1 ISSUE 89.20 UNION COLLEGE APRIL 29, 2015 TO UNION, WITH LOVE 2 HUMANS OF UNION COLLEGE 3 STEVEN FOSTER Dear Union, We did it. Kassondra finished her fresh- man year. Inonge set down her gavel. Kyle finally moved out of Prescott. Zack’s senior exhibition is underway in the McClelland Art Gallery. Jacob got GAINZ. Jared’s still single. Kelli’s packing for South Dakota. Drew’s pre- paring for office. William bought a new car and hasn’t ever been happier. Sam’s hibernating from all the work he put in to the Yearlook. Abner’s wrapping up Just Jesus. You’re finishing proj- ects and we’re finishing tests. This school year is mere days from completion. But Natalie? Oh, Natalie is just getting started. Together, incoming Clocktower editor-in-chief Natalie Bruzon and I created a vision of what we believed a small, Adventist collegiate newspaper could be. We looked at what other newspa- pers were doing right, and began to emulate them. This year, the Clocktower stretched its clock- hands further than ever, as we launched a website and set a new standard for our social media presence. Unionites from all over the world are now only a click away from reading about slinged ink and pushed pens. If you feel a sense of pride for our newspaper, I’ve done my job. I took on this position to reimag- ine The Clocktower as an organi- zation, so that editors like Natalie have a firm foundation to build upon. Thank you for allowing me to see how far my team could LETTER FROM THE OUTGOING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF To Union, with love CHIN UP, EYES FORWARD 4 take our newspaper. The future is bright, and our eyes are fixed upon it. We must never settle for good enough, yet constantly rediscover how great our reality can be. As long as our clocktower ticks, the Clocktower will chime. With love, LETTER FROM THE OUTGOING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 5 Hi Union, Thank you. That’s how Steven’s first address to us began this year. Thank you for reading. Thank you for com- menting. Thank you for being opinionated. Thank you for your criticism, your patience, your interest, and your support. This year, Steven took a newspa- per that was just okay and turned it upside down. He changed the look, the style, and put us on social media. He gave the Clock- tower a real voice. He made it great. You can clap for him if you’d like. He deserves it. But wait. Stop. Listen. That was just the beginning. Do you think the dream stops here? Are Ste- ven’s dreams ever that small? Oh no. Steven laid the groundwork. He scouted out the field, dug the hole, and poured the cement. He picked up a crew and built the framework. Then, he picked me up. He infected me with his dream. He shared with me a vision of a Clocktower so great, that it’s budget had to double to cover printing costs (hint hint, Dr. Becker). And next year is about building the structure. We have the frame- work. We know where to start. Now let’s start building. So stay tuned, Union. Look for us next year. Submit to us your articles. Voice your opinions. Disagree with us. Love us. Hate us. But for the love of all things American, speak up. Because LETTER FROM THE INCOMING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NATALIE BRUZON Where we were, and where we’re going THIS YEAR IS JUST THE BEGINNING 6 that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to listen, take in, write, and repeat. Thank you, in advance, for reading. Sincerely, Natalie Bruzon LETTER FROM THE INCOMING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 7 ON CAMPUS EMY WOOD Part 2 of 2: Michelle Mensard’s new position to help Union advance THE MESNARDS PREPARE FOR NEW ADVENTURES She’s a professor, the Humanities division chair, faculty senate chair and is a strong force behind Union College’s calling program. If that doesn’t sound hectic enough, she’s also currently in the middle of a job transition. Meet Michelle Mesnard, our (almost) new assistant vice president for Academic Initiatives. But, she isn’t transitioning just yet. With a couple weeks left in the school year, her office will stay occupied until June 1. And, In case you missed it, she isn’t the only one changing job titles. Her husband Mike Mennard was interviewed last week about his transition into being a full-time musician. Like Mennard, Mesnard first came to Union 13 years ago after teaching at Pacific Union Col- lege. “We were even getting ready to apply at Disney,” she said. “But then, Union called.” Initially, she thought it would just be a good opportunity to practice her job interview skills and visit Nebraska. But then, she ended up loving it. “It seemed like the right fit,” she exclaimed. Ultimately, working at Union provided her with the oppor- tunities to bring together both theory and practical experience in the classroom to help students see and understand how their coursework connects to future careers. “I wanted my students to walk out the door and leave graduation confident,” she said. “Confident that they have actu- ally worked with clients, under- 8 ON CAMPUS stand the processes and show off a portfolio to prove it.” But, teaching wasn’t always easy. “I came into it with the per- ceptions of what I experienced in college, which was