97.20

The Clocktower

April 26, 2023

Issue 20, Volume 97

Executive VP recaps Student Senate from the 2023-2024 school year

The last update of the year

Year in and year out many people wonder what the Student Senate is, and what they do. Because of the effectiveness that came from a bill from Senator Sally Tonkin, which standardized and mandated bi-weekly newsletters to be a part of the required jobs of the Student Senate, this has been less of a recent topic. However, I will still provide the last Student Senate update of the year and give a brief rundown of what we’ve accomplished.

The first and possibly largest update is the updated working hours that will go into effect next semester. The Student Senate brought forward a bill that increases the number of maximum hours students could work per week on campus, increasing the cap from 20 hours to 25 hours per week. However, TURN

compromises that led to contingencies within this bill. Freshmen will not be eligible because a good academic standing of a certain GPA must be obtained and maintained while working these extra hours.

Meeting

©Unsplash

“I am incredibly happy and proud of all of the progress that we have made over the semester.”

Editor–in–Chief

Annika Cambigue

Assistant Editor

Annelise Jacobs

Lead Photographer

Joseph Lee

Assistant Photographer

Christopher Jacobo

Assistant Photographer

Reef Peckham

Layout Editor

Shelby Jongema

Assistant Layout Editor

Arlyse Wash

Web Manager

Justin Anderson

Social Media Manager

Mariah Lee-Wong

NEWS

Editor

Lyndsey Elsey

Student Life and CM

Charles Metz

SA, Senate and Safety

Andrew Schwartz

Academics and Residential

Robert Tengker

ENTERTAINMENT

Editor

Hannah Olin

Pop Culture

Evan Majors

Comedy

Lacey Stecker

LIFESTYLE

Editor

Brian Peoples

Nebraska Politics

Aubrey Benton

Outlook

Gabriel Sanders

Nebraska Life

Sidney Needles

Senator Aubrey Benton brought a bill that redesigns course evaluations. The Student Senate understands that course evaluations changed recently, but they have created a more effective evaluation that can help students give more accurate and relevant feedback to the professor and administration. This will not take effect until next semester due to the timing of the bill going through the proper channels.

The Student Senate also made some recommendations to the administration, sharing these during the meeting with President’s Council on how the Senate can improve effective communication with the administration, and how to make Union into an overall better campus.

To end the semester with the Student Senate, I want to acknowledge that I am incredibly happy and proud of all of the progress that we have made over the semester. While not everything is outlined in this update, I can honestly say that the Student Senate was incredibly effective this year. I wanted to thank each senator for working so hard this year, and making the campus they care for into a better place.

Andrew Schwartz is a senior business administration major from Lincoln, Neb.

Campus Ministries

presents “The Prince of Egypt”

Students make live-action film adaptation a reality

adaptation of the 1998 animated musical drama film, The Prince of Egypt from DreamWorks. Work behind the scenes included hours of custom costume design, scene writing, choreography rehearsals and more.

As Kabanje took the microphone on opening night to welcome a waiting audience, students and alumni who were visiting for Homecoming Weekend sat in suspense as the first act began. Emma Bermeo, a sophomore graphic design major, narrated the play; portraying Ellen White, a major change that added nostalgia to the production.

Earlier this semester, Union College chaplain, David Kabanje, and several students brainstormed Union’s first drama production in several years. “I was really excited to have theater come back to Union,” said Ellie Britain, a freshman business administration major and co-director of the production. “The opportunity to go back and be part of theater again and then bring in so many friends and so many friendly faces to create something that ultimately, the campus loved and that the alumni loved … was a really special opportunity.”

The team behind the gigantic production included: vocalists, actors, makeup and costume artists, directors and audio/ visual technicians, who all spent months completing the project, a live-action

The play started softly but as the music built, so did the drama, and with one drum beat, the audience looked to the rear of the building in shock as the Egyptian taskmasters drove the Israelites to the stage. Action didn’t stop as Jochebed soon entered the scene, hiding from the Egyptians as she found a place in the river, made of costumed actors, to hide the baby Moses. The story progressed as Moses ran from Egypt and then met God in the burning bush. He then returned to Egypt to meet Pharaoh, who would not let the Israelites go. However, at the command of God, the double doors at each side of the sanctuary opened, revealing nine of the 10 plagues personified. The audience sat on the edge of their seats as the plagues crept their way up the aisles and then ran down to throw Pharaoh’s servants around as he argued with Moses. Eventually, they made way for the final plague, Death, as he came forward to kill Pharaoh’s son. Afterwards, the Israelites made their way out of the sanctuary through the water, which had returned from earlier. Pharaoh

Gideon Logan as Moses ©Union College

pursued, but the water returned and chased him and his servants backstage.

