ClocktowerThe

ISSUE 88.20 UNION COLLEGE APRIL 30, 2014

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT

Union College

SPECIAL ISSUE

Editorial The Ground is the LimitEmily SyvertsonSlippery ConnectionsTaylor RobertsThe Communication RevolutionSteven Foster

Culture Union’s Redeeming QualitySpencer WayAtmosphere of AuthenticityTyler Ellis

AcademicsMajor ReliefMichael Rohm

ExperienceInsights into Freshman YearEmily WoodQuantifying College ExperienceCassandra Johnson

Relationships A Bond not Easily BrokenKatie MorrisonThe Family ConnectionDan CarlsonFriendship FertilizerAmanda Ashburn

CommunityLoving LincolnAmber Alas

SpiritualityReaching Beyond OurselvesSarah VenturaThe Face of GodAbner Campos

And BeyondLearning When it’s not RequiredChelsea Zumwalt

Editor in ChiefEmily Syvertson

Layout EditorEmily Syvertson

Copy EditorsAphelandra MesserTaylor Roberts

PhotographerCody Blake

SponsorMichael D. Steingas

WritersSpencer Way

Michael RohmChelsea Zumwalt

Steven FosterCassandra Johnson

Katie MorrisonAmber Alas

Tyler EllisDan Carlson

Amanda Ashburn Emily Wood

Guest WriterSarah Ventura

The Clocktower encourages reader feedback and strives to maintain accuracy. If you have comments, please email us at cltower@gmail.com. The Clocktower is published during the school year by the Associated Student Body of Union College, 3800 S 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506 The opinions expressed are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as the opinions of the editors, Associated Student Body, Union College, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Dear readers,

My goal for this issue is simple: share a bit about why we love Union, the place that becomes our home for (at least) nine

months each year. I hope this inspires you to ponder and share your reasons as well!

~Emily Syvertson

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Table of ContentsA Note from the Editor

The Clocktower Staff

PAGE 3EDITORIAL

Emily Syvertson is a senior studying Englishand communication

My past year resembles a five-year-old’s finger painting. I gleefully plunged my chubby digits into a multitude

of busy hues: gymnastics, full class load (Why did I take exercise physiology for fun?), internship, The Clocktower editor. Each activity caught my eye, and I knew that without them my senior year masterpiece wouldn’t be fit for mom’s fridge.

My canvas may have gotten a bit sticky and brown in the places where too many colors mingled, but like any stubbornly optimistic kid I still think it’s my best painting yet.

And this is why I love Union College. At Union, I can be an editor, a gymnast, and a scholar. Faculty and staff encourage us to take opportunities suited for our ever-expanding identities. Our peers cheer us on when we want to try something new. Forget choosing between the jocks and the nerds—you can embody both.

At Union, a former inmate can become a classmate. An introvert can become a leader. A math major can be a poet. A distracted student can become a competent nurse. An atheist can be moved by the Holy Spirit.

Unlike a five-year-old, I know I can’t truly be anything I want to be; the laws of physics deny me the chance to become a pterodactyl. However, Union helps us become more of what we want to be by fostering our professional as well as personal growth through empathetic professors, deep-rooted friendships, and unforeseen liberation.

Sure, Union educates us to become specialized in a specific area of study. But the most invaluable thing Union taught me was how unreliable my perceived limits can be.

“Are you ready to videotape my death?” I asked Mattison Jenks before attempting a quadruple star drop on the aerial silks. A triple usually left me dangling uncomfortably close to the ground. I hesitated before the drop, hanging like a spool swaddled in teal thread.

My right big toe, just inches from the gym ceiling, began to sweat knowing it was the only thing keeping me from

plummeting. Or maybe it was just sweating because the dome catches heat, forming a sauna at the ceiling. Either way, with just a flick of my foot, I would unravel at an uninterruptable speed.

I stared at the thin mat below me and doubted its ability to intervene. Few things could actually save me while I dropped from a height approximating the third floor of the Dick Building.