mostly lectures” she said. “Finding my voice was challenging, but once I explored other approaches I found what helped my students excel.” Now her teaching style is fo- cused discussions with a heavy emphasis on projects. This, she said, helps students work through problems where she’s able to help guide them through. “I can teach the processes and theories to apply them, but we have to rework them into new modes of communication,” she said. “It’s important to realize that there’s a need to be a lifelong learner.” “I think, too, that I bring my love of problem and opportunity solving,” Mesnard confessed. “I get to do that in all of my roles, and now I think that’s what draws me into the next step. It’s more focused on problem and opportunity solving.” Her next step is transitioning into the assistant vice president for Academic Initiatives role beginning on June 1. In this position Mesnard will be working 9 ON CAMPUS closely with Malcolm Russell, vice president for Academic Ad- ministration, to research and de- velop new programs for Union. “We will be coordinating with others both on and off campus to bring the pieces together to have the right personnel, curriculum and space needed to roll out new programs,” she said. “Essentially, we will go from ideas to incep- tion. But, this may take some time.” In addition to helping Union expand on the front lines of aca- demics, she’ll be assisting Russell in areas of faculty and technology development. “I see opportuni- ties for innovation in evaluating and thinking outside our normal confines, problem solving and being able to assist Union in achieving new goals by dreaming for a new future,” she exclaimed. The good news is, we won’t be losing both Mesnard’s. The bad news is, well, there is no bad news. These changes imply new directions and shifting perspec- tives to help keep Union ahead. What new programs will be add- ed to our campus? I guess you’ll have to keep your eyes open. Emy is a sophomore studying communication. 10 CULTURE NAOMI PRASAD More money more problems 5 THINGS THE JENNER / KARDASHIAN FAMILY TAUGHT US Puberty will do great things. Kylie and Kendall were always hardly seen in the background. When episodes of Keeping up with the Kardashians aired they probably had a mere three min- utes of air time. As soon as their teen years hit, the two girls start- ed getting just as much attention as their sisters. Kylie and Kendall graduated from being the two little awkward girls who lived in their sisters’ shadows to living in their own limelight. Kendall is now modeling all over the coun- try and her sister Kylie … what does she do again? If you get enough work done, maybe you can date someone 10 years older and get away with it. Kylie Jenner is on a different lev- el. Unlike her sister, who chose to use her fame to get into the mod- eling world, Kylie has used her name to make herself new. She has denied getting plastic surgery, but before and after pictures show her lips looking plumper, her butt getting some life, and her maxillary glands getting a lift. There has been controversy in re- gards to Kylie and Tyga’s relation- ship. Tyga, a 25-year-old rapper who was engaged to Amber Rose, broke off said engagement to be with 17-year-old Kylie Jenner. An old saying comes to mind. Age is but a number. No talent. No problem. If the Jenner/Kardashian family have taught us anything, it’s this: the family has made the most out 11 CULTURE of their weaknesses. They have often been ridiculed for not hav- ing a talented bone in their body. The most this family does is model. But what people forget is that this family is full of amazing business people. They are obvi- ously doing something right if their show is still running. They have captured everyone with their amazing looks and “charm- ing” homelife. So next time you feel like you amount to nothing, be inspired by the Jenner/Kar- dashian family. Make the most out of your downfalls. Everyone says that the Kar- dashians have no talent, but they are very bright individuals. Kim Kardashian was infuriated when her sex tape went viral through the media. She could have chosen to cry about it and deny it all she wanted, but instead she em- braced it. Though that may be the path most people wouldn’t want to take, Kim worked it. After all, she has gotten a show out of it that has aired season after season since October 2007. Through that show, she has made her whole family famous and made herself an amazing entre- preneur. She made 1.6 millions dollars in the first week of the launch of her new app, she became a fashion designer, pro- motes gym products, and models in her free time. Family First. Through all their seasons of fights, make up’s and break up’s, the Jenner/Kardashian family have always stuck by each other sides. No matter what the cir- cumstance, family is family, and they deserve to be respected. Naomi is a sophomore studying biomedical science. 