inside ASB Banquet NEWS pages 4-6 Check out the new academic changes. SPORTS page 8-9 Life of the soccer ball. RELIGION pages 10-11 Thanks Union. LIVING pages 12-1 3' Do you really want a credit card ? ARTS page ~ 16 A frog into a prince? Read all about it in A Modern Fairy Tale. ENTERTAINMENT page 18 Are they really from California? Find the ans wcr jn this sect * 6 n • -19 Crystal and Cherilyn toast to the future of their friendship. “The ocean couldn't' be crossed but Columbus did it. The Atlantic couldn’t be crossed solo by air, but Lindbergh did it. The moon was out of reach but men have landed on it.” Paul S. McElroy Celtic Danring By Cassandra Milnes E verything is fine and dandy until Somebody loses a kilt. Well, maybe not, but that was the moral of the fable told by Seth Pierce at Angela Barber’s masterfully planned ASB Celtic Festival on April 1. The students started to arrive at 6 p.m. at the Lincoln Station Great Hall, where they were serenaded by Bliss McClellan with her bagpipes, Israel Knight with his recorder, and Kelly James with her flute. Couples waiting for dinner posed for photos in front of a romantic setting designed by Amie Regester. Servers in black tie delivered plates of salad and then the main course of three-cheese tortellini or mushroom fettuccini for . dinner. Heather Elias commented, "The food was the best served at a banquet 1 have attended." After the main course came the only difficult decision of the evening: which dessert to choose to best complement the sparkling Scott Cushman and Buffy Turner model their attire for the ASB banquet white grape juice. "The cheesecake was clearly the best choice," said Priscilla Jones. The Lincoln Irish Dancers then performed several Celtic dances. Although the platform serving as a dance floor collapsed twice, thankful­ ly no one was injured. After their presentation was finished, they invit­ ed Union students to j.oin them for a quick "leap across the stream." Many came onto the floor to participate while the instructors placed them­ selves in several positions throughout the group. Two traditional dances were taught and learned with some chaos and much laughter. “The dancing was a dream come true for me,” said Cherilyn VanTassel. Many students demonstrated their ASB spirit by wearing Celtic costumes such as kilts and Elizabethan dresses. A festively dressed Scott Cushman summed up his evening of Irish fun by saying, Everything's more fun in a kilt." clock tower staff 2000.2001 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF romeka ahrens ASSISTANT EDITOR karrie juhl LAYOUT & DESIGN callie kanen COPY EDITOR becca marsh NEWS EDITOR kayla thorn RELICION EDITOR gina jacob LIVING EDITOR Christina smith ARTS EDITOR rolf holbrook ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR shawna malvini SPORTS EDITOR greg Steiner PHOTO EDITOR klaralyn gatz U SAID IT jodi wall REPORTERS nick baybrook todd casey gabriel gonzales heather kampf Cassandra milnes dustin opitz brodie philpott marcelo plioplis daniela prieto sissel schlisner teresa smith OPINION nathan blake brodie philpott andy nash COMIC manuel eagan PHOTOGRAPHERS klaralyn gatz ADVISOR/GUEST EDITORIAL andy nash ADVERTISING MANAGER rebecca marsh PRINTER oakcreek printing The Clocktower is the official student paper of Union College. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opin­ ions of the editors. Union College, ASB, or the SDA church. The editorial staff retains the right to determine the con­ tent of the Clocktower. The editorial mission of the Clocktower is to facili­ tate discussion and inform students, faculty, and friends of UC about events and issues that affect their lives. Our office is located in the Student Center (Atrium). Our phone number is 402.488.2331 x2091. Our email is cltower® ucollege .edu. To My Young Friends... L ast month I turned 30. Before my brain shuts down and I shuffle off, I thought I’d pass on a few things I learned from my 20s. Go ahead-!-fill your backpacks with as many items as you wish. 1 won't be needing them anymore. School and Work • You're in college to train you * bratn.! This dawned on me about my junior year;! when I real­ ized that I wasn't remembering much, even when 1 actually studied like I should. Good grades and information retention (i.e. the fiv®p^| in the motivated sequence) are wonderful byproducts of college. But you're mostly here to teach how |to think and to function like a professional (and also how to Celtic dance). • Speaking of professionalism, no job deserves; less than your best effort and attitude. Hot only; are Christians called to exceIlence--to create and to be able to say "It's good "--hut jobs (and degrees) that you blow off tend to COrne: back to;; haunt you in the form of references. • Travel while you can. Before all your acquisi­ tions strap you down, see and serve the :world via; the student missionary program and other global opportunities. (Has anyone not seen my Thailand slides yet?) Friends and Family • Jerry Seinfeld was right: The friendships you! make before age 30 are probab 1 y the plosest ones! you'll ever have. • Only time-lots of it-canfj heal a painful breakup. Try to wait patiently for things to turn around. Six months after a tough breakup (with someone I didn't even match;! I just liked the companionship), I met the absolute gjrl|of my dreams. Trust God's end-fromrtbe-beginning per­ spective. In the meantime, it's okay to hurt late at night and first thing in the morning. • Marriage is wonderful; never for a moment have I missed the dating years. Marriage is also hard, especially the first couple years: "What's the problem with six hours of football?" Things will be even harder if you marry someone with different beliefs. Very rarely do people change after they marry. • Raising children is also wonderful and also hard. Cindy and I didn't wait long to have a baby, \ just two years. While we adore our girls, we would I recommend waiting a little longer, allowing you to | focus on your marriage and build up a huge trunk !|full of cash. God and Church • Grace (beginning again in God) has come into "style the past few years in the Adventist Church, and it will probably again go out of style. Fight to keep it around; don't let the Church return to the guilt-drenched days your parents grew up in. All great works are rooted in grace. |||: • Ninety-nine times out of hundred, you won't be able to change your local church and you prob­ ably shouldn't try. As theologian Jon Paulien Says, "It's a terrible thing to make someone go against their conscience, even if they're wrong." A much better method is to start your own church or ministry outside of traditional airspace, where yob can truly function. (Don't be surprised if 'yobr original church begins to feel jealous--"oh, we really do want you, after all." There's biblical precedent for this; see Romans 11:11-14.) 