Evan’s Oscar picks

A preview of the 95th Academy Awards onstage and slapped Chris Rock across the face for joking about Smith’s wife’s, Jada Pinkett Smith’s, alopecia. As a result, Smith would later apologize for his actions and resign from the Academy. The Board of Governors also banned Smith from attending any Academy events for the next ten years.

Hopefully, this year’s ceremony will go forth without incident, but after all, it’s Hollywood so who knows? But enough talk about that! Here are a few of the award categories and my predictions for who will win them:

Best Picture: Elvis

This bio-drama is my pick to win best picture because of how hard-hitting a film it was. It tells the life story of iconic American singer Elvis Presley — his childhood, his career, his personal life, his demons, and his final days. The film really makes you feel how the music industry used Presley for years until it inevitably sent him into a downward spiral that eventually led to his death at the age of 42. Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis was simply amazing. He would be my pick for best actor if it wasn’t for one performance:

Best Actor: Brendon Fraser, The Whale

On March 12, 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) will host the 95th annual Academy Awards ceremony to honor films released in 2022. The ceremony will be hosted by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for the third time. Kimmel hosted previously in 2017 and 2018.

This year’s ceremony follows last year’s infamous incident when Will Smith went

In The Whale, Fraser portrays Charlie, a morbidly obese and reclusive English professor who teaches only online courses anonymously. Estranged from his daughter and ex-wife and consumed by grief over the death of his lover, Charlie hopes to reconnect with his daughter as his health begins to decline. Fraser gave an absolutely heart-wrenching performance in what I believe to be the best performance of his career. The Whale is easily the most emotional film I have ever watched, and the main reason was Brendon Fraser.

Best Original Song: “Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The emotional song written by the Barbadian singer will forever be connected to the film that was made to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. The actor, best known for his portrayal of King T’Challa, died in August 2020 following a secret battle with colon cancer. It is a very fitting tribute to the cultural icon who forever changed the superhero genre and inspired millions. Obviously, these are all based on my personal opinion. The other nominations all have their case to take the win this year and it will be interesting to see who does. May the best films win!

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

A for effort

A petition for nap education

“I’m so tired.” These three words and their variations are perhaps the most commonly heard words on campus. We’re all exhausted all the time. Between maintaining any construct of a social life, going to classes, completing homework and extracurriculars, nobody has enough time to get a full night’s sleep. Thus, we do the only thing we can. We take a nap.

The problem is, naps are tricky. For a nap to be effective, you have to sleep for just the right amount of time, in the right place, under the right conditions and more! Finding the perfect nap for you feels like taking a whole extra class. Therefore, I would like to propose a one credit per semester nap class, in which students come in and learn to take a proper nap.

The class will involve some lectures, but mostly a space for trying different lengths of naps until each student is able to find the right type of nap for them without risking being late for any events, as a professor will be there to wake them up when nap period is over. This class will be pass/fail, simply depending on each student showing up to class and giving a nap the good ol’ college try.

Whether you grew up with NEW START or CREATION Health, we all know R means Rest. The rest we get is a valuable asset, and a lack of rest sets students up for failure. As college students, it can feel almost impossible to get the rest we so desperately need. With a class that requires rest, students will be more obligated to take care of themselves while learning ways to build healthy habits.

This class will also be repeatable no matter how well students do in the class. After all, some of us need a class to give us permission to take a break. A nap class would be the perfect solution for the straight A-obsessed student to get the sleep they profoundly need.

Union College, it’s clear that nap education isn’t merely a desire from an exhausted student. It’s an underacknowledged necessity for college students who need a reason to accomplish anything. A nap class would be an excellent step in promoting healthier habits amongst those most likely to abuse their circadian rhythm. Help us help ourselves with a class that provides what we really need: rest.

Seeing red

An observation of Nebraska’s February

Valentine’s day has just passed and all the candy has gone on sale but one thing still remains — the color red. Red is still up everywhere and has invaded different parts of the city, from the hearts and the red glitter, to the signs of love and romance. For most Americans, it should go away sometime soon.

Unless, of course, you live in Nebraska. The color red in the state of Nebraska is very common. It brands our schools and stores and even can be seen in the evening sky. Union College has kept this tradition by keeping the red when it rebranded. The shade has changed, but the color remains.

Can we Nebraskan residents ever get away? Where is the variation?

I would say the answer to that question would be no, there is no escape. The main reason is because of the beautiful sunsets that cover the midwestern skies. From the oranges, yellows, and blues to, yes, the red. Why must we see red everywhere? I walk out of class in the afternoon to a beautiful sunset filled with shimmering reds. There is even red brick that surrounds the campus. I didn’t know everything had to be red. From the Ortner Center and Culver Hall, to the Don Love Building,it is literally all red.

Then it comes to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Not only do they get the Cornhusker mascot that wears a big red hat and red flannel, but the entire team is named “Big Red”. You can drive around Lincoln, Nebraska and see license plates that say “GO BIG RED”. Besides that, there are even stores and gift shops named after Big Red. Frankly, I am still confused about what big red is. Is it a scare tactic for other sports teams or is it just a way for fans to band together? I know no matter what happens, the Big Red is staying because there are way too many people with red t-shirts in Lincoln. Whether it’s February or not, whether you like the color or not, the red is here.

Valentine’s Day has come and gone. The stores of Target and Super Saver, which also have red logos, were covered in red and shared the love of Valentine’s day with their customers but now it is gone. But Union has got that covered. In every dorm and most every building you can find the bright red of the Union College Warriors. Perhaps it represents the love of God which we strive to share year round.

But watch out, a sea of St. Patrick’s Day green will soon be here.

Nebraska bill introduced for year-round daylight savings time

No more “spring forward” or “fall back”

State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion introduced Legislative Bill 143 which proposes implementing year-round daylight savings time in Nebraska. If the bill is adopted, it would end the annual time change in March (“spring forward”) and November (“fall back”).

The bill had a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 8 before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. The committee heard testimonies including written testimonies, 22 of which were in support, nine opposed, and one neutral. The committee voted to advance the bill in a 7-0 vote.

The bill has received bipartisan support from senators including Megan Hunt of Omaha, Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha and John Lowe of Kearney. During the hearing, Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha stated that the bill received more support from contacts with her office than any other pending legislation.

The bill has faced opposition from The Nebraska Broadcasters Association who stated that the bill would disrupt their industry and result in “chaotic program scheduling” for TV and radio stations, leading to a reduced audience and loss of revenue, especially for programs with audiences across state lines. The president of the association, Jim Timm, said they would prefer federal action for uniformity.

LB 143 requires two events to take place before it can take effect. The first is that Congress must pass legislation that gives states the ability to keep daylight savings time year-round. Current federal law allows states to maintain standard time year round, but not daylight savings time.

The second requirement is that at least three neighboring states must adopt similar legislation. Both Wyoming and Colorado have passed the necessary laws, so Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri or Kansas need to adopt similar legislation for the Nebraska bill to move forward. All four of these states introduced legislation last year for the change, but none have passed. Currently, nineteen states nationwide have adopted legislation like LB 143.

Briese’s defense of the bill includes both economic and health concerns. He argues that adding an extra hour of sunlight during winter months could have economic benefits through increased consumer spending. Briese also argues that the bill will lead to public health benefits, citing research that indicates the switch to daylight savings time causes sleep loss leading to an increase in traffic accidents, workplace accidents and conditions like heart attacks.

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