UNION COLLEGE ISSUE 91.3 | 09/20/2016 F or the second time since the team’s birth in 1988, Union College won't have a women's basketball team. The decision for the 2016-17 season was announced on Sept. 8. Many factors contribute to this outcome. Tryouts didn’t bring more than six girls, partly due to lack of advertisement and communication. A second week of tryouts was added, but even then there weren’t enough girls for a team. This isn’t a standalone occurrence. In the last three years, tryouts have been low and allowances have been made for various players, all in the name of having enough bodies on the team. Unfortunately, in permitting girls who couldn’t play at the level necessary to join, the overall skill and ability of the team declined. Coupling that with a severely low ratio of wins to losses, disrespect was often aimed towards the team. “You hear people all the time saying, ‘Why go to the games since we already know they’re going to lose,’” comments former co-captain Camille Darrell, a junior business major. She had hoped to add a third year to her collegiate sports career. Ryan Millsap, a junior theology major, also voiced his frustration. “A big part of it’s from the lack of support from other students. Girls don’t have a huge turnout of spectators. Because it’s not a big deal to [other students], it’s not a big deal to those playing.” Many students unaffected directly see the logic in the decision. “I’m a little disappointed but it doesn’t really affect me,” says Joseph Murray, a senior business student. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM CANCELED [ W H AT ' S I NS I DE] [ continued on page 2 ] T E A M A F R ICA | p a ge 0 2 | C OU N T Y N E WS PA P E R | p a ge 0 4 | B I RT H DAY BA S H I NG | p a ge 0 7 | Pictured, Lady Warriors during a time-out last year. | PC: Marketing Communications TEAM AFRICA WINS ASB WORLD CUP 02 NEWS T here was much rejoicing on 49ers Field after Team Africa won the ASB World Cup Sept. 17, defeating Latino Fuego 3-2. The ASB World Cup event began in the best way possible: free food. Tables spread with delicious options from around the globe, including Ethiopia, India and China. Although the lines were long, the food was worth the wait. For V2, Angel Pereira, Latino Fuego’s team captain, blessed the crowd with the story of how he developed a personal relationship with Christ. While “Waving Flag” blared over the speakers, the four teams rushed the playing field, flags flying high. After arranging into a line, the teams stood respectfully as a variety of national anthems were sung. There was a quick shoot-out by some of the Preview Day students and then the championship was underway. There were nine players per team and the matches consisted of two 15 minute periods with a short break in-between. The first game was Team Africa (blue shirts) versus Team North America (green shirts). Team Africa started strong and skillfully scored a couple minutes into the match. In the second half, although Team With a lack of support for the team among students and players alike, encouraging more students to make the commitment proves difficult. Ric Spaulding, athletic director for Union, comments, “It’s a generational issue. Society is changing and not for the better. Kids used to be begging for [new teams] and now all they need are their phones.” This isn’t a problem limited to Adventist schools. In the last three years, three of Union’s competitor schools have canceled their seasons due to lack of numbers. During his interview, Spaulding received a call saying two of the teams on the Warriors’ schedule had six or fewer players but were attempting a season anyway. Head coach of the Lady Warriors team, Richard Paradise, plainly adds, “College- level play requires a love for the game. It’s a five month commitment during the school year, and a willingness to improve your craft in the off-season.” Although students don’t come to Union for an athletic program, it could hurt the school to not have a women’s team representing at the invitational basketball tournament, hosted on campus every February. Millsap also warns of how the lack of a team could affect recruitment. “If they don’t see a team this year, incoming students won’t think it’s a possibility,” he states. One commonly mentioned idea is scholarships for the athletics program. “I hope our school and faculty see we need some sort of incentive for students to want to play basketball on the team,” says Jessica Abrahamson, a senior elementary education major and former captain. “If Union offered even a small scholarship, we would probably have more players.” Whether or not a team will begin next season is unclear. Paradise has optimism. “I will continue to do all I can to develop and recruit basketball players for the Union Warriors team,” he says. Brittney (Needs) Origas, a Union graduate and Warriors alum shares the same optimism. “It’s unfortunate to see something I loved so much at Union College come to an