1 To last summer's world church session. North America sent 179 delegates--zero of whom were under age 30 (and seven of whom were under age 40). Please: As soon as you get "power" within this denomination, share it with a young person. It's the best way the reverse the cycle and help keep the half we're currently losing--and deserve to lose, Andy Nash Our Generation By Brodie T. Philpott I think I could easily say that the people that make up our generatidh havei it better off than any preceding generation thus far in the hi»tor USA. We are more affluent than our grandparents could have dreamed-df. We have more opportunities open to us than at any other time in the p*|t. We have any information that we desire flying at us at the speed of light. Is there anything that we don't have? Is there anything in the entire world tfrat our- generation lacks? Grit. If you don't know what I mean, let me explain, I look at my grandparents’ generation, and I see a people hard iron. Persevering throught hardships and trials-first the Great Depress|*>ft V and second World War II-they emerged, a generation strong with American Ideals and laid the foundation for the modern life we now take for granted. -tlook at my parents’ generation and I see an effect of reverse magnetism against the hard iron of their parents. They saw injustices for what they were arid fought for change. Once again this change in mentality was brought about by external hardship: Vietnam. I look at my generation and I see a people who scarcely remember-the trials of the past and take it for granted that things always were as; they;tire now. I hate to say it, but we are soft. We are the product of two gepBrattons worth of hard-won freedom. Our grandparents and our parents fought hard to preserve the freedom, peace, and equality that we now enjoy. I recently visited the Strategic Air Command museum (I would high­ ly recommend it to everybody) and noticed a small plaque that stands under The nose of the SR-71 Blackbird. Part of it read, “Freedom is not free, it Exacts a price from every generation.” As I gazed up at an aircraft that can iffy over three thousand miles per hour, I wondered what price freedom has from my generation. I can easily name what it has taken from my parents and my grandparents’, but for me it has only given. I may be wrong, but I believe this to be one of the few times in |t!$ltory where freedom has given and not taken. The problem that our geiieration faces is we forget freedom does not always give, and that in the !fpture if freedom is something we truly treasure, we will have to give horri­ bly jto it. We fight for things that mean a great deal to us. Right now our gen­ eration is fighting for better pay, or nicer cars, or more leisure time, and freedom is something that we have always had and therefore not something to give; a second thought to. But someday, my fellow college students, freedom's tax Collector will come knocking on our door, and we will have the choice to pay Up or skip town. I hope that when that day comes our generation will be woken up from its sweet reverie and pay for what we have been using for free. PONDER THIS by Nathan Blake SELFISH CONSERVATIVES (AM I BEING REDUNDANT?) W ell, O Loyal Reader, I'm sure you missed my astute thoughts and words. last, issue. Mr. Procrastinator took over my body for a bit too long (sorry Romeka). Now I'nl back! And I Won't stand'idle as the Alaskan wilderness is raped to line.the pockets of, President Bush's Big Oil buddies. (He's gotta pay them back somehow for the millions and millions of campaign dollars they gave him,) I jumped on the old Internet to get some facts on this issue as presented by my friendsuavtw .defenders .org . Buckle up, it's my th-debunkin • time. lyiyth. numero uno is that if we opep up the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska to oil drilling, we will become somewhat self-sufficient. Not so. K'nown U.S. reserves hold only 2.R percent of the world's oil and yet we, with our extravagant lifestyle, use|almdst a third of the world's production-.. Unless we/reduce consumption, our dependence on foreign oil is not going away. As the leading natural resources expert at the conservative Cato Institute recently stated, "Energy independence thus makes for good political rhetoric but inane economic policy,'' In addition, since OPEC basically determines crude oil prices, we still wouldn't be getting Sl/gallon gas anytime soon, under any circumstances. And this "crisis" in California (brought on by deregulation) won't be aided by ANWR drilling either. The Congressional Research Service estimates that actual oil production wouldn't begin for at least 15 years. And even then, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, it's "estimated that the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains no more than a six-month supply of oil at our current consumption rates." Far from being spill-free, Alaska's North Slope has about one reportable spill every 18 hours. Plus, transporting oil is sketchy (seems I remember a certain Exxon Valdez spilling North Slope crude oil). This all adds up to harming the environment. The Arctic Refuge is home to caribou, polar bears, muskoxen, wolves, wolverines, grizzly bears, snow geese-all sorts of cool wildlife. These species will definitely be injured by a greater oil drilling presence. Americans agree that protecting the environment is more impor­ tant than sucking out a little oil. According to a recent bipartisan poll, 2/3 of us want the Arctic Refuge to be declared a national monument and off-lim­ its to oil;drilling. Really, this is a prime example of modern political conservatism, which is--af its Cjbre--selfish. Big oil and gas business want to make a bigger prof­ it, and Are willing to further sacrifice the environment. (Just like many of us who unnecessarily own gas-guzzling SUVs are willing to sacrifice the environment;) We see this self-centeredness at many other levels as well. Take, for instance, the recent failure of the property tax levy override