In closing, Ellen White repeated the words of the classic song, “When You Believe” from the film. The cast, directors and crew returned to the stage to sing it together as they lit the Sabbath candle.

“It was stressful at times,” Britain said, “I was worried about it, but it turned out really, really well and I’m really happy and really proud of everyone that was a part of it.”

Charles Metz is a sophomore theology major from Lincoln, Neb.

Concert on the Lawn premiered on April 23

Music program performs annual concert

For people majoring in music, performing and holding concerts are nothing new. Whether it is playing music here at Union College, the College View Church or even outside of campus grounds, music majors and the music program bring what they are best at wherever they go.

Union College’s music program hosted a small concert in front of Engel Hall. The concert included music from the Unionaires and vocal soloists. The concert took place on Sunday, April 23 from 3 to 4 p.m. Students and faculty members attended the event.

ON THE RADAR

THURS. 4/27/23

The Good Neighbor Show | Woods Auditorium, 10:35 a.m.

FRI. 4/28/23

CPR Skills Sessions | IRR #223, 9 a.m. Intercollegiate Environmental & Health Sciences Research Symposium | Krueger Center Lobby, 3 p.m.

SAT. 4/29/23

The Well | CVC, 9:45 a.m.

Religion Club Omaha Zoo Trip | 10 a.m.

Worship Service | CVC, 11 a.m.

Night Under the Lights | Thunderdome, 9 p.m.

SUN. 4/30/23

Omicron Delta Kappa Induction Ceremony | Woods Auditorium, 1 p.m.

Outdoor concert ©Unsplash

According to Marcus McConaghy, “the

event had individuals from the music program/department and other individuals who wanted to participate in it. … [This performance] was meant for just chilling in the outdoors. A variety of instruments were played, and it was overall a great event for people to enjoy music and relax a bit from all the hard work they had last week.”

Small concerts and events like these are what make Union College enjoyable.

“Switch” up your summer

The gaming industry’s summer plans

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Releasing April 28

Set five years after the events of 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follows Jedi Knight Cal Kestis as he continues to struggle against the Galactic Empire seeking to exterminate all Jedi following Order 66. This game will retain many of its predecessor’s gameplay elements but will add an updated combat system based on your character’s skill level. Survivor will be available to play on PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Releasing May 12

Set to release after a delay of almost a year, the sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, will follow the main protagonist Link as he tries to save Princess Zelda and the land of Hyrule from a force seeking to destroy the land. A sequel has been planned since 2017 after developers were disappointed by the first game’s downloadable content. Like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom will be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. It will be the 21st installment in the Legend of Zelda’s main series of video games.

Finals are right around the corner and the end is nigh. Soon summer will begin and you will hopefully have a much-deserved break. However, with the break may come some boredom, and nothing kills boredom faster than a good video game. This summer will be stacked with new releases to look forward to. This is just some of what gaming has in store:

Aliens: Dark Descent - Releasing June 20

Based on the Alien movie franchise, Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time strategy game where a team of colonial marines stranded in the moon base of Lethe must gather resources to repair their Otago spacecraft while simultaneously stopping a Xenomorph outbreak. Dark Descent will have

Robert Tengker is sophomore nursing major from Redlands, Calif.

very unique gameplay, as it is a realtime strategy game with permanent consequences. Players must look after both their characters’ physical and mental health, as not doing so will negatively affect their combat performance. Land changes the player makes and characters’ deaths are permanent, so players must make wise and effective decisions; blocking a path may stop the enemies, but may also cut off a potential escape route. The game is set to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

As the school year winds down, I hope you can find some time for yourself. Video games are a great reward after defeating the final boss: finals. There are so many great options to choose from. Enjoy your summer!

It’s here!

The years keep comin’ and they don’t stop comin

Seniors everywhere have had bad vibes for weeks. Anxieties have run high. Motivation is at an all time low. Coffee is the only thing keeping us from curling up in bed and sleeping our lives away. While walking to class we look to the skies as a dark cloud seems to descend upon us. Yet no one else seems to see it. Is it our imagination? Have we been genetically altered to see the world differently? Why can’t the world see the end is coming?