end,” she says. “Hopefully in the next couple years we’ll be able to get back to a position that we can have a team.” WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Katie Morrison is a senior studying business administration. EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Emily, 'Emy', Wood Assistant Editor James Clague Social Media Editor Maylina Graham Layout Editors Hannah Gregg Selina Jeong NEWS News Editor Stefani Leeper Photographer Zach Morrison Campus Editor Sean Hendrix Alumni News Graci Escobar Community/World News Caroline Guchu HOUC/Events Autumn Mott LIFESTYLE Lifestyle Editor Ria Carriger Photographer Kimberly Ortiz Special Interest Amanda McCarter Culture/Relationships Katie Morrison Pop Culture Sara Roberts OPINION Opinion Editor Gabriel Flechas Humor Opinion Kevin Niederman Political Opinion Jonathan Deemer Religious Opinion Ginger Hany SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook /ClocktowerASB Snapchat @asbunioncollege Read Online clocktower.ucollege.edu Read the print issuu.com.clocktower/ASB [ continued from page 1] LINCOLN-BASED NONPROFIT MAKES IMPACT WORLDWIDE N E WS 03 North America fought with a passion, Team Africa managed to score two more goals to win the game 3-1. After teams exchanged respects, the field was cleared and Team Euro-Asia (white shirts) and Latino Fuego (red shirts) took the stage. Despite a solid fight put up by Team Euro-Asia, Latino Fuego managed to score once in both periods, ending with a score of 2-0. For the championship match, Latino Fuego and Team Africa fought neck and neck. The first score of the game was by Latino Fuego, followed closely by a goal from Team Africa. The crowd was at the edge of their seats, cheering passionately from the sidelines. Team Africa scored a second goal, and then Latino Fuego gained a point immediately following a failed penalty kick. Triumphant noise filled the field after the championship winning goal from Team Africa. Vuvuzelas blared while eager players received the ASB Word Cup trophy. In the midst of the celebration, I was able to snag a solid summary of the team's feelings: “It was a good day, we dug deep. Everybody pitched in … Now these guys can graduate—we won it finally! The drought is over!” D id you know there are an estimated 55 million people blind or visually impaired in the U.S.? Because of this, there's a great need to provide accessible Christian materials in Lincoln and around the world for these 55 million. Christians Record Services, a Lincoln-based nonprofit, seeks to meet these needs. They specialize in making Christianity practical in everyday issues such as money management, health, and relationships for the blind and visually impaired. The impact they have also extends throughout 70 countries. Christian Records serves more than 18 thousand clients here in the U.S. and worldwide. They offer large print and braille books, magazines, audio books and bible studies—all free of charge. Because of this service, the organization relies heavily on conference offerings from the church and donors. A few of the donors are also clients. Josh Kittleson, who has been running the call center for about five years, says he does everything from tracking orders, communicating with donors, contacting Lincoln public library systems and inquiring about any blind or visually impaired patrons who would benefit from their services, and also a little customer service here and there. The many services available include a lending library which offers more than 1000 books in the U.S. on a digital cartridge, solar powered cartridge and in braille. inSIGHT4VETS offers a solar digital audio player that comes Team Africa won ASB World Cup 3-2. | PC: Autumn Mott Autumn Mott is a sophomore studying communication. preloaded with a collection of books chosen specifically for the blind veteran. For younger children ages three to nine, Wildlife Storytellers are soft, plush animals equipped with a solar digital audio player so as to share music and Christian-centered stories. Also included is a follow-along book for the parents to have a chance to interact. Christian Records services works closely with community services, and school and church groups offering free magazines, books and other amenities to the legally blind. Unfortunately, not everyone is informed as to the impact Christian Records has on the community. “I've never heard of that name before, do they make music or something?” replies sophomore Taylor Young. But after a brief explanation she thought it was a nice business to have in Lincoln, even if it has experienced locational upheaval several times within the last few years. Christian Records was originally located across the street from Engle Hall, but due to limited space, it was relocated to 52nd St. About two months later it was moved again for similar reasons. It now currently resides on 15th St., which is about a 20-minute drive from Union campus. In about a month it will be moving again, but this time the new location will be right down the road somewhere on 48th St. They'll soon be near, so take a few minutes out of your day to check them out. Caroline Guchu is a sophomore studying communication. 