12 13 14 DEBBIE PINTO Discover Collegeview’s newest eatery GOLDENROD PASTRIES TO MAKE COLLEGE VIEW A LITTLE SWEETER If you’ve made any coffee runs to The Mill this year, you may have noticed the shopping strip’s cor- ner space is unoccupied. Many have wondered what type of shop will open up in this little corner and the answer begins with pas- try chef and food stylist Angela Garbacz. Garbacz is the business-owner behind the highly anticipated Goldenrod Pastries. Named after the Nebraska flower, Goldenrod Pastries started out as a blog and has evolved into the Gold- enrod Pastries business that will be coming to our College View neighborhood. Because Garbacz is intolerant to dairy herself, she uses her train- ing in classic French pastry to specialize in pastries adjustable to any alternative dietary needs, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan lifestyles. Her menu will be well-rounded, featuring foods and drinks from around the United States. “On a daily basis, there will be a cake option, cookies, and something to take on the run,” Garbacz explains. “I will also have pre-made cakes so you don’t always have to pre-order.” Along with pastries, she will be importing tea from Bellocq, a New York tea company that offers a variety of international herbs. Chai, vegan candy bars, and granola are some sweet treats that will also be sold at the bakery. Knowing that contemporary LINCOLN 15 society appreciates the art of food and photography, Garbacz wants to create food that is “beautiful to look at. I want people to be able to take a picture of their pastry and look at something beautiful.” The Goldenrod Pastries website is an example of her vision and not only has a touch of modern minimalism, but also an array of stunning photography displaying delectable cookies, donuts, and other sweets. Directly across from The Mill is Conroy’s Bakery, which already holds a special place in the Col- lege View community’s heart and bellies. Is Garbacz trying to re- place them? Nope, not a chance. “I think Conroy’s should stay around forever! Goldenrod fo- cuses on alternative diet pastries,” she points out. “I want to offer something that can contribute to the community like them.” When it comes to community, Goldenrod Pastries and Garbacz are in good company. Paper Kite, Pattinos, Tangled Up, and Select Style are all businesses run by pioneering female entrepreneurs and have made College View one of Lincoln’s premiere woman’s shopping destination. Because of the close community and strong women entrepreneurship, the College View corner is an ideal location. When she saw the space was for lease, Garbacz immediately called only to find that it was already taken. Several months later when she found out the deal had not gone through, she was quick to grab it while she could. The rest is history. Now she’s preparing for the grand opening in May. Garbacz gave some insider details as to what the bakery will look like, revealing there will be hints of white, pinks, and of course, gold. She will also have an open kitch- en and tasting bar to provide an open and hospitable environment for her customers. Not to men- tion a high set counter, seating and WiFi for customers like us who want a pretty place to study. She hopes to collaborate with Union in the future and will be partnering with a local gym to provide fitness enthusiasts healthy alternatives specific to their diets. LINCOLN 16 17 This highly anticipated bakery will hold its grand opening on May 16. Make sure to support Goldenrod Pastries and the other shops on this strip by shopping College View. You ‘donut’ want to miss out on this sweet bakery! Debbie is a junior studying elementary education. JORDAN ZY Conversion therapy is harmful, no matter how it’s conducted THE DANGER IN CONVERSION THERAPY L I NCO L N & O P I N I O N “Tonight, somewhere in Amer- ica, a young person, let’s say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he’s held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it’s time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us—on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.” President Barack Obama gave this response when address- ing a petition to ban conversion therapies for minors. Last December, two days after Christmas, a transgender girl named Leelah Alcorn gave up wrestling with her parents de- mands and took her life. In her suicide note she revealed that her parents were forcing her to see therapists who tried to convince 18 her to identify as a boy. Her par- ents also pulled her out of school and isolated her from her peers until she was “cured.” Was this ethical? Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is when therapists engage in the attempt to change or reverse a patient’s gender identity or sexual orienta- tion. Conversion therapies have always resulted in more harm than good. The American Psy- chological Association does not condone treating sexual orienta- tion or gender identity as a dis- order, and discourages the use of conversion therapy because there has not been enough evidence of its effectiveness as a therapy. Anyone licensed to counsel goes by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnose anyone with any mental disorder. The latest version, DSM-V, removed sexual orientations as a disorder, includ- ing Gender Identity Disorder. The American Medical Associa- tion does not condone treating homosexuality or transgender as a disorder, and thusly will not support any reparative or conversion therapies. However, therapists are still able to conduct