I looked over at Mattie and lifted my right foot.

I spun down until the silks snatched me just a couple feet from the floor. Air was forced out of my lungs by the interrupted momentum and my palpable relief.

I thought spinning three times was my limit. In reality, the floor was the limit. Instead of being bound by the inability to accomplish a certain task, I realized I was only limited by the space in which I could achieve it.

Yes, we do have limits, but they are often far different than the ones we first perceive. We must learn to recognize the difference between an immovable boundary and a stubborn yet surmountable one.

Victor Hugo notes, “One can resist the invasion of an army, but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas.” If we embrace the notion that our limits are often different than they first appear we can reach a better state of Union—one where we thrust our fingers into vats of shiny, new paint.

The Ground is the Limit

EDITORIALPAGE 4

Light flew across the sky, illuminating three giggling girls as we jumped over fallen branches and into big puddles on the sidewalk. Thunder followed

soon after, drowning out my squeal as I tripped over a large stick in my path, barely catching myself from crashing to the ground. We were soon joined by a few guys as we made our way out to the stretch of lawn between Prescott Hall and the Don Love Building to play some freeze tag.

It was orientation week my freshman year, and I couldn’t believe what had happened in the few short days since I’d arrived at Union College.

As my senior year in high school drew to a close, I found myself more and more reluctant to go to college in the fall. I spent the summer working, filling out my paperwork, and stressing about the day I’d have to leave my family and step into a semi-independent state. I was scared out of my mind.

My group of friends split up, each of us going to different colleges to suit our own personal goals. I knew the girl who was going to be my roommate, but not very well. My parents were an eight hour drive away from Lincoln.

My family dropped me off on a Sunday. I was on my own. I went through meetings, took tours, set up my schedule, got a job, and even found some people I had briefly met at preview days the year before. This isn’t so bad, I thought.

The real clincher, though, was the thunderstorm. Thursday evening of orientation week it started pouring like nothing I’d ever seen before. We had rain in my hometown of Longmont, Colorado, but it was nothing like a Nebraska thunderstorm. I loved the rain and took every opportunity to play in it, thus finding my way toward a game of freeze tag on a dark and stormy night.

That night I found a group of people to connect with, and they became my main friend group for the rest of that year. With the ties forged slipping around on the soaking wet grass that night, I found an anchor that gave me a sense of security as I opened up to what Union has to offer and explored new paths I’d never thought of before.

I will always have a special space for Union in my heart. I found myself here, built up dreams for my future, and am working every day toward making them my reality. I truly believe that Union has something to offer everybody, whether you’re looking for friendship, independence, or just a place to discover your calling. All you have to do is open your mind and let the experience lead you, even if it takes you to play tag in a thunderstorm with people you’ve never met before. It worked for me.

Slippery Connections

Taylor Roberts is a junior studying

language arts education

PAGE 5EDITORIAL

Journalists. Many describe us as a dying breed as the reign of pen paired with paper has fallen to screen and keyboard. My father worries the day will come

when he will no longer be able to read his daily newspaper in the comfort of his recliner—the day that print media will cease to be. So we journalists fear for our job security. We are underappreciated, overworked and on our way out, right? Not quite. But our landscape has been dramatically overhauled thanks to digital media.

Today, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are our daily newspaper while everyone who engages with their friends online is a journalist. In the age of social media and online publications, we are the audience and the journalist. News doesn’t only happen every morning while you sip your coffee and flip through your paper. No, it happens instantaneously. From a journalistic standpoint, it’s evolve or die.

In the year 2014, news is typed, photographed, filmed, recorded, GIF’d, listed, ranted, tweeted, commented, memed, vined, trended and reposted. News is no longer a weekly publication. At the very least, news is daily. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have shared the playing way to The Huffington Post and Wired. Journalists of old mourn for the way we were, but I’m excited for what we are becoming.

