ISSUE 89.10 UNION COLLEGE DECEMBER 10, 2014 AN OPEN LETTER TO SANTA CLAUS The Oscar effect, page 3 Nebraskans on same-sex marriage, page 6 A letter to the editor, page 8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE “Since the many letters I sent you as a child went unanswered, my hope is that a public message will catch your attention.” STORY ON PAGE 4 ‘is the season to r http://clocktower.ucollege.edu. “It must be Christmas!” by Elena Cornwell “YouTube. TheyCreate. WeWatch.” by Jacob Prosser In this week’s online issue, see seven YouTube channels you should check out, get the deets on net neutreat Chrtmas album from Lincoln- based band The Mighty Magic Pants. Happy holidays from the Clocktower! 2 “My senior year of high school I was supposed to be the lead in a play at my church and part of praise music on Christmas day . . . but when Christmas day came around, I got tonsillitis and the dirs had to find another actor las minute. The proup had to find another singer too. “I couldn’t eat anything but jello for Chrtmas dinner, which was a struggle since my tonsils werve thought jello would be har Chrtmas Par better.” “When I was a senior in high school, my church did an outreach called Backpacks for Christ at a local homeless shelter. I passed out milk cartons to people and talked with them. One lady in particular stood out. She told me about how she used to volunteer at a shelter before her husband suddenly lost his job, and now she was the one receiving help. “I had never thought about how quickly that could happen, and it made me think about some family friends who were on the verge of the same situation. I gave her a scarf and told her to keep her head up, wishing I could do more. “Later at home, when my family opened our pres- ents, I didn’t feel fulfilled by anything I receive. But then I gave my friend her present and her gratitude changed my mood. I loved watching others open the gifts I had given them, not just getting stuff myself. “It all made me wonder how Jesus would have spent Christmas. That Christmas put the whole holiday in perspective for me, and I’ve never looked at it the same way since.” Katy LaCourt, senior elementary education major Humans of Union College is compiled by Chelsea Aguilera. Jojo Dunlap, junior nursing major HUMANS OF UNION COLLEGE 3 OPINION JORDAN ZY For your consideration slots. Wait to rent it.) If you’ve been to the movies recently, then you’ve proba - bly seen some Oscar contenders already. Many critics online are already making predictions as to which movies and ac - tors will get the Oscar nod this year. “Interstellar” is a prime example of a movie destined for a Best Picture nom - ination. But if you’re rooting for it to win, don’t get your hopes up. I’ve been watching for nearly a decade, and I’m guessing “Interstellar” will go the way of “Gravity” and “Avatar”: the movie every- one saw and loved won’t get the big win. It never does. If you want to go for safe bet, look to what I call “the obvious choices.” Films that focus on heavy moments in history, feature dramatic monologues or focus on touchy issues are usually headed for these awards. In years past, these choices have been truly great, such as “The King’s Speech” and “12 Years A Slave.” This year the contenders could be “Selma” or “Boyhood.” It’s that time of year again, when families come together to celebrate the old tra - dition of going to the movies: ‘tis Oscar season, my friends. Every year, the Acad- emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards the best of the best in film. “Oscar season” describes the sudden hype of amazing films released in November and December. Hollywood releases the films late in the year to keep them fresh in the minds of those who nominate films for awards, and also because mov - ie-going rates rise during the holiday sea - son. When The Oscars ceremony takes place in February, some movies are still in theaters and receive a huge spike in sales when they win. Disregarding genre, I categorize good movies into two types: Blockbusters and Oscar bait. Blockbusters are those high-budget movies everyone wants to see, like Marvel films or side-splitting comedies. Oscar bait films are regarded as critically acclaimed, “good” movies. Blockbuster season is usually a summer - time affair, while Oscar season begins late in the year. (Pro-tip: Avoid most movies released early in the year like the plague. No studios are fighting for those How The Oscars shape the film industry continued on page 9 4 NIGEL SUMERLIN elegant handwriting designating which child will receive it. I know this is your wife’s work and not yours because I ob - served as a child that the tags on my gifts had a distinctly feminine touch, much like my mother’s. An unsung hero of Christmas, your wife should know that she is appreciated. Your weight, unfortunately, needs to be discussed. In the early days, it was a charming feature, but as obesity has ris - en to dangerous