Vote for the crook. page 10
Friday, March 4, 2016
Collegian
The
The Grove City College Student Newspaper
Vol. 102, No. 15
Spring Plays have sprung ‘Lockerbie’ and ‘Diviners’ running this weekend
Alison Kjergaard Contributing Writer
There is a certain connotation that goes along with plays: they are colorful, humorous and have a happy ending. The Grove City College spring plays (yes, plural) this year have a different flavor to them, one that defies these connotations and takes things to a deeper level. The two plays focus on the underlying theme of grief, how to cope and how to learn to keep living. “We are delving into heavy material,” Sara Giesler, a junior with a key role in “The Women of Lockerbie,” said. The two plays being performed this spring are “The Diviners” and “The Women of Lockerbie.” “The Diviners” takes place in Zion, Ind. in the dustbowl era. The story circles around Buddy, an “odd” boy who can divine water even though he fears it. When ex-pastor CC Showers comes to Zion, he forms a bond with Buddy and helps him and the other townspeople to “seek to divine the truth from within themselves,” according to the official synopsis. The “Women of Lockerbie” is based on true events surrounding the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988. The story SPRING PLAYS 8
CAMERON HOLLOWAY
Sophomore Sam Kenney and Junior Alex Soberick perform onstage during this week’s spring plays.
Not-so-super Tuesday
Joshua Delk Staff Writer
TARA STEINHEISER
Talent show benefits ICO Los Angeles Madison Moser
The results are in and the real-estate mogul Donald Trump is the clear victor after this week’s Super Tuesday primaries. With four other Republican candidates in the race, Trump’s opposition is struggling to unite against the anti-establishment juggernaut. Despite Trump winning seven states Tuesday, the race is far from over. Senator Ted Cruz won three states and a significant delegate count. RealClear Politics shows Trump with 319 delegates, Cruz with 226, and Rubio with 110. Winning only Minnesota’s caucus, Marco Rubio’s performance was largely disappointing in terms of delegates won. Rubio may have easily clenched a win over Trump in Virginia if not for John Kasich, who is continuing what looks like a futile bid for the presidency, is siphoning votes from the Party’s serious contenders. With plurality victories in
10 of the 15 state primaries so far, Trump and his loyal base of supporters have taken advantage of the already fractured Republican Party. He has polled consistently between 30 and 40 percent nationally despite negative publicity that many argue would have fatally injured any other campaign, such as failure to deny the support of the Ku Klux Klan and advocacy for many illegal interrogation practices. Leading into Tuesday’s voting, some Christian evangelicals are becoming increasingly vocal against the leading candidate whom they believe to be devoid of a genuine faith and morals. Publications such as the Christian Post have broken their political silence in an effort to mobilize evangelicals against Trump, remarking “This is a critical time in American history and we call on all Christians to pray for personal repentance, divine forgiveness and spiritual awakening for
17 acts ranging from musical performances to spoken word poetry. Emceed by Andrew Schools, Drew Miller, Tim Shackleton and Brett McBride, the show engaged audience members and was awkwardly hilarious. The awards of the show consisted of the traditional
first, second and third place prizes determined by a panel of faculty judges. The audience had the opportunity to choose a crowd favorite by placing money in their favorite act’s jar. The winners of the tal-
Life
The Lens
E!
Perspectives
Sports
GCC Newman Club ranked in top 50 by “Best College Reviews.” page 3
Performances of the spring plays are underway this weekend. Pages 6-7
Fuller House - a nostalgic trip or a recurring nightmare? Page 8
Someone bashes scientism once again as the battle for and against it continues. Page 9
Women’s basketball barely misses the win in the PAC quarterfinal round. Page 12
Contributing Writer Over 275 students supported their peers by attending the Upperclassmen Talent Show hosted by ICO Los Angeles in Crawford Auditorium last Friday. The show consisted of
TALENT SHOW 4
TUESDAY 2
The Collegian
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Looking back & forward
Kelleigh Huber Staff Writer
17th-century New Hampshire gave way to 21st-century Florida for Grove City College’s history honorary last month. The 2016 Phi Alpha Theta Biennial Convention was held in Orlando, Florida from Jan. 6-9, bringing Grove City College senior Benjamin Leavitt face to face with a warm climate and a great opportunity. The history honorary society’s meeting and conference proved to be an event in which Leavitt could thrive, presenting his work on family life in 17thcentury New Hampshire in front of members of the honorary from across the nation, including undergraduates, master’s students and history faculty. Phi Alpha Theta is a large group which extends into 860 local chapters, one of which is on Grove City College’s campus, according to a recent press release from the College. About 150 to 200 members attended the conference this year, some of which came from as close by as Clarion University and Carn-
egie Mellon University and as far away as Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. Leavitt has attended regional Phi Alpha Theta conferences before during his time here at the College and viewed the national conference as a “stepping stone” between those regional conferences and the professional ones ahead in his future. “While any members of Phi Alpha Theta could have attended, I had a particular interest in doing so because I plan to pursue additional education in history, and wished to be better acquainted with intellectual currents in the broader historical field,” Leavitt said. Opportunities to present offer undergraduates both professional experience as well as a chance to write a fully developed academic paper. Leavitt used this opportunity to speak on 17th-century New Hampshire families and the myths surrounding them. The paper was part of an Honors in History project. “In short, I argue that New Hampshire families of this time behaved differently from the families described in most studies of colonial New England, which focus nearly exclusively on Mas-
sachusetts,” Leavitt said. Leavitt chose to take a look at the different environments in the colonies and different regional traditions. This led him to conclude that the study of New England should be “regionally sensitive, and should not overlook distinct social groups within traditional geographic regions.” In addition to gaining professional experience, Leavitt was also able to learn more concerning the other Phi Alpha Theta chapters nationwide, current issues of importance to students and faculty, and tactics which he could use to help himself in the future. Leavitt plans to take this knowledge and apply it to his future as he continues to pursue history. “I am currently considering particular graduate school options, but I am generally hoping to pursue my M.A. and Ph.D in history in preparation for a career in academia,” Leavitt said. While in Orlando, Leavitt also took the time to visit a potential graduate school, visit with his grandparents and take a small trip to Disney Springs with his wife.
Austrian conference held at GCC
Rio Arias Staff Writer
Grove City College hosted the Austrian Student Scholars Conference (ASSC) on Feb. 26 and 27 for the 12th year in a row. This conference aims to honor research papers conducted in the tradition of notable Austrian economists such as F.A. Hayek, Hans Sennholz, Murray Rothbard and, most notably, Ludwig von Mises. Mises could be argued to be the most influential of the three credited founders of Austrian economics, and one of his students, Sennholz, was the first Austrian chairman of the Economics Department at Grove City College in 1956. Since then, the College has become the world’s leading institution for Austrian economics. In 1978, the College created the Mises Archive, allowing four books to be published from previously private manuscripts. The conference is open to graduate as well as under-
TUESDAY our nation. It is not the time for Donald Trump.” The article went on to cite his admiration of authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin, whose strong-armed tactics Trump seems to support. Writing for the New York Times, David Brooks suggested the Trump craze might not be an isolated event; that Trump represents an international trend amongst developed democracies supporting authoritarian leaders. Brooks’ observations include “the desire for outsiders, bashing style of rhetoric, decline of political parties, and fighting cultural battles through political means”. Indeed, Trump’s disregard for convention and bombastic performances have worked all to his advantage. Likewise, Stuart Rothenberg recently warned Americans not to underestimate the mogul, citing the popularity of right-wing nationalistic movements in Europe. Dr. Michael Coulter, professor of Political Science at Grove City College, contrasts Trump’s talk of “winning” and domineering with Ted Cruz, who actively defends the constitution in his
graduate students from all majors, and four international presenters attended the conference. Presenters ranged from college freshman to seniors, including some distinguished professors who had all done work in Austrian economics. Those showcasing their work lectured on topics falling under the categories of domestic policy, technology, modeling, ethics, international policy, labor and wages. A panel of Grove City College faculty was chaired by one of two economics professors, either Chairman of the Economics Department Dr. Jeffery Herbener or Professor of Economics Dr. Shawn Ritenour, to judge the presented works. Cash prizes of $1500, $1000 and $500 were awarded to the top three student papers. First place was awarded to Karl Friedrich who traveled from Israel to illustrate how his research on “Bank Reserves and Their Implications in the Aftermath of the Financial Crisis” was ap-
plicable through the lens of Austrian principles. Grove City College student Jonathan Nelson received second place for his paper “The Economics of Science, Technology, and Government,” which elaborated on the public nature of scientific research and development. David Werner, another student of Grove City College, received third place for his paper “Gold: Rushing and Mining,” in which he discussed when California allowed private money production, one of the most recent applications of free market principles in today’s economy. Freshman economics major Melissa Lueken described the conference as “excellent.” “It was exciting to hear about the hard work being done by Austrian students all over the world,” she said. She presented under the category of domestic policy, discussing “Social Security: An Austrian View of the Problem and Proposed Solutions.” Two other female students
represented Grove City College at the ASSC: senior Susannah Estoker and junior Emily El Sanadi. One reason the College upholds the tradition of the conference is to highlight the work of accredited Austrian economists. Dr. Matthew McCaffery of the University of Manchester gave the opening presentation on “The Economics of Social Entreprenuership” as a memorial to the work of Sennholz. To close the two-day tribute to the Austrian School, Dr. Mark Brandly of Ferris State University presented a paper in honor of Mises entitled “Mises, Calculation, and Government Land Ownership.” Grove City College continues a long and proud history with its esteemed Austrian economics department, drawing scholars and students alike from all parts of the world to engage in intellectual discussion of this well-preserved line of thought. This past weekend was no exception.