04 NEWS I n the small town of Orchard, Neb.— population under 400— a small five-person crew works tirelessly to bring Antelope County the latest news. Covering the towns of Brunswick, Clearwater, Elgin, Neligh, Oakdale, Orchard, Royal and Tilden, the team has renewed the spirit of what a small-town newspaper can be thanks to editor Natalie Bruzon, 2016 graduate and former editor-in- chief of The Clocktower . “It’s a lot of work, and this isn’t what I imagined doing after college, but it’s so rewarding,” she describes. “People are always excited to see their picture in the paper or get their story told and read about their neighbors.” Her favorite part? She couldn’t decide on just one, but gave a multitude of answers, the first being her coworkers. “Honestly, who you work with makes SUCH a difference,” she said. “I love my coworkers.” The second thing? The spontaneity of the job. “I also love how every day is something different. I’m always getting to know new people, or going to take pictures of cute kids somewhere,” she shared. “I really enjoy editing and problem-solving, so I’ve been coming up with ideas to streamline our process, and that’s fun.” Finally, she loves being able to discover new talents and refine what she learned while at Union. “Blake definitely influenced my decision to switch to communications. He was the final push I needed to make that jump, so when I become famous, I’ll send him a thank-you note,” she said with a laugh. “Just kidding! I’ll probably never be famous.” But, her new career isn’t all fun and photography. With new responsibilities come new challenges, and even small- town news reporters can find it hard to maintain stable work, social and personal lives. She explained, “I think my biggest struggle is finding my balance. Finding the balance between giving work my full attention while not ignoring my personal life and goals is a struggle.” Yet, amidst a bustling career, Bruzon recently had an amazing development in her personal life. Her longtime boyfriend, Doug Barahona, a junior theology major, surprised her at Memorial Stadium with a proposal. She excitedly gushed about the experience. “To have the man I love get down on one knee and publicly ask me to be his wife was so awesome and … I don’t know what word to use,” the usually articulate Bruzon confessed. “I was speechless and breathless all at once.” FORMER CLOCKTOWER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOINS COUNTY NEWSPAPER When asked about her other goals for the future (besides a June wedding), she seemed uncertain yet hopeful. “I always wanted to be an editor, like of a magazine, but I always thought that goal was kind of lofty and unattainable. But,” she added, with an accepting smile, “I also never saw myself working as a journalist. Yet, here I am and I really love it.” Bruzon plans to keep the idea of magazine editor in the back of her mind, a subconscious goal to work towards, but not fixate upon. Crediting God for where she is and where she’s been, she explained, “It’s been like I’m walking around blindfolded with God holding my hand. He won’t tell me where I’m going, but I haven’t crashed into any trees yet so I think I’m good.” She laughed at that, ever the optimist. Graci Escobar is a junior studying English. Natalie Bruzon ‘16 shows off her hard work for Antelope County News | PC: Natalie Bruzon NEWS 05 S ept. 8, 2016 marked the 36th anniversary of Project Impact, and the second consecutive year coordinated by Cainan Ming, a senior sports management and business major from Bermuda. Project Impact marks a day when Union College kin take time out of their personal schedules to disperse throughout the community, reaching out to others through acts of kindness and service. As tempting as it would be to just show up with a group of friends at a stranger’s door, that isn’t how the world works in this day and age. For Project Impact to happen, prep work needs to be done beforehand, calls made, appointments set and papers signed. All of this goes on behind the scenes weeks before Union students hit the streets each year, determined to make a difference in the community. When asked what a Project Impact coordinator does Ming explains, “You start off with calling as many sites as you can, seeing if they need volunteers for that day. If they say yes, then you put them down. If they say no, then you move on to the next.” Project Impact is especially meaningful to Ming, because “it’s the catalyst for Campus Ministries. Our goal is service—not just on-campus, but off-campus. This gives a huge opportunity for each student to have at least one volunteer experience for the year. And if they enjoy it they have another opportunity to go back and continue,” he shares. Project Impact isn’t just about doing community