Musselman Stadium’s First Ever Nighttime Game Page 8
A Note From the Editor: My Lifeline Through College Challenges
By Ella Prieto, Managing Editor
During first-year orientation, I had the privilege to speak to the incoming class during their Experience Gettysburg program. In writing the speech, students are given a wide berth on what to draw on. My peers and fellow speakers chose unique and fascinating topics: the life of a student-athlete, navigating the campus as an international student, becoming a shy first-year to a published author. For me though, one experience stood out to me, that I knew I had to discuss: my time at The Gettysburgian.
I cannot overstress how joining this organization completely changed and enhanced my college experience. The Gettysburgian turned a reserved, insecure first-year into an upperclassman who spoke in front of 500 people. It has been here for me through every college hardship, and I am so thankful that I get to collaborate with such intelligent, hardworking and kind individuals every day.
This semester in particular has been challenging and has reminded me how much The Gettysburgian means to me. I returned to campus with a bit more hesitance, following a rough ending to my spring semester. Then, about three weeks in, my grandfather passed away, hitting my entire family hard. I felt a sense of hopelessness, and everything became more wearisome and challenging. What motivated me each day to get out of bed, however, was The Gettysburgian and the people that encompass it. Even when I was not performing my best, they pulled me back up, as they always do.
I hope that this magazine can pull you up, through whatever you are experiencing. I recognize it has been a difficult semester for us all. But there is still “great work” happening on campus. We take you through the $2.4 million WiFi upgrade project, highlight the College’s first nighttime football game and show off some adorable “teacher’s pets.” This magazine is a testament to the extraordinary people of Gettysburg College and the beauty of overcoming hardships. Until next time,
Ella Prieto Managing Editor, The Gettysburgian
By Ella Prieto, Managing Editor
Table of Contents
By Zach Brooks,
Magazine Editor
Cheers to Cheerleading
By Zach Brooks, Magazine Editor
Teacher's Pets
By Sophie Lange, Features Editor
By Max Ferguson, Staf Writter
By Owen Kutlu, Sports Editor
By Michael DeRenzo, Guest Columnist
Patience in Progress: The $2.4 Million Quest for Improved Wi-Fi at Gettysburg
By Ella Prieto, Managing Editor
In March of this year, Vice President of Information Technology Rodney Tosten sent a campus-wide email detailing a major $2.4 million two-year project to upgrade campus Wi-Fi. Tosten then visited the Student Senate, addressing Wi-Fi improvement as a key issue to the College administration, which spurred the project to be instated.
“All this is because you have engaged with us and we want to keep hearing you engage with us. You’re important,” said Tosten.
However, as the fall semester began, complaints have already started to rack up.
Every meeting of the Student Senate thus far has featured at least one student concern about poor Wi-Fi. On Sept. 30, Tosten and Director of Infrastructure and Computing Thomas Franza were guest speakers at the Student Senate meeting, hoping to alleviate those concerns and explain how the project will continue to unfold.
Following the meeting, The Gettysburgian sat down with Tosten and Franza to provide greater insight to the student body.
“Most students know that wireless allows you to get cat videos on your devices,” started Franza. “But there is
a lot behind it.”
There truly is “a lot” going into the Wi-Fi infrastructure on campus: 1,197 wireless access points, 85 campus buildings, 80 network switches, 12 outdoor access points, supporting network hardware, along with fiber and CAT6A copper wiring. On a daily basis, College Wi-Fi supports about 6,500 devices on wireless while fending off the roughly 50,000 to 60,000 devices attempting to join the network and around 20,000 to 30,000 internet attacks.
It is also important to understand how a corporate Wi-Fi system, which the College uses, differs from a personal one in terms of security. A personal Wi-Fi system is what students are most familiar with, and it allows guests of the family to easily connect using a password. However, there are privacy concerns associated with that.
“That’s fine for a home, but from a security point of view, well, that would mean that anybody that has that information [password] has access to all of your photos that you have stored on your computer. They have access to what you have on your smart device. So we need to have measurements in places,” explained Franza.
This is why students must register devices to connect to the College’s Wi-Fi and why some devices are not allowed on the network if they are deemed not secure.