levels around the planet, words like “jolly” and “plump” are now associated with “type 2 diabetes” and “heart disease.” I understand that we are part of the problem. Encountering a plate of fresh cookies in every house you enter must be a strong temptation. Nonethe - less, I implore you to shed some pounds. Don’t just do it for yourself—do it for your reindeer. I applaud you for remaining committed to green living, even as the world has up - graded to gas-guzzling weapons of envi - ronmental destruction. Aside from some natural methane production, reindeer are Dear Santa Claus , Since the many letters I sent you as a child bearing the address of “Santa’s workshop” in “The North Pole” went unanswered, my hope is that a public message will catch your attention. First off, thank you for all you do to make Christmas beautiful. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning hoping to catch a glimpse of your plump body de - fying the laws of physics to squeeze down their chimneys has brought excitement to countless children. Everyone should be grateful for your tireless non-profit work—children for the presents found under their trees, and parents for the re - spite they enjoy while their offspring work hard to earn a spot on your “nice” list. Sadly, your work goes mostly unthought of for 11 months of the year as you toil in the North pole to make us happy on one morning every December. Mrs. Claus also deserves a shout out for her contribution to your annual escapade around the globe. In addition to sewing you larger and larger outfits through the years, she embellishes each gift with her An open letter to Santa Claus A few words for Father Christmas SPECIAL INTEREST 5 a clean energy source bringing little to no harm to our planet. Congratulations on maintaining a small carbon footprint. You are a glimmering example to us all. Unfortunately, I feel duty bound to point out blatant injustices in your “naughty or nice” policy. I’ve known too many people who deserved to find themselves buried in coal, but come Christmas morning some - how received an iPhone, a new car or a pony. On the other hand, some children who deserve anything they could wish for find only socks and t-shirts in their Christmas packages. I assume you’ve del - egated this task, so I would suggest you work on personnel changes in the “judg- ment” department. Finally, an apology is in order. As a peo - ple, we are more entitled and greedy than when you began visiting us every Christ- mas Eve. Our obsession with shinier, more expensive toys has strained your elves. We have twisted Christmas into a commercial tool, making it a season of taking rather than receiving. Just know that some of us still appreciate you. Keep up the good work, and if you manage to find some time, try to answer a few of the letters you receive. Sincerely, Nigel Sumerlin S P E C I A L I N T E R E ST 6 SENATE NAD “Some people want to live in one state and get married, but they have to move to another state, but I’m afraid there will be tornados. I don’t want to go there, but I have to because I want to marry some - one I like, and that’s not right,” seven- year-old Maxim explained. In the year since this video came out, a total of 35 states, including four states bordering Nebraska, have approved same-sex marriage laws. Nebraska is not one of them. The Williams Institute’s analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census recorded that 2,356 same-sex couples are living in Nebraska, representing 3.3 same-sex couples per 1,000 households. Nebraska’s governor Dave Heineman stands his ground, stating, “The people in Nebraska in 2000, voted overwhelm - ingly that marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s what Nebraska has believed.” Future governor Pete Ricketts also agrees with Heineman and declares he will defend what Nebraska put in the constitution a decade ago. But nearly a de - cade and a half has passed since Nebraska last spoke. But how does Nebraska feel right now, nearly 15 years later? In 2003, a video called “Kids React to Gay Marriage” was uploaded to You - Tube. Kids from 5 to 13 were shown two proposal videos, one portraying a lady proposing to another lady and the other, a man proposing to another man. After watching, the kids were asked a series of questions, including “What do you think of gay marriage?” “I don’t care,” Lucas, shrugging his shoulders, plainly put it. “I’m just new to the concept,” seven- year-old Samira replied. “If one person should be able to do it then another person should be able to do it,” Derek stated. Another fact was presented to them: “In only 14 U.S. states are you allowed to get married if you’re gay.” “That is just insane!” the astonished Dash responded, an incredulous look on his face. “I need to talk to Mr. President,” Jayka said, raising her fist in the air. Nsighted Nebr Nebraska same-sex marriage couples still have a while to wait to say “I do” 7 SENATE The Omaha Herald