Volume CXL Issue 5

Georgetown College’s Student–Run Newspaper

February 26, 2020

Volume CXL Issue 5

Dismissal of campus safety officer sparks student uproar

By ANDREW ALVEY

News Editor On Monday evening, campus safety officer Teva Custard was let go from Georgetown College after returning from a week-long vacation.

The news was posted on Custard’s Facebook page around 6 p.m. on Monday. Immediately following the post, students began making their voices heard with a Change.org petition that called for Custard to be rehired by the school. The petition spread rapidly, obtaining 500 signatures within the first hour of being live. As of publication, the petition is at 1500 signatures.

At 9 p.m. on Monday night

a protest took place outside of Giddings Hall in support of Custard. Around 250 people attended the protest and Junior Trevyn Spencer prayed before the protest took place.

Throughout the protest, students chanted “We want Teva” and “Rehire Teva.” Custard stood across from Giddings.

The students filled the road, blocking traffic in order to hear Custard speak. Custard gave a speech about how she has been upset since she received the news and that all she wanted was her job back, ending the speech with “No matter what happens, I love y’all.”

After Custard’s speech, though, the crowd decided to

take the protest to President Jones’ house, where the protestors continued their chants.

The President and his wife were not present, and instead his middle school daughter came out to ask the protestors to leave.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the President said that he believed that students should not have protested and instead should have considered setting up a meeting with either him or another administrator in order to get the facts of a particular story. He also stated that he was going to be inside the Caf at 5:30 in order to talk to students one-on-one about the situation.

Freshman Amber Brown talked to the President in the Caf. She reported that he said “many steps were taken before she was fired” though he could not comment further on the matter.

In response to the protest, the new head of Campus Safety, Joshua Masterson, stated, “I understand the students are upset and their concerns have not gone unheard.

That’s why when students organized a protest last night, I talked with Georgetown PD and told them as long as the students remained peaceful and didn’t damage property, we wouldn’t need them.

“I wanted the students to

be able to voice their concerns.

I know that the students loved Ms. Teva and Ms. Teva loved the students. I can’t comment on personnel decisions because of legal issues, but her love for and relationships with the students was not our concern.”

Custard said that she is upset because “she always wanted to be a policewoman” and that this was the closest thing to it. Custard also stated that since she couldn’t have any kids of her own, she viewed the students as her children. When asked what she would like to say to students on campus she said, “That I love them.”

By JOSH MASTERSON Director of Campus Safety Hello, Georgetown College Campus. I would like to introduce myself; my name is Josh Masterson and I graduated in 2003 from Georgetown. I am excited to be back on campus as the new Director of Campus Safety and look forward to working with you all.

It is my hope to have a regular “Campus Safety Update” in the Georgetonian to keep the students better informed.

In this first campus safety update, I wanted to outline some of the more immediate plans I have for the Campus Safety Department. I am happy to report that in the next couple weeks more cameras will be added to campus and we are looking to add even more as the funds become available. The lighting situation on campus was one of my main concerns when I evaluated issues on campus prior to even interviewing for the position.

Last Wednesday, I personally conducted a light audit of the entire campus and relayed that information to maintenance for repairs to be made.

Both the cameras and the lighting repairs unfortunately have been delayed slightly due to weather but should be completed in a couple of weeks.

Other items that are in the more immediate future is we will be adding additional officers to the department with the goal of having two on campus

for the majority of the time.

I am looking at different ways to have Campus Safety interact more with students in positive situations as well. My goal as the director is to be as open to and available for the students as possible.

I strongly believe in transparency when possible. However, there are certain areas that this may not be possible due to legal or confidentiality reasons or if that information could pose a safety threat.

I want you as students to know that I am here for you and that I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions and concerns. I also want to start a monthly townhall with students called “Donuts with the Director” in which I will provide donuts and we can have an open discussion on any concerns or questions you have. You can contact me at joshua_masterson@georgetowncollege.edu or 502-863-7014.

GC hosts 70th Belle of the Blue page 2

Missing woman’s ex-boyfriend indicted for murder page 3

GC hosts Vagina Monologues page 3

GC Track and Field represents at Indoor Conference page 6

Georgetown Campus Safety Update from the Director

Inside

this issue

News

Page 2

Global

Headlines Compiled by Andrew Alvey  Three baboons escaped a Sydney hospital and wandered around the city. The baboons were at the hospital so that a 15 year old male baboon could get a vasectomy. Two younger female baboons accompanied him to keep him calm.  A police chief in a New Hampshire town strips off uniform after being stripped of duties. The former police chief disrobed to his underwear and walked out into a snowstorm after being fired.  A chihuahua who can’t walk befriended a pigeon that can’t fly at a non-profit in New York that helps animals with disabilities. The two animals can regularly be seen cuddling with one another.  A cat in England broke into a prison and stranded himself onto a 25-foot-high razor-wire fence inside the perimeter of the prison. The cat was named Padfoot after Sirius Black’s moniker in “Harry Potter.”  A bear was tranquilized in a Los Angeles suburb after wandering the streets for two days. The bear was first spotted in the trash cans at an elementary school.

The Georgetonian

GC hosts 70th Belle of the Blue and Beaus Too pageant

By WILLOW DOVE Staff Writer This past Saturday, Georgetown College held the 70th Annual “Belle of the Blue and Beaus Too” pageant, a time-honored tradition in which some of the brightest and most talented Georgetown students compete for the titles. The event began with a performance by the dance team, followed by a joint dance number in which all the contestants came together to show off their moves.

After the opening number, the participants began the talent portion of the program. One-by-one, each of the 18 students spent their allotted two minutes demonstrating their individual talents to the audience. The talents ranged across a multitude of mediums including singing, piano, violin, science experiments, painting, dancing and more.

After the completion of the talent portion, the participants were given the opportunity to show off their formal wear in the Poise portion of the night, while hosts Nicole Maynard and Eddie Lam read aloud each of their biographies. This was a great chance for the students to exhibit to the audience their involvement on campus as well as their goals for the future, while also posing in their best gowns and suits. After the final contestant crossed the stage, the first portion of the competition was completed, giving the judges a chance to finalize the scores. During this time, student Savannah Jackson entertained the audience with a special contemporary dance performance.

The judges of this year’s “Belle of the Blue and Beaus Too” consisted of a group of professors and faculty, including: Joshua Copley, Tiera Mason, Lodz Pierre-Juanso, Christy Mai, Melinda Clasby and Abraham Prades. Once the finalists were selected, the students were

Georgetown College

Winners of the competion Alex Brody (left) and Nena Claycomb (right). tasked with answering one final question posed by the GAC advisor Alex Courtenay. Based on the answers to these questions, the points from the talent and skills sections, the previous interviews, GPAs and essay entries, the winners of the contest were finally determined.

The first awards given out were those of Mr. and Miss Congeniality which were voted upon by the participants and were awarded to Nena Claycomb and Alex Brody. Following this, the awards for Overall Scholarship Winners went to Hayden Shelton and Coby Bessinger. Among the finalists, the Belle of the Blue first runner up was Jessalyn Brown while the second runner up was Emily Francis. For the Beaus, the first runner up was awarded to John Lowe with the second runner up being Joabe Barbosa.

The overall winners of this year’s competition were Belle, Nena Claycomb, and Beau, Alex Brody. Brody performed an original composition played on the piano during his talent portion, not to

mention the fact that he played as accompanist for two of his fellow competitors.

Claycomb performed a violin rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” as her talent.

Claycomb reflects on her experience competing in the pageant, commenting, “Being crowned Belle of the Blue was an indescribable experience. It was so nice being able to meet the amazing young men and women during the process. I pray that I can be a great role model and represent Georgetown College well.”

It is important to note that this competition couldn’t have been possible without the help of the entire GAC team, as well as Lena Staley’s continuous hard work as stage manager . Arguably one of the best aspects of the program this year was the surprise beatboxing competition between Staley and President Jones. The great relationship between Georgetown students as well as the faculty is what makes college staples like “Belle of the Blue and Beas Too” such a rewarding and fun experience.

Issue 5

News

February 26, 2020 Page 3

Bernie Sanders wins big in the Nevada caucus

By ROBERT BIRD

Staff Writer As Saturday night came to a close in Nevada and the caucus results began to emerge, Senator Bernie Sanders’ numbers were staggering. Facing a tough and loaded field of potential Democratic candidates, Sanders has officially emerged as the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for president after a dominating victory at the Nevada caucus.

Sanders dominated among the latino community and young voters, entrance polls showed. But he was broadly successful across demographic groups -reaching parity with his rivals among moderate voters. Still, Sanders is far from clinching the Democratic nomination. A second-place finish in Nevada could prevent Joe Biden’s standing from further weakening next week in South Carolina, where the former vice president is hoping his support among the African-American community will

carry his campaign to victory. And former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s $434 million of television advertisements looms large on Super Tuesday, when fourteen states vote on Mar. 3.

Nevada gave Sanders more than a clear victory on Saturday -- it delivered a striking validation of his campaign’s strategy. In a state with a Latino population of about 30% and a strong base of organized labor, no one else in the field came close. The results here suggest that Sanders also is poised for similar success in Super Tuesday states like California, the primary’s crown jewel, and Texas, another delegate-rich state where the Latino vote could be decisive. Sanders was so confident in a Nevada victory that he left the state to campaign in California on Friday and then spent Saturday hop-scotching around Texas, including stops in El Paso and San Antonio. On Sunday, he held a rally in Austin.

When asked by Anderson Cooper on

60 Minutes about his victory in Nevada and what makes America great, Sanders responded by saying, “In many ways, we are. In some ways, very significant ways, we’re not. We’re not great when half of our people today are living paycheck to paycheck. When 500,000 people tonight are going to be sleeping out on the streets, including 30,000 veterans.

You know, my father came to this country at the age of 17 without a nickel in his pocket. Couldn’t speak a word of English, had very limited education. We are a great nation, because people like my father would never have dreamed in a million years that their kids would become United States senators or be successful in many other ways.”

The 78 year-old senator from Vermont is the longest serving independent in congressional history. He most notably, unsuccessfully ran for president during the 2016 campaign, as he lost to the eventual nominee, Hillary Clinton.

Sanders’ strong view on democratic

socialism has also garnered both respect and criticism from many individuals.

After Sen. Sanders dominating victory in Nevada, the question is emerging as to which of the other Democratic candidates will emerge as the Sanders alternative. Both former Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor Pete Buttigieg had disappointing outings in Nevada, and now they are beginning to plan new attacks on Senator Sanders. Mayor Buttigieg was quoted as saying, “We can prioritize either ideological purity or inclusive victory…We can either call people names online or we can call them into our movement. We can either tighten a narrow and hardcore base or open the tent to a new, broad, big-hearted American coalition.”

As the South Carolina caucus begins on Saturday, Feb. 29, it will be interesting to see if Sen. Sanders can keep his forward momentum going, and if ultimately, he can win the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Immediately following the lecture is the opening reception for “All Together” along with an Artist Talk with Holly Graham in the Cochenour Gallery beginning at 5 p.m.

Friday morning in the Arnett Conference Room inside the LRC there will be a “Lunch & Learn” for financial wellness.

The course is presented by Fifth Third Bank and begins at 11 a.m. Although this course is geared towards faculty and staff, students are more than welcome to come and learn more about financial wellness.

Friday Night, the opening reception of “What They Said in Public” will be shown in the Anne Wright Wilson Fine Arts Gallery starting at 6 p.m. This is the third opening reception and all three are great ways to earn NEXUS credit and appreciate the fine arts.

Over the weekend, there are many home sporting events that you can check out. These include double header baseball games on both Friday and Saturday starting at 1 p.m. as well as Senior days for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. For more information, turn to the sports section on page 5.

On Monday, Mar. 2, there is yet another opportunity for students to earn their NEXUS credit. In the Ward Room, starting at 4 p.m., Dr. Kristen Czarnecki from the English department will be reading from her new memoir.

On Tuesday, Mar. 3, Mr. Chris Barkley from Revenue Cycle Management in Louisville will be giving a talk about “What everyone should know about Healthcare Finance in the 21st Century.”

This talk begins at 11 a.m. inside room 112 of the Asher Science Center. This

is another opportunity to earn NEXUS credit while learning about real world finances.

Also at 11 a.m., SGA will be having a Caf Committee in the Jones-Hall-Nelson Suite. Students will be able to stop by and share their comments and concerns about the cafeteria. They will also have the opportunity to make suggestions to cafeteria representatives and get direct feedback.

Later Tuesday night, GAC will return to their weekly Trivia Nights that start at 7:30 p.m. inside the Mulberry Café. As always, there will be Mulberry gift certificates for the first, second and third place winners. As a reminder, for the rest of the semester, GAC will have their trivia nights on every Tuesday night except for the last Tuesday of the month, which will be Bingo Night.

This Week in Georgetown: Feb. 26 - Mar. 3

By BENJAMIN ROBISON

Staff Writer This Wednesday, Feb. 26, is the opening reception for the Holly Graham Solo Exhibition in the Cochenour Gallery inside the LRC. Holly is a local artist from Georgetown and the theme of her work is the importance of family. Her show includes mixed media consisting of digital illustrations, photography and embroidery works.

Thursday is an opportune day to earn plenty of NEXUS credits. It starts at 11 a.m. inside the Ward Room where the Charles Hatfield Lecture will be taking place. At 4 p.m., the Danford Thomas Lecture will be given by John Slattery.

Slattery is the senior program associate for the Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Page 4

News

The Georgetonian

Georgetown hosts “The Vagina Monologues”

By WILLOW DOVE

Staff Writer “The Vagina Monologues” this month was one of the most packed NEXUS events that have been hosted this year. The play, written by Eve Ensler, is one that can either be developed in a theatrical performance, or in the form of a series of spoken monologues. It was developed through a series of interviews of around 200 different women of varying ages, races, sexualities, backgrounds, careers and more about the different aspects of what it means to be a woman.

They spoke about their views on sex, relationships and violence against women, delving into the topics of body image, reproduction, menstruation, sex work, nonconsensual and consensual sexual experiences and more. Ensler then translated these interviews into a series of monologues that composed of her play which was published in 1996.

From the play then sprung a movement known as “V-day” which has raised over $100 million for groups that fight to end violence against women.

This month, women of Georgetown College came together to put on “The Vagina Monologues,” along with an additional exhibit entitled “What Were You Wearing.” In this exhibit the clothing and stories of different women who experienced sexual violence were dis-

the “What Were You Wearing” exhibit, which featured stories from Georgetown’s own students, in which they anonymously revealed the clothes they had been wearing when This THE GEORGETONIAN / WILLOW DOVE assaulted.

Pictured above is the “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit. exhibit allowed attendees to gain played. a further understanding of just how Professors, faculty and students little clothing affects the likelihood of put forth their time to read the various experiencing sexual violence. monologues, showing their support to Another addition to the event was the complexities that accompany being the presence of multiple organization a woman. booths just outside the exhibit, which The readings brought forth a vari- consisted of different groups that work ety of emotions, at times resulting in to help survivors of sexual violence as laughter, at others in tears. Dressed in well as groups that work towards the all black and red, the readers poured prevention of such violence. their emotions into the monologues, The Georgetown Counseling allowing the audience to get a glimpse Center was present as well, presentof what the women in these stories had ing students with information on how experienced. The profundity of the play they can acquire counseling and inforwas experienced by each of the audi- mation about how to deal with sexual ence members that evening, as they sat violence here on campus. entrapped in the words that tell the stoThe organizer of the event, Dr. ries of so many women.

Regan Lookadoo, when asked about Immediately following the event, the event said, “‘The Vagina Monothe audience was encouraged to explore logues’ and ‘What Were You Wearing’

event was a meaningful experience that approached issues of sexual assault, violence and abuse from multiple viewpoints. The event sparked laughter, tears, reflection and conversations.

It was a night where we felt like one community learning and embracing a topic that is often avoided. The widespread participation from faculty, staff and students, as well as, the impressive number of over 200 in attendance from our campus and community speaks towards the importance of providing creative, progressive and intentional events to address the problem of sexual assault wholly, rather than addressing the problem from the protection-view only. I personally want to thank all the students, faculty and staff who participated, volunteered, attended and supported this event. We now are met with a challenge to continue the discussion, recognize violence when we see it, support survivors, hold accountable those who assault and abuse and embrace opportunities to learn and make a difference.”

Due to the popularity and importance of an event such as this, it is likely that there will be many more in the future of Georgetown College so that students, staff and faculty alike can continue the conversation and work toward a more accepting and safe future for all.

with Hicks.

WLEX-TV reported that Baxter has previously filed an emergency protective order against Hicks in 2018. Police investigated Hicks and, after obtaining a search warrant, found Baxter’s cell phone in his vehicle. Hicks was arrested for unrelated charges on that same night.

Hicks reportedly called the police, saying that he had been threatened and shot in the Georgetown Walmart. How-

Muse on the charges of murder, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree robbery and first-degree criminal mischief. Georgetown Police Chief Mike Bosse said that “We have an overwhelming amount of evidence indicating to us that a homicide occurred, and that Mr. Hicks is responsible for that homicide.”

He will be in the Scott County Circuit Court on March 2 to be arraigned for all of the above charges.

Missing woman’s ex-boyfriend indicted for murder

By ABBY SPARKMAN Features Editor Joseph Hicks, the ex-boyfriend of local Georgetown resident Sheena Baxter, was indicted for her murder on Feb. 25.

Baxter is a mother of three and has been missing since Valentine’s Day. She was last seen alive by her sister who reported that Baxter told her she was just stepping outside, but never returned. Further investigations have indicated that she left

ever, video shows that he was never in the store that night. For that incident, he is being charged with falsely reporting an incident and tampering with physical evidence. He was supposed to be arraigned today for these two charges in the Scott County District Court, but will now be arraigned in the Scott County Circuit Court on March 2.

Hicks was indicted Tuesday morning by the Commonwealth Attorney Sharon

Issue 5

Sports & Recreation

Tyson Fury reigns as the heavyweight king

By JACOB CLEMONS Staff Writer

This past Saturday, Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, a boxing rematch took place between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. This turned out to be one of the most anticipated fights within the last 15 years. Tyson Fury came out victorious with a seventh round TKO after Wilders corner threw in the towel for him.

This performance from Fury in the ring was dominant, landing 58 power punches to Wilders 18. With this win, Fury remains undefeated, moving to 30-0-1 along with regaining the Heavyweight title.

Fury has now held The Ring magazine title twice and has become the first heavyweight in history to have held the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and the WBO title. His resume speaks for itself, yet he has only a year to rest as Deontay Wilder has already used his rematch clause for 2021.

You might be wondering, what is a rematch clause?

Before this fight happened the two fighters agreed that regardless of the outcome, the loser deserved the right to receive a rematch. This comes as the result of their first fight ending in a split decision draw in Dec. 2018. This fight will likely take place in Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

The fight was a blowout and seemed to many viewers to be the end of the feud.

However, Wilder recently proclaimed that his lack of energy

in the fight was due to his legs being tired from his costume which he wore during his introduction. Many are claiming this to be an excuse due to him being “Outclassed” in this match (Stephen A. SmithESPN Sports Analyst).

The winner of this fight in 2021 will inevitably be the next to face off against Anthony Joshua, who is the current holder of the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles. His record of 23-1-0 makes him a prized name within the boxing world.

These types of enormous fights are claimed to be guaranteeing the fighters 25 million with a three-to-five-million-dollar purse. Overall, they are guaranteed to pocket 28-30 million dollars per fight plus a 50/50 split of pay per view buys.

This type of money is too tempting to pass. The most tempting thing of all is that within the next few years, we will have a heavyweight boxer holding all world titles; thus, becoming a legend within the sport.

Febuary 26, 2020 Page 5

Pitchers and catchers report, buzz for the 2020 MLB Opening Day has begun

By REESE ASHER Staff Writer

With February ending in a few short days, Major League Baseball is starting back up for its long and winding 162 games, a nearly seven-month season. Each February, all 30 clubs pack up and head for a little warmer weather. Some head south to different cities in Florida and others head west and are scattered out through the state of Arizona.

Pitchers and catchers have already been at it for a while as most clubs required them to report around Feb. 11 earlier this month with position players following around Feb. 17 and 18.

If you have ever been to a spring baseball game, you know that there is a certain buzz in the air filled with anticipation and excitement for the upcoming season.

Many fans of teams make trips to these warmer areas to cheer on their team. Spring training is where roster spots are won, starters established and players are sent down to the minor leagues. These games are only pre-season and insignificant as to who wins, but personal performance is huge.

That buzz is a little differ-

ent this year though. During the offseason, the Houston Astros were found guilty of a sign-stealing scheme that ultimately propelled them to the 2017 World Series title.

Many players and coaches have spoken out about the situation and nobody is happy with how the Astros handled the situation and, more importantly, how the MLB went about it. Nonetheless, a new season brings a fresh start for everyone and several teams are looking to make a big push in 2020.

The MLB has released an early power ranking breaking down each team. There are some familiar faces along with some new ones. One team to look out for who has been predominantly mediocre the last few seasons is the Cincinnati Reds. They finished fourth in their respective division, but after some witty offseason moves by the front office, they are primed to make a strong push for the National League pennant in 2020.

The Yankees are always a strong presence atop the MLB and with the addition of a true ace to their pitching staff in Gerrit Cole, they feel that their rotation can now compete

with anyone in the league.

The LA Dodgers will also be in the mix during the 2020 season as they look to win the NL west for an eighth consecutive season. The addition of Mookie Betts who brings a powerful bat and an MVP type glove to their outfield defense alongside an already powerful pitching rotation headlined by Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw.

Rounding out the top three is the Houston Astros who lost in the World Series to the Washington Nationals back in October. With the loss of Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, their rotation is not quite as strong as it was a year ago, but they do return two starters, Lance McCullers Jr. and Jose Urqidy. They will be backing up a high-powered offense led

by Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and George Springer who were all on the 2017 World Series championship team.

That trio knows what it takes to win a championship.

The 2020 MLB season is sure to be filled with excitement, surprises and some let downs, but I am eager to see who will be in the World Series come October.

If you’re interested in becoming a writer for the Georgetonian, contact Gary “Buddy” Lukens at: glukens@georgetowncollege.edu

Sports & Recreation GC Acro & Tumbling team continues to impress

Page 6

By HAYDEN SHEARON Staff Writer

Acrobatics and Tumbling is a sport on the rise. This sport is full of high-flying gymnastics-oriented routines and is an extreme showcase of athleticism. It is renowned as the combination of competitive cheerleading and gymnastics. On Saturday, Jan. 25, the NCAA DI and DII announced acrobatics and tumbling as an emerging sport in women’s athletics.

At Georgetown College, the acrobatics and tumbling team are currently competing in their fourth season as a varsity sport on campus.

The acro and tumbling team has accepted the challenges of being a young sport on campus and is currently showing huge strides in competition for a new program.

In their last competition on Saturday, Feb. 15, the team won two events in a head-

The Georgetonian

to-head competition against Adrian College. This competition was the Tiger’s second competition of the season and first at home. Even though the Tigers won the pyramid and tumbling events, they lost with a score of 243.295 to 151.175 against Adrian College. Even though the Tigers lost a close match, they showed promise in winning two events. Last season marked the Tigers’ first-ever competition win and they finished the season with a total of three. This season was a turning point in the Tigers’ program as former head coach Alicia Davis built a team with potential.

A lot of the Tigers’ current success comes from the hiring of current head coach, Mike Edelen. Edelen is in his first season as the Tigers’ head coach and has a lot of experience in the sport of acrobatics and tumbling with over 10 years of coaching. Edelen

was handed the reigns from Davis stable foundation as she stepped down from the position due to personal matters.

The Tigers’ acro team is showing great momentum towards success in the future.

This program symbolizes the direction the sport

the midsouth conference.

There is no doubt that the attitude of the team has changed. It can be attributed to the positivity of the new freshmen and the hard work and time that the new coaches, Liz Marcinek and Andy Fryman, and head coach Luke Garnett, have brought to this team.

The list of records broken in just two days is impressive.

What’s more impressive is that many of these records have been broken more than once throughout the indoor season.

Here is a list of the indoor school records broken this past weekend and where the new

records stand: Myah Menfee (60m Hurdles): 9.69, Sarah Bolton (60m Hurdles): 9.78, Derrik Deidesheimer (60m Hurdles): 9.09, Rosey Jones (200m): 27.47, Ashton Miller (200m): 23.01, Esther Bradshaw (400m): 1:01.97, Austin Hamlett (400m): 50.94, Avery Renner (600m): 1:48.38, Avery Renner (800m): 2:32.67, Bradley Perkins (1000m): 2:48.93, Anna Wells (3000m): 11:27.69, Anna Wells (5000m): 19:48.64, Jax Downs (3000m): 9:43.95, Women’s 4x400m relay: 4:21.52, Men’s 4x400m relay: 3:33.16, Women’s 4x800m

is taking as a whole as a relatively recently developed sport. Acro and Tumbling are making great strides not only as a sport but for women in athletics. This sport is predominantly female and is helping create an equilibrium towards gender opportunities in sports.

Acrobatics and Tumbling is a growing sport.

I look forward to watching the Tigers take further strides in their sport, as they have shown momentum going forward and continue to improve each season. The team’s next competition is Friday, Mar.

THE GEORGETONIAN / ELAINA DOBOSIEWICZ

The Acro & Tumbling team after a meet.

GC Track & Field represents at indoor conference

By CHARITY STOLTZ Staff Writer This past weekend, Friday the 21 and Saturday the 22, the track and field team had their indoor conference championship meet four hours away in Defiance, Ohio.

After hours of long travel and early mornings, it was all rewarded with 16 indoor records broken between the women’s and men’s teams. The hard work during the pre-season and the weeks leading up to the conference meet showed on the track. Georgetown College showed up and showed out for all the other teams in

relay: 10:30.19, Men’s 4x800m relay: 8:26.53 The women’s team finished seventh of nine teams and the men’s team finished seventh of eight teams, however, both teams scored significantly more points overall than in previous years. A team was added to our conference this year and a few more teams are expected to be added in the next year.

Track & Field is unique in the sense that they have two seasons. Indoor season is offically wrapped up, “mini-offseason” has begun. The next three weeks will be spent pre-

paring for the next season.

Athletes will have to adjust to a larger track, different events and the elements they will be exposed to as track moves from inside to outside.

There is definietly buzz as this transition begins.

The success of this season is surely not over as the outdoor season starts at Murray State on the Friday of spring break. The team is on track to break more records in the outdoor season and we look forward to recognizing more athletes for their hard work in the coming weeks.

Features

Issue 5

February 26, 2020 Page 7

Record breaking student spotlight: Avery Renner

By CHARITY STOLTZ

ing from injuries is not only a physical but mental battle as well. It’s hard to get back to feeling and running well, but this weekend I really decided to hand all my fears and doubts over to God. Instead of making my races about me, I decided to look at each one as a chance to glorify Him. Once God took all that worry, and the pressure was off me, I just ran my heart out! This meet was huge for me because it gave me the confidence I needed going forward into outdoor season.

“The time that I ran for the 800 was actually an all-time PR, so I have a lot of hope about outdoor and I’m making it a goal to break 2:30. I’m just super thankful to Coach Luke for giving me a chance to redeem all those seasons that

I missed out on in high school and can’t wait to see what’s to come this spring!”

She had to overcome many physical and mental battles to compete in the championship races, but did so with an overwhelmingly positive attitude that reflected highly in her races and in the overall attitude of the team.

She encouraged every athlete before their races and cheered enthusiastically during each event where a Georgetown College athlete was participating. Her spirit, attitude and hard work make her a strong presence on the team, and she made that very clear this past weekend. It will be exciting going into the outdoor season to see where she goes.

Team started their season off players that contributed to the season with their first home with two strong wins. They overall win. Everyone on the game against the Lawrence went down to Georgia and team played their role and the Tech Blue Devils. It took place played Shorter University. Georgetown Lacrosse Team at Toyota Stadium at 6 p.m. on They came out with a 19-3 deserved it after the weekend the 21st. The Blue Devils were victory. They continued this they had. ranked sixth overall in NAIA streak by beating Berry UniThey continued their and was a good match for the versity the same weekend Georgetown team. with a score of 19-1.

Unfortunately, These two victories they did not come out lead to two of the players with a win. They went being named as player of down 5-10. However, the week. Olivia Archer the score did not show was named the Mid-South how well they played.

Offensive Player of the Sometimes, it simply Week and Tess Borders was does not go your way. named Mid-South DefenThe upcoming sive Player of the Week. season is stacked with It has been a long time good teams, includsince two players on the ing themselves. The same team have been majority of the teams THE GEORGETONIAN/CLAIRE OYLER named Player of the Week, that they will be playSome of the players pose for picture day. but they were not the only ing are ranked in the

NAIA standings or receiving votes, and three of the teams are NCAA opponents.

The team has put in many late nights of practice and early morning workouts in their off season and pre-season. Their next game is against Centre College in Danville, Kentucky at 6 p.m. on the 26th. Their next home game is the following week, March 3, at 5 p.m. verses Madonna University.

Grabbing a blanket and some hot chocolate or coffee to come and watch the Women’s Lacrosse Team is a good way to take a break from class and school work.

Be on the lookout for upcoming games and be sure to come out and support.

Staff Writer Avery Renner, a freshman from Louisville on Georgetown’s track and field team, broke two indoor track records this past weekend. The men and women’s track and field teams traveled all the way to Defiance, Ohio for the Mid-South conference championship meet. It was a long weekend of traveling and racing for everyone, but this didn’t stop many of the athletes from running some of their best races of the season thus far.

Avery Renner is no exception to this. She had THE GEORGETONIAN/AVERY RENNER been running great times Avery Renner competing at all season, but really surone of her meets. prised the coaches, the team and herself in her 800m and

600m races. “My expectations for this season were definitely surpassed this weekend!” said Renner.

There is no denying that she left her all out on the track. In the 600m race, she ran 1:48.38 and finished eighth. In the 800m race, she ran 2:32.67 and finished sixth. In both races, she scored points for the women’s team making her a strong asset to the team as a whole.

However, the successes of this weekend were bittersweet for Avery. She made the following statement about the weekend’s events: “I’ve been struggling with injuries and health issues for years, so this was actually my first time completing an entire track season since sophomore year of high school. Recover-

A look at Georgetown’s Women’s Lacrosse Team

By KATIE SWANSON

Staff Writer Lacrosse is a team sport that is played with a stick that is made to catch a ball that is thrown from player to player.

The idea is to score more times in a goal within a certain amount of time than the opposing team.

Lacrosse has actually been around for a while. In some parts of the US it is not a very popular sport; however, it is one of the oldest organized sports in North America.

There are different forms of lacrosse. The two main types are field lacrosse and box lacrosse. Here at Georgetown we have a women’s field lacrosse team.

The Georgetown Lacrosse

Page 8

ArtsEntertainment

The Georgetonian

What to expect at this year’s Met Gala

By KENNEDY FOREMAN

Staff Writer While you might not watch the Met Gala, or really know what it is, you definitely will recognize some looks from the past years. From Rihanna’s representation of the Pope covered in crystals to Zendaya’s take on Cinderella, their outfits take over social media for weeks after.

Even though we know the outfits, we usually don’t know the point of the Gala nor what the theme even means.

For example, last year’s theme was “Camp,” which most people who do not care about fashion would assume there would be a lot of baseball caps and khakis. “Camp” in fashion terms is being over-the-top, pushing the boundaries of normal fashion to an extreme, often making it comically or larger than life.

This year, the theme is a little more

subdued, with, “About Time: Fashion $200,000-$300,000 for a table. That’s only and Duration.” The Gala is in May, if you get invited, since every attendee must be invited by and our timelines Vogue, the orgashould be full of nizer of the event. the Met Gala’s However, this favorite attendees does not explain wearing throwwhat the Gala backs to decades actually is. The before. purpose is to Currently, raise money for celebrities attendthe Metropolitan ing are spending Museum of Art’s tens of thousands Costume Institute of dollars and in New York City. raiding the closets The event has of older designers been organized works to get a onesince its concepof-a-kind piece tion (62 years ago) in order to be the by Eleanor Lamtalk of the Gala. bert, who has been This is along with Wikimedia Commons quite strict with fronting a $35,000 Rihanna at the 2017 Met Gala attendees on what dollar ticket and

they can and cannot wear. Lambert has been a fashion publicist at Vogue for as long as her reign over the Met Gala event.

She has groomed the event to be a showstopper, with bad fashion not allowed. Every outfit must be approved

by Lambert and she will veto outfits if she feels they do not represent the Met Gala as they should.

Every year, different celebrities help with the organizing of the event. Last year was co-organized by Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Serena Williams, and this year’s list boasts the names of many well-known celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Emma Stone and Anna Wintour.

While most of us will never be able to front the ticket, table and dress cost of this event, it is exciting to anticipate what will be strutting down the runway.

lander Jamie.

In this season we see them continuing to establish their settlement, Fraser’s Ridge. The season begins with a great start by showing the wedding of Roger and Brianna, a moment we have all been waiting for. Roger and Brianna have been through a lot together and Roger even traveled through time to get to Brianna. They were handfasted but never formally married, and their wedding has been long awaited.

I was not sure if they would actually end up together after Roger pulled a stupid move and waited to return to Brianna after being rescued from being sold to Native Americans. However, Roger returned to Brianna and their son, reuniting the family after almost a year apart.

The episode begins with Claire helping Brianna make sure her dress and hair are perfect, and it is a very sweet

he gave Jamie the land for him to colonize and establish his settlement but now the Governor is using that to get Jamie to fight for him. Jamie has to come with terms that he must fight for the British or get everything taken away.

Jamie fought the British in Scotland to win the freedom of Scotland and can’t imagine fighting for the British against the colonists who are fighting for their own freedom.

This is an interesting dilemma that I am excited to see play out. Jamie has a hard decision to make, and I’m curious about the plan he will come up with because I know he has one.

Overall, the season five premier was a great episode with some highs and lows and some exciting yet worrisome scenes. I’m excited to see what the rest of the season brings us, and if you haven’t seen “Outlander” then you definitely should!

“Outlander” season five is off to a great start

By TAYLOR REESE

Staff Writer It is once again time for me to fangirl over my favorite TV show: “Outlander.” “Droughtlander,” the period in which all fans mourn that “Outlander” is not currently on, has finally ended after nearly a year.

The season premier was set to air on Feb 16, 2020 but as a Valentine’s Day surprise for “Outlander” fans, Starz aired it on Feb 13 at midnight.

This premier kicked off season five of “Outlander” and is really the first season where we should see all the characters together in the same time period.

Season five begins in pre-Revolutionary North Carolina. We see the main characters who began it all back in season one with Claire coming back in time to 1740s Scotland from the 1940s and falling in love with High-

mother - daughter moment. It gets even sweeter when Jamie remembers that Brianna mentioned that in her time the bride has something blue, new, old and borrowed. Jamie gives Brianna these items and helps her put them on and it is a very cute and touching moment.

The wedding goes off without a hitch, but afterwards, Roger senses Jamie’s anger because they didn’t have a traditional Catholic wedding in Latin since Roger isn’t Catholic. However, Roger does not linger too much on this and instead focuses all of his attention on his beautiful bride, Brianna. It was a sweet and interesting scene where on their marriage night he sings the song “L-O-V-E” sitting in their 1700s cabin playing a guitar.

The episode becomes more interesting when you begin to see the struggle that Jamie will be facing this season. He is honor bound to the Governor because

ArtsEntertainment The ASC performs “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Issue 5

By TYLER EVANS Staff Writer On Wednesday, Feb 19, a classical comedy occurred on the stage of the John Hill Chapel. The American Shakespeare Center came to campus and performed Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” one of his more wellknown comedies.

There was a pre-show performance that began as soon as the doors opened at 7:30p.m. where some of the cast members were playing instruments and doing some very inventive covers of well-known songs such as “Royals”

by Lorde and “I Put A Spell On You”

by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

There was also a peculiar seating situation: some of the audience members were allowed to sit on the stage, as long as they didn’t mind interacting with or being made fun of by the actors.

When they play began at 8p.m., we were immediately witness to the sheer talent and entertainment that was present on stage.

There were quite a few moments in the performance that stood out. For

February 26, 2020 Page 9

that we are on the road for about eleven months, and we come back home [Virginia] just in time to perform ‘A Christmas Carol’ for December.”

If you ever have a chance to see an American Shakespeare Center production, I highly recommend that you go see it.

stage fled, but Alexis Baigue, who played the character Flute, ran all over the chapel holding out the same pitched scream, even going up the stairs to the balcony, and continuing to scream as he ran to the other side of the chapel.

Another highlight was Madeline Calais, who played Philostrate and the always entertaining and quite spontaneous Puck (who is the main source of the mischief in the play). She had enough energy to carry the whole show three times over, and she also took the traditional Puck monologues and put them into song with ukulele accompaniment (which she also played herself).

The biggest highlight of the night, however, was Topher Embrey, who played the fan favorite Nick Bottom.

With the help of a lot of improvisation, Embrey drew out the audience’s laughter for as long as possible, rolling around on stage and pretending to die in a variety of creative ways.

At the end of the night, there was a question and answer session with the cast of the play. They answered the questions of many curious fans of the show. One of the questions was, “How long are you guys usually on the road for?” The response was given by Mia Wurgaft, who played the lovely Helena, “Well, with all the rehearsals and places we have to go, I would say

Bunbury is mainly known for a more alternative and pop based lineup of artists with Muse, Post Malone and Snoop Dogg previously taking the stage. Much excitement is in store for Bunbury that takes place Jun 5 - Jun 7 of this year.

Segwaying through festivals, it was recently announced that a new music festival would take place at the infamous Riverfront Live venue. This festival, however, is not the same as Bunbury in the ideologies of music, because this new festival is all about EDM. Afterlife festival is taking place May 1 - 2 of this year, and is projected to not

only highlight various DJs in the lineup, like Herobust and Bailo, just to name a few; but Afterlife may help new and upcoming DJs explore their craft and play for a larger crowd. With such a small lineup, the festival is hoping to let people bond over music and find new artists to listen to.

On the concerts spectrum, Cincinnati is raking in the good artists; AJR in May, The Black Keys in June, Motley Crue, Cher and Maroon 5 just to name a few. So many venues like the Great American Ballpark, PNC Center, US Bank Arena, Duke Energy, Riverbend, Riverfront and the small venues like Taft Theater are all bringing so many

people together in the name of music.

I personally love concerts, especially in my favorite city. To see so many more big names bringing in money, music and memories for the citizens all around is very heartwarming. Cincinnati is also looking to bring in more live music for smaller centers as well as to local clubs, bars and restaurants.

Either the city is in dire need of money or they simply understand the healing properties of live music and gathering around the music. All in all, this summer’s festival season is bound to be full of excitement, especially if you run the I-71 transit and head down to Forecastle in Louisville.

those who do not know much about the play, there is a certain part in which a character turns into a donkey. When this character came out, the actors on

American Shakespeare Center

Alexis Baigue, Kenn Hopkins, Jr., and Sophia Beratta

American Shakespeare Center

Andrea Bellamore (Titania)

Why Cincinnati music is on the rise

By ASHLYN REED

Staff Writer Cincinnati is really upping the music game this year. They have recently announced the lineup for the Bunbury Music Festival, announced an all-new electronic music festival and have booked big name concerts for the summer.

Along the lines of Bunbury, Twenty One Pilots is leading the stage, followed

by Marshmello, The Avett Brothers, Kane Brown and many more. Bunbury is held along the Ohio River at Sawyer Point, where Cincinnati is known for many concerts that are bound to bring in large masses of people.

Opinion

Page 10

The Georgetonian

Streaming TV is better than cable TV

By KATIE SWANSON Staff Writer Say goodbye to cable TV and all the strings that are attached to it. Streaming TV has become the new norm. The people have had enough of the contracts that the cable companies have held over our heads for so long.

Streaming TV on providers such as HBO, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime are becoming more and more popular as they become more available. By the end of 2018 almost 33 million people had quit their cable or satellite TV and switched to one or more of

the streaming apps.

What attracts many people is the lower price.

HBO charges $14.99 /month and Hulu ranges from $7.99$11.99 /month depending on whether or not you want ads or no ads. Netflix is priced at $8.99-$15.99 /month based on if you want HD streaming and how many screens you want to stream at one time. Amazon Prime is $12.99 /month and you get all of the Prime benefits.

With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder they are popular. This allows you to choose which shows you want to

watch at any time you want.

Some even let you download the shows or movies, which let you watch without needing Wi-Fi. When comparing this to cable TV providers, many people find that it is much cheaper to stream.Ranging from $30 and up for a monthly payment, the cable TV providers like Direct TV and Comcast are struggling to keep up with these streaming apps.

The younger generation is heavily focused onstreaming services However, if you are new to it, a lot of the streaming apps allow you to try a few

months as a trial.

This is beneficial because it allows you to decide if it is something that you would actually like to invest in rather than jumping to it and cancelling what you currently have and ultimately, ending up not liking it. Signing up is quick and easy and if you do not like it canceling it is very simple.

It is also very beneficial to stream TV because you can have multiple profiles on one account. If you are lucky enough to be an extra profile on someone else’s account, it is even better for you because you are not the one paying the

bill. How could you turn that down?

Splitting the cost of the streaming apps also makes it even cheaper for both parties.

Instead of paying $30+ for cable, you can pay only $15 and watch the shows you want when you want.

If you have cable and are currently not happy with it and are looking for something new this may be the next best thing for you. Doing your research and finding which one works best for you is always the best way to approach things like this. This will make watching TV even better than before!

work and so non-profits contributed to 8.9% of all wages and salaries in the United States in 2013.

Non-profits actually contribute largely to the United States’ GDP and the overall economy. In 2014 non-profits contributed around $937.7 billion to the US economy, making up 5.4% of the nation’s GDP. The reason I am telling you these numbers are to show you how much non-profits actually do contribute financially both to individuals and to the nation as a whole.

Non-profits not only contribute financially but also the services they can offer to those who need them. There are over one million non-profit organizations in the United States, and they all work in a wide range of categories and offer various services and assistance. Some are large and

some are small, but they all have positive impacts be it on a large or small scale.

As you have read, they can help economically but they also help to better citizens’ lives by offering services to assist and improve the quality of life. I believe that non-profits do not get the attention and assistance that they deserve for all of the service and work they do for the citizens of our nation.

In 2014, on governments on both the federal and state levels paid a combined $130 billion to nonprofits but this did not cover all of the costs.

Almost all nonprofit organizations have reported that they have been reimbursed less than 15% of their costs by the government. Nonprofits also rely heavily on grants that they must apply for and are not guaranteed to get. With

these grants nonprofits must fulfill certain obligations which makes sense, because the organization is receiving that grant for a specific purpose.

However, I feel that it is ridiculous that our government both on the state and federal level do not do more for nonprofits. I understand many will say that you need to put into the system in order to get anything out of it. However, it isn’t it our nation’s duty to ensure a high and safe quality of living for their citizens.

How can that be done when people are starving or have been a victim of sexual assault and can’t afford services. These services won’t exist if there is not money going in to pay for them. Yes, one could say that the employees should do it for free, but then you’re asking them to be deprived and not be able to make money to buy

food and shelter.

Non-profits help numerous people in numerous ways from returning soldiers and veterans, to educating and mentoring children, helping children and adults who have been victims of sexual abuse, giving free medical and therapy services to children and adult victims of sexual abuse, ensuring the safety of natural resources, helping with medical services and ensuring that people do not starve.

Non-profits are important to our society and help those who cannot afford certain services. We need to give more credit to our non-profits by giving them more funding and donations to not only allow them to offer their services for free but to also ensure they can pay the employees who are giving their lives to helping those who need it.

Non-profits are extremely important

By TAYLOR REESE

Staff Writer Non-profits help our world go around and I do not feel that most people understand how important they are. Non-profits are organizations that offer services that are free and do not use these services to make a profit. This does not mean that non-profit organizations make no revenue but rather that they do not offer their services to make profit but rather take money from donations and grants in order to be able to continue to offer their services.

A large portion of the employees of the United States workforce are employed by non-profits. Just a few years ago there was an estimated 10.6% of the workforce that was employed by non-profits which is around 14.4 million workers. Non-profits still must pay their employees for their

Opinion

Issue 5

Religious worldviews are actually more ecologically-friendly

By CARTER FELTON Staff Writer “You shall not pollute the land in which you live...you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people,” says the Bible in Numbers 35:33-34 .

Next to every single religion has in its canon an account of creation in respect to it being a divine act of God. As a result, nearly every world religion has some amount of ecological implications. There are countless religions that interpret their creation account to mean that humans have been given the implicit task of tending to and looking after what God has created for them.

The optimal way to illustrate this is by providing a list of the more widespread religions and the various ways in which their doctrines support ecological advocacy.

The Baha’i Faith is based upon the idea of global citizenship and sustainability. In this spirit of unity, the religion wishes for the protection of the environment in order for all of humanity to live harmoniously with nature.

Buddhism deals with the abstract concept of karma, which in itself conveys value in conservation and responsibility for the future. Many Buddhists advocate for sustainable development due to their belief that their actions in the present will have a direct

impact on their future. Buddhists believe that humanity harms the environment because we are selfish and we crave material possessions.

Hinduism is a religion with deep ties to nature. The sacred texts of Hinduism reference the divine implications of nature and the earth. In order to protect the divinity associated with various elements of nature, the religion supports environmental protection. Hindus also believe that nature cannot be destroyed without humanity destroying themselves in the process, as humanity needs the natural world to survive.

The Abrahamic religions, also referred to collectively as Abrahamism, are a group of religious communities of faith that claim descent from the Judaism practiced by ancient Israelites. Judaism, Islam and Christianity are the Abrahamic religions with the greatest numbers of adherents. These religions are more widespread and well known than the aforementioned Eastern religions. Because they are more widespread, as with all religious beliefs, they are more prone to exaggerated discrepancies and varying levels of belief throughout the numerous different kinds of people which subscribe to them.

Despite this, these three religious doctrines still maintain varying degrees of environmental consciousness.

Judaism deals with the land and environment as

properties of God and it being the sacred duty of mankind to take care of it. Many laws in the Torah and Talmud specifically prohibit the harming of nature and the pollution of agricultural land Islam’s holy book, the Quran, contains hundreds of verses advocating for the protection of the environment. Muslims traditionally approach environmental issues from a prospective of stewardship, meaning the earth is God’s creation and humans have been entrusted to preserve it.

In fact in 2015, the Islamic Climate Change Symposium adopted what is known as the Declaration on Global Climate Change which reaffirms the Islamic belief in prohibition of the excessive consumption of resources the planet provides for humanity.

There are approximately a hundred verses in the Bible that directly talk about the protection of the environment. Christians believe that they have an environmental responsibility to care for and tend to God’s creation, because God created all of nature and we must respect His creation.

Through an acceptance of a power greater than themselves and the belief that all humans were made in God’s image, many religious worldviews are able to recognize the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment in a way that a majority of less religious worldviews cannot.

February 26th, 2020 Page 11

Georgetonian

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THE BACK PAGE

Thoughts from Places: The Chapel

By CARRIE JO CECIL Back Page Editor There is something nice about the placement of the chapel on campus.

From the front of campus, coming off Main Street up Memorial Drive, it looks like Giddings is at the center of the college. Once you get onto campus, however, it becomes apparent that the chapel is the real center. It’s about equidistant from the library and where Military Street marks the end of Main Campus. Its broad sidewalk lines right up with the entrance to the quad, which it faces instead of facing out toward Giddings Circle. Funnily enough, if you look at a map of Georgetown College, Giddings Circle looks like a child’s drawing of a head, and the chapel sits down just to the right, where the heart would be.

In this series, I’ve praised a number of buildings on campus which are central to the function of the college. I’ve reflected on the dorms, the library and the Caf, which guarantee students have shelter, studies and sustenance.

These buildings take care of the most basic of needs. The other buildings also have their functions. Giddings, Highbaugh and the Meetinghouse are administrative. Pawling, Asher, Cooke and Nunnelly have classrooms. The chapel has some offices, yes, and some classes meet in the basement, but those don’t give the chapel its purpose. What need does the chapel fulfill on campus?

For what is it responsible?

If you’re religious, that probably seems like a silly question. It certainly would seem so to me if I weren’t the one writing this article. Chapels are for worship services, and our chapel certainly serves that purpose. There have been three chapel services this semester already, and the basement’s prayer room provides a permanent space for worship the rest of the time. Christian worship regularly takes place in the chapel, which is not surprising at a Christian college. In fact, it would be

odd if worship didn’t happen in the longest running at Georgetown, the chapel at least somewhat regularly.

Belle of the Blue. Despite some of the Despite the religious connotations negative connotations pageants can of the chapel, you’ve probably been have, I really enjoy the sense of comthere even if you’re not religious. It munity at the Belle of the Blue. While would be untrue to say that the chapel the pageant celebrates what makes is only a place of worship on campus. those on the stage unique and special The chapel is at its fullest, in fact, for in terms of talent, intellect and beauty, nonreligious events. Opening Con- it also allows those of us in the crowd vocation, Song Fest, Hanging of the to be proud and supportive of our Greens and friends and Founders Day classmates. come to mind It’s pretty when I think special to about the learn that guy chapel at maxfrom your imum capacity. gen-ed can These events really sing, or and others the girl you like Academic pass between Honors Day classes is an order life on impressive campus in the TWITTER.COM/GEORGETOWNCOLLEGE dancer or that same way hol- The John L. Hill Chapel the stagehand idays order the can beatbox year. They mark the passing of time like a professional. These people are in special ways without which the just as special when you see them sitmonths blend together. Why do you ting in class, walking to the library or think there are so many holidays in the moving a piano way too many times first place? Without something to look as they are in the chapel that night, but forward to, we have no motivation to the chapel gives us a chance to see that keep moving forward, nor any reason more clearly. to keep track of time. By holding these Perhaps the polar opposite of Belle events, the chapel comes to be part of of the Blue is the hypnotist. Another the flow of life and activity vital to the tradition not on the official calendar, college. the hypnotist show that concludes oriOutside of the events that are reg- entation and kickstarts the academic ularly scheduled on the academic year is not so much a celebration of calendar, the chapel houses the spe- each person’s unique talent as it is a cial events, the ones you hope to find chance for equal opportunity mockery. every time you open those little activ- No one who chooses to go up on stage ities pamphlets on the Caf tables. To escapes without some fun being had butcher a Latin phrase, if I talked about at their expense. Whether they think figurative bread last week by reflect- their shoe is a gas mask and the building on our dining services, then this ings on fire, or they give an invisible week I’m talking about circuses, which bird a ridiculous name or they keep are only figurative in the sense that a taking their shirt off, all of the particcircus hasn’t performed in the chapel ipants become subjects of laughter. yet. Some of these events are regular, Unlike Belle of the Blue, during which even if they aren’t on the official calen- everyone has someone they’re rooting dar. This past weekend was one of the for or at least recognize, the hypno-

tist might be your first encounter with some of your fellow students. Now, if you’re an upperclassman, that chance is slimmer, but for a freshman it’s almost certain, and it’s almost certainly going to be the first thing you remember when you see that person around campus.

The hypnotist is a crash course in absurdity, indignity and humor, and there’s something nice about getting it over with right at the start in the same chapel where you might see those same people receive honors and recognitions.

This little review of some of the events that take place in the chapel may seem meandering, but it’s important to reflect on why we do certain things.

Religious people worship God because God deserves worship, and a chapel is a place set aside to do that. It deliberately makes a space for that important, regenerative activity. As I noted, I think there’s some neat real-world symbolism in the location of the campus—at its heart, surrounded by all its necessary functions, facing where its students make their homes. Above its main door are the words “A House of Prayer for All People.” Some of us students are religious, and that’s an important kind of worship for us, but we aren’t the totality of Georgetown. The chapel is for all people, all kinds of events, all kinds of worship. It is for the worship in the life of campus, the kind of worship that helps us divide up the year into manageable chunks. It is for the worship of our friendships and fellowships, the recognition of the importance of individuals and community. It is for the worship of humor and new starts. It is for the worship of the arts, the sciences, the social, the political, the traditional, the transformative. The bells of the chapel can be heard all over campus, and they call us to enter into a place of worship. The chance for NEXUS credit is only a small part of what the chapel offers to the college, even if its exact function isn’t the easiest to pin down. It’s almost as if the chapel is a little bit holy.