conversion therapy if they inform their patients the techniques are unproven to be effective. Other therapists, through private orga- nizations like church ex-gay min- istries, are continuing to practice reparative therapy on their own. I’ll spare you the often outland- ish details of the practices of conversion therapies, but know that people who have undergone conversion therapy have reported increased anxiety, depression, and in some cases, suicidal ideation. In January, We the People creat- ed a petition to enact “Leelah’s Law” to ban all use of conversion therapies for sexual orientation or gender identities on minors. Today, there have been over 120,000 signatures. The petition was brought to the attention of the White House Administration who respond- ed with support of an eventual national action to stop the use of conversion therapy. President Obama and his cabinet respond- ed in support of finding an even- tual solution to the problem. OPINION 19 Whether or not we agree that God wishes for anyone to identi- fy as anything other than hetero- sexual, conversion therapy is not the answer. In forcing our chil- dren to undergo therapies such as this only reinforces the idea they are not loved or wanted as they are. They feel more lost and alone than ever before. Forcing them to be what humans decide is perfect in God’s eyes is not helping. Let’s instead reach out by loving them right where they are. Everyone is on their own path, and while we may not agree, it’s our responsibility as church members to be Christ like, to accept and love all of God’s chil- dren and leave the judgment up to Him. Jordan is a senior studying psychology. OPINION 20 CULTURE 21 UPCOMING EVENTS 22 The Clocktower encourages reader feedback and strives to maintain accuracy. If you have comments, email us at cltower@gmail.com. The Clocktower is published weekly during the school year by the Associated Student Body of Union College, 3800 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506. The opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as the opinion of the editors, Associated Student Body, Union College or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For more content, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ ClocktowerASB or visit us at http://clocktower.ucollege.edu. Steven Foster Natalie Bruzon Vernée Norman Elena Cornwell Alexis Carnduff Zack Posthumus Brittany Houchins Natalie Bruzon Megan Bolton Melisa Inkelaar Michael Steingas Katie Morrison Stefani Leeper Roderick Stickle Debbie Pinto Emy Wood Jordan Zy Abner Campos Naomi Prasad Nigel Sumerlin Christian Dye Kyle Berg Kevin Niederman Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Layout Editor Online Content Editor Social Media Editor Photographer Photographer Sponsor Culture Reporter Culture Reporter Humans of Union College Lincoln Reporter On Campus Reporter Opinion Reporter Religion Reporter Senate Reporter Special Interest Reporter Technology Reporter Wellness Reporter World Reporter WE ARE #CLTWR 23 HUMANS OF UNION COLLEGE - Kyle Smith, senior Theology major Humans of Union College is compiled by Roderick Stickle “What made you want to do Theology?” “Um I don’t think anything really can make you want to do it except for a call from God. When I look at my life in general, I feel like God always had his hand over me. And, kind of was always protecting me, and keeping me where he wanted me to be. Because, I had a lot of friends who were involved in a lot of really bad stuff. And I would always be with them and around them but I never partook in what they did. When I look at all them they’re either in jail, one of them is dead, or they all have multiple kids with different women. And there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be exactly like that, except that God was protecting me. And then when I got to Sunnydale I got involved in doing some ministry my sophomore year and it just fit like a glove. There was nothing I was ever good at, and ministry, I did it and I was like, “Wow this feels like I’m actually accomplishing something, and I’m actually talented at it.” And I just found so much purpose and fulfillment in it. And so it was kind of like a progression of things. And then I went to India. And in India I had a lot of time with God alone in the foothills. And I would just pray, and I really felt like a clarity about God saying I need to be a pastor. And I kind of gave him like an ultimatum. Like if I get some baptisms at my site, and if I get home safely. Because there was like a lot of ruckus going on. People were starting to throw rocks at tents and kick people out of their sites. And I made it back safely and God really blessed me with baptisms at my site. So I kind of took that as a call, like him saying, “Ok I’ve kept up my end of the bargain, now it’s your turn.” And then just the progression of steps of me getting to Union. So I kind of look at my calling as like a ladder. He’s kind of given me more promises as I’ve kept climbing. So, I don’t know if that makes sense.” Thanks for an amazing year, Union. Relive it all online at http://www.clocktower.ucollege.edu. “Camera Bill Runs Out Of Footage” By Kevin Niederman “Easier Listening Than John Mayer” by Abner Campos