ISSUE 90.17
UNION COLLEGE
APRIL 6, 2016
Month of terror March 16, 2016. Two women disguised as men approach a mosque located on the outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state in Nigeria, at approximately 5:30 a.m. The first woman enters the building and joins the worshippers in the center of the mosque. As the congregation rises for prayer, she detonates a bomb sewn into her garments. Pandemonium sets in, and the second woman rushes inside and detonates her bomb near those who are trying to flee. 22 people are murdered, another 35 injured. March 22, 2016. Amid the
hustle and bustle of a typical morning at the Brussels Airport in Zaventem, three inconspicuous men push carts loaded with luggage to their presumed gates.
We hardly need reminding that evil exists in this world. At 7:58 a.m. local time, they instead detonate two bombs packed with nails as shrapnel.
At 9:11 a.m. of the same day, the middle car of a three-car metro train explodes six miles away from the Brussels Airport at the Maalbeek metro station. 32 people are murdered, another 300 injured. March 27, 2016. Thousands gather to celebrate Easter Sunday at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore, Pakistan. As excited children queue in front of a musical carousel, 30 pounds of explosives strapped to an attacker’s body detonate next to the machine. 72 people are murdered, another 320 injured. Terror continues on page 2
Badger’s Bookshop hosts open house, encourages student reading Badger’s Bookshop hosts open house, encourages student reading Coming up on Sunday, April 17, Badger’s Bookshop is hosting an open house for those who might be interested in exploring a library of potential reads. Refreshments, snacks and potentially some specials on books will be offered. Owner Will Lock hopes handfuls of people show up to browse his large collection of fiction, nonfiction, western literature, politics, world religions, children’s, history and other genres, as well as appreciate the local art he has for sale decorating the shop.
Be sure to stop by Badger’s Bookshop on April 17 to check out Will’s unique collection of novels.// Photo Credit Zach Morrison
The open house starts 10:00 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. Tucked behind Field’s Flower Shop, just across 48th Street, rests the small but cozy used-book store. Filled with over five thousand books, Badger’s Bookshop is a fairly new addition to the College View Neighborhood and is definitely worth a visit. On July 8, 2015, native Nebraskan Lock sold his first book. After retiring he knew he wanted to open a used bookstore, being he was a great lover of books and literature. “I hope to provide books that people find interesting to read. Badger’s continues on page 2
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NEWS Terror continued from page 1 Various groups have claimed responsibility for March’s bombings, including the Islamic State, a Pakistani offshoot of the Taliban and affiliates of Boko Haram. But with the closest attack occurring over 4,600 miles away, some may question this relevance of this news. Should we care for the fact that a NATO ally was attacked? Or for the fact Christians were explicitly targeted by an international terror organization? In short, no. Not for those reasons. In a new Acura advertisement, a safety technician is shown carrying and placing people, not dummies, inside an SUV. He buckles them in, one by one, until he reaches the driver. The camera then pans out to shows the driver’s face. It’s the same face as the technician’s. He is then shown walking into the control center and nervously pressing the button to send the car Badgers’s continued from page 1 I don’t want to get rich,” he said. The shop’s motto “Books for Inquiring Minds” echoes his sentiment, and he’s more than willing to help each and every customer who walks through his doors. “I’ve read a review of every single book in the shop, so I can help to recommend and tell customers about them, “ said Lock, “I’m definitely
into the wall at full speed. A voice says, “When you don’t think of them as dummies, something amazing happens.” When you don’t think of them as people in a distant land, numbers in a tally of victims, something terrifying happens. When you think of one, only one of the dead as your brother, mother, or child, only then is it possible to understand the terrifying cost of attacks like those which transpired in the past month. Now magnify that feeling by a factor of 126. Each number represents a person. Each number represents a family member, a loved one. And each number represents a human life, mercilessly and meaninglessly ripped from this earth. And for what? We hardly need reminding that evil exists in this world. This article could, however, serve a useful purpose as a cold splash of water to the face, refusing to allow numbness, or even fear.
For those of us who lack the means to affect change to the extent we would like, refusing to accept these horrendous acts of terror as the norm, both domestically and abroad, is the most effective way to combat this depraved ideology. We must unite, not as Unionites, not as Americans, not even as Christians, but as members of a global community and declare with a resolute and unwavering voice that we refuse to be intimidated into silence. Those who seek to commit terror will know we won’t go quietly into the night; an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us; and that we will stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, white or black, Muslim or Christian, as a united front against this evil stalking our world. Only then can we expect to live in a world where terrorism is nothing more than a dark spot on a distant memory of a long ago world. –Jonathan Deemer
willing to help anyone who comes in.” Lock himself is an incredibly well-read individual, citing Ivan Doig’s “The Whistling Season” as one of his favorite books. “I’m fond of Western writers as well as Nebraskan authors.” Not only does he sell used books, he purchases them too.
I can give them an idea of what I am interested in and what books they should bring,” he said with a smile. “That way, you don’t end up hauling a massive pile of books down to the shop and I end up only wanting one.”
“I prefer people call me ahead of time and describe the books to me so
Will Lock can be reached at 402-314-6602. Hours at Badger’s Bookshop are 10:00 am to 5:30 pm; it’s open Tuesday through Saturday. –Graci Escobar
Gianna’s serves gelato for a good cause Gianna’s is a quaint java and gelato shop on O St. and 23rd St. run by the Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. The shop, which opened in Dec. 2015, helps support efforts to give to those in need in Lincoln and southern
Nebraska. In addition to aiding Nebraskans, the peaceful and quiet shop offers a relaxing atmosphere for any college student seeking a getaway. Featuring a rustic yet modern vibe set with plush chairs and
charming decor, Gianna’s is a comfortable hang out destination, promoting conversation over a cup of coffee or a bowl of gelato. The shop also has a section devoted to comfortable reading chairs and a small collection of religious books.
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LIFESTYLE This quiet nook provides a space to ups and tortilla sandwiches include sit and read, or do homework while salad and dessert. Other treats, enjoying a sweet treat. Gianna’s features 40 different flavors of gelatos and sorbettos rotating daily; choices include red velvet, dark chocolate, strawberry and mango. Customers may sample the variety of flavors displayed to help them decide which choice is best. Additionally, Gianna’s sells prepackaged pints for customers to take these sweet treats home. Gianna’s is open Mon. - Sat., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. // Photo Credit Kasondra Reel Though primarily a coffee and gelato shop, Gianna’s also serves breakfast and including cookie sandwiches and lunch options such as salads, soups, frozen novelty pops, are additional cinnamon rolls and scones. All rolloptions.
For guests with special dietary needs, several vegetarian options are offered such as a veggie rollup, an apple, feta, raisin and almond spinach salad, cinnamon rolls and scones. In addition, all sorbettos are made without dairy to provide sweet vegan options. More than simply enjoying the tasty treats and comfortable mood, customers can feel good knowing their purchases went toward a great cause here in Lincoln by helping their fellow Nebraskans. Gianna’s is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. –Sara Roberts
Majorca’s paradise The sun was out, the sand warm, only a four day trip and I wasn’t able One thing I’ve learned from and the clear Mediterranean sea to relax between hotel rooms and bus my travels is that traveling and sparkled directly across from our rides. Every day our schedule was vacationing are indeed different apartment. Don’t worry, jealous wake up, visit cathedrals, sleep. entities. friends, your time is Travel forces you coming. into unfamiliar places For spring break and stressful situations this year, I traveled where you question with several friends, why you ever wanted from Union and to go there. When in Andrews alike, to a new environment, Majorca, Spain, on you can no longer March 16. How did I lean on people around come to choose Spain? you; they’re just as Well, when choosing lost as you. Travel rips where to go for spring apart everything you break, it was this island thought you knew and or Paris. I wanted reveals layers hidden by to go to Paris, but it familiarity. was expensive and With vacations, you wouldn’t have been have time to discuss relaxing (sorry Madison Melissa spent spring break in Majorca, Spain. What did you do? // Photo Credit Melissa Ratter directions, food and Wagnaar). Paris is always activities. You can walk around pure travel, seeing sights and never In Majorca, my clothes filled the without rushing the experience. really unpacking. closet, the fridge hosted yogurt and Vacationing can help you think For example, in February the milk and our wet towels hung over about the deeper issues of the self, school took us to Barcelona. It was the balcony rail. like travel, but the difference is Majorca’s continues on page 4
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ACA/SM Majorca’s continued from page 3 vacations do not force. Vacations allow you to relax and retreat. For instance, during our first day in Majorca we casually strolled three miles from beach shop to beach shop, admiring the Majorca magnets, beach toys and flowy island dresses each store had to offer. A lot of places were just opening up for the season as most tourists visit closer to summer. Since we would be staying in town until March 27, we found a
supermarket and bought a ton of food. No one in our group really knows how to cook an edible meal, but Greg and I, the dynamic sibling duo, were determined to feed the team of inept cooks. We cooked pizza in a microwave, eggs sunny side-up and tuna sandwiches. On our second day, we sat on our towels and warmed in the sun like lizards at Magaluf Beach until looming storm clouds drove us away. The water became too cold to jump into, but the weather looked
promising so I refused to return to school without bathing in those crystal clear waters. Majorca was my retreat from a world filled with Spanish classes and homesickness. While I was there, I could forget my worries. I could focus on the warm sand, clear waters and smell of my brother’s fried chicken. I will return to the States without seeing the Eiffel Tower, but that’s okay with me because I needed this vacation. I needed Majorca. –Melissa Ratter
Sometimes, climbing a mountain is needed Thanksgiving break.” “Yea, right … ” I couldn’t believe my ears! That’s what I would’ve said if told Instead of relaxing and stuffing my I’d be climbing a mountain at some point in my life. face with good food, I’d be doing Somehow, climbing over 500 ft. into the sky through dense jungle, forest or snow and then standing on the edge of a precipice from which I may or may not fall to my death just doesn’t seem appealing. J-Fiah and friends celebrating at the top of the peak.// Photo Credit J-Fiah Reeves Unlike me, however, the the most strenuous activity I’ve ever principal at the school I’m teaching done. Mr. Meharry, my principal, at loves the outdoors. Especially mountain climbing. told me not to fear. Though it might be hard, it’d be rewarding. I dreaded The week before Thanksgiving the day of our torturous mountain break, a horrible idea struck him. climb. “Why don’t we climb that The day finally arrived and my mountain behind the school. What is it called again?” captors came to take me to my doom. “The Devil’s playground,” I answered As we walked closer to the hulking monster of Mt. Mutante, I fervently bitterly. prayed to God that a mysterious “Mt. Mutante, that’s it! We’ll climb ailment would strike me so I it for our youth activity during
wouldn’t have to continue. As we reached the base of the mountain, it became obvious that the Lord would leave my plea unanswered. Mr. Meharry, myself, a student from the school, and two young people from the church began our ascent of the 923 ft. behemoth. As we climbed, I realized why I hadn’t wanted to come along. I was falling and fatigued the whole way up the mountain, taking frequent stops and finishing my water. At one point, I thought I wasn’t going to make it. However, at my lowest points, encouragement and help from others lifted me and finally, we reached the top. I was taken away by the breathtaking view of the island and it hit me. I was at the top! I had climbed a mountain. Thinking about that climb, I can’t help but think about my spiritual journey this year. My student missionary year has been
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OPINION a lot like climbing that mountain. At times, it’s been a grueling uphill spiritual battle. I’ve felt like giving up. My comfort zone has been stretched time and time again, and many times I find myself wondering why. Looking back at Mt. Mutante,
I’m realizing God has to stretch us sometimes, and it usually hurts. Moving from glory to glory isn’t always a cakewalk or exciting experience. Sometimes, we fall down, get fatigued and dread taking the next step. But, if we never move from
where we are, we cannot experience the depths of the love of God. Maybe it’s time we leave our comfortable homes and begin the ascent up the mountains of faith. If we don’t, we might miss out on the breathtaking views of God’s amazing grace. –J-Fiah Reeves
A European perspective on terrorism What does one think when I say the media often uses fear to keep an their life means letting them win. the word “Europe”? audience. Europe is also a continent, not When hearing that name I used People also use fear as an excuse a country. I noticed as an American to think of countries I wished to to do terrible things like build in the past I would often mold the visit, food I wanted to taste, and walls, ostracize races, or encourage countries together as one. “Terrorists languages to learn. When I are in Europe, so I better not mention it now, whether to go there.” Europe is a massive a friend or a simple Google place full of interesting, search, another word pops up: beautiful, and worthwhile terrorism. things to learn. Living in France during This country has a year filled with fear and experiences I wouldn’t trade hate has been eye opening, for the world even if I were to say the least. During each to be involved in an attack attack in Europe, both Paris tomorrow. I’ve learned and Brussels, I received an countless lessons since living abundance of “are you ok?” in France, but my favorite messages, even though I was in one is having courage to stand a completely different country up for what is right and not In Rome, memorials displayed sorrow for those lost in the Paris attacks. // Photo Credit Hailey Krueger during both occurrences. The letting fear control my life. U.S. Department has advised The reality of the situation Americans not to travel to Europe, more violence. This chain effect is is: terrorist attacks can happen and the media covers these attacks exhausting and can sometimes feel anywhere, anytime, anyplace. for weeks on end. never ending. We assume it will only happen Something I noticed since in Europe because it’s believed to be the numerous attacks here is that more accessible to terrorists. With Europeans have a different point We as Americans are Internet and recruiting techniques, of view of the situation from America could just as easily be completely run by Americans. targeted. When hearing of the bombs and Even though these are horrifying media, and the media shootings, I’m at first afraid. I think thoughts, it’s important to not allow often uses fear to keep these realities to take control. of how that could’ve been me, of what I would’ve done in a situation In times like these it’s necessary an audience. like that, about the innocent lives to work together as a team, a family, taken. Then I talk to my local a school. It’s counterproductive to friends, the ones whose families have But something I admire about fight terror with more terror. dealt with terrorism and war in their Europeans I’ve met is their refusal For more information on how to help own home country, and they all tell to live in fear no matter what the counter terrorism visit http://www.un.org/ me the same thing: we as Americans television shows. They know that victimsofterrorism/en are completely run by media, and letting terrorists or anyone control –Hailey Krueger
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OPINION
Is it unfair or unequal? The write way Setheesh Moturi Here is an example of unfair discrimination: Tax reform. The two candidates who lie on either side of this spectrum (Trump and Sanders) are aiming to give tax breaks to either the richest or the poorest. Under Trump’s plan most tax cuts would come to wealthier households, and the opposite is true for Bernie’s plan. To the “wealthier,” Bernie’s plan seems unfair, because who wants to pay for others to have free stuff? During these elections, words like “inequality” and “unfairness” have been thrown around hotly, so a distinction needs to be made. There is a difference between unfair and inequality. This quote from a post on The Boeskool blog caught my attention almost immediately: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” The author calls into question his experiences of oppression only to realize his feelings were often misguided and based on his personal discomfort. These days, it doesn’t seem to take much to become “oppressed.” Feelings of oppression generally stem from unfair circumstances. Far be it from me to say that inequality is a thing of the past. Just less than two weeks ago, the
state of Nebraska rejected a bill that would ban LGBT discrimination in the workplace. This legislation is not a standalone. States like North Carolina and Mississippi both are rekindling the fire of human rights for LGBT members in our communities. Inequality is not the idea that I’m not getting what I want, it’s that groups of people (typically) aren’t getting what they deserve. This distinction is an important one to be made. And based on the potential outcomes of the current election, it will become even more important as time moves onward.
When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. When we look at a campaign like Donald Trump’s, “racist” is often a word that comes up. His comments toward the Mexican community—and illegal immigrants in general— as well as the Muslim community are in no way sensitive. However, to say
these comments are “racist” is more likely an assumption based on the subsequent actions of many of his supporters. Many of these supporters likely feel it unfair that illegal citizens are taking jobs, security, and wealth away from hard-working citizens. Never has the racist community of America shone more brightly and under such a unified banner as, “Make America Great Again.” A similar, though not the same, argument can be made for Sanders and accusations of socialism. He intends to spread wealth in order to fuel a capitalist economy, not to destroy it. In Sanders’ camp, there are likely many supporters who feel it unfair so much wealth be spread amongst so few people, while others struggle to work for the leftovers. This is likely the context under which many support the message of Sanders. Under either banner, we see many claims of inequality thrown toward the opposing candidate. However, let’s pause the next time we’re tempted to flippantly use the term “inequality.” Often it is likely that this inequality is actually unfairness in disguise based on our feelings of personal discomfort.
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OPINION
Letter to the Editor: On Superheroes and Feminism I’m always intrigued to read the opinion pieces in the Clocktower. I like seeing how others view the world and test my own beliefs to correct or reaffirm what I think about certain things. Sometimes, I agree. Sometimes, I don’t. Let me make this immediately clear: women shouldn’t be considered inferior, and superhero movies aren’t helping a perception of women as minor or inferior. Now that I’ve clarified that, let me get into the meat of this letter. In Sara Robert’s article, “Feminism in Marvel,” I found I wasn’t sure how she wanted the issue remedied. Sure, having a more inclusive movie experience is a nice goal, but it really doesn’t get into the nitty gritty of how to make these classic heroes more inclusive. Superheroes used to be heavily marketed towards the male audience, and it is clear that there is still that lingering influence in today’s movies. The classic superheroes being revitalized in these new films should be expected to reflect their roots. It’s unreasonable to expect the origin stories of established heroes to be restructured to be more politically correct. Instead, it could be looked at as a bastardization of the original content if Mary Jane was written as a character of equal importance to the namesake of the series. Batman isn’t about Robin, it’s about Batman. I don’t think we’re in the position to complain about ‘male dominance’ in superhero movies. It’s an unreasonable stretch to expect Marvel or other studios to change existing IPs to fit the current social
norm without sacrificing the source material. Roberts said, “Marvel’s stories often focus on the male characters while the female characters are left in supporting roles,” but I’d argue that if the statement were amended to reflect reality it would read more like “Marvel’s stories often focus on the [main] characters while the [supporting] characters are left in supporting roles.” I would argue the solution to the apparent lack of female protagonists in superhero franchises is to create new franchises. Jessica Jones, for example, is a stronger female character and, coincidentally, also the main character. Money speaks to studios better than banal arguments. Instead of saying we need stronger female roles in existing universes, encourage studios to explore new ideas and to embrace stronger female protagonists. Finally, to touch on some accusations of the current females in the superhero market. Black Widow’s mediation role in Captain America: Civil War is said to “[weaken] her character’s impact on the storyline.” Ignoring the gaping issue with not being able to rule on her impact to a yet-to-be-released storyline, I’d argue that her character’s ability to separate herself from the conflict and try to resolve it peacefully actually adds to her character’s strength. If, like Roberts insists, Black Widow were to take a more aggressive, side-choosing stance in the movie, wouldn’t she then be
playing into the “impression that for women to make a difference in the world they must become more masculine and violent,” the mindset which she says could lead women to feel insecure about their femininity? Yeah, Black Widow being the bigger ‘man’ and trying to reconcile both sides would put her as the more mature, more stable character, but that’s exactly my point. She would just be a man. Sadly, I haven’t stayed caught up enough with the Daredevil series to be introduced to Elektra, nor have I watched Jessica Jones. However, from my minimal knowledge and a quick Google search, Jessica Jones’ background appears to have more depth than a variety of heroes, male or female. It seems evident to me the issue isn’t with a latent sexism in media or some hidden patriarchal agenda, but instead with an assumption that as ideals progress the media from the last couple decades will still be relevant. Perhaps it is time to retire Thor and Iron Man and focus on a broader and more diverse set of heroes. As with all other businesses, innovate or die applies to superhero media as well, and Marvel will either produce new and more relevant heroes or face their defeat to another more open-minded studio which will. This isn’t an issue of who’s right or wrong, it’s an issue of economics and changing social ideals, and it should be looked at as such. –James Claque
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