rhetoric; suggesting that the Republican Party no longer necessarily or completely represents true conservatives. The collective hope of Trump’s opposition lies in preventing his victory in upcoming primaries in key winner-take-all states and thereby preventing him from capturing the 1,237 delegates needed for the nomination. While Ben Carson shows signs of suspending his campaign after announcing his withdrawal from the March 3 debate, the other three candidates are likely to continue splitting votes and handing Trump delegates in these states. A successful counter attack mounted by Cruz and Rubio at the Feb. 25 debate seemed to have the usually unflappable Trump on the defensive. GOP leaders had hoped this turn in strategy marked the beginning of a united front against the unlikely frontrunner and unification behind an opposing candidate. The results of a not-so-super Tuesday left them disappointed. If opposition candidates are unable to abate Trump’s quest to “Make America Great Again”, the Party’s hopes lie in a brokered convention in July.
Weighing in on this possibility, Grove City College professor of political science Dr. Paul Kengor sees a drastic and disappointing scenario for traditional American conservatives. Kengor notes Rubio’s consistently high likeability among Republicans and Trump’s high unlikeability, and imagines some kind of Cruz-Rubio compact and nomination emerging from a brokered convention. From there, Kengor predicts that the next step would be that “Donald Trump erupts and goes third party, taking his followers with him. His followers will convince themselves, Ross Perot-like, that all the polls are wrong. If that happens, Hillary Clinton would win the presidency, just as her husband did in 1992, thanks to a three-person race in November that splits Republicans.” Clinton’s chances are reflected in a recent CNN poll, which predicts her winning a general election over Trump by eight points, whereas both Cruz and Rubio would win against her by a slight margin. This is “by far the strangest election I’ve seen in my lifetime” says Coulter; “neither of the nominees are true party members.” Coulter insists that the party rally
around Rubio, the only candidate who stands a chance. The upcoming primaries in Ohio and Michigan will likely be favorable to Rubio, whose support largely comes from higher-educated conservatives, which largely populate these two states. In the odd chance that the self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders were to win the presidency, Coulter points out the sway of the Republican-controlled House, which would halt many of Sanders’ calls for nationalization and government subsidies. Many commentators suggest that Sanders’ campaign is all but finished after Clinton swept the Super Tuesday elections with wins in seven states. However, Sanders has repeatedly emphasized his campaign’s focus on social and economic equity, a movement which he will continue to spearhead regardless of his presidential prospects. Clinton’s success seems absolute after Tuesday’s results, with a lock on 1,052 delegates of the 2,383 needed for the nomination, in comparison to Sanders’ 427. However with 35 more states to have their primaries, there may be twists and turns to come yet.
March 4, 2016
Bats of Brenner Prof researches everyone’s favorite flying mammals Molly Wicker News Editor
Dr. Fred J. Brenner, Professor of Biology at Grove City College, recently completed a chapter on the history of bat research in Pennsylvania, that has yet to be published as part of an upcoming book. The chapter, which was coauthored by James A. Hart, addresses the history of bat research in Pennsylvania in three distinct periods: the Period of Discovery, the Period of Early Research and the Beginnings of Conservation. “Although bats are not currently the focus of my research, it was a privilege to be asked to co-author this chapter on the history of bat research in Pennsylvania. I would like to dedicate this chapter in memory of Dr. John Hall and hope that it encourages other young biologists to study these flying mammals,” he said. For Brenner, his interest in bats began in the early 1960s, during a summer at Penn State University, when he was a teaching assistant for Dr. John Hall, a prominent figure in the field of bat research at Albright College. During the evenings the two would perform field research nearby. Their work lead to subsequent publication and when Brenner received his Ph.D., he continued to study bats through a post-doctoral position at Denison University in Grandville, Ohio. After returning to Pennsylvania, first accepting a position at Thiel College and then later at Grove City College, Brenner continued to be interested in the ecology and physiology of bats during hibernation. As he studied local populations of bats, he began to notice that disturbances during hibernation had negative effects on the overall hibernating population, a thesis that he was instrumental in developing. Outside of his research into bat and their hibernation patterns, Brenner is a major player and proponent in the field of conservation ethics. Brenner has been involved with the Mercer County Conservation District for more than 40 years. Throughout his years of service, Brenner has been a steadfast advocate for conservation efforts, locally, regionally and statewide. His professional affiliations, offices held, publications and accomplishments represent a life dedicated to protecting and managing natural resources. In 2012, Brenner was awarded the Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD). Brenner has previously served as President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the Pennsylvania Academy of Science and the National Academies of Science, as well as Vice President of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honorary Society. Since joining the faculty in 1969, Brenner has also co-edited 14 books and published a variety of scholarly works.
Life
March 4, 2016
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Newman Club makes list Caleb Harshberger Life Editor
This year, the Grove City College Newman Club was ranked number 28 in “The 50 Best College Newman Centers,” by Best College Reviews. The Newman Club seeks to educate and reach out to anyone interested in pursuing the Catholic faith. They look to answer any questions about the Catholic Church’s beliefs and traditions and to help guide anyone looking to become a part of the institution. The club is affiliated with the Church of the Beloved Disciple and offers rides to Mass and social events as well as providing books and other resources. The group’s outreach efforts include participating in Inner-City Outreach to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, according to the group’s president, senior Rebecca McLaughlin. Along with evangelistic activities, the Newman Club also seeks to provide a community for students of the Catholic Faith. The group hosts frequent meetings as well as the previously mentioned social events and rides to Mass. “I believe that everyone in the club was very excited
when we heard about the article,” McLaughlin said. “I thought the article was very interesting. It was nice to find out what Newman Clubs were doing at other universities and see how we compared. It was just an honor to make the list.” According to a Pew Research study, which is cited in the Best College Reviews article, Catholics make up around 21 percent of Christians in the country and Newman Clubs across the country are seeking to improve this number. These clubs, named after 19th-century Catholic intellectual John Henry Newman, have several requirements to be considered a club. According to the article they must offer “regular Mass times during the week,” regularly offer Eucharist Adoration, Confession and other opportunities for spiritual growth, offer community building events and the college must have “a Catholic population of greater than 100 students.” “There is a national community feeling among Newman Clubs in the sense that you know you will be able to find a club on almost any campus at a non-Catholic university,” said McLaughlin. “It is really comforting to know that as a Catholic stu-
dent, no matter where you go in the world you can find a Newman Club which will provide you with pastoral services and ministries.” The Newman Club at Grove City College was ranked number 28. “Their desire is to answer questions from all students so that they may have an authentic understanding of the Catholic Church and her teachings,” the article reads. The full article may be found on their website at bestcollegereviews.org. Rankings are determined using data from The Newman Connection at newmanconnection.com. All Newman Clubs can be found registered on the site. The Grove City College Newman Club will be putting on a few upcoming events for those interested in learning more about it. “Newman Club is hosting Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. on the Quad. Chapel credit will be offered for this event. The club is also planning a trip in mid-April to St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh,” McLaughlin said. “Lastly, Newman Club has weekly meetings on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the seminar room in Rathburn Hall.”
Accounting for startups
Caleb Harshberger Life Editor
The Venture U speaker series, hosted by the Grove City College Entrepreneurship Department, has begun, with John Stillwaggon ’84 giving a talk on the importance and methodology of accounting for business startups last Tuesday. Stillwaggon is the president of the accounting firm Stillwaggon and McGill and a former manager at KPMG with 30 years of experience in business and accounting. He was also accompanied by Kathy Sisler, the tax manager at their company. “You can’t forget the accounting part,” Stillwaggon said. Without keeping a very close eye on the money, business owners risk going home without pay, sending their company into debt or even being forced to close down, he explained. Accounting is perhaps the most important thing a business owner does while running their company. “The foundation of everything we’re looking at is the balance sheet,” he said. This is the sheet that essentially shows where money is going in relation to the business. “We own and we owe. That’s the balance sheet.” Much of the lecture fo-
cused on learning the jargon and numbers essential to the accounting process. Strange symbols and equations appeared on the screen beside charts and pie graphs explaining every conceivable detail of a company’s financial situation. Startup founders will need to spend the time learning this language of accounting to successfully understand the inner workings of their business. It also keeps the founders accountable to the reality of the situation, Stillwaggon added. “This is real life,” Stillwaggon said. Budgets, spreadsheets and forecasting make sure that the owners of a business ground their decisions in reality rather than foolish optimism. Stillwaggon also engaged with the audience, and with many of the audience members running or are forming their own startup, there was plenty to discuss. One of the biggest questions for a new business to answer is how they know they will beat the competition. Questions raised included “What puts your company in a position to beat the competition?” and “Do you have special connections or proprietary technology that gives you the edge?” These questions are important, especially when looking for in-
vestors. “What is the competitive advantage?” he asked a student. Most answers revolved around quality labor. There was also some common sense advice such as don’t overcapitalize and go into debt. But the greatest advice of all: pay your taxes. “The tax man cometh,” Kathy Sisler said. “No matter what, pay your payroll taxes first. They will not let you off the hook.” You do not want to go to jail, she added. Finally, Stillwaggon discussed software. For smaller startups, he explained, Excel would be fine. He also recommended a free program called Wave, which allows the user to do payroll and billing and is relatively straightforward. For bigger companies, such as his, he recommended QuickBooks. “We use QuickBooks. But you’ll have to pay a little more for that,” he said. Venture U is a series about “the nuts and bolts of starting a business”, said Stillwaggon. This was the first talk of the series. The next lecture will be on March 16 and will deal with basic legal knowledge for entrepreneurs. The final talk is on March 29 and will cover intellectual property. Students can register for the events on gccentrepreneurship.com.
Flirting vs. fleeing A Yak recently asked his fellow Yiks, “Guys, do you like a girl who plays hard to get, or someone who obviously shows she’s interested (flirting)?” It is difficult to understand what our friend wants to know. It may be that she is asking which way us male Yiks would prefer her to communicate. It may be that she is asking which of two female attitude stereotypes we prefer. One type always plays hard to get, while the other batts her eyelashes. Or, perhaps the OP (original poster, for those of you not riding the Yak) is a man attempting to push girls into one stereotypical behavior or the other, in which case, shame on me for dredging up the comments of a misogynist from the sewer that is Yik Yak. To be honest, when I first read this conversation, I kept scrolling, looking for a more interesting exchange than the cud chewing of Grove City College’s bull pen. “Why don’t girls like us? Mooo.” But at second glance I realized that, regardless of the exact question, he or she expresses the confusion many of us experience in communicating with the opposite sex. It seems one respondent, a.k.a. Orange Socks, spoke for most of us in saying, “Obvious interest 100 100 100 [emojis] hard to get can easily cross into ‘she’s not interested in me’ real quick,” earning a laudable 54 upvotes. Gray Flashlight also prefers obvious interest; he writes, “I don’t like to play games so if you start playing hard to get, I’m probably gone.” Orange Socks and Gray Flashlight are only expressing the obvious. Obviously, guys and girls alike would prefer that their crushes show obvious interest. Think how easy life would be if you knew exactly where you stood with all those friends you wish were more than friends. Dating would be easy, and I would be out of a job. But life does not work that way. If you and her do share a mutual interest in
each other, she is unlikely to let you know in the terms you would prefer, or understand. The same is true in for men. He never seems to be paying attention, am I right? In many ways, the sexes speak at different frequencies and are deaf to each other’s dog whistles, often making it confusing to communicate with the opposite gender. The ways which you communicate interest are likely different from the ways she communicates interest. From her perspective, she is shooting flares into the night sky, while you check your phone waiting for a text. The problems works in both directions, and neither sex can be considered at fault. Nevertheless, girls and guys often mistakenly lead each other on. Hopefully, games are never played maliciously, but those who misread the signs will be emotionally hurt regardless. Keep in mind that your understanding of ‘hard to get’ is not necessarily the name of her game, and, by the same token, all girls who flirt are not necessarily interested. If our Yak is asking which of two games I prefer, my answer is neither. If it is a game to her, behaving in a hot or cold way to hold your attention because it entertains her, then you are being lied to. Who cares which lie you are being told? The only solution is to strive for honesty in every relationship. Never play games with people, and never assume those of the opposite gender are hearing you loud and clear. That being said, words and phrases like “Yes,” “No,” and “Get away from me, creep!” should be accepted as universal. Our goal should be to approach every relationship with a certain measure of grace and understanding, knowing that dating is confusing for everyone, and not all of us speak the same language. The anonymous Doctor invites you to anonymously email your questions to about love and dating to collegian@gcc.edu
March 4, 2016
The Collegian
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Winterfeast is coming
Caleb Harshberger Life Editor
This Saturday, the members of the Order of Saint George are hosting the annual Winterfeast in Ketler Rec. The Feast has been held every year for the last 22 years. Garret Yohey and Steve Boyd were manning the Winterfeast booth in the SAC last week, selling tickets and promoting the event. “We offer a five course meal,” Yohey said. “Everyone is invited to come.”
Tickets are currently on sale in the SAC. The event will include plenty of food, but it will also have entertainment, Yohey said. Past years’ events have seen everything from musicians to sword fights. The group’s faculty advisor, computer science professor Dr. Dellinger, has an annual tradition of his own as well. “Dr. Dellinger has his mad libs,” Yohey said. Every event, he takes answers from the audience and later in the night tells a mad lib story.
The event has been held for 22 years, but some aspects of the evening can always be counted on. “The structure is mostly the same, but what changes are the people,” Steve Boyd said. And the people are what the event is all about. “You can expect a mixture of medieval-style food and entertainment: some poems, probably some violin music, some storytelling, possibly some sword-fighting,” said Dr. Dellinger. The Order of Saint George
is the gaming society on Campus, and has been a Grove City College group for a long time. “It is one of the older groups,” Yohey said. The Order of Saint George was founded 36 years ago in 1980. The Oder of Saint George offers gaming of all kinds, including but not limited to, video games, board games and card games. “We also have anime and role playing,” Steve said.
TALENT SHOW
GCC.EDU
McNulty ranked Caleb Harshberger
ent show were Alex Locher and Tyler Mulley for third, Meghan Moran and Catherine Rohsner for second, Coby Bartolucci and Gabi Ailinger for first and Adam Lowe and Alina Santiago for crowd favorite. All proceeds benefit ICO Los Angeles, which will travel to LA over Easter Break to work with the DreamCenter, an organization that fills the needs of over 80,000 individuals and families each month. “[The team] feels very blessed by the support we had from the campus and local community,” ICO LA leader Slater Simek said.
Life Editor
TARA STEINHEISER
This year, Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 was named one of the 100 most “influential in business ethics” in Ethisphere Magazine. The magazine ranked him 24th on the list as a “thought-thinker.” Also on the list were Pope Francis, former Vice President Al Gore, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 95 others. Before becoming the College’s president, McNulty served as Deputy U.S. Attorney General and as a partner at the global law firm Baker & McKenzie. During his pre-GCC career, McNulty argued before the United States Supreme Court, prosecuted terrorists after 9/11, set government policies on prosecuting corporate fraud and served in numerous other capacities in both the public and private sectors. He is widely considered to be one of the top experts on business ethics which, presumably, played a part in his recent ranking, the second in two years. He is now the fourth alumnus to serve as the president at Grove City College, having graduated in 1980. Ethisphere has been publishing their list every year for the last nine years, when the magazine was first published. Ethisphere also releases an annual list of the most ethical companies and hosts a Global Ethics Summit every March in New York.
Students prep for Easter ICOs Molly Wicker News Editor For a week in March, more than 103 students will embark on nine Inner-City Outreach programs over their Easter break. The students will travel to five locations in the United States and three international locations to do volunteer and ministry work. The students will travel to Tucson, Ariz.; Ashland, Ky.; Chicago, Ill.; Los Angeles, Calif.; San Andres Sacabaja; Guatemala; Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. These trips have become a hallmark of the Grove City College experience since their inception in 1983. Although students are not re-
quired to participate in an ICO trip, nearly one-third of the student body completes an ICO before they graduate from the College. “ICOs are a wonderful way for students to step out of their comfort zones and serve others while sharing the love and hope of Christ,” said Devayani Wintrode, Director of Campus Ministries. “So many students go on an ICO for the first time and come back changed, looking at the world around them differently and realizing that they can make an impact for Christ wherever they are, whether across the globe or here on campus. It is always encouraging to see students’ lives impacted for Christ, to see evidence that their personal faith has deepened,
and to observe their continued relationships with the people they met while serving on the ICO.” Recognized as an official program by the Campus Ministries Office in 2008, Inner-City Outreach trips involve Grove City College students traveling to cities throughout the United States and beyond in order to minister to others and share the Gospel. The program has grown to an average of 20 trips annually, with almost half to international destinations. Inner-City Outreach trips are student-initiated and student-lead. Grove City College provides training and resources for the leaders of each approved trip. Since 2008, more than 1,675 students travelled to
over 120 locations near and far. Some, places like India, China and Chile, required students to immerse themselves in a culture entirely different from their own. Others, like Washington, D.C.; Durham, N.C.; and New York, N.Y.; were a gentle reminder that you do not have to learn a new language in order to serve best. For Alissa Winters ’18, who travelled to Jamaica in January 2016, her trip was a welcome opportunity to not only learn about the culture she was visiting, but also learn from the people with whom she was interacting. “ICO Jamaica was crucial in opening my eyes to how we should be living our everyday lives as Christians. Sometimes I think we have
to get outside of our routine and our sense of normalcy to allow ourselves to truly be open to the prospect of letting God reveal Himself to us,” she explains. “I thought at the beginning of this trip that I was going down to Jamaica to love on the children and to teach them, but in reality, they were the ones that taught me and showed me what love was. These precious children taught me that God’s love far surpasses our understanding, and we are called to reflect that love to those around us! I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve in Jamaica alongside incredible individuals who, too, were learning more about Christ as they were serving Him with abandon!”
Entertainment
March 4, 2016
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Hesitant Alien: A different Way
Ellen Pierson
Contributing Writer
Action!
WWW.THECENTREOFATTENTION.CO.UK
SGA to present film festival
Jonathan Fischer Staff Writer
Students are preparing for the Grove City College film festival on April 23. Film submissions are still being accepted for the festival with the potential of being shone at the festival as well as receiving awards and some monetary grand prizes. Films do not need to be feature length but rather something in the ten-minute range. On the day of the festival, the films of the finalists will be shown in Sticht auditorium in the Hall of Arts and Letters. There will also be an awards ceremony in the same spirit as the Oscars complete with emcees and statues to be handed out. The student films will be recognized in various categories including acting, directing, screenwriting, music, cinematography, and producing. The conceptualization for the festival began when Student Government officials Sarah Klein and Bryan
Jacob Sziraky
Thomas saw a student need on campus for a creative outlet for film. Since film was not a part of the arts festival, Klein and Thomas along with Zach Roth, David Van Matre, and Jake Sziráky worked together to organize an event on campus entirely devoted to film. “I think the interest has always been there,” said Klein. “At least since I got on campus there’s been this interest from different people I’ve talked to.” Klein went on to explain how during her time as freshman class president a couple years ago, she surveyed students majoring in the areas of communication studies, entrepreneurship, and marketing regarding opportunities for creative media development on campus and some of the results she found. “The results were pretty overwhelming that students really have a desire to learn about these things but don’t necessarily have the creative outlets on campus right
now,” Klein said. The film festival seeks to be an extracurricular way to encourage interests on campus regarding film and help strengthen and expand the communities of students in the Cinematic Society and the ones involved with the video production workshop along with students who simply have general previous experiences with filmmaking. That way, the festival will hopefully provide students with a creative outlet for film and be a way to bring together the film enthusiasts on campus. So far there has been a good turnout for people interested in the event. A few people showed up to hear about the details of the festival when people of the organizational committee presented informational meetings last semester. The people putting together the event have been encouraged to see a growth in interest happening on campus. If the excitement over
Grove City College students having this great outlet to present their cinematic work isn’t enough, the cash prizes could add another interesting dimension to the event. There will be a grand prize and a popular prize both with monetary awards whose value will depend on how much capital is raised for the event. The current plan is for the grand prize to be several hundred dollars, which is exciting for both the contributing filmmakers and the people observing to see who exactly will be the one to win that award. “We just want people to feel open and free to express their creativity and to share their work and share their art and what they’ve done because we’re so excited to see it and to be able to give a platform to share it to the rest of the campus,” Klein said. Anyone interested in submitting his or her work can contact Klein or Thomas.
Shakespeare in film
Entertainment Editor There are few names in the realm of English literature that seem to last eternally. Those few gifted poets who are revered as immortal warriors of the language. Some would consider C.S. Lewis or Tolkien to be such figures. Other still may say Oscar Wilde or perhaps even Milton. However, there can be no disagreement over one name who will always have a seat of honor in the pantheon of great English literature and that is the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare died 400 years ago this year, however there is not a school child alive that does not know his name. He gave us over 35 plays and over a hundred sonnets altogether. He was heralded as a creative genius in his own time and contin-
ues to be beloved to this very day. His stage adaptions are still being performed the world over from professional theatre companies to high school drama clubs. Each being respected as an adopted descendant of Shakespeare himself. However, as respected and revered as the stage adaptations are by the general public, film adaptations of his work are frequently hit or miss. Some renditions of his works are deeply cherished such as the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton film “The Taming of the Shrew”, where others can be downright bad like the 1995 Richard III. It would seem that it depends on how the film was produced. The BBC soundstage adaptations are the bane of every English major. SHAKESPEARE 8
shakespeare.mit.edu
With his first solo album since the iconic split up of My Chemical Romance in 2013, Gerard Way takes listeners in a vastly different direction than his previous work with this album. With heavy influences from Way’s favorite artist, David Bowie, Hesitant Alien moves away from My Chemical Romance’s pop punk and emo sounds into a more Britpop, grunge or glam rock genre. This sound greatly contrasts from the old Gerard Way, with large amounts of fuzz and sunshine and a distinct lack of The Black Parade. Way opens the album with a short call to arms, “The Bureau.” While this song does not really go anywhere, it immediately confronts the listener with the fact that this is no longer the Hot Topic poster boy we all knew and loved. Fading out with the sound of a dial tone, Way seems to be asking the listener to, “pick up! We have a new era to enter!” and as soon as the listener does pick up that phone, it is definitely a new era they are thrust into. The second track on the album, “Action Cat,” maintains the theatrics of My Chemical Romance while still managing to be something completely different. While the track itself is not entirely original – we have heard the same song a million times – it is Way’s delivery that differentiates this song from similar tunes. Way delivers the song with such ferocity that the listener cannot help but feel that what he is saying is important and we ought to listen up or we might miss the message. The next track of immediate interest is the fourth track on the album, “Brother.” This song is Gerard Way’s coming-of-age song. Reminiscing on his life growing up with his younger brother, Mikey Way, and touching on both of their struggles with alcoholism and drug abuse, this track is melodic and hauntingly nostalgic. The upbeat back track paired with the lyrics outlining a life of shooting up and not knowing whose couch you will wake up on demonstrates how we tend to view the past with rose-tinted glasses. The track fades and out with a muffled voicemail which is hard to decode; however, once decoded the listener with recognize the voice as Gerard Way’s, frantically yelling for his younger brother to pick up. This is undoubtedly a call to Mikey Way to go get help, as at the time the album was released, Gerard had already conquered his addictions, while his younger brother was still struggling to defeat these demons. “Hesitant Alien” closes with a message Gerard Way has been spreading since the beginning of his career. The final track on the album, “Maya the Psychic,” is an anthem for those struggling with mental illness and a message that you are not alone. This track is a reassurance to the listener that although his sound has changed, Way is still the same person we grew up with who helped us all get through the trials of growing older.
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Through the Lens
Spring Plays
March 4, 2016
PHOTOS BY CAMERON HOLLOWAY
The Grove City College Theatre Program presents two tales of crisis and cleansing, “The Women of Lockerbie,” above, and “The Diviners,” below and right. Performances are: Friday at 5:30 & 8:30 p.m.
March 4, 2016
Through the Lens
Page 7
The Collegian
March 4, 2016
Page 8
Does fuller mean better? New series delivers empty nostalgia
Jake Sziraky Entertainment Editor In the days leading up to the “Fuller House” release on Netflix, reviews started hitting the internet. To say that they were negative would be an understatement. Entertainment Weekly said that it was a “lazily constructed kitsch that isn’t worth your time or affection.” The Washington Post asserted that there is “a point where nostalgia becomes more like necrophilia, and ‘Fuller House’ immediately crosses that line.” Vulture chimed in, saying about the show, “Future societies will have no choice but to judge us harshly for our sins.” The reviews were awful, and in a strange way, that only made me more excited to watch the “Full House” spin-off. In order to understand this phenomenon, one has to first understand my relationship with “Full House.” I never watched “Full House” because it was good. The constant refrains of “Have mercy!”, the forced moral lessons given by Bob Saget while a piano gently plays in the background and the overall bad acting disqualifies “Full House” from
being good. I watched it because it was enjoyable. It was simple. It was fun. To review “Fuller House” objectively is a mistake. Is it good? No. It is awful. The nostalgia is crammed down the viewers’ throats. The plots make no sense at times. It is populated with characters that do not make any sense in the real world. But I loved every overdramatic second of it. The show follows the eldest Tanner daughter, DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), who is recently widowed. In order to help her raise her three young boys, her sister, Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and her best friend, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), move into the Tanner family house. The clever viewer (well, any viewer, actually) will realize that this format – three women raising three boys – is an inversion of Full House’s format – three men raising three girls. The philosophy of “Fuller House” seems to be: If it worked once, do it again. That philosophy permeates the show. It is why we get the same catchphrases from the old characters – “How rude!” from Stephanie, “Oh my lanta!” from
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DJ, and so on. It is why we get constant guest appearances by “Full House’s” stars, Bob Saget, Dave Coulier and John Stamos. It is why DJ’s high school boyfriend, Steve (Scott Weinger), returns to once again try to win DJ’s heart. But honestly, “Fuller House” is at its least enjoyable when it tries to directly copy the success of the original. Having Uncle Joey fly from Las Vegas to San Francisco for one night to have
him babysit the new kids not only does not make sense, but it is not that fun. The show is at its best when DJ, Kimmy and Stephanie interact with the shows newcomers. Kimmy’s on-again-offagain ex-husband, Fernando (Juan Pablo Di Pace) and the new middle kid, the devious Max (Elias Harger), are the show’s brightest stars. Their antics are wacky, unpredictable and fun. If you are looking to be challenged on even the most
basic of levels, then stay clear of “Fuller House.” It offers nothing intellectually or emotionally stimulating. It is definitely in the running for the lowest form of entertainment, and perhaps future societies will judge us harshly for it. With that said, it succeeds in what it tries to be – a modern attempt at recapturing nostalgia. So, to all the critics reviewing “Fuller House” harshly, I (and Uncle Jesse) ask you: “Have mer-cy!”
NATE PITTMAN
Welcoming in March
Students enjoyeed mnusic and GCC’s version of Shamrock Shakes at wednesday’s Coffe House.
SHAKESPEARE ing one of these tributes it consists of men in baggy pants and tights strolling around blank stages. However, films that take the time to really create and forge the world carefully, such as the 2004 rendition of “The Merchant of Venice, are a treat for the Shakespearian expert and for the average movie goer as well. One of the greatest elements of Shakespeare is its malleability. Even though the initial story could take place in Scotland or Italy, it could be set in any time or any place such as Patrick Stewarts “Russian” Macbeth or Bryce Howards Japanese “As You Like It.” And the plot lines themselves are even more malleable when you put them into contemporary language. A lot of people might not realize that Disney’s “The Lion King” is Hamlet with lions or that “She’s the Man” is Twelfth Night in High School. So here is to the Bard himself on the 400th anniversary of his death. Thank you for your work and for the untapped potential that each one has.
SPRING PLAYS focuses around the parents of one of the students who died in the crash and on how the women from the Scottish village of Lockerbie, on which the plane crashed, try to help them learn to properly grieve over their loss. There is a table set up in Henry Buhl Library to learn more about the historical events of the play. College President Paul J. McNulty ʼ80 even came in to talk to the cast about his experience with the Pan Am crash. “It was incredible. This play was picked without anyone knowing he had been in-
volved in this tragic event. He gave us the abridged version of the story,” Giesler said. These plays may not be ideal for a young audience. There are some mature themes and strong language throughout both plays. “Mrs. Craig [the director of both plays] is looking to start a conversation about the themes in the plays. They are heavy but worth experiencing. At the end of rehearsals the room is quiet,” sophomore Courtney Moletz, who plays the character of Jenny Mae Layman (older sister to Buddy) in “The Diviners,” said. “We really pour our hearts
out in rehearsal” Giesler said. Olive Allison, Giesler’s character, is the leader of the “project” to wash and return the clothing of the victims to their families. “She’s a really strong character. She pours her heart into this project and into helping this cause,” Giesler said. The Women of Lockerbie parallels a Greek tragedy. There is a “chorus” of women who play a significant role in the play. There are lines that are “ode-like” throughout. It is a modern story with a nod to classic drama. These plays are not your normal lighthearted day at the theatre. They go deeper
and push the audience to think on a higher level. “This is an opportunity to deal with topics people don’t want to talk about. These plays allow viewers to think and formulate new thoughts about grief” Moletz said. “We can’t shy away from hurts.” “This is a part of our history, things like this happen that move people to grief,” Giesler said. Open up your calendar March 2nd-5th so you can attend these plays and learn with the characters how to face challenges and grieving with courage. You won’t want to miss these.
March 4, 2016
Perspectives
Page 9
Against scientism (again)
Ryan Brown Staff Writer
On Feb. 5, the Collegian published an article I wrote attacking scientism. The article caused quite a stir. The inestimable Dr. Erik Anderson even announced his displeasure in one Studies in Science, Faith & Technology class, or so I have been told. Moreover, I have been attacked in both word and print. On Feb. 12, the Collegian published a response piece by Jenny Calawa. I am here to make my defense, which happens to be the same defense of G.K. Chesterton: “I never said a word against eminent men of science. What I complain of is a vague popular philosophy which supposes itself to be scientific when it is really nothing but a sort of new religion and an uncommonly nasty one.” Science, real science, is all fine and dandy. It is the mythologies that have cropped up around science, often driven by the type of imagery I brought up in my first article, that I am concerned about and that I believe have done real damage to our country’s intellectual life. For those of you who came in late, my original argument went something as follows: There is a distinction between science as a method for discovering truth and science as a mythology. The mythology does not follow from real scientific knowledge or method. Instead it is merely uncritically accepted by lay people and only occasionally scientists. The scientific mythology crowds out better narratives about the world. Additionally, the wide acceptance of scientific mythology has led professionals in non-scientific fields to uncritically apply scientistic methodology in their own fields, whether actually applicable or not. While the method of science is not bad per se, the rampant misapplication is odd, especially when we consider that we have less confidence in our scientific beliefs than most other beliefs. Most of our beliefs about the world can be confirmed
and justified without appealing to as many different things as science must appeal to. For more, please see my original article. Calawa’s criticism seems to follow this structure: First, the rejection of science is unwarranted. There is no such thing as a mythology of science. Second, what I attacked as a mythology is simply the grammar and language of science, which is common to all disciplines, scientific or not. Additionally, every individual has a responsibility to be basically literate in the grammar of science. Third, science is limited in what pronouncements it can make, and thus never makes pronouncements on topics not within its appropriate sphere. As a result it is incorrect to claim that “The other disciplines have … disappeared.” Instead, “they are simply not in the limelight.” Attempted attacks on science are dangerous because science communicates accurate and beautiful truths about the world and because these attacks represent misguided attempts to defend outdated claims being revised in the face of new scientific knowledge. There are a number of things Calawa and I seem to agree on. We both believe people have a responsibility to be scientifically literate, for one. However, I would say that people glorifying science without actually knowing what it means is precisely one of the problems of the scientific mythology. People learn most of what they know from sensationalist television programs and YouTube videos that cherry pick interesting facts instead of teaching science holistically. These people then consider themselves experts despite knowing very little. Colin Combs had a Collegian article published on Nov. 13, 2015 entitled “The Worship of Science” on this very topic. We also agree that science is limited in what pronouncements it can appropriately make. We both believe science communicates accurate and beautiful truths about the world. I expressed as much in my original article. Finally, we both believe
that attempts by other worldviews to reject legitimate scientific knowledge is dangerous and inappropriate. There are also a number of things Calawa and I disagree on. Calawa denies the existence of any such mythology of science. On the contrary, there is a faith the public has in “scientific” knowledge that is different in degree and in kind than the faith people put in equally certain knowledge. I pointed to a number of examples in the last article, but perhaps my allusions were too vague. Creationists, New Atheists, Logical-Positivists and Trans-humanists are all examples of groups who adhere very strongly to the myth of scientism. Creationists, in general, claim that real science supports the idea that the earth is 6,000 years old, that creation occurred within six 24hour periods. This claim is motivated by an assumption that scientific truths are fundamental. If non-scientific truths exist, they are second-class truths, and less important or less meaningful then scientific ones. In order to verify the Bible’s perceived scientific claims, they turn to science and construct an elaborate pseudo-scientific system, a second scientific myth and narrative laid on top of the original myth of the primacy of science. As the myth grows, it begins to replace Christian narratives even within the church with scientific ones about the appearance of design, the flaws of dating methods, and the conspiracy by academia against the church. New Atheists make the same mistake as creationists, but they make it more explicitly. They reject, directly, any discipline that is not a hard science. Sam Harris believes science can give us ethics. Stephen Hawking said philosophy is dead. There are more and more people every day rejecting all knowledge not clothed in scientific trappings. Everything not empirical is seen as mere opinion or as blatant falsehood.
This view traces back to before the New Atheists to the Logical Positivists, a discredited philosophical view embracing radical empiricism. For them, the only truths are those that are empirically verifiable. The major reason that this is a discredited view is that idea that the only truths are those that are empirically verifiable is not itself empirically verifiable. This philosophical school justified movements already arising in the social sciences to become more like the hard sciences, relying on data and induction over intuition and introspection. Historically, progressivism has been extremely bound up with technocratic movements to replace politicians with engineers for a more “scientific” management. Even Hegel and Marx are part of the “scientistic” fallacy, trying to impose “laws” of history. Claiming that the glamour of science and its methodology in the eyes of the public did not affect other disciplines is incredibly naïve. To claim that its effect was not negative can be done, but I do not think that Calawa or Dr. Anderson would go there. Worst of all, though, have been the transhumanists. They have invented a whole eschatology built around “science.” The great singularity is coming and we will all be destroyed by robots who have surpassed us. Others prophesy of the day when science will transfigure man into better beings by making us become one with the machine. There is a moral imperative to further the merging with the machine, and thereby to save man and end death. Even if you are not a transhumanist, maybe you place your hope in science or technology. Maybe you subscribe to an alternative theology of science that decries technology as destructive of jobs and humanity, and science as destroying religion. My point is that science is not that important. Science is not the driving force behind history, God and men are. We should not become so enamored by something as to make it an idol.
Crony capitalism hurts America Drew Brackbill Staff Writer When we speak of cronyism within the liberty movement, usually we are referring to the concept of crony capitalism. The term “crony capitalism” itself can refer to several things, but mostly to a legal and corporate environment in which businesses must have very close relationships with government agencies in order to achieve success in the market. This can come about in many ways, but it always tends to occur when regulatory standards are set too high. Some companies court the favor of regulatory agencies in order to circumvent restrictive rules, others encourage more regulation as a means of squashing competition. “Corporate welfare” is also a term used frequently by liberty-movement advocates; it is more or less interchangeable with “crony capitalism.”
Both refer to a practice of government issuing favors to chosen companies, i.e. “cronies” in order for those companies to stay afloat or outperform competitors. A perfect example of corporate welfare in practice would be the Detroit auto bailouts during the financial crisis of the late 2000’s. The government saw fit to support the flagging infrastructure of General Motors, even though market signals indicated that GM had serious flaws in its business model. Corporate welfare and crony capitalism tend to incentivize businesses with bad business models to succeed despite their failure to create value efficiently. The government effectively picks the winners and losers in the market according to its own arbitrary metric. This suppresses market forces and provides investors with faulty signals about the health of specific industries, and can compound a corporation’s likelihood of catastrophic failure in the longterm.
However, as long as crony capitalists can keep regulatory agencies on their side, they will continue to profit at the expense of other companies who may have more efficient or innovative ideas. Ultimately, cronyism hurts the market. It determines who wins and loses in the market not by who creates the most value, but by whoever lobbies the hardest or provides the most kickbacks in return for lucrative government contracts. This is a perversion of capitalism and it presents a dreadful threat to the economies of the world. As supporters of faith and freedom, we must never be friends to the crony capitalists, must never sit back and allow them to seize power by the use of political profitseeking. We must fight them in the stock exchanges, in the halls of Congress and even on the factory floors. But we will see the most gains on the greatest battlefield of all: the classroom. The people on this campus
can advance the message of liberty most effectively simply by communicating it well to friends, family and peers. Let people know, educate them, explain to them what cronyism is and why it is bad. Explain why it is bad when the government looks at one company and says “you will flourish,” and then looks at another company and says “you will wither.” Tell your friends about it, and encourage them to tell their friends. Eventually, if enough people recognize the ways that regulation and corporate welfare stagnate and degrade our economy, they may begin to elect politicians who will make some beneficial changes. Even better, they may found companies that can outcompete and out-think the cronies, and leave them in the dust thanks to the power of technological and logistical innovation. This must be our end goal and also our ultimate hope, and though it is a slim one, we must not give up on it.
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Staff Adviser Nick Hildebrand The Collegian is the student newspaper of Grove City College, located in Grove City, Pa. Opinions appearing on these pages, unless expressly stated otherwise, represent the views of individual writers. They are not the collective views of The Collegian, its staff or Grove City College.
GREEN EYESHADE AWARD
This week’s award goes to writer Drew Brackbill for his dedication and hard work on the Collegian. The Collegian Green Eyeshade Award honors student contributors who have demonstrated consistency and excellence in their work.
The Collegian
March 4, 2016
Page 10
Vote for the crook Should government
Caleb Verbois
Professor of Political Science Editor’s Note: This article was first published by the Center for Vision & Values Like many Americans, I learned my first real civics lesson watching my mother vote. Unlike many, my first lesson was fairly depressing. I grew up in southern Louisiana, and in the 1991 gubernatorial election, David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, was running against Edwin Edwards, a three-time former governor who had been charged with bribery and was later convicted of 17 counts relating to extortion and racketeering. Edwards was heavily disliked because of his alleged crimes and because he raised taxes sharply as state revenue fell when the oil industry collapsed. Despite this, many in Louisiana were terrified of what might happen if Duke won the election, and signs and bumper stickers sprang up all over the state with one simple message: “Vote for the Crook. It’s Important.” On Election Day I watched as my mother dutifully went to the polls, voted for every other office and then tried to vote for governor. She could not. She could not vote for Duke of course. But she also could not overcome her distaste of Edwards. I thought of this story when I heard that David Duke had endorsed Donald Trump for president and that Trump, inexplicably, said that he did not know anything about Duke. I say inexplicably because in 2000 when Trump considered running for president with the Reform Party, he declined, because, “The Reform Party now includes a Klansman, Mr. Duke … This is not company I wish to keep.” But for the allegedly straighttalking Trump, no statement of fact or belief is ever permanent. After Trump received Duke’s endorsement in this campaign, CNN’s Jake Tapper gave Trump three opportunities to renounce Duke’s support. Trump merely said, “I don’t know anything about David Duke, OK, I know nothing about what you’re even talking about with white supremacists or white supremacy.” Tapper again said that he was asking about Duke and the Klan, and again, Trump denied understanding. Later Trump tried to claim that he had not heard Tapper’s question, despite the fact that he was able to repeat Tapper several times. This is another Trump statement that is impossible to believe. It is simply not plausible that he does not know what the Ku Klux Klan (or white suprem-
Colin Combs
acy) is, even if he no longer remembers that he once left the Reform Party because of David Duke. This election increasingly leaves Americans with the possibility that in eight months we will have two terrible choices for president. On the one hand, there is Trump, who cannot find it within himself to denounce Klan proponents if they support him, and cannot consistently hold to a political position of any importance for more than about a week. On the other hand, there is Hillary Clinton, who in a saner political world would probably already have been indicted for endangering national security by violating the law with regard to top secret documents. In that scenario, one is tempted to say, “Vote for the Crook. It’s Important.” Happily, we are not yet staring into that abyss. It is still possible that Republican voters can wake up from their nightmare and vote for another leading Republican candidate. It is even possible that Democratic voters may feel the Bern and choose Sanders, though, given the undemocratic nature of the Democratic Party’s “super delegates,” even winning the primary election might not be enough for Sanders. There is also another option, as Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has reminded us this week. When asked who he would support between Trump and Hillary, he was brief and to the point: “Neither of them.” Later, in an interview on MSNBC he noted, correctly, that the Republican Party is “the party of Abraham Lincoln … not the party of David Duke, Donald Trump … but fundamentally, this party needs to return to its principles of believing in equality under the law and believing in the greatness of the potential of the American people. We believe in limited government. We don’t believe in a bigger Washington.” Sasse argued, “The American people deserve better than two fundamentally dishonest New York liberals … So my first hope is that voters in the primaries over the next three weeks are going to make a better choice.” But, as Sasse concluded, the “political party is a tool.” And like any tool, if it breaks, you have to replace it. That, after all, is how the Republican Party began. Lincoln realized the Whig party was broken beyond repair because it could not explain why slavery was fundamentally unjust, so he helped start the Republican Party. If the Republican Party has truly become broken enough to nominate Trump with the support of David Duke, it will be time to find a new tool. Either that, or we might be stuck saying, “Vote for the Crook, It’s Important.”
fund research?
Jon Nelson Staff Writer
The proper role of government has always been a contentious issue. From the writings of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes to the rantings of the 2016 presidential candidates, there have been major disagreements on the size and scope of government. For the past 100 years or so, however, the federal government’s role in the funding of basic scientific research has rarely been called into question by conservatives or liberals. The economic arguments for Washington’s role in the funding of scientific research are fairly simple. The knowledge gained from basic scientific research is a public good. Once a scientific paper has been published, the benefits are both non-excludable, meaning people cannot be prohibited from accessing the information, and non-rivalrous, meaning one person accessing the information does not hinder someone else from accessing it. The public-good nature of basic research means that firms will not adequately fund this research themselves. Other firms and organizations will benefits from their findings, so firms will only fund research and development in a way that benefits themselves. Basic research that will not turn into a salable product or technology in the short-term is not likely to be funded by private firms. Thus, the government can step in and provide funding to corporations and universities to conduct basic research. Those who argue for the necessitude of government involvement in science also point to its importance for economic growth. Economists agree that technology is the core driver of economic growth. Technology can only be produced, they argue, if inventors have access to scientific research. A cancer drug, for example, can only be developed if the researchers know the science behind how cancer and pharmaceuticals work. Much of technological innovation, according to the argument, only occurs because government funds basic scientific research that can be turned into technology, which benefits the economy as a whole. This argument is not accepted by everyone, however. Former Stanford University economist and expert in the economics of science and technology Nathan Rosenberg has argued against both of these claims. Rosenberg explains that the public good nature of scientific research does not preclude private firms from engaging in it. Despite the risk of externalities, firms can still benefit from first-mover advantages of basic research. Even without patent protection, firms gain a competitive advantage by developing a product first. Firms may also engage in basic research in order to keep up with innovation by other firms. Economist Edwin Mansfield of the University of Pennsylvania found that copying the products of other firms, on average, costs 65 percent as much money and 70 percent as much time compared
to inventing. Rosenberg also argued against the broader claim that science is a requisite for technological advancement, and thus economic growth. Historically, he claimed, science does not always come before technology. In fact, sometimes technological innovation comes first, and science comes along later to explain it. For example, Louis Pasteur was not necessarily doing basic scientific research when he was trying to solve practical problems about fermentation and putrefaction in the French wine industry in the 1870s. Bacteriology came along later to explain why his solutions worked. Rosenberg blurred the distinctions between basic research and applied science, as demonstrated above. There may be times when firms believe they are funding applied research, but the researchers believe they are performing basic research. Both may be right. It does not seem to be true, then, that the government must be involved in science in order for technological innovation to occur. On the other side, government involvement in science can actually have severely negative consequences. When the government intervenes in any aspect of the economy, such intervention distorts prices and other market signals. When the government is the primary funding source for anything, a phenomenon known as “big-player effects” occurs. Economists William Butos and Thomas McQuade explain that the entire industry of basic scientific research develops according to its funding, and when the funding comes from the government, it is subject to the political process. These big-player effects can produce bubbles in scientific research, analogous to economic bubbles in other industries. As federal funding goes to a particular sector of scientific research, there will be a build-up of capital – human, physical and intellectual – in that sector of research. Since government funding is subject to the whims of politics, that money could disappear in fairly short notice. This vacuum of funds leads to a bust, similar to any other kind of economic downturn. Scientists will be laid off, physical capital will be sold and research in-progress will be abandoned. The more generous the initial government funding, the more severe the downturn when the funding goes away. Butos and McQuade argue that private funding “naturally limits the growth of the system of science in a way that has a relatively direct connection to the perceived usefulness of the science,” which means that growth in the industry is more likely to be stable and sustainable. If Professor Rosenberg and others are correct, despite the common views of the last half century, government funding is not a necessity for scientific and technological advancement. Rather than subsidizing particular areas of science for inevitably temporary periods of time, we should encourage entrepreneurs to find creative ways to fund research of science and technology, in a way that is stable and contributes to real economic growth.
Teleology, not design
Perspectives Editor The Enlightenment is overrated. Sure, we got a lot of positive things out of it. We gained many scientific insights, emphasized the importance of individual liberty and got all sorts of wonderful and interesting gizmos, but we tend to glaze over what we lost, and sometimes do not even know that we lost it. During the Enlightenment, thanks to the writings of people like Francis Bacon and René Descartes, our philosophy of nature changed from
a living, breathing world into a cold, unfeeling machine. We abandoned teleology for mechanism. The vast majority of Christian theology, especially natural theology, is simply incompatible with this change. Although it was not their intention, their work is largely responsible for why atheism has been able to find such a strong foothold in the modern world. One of the best ways to show this change is by showing how the teleological argument for God’s existence has changed over the centuries. The argument is that we can find some kind of design
in nature and reason from here to the existence of God. While this structure is the same across the centuries in Christianity, the form it takes is radically different. Today, most people consider the difficult part of this argument to be proving that there is a kind of design in nature (usually by some appeal to “Intelligent Design”), but once that is established it is just a hop, skip and a jump to God. Traditionally, however, the problem is exactly the opposite. It was considered easy to show that there is a design in nature, with the difficult part being to show that this
implied a divine designer. This was believed because in the old teleological view of the world, we would not need something so complicated as “irreducible complexity” to show that there is design in nature. Instead, we would just need to look around us every day and see that certain things are predisposed to certain effects. Acorns have a natural tendency to produce oak trees. Lightning has a natural tendency to create thunder. Water has a natural tendency to flow downhill, and so on. These are “ends” inherent to the very nature of these
things. Without going too deep into the metaphysics behind this argument, the idea of the teleological argument was that this natural order in the universe implied the existence of God. Just as an arrow tends towards a target because it is directed by the mind of the archer, so too does nature tend towards its ends because it is directed by the divine mind. This is precisely the argument Thomas Aquinas presents in his fifth way of proving God’s existence.
Sports
March, 4, 2016
Page 11
An up and down year Pittsburgh Panthers inconsistent in 2016
Michael Cole Staff Writer
It has been a roller coaster of a year for the University of Pittsburgh Panther’s men’s basketball team. They seemed to have been winning in conference play but struggled whenever facing top-25 ranked teams. Last week proved a big test for the Panthers, as they played two Atlantic Coast Conference teams, both ranked in the top 25. The Panthers started the week off with a game against the University of Louisville Cardinals. The Panthers faced the Cardinals in Louisville earlier in the season, where they suffered an ugly 18-point loss. This, however, was a different kind of game. The Panthers had just come off of wins against Syracuse University and Wake Forest University. The Panthers stayed in the game throughout the first half, down by only four and looking to surge in the second half. The Panthers made a solid push during the second half and were able to tie the game at 58 with less than two minutes to go, but a late-game run by the Cardinals left the Panthers defeated and with an 8-7 conference record. This made it tough for the Panthers to face off against the Duke University Blue Devils, who had come off of defeating both the North Carolina State University Tar Heels and the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The Panthers started the game on a hot streak. They led the Blue Devils 19-6 within the first eight minutes of play. That lead continued throughout the first half, as the Panthers went into the locker room with a 39-32 lead. The Panthers continued to dominate in the second half.
Score Check Feb. 23
Men’s basketball: Westminster College 59, Grove City College 57 Grove City fell to Westminster College in their quarterfinal match of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament. The teams went back and forth, but with just over five seconds to go, Westminster took the lead with a pair of free throws. Brandon Grider had 17 points, while Andrew
They outscored the Blue Devils en route to a win, finishing the game with a 14-point lead. The big player of the night was Jamel Artis. He finished the game with 17 points and also contributed five rebounds and four assists. James Robinson was also a huge factor for the Panther’s win, adding 14 points and seven assists. This was a huge win for the Panthers, who need every win they can get if they hope to make the NCAA tournament in March. On Sunday, they were able to withstand a 22-point performance from
Grayson Allen and a 17-point performance from Brandon Ingram. This victory will be a big point for the board in making the tournament decision. The next few weeks will be just as important for the Panthers, who will have just one more game during the regular season, which will be against Georgia Institute of Technology on Saturday. The Panthers have a hard road ahead of them, but the last few weeks have shown that they may be up to the challenge.
GCC Baseball is back: After a long winter, baseball, at both Grove City College and professional-league, is back.
Baseball is back
After long winter, baseball returns
Joe Setyon Sports Editor
I will always argue that baseball season is the best of all. When springtime returns, you know baseball is right behind. At Grove City College, where the temperature is still in the 20s and 30s most days, it is sometimes hard to imagine that spring is almost here, but it is. Spring Training for pro-
The important part is that baseball is so very close to returning to our lives.