What is this danger? Graduation --- dun, dun, dun! Every year, it comes out of nowhere to completely blind side a new set of victims. It’s the Pennywise of the entire earth. It only preys on those in The Loser’s Club — the hope of leaving school forever only to realize they now have to adult on their own.

With these fears laid before us, we’ve all developed a new physical ability: Graduation Goggles. Everything we used to hate about classes, part time jobs and the cafeteria are now the things we love

Evan Majors is a sophomore English major from Lincoln, Neb.

Graduation ©Joseph Lee

The Jedi Survivor

©Star Wars

the most. The screaming in the halls of the dorm at 1 a.m., the haystacks for the millionth time this week and the washer and dryer eating quarters suddenly have become the charming little quirks college has to offer. We can’t help but feel entranced by the security of the devils we know. Sure, we are educationally ready to move into the “real world,” but can we really survive out there?

Despite spending the last 18 years or so learning exactly how to survive in life, every senior is woefully underprepared for the actual survival part. I can identify intercultural dynamics, diagram sentences and write essays all day long. But I have no idea how to cook anything more advanced than macaroni and cheese. I own a couch and a bunch of textbooks that are outdated now that new editions have come out. What’s a fresh to the world graduate supposed to do?

Only the strongest will survive. We’ve been training for years, but so did the tributes of Districts, 1, 2 and 4 in the Hunger Games and they didn’t make it out of that movie alive. If anything, Hollywood has taught us that the underdog always wins. The years keep comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ until suddenly you’re standing at the precipice of life post-college. Now everything stagnates until the ball drops. Good luck to you, fellow graduates. We’re all going to need it.

Nebraska Unicameral passes first bill of session

Bill allows for concealed carry of firearms without permit or training

Legislative Bill 77, passed by the Nebraska Legislature on April 18, will allow individuals in Nebraska to carry concealed handguns without a permit and prohibit certain firearm regulations by cities, villages, and counties.

LB 77 was sponsored by Senator Tom Brewer, a retired Army colonel and representative of north-central Nebraska, who has spent seven years trying to pass similar legislation. His purpose for the bill was to resolve confusion about where concealed carry is permitted in Nebraska due to differing local restrictions.

The bill will specifically impact the cities of Lincoln and Omaha which have enforced stricter city gun ordinances, supported by police chiefs and unions who state the ordinances help them prevent some gang-related violent crime.

The bill met resistance from several groups, including the mayors and police chiefs of Lincoln and Omaha, who argue that cities need different public safety approaches than rural Nebraska.

LB 77 received the necessary 33 votes to overcome a filibuster after 14 hours,

Lacey Stecker is a senior English and communication major from Noblesville, Ind.

which it received from the Unicameral’s 32 Republicans and one Democrat, Omaha representative Mike McDonnell. The bill then passed in a 33-14 vote.

McDonnel is the former president of a union representing firefighters and states that he supported the bill because Brewer worked with local law enforcement unions to address their concerns with the bill.

Brewer met with the Omaha Police Officers Association, and from their recommendations amended the bill to clarify that individuals who commit felonies will lose their right to carry a gun and will face felony charges for gun possession and repeatedly refusing to disclose a concealed handgun to law enforcement will also result in felony charges. Sgt. Anthony Connor stated, “We were glad he worked with us, but it would be inaccurate to say we support the bill. Senator Brewer said he would work with us in the future if we see problems.”

Carrying a concealed firearm is still restricted from specific places including churches, hospitals, banks, schools, government buildings and courtrooms. With the passage of the bill, individuals will be restricted from carrying concealed handguns at government meetings, political rallies, major sporting events, police stations, jails or prisons.

had passed 74 bills. This is due to an increased number of filibusters in protest of a bill that bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors. In response to the bottleneck of bills, there is a motion to extend debate to go into the night. Senators have also started to “christmastree” bills, which involves adding bills as amendments into other bills and passing them in a package.

LB 77 is the first bill passed by the Nebraska Legislature during the 90-day session. Only 26 days remained for the session at the time of its passage. As of Tuesday, April 18, only 10 bills have advanced to the third round of debate needed to pass the bill. Last year by this point in the session, the legislature

Aubrey Benton is a junior international relations major from Smithsburg, Md.

Gun safety ©Unsplash

Lincoln in the context of summer

What your college town will be up to while you’re gone

Probably surprising to most is the fact that Lincoln has its very own water park that’s just an 8 minute drive from Union College. What is probably more surprising is that it’s not too shabby and very popular among Lincoln residents. For only $6.25, one can enjoy waterslides, fountains, diving boards, and water sports for a whole day at Star City Shores. It closes for the winter in mid August, but not before opening its doors to Lincoln’s furry friends for a day. In 2022, over 300 pups and their owners took a dip, raising over $3,000 dollars to be donated to the greater Lincoln Obedience Club and Lincoln Parks and Recreation.