service, though; it’s also about reaching out as the hands and feet of Christ, doing what He would do. Ming shares, “A lot of these stories never get told, but there’s a lot of impact in the community. Last year we weren’t able to make it to someone’s apartment and they felt hurt.” In addition, knowing you helped someone who shouldn’t need to repay you is a great feeling. “When I finish helping someone I feel pretty good about myself,” comments Ming. “Some people we go to aren’t able to even sweep the floor, and just sweeping the floor means a whole lot to that person because someone took the time out of their day to help them. It just feels good to help someone else.” In an attempt to get another day off of school to do community service, I asked Ming if there was the slightest chance to arrange a Project Impact part two sometime later in the year. Call me ambitious. However, Ming was ready with the perfect response. He encourages us to partake in the opportunities every week throughout the year. And if there aren’t, all it takes is asking anyone in Campus Ministries what you could do. Ming also spoke a few words of advice for future Project Impact coordinators, “Never give up. No matter how good or bad the situation looks it will always be a success.” Thank you, Cainan Ming, for your diligent work in putting together Project Impact yet another year. CAINAN MING EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE AFTER PROJECT IMPACT Sean Hendrix is a senior studying biomedical science. Cainan Ming shows off this years’ Project Impact t-shirt design. | PC: Zach Morrison “R ight now, I’m part of a children’s band called the Mighty Magic Hands and so far we’ve been having several shows here and there. I’m hoping that it will be big enough to at least give me an official job [after graduation’ … because I’m international, whatever job I have has to be in my major. So at this moment I hope it will be considered something, cause I don’t need to stay here for too long. Just long enough to earn some money. Probably save some money for doing something in lifestyle medicine or public health.” H O U C Charmaine Ang is a junior studying music. HOUC is compiled by Autumn Mott. A dventists are healthy. Well, that’s what they tell us. Because we don’t eat meat, we live longer. We have fewer diseases. We are thinner than average. The Adventist Health Study 2 proves it. That must mean eating in Adventist cafeterias and at Adventist potlucks sets us up for success in life. Or does it? Let’s consider for a moment how healthy the following two people are. Our first subject, Annette, is a life-long Adventist who has never put a morsel of meat in her mouth. Instead, she prefers cheese pizza, Big Franks, bean-and-cheese burritos and white bagels with cream cheese. As a snack, she’ll grab chips or a muffin or cookie. She isn’t a fan of vegetables and only buys fruit occasionally. Our second subject, Elaine, is a non- Adventist. She's not vegetarian, and for meals prepares organic, free-range chicken with sautéed kale, oatmeal with raw cream and fresh fruit and grass-fed beef with brown rice and steamed green beans. She snacks as needed on nuts or sugarless dried fruit. Her kitchen is well-stocked with produce. Who sounds healthier to you? As a person with multiple food sensitivities, I have a unique perspective on this issue. Because of my label-reading habits, I see not only the physical results of people’s diets, but also the minute details of what we put into our bodies. Processed junk. Things that came from a laboratory. We don’t eat meat, but we certainly consume things as far away from healthy as we can get. Non-vegetarian diets are often more healthy than the typical Adventist diet, but we don’t seem to care. Few things could bring more reproach on the so-called “health message” we have for the world. If we as Adventists are as concerned about health as we claim to be, we need to start focusing on the quality of the food we eat. So, veggie meat. It tastes good—if you’re used to it. It isn’t, however, very healthy. It’s full of excessive salt, chemicals and GMO ingredients, I honestly don’t understand how we can say its healthier than organic chicken. How about we start looking for savory, filling recipes that integrate lentils, beans and nuts and redeem ourselves? BIG FRANKS, LITTLE BENEFIT FOLLOWING THE CALL Cheese. Another meat substitute? High in fat, salt and calories. Perhaps we should put more substance into the food we make— peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, potatoes—and some spices. Then we won’t have to drown it in cheese. Fat content down; nutrition content up. Spiritual, mental and physical health are all intertwined, and a lack in any of them will affect the others. Looking at what we’re eating, we can start to understand some of the things going on in our lives. If we put bad fuel into our body, can we expect a clear mind? If we are intemperate in our eating habits, should we be