that would have aided Lincoln's public schools. People think, "I don't want to pay any more taxes,’* and then willingly sacrifice highest-quality education. For that matter, tax cuts in general are pretty selfish. People want to hang on to every penny (even when they have much, much more than they need) rather than guarantee adequate health care to every person. And gun control. People think, "I want a gun" and don’t care what effect lax gun laws have on violent crime. Conservatives are those people who drive lightless right after the sun goes down, when it's still not totally dark. They think, "I can see fine, so I won't put on my lights." Of course, the lights should be on so OTHER people can see them. Thinking of others. What a (Christ-like) concept. Academic Changes in General Education and Graduation with Honors By Dustin Opitz T he academic council, headed by Dr. Lowell Hagele, vice president for academic admin­ istration, announced 'changes to the^general education requirements as well as the requirements to graduate with honors. The major changes include the following: Christian Beliefs can now be taken for upper-division credit. 2. The previous "Arts and Ideas" category has been expanded and now includes music, history and art history courses. 3. The "West and the World" requirement has been revised. Students who have studied both U.S. History and World History in high school may now choose what history course they will study. Those who have studied only one of the above must study the other in college. 4. Computer literacy may be met by completion of an appropriate high school course. For students who have done so, the "Computer and Applied Sciences" category has been broadened to include FNCE 215, Personal Finance, and at a later date, applied com­ puter courses as approved by the General Education Committee. 5. To enroll in 300- and 400-level courses, students will be required to have com­ pleted ENGL 111, ENGL 112, and to have sophomore standing. "Sophomore standing" implies completion of at least 24 semester hours (p. 31 UC 2001-2003 Bulletin). (Note: current freshman hours will be computed as a combination of hours earned first semester and their current second semester load. Even though they will not have completed 24 hours at the time of preregistration during the second semester, they can still consider 300- and 400-level courses when they preregister.) 6. The Dean's list cut-offs (p. 37 UC 2001-2003 Bulletin) now match those for graduating (p. 46) with honors. This should help avoid confusion. It does,, however, raise the "bar" for the dean's list. Here are the new standards: Academic Performance Recognition Dean's Distinguished List Dean's List Honor Roll GPA Range 3.90-4.00 3.75-3.89 3.50-3.74 3.50 Graduation Honors Baccalaureate Degrees Summa Cum Laude Magna Cum Laude Cum Laude Associate Degrees Commendation Dr. Hagele said, "Students can do everything in the new general education program as they could in the old program." However, the new program has been expanded to include more options. The changes are aimed at giving students more flexibility and decreasing class size. For example, instead of having to take West and the World with seventy people, even though one already had World History in high school, a student now has the option to choose a smaller class in either American or World history. Some reasons for the changes result from information given by Union students in Noel-Levitz surveys in previous years. Students wanted more options and flexibility. Id response, Hagele commented, "We want to design a program so that students are not pushed into large classes. We want to keep classes small and intimate. These changes also give students more ownership.of their programs and takes their backgrounds into considera­ tion." Various other changes have been made within academic departments. The religion department changed many courses, their numbers, and course credit hours, and if you are a non-native English speaker, an associate degree can now be obtained in English as a Second Language. These are two examples of the many changes within departments. The new bulletins with the above changes are available in the Admissions Office. If students have other questions, Dr. Hagele encourages them to see their advisors. Fishing But Now Missing b y Kayla Thom. A fishing vessel with 15 people in it disappeared April 2 in the Bering Sea. An emergency beacon from the boat, the Arctic Rose, began signaling at 3:30 a.m., however, the Coast Guard did not arrive in the area until 8:30 a.m. Searchers spotted two bodies, an oily sheen, an empty life raft, survival suits, and other debris. There had been no distress signal from the crew before the locator beacon signaled and it had last contacted its sister ship, the Alaskan Rose, about 10:30 p.m. at its normal check-in time on Sunday. The Arctic Rose is owned by Arctic Sole Seafoods of Seattle. It is a catcher- processor vessel, a vessel that catches fish in trawl nets and has equipment on board to clean and freeze them. The Coast Guard is continuing the Search for more survivors or a reason why the ship may have wrecked. Source: New York Times Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Kayla Thom 66 Tf it doesn't get there tomorrow, at Aleast it will get there by Saturday," you mutter as you slip an already late birthday card into the mailbox. Well, due to slowing business and large projected losses, this may no longer be possible. The US Postal Service announced that it will study cutting back to a five-day schedule, which would elim­ inate mail delivery on Saturdays. They will also examine how much money consolidating and closing some postal offices can save. Last fiscal year, the post office had a $199 million loss, and they are estimating a $2-$3 billion loss this coming year. The Postal Service management will report their study results within 90 days. * The price of first class stamps went up a penny to 34 cents in January. Postal managers, are preparing to apply this summer for another rate increase, which would take effect next year. This study will look at ending all Saturday mail, with the exception of overnight delivery. Source: USA Today Lobby Day at the Unicameral: Social Work Students Broaden Their Perspective By Daniela Prieto O n March 29, 2001, social work majors Aimee Bennett, Reg Bollinger, Nick Ellingson. Angie Loney, Cheryl Searles, and Daniela Prieto were given a chance to expand