ISSUE 90.16
UNION COLLEGE
MARCH 29, 2016
Campus safety on the rise During the 2014-2015 school year, Union College conducted a study researching campus safety and sexual harrassment. The survey was lead out by Dr. Trudy HolmesCaines, professor of psychology at Union College. Colleges and universities are mandated by the federal government under Title IX to offer this survey, and for good reason. It helps administrators understand how safe students feel on campus and flag areas of concern. Overall, the results of the campus safety survey shows students feel “very safe” on Union College’s campus. “People in general talked about how safe they felt,” says Dr. HolmesCaines. “On the scale of ‘not at all’ to ‘very safe,’ the results were mostly ‘yes’, or ‘I agree.’ They seemed confident administrators would take response.” Some factors responsible for improving campus safety include better lighting on college pathways and in parking lots, the Lincoln Police Department substation in Rees Hall and our Campus Security patrols. I spoke to a few students to ask if they felt safe walking across campus at night, and they all agreed that safety was not an issue for them. Shayna Lambrecht, a junior social work major, said, “I feel very safe here. I think it’s just that Christ-centered atmosphere and the sense of familiarity that helps it feel safe.”
“I feel safe,” commented Samuel Dinzey, a sophomore studying business. “It has to do with light. I feel safer in the areas that have the most lights.”
Campus Security is working hard to make our campus safe. // Zach Morrison
Jesse Evert, sophomore language arts education major, added that she feels safe “because whenever I’m out I always see security and I know they’re always on call if I need them.” Along with ensuring campus safety, Dr. Holmes-Caines shared she hopes to help educate the campus concerning sexual harassment policies. She wants to let those who may not feel safe or who have dealt with uncomfortable situations know what they can do to protect themselves. “We need to give more training. How to be aware if there’s sexual assault, starting up the ‘No means No’ campaign, and helping young men and women understand what it is to set boundaries,” Holmes-Caine told me. “We’re hoping to set out educational posters about these kinds of situations.”
If you find yourself facing any of these mentioned issues, the first thing you should do is tell someone you trust. “Your deans, the student services office, your academic advisor or your Heartscan mentor. . . We want you to talk to someone you trust. Let someone on campus know and we will start an investigation right away,” said Dr. Holmes-Caines. Every case is treated with complete confidentiality; top priority is helping protect the student involved. The most important thing is getting help to those who need it, and to prevent further incidents from occurring. Overall a large part of the survey’s positive results can be attributed not only to increase safety standards, but also Union’s sense of community. “A big part of it is the Union College spirit and people connecting with each other that helps to generate that feeling of safety,” Dr. Holmes-Caines said. As Union continues to keep that spirit of community, you are encouraged to speak out if you have something to say. Questions, comments or concerns regarding sexual harassment policies or campus safety, can be directed towards Dr. Holmes-Caines at 402.486.2600 ext. 2312 or the head of Campus Security, Ron Dodds, at 402.486.2600 ext 2533. -Graci Escobar
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NEWS
Trump stumps Fox News, GOP leadership On March 16, Donald Trump announced he wouldn’t be attending the Fox News Republican Debate to be held on March 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah. “[Instead,] I’m making a major speech in front of a very important group of people,” said Trump in an interview with Fox & Friends. Trump’s campaign said that the GOP front runner would be giving a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee during their annual conference on American policies regarding Israel. Later that same day, Fox News cancelled their March 21 debate. Trump has been raising eyebrows since the day he announced his candidacy. Whether from controversial statements or unconventional campaign strategies, many Americans are becoming comfortable with Trump’s antics and are dismissing them as pomp and circumstance, devoid of substance. But could Trump actually have some punch behind his bombastic actions? Whether or not his latest excuse is more than a political stunt, the fact remains: Trump single handedly shut down a GOP debate. This occurrence is not overly surprising to those closely following politics, especially considering the fact Trump tried td to do the same thing two months ago when he skipped the Fox News debate on Jan. 28. What is concerning to some, however, is that this time around, it worked. For a man charged with holding hostage an entire political party, Trump is doing nothing to put those accusations to rest. If anything, he’s fanning the flames. “I think we’ve had enough