Poll stated in Octo - ber 2012 that 54% of Nebraskans sup - port some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples, 32% that support gay marriage laws and an additional 22% saying they support civil union. Jenni Glomb and her wife Mandi grew up in Nebraska. Their family and friends live in Nebraska. Yet the couple decided to move to Iowa because they saw that their home state was not budging to change the law, and they wanted their son to share their last name. Brandi Jeffery, a Husker on the women’s basketball team, has openly been a bisex- ual. She and her girlfriend Raven have en - joyed a great relationship for a year and a half. When asked if Raven sees herself marrying Brandi, she raved, “She has changed me for the better and I truly love her. It’s the type of love that I’ve never had before in a relationship and it’s amazing! I’m getting butterflies in my tummy just talking about it. All her teammates and coaches know about us and they are re - spectful about it,” Raven said. So why does this matter to us? Yes, most students at Union College are from other states that may or may not have passed laws on same-sex marriage. But as of now we live in a state where people are discriminated based upon who they show their love to. Same-sex marriage isn’t a topic that you can just brush off and push into the future. It is happen - ing now. Educate yourself and do not be lukewarm about this situation. Don’t support gay marriage just because you want to be a part of the movement but you don’t know what the movement is about. If you are against it, stand next to your decision and be able to stand your ground. For many of us, religion is a big part of our social views. We have been told that homosexuality is wrong and an abomi - nation. The great part about being in college is that you get to study and ask questions about things yourself. It’s fool- ish just to adopt a stance on something because of what the majority is saying. If more people speak up about same- sex marriage, our governors and sena - tors will have no choice but to address the issue. Many people aren’t challenged by same-sex marriage until one of their family members or a friend comes out. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time,” Barack Obama stated in a 2008 speech in Chicago. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Nearly a decade and a half has passed since Nebrt voted on same-sex marriage. But how do Naskans feel now? 8 Aver Blocked websites on campus: helpful or harmful? KEVIN NIEDERMAN the sites have no votes and therefore are not categorized, remaining unblocked. Some of these sites were categorized over six years ago. Things change. Take The Learning Channel, for instance. Found - ed by NASA and the Departments of Education, Health and Welfare, the channel originally showed educational programs. Now it sports shows like “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” “Toddlers in Tiaras” and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” The Internet changes at a pace much faster than television, and several websites have categories that no longer apply. This still didn’t explain why these categories were blocked in the first place. My hypothesis was bandwidth conser - So there I was, browsing the net, when out of nowhere, I’m blocked. I was try - ing to read an article about a woman who regretted waiting until marriage for sex. Perhaps that’s a tad promiscuous. The filter told me that it was blocking the site because it contained adult themes. Perhaps we shouldn’t be learning about things like this. Or not. This event angered me. Why can’t I, a grown man, read an article? An article, mind you, that was cited in the Clock - tower. Why mention an article I’m for - bidden from reading? That’s what I set out to learn. Through the Information Systems (IS) office, I learned the technical side of the filter. Union College employs OpenDNS, which functions primarily as a firewall to protect users on campus from malware and viruses. The company also offers cat - egorical content filtering. There are more than 50 filtered categories, including nu - dity, weapons and alcohol. OpenDNS categorizes websites by let - ting users vote on sites’ content. After someone votes, OpenDNS either con - firms or denies the categories. Some of Adult themes are topics not suitable for children. This is a college, and we are not children. We pay to come here and study adult themes. 