surprised to find we’re struggling with standing firm on spiritual issues as well? What could a switch to a plant- based, whole-foods diet do to transform things? We as a church understand our dietary message. I believe many of us as students and staff take it seriously as well. We already believe to the point of vegetarianism. Let’s believe to the point of health. Ginger Hany is a senior studying biomedical science. Big Franks and Linkettes are a fan favorite, but they're not exactly the healthiest. | PC: Zach Morrison 06 OPINION OPINION 07 W hy do we celebrate birthdays? I don't like to celebrate mine. I mostly just hate special attention. I like to blend in with crowds and tend to feel super uncomfortable when eyes start looking my direction. Everyone seems so excited for it to be their birthday, and to celebrate other folks’ birthdays, but why? What did you do to earn your birth? Why should your birthday be celebrated? If anyone, it's your mother who’s celebrated on your birthday. It should be HER birthday. She's the one who actually gave birth. She spent five to fifteen hours straining and struggling to purge a five to fifteen pound, multi- limbed, fully-functional, breathing person from one of the smallest orifices in her body. It took Leonardo Da Vinci like, twenty years to paint a picture, but your mom PASSIVELY made you over a nine month period. She didn't even try. It's quite possible it was even an accident. Could Jackson Pollock have accidentally made his painting Autumn Rhythm? Just drank a bunch of paint in an attempted suicide, only to vomit up one of the greatest paintings of our time? Yes. Yes he could, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is you're just a pumpkin, and your mom is the farmer. Indulge in my metaphor for a moment. She spends all these years making sure you have the water, fertilizer and sunshine necessary to grow into the biggest, best pumpkin this world has ever seen. You just kinda sit there and get fatter, mindlessly consuming whatever is handed to you. And when you get all big and impressive, your mom wheels you down to the harvest fair, enters you in the pumpkin contest, and wins first place. But when the judges come over to offer their obligational congratulations, they offer it to the pumpkin. “You grew so well, pumpkin!” “Yeah you really sat there and effortlessly did absolutely nothing better than any other vegetable I know.” The farmer just gets to stand there awkwardly, watching her pumpkin garner all the money and praise, while she gets nothing. No acknowledgement. No respect, especially from her pumpkin. Is your birthday the anniversary of some great accomplishment? Did you BIRTHDAY BASHING COLUMN LIKE I SEE ‘EM Kevin Niederman is a junior studying nursing. finally pass that test that allows you to be an independent, functional member of society? No. You haven't done a thing. Is your age a number denoting a particular amount of wisdom you've tirelessly pursued and acquired? Does it actually show that, after reaching 18, you're fully prepared and certified to make decisions about whether or not to smoke? Are you really qualified to help in deciding which person will lead our country for the next four years? Good thing here in Nebraska you need a level 19 wisdom license before consenting to sexual intercourse. That really keeps unwanted pregnancy rates and the spread of venereal disease down, doesn't it? No. Age does not beget wisdom. Experience does. Your birthday is literally the anniversary of that time you sat there, watched your mom do all the work to bring you into this world, after which you immediately started complaining about it. And you wouldn't shut up for the rest of your life. Birthdays are meant to celebrate, but celebrate what exactly? | Drawing: Kevin Niederman 8 OPINION S U D O KU 9 5 6 3 6 8 9 7 8 6 4 5 2 7 3 1 3 4 5 8 7 1 7 9 4 http://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku_puzzles/sudoku_hard_259.html The Clocktower encourages reader feedback and strives to maintain accuracy. If you have comments, please email us at cltower@gmail.com. The Clocktower, established in 1927 and sponsored by the Associated Student Body 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 opinion of the editors, Associated Student Body, Union College, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. WHEN VIDEO GAMES GO TO THE BIG SCREEN | Sara Roberts | VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE EMOTION IS THE DEATH OF REASON | Jonathan Deemer | THE POPULARITY OF VEGETARIAN DISHES | Amanda McCarter | FINISH READING the clocktower online @clocktower.ucollege.edu LIKE US ON FACEBOOK for the latest news /ClocktowerASB #d r o pyo u r d r aw er s Campus Ministries is collecting donations for new men, women and children's under garments by Oct. 2, 2016. Stop by Campus Ministries to sign up for volunteering at People City Mission on Sunday Oct. 2, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Last Issue's Sudoku Answer: