95.21

The Clocktower April 14, 2021 Issue 21, Volume 95

EDITORIAL

What is Love Reality all about?

I talked to prominent members to find out

I

f you have been around campus or College View Church over the past few months, you have probably heard the buzz surrounding a group known as Love Reality Tour (LRT). The mission of this group of believers is to help people be “free from sin” and find the “truth.” They have become more vocal around campus, but who are they and what do they really believe?

These questions are hard to answer because if you go to their website, there isn’t a clear explanation about the organization as a whole. Of course, the website provides a clear spot to donate. Currently, they are asking for donations to reach a goal of $500,000 to help accomplish two goals: fund the development and production of “Wave Two: Healed From Sin” and to fund advertising to reach 100,000 people through “Wave One: Freedom From Sin.” These waves appear to be a collection of virtual Bible studies that you can access only if you become a member. However, there are no clear descriptions about these two goals nor is there any clarification about the content of the studies. But nonetheless, they are still

asking people to donate $500,000.

From the website, you are directed to a Facebook group that is, once again, private.

The only working links are the donate, waves and contact buttons. There isn’t anything else that could further explain the organization or tell us who the founders and leaders are (through digging and questioning, I was able to find out that the leaders are Tyler Morrison and Jonathan Leonardo). However, it seems that to know any details concerning the organization, you have to fully commit and be immersed in their program.

In my attempt to find some clarity on many of the questions and concerns regarding their organization and its presence at Union, I reached out to many of their apparent members who are very vocal about Love Reality on campus. This exchange between myself and those affiliated provided some clarity, but in the end, left me more confused.

I reached out to five people with questions about Love Reality. Some clarified that they were not members of the organization but just strong supporters of them and their

TURN THE PAGE 3

Chaplain Recap

8 SDA News

13 Lincoln News

6

Love

10 Pop Culture

15 Chai Guy

4 The official

UNION COLLEGE

newspaper

7

Comedy Sports

9 Outlook

11 Union News

14 Editorial, Cont.

2

Editor–in–Chief Juliet Bromme Assistant Editor Hannah Drewieck Distributor Marvin Velasquez Media Manager Francisco Campos Photography Editor Joseph Lee Layout Editor Chrisheline Kalawo Assistant Layout Editor Justin Anderson

NEWS Editor Olivia Jacobs Photographer Nathan Sweet Adventist News Hannah Olin Union News Jade Covel Lincoln News TJ Pittenger

ENTERTAINMENT Editor Annika Cambigue Photographer Andrew Schwartz Sports Jacob Roney Pop Culture Sierra Lastine Comedy Sammy Ortiz

LIFESTYLE Editor Maria Kercher Photographer Robert Umali Outlook Lacey Stecker Politics Alex Nesmith Love Advice Kaitlynn Toay

ministry. One of them even said, “The actual organization is only made up of a few [people].” I found this comment interesting. It left me wondering what the requirements are to become a member. Also, why are only a “few” making up an entire organization?

I emailed Tyler Morrison, and he replied with some answers. A common question that has been asked is if this is a Seventh-day Adventist organization. I could not find a definitive answer to this question. Tyler said, “Love Reality is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is made up of several Seventh-day Adventists in good standing.”

Another member said, “Love Reality is made up by many Adventists. It seems that most people in the group grew up in the Adventist church and developed ideas about God that placed them under the law of man and not under the law of Love.” Their website states that they are a “Christian movement.”

I also reached out to a faculty member who has expressed concerns about Love Reality. They said, “The secrecy and exclusivity of the movement make it feel like a cult. If it is such great ‘freedom’ for everyone, why all the secrecy?” This person was referring to the challenge of accessing information about the organization. I find it interesting that this word has been tossed around by so many on campus. In fact, many Union College students are familiar with the Instagram account @uc_confessions__. A few weeks ago, one of its posts read, “Love Reality tour is a cult prove me wrong.”

When I asked what their response was to those who call them a cult, a student I emailed said, “Love Reality is no more a cult than College View Church (CVC) or Christ Place. As someone whose first Adventist private school experience is Union College, I would say that the culture of Union and CVC is far more cult-like than Love Reality.”

The response from Tyler was, “Well, as an Adventist, I’d say it’s kind of par for the course when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel, isn’t it? Never feels good though.”

When asking the members what exactly Love Reality believes in, I was met with very interesting replies. I asked, “What are the actual beliefs of Love Reality?” One member said, “The fundamental beliefs are rooted in the Bible. If you would like to know the fundamental beliefs, read the Bible.”

Tyler’s response was, “What we believe the Bible says is clearly presented in our series online.” I find these responses strange in the sense that if you are a supporter or leader, shouldn’t you be able to answer a question as simple as, “What do you believe?”

cont. on page 14

Union brings chaplain candidates to campus

A brief recap of the two nights of Q&As

W

ith Pastor Rich retiring from Union College after decades of service, the hunt for the next chaplain at Union is well underway. David Kabanje and Melissa Howell are both Union alumni and are being considered to fill Pastor Rich’s shoes.

Pastor Rich Carlson is set to retire from Union by August 1st, 2021, after 40 years of service. In that time he has headed countless outreach ministries, planned hundreds worship services and stood as a pillar of the Union community.

A chaplain search committee composed of students, faculty and pastors has been working tirelessly the past couple of weeks interviewing potential candidates and carefully selecting those who would bring the most to campus.

On April 7, students had the opportunity to meet Pastor David Kabanje. Kabanje graduated from Union in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in theology. He also served as Student Association president during that year. From Union, he went on to gain certifications and degrees in Pastoral Counseling, Organizational Leadership and Educational Innovation and Leadership.

Students who went to the Q&A found a welcoming, warm environment. Kabanje fielded questions ranging from what he plans to do with his position if he is accepted to his stance on the LGBT community, while sharing his beliefs on accepting and loving everyone as children of God. Each question was answered in an open and direct way as Kabanje made himself completely transparent on his beliefs.

The following day, April 8, students and faculty had the opportunity to meet Pastor Melissa Howell in her own Q&A. Howell graduated from Union with a bachelor‘s degree in theology in 2003, after which she pursued her Master of Divinity with an emphasis in youth ministry and her Doctor of

Ministry in Leadership.

Howell’s Q&A session ran similarly to Kabanje’s with some key changes. One of the first questions she answered was on her ordination. She is one of about 400 women serving in SDA ministry and stands in the party of ordained women, a number a little less than 40.

Pastor Howell opened up her time with a short talk about some important ideals within her own ministry, with an overarching theme of needing a God with skin. With context, this gave way to a beautiful story about the need for a relationship with God. She was also open about her past as a dean and spoke about how her style of leadership was built on the foundation of relationships.

Her quips and humor set the tone for the meeting and gave it an easy, comfortable feel for her hour long session.

Alexander Nesmith is a junior communication major from Calhoun, Ga.

3

4

Union through your eyes

Tell me you go to Union without telling me you go to Union

G

ood ol’ TikTok – you either love it, hate it or secretly watch it on your Instagram since you would never stoop so low as to actually download it. Anyhow, regardless of where one stands on the matter, there is no denying that some pretty entertaining things have come out of it.

Having just done an article sharing the views of other university students about Union, I was trying to think of how to do that within our own population. And that’s when it hit me; what better way to find out than to use a very simple imperative sentence (throwback to elementary English class): Tell me you go to Union without telling me you go to Union.

Here’s what people had to say.

Tell me you go to Union without telling me you go to Union: “Oh, wow, there goes another squirrel experiencing obesity because of students feeding them.” — Anonymous “Shabbat means stop.” — Gabriel Zita “Yes, I really go to school in Nebraska …”

— Briane Mility “Did you know that the Clocktower is the tallest point in Lincoln?”— Andrea Grijalva “Singing songs almost every class period with Peggy Wahlen.” — Anonymous “I’m in my room by 11 every Friday night.” — Becca Denniston “I know what the Hebrew word for ‘Sabbath’ is and what it means in English.” — David Campbell “I’m within walking distance of Veja-

Links at all times.” — Anonymous “I can communicate telepathically with the squirrels.” — Mariah Lee-Wong “The trees outnumber the students.” — Anonymous “Three years ago I never said ‘ope, sorry.’”

— Juliet Bromme “Hmm, which news channel should I look at today, The Clocktower or @uc_ confessions__?” — Shiloh Baillou “‘The cafe food needs to get better,’ as they eat the cafe food everyday.” — Anonymous “We slinga da ink and pusha da pen along.”

— Anonymous

Sammy’s Vine Throwback of the Week:

I think we can learn two very important things from these responses. First, being that squirrels are obviously such a big part of Union, our mascot should be a squirrel (listen, Southern has a duck, so we’d still be cooler).

Second, I think we can all go ahead and put “moderate knowledge of Hebrew” on our resumes, all thanks to Pastor Rich!

Overall, being that we’re already here at Union, we might as well make the most out of it and try to find and enjoy the little things that make Union Union.

Sammy Ortiz is a junior nursing major from Orlando, Fla.

WANNA WRITE?

Contact us on social media or email us at juliet.bromme@ucollege.edu for more information about Clocktower positions for the 2021-2022 school year.

5

6

What we can learn from “Married at First Sight”

©Lifetime

Relationship TV takeaways

M

y most recent guilty pleasure is binge watching Married at First Sight. Though I’m not a big fan of reality TV, I find myself invested in the concept of two people who have never met joining together in marriage. I’m sure much of the drama is fabricated, yet some of the challenges the couples must overcome are relatable. After watching a few seasons of the show, I feel there are a few takeaways that we can learn from.

Don’t make a snap judgement about someone.

Several of the couples on the show made it down the aisle and realized that they were not attracted to the person they were marrying.

What a frightening moment! However, many of these same couples ended up falling in love with their spouse. Attraction can grow.

Making a snap judgement about someone may hinder your dating life.

Relationships take work.

A team of experts match the couples based on compatibility factors, yet there has not been a single couple that has had a completely smooth transition into married life. Relationships take work. They are an investment. Oftentimes, the couples who put in the work decided to remain in those relationships.

Compromise is necessary.

No two people will see eye to eye on every issue. There is a certain amount of give-andtake that is necessary in relationships. An

equal amount of compromise is essential. If one partner is compromising more than the other or compromises are made about major factors in a relationship, re-evaluating the relationship may be necessary.

Sometimes you have to walk away.

There are variables we don’t account for when we get into a relationship. Some relationships end up emotionally or physically abusive. Others have one partner more committed than the other. Whatever it may be, there is a time to walk away. Being able to recognize this is important.

Though Married at First Sight is a dramatic and intense social experiment that I wouldn’t recommend the majority of people to try, I do think we can learn from the show.

We may not have a panel of experts helping us navigate our relationship, but with some hard work and dedication, it is possible to create a healthy and happy relationship…with someone you’ve known for more than five minutes.

Kaitlynn Toay is a senior English major from Edgeley, N.D.

7

The good gets better My reaction to the NBA trade deadline

T

he NBA trade deadline is over and while no current superstars were relocated, there were a bunch of interesting moves and trades. Let’s look at how the NBA has changed since the deadline and who is better and worse after the trades.

The team that changed the most after the deadline was Orlando Magic. They completely blew up. They shipped their all-star center, Nikola Vučević, to Chicago in exchange for some younger pieces, sent forward Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets for basically nothing and sent Evan Fournier to the Celtics.

The Magic have been teetering on a playoff position for multiple years in a row without any real success in the playoffs, and so the decision to dismember makes sense. If I were a Magic fan, I would’ve wanted more in return, though, and would not be excited for more tanking seasons.

In my opinion, the biggest winner from the NBA trade deadline was the Miami Heat.

Although they missed out on LaMarcus Aldridge, they won big by acquiring guard Victor Oladipo from the Houston Rockets in an absolute finesse of a trade. Oladipo is a perfect fit for the Heat’s culture and adds much-needed defense at the guard position. In addition to Oladipo, the Heat also acquired Nemanja Bjelica from the Kings for some additional shooting.

The Lakers acquired center Andre Drummond from free agency. Drummond previously played on the Cleveland Cavaliers and will add depth at the big man position, allowing Davis to play at the four (his preferred position) when they are sharing the court.

The Brooklyn Nets, aka the Avengers/ Warriors, also added some star power in LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge was bought out earlier this month by the Spurs, and after interviewing with the Lakers, the Clippers and the Nets, he decided to sign with Brooklyn.

Since the beginning of the season, Brooklyn

©CBS.com

has added LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and James Harden in addition to the summer acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

This team is scary now but I imagine them in 2014 – jeesh.

The Clippers looked to improve by adding veteran leadership in Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins. Rondo was traded from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Williams, and Cousins was in free agency. The addition of these two will definitely make the Clippers better, but I do not think the Clippers will get better enough to get over the hump.

The Tampa/Toronto Raptors were another team that had a somewhat busy free agency. One of these expected trades was veteran guard, Kyle Lowry, but the Raptors decided to hold onto him instead. The Raptors did make some moves including trading Terence Davis to the Kings, Matt Thomas to the Jazz and Norman Powell to Portland, but none of these trades make them significantly better or worse.

Jacob Roney is a junior business administration major from Sturgeon, Mo.

8

Adventist church and the Hope Channel release Heroes 2: Bible Trivia Game A new app creates fun and unexpected opportunities for outreach

T

he Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Hope Channel have recently partnered to develop Heroes 2: The Bible Trivia Game, an exciting new app which was released on March 25. It is a follow-up to the original Heroes released in 2013. Heroes 2 is a Bible trivia game that challenges players to progress through the game by answering questions about prominent heroes of the Bible, including John, Adam, Esther and more. Questions are given in chronological order and gradually increase in difficulty as the player moves through the game. Players can find instructional videos, along with other tips and tricks on the Heroes Youtube channel.

In addition to providing a unique and interactive way for Bible fun, the church is excited about the ministry opportunities that this app presents. Sam Neves, associate director of General Conference Communications believes that Heroes is a great way to reach others with the gospel.

With features such as multi-player, allowing players to share and challenge others, there are more opportunities for young people to share Jesus in a fun and unexpected way.

“All of this is a lot of fun, but our favorite feature is what happens next. Every player will be encouraged to start Bible studies.

We call it ‘The Big Questions.’ In this special Bible study series that can be found at hopebiblestudy.org, our heroes are ready to answer, ‘What happens when you die?’

‘Is God real?’ ‘If God is good, why do we suffer?’ and so many other tough questions…” says Neves.

“We will constantly publish new questions as we encourage every player to understand the Bible for themselves. And if they are going through a tough time in their lives, we already have a 24-hour team in place to pray

for them and provide pastoral care,” continued Neves. “Heroes 2: The Bible Trivia Game will help children, youth, and adults alike to get to know more about the amazing stories of the Bible, to realize that you and I are also called to be heroes today, just like these characters from the past. And when all is said and done, we want to inspire every player to give their lives to Jesus so one day they can meet Him, the ultimate Hero of all, face to face.”

Heroes 2: The Bible Trivia Game is available for download for Apple and Android devices. If you would like more information, please visit www.heroesbibletrivia.org.

©GooglePlay

Hannah Olin is a sophomore history education major from Princeton, Ill.

I went to the zoo in Omaha And I really want to talk about it

O

ver our last three-day weekend, my sister invited me to go with her to the zoo. Being a person who loves a good zoo, I said yes right away. As the school year winds down, I know it can be difficult to find the time to go do things for fun. Because of this unfortunate reality, and the fact that I really want to talk about the zoo, I am going to tell you my favorite animals I saw while there.

Snow leopard: The snow leopard is absolutely gorgeous. It disguised itself easily with some rocks, making it hard to spot.

According to the sign next to their enclosure, they’re really shy and you don’t always get to see them. But I recommend trying anyway.

They are positively magnificent.

Sloth bear: The sloth bear looks like your average black bear but with the floppiest ears in the world. I cannot explain how adorable its ears are. The live-action Jungle Book does not do the sloth bear justice. I know it’s a wild animal but it looks so cuddly, I just wanted to

©Levi Ventura

go pet it!

Jellyfish: I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the Omaha Zoo has an aquarium. In this aquarium, they have quite a few species of jellyfish (even ones that hangout upside down on the bottom of a tank) and they are so beautiful. Watching them float around is the most relaxing thing I’ve done in years.

Rhinoceros: This is just a personal opinion, but I love rhinos. They’re just so big and funny to me. It’s like a unicorn had a really bad breakup and said, “Forget it, I’ll adopt 40 birds,” and then did it. There were quite a few at the zoo, but my favorite was the one that was just chilling in the watering hole without a care in the world.

Honestly, every animal at the zoo is really fun to go see, even when they’re just sleeping.

I know now is likely not the time to go see them, but I highly encourage making plans to go. It’s a great way to get off campus for a few hours. (Just make sure you buy tickets online before going.)

Lacey Stecker is a sophomore communication major from Noblesville, Ind.

9

10

We didn’t start the fire The wild events of 2021

A

s the end of the semester is quickly approaching, it is interesting to look back to January. So much has happened in the world. Many people were hoping that 2021 might be a chance to slow down and return back to “normal.”

However, within the first week of the New Year, it became apparent that was not going to happen.The title of this article references a Billy Joel song which covers major historical events from 1949 to 1989. The song has been interpreted many different ways.The main message of the song focuses on how we interpret history. While 2020 and a lot of 2021 seem like absolute dumpster fires, this song is a reminder that even the largest historical events become no more than footnotes in history textbooks. Here are some of those events which were huge this year, but may one day be forgotten.

Donald Trump banned from Twitter Following the Capitol riots (which were a major event, and I doubt they will be forgotten), Donald Trump was banned from Parler, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit. It is funny to think about the fact that for a small period of time, you and I held power that the president of the United States

did not have.

Suez Canal For six days, the Suez Canal was blocked by just one ship, the Ever Given. This accident was a reminder of the catastrophic effects of just one mistake. Four hundred and twenty vessels were waiting for the ship to be freed.

They carried everything from grain, food, medical supplies and fuel. The blockage held up $9 billion in trade each day.

Texas power outage Temperatures in Texas reached record lows in February. This left millions without power.

The Texas senate has since mandated that power plants weatherize their facilities. One humorous meme did result from the storm.

Twitter users caught Senator Ted Cruz leaving the state for a trip to Cancún. Users started photoshopping him fleeing from disasters and used the hashtags #TedFled or #CancunCruz.

GameStop Small time investors got to mess with hedge funds by using their own tools against them, just because they wanted to. It began when Reddit users started investing through apps like Robinhood. Large numbers of people started buying stocks that hedge funds thought the price would go down on. Because of the large buy in of stocks, their prices went up. This forced the fund to scramble for money to cover their margin. Economists have called it absurd, unexpected and hilarious.

This joke is definitely one for the books.

I have missed listing some events of 2021 here, and really, how could I not? Even if I could remember all of the major events, I couldn’t fit them all on this page. The wheels of time and the pages of history just keep on turning.

Sierra Lastine is a sophomore English literature major from Grand Junction, Colo.

©KXAN

Union College announces 2021 graduation plans Graduating classes will have ceremonies

G

©Integrated Marketing Communications

raduation is happening and it will be in person! This year, graduates can invite friends and family. The weekend is coming up soon, and though details are still being confirmed, here is what we know right now.

As of April 6, Lincoln is still in the yellow zone on the COVID-19 risk dial. Because of this, since March 12, Lancaster county restrictions have limited indoor and outdoor gatherings to 75% capacity. For College View Church, 75% capacity is 975 people. So, it is currently estimated that each Union College 2021 graduate will be permitted to invite six people.

Union is still determining how admittance will be tracked, but there is a potential that

tickets will be required for admittance. For those who cannot attend in person, graduation will be live streamed on the uTV page. If tickets are an issue, graduates will be able to pick them up when they collect their gowns and can then distribute them to family and friends as desired. If tickets are implemented, they will then be able to give tickets to friends if they are not using all of theirs.

The Class of 2020 will be having their in person graduation as promised, so this May is finally the time! On Sunday, May 9, last year’s graduates will have the opportunity to march for graduation and can invite their friends and family to celebrate with them.

These past months have been difficult for everyone, but thankfully as vaccinations

11

12 become available, cases have gone down from the peak earlier this year. Also, health checks are no longer required to enter buildings at Union College and as of April 8, no students are quarantined or isolated due to COVID-19.

Thankfully, as the city of Lincoln slowly and safely restores normalcy, the Union community can experience this as well. This includes being able to celebrate graduation together, even though there are still some modifications.

Jade Covel is a senior religion major from Topeka, Kan.

Hello Union Students!

Student Financial Services needs YOUR help. Please take a few minutes sometime this week to complete your Financial Aid Questionnaire and FAFSA for the 2021-2022 school year, if you have not already done so.

To complete your Financial Aid Questionnaire, go to your portal and go to the My Financial Aid Page (represented by a piggy bank).

"Financial Questionnaire" will be an option in the dropdown menu in the upper left hand corner of this page.

Should you need assistance, please stop by our office located on the 6th floor of the Dick Building. We look forward to receiving these so we can provide you a Financial Aid Plan for the upcoming school year as quickly as possible. We appreciate your help with this!

- Student Financial Services

Former Husker advocates for child abuse prevention in athletics April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

©FirstThingsFirst.org

T

his may be a bit of a heavier subject than normal. Usually, I like to focus on topics that are uplifting and positive. However, this is going to be more serious and maybe even darker. April is National Child Abuse Prevention month.

Why write about it now? The timing is right, and this is something that is very close to my heart. Bringing awareness of this is something that must be done.

At this time, there are many children who are suffering from abuse. According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, there are almost eight million children involved with abuse reports.

However, only 3.4 million receive help. That is staggering. For whatever reason, less than half of the children reported for being abused receive help.

This was something that was also on the heart of former Husker Jeremiah Sirles.

He has been passionate about bringing up awareness on this subject for a long time. It was something that touched his heart specifically as abuse within sports is incredibly prevalent. According to Safe Sport, 40 to 50 percent of children playing sports have experienced abuse. Sirles is especially outspoken:. “There is a form of mistrust that

occurs with abuse that needs to be talked about.”

Sirles has also spoken about the signs of abuse in sports, for example, being withdrawn or not wanting to go to practice on a frequent basis and making excuses. Sirles said that based on the amount of trust parents place into the coaches of sports and events, it is extremely easy for that trust to be used and children to be abused.

Abuse affects through schools, colleges and life after. Abuse is something that is carried through the rest of the lives of those directly affected. Because of this, it must be spoken about. If you have been abused, you are not alone. There are people who love you. If you know of someone potentially being abused or you are a victim of abuse, the number for the abuse hotline is 800-422-4453.

TJ Pittenger is a junior theology major from Gilson, Ill.

13

14

cont. from page 2 Some of the members/supporters believe they have the power to heal. One story, in particular, was told to me by a student who was experiencing some knee pain. The student casually expressed their discomfort in front of a Love Reality member who proceeded to grab and squeeze the knee while chanting a “prayer.”

The student was confused, frightened, and didn’t know what to do. After leaving the room, the student said to a friend, “I don’t know what she [the Love Reality member] was doing! All she did was make my knee worse!” Another incident occurred when a different student had a sore throat. After learning about the ailment, the Love Reality member proceeded to place their hand on the student’s throat and pray. Though this may be a common practice among some Protestant denominations, this situation seemed more extreme than the simple laying of hands.

Another strange practice that is characteristic of Love Reality is sharing dirty laundry in public. Tyler Morrison, felt compelled to share some intimate details about his personal life on his Instagram page. In his post, he says, “[When I] stepped outside the vows I made to my wife, it devastated her and destroyed me.”

Another member, Eddie Cornejo, has also revealed intimate details about his past during Love Reality-related studies and posts. Based on video content found on the website and social media platforms, it appears that both men urge others to do the same. A concerning part of this is that others feel that part of joining Love Reality is admitting or revealing personal wrongs.

One of their beliefs is the idea that you are not a sinner. They cite the book of Romans in a unique way to form this conclusion. The narrative seems to be that despite sinful actions, you are not a sinner because you are already made perfect in Christ. This belief begs the question, if I lie, am I not a liar? If I steal, am I not a thief?

If I murder, am I not a murderer? Matthew 9:10–13 tells the story of when Jesus was ridiculed by the religious leaders for His

associations. He answers them by saying, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Recently, because of the many odd stories shared and reasons mentioned, Love Reality has been described as a “cult” from faculty, administration and students alike.

On March 8, at a Union College town hall, a question was brought up concerning Love Reality and their forceful way of sharing the gospel: “On campus, there is a group known as Love Reality. I personally have expressed that I am not interested in their program, but certain members of their group continue to push their beliefs on me.” This question raised at town hall demonstrates that even after it was asked of the Love Reality member to stop sharing, they would not back off. This is concerning because we have to be able to feel safe without the fear of having other beliefs rammed down our throat.

I asked the members/supporters, “What would you say to those who feel threatened by the forceful way Love Reality pushes their message to others?” One of the supporters’ responses was, “I would say that these people need to learn about asking for boundaries.

If Jesus scares them and talking to believers scares them, I think this says more about those who are intimidated than the Love Reality group.”

In many of the responses, I also was able to see some of the reasons people are drawn to Love Reality. One of the members said, “In my experience, the Love Reality group has been more accepting than any group I have encountered at Union College, CVC or any other religious group in Lincoln. I feel safer, seen and appreciated with the Love Reality [group].”

Jacob Sanchez is a sophomore communication major from Bakersfield, Calif.

TikTok influencer speaks to communication class about using chai in ministry

T

he era of Zoom has opened a world of speakers who can share stories and challenge students to think differently—and social media influencer Kevin Wilson is no exception.

Wilson joined Dr. Seth Pierce’s Intercultural Communication class virtually from California to share his story of growing up all over the world and ultimately using his experience to share Christ in a unique way.

Born in Sri Lanka and raised there until age 12, Wilson then moved to Oman in the Middle East. When he turned 18, he moved to the U.S. to attend Andrews University, as he said, to earn a degree in “sarcasm and theology.”

However, Wilson’s history is not as simple as naming the countries in which he’s lived.

“When people ask me where I’m from, I feel like I always have to give them a story, not just a specific location, because every place that I’ve been and every place I’ve grown up has shaped the person that I am.”

As the class has learned this semester, his upbringing makes Wilson a third culture kid.

As he explained it, a third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant amount of time in different countries and cultures. Kevin talked about how he felt out of place, as if he was a forever alien. He felt as if he “fit everywhere, but also nowhere.”

One morning in 2019, Wilson was making himself chai and recorded the process on his phone. He usually shared these videos on Instagram with his fellow chai-loving friends, but this day, he decided to share it on TikTok (@crossculturechristian). His video exploded and within a week his follower count jumped to 10,000.

Wilson continued to produce more chairelated content, but his message has evolved to represent more than just a drink.

“I use chai as a tool for activism,” he said.

Two of his most popular videos are about the

15

discrimination and persecution of Muslims in Sri Lanka and anti-Asian violence in America.

Wilson also uses TikTok to discuss Jesus and the gospels in a simple way. “I try to describe truths, rather than prescribe truths.”

Chai has become the foundation for his stories. He videos the process of making chai and inserts a voiceover recording in the background, discussing his life stories, what it’s like being a cross-cultural Christian, and the hardships he has faced, all while relating it to chai.

“He was able to reach past his cultural norms and blocks in order to reach out to people,” said Jacob Sanchez, a sophomore communication major.

Wilson’s advice for the class when it comes to ministering to others is to start with themselves. “The stories and the experiences that you record today can be content and stories that can rescue somebody else tomorrow.”

“I hope students learn how those in third cultures have unique identity and communication challenges to navigate, as well as the value of creative communication in building intercultural relationships,” Pierce explained. He continues to use guest speakers such as Wilson to help provide a unique perspective on intercultural communication and help equip students to handle both the relationships and the conflicts they will face in the future.

Hannah Drewieck is a junior communication and business administration major from Stoughton, Wis.

16

The Clocktower instagram: @uc.clocktower

the official

UNION COLLEGE

newspaper

1

9 5 2

5

6

7 2

1

8 7

2 7 9 6 8

1 3

9 2 https://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku/ The Clocktower encourages reader feedback and strives to maintain accuracy. If you have comments, please email juliet.bromme@ucollege.edu or hannah.drewieck@ ucollege.edu. ucollege.edu The Clocktower, established in 1927 and sponsored by the Student Association of Union College, is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters.

The opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as the opinion of the editors, Student Association, Union College, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

8