their perspective of the social work profession along with other social work students from various colleges and universities in Nebraska. The students made their way-to the Unicameral in down­ town Lincoln early Thursday morning to participate in a leg­ islative lobbying in-service day organized by the Nebraska chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The day began with a breakfast where students were able to talk and meet with some of Nebraska's senators. The students were exposed to specific training in bill passage and lobbying tech­ niques. The day concluded with students listening to a floor debate. Some of the senators present at the debate were Senator Chambers, Senator Foley, Senator Byars, and Senator Brown. Daphne Petersen, NASW intern, organized the lobby day and wanted to "expose students to the practical application of...social policy." Petersen also wanted the students to become familiar with the legislative process, and actively get involved at that level of social work intervention. Union College social work student, Angie Loney, shared, “It gave me a much broader understanding of how we obtain money and support to meet the needs of clients.” Social work is about change. Bruce Schlieder, head of Union College social work department, likes to refer to social workers as “agents of change. As social workers, we understand [that] in order to help a client effectively, it is not enough to lis­ ten to their problems. Sometimes helping a client means chang­ ing current law or establishing a new one. Social workers are all about creating change.” The lobby day at the Unicameral gave social work students of Nebraska the opportunity to see how they can become active participants in the legislative process. As future social workers, these students will not only create change for their individual clients, but will also create change for the betterment of society. NewsFrom the Upperground Illustrated by Klaralyn Gatz • A new store called Treetop Thrift will be opening the first of May! Please bring all items for donation to the Community Oak within the next two weeks. Only two old pinecones per family will be accepted. • Can you stuff 13 acorns in your mouth? Can you do 19 continuous back flips? Have you mas­ tered a song and want to chatter it? Whatever your talent, the town talent show will be com­ ing in three weeks! Auditions will be held next Sunday at 1 p.m. • Another holiday is quickly approaching. All members of the ECSA (Easter Candy Snagging Association), please meet in the Community Oak this Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to plan this year's tactics of obtaining Hershey's Kisses with Almonds from the humans. • Bring your young ones to Suzy's Spring Snapshot Studio for pictures that will last a lifetime! Have your baby dressed in a rabbit costume or set in front of a beautiful mixed nut back­ ground. By appointment only, please. DID YOU KNOW? • Joan Gordon of the UK decorates her home for Christmas each year with cards that have robins on them. To put all 10,677 different cards up, she starts decorating in November! • The largest apple pie ever baked, was made by the North Central Washington Museum, at Walla Walla Point Park, Washington, on August 16, 1997. The pie. weighed 15.37 tons and was 44 x 24 ft. • The most decimal places to which k (not edible pie!) has been calculated is 206,158,430,000. • An estimated 72,000 people took part in a Chicken Dance held during the Canfield Fair in Ohio in September of 1 996. News A s the end of the school year approaches all sorts of banquets start springing up in the social atmosphere at Ualoft College. This included the Junior/Senior banquet, which was held March 25. My hat goes off to the officers of the junior class for the awesome evening they presented. Daisy Ornopia (President), Michael Mewhirter (VP), Brian Adams (Financial VP), Stefan Kaiser (Pastor), Daniels Prieto (Secretary), and Brodie Philpott (Parliamentarian) form the committee that arranged the elegant dinner. One hundred of my friends and I got together at the Cornhusker Hotel to enjoy a mix of great food and wonderful entertainment. As always, the Cornhusker Hotel displayed their skills as magnificent cooks and hosts to our banquet. Gayle Becwar, an agile magician and comedian, provided the entertainment. The evening was filled with laughter and many surprises. Mr. Keith Riese (junior class sponsor) provided one of the highlights of the night when he showed Gayle that he can also do magic, but only with the micro­ phone. Brian Adams also tried to create magic while wearing a pink shower cap and impersonating the pope. A blue shower cap was given to Seth Pierce, who assisted Brian Adams with his magic trick while impersonating a baby. Cafeteria workers were also represented on stage by Jeni Whitlock. Tonya Rizijs and her students fromSacramento Academy joined us for the evening. Just to keep her record in good standing, Tonya, a recent UC Alumnus, was called up front and made fun of. It was a magical evening that will stay in our minds for a long time. The junior class did a great job at bidding farewell to the seniors. Being a junior myself, I would like to end by wishing all the best to the first class of the mil­ lennium. Thank you and God Bless! Jenny, Brian, comedian Gayle, and Seth Having a good time at Junior/Senior. Futsal, Indoor Soccer, Court Soccer, whatever.... by Marcelo Plioplis B efore the game starts, I usually find myself sitting on the court floor, meditating on what's to come. 1 begin to feel that everyone is looking at me. I don't get discouraged because 1 know I will do a good job, no matter what. When my thoughts are almost completely focused, the official starts the game and it all gets a little rough. During the game, I run from one side to the other, and find myself at the edges of the court quite often. Maybe things are not working right, maybe I'm doing something wrong. After a while, my feelings change depending on the game. If I am being screamed at because it's not a goal, or because I went in the wrong direction, I try to forget the problem and focus on what I can do to make the show continue. Because this game is a much faster game than others, I know that people tend to get a lot more nervous, or happy depending on the outcome of their game. I am still focused, looking ahead to make the That's when I enjoy be'ing but there, looking at all the players, but playing my game, doing what I do best and living it in my soul. Most of the time I am taken for granted and receive some rough plays, but I am still focused. The times1 I love the most are the ones when nobody is close to me, when I feel I have all the time in the: world to play my best game, to fly the highest, to play tricks with thegoalie and to score a goal. It's all joy, everything else is past, all is gone except for the excitement, the happiness; and the. greatest feeling of all realizing that if it wasn't for me, this game wouldn't be worth anything.' I know other people in the game might not 'be thinking the same way, but I am realized; I am fulfilled; I am overjoyed. On Sunday evenings,' come watch me play in the fastest soccer game on the planet. Oh, and by the way, I am the soccer ball. ATTENTION THOSE WHO LOVE BIBLE TRUTH An inspiring book where the Holy Spirit enlightens the wise. Determine once and for all the work God wants women to do Women in Their Place-Does God Call Women? by Una J. Underwood MD, totally revised, published 2000 Sabred writings of the Bible and SOP quoted in full Jesus’ expectations for] women now rarely proclaimed: • Old Testament: High priests, physicians, prophets • New Testament: ministers, prophets, apostles • Ellen White’s Day: evangelists, preachers, pastor • And Today: scientific studies regarding aptitude Sc iptural and regular index; quantity limited at college bookstores, ABC’s, Teaching Services 1-800-367-1844 Men's Hockey Intramurals By Todd Casey M en's hockey has started again, which means more bruises. This is the time of year for the northerners to show off their talent and to let the rest of the world know they know how to play at least one sport with style. Out of the past two years of hockey, this year shows more talent than last year offered. Teams this year are pretty well balanced, which means more goal scoring and closer games. The standings for teams are as follows: Wild with four wins1, Avalanche with three wins and one loss. Oilers with two wins and two losses. Kings with one win and three losses, and Bruins with four losses. Felix Alicea leads the league with the most goals, ten, followed by Bill Heinrich and Tad Edgerton; both with nine. Leading with assists is Bill ’Heinrich with eight. Remember these stats are not final, and are only cur­ rent from the last four games. There's still half a season left for these athletes. Nobody's position in the standings' is secure because there is still the tournament, Where anything goes. I encourage you to Come bn down and see these teams'play Monday'and Wednesday nights at 5:30 and 6:30. I promise, you won't be disappointed. / Co-ed Hockey Intramurals by Sissel Schlisner W hat do men, women, bruises, and a puck all have in common? Co-ed Hockey! On Tuesday and Thursday nights the gym is alive with men and women all running in circles chasing a small orange puck. I never signed up to play but somehow (those sneaky intramural workers) I was placed on a team. The first game day arrived and as soon as I set foot onto the court, I realized I was out of my league. I had forgotten that Union is filled with Canadians that are born with pucks in their mouths and sticks in their hands (Yes I know this is a stereotype, but go with me here). The game began, and soon my 7:30 a.m. Rhythmical Aerobic workouts paled in comparison to the workout I was given while playing. After a couple of bumps and bruises, I survived the game. Some blood was shed, but surprisingly it was not my own. Hockey is one of those games you can't be good at overnight. To have the skill of controlling the puck is something I am sure I won't accomplish with my short intramural experience. Yet, I can still have fun making a fool of myself while trying. As a fan of the NHL (Go Predators!), my respect for those professional players has only heightened because they have handling skills while on ice. Then I remember my theory about most of them being born with pucks in their mouths, so I no longer feel as inadequate. If anyone thinks this sport isn't hardcore, they obviously haven't tried it. This fast-paced game is one I recommend everyone try. Gymnastic Tours by Nick Bay brook I love gymnastic tours. There is something about waking up at 5:00 a.m. just so you can get crammed into van for a ride that will last at least 12 hours (depending on bathroom breaks). At least that is what 1 was telling myself the morning I got up to go to Dakota Adventist Academy. An hour later, I was starting to feel that way about the whole trip. The drive wasn't all that exciting (actually it was really long), except for the windshield insulation ripping off and scaring the whole van while they were going down the high­ way . In true gymnastics fashion, we got there about an hour late. Thankfully, the cafeteria workers at DAA are incredibly nice people and kept supper waiting for us. That night, for the academy, we had vespers, which consisted of talks by Nick Lauletta and Austin Sharp. These were both insightful and inspirational. 1 know I was truly blessed. In fact, the pastor there was so impressed, he asked us to not only do Sabbath school, but church as well. This we did, and Nick and Austin spoke again. Sabbath afternoon was spent mingling in the atrium area with the students from DAA. They are a bunch of great kids and we had fun goofing off with them. Our show was Saturday night. Some of us were a little appre­ hensive because we hadn't been able to run through some of our routines, but Frank Martinez reminded us that we are there to have fun and to give glory to God. With this firmly in our minds, we did our show. It happened to be one of the best shows we have done so far this year. Our entrance routine went extremely well, as did all the other routines, especially the guys’ rou­ tine (smiles). As we drove back that night after the show, we were all excit­ ed and tired. I have to give a big thanks to all those who drove back, espe­ cially to Fred Lorenz and Rich Schmidt for helping us out by driving the Ryder truck with all of our equipment for us. Thanks guys! Next we are going to Maplewood Academy and Minnetonka Christian Academy in Minnesota. We are doing a show at MCA on Friday and MWA on Saturday night. Our home-show here at Union is on April 14. I encourage all to come and see us. culture shock,exotic faces, theunexpected... LETTERS FROM AN SM I cried so much today. Not one tear of it was for myself. But I cried as if my heart was breaking, for it was. About a week and a half ago, the father of two of our students died. It wasn't expected last month and now he is gone. Myrna is a junior and Martina is in the 8th grade. Both .of these girls are SOO sweet and SOOO precious. They are two of the joys here in my life. Especially Martina. She is a light and a joy. Myrna is more quiet and reserved. These two are the youngest in their family. Only 14 and 16. And now here they are without a daddy in their lives. I think I have a tendency to put away painful things until I have to face it. I knew that their father had died and I was sorry, but it wasn't until today that the magnitude of it all hit me. After school today the jun­ iors, seniors, and 8th graders went to the house of the family to pay their respects. I was fine outside of the house. I was fine when I first walked in the door. But the second 1 laid eyes on Martina and Myrna, my heart start­ ed to break. Martina was just sitting there on the floor beside her father's coffin, staring at him and crying. After awhile, she buried her face into a book cover of some sort and cried. She didn't uncover her face the whole time we were in the house. Myrna sat right behind her, a look of unspeak­ able pain on her face. Tears streamed down my face as I watched this precious little girl that I had grown to love so much in so much pain. I turned and looked at Josh-Martina is his student-and saw some of the same pain there. Myrna sat with her face turned away from us. It was almost as if she didn't want us to see the pain that was hidden deep in her. I just stared at these two little girls. They looked so vulnerable. My heart broke. I questioned God. This wasn't fair. This family was close. They are Christians. Why? But still the tears were only just a stream. I had to be as strong as I could be in there. I had to be. After all was finished, we one-by-one went up to put either a dollar or a bar of soap up by the casket, a tradition to h£lp fljjjfray Questions for My Church I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. At different times of my -life, this has been somewhat of an embarrassment. Back when I placed a high priority on acting cool (before I discovered how futile those efforts were), I didn't much care to broadcast my SDA (or evei|||(|hri&;iian) credentials. Nowadays I still am not any sort of in-your-face street- corner evangelist, but I do enjoy talking about my denomthon ;wjth interested friends. Mostly, spiritual discussions intrigue me because I Van learn a lot about the other person (and they me). But I also derive some satisfaction in setting people straight about our church. YpiU see, a lot of people have some bad stereotypes about us wacky Seven-dayS|(Ju$t as we do with Latter-day Saints' polygamous practices and Jehovah's Witnesses' persistent witnessing and Scientologists', we!l>^ju|t about everything.). I like to set them straight and tell them about my OhttrcH'a worthy attributes. But at times, I'm still embarrassed about my church. And now it's for different, more substantial reasons. When year after year the General Conference re fuses : to allow women to be ordained, it's hard for me to claim this denomination. When sexism pervades every level of the church hierarchy, I am offended. When I look at our church structure and}fegiort*f conferences, I am embarrassed. Our church is divided into Black add White, and that is wrong. Here we are, almost forty yea£$j rejhiOYed from the Civil Rights victories of the '60s, and my denaminatiot)iis still practicing segregation. When I hear homophobic comments again and.fagalii coming from people in the church that I otherwise respect, my Stomach. Regardless of whether homosexuality is a sin or not, we are ail sinners. Anti-gay hatred--even when it's sub tie unwarranted and funeral costs. When I went up and put my hand on both of their knees, Martina kept her face covered, but I could tell she was listening. 1 told them that I was sorry and that I loved them. I looked at Myrna and saw the understanding and appreciation in her eyes. I am sure that these were the only words of comfort that they got from that group. The Marshallese are not as open with that kind of thing as we are. As I walked out of the house and put on my zorries, the tears began to stream until a river flowed from my eyes. I had to get away from every one. I walked around the corner of the house, leaned against it, and cried. I couldn't eat. I walked back to campus. I walked into the Brown's house and burst into tears. I only stayed for awhile and went right back. I couldn't stay on campus when those two girls were hurting less than a quarter mile away. It was the right thing to do. I've spent all afternoon and a good part of the evening at that house. The girls appreciated it. This was a good time to witness to this family. God will use this for good. Still I cry. My heart breaks. I am tired of living in a world where this kind of pain exists. I am tired of living in a world where little 14-year-old girls have to sit beside their daddy's coffin and stare at that-body that used to be so full of life. Where 16 year old girls have to wonder who will walk them down the aisle at their weddings. Where they have to wonder why. 1 see now why so many question the goodness of God. I am glad that I know that this was never a part of the eternal plan. God NEVER meant for this to be this way. I am glad to know that HE is in control. Because if I didn't know that right now, I would be going CRAZY! Satan's plan is more and more.clear to me. I cannot wait for the day when Martina and Myrna will see their father again. Please pray for Myrna and Martina. The next few years and months will be hard for them. Pray for me also. I need it! I love you all! Tammy McGee intolerable. When Adventist speakers are proud of their anti-Catholic bigotry, I hide my face. When, out of the scores of GC delegates from the North American Division, not one is under thirty years old, I wonder if the church even cares about me. When SDA attitudes on Christian behavior remain overtly legalistic ahd continue to focus on the don'ts, I wonder if this denomination is really mine. When parishioners get all up-in-arms about different music styles and how rock music is evil and drums are straight from the depths of hell, I turn away. When people stratify sins and then act as if they are more holy than others and in a place to judge, and when church-members exhibit rampant hypocrisy, and when I am told oyer and over without good reason that all dancing is wrong (why could they dance in the Bible?), I am embarrassed. Then when I read in the Adventist Review and hear discussions (sometimes, not often enough) about why young people aren't sticking with the church, 1 am amazed. For me and people like me, the chur,ch is becoming less relevant. It's, difficult to reconcile my strong, primary belief in a loving God with a denomination that shows signs of being isexist, racist, homophobic, ageist, legalistic, and hypocrjtjcal. I don't Itow which direction to take. If the church wants to grow stronger and keep us young-uns, it to concentrate on righting these persistent wrongs, focusing on Christ the radical, and ensuring relevance to our lives. And because I am the church as well, I'm going to keep bringing up thesc embarrassments. [Roses By Alicia Johnston I spent the summer of '99 as a student literature evangelist in Denver, Colorado. The experience taught me a lot. Every day I watched people make decisions with eternal significance. As I watched, I realized that everyone has a war of eternal significance waging in their souls. The stakes are always high; indeed, they were for Jim Lewis. On a hot day in Denver, l was working hard. I walked up to another house and rang the doorbell. As I waited for an answer, 1 glanced around me. The yard was in terrible shape. There were weeds creeping out of the dirt lawn, and the. cement was crisscrossed by cracks. In contrast to the scraggly lawn, several lush, well-kept rose bushes were next to the house., I thought, the owner must be proud of those bush­ es. Looking toward the door I saw a small, carved plaque that read, "Jim Lewis," and next to that a bright red sticker that read, "NO SMOKING, OXYGEN IN USE." After several moments an old man wheeling an oxygen tank answered the door. I think he was in his early eighties, and he hadn't aged well. His hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in- days. He was breathing heavily through the oxy­ gen tank. His eyes looked very dull and distant, and he looked miserable. I knew there was no chance that he could read any of my books. From the beginning I decided that I was not going to focus on trying to sell him any books, but that instead, for this house, I would focus on tryin to bring this dying man a blessing. "Those are some really pretty roses you have, sir. It's Jim Lewis right?" I said, pointing to the plaque. I was trying to make friends with him. I thought he could probably use it. "That's right, Jim." He smiled. "I have the hardest time keeping the bugs off of them, but they sure are pretty. My boy and his wife come over every Sunday and water them for me." After he showed off his roses, I told him I was doing a scholarship program. Then 1 showed him the large print book, Peace Above the Storm (the original title is Steps to Christ). Since he was old, I knew his hearing probably wasn't very good. So at the top of my lungs, l told him that a book about Jesus is helping people around the world find peace in life. Jim listened carefully. Then he said, "I can't read, but that looks nice. You're doing a really nice thing you know." "That's okay sir." I thought about asking for a donation, but didn't have the heart. Yet, I wasn't ready to leave. I smiled my best smile and said, "Those are really nice roses. It's nice of your son to help out like he does." Jim got quiet for a little while. He seemed to be having a hard time with something. "They're going to move me to a nursing home," he finally said. "I’m so sorry sir, it must be very hard to leave your homeland your pretty roses." "Yes, and my beautiful roses." He couldn't hold back the tears. It seemed silly, an old man breaking down in front of a teenage girl, telling her about having to go to a nursing home, but; at least to a small degree, I understood what he was feeling. I have visited a few nursing homes. More importantly, for years I have watched my parents do everything they can to keep my grandma out of them, and I have seen my grandma struggle with the thought that some day she might have to go. A few of them are nice, but mostly they are smelly, poorly staffed, and the "occupant" loses most of his dignity. When Jim goes to a nursing home, he will lose his place as an independent member of society. It will no longer matter if he is a doctor, a poet, or a construction worker. He will become an old man who can't even take care of his own daily needs. "I'm so sorry sir," I said. Then I tried to reassure him of the one hope he had left. "At least you know that someday soon it will all be over and you will go to Heaven." t wanted to help him have faith. "I know what we can do. When we get there, we can run through the rose bushes together." I had no idea how he would react to any of this. He stared back with curiosity in his weary eyes. "How do I know if 1 will go to Heaven?" The poor man was desperate. His time was almost up. I couldn't believe God was giving me the chance to share the gospel with this shut-in. "All you need to do is believe that Jesus paid the price, and that he will forgive your sins. Do you believe that?" "Yes." "Then we will run through the rose bushes together." The old man desperately needed assurance. After that I prayed that Jim would have the assurance that he needed. I thanked God for the gift of salvation and for letting me meet Jim. I left Jim a Happiness Digest and was getting ready to leave when he asked me if I would like one of his roses. I think he was saying thank you. I almost cried. It is one of the best gifts 1 have ever received. As I was walking away, I buried my nose in the blossom. In my mind I tried to picture Jim restored to perfect youth. I pictured us hand in hand, sprinting through crimson fields of fragrant roses, with no oxygen tank to hold him back. Then again, it's hard to know what will happen, but I do know this. It was more than the artificial air of a oxygen tank that Jim needed. It was the breath of the Holy Spirit. Thanks Union ■ • By Gina Jacob I just recently went to the North American Division Campus Ministries Convention, and all I have to say is--Thank You Union!!!! The question that I was asked again and again by the visitors from other various colleges is, "What is it that's so different about Union? We hear all these wonderful things, but we don't understand." My reply is always the same -- it's in the people. From the students, to the