debates,” said Trump in an effort to dismiss his declared absence. “How many times can you answer the same questions?” Nevermind that the Republican National Committee (RNC) decides how many debates are scheduled and when they are to take place; this front runner’s actions seem to suggest he’s guilty of the accusations his critics levy. It’s unclear whether or not Trump’s recent actions were the result of his eight-month-long feud with Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. This feud started on Aug. 6 during the first GOP debate when Trump felt he was unfairly targeted by Kelly with difficult questions regarding his comments on women. Since then, Trump skipped one Fox News debate on Jan. 28 but participated in another at the beginning of March. In the March 3 debate, Kelly showed the audience videos of Trump directly contradicting himself just days apart on a number of issues. The moderators also questioned Trump about where funding would come from in some of his plans. When he answered, they displayed charts and graphs disproving what he just said. This resulted in Trump, once again, accusing Fox News of treating him unfairly. Ethics and political opinions aside, it was, by all estimations, a smart move. Trump leads the race for the nomination by more than the sum of the other two remaining candidates, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich. At this point, nothing short of the blunder to end all blunders can prevent Trump from winning the
nomination. This never-before seen situation begs an important question: How will the Republican leadership handle their predicament? With murmurs of a contested convention being combated by murmurs of riots, a candidate has never garnered so much support from responding to threats with threats. Traditionally, the high road was considered more fitting of a presidential candidate. In the midst of an unpredictable election season, one thing is obvious from what’s transpired in recent weeks. Like it or not, Donald Trump is a force to be reckoned with, and regardless of how senile some may think his words to be, they now carry significant weight. As Americans view Trump’s metamorphosis from facetious to legitimate, it’s important people redress the way they’ve been conditioned to think about him. He’s now a legitimate candidate for President of the U.S.; his words and actions must be viewed in that context. It remains to be seen whether or not the RNC will attempt to schedule more debates. With the race for the nomination wrapping up and the remaining primaries spread few and far between, the most important event to look for is a contested convention in July when the delegates meet to select the nomination. Will the delegates be freed from their provincial obligations and instead be up for grabs, or will Trump run away with the nomination and face the likely Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? –Jonathan Deemer
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OPINION
Feminism in Marvel The women portrayed in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” She is movie narratives are stereotypes often overlooked because she us idealizing the hegemony—continuing overshadowed by four male leads. dominance of one group over Hope Van Dyne is another example another—of male supremacy. of this female oppression. She is the Marvel’s narratives subjectify women, spotlighted female in “Ant-Man,” making them inferior to men. her role minimized in the face of Stereotypically, superheroes Scott Lang and Hank Pym’s parts. are men, with few instances of Marvel’s stories often focus on extraordinary women existing in the male characters while the female the superhero universe. Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Wolverine, Deadpool and Daredevil are all strong, dynamic and well-known male characters. In contrast, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and perhaps Storm may be some of the most well-known female superheroes. This trend is related to the fact that comic books Is Marvel doing female characters justice? // hitfix.com started becoming popular in a time period when women stayed characters are left in supporting in the home while males were the roles. breadwinners. Nevertheless, some of Marvel’s In recent years, more and more leading ladies are quite capable women are watching superhero and ruthless. Black Widow will do movies on a regular basis. Something her job by any means, no matter once devoted to a male audience has how drastic. She lacks empathy changed to accommodate a female and compassion for her targets. Yet, audience as well. But has the trend despite the fact she is an amazingly of male dominance really changed in strong female character, she has Marvel’s superhero narratives? not been fully realized. Her role in Many women in Marvel are the movies is to add sexual tension simply damsels in distress. Few between the leading males. Based female characters are able to handle on the trailers for the upcoming things on their own. Betty Ross film “Captain America: Civil War,” from “The Incredible Hulk,” Mary Black Widow does not choose a side. Jane Watson from the Spider-Man Instead of taking a stand for what franchise and Jane Foster from she believes, she becomes a mediator “Thor” depend on their superhero and weakens her character’s impact boyfriends for protection. These on the storyline. women are placed in supporting Another example of a strong roles, a common trend in the female character whose potential superhero universe. isn’t fully realized is Elektra, For instance, Gamora is the a former love interest of Matt sole female protagonist from Murdock’s from “Daredevil.” In
the new Netflix adaptation of the story, she plays the role of a dark temptress, attempting to lead Murdock into violence. She is a strong character, but is used simply to add to a new facet to the story rather than having her own potential realized. Marvel’s latest work involves creating stronger female characters to keep up with a changing audience. Jessica Jones is an independent female character and the star of her own Netflix series “Jessica Jones.” Gwen Stacy in “The Amazing SpiderMan” is more capable than previous love interests. However, these female characters are darker and typically unforgiving, sometimes even ruthless. This can give the impression that for women to make a difference in the world they must become more masculine, and violent in their mentality. This could lead to women feeling insecure about their femininity. In 2019, a new strong female lead will enter Marvel’s cinematic world in her own film “Captain Marvel.” This movie has the potential to break the female stereotypes Marvel has created with its previous movies. When these leading ladies are not the main feature, they are often minimized and sexualized to create further dynamics for the leading men. The questions remaining is, will Marvel ever have true leading females, and will its newest contributions be enough to combat the negative stereotypes present in Marvel movies and appeal to their changing audience? –Sara Roberts
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LIFESTYLE
What the States can learn from Europe Today as I was looking at my bucket list, I can now successfully cross off another item: studying abroad. This past year, I’ve changed in ways I never thought I would. There’s something about getting out of the States, which seem isolated from the rest of the world, and seeing it from abroad through other countries’ perspectives that truly changes a person. With this change, I’ve discovered wisdom America can learn from Europe. Here are just three of the many tidbits I’ve learned from this past year. First, our schools need to encourage more language/cultural studies. As I stated earlier, the U.S. can feel isolated. With the high costs of travel, many Americans don’t even leave their home state. According to statistics issued by the State Department in 2014, less than half of U.S. citizens own passports. If our youth aren’t taking the privilege of going abroad, we should at least open the opportunity to them by requiring a second language be learned more in-depth in schools. Most Europeans I’ve met know at least three languages, if not more. This opened students’ horizons immensely, allowing them to live in numerous places and apply for more jobs globally. Since learning French, as challenging as it may be, my life
has more purpose and opportunity. Secondly, we eat way too much fast food. One thing difficult for me to get used to, but also very beneficial, was the reality of fast food not being a thing in France. Yes, we have a McDonald’s, but it’s just as expensive as regular food, which defeats the purpose of purchasing it. The only reason I’ve gone to places like McDonald’s or Burger King here is because they’re the only shops open during holidays or late at night.
France’s stricter laws about farming and raising animals for food makes everything more natural and less processed. At first this felt like a huge inconvenience, as I have the American air of always being in a rush, but as I grew accustomed to it, the happier I felt. France’s stricter laws about farming and raising animals for food makes everything more natural and less processed. In America, even the “organic” labels can’t often be trusted as truly organic. I’ve discovered cooking for myself and eating more naturally has impacted my life positively and
encourages me to respect what I put into my vessel. Lastly, drive less, walk more. Being without a car for the past several months has been both challenging and refreshing. My campus is right at the base the mountain le Salève. Every time I venture into town I have to walk up and down a gigantic hill. When I tell people this they think it’s a nice, leisurely stroll. But, this hill is more like a mountain and exhausting to all, even regular hikers. Although it’s easier to drive, walking or biking is much more rewarding. There’s something about trekking along nature that helps me build confidence and a better outlook on my surroundings. It gives me time to think, process and oddly enough, relax. In Europe it’s normal to see people biking or walking everywhere. When they need to go further, they take the tram or train. Maybe Americans should take a sunny weekend away from the car and try the bus or a bike. I miss America, but I am excited to bring what I’ve learned here back with me. Whenever I think about leaving in a few months, I get rather blue. I will always carry a piece of my new home with me wherever I go, and with it the lessons I learned along the way. –Hailey Krueger
Truth: A documentary Column like I see ’em Kevin Niederman You want to watch a documentary. You’re tired of all the exciting fiction you’ve been exposing yourself to, and you want a little dosage of truth.
You’d expect that wherever you decide to turn, be it a recounting of the battle for Wake Island or the creation and history of your favorite baked good, the information you
actively consume is the truth. That’s what documentaries are, truth. They aren’t written or created, they’re fact. They might as well be educational. Right?
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OPINION I don’t feel this is the case. I’m an emotional person, and as such I feel like I’m easy to take advantage of. I cry at fictional movies all the time, and of course I would. Of course the tiny redheaded girl dies of leukemia. Of course the boy has to shoot his own dog. Of course the man’s dream girl was initially abrasive because she’s terminally ill. Of course! These films manipulate me emotionally, forcing me to care about something just so they can bludgeon me maudlin five minutes later. It’s so common that it’s become kind of an insider’s joke. You know if anyone shows you a picture of his kids or says he’s about to retire he’s about to die. Documentaries operate the same way. Remember the movie Blackfish released in 2013? The documentary told the story of killer whales in captivity, specifically a whale named Tilamook and its captors, SeaWorld. The movie discussed several deaths that occurred as a result of the aggressive behavior of this whale, and questioned the morality of holding giant intelligent fish prisoner in order to perform tricks for five-year-olds. It brought up some good questions, but it also went beyond and answered those questions. Blackfish, more than anything else,
makes you angry. It makes you mad that SeaWorld would ever do anything so wicked. SeaWorld denied much of what was said in the film. They claimed the vast majority of the “experts” interviewed were disgruntled former SeaWorld employees, and the information shown and discussed was biased. Nobody told SeaWorld’s side of the story. The things they did show, they showed decisively. Every shot of the whale attacking someone is black and white or tilted and the screen stained red. Music swells and peaks with splashes and screams of the trainers fighting for their lives. The film is edited, as all documentaries are. That editing is designed to make you feel a specific way. And you do. This isn’t a textbook. If you don’t enjoy the film, if you don’t feel anything, what’s the point? SeaWorld put out a ton of press and material trying to get their side of the story out, but it was too late. It didn’t matter anymore. Blackfish is fact now; it’s the truth. SeaWorld ticket sales are still plummeting. Perhaps that’s why SeaWorld finally caved to all the pressure and recently announced they would be stopping Orca breeding and are phasing out all theatrical shows. I’m not saying I agree SeaWorld
is right or wrong or anything. All I’m pointing out is that a movie sharing a point of view is, for many people, considered the truth. Remember Kony 2012? That 30-minute documentary that had the entire U.S. up in arms over a genocidal maniac in Uganda? Kony had long since left Uganda at the time of that film’s release, and his “massive” following also numbered in the low hundreds. More recently I’ve been bombarded by people telling me I have to see “Making a Murderer,” and how angry I’ll be at America and the justice system after I do. Yet, before I got the chance to see it, I got to see the film makers admit that they knowingly left out some specific evidence in the trial in order to make a more compelling story. Has that stopped anybody from taking that film for absolute fact? Documentaries are fun, but I think the real education is looking into the topics they discuss for yourself instead of being spoonfed someone else’s opinions. Documentaries are films. They are created by people with agendas, and that agenda isn’t always spreading the truth. There’s a reason your mom told you not to take things at face value. At least I hope she did.
An unexpected coupling The write way Setheesh Moturi What happens when religion and politics mix? Ben Carson is our best example. The openly Adventist candidate, who many in our church were hoping would win by the grace of God, dropped out of the presidential race on March 4. In his resignation
speech, he informed his supporters he would “continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation.” The phrase “save our nation” brings many actions to mind— tackling pay inequality, breaking down discriminatory judicial
systems, perhaps even re-structuring America’s budget, if one were so ambitious. Certainly, the last thing on many lists of this nature would be supporting Donald Trump. Yet, in another move almost as unclear as his candidacy, Carson has Coupling continued on pg 6
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OPINION Coupling continued from pg 5 officially endorsed Trump. For those lacking context on this unlikely pairing, Trump’s public defaming of Carson as a child molester is what makes this coupling all the more confusing. Carson and Trump would later reconcile, chalking these comments up to “political stuff.” This exchange itself really ought to have been enough to deter Carson from wanting to have anything to do with the Trump campaign. And yet here we are. Carson is the only candidate who, based on the actions of Trump’s supporters, wouldn’t be welcome to the mission of the Trump agenda. It’s rare that I bring race into an issue where it doesn’t belong. However, it seems remiss of Carson to support a candidate who, if not himself racist, is the advocate of a largely racist support base.
Unfortunately, Trump is Carson’s best bet for a ticket to the White House. In an interview with Newsmax, Carson said though he liked other candidates, he “didn’t see a path” for them to make it into the primaries and ultimately Washington. He also implied there were other specific candidates he was hoping to have partnered with. When Carson first became viral in 2013 via his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, I was interested in his views, but never saw him as more than a valuable cabinet-member. The Adventist perspective is and can be valuable in politics. Foreign policy, education and regulation of the FDA are a few issues that Adventists are familiar to dealing with based on the tenets of the church. Carson began his campaign saying he only ran because his numerous supporters were begging
him. He was adamant a presidency was never on his bucket list. The legitimacy of these claims is not in question, but rather his sudden interest in an area in which he clearly assured he had none. When asked about his intentions, Carson responded with open-ended vague phrases. Recently he spoke on whether or not Trump offered him a vice presidential position by saying details are still “very liquid” without disclosing any specifics. Though we’re not a church known for open dialogues according to many of own youth, Carson provided a hope that Adventism, fallible as it is, would be able to voice something relevant in recent world history. With his recent and unexpected interest in White House residency, even at the expense of supporting Trump, our hopes have been dashed.
Pride at the pulpit Fire and Brimstone Eliezer Roque Cisneros Preachers are too caught up trying to say new things. The temptation is always there, disguised as a standard that they must rise above and beyond in order to justify their services in ministry. And we, fellow churchgoers, are encouraging pride at the pulpit. With our consumerist sense of entitlement we demand interesting topics, novel and insightful, yet inline with our socio-political values. This mindset voids the desire for simple truth and breeds arrogant ministers prone to seeking recognition for the messages they bring the saints of God. Illustrations become jokes, self-disclosure becomes self-endorsement, and the once confident stride of a steady workman becomes the pompous strut of a show
horse. The pulpit becomes a platform. Though toxic to our churches, we encourage this attitude with disregard to the consequences. I sat down recently with College View Church’s lead pastor Harold Alomia, and he explained arrogance, and why it’s detrimental to the church’s religious experience. “I would say arrogance is one of the biggest hindrances in our ministry, because arrogance makes it all about you, your talents, your delivery, your ability with the text, your presence, the way you dress. Arrogance shifts the focus from scripture and Jesus to the ability of the speaker,” he said. After the service is over and members leave their pews, the
speaker usually shakes hands with everyone. It’s during this exchange that we do the most harm. We praise mortals for “their” speaking abilities and for the new truths/takes on Bible passages that “they” discovered. We glamourize and thus emphasize the speaker’s ability. What are the compliments exchanged at the foyer with the preacher? Most positive feedback to the preacher, is about the delivery (“great sermon,” “enjoyed your message”) or the ideas promoted (“I really liked … ,” “I never saw the text that way,” “I haven’t heard that preached since … ”), and my personal least favorite: comparison to a prominent white adventist man (“you’re going to be the next…”). Those are half-handed
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OPINION compliments, not only to the speaker but to God. They not only point back to the human component; they equate successful preaching to entertainment, novelty and (oh God) prominent white men. Take the latter of the three with a grain of salt (no hate Pastor Batchelor). Like kittens, easily distracted by all things new and shiny, we ooh and ah, mercy and amen after anything that rhymes or challenges what we know is true but wish it wasn’t. We are tempting young and upcoming preachers before they even step on the platform to understand that what we want in a sermon is exactly what it sounds like: what we want. Long gone is the joy of listening to the message of the Bible simply for what it is: The eternal inspiration of God. Today, we rely heavily on the “effectiveness” of the preacher—the momentary excitement of man. Leaning on the rhetoric of the speaker in order to catch the fullness of the Bible text is like expecting the cafeteria server to chew our food to make digestion easier for us. The cafe worker can’t masticate and digest the nutrients on our behalf if we expect to walk away having contributed anything to our bodies. I’m not against the expositors of the word adding personal flavor or rhetorical texture to a sermon. Were it not for the way Paul
sculpted his messages to the churches, his letters could have easily drifted into a sea of ancient memorabilia from the early church. Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians and a
They not only point back to the human component; they equate successful preaching to entertainment, novelty and (oh God) prominent white men. sizable portion of the New Testament would never have found a place in the cannon we now know as the Holy Bible. Alomia touches the heart of the issue. Ultimately, arrogance defines who the sermon is about. Selfish pride will always point the listener back to the preacher. However, as Seventhday Adventists, we hold that all Bible truth points back to Jesus. Praise comes naturally when the sermon is executed with power and conviction, but that praise belongs to God.
Arrogance is rarely addressed as a major moral issue in our preachers. Young men and women sometimes step up to speak without having anyone remind them of the privilege and responsibility that the pulpit wields. I wish I could stop here and say this issue was limited to the face we see behind the pulpit, but arrogance runs unchecked in the background. It’s present in the church leaders we don’t see. Self-pride will bring out personal weaknesses that can throw men and women of God into the quicksands of lust, greed and bigotry. Arrogance is easy to dismiss because by the time it finishes rotting the backbone of church families, the base pride has morphed into something more severe. There’s nothing wrong with being open to seeing the shortcomings and being anxious to change. It’s called humility, the antithesis to arrogance. There’s only one person we should learn humility from. Just saying, His name makes my unrighteousness feel like muddy and torn apparel. His humility can replace our pride with God’s power at the pulpit. When we look to the righteous Son of Man, selfless and meek, we won’t be satisfied with where we are today.
A Letter from Rudy Rodriguez “The midwest has blessed me with great friends and unforgettable relationships,” by Tiny Moving Parts [“Dakota”] has been going through my head my entire time at basic. Let’s be real, I miss my Union College family. Shooting guns and running everyday is fun and all but nothing is better than hanging in the cafe with my homies. Union College is a great, but being in college things will start to weigh
down on you. Every once in awhile you gotta find your azimuth or the reason why you came. School will get hard. And you will question why you even came to school. Which is what I did. Find purpose in life, fam. Live life in a way that will make you happy. What makes me happy? Spending time with people, pop-punk, and Chipotle. But on a serious note, you aren’t
always going to be happy. Like the band The Wonder Years said, “It’s not about forcing happiness; it’s about not letting the sadness win.” Keep your heads up fam. Love, Rudy and my battle buddy Carl. P.S. Mail me letters and what happens in The Walking Dead and X-Files. ** You can submit letters to Rudy online at clocktower.ucollege.edu or on see our Facebook page for details.
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