9 Then there are the nominations that fit into the category I call “Jordan’s choice,” which also somehow never win. Wheth - er this is because I pick poorly (there was no way “Juno” could have taken down “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood” in 2007, but I rooted for the young adult comedy anyway) or because I tend to like hard-to-love films like “Inglourious Basterds” and “Black Swan” is anyone’s prediction. Now is a perfect time to see movies with your family or go on a date to a film that isn’t a flop. And once the Super Bowl hype ends, it’s time to pregame for the Oscars on February 22 with this year’s illustrious host, Neil Patrick Harris. “For your consideration” continued from p. 2 vation. However, my talk with Richard Henriques, director of IS, revealed that initially our school was told that by blocking the pornography, Internet us - age would drop by up to forty percent. When we did initiate our filter, aston - ishingly, the usage went down by sin - gle digits. Apparently Adventists hold themselves to a higher moral code then the secular world, even without “big brother.” Which is fine. All of this is fine and good. Sure, block the porn. It’s a temptation. Yeah, block the file sharing. We don’t need the FBI showing up here tomorrow to shut the school down. Union rules are law here, and an enforced moral code is fine by me. What I don’t understand is the banning of adult themes. Adult themes often discuss sexuality, addiction and violence, but don’t show them explicitly. To put it simply, adult themes are topics not suitable for chil - dren. This is a college, and we are not children. We pay to come here and study adult themes. Think about ethics class, human sexuality or history class, which is pretty much the story of how the white man killed and/or raped everything. How can we be expected to graduate from here and make decisions in an adult world if we aren’t allowed to explore adult themes? Without a comprehensive view of adult themes, then adulthood itself is just a word. I want to have the wherewithal to be able to talk about the rates of sexual assault in the military. I want to be informed about the genocide in Darfur. I want to read opinions about abstinence and sexual orientation. I want to have an opinion about struggles with addiction. Currently, I can read about all these sub- jects online through news outlets, but when it comes to personal stories—the articles written by people, not profes - sionals—they’re all too often blocked, and I don’t think they should be. 10 DECEMBER SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 7 8 9 10 Campus Store Holiday Sale 11 Campus Store Holiday Sale Dead Das (Las Da 5:30 p.m. UC Women BB v Caly Bible College (Home) 12 Campus Store Holiday Sale Dead Das (Las Da 7:30 p.m. Vespers: Fine Arts Christmas Concert 13 V2: 4:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. UC Men BB vvar College (Home) 14 15 Campus Store Holiday Sale First Semester Exams Textbook Buyback: 9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. 16 Campus Store Holiday Sale First Semester Exams Textbook Buyback: 9:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. 17 Campus Store Holiday Sale First Semester Exams Textbook Buyback: 9:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. 18 Christmas Vacation Campus Store Holiday Sale Lasy to Complete December Grad Requirements 19 Christmas Vacation Campus Store Holiday Sale 20 Christmas Vacation THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN U P CO M I N G E V E N TS to goldfish crackers. —Jeff Meador to electricity bills. —Natasha Breakey to the Kentucky Wildcats. —Grant Slavens to a week of Netflix. —Kyle Smith to slow drivers. —Brittany Driver 11 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 Aphelandra Messer Vernée Norman Taylor Roberts Zack Posthumus Brittany Houchins Natalie Bruzon Megan Bolton Melisa Inkelaar Michael Steingas Elena Cornwell Katie Morrison Chelsea Aguilera Joe Hofmann Emy Wood Jordan Zy Abner Campos Naomi Prasad Nigel Sumerlin Derek Baker Jacob Prosser Kyle Berg Slade Lane Editor-in-Chief Assistant 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 Sports Reporter Technology Reporter Wellness Reporter World Reporter WE ARE #CLTWR Yeah, we’re going to need you to speak up. Like us, hate us or anywhere in between, we’d love to hear why. Have a story you’d like to pitch? We’d love to craft it. Did you just make a big breakfast? Tell us why your mother’s German waffle recipe is better than Paula Deen’s. Basically, write us. Voice your opinions by emailing cltower@gmail.com and add to the conversation by connecting with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ClocktowerASB and online at http://clocktower.ucollege.edu. WE C ISSUE 89.10 UNION COLLEGE DECEMBER 10, 2014 AN OPEN LETTER TO SANTA CLAUS The Oscar effect, page 3 Nebraskans on same-sex marriage, page 6 A letter to the editor, page 8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE “Since the many letters I sent you as a child went unanswered, my hope is that a public message will catch your attention.” STORY ON PAGE 4 ‘is the season to r http://clocktower.ucollege.edu. “It must be Christmas!” by Elena Cornwell “YouTube. TheyCreate. WeWatch.” by Jacob Prosser In this week’s online issue, see seven YouTube channels you should check out, get the deets on net neutreat Chrtmas album from Lincoln- based band The Mighty Magic Pants. Happy holidays from the Clocktower!