As we’re all enthusiastically aware, this school year is coming to a close. While our eyes are glued to computer screens, hands tied to keyboards, legs trapped under desks — our minds are somewhere else entirely. Where? That depends on the individual. Some minds are home, enjoying time with friends and family. Some are at summer camp, realizing they’d like to wait a good while before having kids. Still others are on tropical vacation somewhere, sipping iced drinks while sunbathing on a beach. The promise of summer break gives us the drive to finish strong but has perhaps prevented us from stopping to wonder how our college town spends summer break. Here’s what you’ll miss.

Party in the Parks is a cluster of events held across parks in Lincoln. For example, Stransky Park Summer Concert Series happens during June and July and features artists from across Nebraska and local food vendors. No entrance fee is imposed, but performers are supported through audience tips. The most popular music event is the Lincoln Municipal Band summer concert series, hosted at Antelope Park on Sunday evenings. It consistently draws crowds of over 1,500 citizens and has been running since 1911! Another popular Party in the Parks series is Movies in the Parks. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to watch these free familyfriendly showings on an outdoor screen. Other Party in the Parks events to check out include Theatre in the Parks, Uncle Sam Jam, Streets Alive and Art in the Garden.

The Lincoln Children’s Zoo provides a dose of exotic wildlife to the Lincoln area. It’s home to over 400 animals, including over 40 endangered species.

Lincoln summer ©Reef Peckham

Predictably, the zoo comes alive in the summer months, when weather permits outdoor exhibits. Exclusively during the summer, visitors can purchase small bunches of lettuce and feed giraffes from atop an observation deck. What’s better than dinner FOR giraffes? Dinner WITH Giraffes! On July 26 and 27, ticket holders will experience dinner atop this observation deck, giraffe feedings and private access to other exhibits.

These are just a few examples of Lincoln happenings for the summer. To find out more, check out the City of Lincoln website. Your college town may not be as captivating as your summer daydreams, but don’t underestimate its entertainment and social programming. A summer in Lincoln may just fly by.

The tips to success during finals week

Finals are just a week away and things are getting packed in fast. Whether it is events, work or the massive amounts of homework that students are being given, we must push on. Remind yourself that the end is near. To help those in need, here are some tips for success during finals.

Get some sleep:

The strategy of not getting a lot of sleep and studying into the wee hours

Study spot ©Unsplash

The final few and then we’re through!

Sidney Needles is a senior international relations and history major from Centralia, Mo.

of the night has been around for a long time. Sadly, this only benefits you for a short amount of time. It will drain you not only of your energy, but also your concentration. Without concentration, you cannot study as hard for the next final or focus during that hour and a half time period during testing. It is very important to get sleep and this is not the time to be lacking in it!

Pace yourself:

One phrase that is repeatedly heard around finals week is “I am burnt out.” It is very important to pace yourself not only with studying, but also with homework. Do not overload yourself with too much information you can not retain. This practice is a waste of time that can not be gotten back. Take it steady and use your time wisely because you have only got one shot at finals.

Don’t study alone:

The practice of studying alone can be a good one, but you may also hinder yourself when doing so. If you communicate with others in your class, you may gain some information about the exam material and potentially the exam itself. Oftentimes reaching out can be rewarding, but use your time wisely. So go ahead and get yourself a study buddy. You may just find that golden quizlet you have been looking for.

Pick a good study environment:

The space that you put yourself in can be a huge factor into how much you get done. Some do well in a high traffic environment such as a cafe or a cafeteria. Others decide to be a recluse and hide away in their rooms. Both are perfectly

safe and healthy environments — it all depends on the person. I recommend a good pair of headphones. Music is not required, but having something to muffle the outside noise can be a huge help no matter where you are.

Reach out to Professors:

Sometimes the biggest help can come from the people providing the questions–the professors. Teachers can provide the biggest clues about their test by answering simple questions. Be aware of your professors’ schedules. Some are adjunct professors, while others are full time. Depending on their schedules, you might want to go visit them in person or just shoot an email. Visiting a professor in person is probably the best option, as you will get the most results out of them. If you are in dire need of some rapid answers, then an email will suffice.

Gabriel Sanders is a sophomore English major from Apopka, Fla.