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Beckman had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Feb. 24 Women’s basketball: St. Vincent College 56, Grove City College 44 Grove City dropped its PAC Tournament quarterfinal game, as they could not hold onto a six-point halftime lead. Lexie Arkwright had 13 points and four steals, while Kathryn Erbelding and Jackie Stewart each had nine points. Feb. 25 Men’s/women’s track and field: The men’s and women’s indoor track and field
squads both competed in the PAC Championships at Youngstown State University. The women were fifth out of 10 teams with 55 team points, while the men were sixth out of nine teams with 44 points. Feb. 26-27 Men’s/women’s swimming and diving: Senior diver Carolyn Eckendorf swam at the NCAA DIII Region IV Championships in her last career meet. Eckendorf, who has been one of Grove City’s best career divers, finished 16th out of 26 on the one-meter board and 24th on the three-meter board.
fessional baseball teams has been going on for almost two weeks now. Games are beginning to get underway. Within the next month, fans will stack the stadiums and players will start to compete in real games, ones that actually matter. At Grove City College, meaningful baseball and softball games start even faster. Members of both squads have spent the summer in the weight room, eating right and getting ready for the season that is just ahead. On March 4, the men will open the season with the first competitive games since their spring trip. Meanwhile, the softball season kicks off March 16 with a game against Pennsylvania State University Beaver Campus that will also act as a home opener. In the weeks ahead, the Collegian will analyze, preview and generally cover both teams extensively. Once games start, our coverage will not stop. However, this is somewhat beside the point. Whether
we are talking about Grove City College baseball, professional baseball or just little league, the important part is that baseball is so very close to returning to our lives. After regular season professional games start in April, the season does not come to end until November, when the World Series is over. For fans, the space between November and April is the longest five months of the year. Baseball lasts far longer than football (September-February), and includes many, many more games than do the other major professional sports, basketball and hockey. In a way, that is what makes baseball so great. A professional baseball team’s season includes 162 regular season games, 10 times more than the NFL and almost twice as much as basketball and hockey. Baseball is a day-in, day-out type of sport. Teams play every day, and only get breaks about once every couple of weeks. A lot of people would argue that baseball is a microcosm of life, and I agree. You might make mistakes, even a lot of them, and some days you are going to lose. The next day, though, all that matters is that you put your past mistakes behind you and start fresh. In baseball, the season is so long that you have time to go through rough spots and losing streaks and still be able to recover in time for a successful season. Similarly, in life you have time to learn from your mistakes and still come out on the other side being the better for it. After a long winter, seeing players back on the baseball diamond is an exciting thing.
Support Your Wolverines! March 4th-10th Men’s & Women’s Track and Field Friday-Saturday, at Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships (Boston, Massachusetts) The NFL Combine was last week and it included notable names hailing from around the Pittsburgh and Ohio area.
NFL
March, 4, 2016
Sports
Heartbreaker
Page 12
Men’s basketball edged in quarterfinal game Bradley Warmhold Staff Writer
The Grove City College men’s basketball team lost in heartbreaking fashion during the final minute of last week’s Presidents’ Athletic Conference quarterfinal playoff game in the Wolvarena. The Wolverines (188 overall, 13-5 PAC), who entered the tournament as the second seed, faced off against the seventh-seeded Westminster College Titans (8-17, 6-9), a team they had beaten twice during the regular season. The Wolverines began the game hot, taking a 9-0 lead in the first-half as Westminster struggled to drain any shots. The Titans fought back to take a 19-13 lead 15 minutes into the first half, but Grove City countered the rally with their own. At the half, the Wolverines led the Titans 25-23. Westminster began the second half with an early surge, jumping out to a 43-33 lead, their first double-digit lead of the night. The tenacious Wolverines, however, picked themselves up and took a 57-51 lead, capped off by a layup from freshman guard Brandon Grider with 2:11 remaining in the game. The back-and-forth action finally came to an end with only 5.4 seconds left, after Westminster guard Brandon Domenick sank two free throws to break a 57-57 tie, giving the Titans a 59-57 lead. With only seconds remaining, Grove City received the ball for a final possession to either tie or win the game. Sophomore forward Andrew Beckman found senior guard
Stephen Tam from the baseline who drove and knocked down a last second three-pointer that would have given the Wolverines the win, but a traveling call by the referee gave the ball back to the Titans, who held on long enough to win the game. The Wolverines turned the ball over 15 times during the night, while the Titans only gave the ball back eight times. Grider paced the Wolverines with a career-high 17 points while Beckman added 16 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double, as well as five blocked shots. Senior guard Joe Vermilya contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort. Westminster went on to play firstseeded St. Vincent College in the PAC semi-finals and lose in a competitive 65-70 effort. The St. Vincent Bearcats, the PAC’s regular season champions, also came out as the PAC’s tournament champions, receiving an automatic spot in the NCAA DIII basketball tournament. The Wolverines finished their 2016 season with an 18-8 mark, their first winning season since their 20092010 PAC championship run and the second best overall record under Coach Steve Lamie. Their 13 league wins is now the most in the program’s history during their time in the PAC. In terms of individual accomplishments, Vermilya received CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District honors, and Beckman is currently nominated for the Geico 2016 College Basketball Play of the Year for his buzzer-beating game-winning layup against St. Vincent College.
Joe Vermilya had 10 rebounds and six points in Grove City’s quarterfinal loss to Westminster College, in which the Wolverines still fell 59-57. While the PAC playoffs are over, Grove City still had a few chances to continue playing. The Wolverines were chosen to participate in the
GCC
ECAC South Tournament, and hosted Penn State University Behrend on Wednesday.
Women’s team falls in quarterfinals Aly Kruger Contributing Writer The Grove City College women’s basketball team fell to St. Vincent College last Wednesday night 56-44 after a hard-fought battle. Starters were junior Jackie Stewart, sophomore Lexie Arkwright, senior Natalija Galens, senior Kathryn Erbelding and freshman Laura Buchanan. In the first quarter, the Wolverines took an early lead of 6-2 with 6:23 left in the first quarter. Erbelding had three points in the first, which were returned by St. Vincent’s Hannah Carroll for two points. Buchanan and Erbelding each added two before the end of the first, and St. Vincent returned with two points, which ended the first quarter 13-4 with Grove City in the lead.
At the start of the second quarter, St. Vincent came out strong and with a vengeance. They scored five points in three minutes, shrinking Grove City’s lead to four points. Stewart added two points with 8:31 left in the second quarter, increasing the lead to 15-9. St. Vincent answered with four points in two minutes, which Arkwright returned on a steal for two more points with 5:46 left before the half. St. Vincent’s Jasmine Weems scored on a free throw with 3:56 left, making Grove City’s lead 18-14. Grove City added four points in two minutes, and got the ball on a foul with 2:21 left, increasing the lead to 21-14. St. Vincent added two points with 18 seconds left, ending the first half 2216 Grove City. At the start of the second half, St. Vincent came out
Despite the loss in the PAC quarterfinals, Grove City’s Natalija Galens had a great year, averaging 4.0 ppg and 4.1 rpg.
GCC
with a purpose and added five points in five minutes. Grove City’s Erbelding added two points to make the score 24-21 with 6:10 left in the third quarter. St. Vincent added three points to tie the game 24-24 with 5:42 left in the third. Stewart got the lead back with a two-point shot, but a foul on Galens led to another tie of 26-26 with 4:46 left before the fourth. Arkwright added two more points which was quickly answered by Weems. The third quarter ended 28-28. St. Vincent came out attacking once more in the final period and took a three-point lead. Moreover, they added on two more points with nine minutes left, making the lead 33-28 St. Vincent. A foul on St. Vincent’s Carroll led to Arkwright shooting two free throws and scoring one point. St. Vincent then answered with three points with 7:30 left. Erbelding followed with a bucket of her own, shrinking the lead to 38-31 St. Vincent. But luck would not hold out, as St. Vincent added four points with 4:27 left, increasing the lead to 42-31. St. Vincent added six more points, which was answered by Buchanan for two and Arkwright for three, making the score 48-36 in favor of St. Vincent with 2:36 left in the game. St. Vincent’s Katie Ryan added two points, followed by a foul on Erbelding which led to two more points, increasing St. Vincent’s lead to a score of 52-38 with 1:21 left in the game. With 1:10 left, Erbelding fouled out of the game, which got her a standing ovation from the crowd as her last game as a Wolverine came to an end. St. Vincent took the ball with 57 seconds
left. Arkwright stole the ball and added two points, which was answered by Weems, making the score 54-40. A foul on St. Vincent led to Grove City scoring one point, to which Grove City’s Katelyn Miller added three points, increasing the score to 54-44. A final foul on Miller gave the ball to St. Vincent, with which Weems added two final points with 16 seconds
left. The game ended with a score of 56-44 St. Vincent. The scoring leaders from Grove City were Arkwright with 13 points, Buchanan with eight, Erbelding with nine, Stewart with nine and Galens with two. St. Vincent advanced to the PCA semifinals on Friday where they fell 105-57 to top-ranked Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky.