that the squirrels barricaded us into the dorms and patrol the entry ways.”

Please stay inside your rooms while this situation is dealt with. This includes not opening your windows. Failure to comply may result in fines, injuries and potentially death. Union College does not take responsibility for any insurance claims filed for behavior that disregarded instruction.

If you see a squirrel in one of the dorms, please contact the dean-on-duty phone line for de-escalation and extrapolation. Do not engage with the squirrel, do not turn off the lights and do not leave it unattended.

Squirrels ©Sandy Skoglund

Annelise Jacobs is a senior communication major from Peru, Maine.