We the people have spoken, and we want news now—with a side of opinion, dang it. We don’t want to wait for The Clocktower to come out weekly, we want it daily. We don’t want to go out of our way to fetch The Clocktower, we want it delivered to us in our Facebook feeds. We don’t want to read about a new foreign restaurant in Lincoln, we want to read about “9 Dishes You’ve Never Heard About.” We want to watch our news as well as read it. We want to know the facts, but a spoonful of pop culture makes the medicine go down. I hear you, Union College.

Next year, I will be filling the shoes of many great editors before me. The 89th volume of The Clocktower is in my hands, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got. You can expect to see new columns and a new way to receive your campus news: online. Every article will have it’s own webpage, and we will be promoting our sections daily through our Facebook page. You can look forward to having easy access to The Clocktower whenever, wherever—even on your smart phones. There’s never been a better time to follow The Clocktower on Facebook.

Prepare yourselves for the communication revolution.

Steven Foster is a junior studying communication

The Communication Revolution

I believe individuals and entities are at their best when two things happen.

One, they focus on accomplishing a single thing. Two, that thing happens to be what they are uniquely suited to do better than any other.

It took me six years to discover what

Union’s Redeeming Quality

Spencer Wayis a senior studying

business administration

CULTUREPAGE 6

Union College’s focus is. When I reflect on my time here I realize that this goal happens to be the thing that Union College is uniquely suited to do. Union College has been my redemption and will probably be yours as well, because this is Union’s focus, and she is good at it.

What other institution would send me from restriction to Dean’s List? From fistfights in gymnastics practice to captain of the Gymnaires? From Dean’s Council to committee member? From walking out on a final worth most of the class’s grade to graduating with honors?

I challenge you to find even one person, no matter how academically achieved, that has not accepted the grace of deadline extensions, generous grading, or the miraculous appearance of enough extra credit to make a difference. If policy regarding worship credits, leave requests, or other rules has not been

molded to help you, then you haven’t broken enough rules.

Perhaps all small, private colleges present their students with four years of merciful trial and error, but I choose to believe that Union does redemption more reputably and more effectively than any other.

Four Star General Stanley McChrystal said in a TED talk, “Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure.” The tough part about this principle is forgiveness, the redemptive element is forgetfulness. It is one thing to be the student allowed to remain after breaking rules. It is altogether more significant to receive a recommendation letter from the same leaders you once disappointed.

Redemption is what I love about Union College more than anything. I hope you experience its spirit too.

This is the story of how Union changed my life. If you talk to

any person at Union, each will have a unique Union experience. Some will have an extremely positive experience, and some will tell of the worst time they’ve ever had. Mine happens to be a particularly positive one.

Before I came to Union, I went to

Atmosphere of Authenticity

Tyler Ellisis a senior business student

another University that just wasn’t for me. I was ready to try something new, so I moved from Orlando, Florida to Lincoln, Nebraska. I was hesitant to move to Nebraska, but I felt that it was the right move for me. Living in Nebraska may not seem glamorous, but once a person settles into Union, everything changes.

(continued on page 12)

I have a reputation here on campus. When people hear my slow footsteps echoing down the hall, they retreat to a back

alley, lock themselves in a bathroom stall, or huddle under a desk and devour a package of bacon because life is short.

You could say I’m the bad boy of Union College. I didn’t intend to earn such notoriety. Back in my freshman year, when I was pursuing a degree in international rescue and relief, I was a normal guy. Well, as normal as one would expect from a pony-tailed IRR major. The next year was no different, though I had returned without the tail of a pony.

But something changed my junior year. It was a fateful August day in the twelfth year of the twenty-first century, if what the minstrels sing is true. I felt a tug on my heart and heard a voice spake thus: “Forsooth, mine lad. Thou art a pedant of internation’l pursoots, yet yore heart melteth with love for words, both writt’n and spak’n.”

I listened intently, recalling the adage my father proclaimed before every carving of the roast beast: “When a mysterious voice speaks in the King’s English, you hearken.”

The voice continued, reverberating in my very soul like a thing that reverberates. A gong, perhaps?

“Happiness thou shall not find unless yore skills are thus combin’d.” The rhyming couplet was right. I would never be happy with a degree in international rescue and relief, just as I would never be happy with a degree in communication. I wanted the best of both; I wanted to be a writer without sacrificing my passion for international studies, community development, and rescue skills. So I created a degree that allowed for both: international relief and communications.

Creating a personalized degree is an option available to everyone, but few are aware of the opportunity. Because the majority of students are satisfied with one of the many degree pathways offered at Union, there is little demand for personalization. And, while it is true that most students want diversity in their educational experience, the range and number of elective credits often satiates this desire, keeping students content with their degree.

Major Relief

But, there are a few undergraduates who are fundamentally unsatisfied by any one degree. They are usually students who want a little of everything because they seek a life that will require a little of everything. And because Union doesn’t (yet) offer the little-of-everything degree, we have to create what we want from the choices available to us.

But here’s the thing: creating a degree is a headache. Mostly for the fine people on fifth floor, but for everyone else involved, too. Advisors, academic council, and the student—they all suffer. The process requires letters addressed to various members of the faculty, multiple curriculum changes, scheduling conflicts, direct study classes, and hundreds of emails and visits to the fifth floor. I’m sorry fifth floor!

By the end of the process, however, the student has tailored a degree that includes exactly what he or she wants. Every class becomes meaningful, because you crafted your schedule. The faculty—the ones that will still look at you without grimacing—have invested themselves in your future. But, perhaps the most rewarding incentive of all: you will emerge with a degree that nobody else has.

If you are interested in personalizing a degree, talk to your advisor today, then brace for the storm.

Michael Rohmis a senior pursuing a personalized degreein international relief and communication

PAGE 7ACADEMICS

EXPERIENCEPAGE 8

Insights into Freshman Year

Emily Wood is a freshman studying

communication

You mean I have to carry my stuff up three flights of stairs and the boys have an elevator?” My first lesson of freshman year began the moment I realized

I had packed enough for a small country. You could say I had a flashing “first time living away from home” sign on my forehead.

Thankfully, what followed was classic Union hospitality. Not only were fellow students willing to help, but professors and their families were eager to haul up my overflowing suitcases.

However, next week brought the shocking realization that, while I had taken college-level courses previously, they were not going to compare when looking at my courses’ syllabi.

Challenges aside, this year has flown by. With it have come memories to cherish long after graduation. But don’t just take my word for it. Fellow freshmen offer their lessons learned this year:

Responsibilities don’t just disappear, despite Netflix binges and hours of procrastination. Aerlice Leblanc learned this the hard way. “Remember that lovely moment last semester when I ditched [class] because I didn’t get my paper done? Well, I learned that papers don’t write themselves, and it’s best to just do it.” As Ava Carlos, now a sophomore, adds, “Time management is number one. Besides Jesus.” Perhaps the best solution then is to pray–about time management.

You can try. And you might fail. Rudy Rodriguez received a double dose of that this year. “When you like a girl, never try fixing her phone to impress her. All you get is an even more broken phone and a broken relationship.” I would say keep trying when this happens, but I’m slightly afraid of what might end up broken next.

“I finally understand what the expression ‘It’s all Greek to me’ means,” comments Eliezer Roque-

“

Cisneros. Since he is taking Greek, I think he might be taking it more literally than most. But we can all admit confusion at some time.

“Experience an all-nighter at least once!” Belle Kuo advises. While it may be something to cross off your bucket list, the only thing that may get you through the next day is a strong pot of coffee. Even then, falling asleep in class is inevitable and highly frowned upon.

Even though the endless hours of studying may make you want to cry, you’ll be thankful for them eventually. Audrey Hatfield assures that professors “aren’t trying to kill you. They want you to succeed and follow your dreams.”

Don’t limit your “favorite teachers” to just your major. “Three of my professors in particular have been a blessing and encouragement. Not only are they there to help with homework, but to talk about anything, encourage me on bad days, and show me how to strive for

better,” shares Jessica Santee. Yes, it can be tempting to hang around humanities and lounge for hours, but there are other interesting divisions on campus.

It’s easy to tune out the world when you have a busy schedule, but don’t become sucked into the selfish “me zone.” Sammie Sosa shares why you don’t have to leave campus to be reminded of this. “When you host [preview day] students, share experiences with them and they will open up! It will create fun times and giggles. And treat them to Coopers once in a while!”

And of course, freshman year is all about adventure. As Bretlyn Kelly shares, “Everyone else is just as nervous as you. Nobody wants to make the first move, so be the bigger person.” Sitting down with someone spontaneously at the cafeteria may spark a new friendship–or it may be awkward. Either way, lesson learned.

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PAGE 9EXPERIENCE

Infographic designed by Emily Syvertson

Cassandra Johnson is a senior pursuing a businesspre-med degree

As graduating seniors of 2014, we are a class that enjoys stalking the PG, breaking Union rules, and crying in Malcolm Gaskin’s office. The highlights

(and low points) are often overshadowed by the repetitive cycle of homework, veggie meat, and trips spent huffing up the Dick Building stairs. It’s easy to let the monotony blur over the life-changing, mind-expanding moments that occur in just four years.

How, then, can we quantify the college experience? How can we bring the life-changing moments to the forefront, casting a shadow on the relatively lackluster moments of the daily grind? In an attempt to show just how momentous four years can be, I surveyed 40 Union seniors.

Quantifying College Experience

RELATIONSHIPSPAGE 10

I’m not going to lie: During my senior year of high school, I

thought Union was the lamest place to go to college. I thought that Union was for people who didn’t know what they wanted to do in school. People went to Union to “find” themselves, then they went somewhere else to pursue their dreams.

I decided to go to Andrews University because I thought that I would grow up more quickly if I were further away from my family. But I didn’t fit in

Though Union College is known for its familial atmosphere, friendly

faces, and intense spiritual aura, some may not be aware of what Warriors Athletics has to offer. As a student at Union College, one has the option of joining a number of sports teams: volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, or golf. These teams each offer unparalleled opportunities to develop skills on the court, lifetime friendships, and a deeper relationship with God.

Although I played basketball all four years in high school, I was blown away by the difference in playing at the college level. From the very first week of tryouts, I worked harder than I ever

The Family Connection

A Bond not Easily Broken

at Andrews. The culture was different than what I was used to. Getting help and making friends were difficult. I was miserable at the semester break, but I decided to stick it out until the end of the year before exploring other options.

Toward the middle of summer, I received an email explaining that Union had just added a new emphasis to its communication major: emerging media. This was just what I was looking for. I sent my application in the next

Katie Morrisonis a sophomore studying business

administration

had. My teammates were better than me in every way, and the only chance I had to keep up was through practice. The girls on the team encouraged me and, to my surprise, became some of my best friends that year. The bond of basketball brought us from all corners of Union’s campus, drawing students from nursing and business and international studies. If I hadn’t joined the basketball team, I never would have developed friendships with those girls.

I will never forget the road trips. For away games, the team always traveled in a twelve-person van. On one trip I managed to nab the front seat and started playing “Would You Rather?” with our coach, Ryan Perry. We played it with a positive spin; he would give me two dreamy scenarios, and I would have to pick just one.

“Would you rather go on a double date with Dylan O’Brien, Ariana Grande, and Nathan Sykes, or go on tour with One Direction for a month?” Our coach knew my weaknesses for boy bands and Dylan O’Brien. We had developed a real relationship that was not limited to

basketball and strategy. The girls I got to know throughout my two years as a Warrior have become real friends. We’ve created memories no one else can share: victory dinners at Red Robin, grungy locker rooms at away games, early Friday morning practices. These moments have created a bond not easily broken.

Gymnastics at Union College is a massive time commitment. Having two-hour-long practices four nights a week gives gymnasts the time to get to know their teammates. They take weekend-long tours back to back to back. They spend hours together on buses and in communal gym showers. You might think they would get sick of each other, but the opposite is true. Mattison Jenks has been on the team for a year and a half and has only positive things to say about her experience. Instead of landing a new trick or developing a new skill, Jenks’s favorite memories involve just talking late at night on tours with her teammates. “The fact that we are more like a family that enjoys the same sport makes our team really special,” she says.

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PAGE 11RELATIONSHIPS

Dan Carlson is a sophomore studying communication

Amanda Ashburn is a junior studying languagearts education

What do I love about Union College? I love that Union is an

incubator for friendships. Not just those I’m-going-to-act-like-these-people-are-my-friends-because-we-have-the-same-classes friendships. No, this school has provided me with opportunities to form lifelong friendships.

Friendship, much like Red Bull, gives you wings. Okay, maybe not literal wings, but friendship can definitely broaden perspectives and help you grow as a person. Sometimes it starts in extraordinary ways, and other times it’s as simple as a smile. Friendship is also the fertilizer for great stories.

I’ve given my veins for IV practice, prepared for a quiz on football referee hand signals, heard way too much about high Fowler’s position, and eaten a Sabbath meal at a business division mentor’s house all because of the friendships I’ve formed right here at Union.

It’s not just the students who are friends either. Maybe there are other colleges where it’s possible to form a real

Friendship Fertilizerfriendship with your professors, but I like to think that Union has something special. I have genuine friendships with several faculty and staff members here. Plus, it’s a whole lot nicer to sit down with a professor and talk about your favorite Starbuck’s drinks than to only see her when you’re worried about your grades.

Taking the time to personally know the people behind the success of Union can be rewarding. I’ve gone camping in western Nebraska with Darla Hornby’s family; I’ve joked around with my advisor and boss, Dr. Moses (yes, it’s possible); and I’ve sat on Dr. Cochran’s couch, eating grilled cheese sandwiches, discussing the rhetorical value of Glee.

I know it might sound cliché, but the Campus Ministries team got it right when they started calling vespers Family Worship because the people at Union really do feel like family. Maybe it’s the small campus, maybe it’s the Mid-West air, but either way, something about Union feels like home.

Union is an incubator for friendships.

day. I had just committed to the one school that I swore I would never attend.

Within my first month at Union, I realized I was experiencing something very different than I had expected. Everyone was extremely nice, my advisor actually cared about my progress and plans for the future, I enjoyed being close to my family, and Lincoln was slowly but surely growing on me. Tyler Morrison had told me this would happen if I came here. He was right.

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It’s true! That’s why, when I joined The Clocktower staff, I told Emily I wanted to write the Student Spotlight column. I believe that there are people right here, people you walk by every single day, people you stand in the Union Market line with, who are just waiting to get to know you. My goal this semester was to encourage you to get to know more people, to form those friendships that you may not have thought possible.

So, how about it, Union? For the last time, get out there and make a new friend. It’s never too late. You might just discover someone truly remarkable.

If I had to pick the thing that I like most about Union, it would be that it brings me closer to my family. I have one brother and two cousins attending Union, my grandma is two miles away from here, and home is only a six-hour drive away. I thought that I wanted to be on my own, but it is nice to have family to fall back on.

COMMUNITYPAGE 12

Union is one of the few Adventist colleges placed right in the middle

of a state’s capital—a friendly city that has dozens of options for eating, shopping, exploring and entertainment. Lincoln always has something fun to offer, no matter the time of year.

When I ask people what the best thing about Lincoln is, many say they love that

Loving Lincoln

Amber Alas is a senior nursing student

My first positive Union experience began as I was walking around the booths to sign up for a club, and student Josh Kanin asked me my name. This simple question turned into a two hour session of him getting to know me and showing a genuine interest in me as a person. This is when I knew that Union was a different place. Someone who didn’t

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Lincoln experiences all four seasons—yes, even our winters. After all, when we do have a freezing day that makes you want to snuggle in bed, there’s The Mill. This little coffee shop across the street will make your day once you get your hands on your favorite hot drink. Winter scores even more points due to the new seasonal outdoor Railyard Ice Rink in downtown Lincoln. Everyone flocked there this past winter, even when it was 30 degrees outside.

In the spring everyone enjoys hitting up the parks around campus such as Pioneers Park and Holmes Lake for good ol’ barbeques, bike rides, relaxing in their hammocks, or taking a walk. For those who enjoy staying inside, catching a movie for five dollars at any theater in Lincoln is always an option on Tuesdays. And who can complain about the new arena that opened last year? Because of the new Pinnacle Bank Arena, we have welcomed so many artists to Lincoln—and, I would like to add, for a lower

know me from Adam took the time to genuinely care who I was.

As the weeks continued, more and more people did the same thing. Then, a few weeks in, Union had their soup supper weekend. Dr. Allen invited me to his house. At this point, I was blown away by how nice everyone I had come in contact with was. This kindness continued on for all of my many years at Union. From

Peter Blankenship to Dr. Wagner, from Lori Brussel to Linda Becker. everyone at Union has a genuine love for one another.

Each Adventist college and university is known for something. What about Union? Well, Union is full of some of the most genuine people in world. At the end of the day, that’s all I need in a school.

price than if we were located in a bigger city.

During the summer and through fall Lincoln has so many places you can explore without being bundled up all day. There’s the Haymarket downtown, the Railyard, the Sunken Gardens, Nebraska’s State Capitol, the Memorial Stadium and more. So many options and so little time!

When I first came to Union College, I wasn’t overjoyed at being the newest member of Nebraska’s population. Over the years, though, I have grown to love this place. And when the day comes that I have to leave Lincoln, it’s going to be tough, especially when I look back at all the places around Lincoln where I’ve made memories.

A ten-year-old girl with almond skin grins up at me after slicing

my paper with her scissors. I moan dramatically, laughing as I hand her my last two pennies and grasp a fold of her sleeve. Trailing behind her, I cheer as she conquers the masses, working her rock-paper-scissor magic and ending the game with four “slaves” and forty-odd pennies. She is one of several winners in a game which models the world we live in, a world where the rich often get richer and the poor often get poorer.

Every year, Union’s Conflict and Peacemaking class contributes to Peace Camp in downtown Lincoln. This year I joined a team that taught third, fourth, and fifth graders the four pillars of peacemaking: dialogue, justice, fogiveness, and reconciliation.

Two years ago on a chilly Saturday night,

I offered a coat to a homeless man and, instead, got an invitation to church. The next morning I walked into the Bourbon Theater, grabbed a cup of free coffee and worshipped with my new-found friend. Afterwards, he told me that he could use a good backpack—he gave me Jesus (Bourbon Theater style) and I gave him my backpack.

Every year I get to join my school in Project Impact. I get to watch my friends and faculty fill up jars with pennies and donate the money raised to Tiny Hands International. I get to drop jeans off in boxes around campus, knowing that my clothing surplus will be given to local girls who actually need it.

I love Union because I am surrounded by people who care for their neighbors. I love Union because its professors teach me to look outside of myself. I love Union because my fellow students

Union gives off a unique aroma, kind of like freshly-cut grass or blossoming trees. People know that this school does not have the newest facilities, the largest population of students, or the highest graduation rate in the Midwest. However, everyone knows Union.

I think Union knows how to love. I wouldn’t call this love spiritual, religious, or Adventist–although at times it might be. Union’s love is very human. Union’s love is relevant. Union’s love is raw and real and tangible.

Union saves lives. Girls are at risk of

Sarah Venturais a junior exercise science major

are changing the world, in small, sustainable, inspiring steps. I love Union because, though we have done much good, there are endless opportunities to do more.

Reaching Beyond Ourselves

PAGE 13SPIRITUALITY

being trafficked for sex, so we hold Penny Wars.

At this school I can find Jesus between the trees, in class conversations, at ASB events, while sitting on the Campus Ministries couch, or through a stranger paying for my meal at Union Market. At Union, God is literally everywhere. It’s as if God breathed into Union, and now Union’s lungs pulse in rhythm with His purpose.

Recently, I was at the Sunken Gardens and I began to converse with an elderly lady. She asked where I went to school. I

replied, “Union College.”

Her response was immediately positive. It was then that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Union’s heart breaks for that which breaks the heart of God.

How could I not want to be a part of this?

Union College reaches in and out. Union College is personal. People at Union care. People at Union are broken and sinful, and through them God shines brightest. In my personal experience, I have received nothing but love.

Thank you, everyone, for showing me the face of God.

The Face of GodBy Abner Campos

AND BEYONDPAGE 14

For some students, this summer marks the beginning of your

independent lives and the final farewell to Union College. The urge to light your books on fire may seize you. By all means, indulge this desire if you so choose. All I ask is that you do not give up on learning entirely.

Rediscover your passion. College is overwhelming and may have stripped you of your natural motivation. Some stress is normal and works as a great motivator; unfortunately, we begin to rely on our stress to complete assignments and pass exams. When the school year ends, remember what inspired you in times of relaxation. Did you have an all-consuming love of books? Was the ocean constantly on your mind? Maybe sports drove you to wake up early or stay up late. Whatever consumed your time during the summer or over breaks is a good indication of where your passions lie.

Seek out opportunities to learn. Education does not just happen in the classroom. In fact, much of learning

involves personal experiences and the guidance of others. Your local YMCA can connect you to your community through sports such as basketball, hockey, tennis, soccer, volleyball, and golf teams. Most people know that the YMCA offers aerobic and running groups, but what you may not be aware of are the non-traditional groups such as pottery classes, cooking classes, book clubs, and even group traveling. Now that you are done with the classes you were required to attend, why not sign-up for a class that you actually want to take? Many community colleges offer cheap classes for students who wish to further their knowledge with anything from business 101 to language and art courses. Community colleges also provide discounts to state residents.

Connect with others who share your interests. Finding someone who enjoys your hobbies as much as you do can encourage you to continue developing those talents.

No matter where life takes you, never stop learning.

There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.-Jiddu Krishnamurti

“

Chelsea Zumwaltis a senior studying nursing

and pre-allied health

Learning When it’s not Required

Online Learning ResourcesFor when you leave Union’s campus

TEDDevour dynamic lectures that span a range of topics. The ideas presented may motivate you to look at things from a new perspective.

LumosityTry out these “brain training games” and potentially improve your brain’s health and performance in memory and attention.

Khan AcademyFeast your mind on “free, world-class education” resources provided by this nonprofit, including scholarly topics (such as algebra) as well as everyday ones (such as how to file taxes).

PAGE 15ETCETERA

“That’s what you call ‘shoe-icide.’”

-Chris Blake administering pun-ishment to Vernee Norman after observing her broken sandal.

“If there are vases in this building it is too classy for us.”

-Cassandra Johnson talking about any building whatsoever.

“I feel like a lesbian trapped in a man’s body.”

-Mike Mennard when explaining his love for both his wife Michelle and reading Jane Austen.

“If I had realized sooner how little work I could do and still get good grades, I would have more friends and probably be married by now.”

-Spencer Way after contracting a bout of Senioritis.

“There’s a lot of incompetent boobery out there.”

-Tamara Seiler coining a new phrase to describe the phenomena which results in nothing being done correctly.

Capturing when someone at Union says something funny that is worth repeating, preferrably out of context.

Quotables

Instagrammers (left to right, top to bottom): @kaylau92; @simplystell; @joshwa_barnett; @lindzaza; @xrgrentzx; @codamagilacudy; @mailehoff93; @mailehoff93; @ucollegene; @mnsven; @unionasb; @dudemanbrospence

#UNIONUNITED

A YEAR OF EVENTS IN INSTAGRAMS

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