staff and admin­ istration1/ we've' got the best of' the best right here at UC. One specific example is ourcommunity 'serVi6e day, Project Impact. I had i conver­ sation1 With a girl from another school and she was venting about the apathetic attitude of her particular campus 1 - She told about their attempt at an outreach day iand how none of their faculty or staff showed up. I was completely floored. Not only do the staff support our day of impact, but so do the church staff, administration, teachers, and a large majority of the students. On another campus of close to two thousand, they get excited about five hundred volun­ teers showing up. Praise God for the people of Union. Also, in the last month. I've spend sev­ eral weekends visiting some sister schools. On these huge campuses their attendance at religious services was similar to our dorm worships. Then I picture in my head what I know is going on at Union at that very moment-a huge crowd of people all coming together to start off Sabbath in fellowship at College View Church. That metal image is one to keep me rooted here in the good old midwest. Quote “Spirituality is being awake. Getting rid of illusions. Spirituality is never being at the mercy of any event, thing, or per- son. Spirituality means having found the diamond mine inside yourself. ~Anthony DeMello by Christina Smith Picture yourself in a boat on a river, With tangerine trees and marmalade skies Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, A girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Cellophane flowers bfeyellqw and green, Towering over your h&ad; s: Look for the girl witfcfhW&un in her eyes And she's gone. Lucy in the sky with fffiMnpnds, Follow her down to ql&tidge by a fountain Where rocking hors0jj£fcofii$ eat marshmallow pies, Everyone smiles as j|o|f dt$fi past the flowers, That grow so incredlbty high. Newspaper taxis apjj$&t. om§he shore, Coming to take you away. I Climb in the back wfffcyottr head in the clouds, And you ’re gone. Lucy in the sky witf# Btiambnds, Picture yourself on <# tt4in'itt station, With plasticine p o o k i n g glass ties, Suddenly someone is there atfhe turnstile, The girl with kalei&jfcWppe Wfes. Lucy in ijic Sky W'ith Diamonds - John L^jnon, The Beatles I am curious how many of you recognized the lyrics from this song by the Beatles* ^The Beatles were very proficient at looking at life in a difflrent asy. They thought outside of the box. Some say that drugs ftejped with their thinking and affected some of their songs. I am not one of the people who believes that. They could look at something and see possibilities. Regardless, have any of you thought in that manner, looking at things and adding a twist? Thinking outside of the box is an interesting way to view the world and actually takes some effort. Instead of stopping to smell the flowers, have you ever stopped to nibble the flowers? Some are actually quite tasty. I am not, however, suggesting that everyone go out and consume the lawn instead of cafe food. Have you ever thought about what the color green might feel like? What blue may smell like? I think in Heaven God may let us enjoy colors and all sorts of different things with all of our five senses; He may even give us new senses! Forget thinking outside of the box for a second. What about just savoring life? I am a big advocate of living life to the fullest. However, I am afraid that I have been failing late­ ly. Life just became so stressful I merely wanted to survive college and maybe even pass a couple of classes. But I am trying to get back into the habit of not only breathing but smelling the air. To use my imagination again. Remember what it was like to have an imagination? Children are chock full of ideas and colorful thoughts. Kids have creativity in spades. I miss that. So here I go giving advice again. Try to look at life through kaleidoscope eyes. Sometimes it is hard to remember that life is a passing gift, believe me, I know. Try to listen to life and follow its hints. Spring is now bursting upon us, so what better time to begin living life? Quote “It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which one has oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God.” student profile STUDENT: Michelle Singh YEAR: Sophomore MAJOR: Biology PERSONAL MOTTO: * In the best of times and in the worst of times, laugh a little, laugh a lot, just laugh.” ONE WORD DESCRIBING YOURSELF: “Outrageous.” INTERESTS: Hockey, reading, running HOMETOWN: St. Louis, MO HIGH SCHOOL: Brentwood High school WHAT IS YOUR JOB FOR THIS COMING SUMMER?: “Working at Missouri Baptist Hospital pre-registering patients and helping them feel comfortable at the hospital.” WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO COME TO UNION?: Tt has a friendly atmosphere I wanted a new experience; this is my first time at an Adventist school.” ARE YOU GLAD YOU'RE HERE AT UNION? WHY?: "Definitely. Here at Union I’ve not only grown academically, but spiritually as well.” WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED/DISCOVERED HERE AT UNION?: ’That it’s okay to be who you are. Don’t hold anything back.” WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING IN 10 YEARS?: "Hopefully I’ll be out of school and working as a Forensic Pathologist somewhere. But it seems like I could be in school for a very lone time.” Christian Soren Kierkegaard Credit Card Pointers C redit card companies are in hot pursuit of any susceptible college student. While the idea of having a credit card sounds novel, there ire some things to watch out for and remember. While it is nice to put it on your card and because you don't eally feel like you are spending money. However, it is important to emember that you are being charged interest, at varying rates, and vhen you do get your bill you may be viciously stung. Many companies offer extremely low interest rates which are ypically teaser rates to get you to take the card. The rates generally ise within a few months. Don't let yourself be tricked into signing up for a card because t has an annual fee of zero. Most cards don't have annual fees. The line of credit highlighted on the offer is the top amount the ender will give you ($50,000), not a promise of how much credit you v i 11 receive. If you are getting a card get one that has a grace period or else nterest payments will begin as soon as you make a purchase. Don't charge more than you can pay off the next month. Don't