ISSUE 90.15
UNION COLLEGE
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
Experience Ethiopia in Ajora Falls Ethiopian Restaurant
“I chose the restaurant to take something to the people outside the country – to show what we eat, how we live, what culture is– just to share how we love,” says Tesfaye Alibe, owner of the Ajora Falls Ethiopian restaurant. Ajora Falls sits on N. 27th St., bookended by an Arabic grocery market and Game Day Cutz barber shop. Here Alibe, a teacher and principal from Ethiopia, continues to educate the community about his homeland. Alibe provides more than a savory meal; he gives guests a full cultural experience. Drinking traditional Ethiopian tea with Rachel and me, Alibe took a break from the kitchen at the back of his restaurant. Laughing, he told us about the couples that came into Ajora Falls on Valentine’s Day.
Apparently, they were proud they didn’t spill any food when they fed each other, and Alibe was proud they chose his restaurant as a place to express their love.
Ajora Falls Ethiopian Restaurant storefront. // Photo credit http://www.dailynebraskan.com/
“I see the love of people. They come with big hearts. They eat with their fingers whether they knew how to or not. They show respect to others’ culture,” he shared. Yes, if you venture down to 313
N. 27th, you will be encouraged (though not required) to eat with your hands and share a platter with the friends you bring along. Alibe explained that Ethiopians eat together on the same platter out of love. How can you ignore someone when you share the same plate? Or, when you feed her? “We share and open our hearts to others,” Alibe said through his smile. Alibe has his masters in education and was a principal of and teacher in Adventist schools in Ethiopia for several years. However, since coming to Lincoln in 1997, he says he hasn’t used his education much. This is where we disagree. After three years of opening the doors to Ajora Falls, Alibe has made an educational impact on his community. He is Ajora Falls continues on page 2
Four years of changing diversity As reported on Union College’s website, “Union College is the most ethnically diverse college in our category (midwestern regional colleges) according to U.S. News.” Furthermore, based on an annual survey done each year called the Union College Factbook, 42 percent of Union’s student population is made up of minorities. Matthew Roque, director of
institutional research at Union College, reports that “diversity is definitely going up.” In 2010, only 30 percent of Union’s student body came from minorities. In the past five years, that statistic has increased more than 10 percent. Additionally, that percentage is predicted to increase to 50 percent in the next five years. With the quickly rising diversity
on campus, Union College is taking steps to grow into becoming a more welcoming and understanding community. Many of the ethnically diverse students attending Union are the first people in their families to attend college. To accommodate this growing trend, Union is working on building stronger support systems to help students succeed. Changing continues on page 2
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LIFESTYLE/NEWS Ajora Falls continued from page 1 teaching us about his fascinating country and about the unconditional love of Jesus. Although he is technically closed on Saturdays, Alibe says that he gets calls from people requesting that he open in the evening. He graciously obliges and often opens the restaurant after seven o’clock. Although Alibe doesn’t do much advertising, people in the community help with that and show him where
to post ads. News of his delicious food spreads by word of mouth too. It’s people like Allison Landry, senior nursing student, who try his food once and then bring others along for the experience. “Ajora Falls is one of my favorite restaurants in Lincoln. I love eating with my hands, the injera, and the great times I’ve had with friends there,” she commented. Landry was the one who introduced me to Ajora Falls
and I’m so glad she did. Head on down to north 27th and check out this terrific little eatery. You won’t be disappointed. Talk with Alibe, drink some tea, feed each other, join the community of learners. Become one of the customers Alibe speaks about when he says, “They eat, they learn, they show love.” –Amanda Ashburn
at Union said it’s easy to connect with the faculty. With this in mind, Dr. Linda Becker, vice president for Student Services, expressed that Union needs to train faculty to better help and understand students from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, more diverse leadership would also help racially diverse students comfortable in our community. Although Union’s staff and faculty has grown in diversity, there are not enough ethnically and culturally diverse staff members in leadership roles to motivate
our student body. Fifty-three out of 60 full-time faculty members are caucasian, leaving only seven positions filled by people of minority. Though Union College has grown drastically in diversity, there are still steps to be taken to make our campus 100 percent welcoming to students from all backgrounds and walks of life. Union College is actively taking steps to make our campus culturally rich, because as Dr. Becker shared, “Diversity really enriches Union.” –Sara Roberts
Changing continued from page 1 Furthermore, 80 percent of ethnically diverse students struggle with finances. Union actively seeks ways to provide financial solutions, making Adventist education accessible to a wider variety of individuals. A revised scholarship program has been put in place to help in this regard. This new plan assists students by offering them one fixed scholarship rate for all four years, rather than cutting the rate in half after the second year. In another survey, 55 percent of first-generation college students
Student Profile: Cesar Pestana on the Dominican Republic Life for a Dominican Republican college student in the U.S. can be vastly different from the life of a student born and raised as an American. Cesar Pestana, a senior music education major, provides insights into the diversity he experiences every day as a student at Union College. Pestana grew up in the Dominican Republic with his mother, brother, grandparents and cousins. Pestana’s grandfather was the head of the household. In his home, lunchtime gave his family an opportunity to spend time together. The dishes served during
meal times are of importance to the Pestana’s culture, but most of the foods Pestana and other Dominicans are accustomed to eating cannot be found in Nebraska. His only opportunity to eat these dishes, such as fried or boiled plantains, occur when he visits family. Pestana also enjoys stews, which typically consist of fruits, potatoes and meats. While food is an important part of many cultures, music does not take second place. There are two types of music genres native to the Dominican Republic, both commonly used for dance, called
merengue and bachata. Merengue integrates the music of African, French and Haitian cultures. In the 1920s, this music was listened to by the poor and later integrated into the elite culture in the 1950s. It is now a genre that defines the Dominican Republic. Bachata boasts more of a cultural mix, with Cuban and other Caribbean influences. While food, family and music are important, personal success is an indicator of importance and standing in the Dominican Republic. Interestingly, success also takes on another definition we are less
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LIFESTYLE familiar with in the United States. Pestana shared that success is not necessarily making large sums of money. Rather, it is doing what one loves, and one thing leading Pestana to success is education. This May, Pestana will graduate with a degree in music education.
This degree will give him the ability to teach K-12. Pestana enjoys working with primary and secondary school children. He mentioned that each age group is enjoyable to work with for different reasons. Pestana is an integral part of the Union College family, and he will be
greatly missed. Although he says that he has enjoyed the accessibility and affordability of education at Union College, he misses his home country and looks forward to visiting after his graduation. –Angel Phillips
A blending of two cultures “Race was never an issue for me as much as it was for my family,” said Agnes Marbun, a junior prenursing major. After transferring to Union College from La Sierra University, Agnes Marburn met Devin Alexander, a junior studying exercise science, and fell in love. Union College boasts a lot of cultural diversity, resulting in numerous interracial couples. In our small community, diversity is accepted. In other places, it’s not always as acceptable. What about taking him or her home to meet the parents? Will it matter what culture they come from? To gain a better perspective of the reality of interracial couples, I interviewed Devin Alexander and Agnes Marbun about their relationship. Marbun pointed to her parents’ concerns about their relationship. “Being Indonesian, my parents would prefer to keep everything within tradition and culture. Most of the reason why is for better communication and comfort. They were skeptical about the idea of Devin and I dating because we don’t know what kinds of future conflicts can rise just within the different cultures alone.” Alexander’s family holds a very different perspective.“I was raised in a family where race was never an issue, and I was taught the human race was the only race, and that the heart is what should be looked upon.
I grew up playing with children of different races myself, making me develop a relationship and understanding of how several races are.”
//Photo credit: Devin Alexander and Agnes Marbun
Nevertheless, Alexander couldn’t help but feel nervous when he and Agnes began dating. “Not for the fact that we were different races,” he explained, “but how the relationship with her family would go and vice versa.” I asked the couple if they could compare their relationship to a time when they were in a relationship with someone of the same race. Prior to her relationship with Alexander, Marbun dated an Indonesian for four years. She stated, “Although the culture was the same, the relationship between him and my family was nowhere near to what Devin has with my family. Devin is an extremely outgoing guy and is genuine with his every move. My aunties and uncles had their assumptions about him, but now that they met Devin, they have never
been happier until the next time they see him again.” Marbun’s story demonstrates that although families often believe dating within the same race will ensure healthy family relationships, that is not always the case. Although Alexander is not Indonesian, he has quickly become a fun addition to the family. “The main reason why Devin has my heart is because he is familyoriented,” gushed Marburn. “He will work his way to get familiar with the unfamiliar. I believe that is a huge key to any type of relationship.” She continued, “Regardless of what our backgrounds are, we are both willing to learn and grow together, surpassing any issue of race. If you focus on your own growth and continue to do the right things, all happiness will fall into place.” “For myself, I think focusing on the race aspect too much can cause concern for what may actually be going,” Alexander added. “But when the attention is put on gaining a better relationship with each other through time, relationships can bud. We didn’t know what to expect in this relationship, but we knew we needed to put God first.” Agnes Marburn is social vice president for International Club; Devin Alexander is a student ambassador and is featured in the Union College student spotlight at https://www.ucollege.edu/studentspotlight/devin. –Roxi Peterson
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LIFESTYLE
Strange in Italy I am strange. Leaving my school and my home and my country (I sound oh-so-very patriotic!), I embarked on a journey to learn more about the world and about myself. I chose Italy because duh, it’s Italy. I thought I was ready to be out of my element and I thought myself prepared for what it would feel like. Mostly, I wasn’t. One of the very first phrases we learned in Italian grammar class was “io sono straniera.” “I am a foreigner.” It seemed like a weird way to phrase it and the words even sounded like I was calling myself strange. When you’re in a new place, you feel really strange. You can’t speak the language, you can’t make a joke, you can’t even order coffee correctly! Being foreign in Italy was effortless. Our first day in Florence, we went to in centro and stood out like sore thumbs. One of our companions pointed out our tourist characteristics that made our American-ness obvious: “You’re wearing Sperrys? American. You’re carrying a water bottle? Dead giveaway. You’re smiling too much, stop it!” My brother, Nicholas, really struggled when we first got here. He is so friendly, energetically greeting everyone he passes with a smile or hello. In Italy, that is not allowed.
Greeting strangers is the mark of a creep (yet apparently, staring incessantly is okay, as most Italian men demonstrate daily). He had to dial back his friendliness because it wasn’t culturally acceptable. I, however, fit right in with my unapproachable aura and RBF. I expected to feel out of place in the city but what I did not anticipate was feeling out of place in my school. In our small ACA group of 35 students, you could see cliques being formed immediately. One of the volunteers sheepishly shared the names the cliques had been dubbed: the Hispanics, the Asians, the “white girls”, and the twins (they thought Nicholas and I were twins!), to name a few. The cliques, while strong at first, slowly faded and we do all hang out together. But other differences never changed. When we first arrived, we went through mini interviews with the teachers of the school. The results of those interviews determined what grammar class we’d be put into. The students who knew more than one language already were put into class two or three while the Morrison siblings found themselves solidly in class one. We were assured that no, of course this isn’t the dumb class! You just go at a different pace! But again, here was another rift, another division I didn’t expect. And then, there are the normal
differences found between people: likes and dislikes. Nightlife in Florence is a fun time—for individuals who love dancing! I am not one of those people. Dancing is about as natural for me as a third arm; in fact, I’m pretty sure I look like I have a third arm when I dance, or at least I’m missing a leg. Definitely not attractive. Another love of mine is coffee. For the first two weeks, some serious friendships were formed because of our coffee obsession. I found a few girls whose caffeine adoration rivaled mine and we hit up the closest coffee bar every single day. Some students who didn’t quite match my coffee enthusiasm and because of the missing opportunity, it took me longer to get to know them. In observing the things in myself that separated me from others, it’s easy to feel alone sometimes. I feel come una staniera; I feel strange. But those subtle differences make up part of my identity, forming a piece of who I am. Instead of feeling ashamed or embarrassed of those pieces and the fact that they don’t always fit, I’ve made the decision to sharpen them. I make the decision to hone my opinions, to develop my morals and character until I become exactly what I’ve always intended to be; because honestly, who really cares if I’m strange?
Like what you see? Let us know at: facebook.com/clocktowerASB
–Katie Morrison
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OPINION
White on the outside I’m quite possibly the “whitest” person you know. I have yet to find makeup that is light enough for my skin; I sunburn if I’m not careful; and, my friends often compare arms with me to feel better about their tans. But, I’m also Mexican. I can eat a ten-pack of Pelon Pelo Rico in less than hour; I make tamalés with my abuelita at Christmas; and, you can often hear me ranting about the abomination that is the chimichanga. To try and say I’m simply one of these extremes or the other would be erasing part of who I am. And yet, it’s taken almost my entire to life to accept my blend of cultures. My mother was born in Ohio to the children of European immigrants and my dad crossed into the U.S. from Mexico when he was 15. Somehow they managed to meet right here in Lincoln, the city where I was born and raised. My parents worked hard. My dad took night shifts, and while he was very much present in my life, somehow neither my brother nor I managed to learn Spanish fluently. I can pick up words here and there, but try and ask me anything more complicated than “how are you” or “where is the bathroom” and I’m lost. Does this make me less Hispanic? As a kid I vividly remember taking a standardized test and not being sure what little box to fill in for the race/ethnicity question. My teacher pointed at the caucasian/ white box. I squiggled it in and moved on. Later, at home, I asked my mom what category I fit into. For the first time in my short life, I was told that I was in fact Hispanic and should identify myself as such.
Even though I knew my dad is Mexican, thereby making me halfMexican, I never thought twice about being more than white, more than American. White is how my friends, teachers and even strangers at the store saw me. And, in turn, white
until a few years ago. What changed, I can’t exactly tell. But, it started as I noticed how my family was treated and talked about. Not directly, but as “immigrants,” “illegals” or other offensive terms. Strangers who knew nothing about those I loved and who loved me decided they weren’t good enough and that they didn’t deserve to be here, simply because they weren’t born on “American soil.” My dad, a friendly, hardworking citizen, was treated as though he was less than a person at a hospital because of his ethnicity. My cousin, my best friend, has been fetishized, was how I saw myself. Nevermind called “exotic” and “too pretty to be that the side of the family I spent the Mexican” as though she should be most time with was brown, that I ate flattered that this is all they choose mole and tamales and machaca con to see. Meanwhile, they ignored her huevos or even that my last name humor, wit, and most importantly, was Escobar. her accepting heart. The little things I was white on the outside. White I hadn’t noticed before were now is all I could possibly be, right? obviously hurtful and demeaning. I’m not trying to take these complications on myself, and I know that they are issues I will never have to face, but now with my eyes opened, I’m not going to shut out who I am anymore. I have an advantage in this society much of my family doesn’t— Graci Escobar // Zach Morrison I’m white. But, I’m also Mexican. For a very long time I accepted And a latina, a gringa, and hey, that misconception as fact. I even even a little European. I have the embraced it. It’s much easier being opportunity to embrace a blend of white, accompanied with less hoops many cultures. to jump through and prejudices to I’m not merely one box to fill in fight. on an ethnicity sheet. I shunned learning Spanish in I’m Graci Escobar, and I’m high school, forsaking my correct choosing to embrace all of me. I’m pronunciations for the American choosing to move forward and stop accent. When my parents wanted to ignoring the struggles others face for go out for Mexican food, I griped their heritage, simply because it isn’t and moaned the entire time. I chose what America deems as “acceptable.” to ignore half of who I was unless it From now on I’m going to granted me an advantage or until my uphold my cultures in the best way I family was insulted. can and fight the injustices from the Living this way, I was content— other side. Will you join me? –Graci Escobar
I’m not merely one box to fill in on an ethnicity sheet.
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OPINION
The all American white savior Column like I see ’em Kevin Niederman I hate movies about slavery and civil rights. I hate these movies because they are definitely white people feel-good movies. That might sound bad taken out of context. Let me explain. Let’s look at “The Help.” There are three white characters that make the film a “feel-good” movie in the eyes of white audiences. The first is a white woman, Skeeter, who decides she’s going to write a book about the lives of a select few black people working as helpers. They wash the dishes, cook the food, raise the kids and do pretty much every other household task. The second, Hilly, is a white woman employing the services of a helper and is portrayed as extremely prejudiced. She even goes as far as building an outhouse in her backyard so her helpers won’t have to use her bathroom. Next, Minny, one of the black helpers, quits her job for the racist woman and gets a new job for a different white woman, Celia. This third white woman is different. She’s kind, accepting, basically color blind. She treats this black woman as she would any other human being. At the end of the film, Skeeter, the author writing her novel, finishes and publishes her book. This act makes a difference for the helpers, spreading their story to readers across the country. These three roles essentially whitewash the film—the racist one, seemingly cartoonish, the colorblind one, accepting and indifferent to society, and the savior, the one white character that helps the cause in such a way that tips the scale from gallant struggle to undeniable
victory. This white savior has to aid with the black struggle and, preferably, be the straw that breaks white power’s back. It doesn’t have to be the meat of the resistance, it just has to be the key to the whole thing.
“What the heck, Brad Pitt? You ruined the best slave movie ever.” In seeing a film structured this way, with these three white stereotypes, the white person watching can then say, “Oh I’m not that mean white lady. I acknowledge that racism exists and was, and possibly is still, a problem; but it is a problem that I would not, and do not, contribute to. I am actually the extra nice white lady, who treats all as equal, and am indifferent to superficialities such as skin color. Given the opportunity, I would, without a doubt, aid in the struggles of minorities, which are, in fact, just struggles of humans.” The existence of the racist is there as a way for the white audience to avoid denying racism exists, or at least existed, and the other two white characters promote the idea that we are not racists, and, even if we were born in a society in which it were the norm, we would not be racists. And I hate that. It’s like a multibillion-dollar industry dedicated to making an
entire genre of films allowing us to keep our heads buried. Now, I realize that these films are appreciated by non-whites, and that they often times do a phenomenal job of depicting the prejudices that black people do and did have to swim against, but I cannot tolerate that, in every film I have seen, a white person held and bestowed the power necessary for liberation. If you have seen a film contrary to this please, let me know. A white woman writes a book in “The Help.” A white man leads and fights for the first black infantry in “Glory.” It’s even a white man who grants Django his godlike marksmanship. Even “Avatar!” Colored minorities apparently can’t do anything unless a white savior gives the go ahead. My one hope seemed to be “12 Years a Slave.” The main character is seemingly helped by several white people who all end up stabbing him in the back. That is, until Brad Pitt shows up and literally saves the day. What the heck, Brad Pitt? You ruined the best slavery movie ever. These movies are adored and given awards by guilds and academies left and right, but these are the same academies that have nominated exclusively white actors in all major acting categories for two years straight, something Spike Lee is boycotting this year. All I want is a film devoid of white influence, and I’m going to have to look outside of Hollywood to find a place where, hopefully, movies aren’t as white as the letters on the Hollywood sign.
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OPINION
Can you see me now? The write way Setheesh Moturi A study by USC’s Annenberg School For Communication and Journalism looked at the 500 topgrossing films between 2007 and 2012 and discovered that, “Across 100 top-grossing films of 2012, only 10.8 percent of speaking characters are Black, 4.2 percent are Hispanic, 5 percent are Asian, and 3.6 percent are from other (or mixed race) ethnicities.” Though these numbers are small, they’re growing. As a kid, I acted out scenes from my favorite cartoons, movies and stories. I would place myself in the shoes of any of my many favorite character. However, these events would rarely go far before I realized someone like me would look starkly out of place in an all-white cast. Or even an all-black cast, for that matter. Now when I turn on the TV, which granted is not often, I don’t even look for racial diversity anymore. The same can be said for many other major media sources— radio, literature, social media. I’ve become numb to the overly-white stereotype-laden stimuli. When I do choose to watch, listen, or read, though, I can’t see myself, or anyone like me, in the situations I see. These experiences were long before the days of Aziz Ansari, whom I love. But before Aziz, the only Indian on TV was Apu from The Simpsons, a show I was
never allowed to watch due to the conservative home I grew up in. To me, and most of my wellmeaning friends, Indians in America were basically cab-driving, turbanwearing, convenience-store-owning people who ate spicy food and had undecipherable accents. Yet when I looked around at my family and the scarce few Indians I knew who were not related to me, I knew this to be untrue. Even with the insight media provides into various cultures, producers and writers often trade the diverse range of cultures within each ethnicity for an easily digestible archetype. Consumers pay a sort of convenience tax when accepting these interpretations as reality, and, for the most part, we’re okay with that price. However, when those like me, first-generation Americans raised by immigrants, look to television and the media to see where we fit in, it’s rare that a non-gloss image appears.The problem here is not with the archetypes that are put forward, but rather the laziness with which we accept them. A 2015 article by Maryann Erigha, professor of sociology at the University of Memphis, showed that three factors affect media representation of any minority group: quantity, quality, and accuracy. Beyoncé’s new song “Formation” and its accompanying music video
was the straw that broke the camel’s back in this careful balance. The video was laced in racial imagery— Beyoncé drowning on a New Orleans police car is reminiscent of hurricane Katrina—and lyrics specifically intended for black audiences. Issues of reverse racism, the Black Panther Party, and the appropriation of black culture were dredged from their dark hiding places in the underground rap scene and Tyler Perry movies. Beyoncé’s display of pride in her culture was just as far from equal representation as the rest of the media. Many discussions of race (and all its included parts) have yet to break away from the black-white matrix and include the “rest of us”. An all (insert race here) cast benefits only those of that race. Though many think so, race reversal is not the true goal of media integration. As we work to find what a balanced cast (TV, movies) and discussion (news, documentaries) look like, we ought to remember that the present condition is just as important as the end goal. There are numerous video clips, songs, and scenes I can point to that work toward a more even playing field for people of color in the media. But the question still stands: Can you see me now?
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