97.2

The Clocktower

September 21, 2022 Issue 2, Volume 97

Campus helps the local community

Small things equal big results: the 41st year of Project Impact

Hundreds of students, staff, and faculty from across Union’s campus gathered at the Clocktower on a breezy September morning to celebrate the 41st year of Project Impact. Several Campus Ministries (CM) staff handed out this year’s iconic t-shirts while Student Association (SA) leaders served bagels and juice for breakfast.

Project Impact started in 1981 as a project to paint homes for elderly or disabled community members. Twenty-four thousand volunteers and 140,000 hours later, it has blossomed into a massive initiative that, this year, covered over 30 work sites with much more than just painting, including yard work, cleaning, food distribution, shelf stocking and even barn cleaning.

Project Impact site leaders, Milka Mendoza Sanchez and Savannah Fortney ©Christopher Jacobo

Project Impact happens annually every September. Classes are canceled for the day and so are most campus offices so that all can participate in the initiative. Volunteers spend the morning working at each volunteer site and return to the Clocktower for a pizza feast.

The event is completely organized and led by students. Adam Anderson and Kylee Anderson, CM Outreach Coordinators, spent much of their time this summer preparing for the

“Our

event by keeping in touch with several local community organizations. Each site also had a team leader that coordinated rides and contact information, many of them students as well.

Pastor Guadalupe Montour of the College View Church of Seventh-day Adventists shared about her experience leading the group that went to CEDARS, a nonprofit which provides housing for homeless kids. They also help provide older kids and young moms with apartments. However, to the volunteers that served there, what they did may not seem to be a big deal. Their job was to take donations that had been received and organize them—and it only took them an hour.

However, Montour was confident that their work “wasn’t done in vain.” While many projects included big things like handing out food to the homeless or painting churches, even the little things matter. They found the area disorganized and hard to access, but in the end, it was totally worth it. This is what Project Impact is about –doing what may seem to be inconsequential to bring about a greater good, the true impact.

Montour is overjoyed at what they were able to accomplish. “Our purpose was to move furniture,” she said, “but our long-term impact was the motivation.”

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

Clubs announce their first events of the year

A big kickoff to the club year

With one of the most anticipated events in the year, Club Rush, being behind us, students are left looking forward to experiencing all they signed up for. Clubs are getting ready to kick off the year and into full swing with some incredible events already planned. Some of the clubs have already announced their first events of the year.

Black Student Association will be hosting the alumni basketball game on Saturday, October 8, at 8 p.m. This will be a great opportunity to see some of your all-time favorite Union College basketball players from all different eras. The alumni game will feature a performance by the newly formed Step team, and will have great snacks and concession foods. This is going to be an awesome Saturday night event with a great chance to watch some basketball and hang out with your friends!

The Business and Computer Science Club will be starting a busy year with a refreshing beverage for all BCS members on Thursday, September 22. They will be getting a coffee truck on campus. Don’t worry if you did not sign up for BCS; this will be another opportunity to sign up.

Active Minds will be doing a stargazing event on Friday, September 30 near the Holmes Lake Observatory. There will be a ton of things to do as they will host a worship (worship credit included) followed by glow in the dark ultimate frisbee and s’mores. It will be a great way to spend a beautiful Friday evening after vespers with all of your friends.

While this is going to be another incredible year for all sorts of events from SA to clubs, there will be many more events announced soon. Some of everybody’s favorites include Night Under the Lights hosted by SA and BCS, both World Cup and World Pageant hosted by International Club and many more. If you were not able to attend Club Rush, it is not too late to join clubs through uGroups. Make sure to do this while you still can!

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

Club Rush booth

©Union College

Pre-Nursing students prepare to join nursing program

NursingCAS applications explained

It has not been long since school started. Four weeks in and the second year pre-nursing majors are already on a time crunch. The nursing program held a meeting with pre-nursing students to help them apply to the program for the coming spring semester. Discussion topics included things such as the NursingCAS application, a stress level check-in and prerequisite and required classes. Out of all topics that were discussed, the most important one was the NursingCAS application with an upcoming deadline.

NursingCAS is a centralized service that provides students with the opportunity to find and apply to the nursing program at any participating. It is expected that prenursing students complete and submit an online application through the NursingCAS website.

The service offers programs at schools that are involved with the organization to people who are entering the world of nursing for the first time. It is also essential for those who are planning on getting a master’s or doctorate in this field.

NursingCAS.org suggests that students apply early, send in their transcripts as soon as possible, let their references know ahead of time and check their emails regularly. Once students have applied, they can check their application status on the NursingCAS website.

Robert Tengker is sophomore nursing major from Redlands, Calif.

ON THE RADAR

WED. 9/21/22

uGroups Training (Advanced Level), 11.30 a.m. THURS. 9/22/22

Employee All-Gather, Woods Auditorium, 10.30 a.m.

Library Fair, 4 p.m. FRI. 9/23/22

Parents Weekend begins Family Worship, CVC, 7.30 p.m. SAT. 9/24/22

The Well Young Adult Sabbath School CVC Worship Service V2, Engel Hall, 4 p.m.

Family Fair, Thunderdome, 7.45 p.m. TUES. 9/27/22

Warriors Soccer vs. Ozark Christian (Away)

Warriors Volleyball vs. Ozark Christian (Away)

White Coat Ceremony ©Union College

Disney makes big announcements

A few things that came from D23

I’m going to be honest with you. Before writing this, I had no idea what D23 was. I was struggling to come up with a topic for this week, and one of my friends mentioned D23, which is Disney’s big announcement expo. After doing some more reading into it, they have some exciting things coming our way. Here are some of the highlights:

Inside

Out 2

In summer 2024, a sequel to Disney’s 2015 hit will be released. The first film was highly praised for the way it depicted emotions and how we tend to deal with them, along with how we can try and understand them. The sequel will center around a teenage Riley and introduce some new emotions as well. It has been confirmed that Amy Poehler will return to voice Joy.

The Mandalorian Season 3

This is for all my Star Wars fans out there! The third season of the wildly popular Disney+ series will be released in 2023. The new season will follow the events of the “Book of Boba Fett”, released in 2021, which is tied in with the “Mandalorian”. It will presumably follow Din Djarin as he returns to Mandalore to atone for removing his helmet in the previous season, along with his new life now that he wields the darksaber.

Indiana Jones 5

Here’s the one I’m hyped about. The Indiana Jones franchise was a huge part of my childhood. Jones was my childhood hero. Harrison Ford will be putting the fedora back on, presumably for the last time, as the legendary actor recently celebrated his 80th birthday. The new installment will also feature the return of Ke Huy Quan as Short Round, 38 years after “The Temple of Doom” was released.

After much delay due to Ford being injured on set, rewrites and COVID, Indiana Jones 5 will be released on June 30, 2023. It will be the first Indiana Jones film released since “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in 2008.

There is a LOT more where that came from, so feel free to look and see what else Disney has planned at d23.com. It seems like they have a little something for everyone, whether you love classic Disney Fantasy, enjoy Pixar, immerse yourself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have a love/hate relationship with Star Wars, or are awaiting the return of a cultural icon in the form of Indiana Jones.

Evan Majors is a sophomore English major from WinstonSalem, N.C.

D23 Expo Poster

©Disney

Clothing confusion

Fighting Nebraska weather

Sweaters, jackets, cardigans, crewnecks, flannels; I have nothing to wear. I wake up every morning and ponder what I want to wear in this weather. I look outside and see clear skies and bright sun, but when I look at my phone, it says it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a low of 65 and a high of 90. What am I supposed to wear? Do I wear a hoodie for a cold mid-afternoon breeze, or do I stick it out and hope that it might warm up?

I question the weather every year in Nebraska. I ask, “Why does it have to be Nebraska? We are in the middle of the country. Can we just get a decent day of weather around here?” Then, somewhere out of blue, we will have one decent day of weather in a week. We will all dress for the weather, but then it will be windy in the afternoon. I almost want to just look at the sky or wherever the wind is coming from and say, “You win. This is checkmate.” But sadly, every winter the weather reveals its true secret weapon: snow in April.

Around this season we also see waves of heat. Some like to call it an “Indian Summer.” This happens when a heat wave comes during the autumn season and lasts for a few days at a time. With this in mind, we may wear jeans and a sweatshirt one day, and a tank top and shorts on another day, all in the same week! This is the wild weather that is Nebraska. We may have our weather apps telling us that there is a tornado, but we look outside and all we see is the sun.

If I have learned one thing from living a year in Nebraska, it is that the more I try to figure out Nebraska’s weather system, the more confused I become. I try to dress for what the weather app tells me, but I am always disappointed. I will either have

to shed a jacket or sweatshirt midday or make a trip to my dorm room to add layers. How can we come out of rooms every day prepared for the weather Nebraska has in store for us and still be surprised? It can give hail, snow, sleet, rain, and sometimes even golf balls, and that’s when we’re lucky. Good luck out there.

Gabriel

Fall activities

©Joseph Lee

Sanders is a sophomore English major from Apopka, Fla.

Nebraska man breaks Guinness World Record

Longest journey by pumkin boat taken down Missouri River

Duane Hansen, a 60-year-old Nebraska man, is one of the Guinness Book of World Record’s newest record holders. He performed the incredible feat of paddling down the Missouri River for 38 miles riding inside a hollowed-out pumpkin. Hansen wanted to break the Guinness world record for “the longest journey by pumpkin boat.” Hansen, known for growing massive pumpkins, was the perfect candidate for this world record endeavor. He selected the perfect pumpkin for the job, weighing in at 846 pounds and having a circumference of 146 inches. Hansen carefully worked to carve out a space big enough for him to fit inside, dubbing his new craft the S.S. Berta.

Two days prior to the big day, Hansen had to strap down this massive pumpkin down to a mattress that was hauled on a

trailer. When the big day, Aug. 27, 2022, came around, Hansen says he brought denim shorts, a camouflage hat and a life jacket. He gathered friends and family at 7:30am as Bellevue city officials watched this journey from the Bellevue public boat docks. As Hansen was in his DIY boat, he told news outlets that on the trip down the river to Nebraska City, many passing boats threatened to tip his pumpkin over more than once. Despite these challenges, he persisted. It took Hansen 11 hours and 38 miles to arrive at the marina in Nebraska City. Hansen’s wife Allison, when asked about what it feels like to have a recordbreaking husband answered, “I never know what’s going to be next.”

I want everyone to look at this story of Duane Hansen and take inspiration from it. At the age of 60 he had a huge goal that

Duane Hansen

©City of Bellevue, Nebraska

he wanted to accomplish, and he did it! I’m sure Hansen had people that thought he was probably going crazy, but he kept his head up and, with the support of family and friends, he accomplished what many people would find unbelievable. When you have a goal in life, I encourage you to remember your “why.” Remember that with God, all things are possible. If you are stressed about a test, your personal life, or your romantic life, remember that you have a God that is always there for you no matter how big your goal is or how alone you feel. You will always have a friend in Christ.

Malcolm X to be inducted into Nebraska Hall of Fame

The Nebraska Hall of Fame Commision passes unanimous vote

On Monday, September 12, Malcolm X was voted by the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commision to be the newest member to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. The vote was initially 4 to 3, but after it passed, the commission agreed to make the decision unanimous.

Ashira Campbell is a sophomore communication major from Denver, Colo.

Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. Less than two years after his birth, his family fled Omaha because of threats from the Klu Klux Klan. As a converted muslim, Malcolm X was a key figure in the growth of the Nation of Islam, and his faith remained an integral part of his identity even after his split from the group. He is known for his contributions to the civil rights movement and his lasting impact on the ideas of Black nationalism and racial pride. He was assassinated in 1965.

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961. Individuals could be inducted into the hall every two years until 1998, where new legislation established that one individual could be nominated every five years and that it must be at least 35 years since their death.

Malcolm X was nominated by JoAnna LeFlore-Ejike, executive director of the Malcolm X Foundation, located in Omaha, Nebraska. His nomination was supported by members of the foundation and former state senator Ernie Chambers. Other nominees this year included Louise Pound, an athlete and scholar, and Howard Hanson, a musician and composer who won a Pulitzer Prize.

Missouri River ©Reef Peckham

The process included testimonies about the nominees, where individuals remarked on the impact of Malcolm X’s book, “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, and the lack of recognition that he has received in the state of Nebraska. He was previously nominated in 2004 and 2007 and is the first black person to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. Out of the current 26 members, 19 are white men.

Malcolm X will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, and a bust will be created and displayed in the Lincoln state capitol building.

According to Nebraska Law Statute 72-726, individuals “who were born in Nebraska, who gained prominence while living in Nebraska, or who lived in Nebraska and whose residence in Nebraska was an important influence on their lives and which contributed to their greatness”

qualify for the hall of fame. The inductees are judged on their contributions in public affairs, art or sciences, with secondary consideration for entertainment and athletics.

Notable current members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame include WWI General John J. Pershing, “Buffalo Bill,” Standing Bear, and William Jennings Bryan (who served as Secretary of State, but is perhaps better known for his role as prosecution in the Scopes Monkey Trial).

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

The gut microbiome, explained

An invisible world living within us

In recent years, it’s been almost impossible not to hear something about gut health. It seems as though everyone from online influencers to medical professionals have had something to say on the topic. Despite most of us being familiar with the terminology, how much do we really know about the gut microbiome and how it can affect us?

Harvard’s School of Public Health describes the microbiome as trillions of small organisms and microbes that occupy the human body. Everything from bacteria,

Nebraska State Capitol

©Reef Peckham

fungi, viruses and even parasites make up this complex environment. Most of these microbes are beneficial to us, but some are pathogenic, meaning they cause disease. In a healthy individual, both types of organisms can coexist peacefully. Even though our body houses many different microbiomes, the intestines, or gut, contain the highest population density of microbes.

These communities begin developing from the moment we are born. As a baby is pushed through the birth canal, it interacts with the microbes of the mother. This process influences the development of the baby’s intestinal microbiome, which mimics that of the mother. From then on, the microbes of the gut continue growing and maturing alongside us.

The microbiome is so integral to our health and well-being that some sources have gone as far as labeling it as a supporting organ of the body. Not only do these microbes help us digest food, they also support the immune system, synthesize vitamins and can protect us from toxic food compounds.

Both vitamins B12 and K can be created by enzymes found in gut bacteria. These vitamins help with the formation of red blood cells, brain development and the building of bones. Additionally, the microbiome can also aid in the production of short chain fatty acids, which are used by the body as a nutrient source but can also potentially prevent chronic diseases, from

bowel disorders to cancer. Finally, certain microbes are associated with preventing harmful bacteria from overgrowing by competing with them for attachment sites and nutrients.

Despite all of science’s advancements, there is still much unknown about how the gut microbiome impacts us. Many lofty claims have been made as to how gut health could impact us. Therefore, it’s important to be critical of information that is presented on social media. Misinformation is always abundant when people get excited about such a promising field. Hopefully, future research will uncover more significant findings that could potentially treat common and chronic health issues.

Nicole Hardt is a sophomore biomedical science from Apopka, Fla.

The digestive system ©Reef Peckham

Harvey’s Harvest Photo Recap

Thanks to Campus Ministries for a fun event!

All photos ©Joseph Lee and ©Shelby Jongema

The Clocktower

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The Clocktower, established in 1927 and sponsored by the Student Association of Union College, is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters.

The opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as the opinions of the editors, Student Association, Union College or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.