“We do everything we can to be good stewards of people’s personal information and their devices to keep the campus secure,” said Franza. “The last thing you want is your information leaked on the internet or having something compromised.”
Furthermore, the registration process allows for IT to ensure that “chatty” devices, such as gaming consoles and streaming TVs, are on the wired network rather than the wireless. Such devices require a sizable bandwidth, so when they are not wired it can slow down Wi-Fi for everyone.
Tosten and Franza said that while these security protocols may seem overly complex, it is necessary to protect information and ensure that everything runs efficiently. The Wi-Fi upgrade project keeps those security components in place while upping the bandwidth, according to Tosten and Franza.
For example, the wired network that connects the residence halls to the core ring has been upped from one gig to 10. Even if it might not feel like that yet, because the project is only in its first year, much has already been done.
During the first phase of the Wi-Fi update, the IT department has upgraded Wi-Fi in over 30 residence buildings, Musselman
said Tosten.
“And there are,” clarified Franza.
“There’s the Cisco wireless network and the Aruba wireless network. They’re both called GBC Wi-Fi, and your device doesn’t necessarily know the difference.”
Library, Servo, the College Union Building and some popular outdoor sitting areas. They have also implemented the Wi-Fi controller infrastructure. In the map below, the orange rounded rectangles are what have been updated while the blue hexagons have not. Prior to the project beginning, however, IT slowly started to improve the existing system, purchasing new firewalls, negotiating contracts for more bandwidth and working on core routers.
Despite the work already done, many students complain about the difficulty in connecting with Wi-Fi and then staying connected. This is due to the time constraint in updating the system, as the Wi-Fi switched from Cisco to Aruba Networks.
“To some devices, it feels like there are two wireless networks here on campus,”
This leads to the dropping of Wi-Fi that students have experienced, as their devices transfer from one wireless network to the other, often getting confused in the process.
While this is frustrating, the two asked students to stay patient, especially as they work under limited resources. Though $2.4 million is a hefty price tag, it is minimal for such an expansive project and they are aiming to work under budget. They are also condensing the time for such a huge project.
“In an ideal world, we’d stretch it just over three years,” Tosten disclosed. “But we knew we didn't want to do that to the campus. So we’re just asking for everybody’s patience over this year.”
The IT department has worked tirelessly to complete this project with the tremendous amount of work falling on their team of only a few people. What students may not realize is that the project also involves a great deal of physical work as they must take out and install various technologies. Just with the access points, that includes about 1,200 that need to be swapped by hand.
"But that’s how dedicated we are to this project, said Tosten. "And again, we are just begging for the campus’s patience.”
IT also asks that students please reach out to G-Tech with any issues pertaining to Wi-Fi, as they are often able to work through them, even over the phone.
“If people get here [G-Tech], which is one of the biggest things, if we can get people to this door, we can take care of them,” assured Tosten.
G-Tech can be reached at gtech@gettysburg.edu or 717-3376935. You may also visit them in the West Building, across the parking lot behind the Jaeger Center. Enter through th eblue doorway arch on the east side and follow the signs. G-Tech's hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ∎
The orange rounded rectangles are what have been updated while the blue hexagons have not.
Finance, Public Health Policy Majors Approved by Faculty; Available to Students Next Year
By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief
Gettysburg students will have two additional major options to choose from beginning in the 2025-26 academic year: finance and public health policy. The new majors are the latest additions to the 40+ majors that Gettysburg College currently offers.
The major proposals were presented to faculty on Sept. 12, and on Sept. 26 both proposals passed a faculty vote with strong majorities.
The Finance Major
The new finance major is a joint effort by the economics department and business, organization and management (BOM) department.
Professor Joseph Radzevick, BOM chair, along with economics chair Linus Nyiwul presented the major to faculty, arguing that finance is an in-demand field and that new students could be attracted to the College by the major.
“Why are we revisiting this idea of a finance major? Quite frankly it’s because of the strong signals that both of our departments are getting — that this is an area of study that there’s just untapped demand for,” said Radzevick.
A finance major was first proposed in the spring 2024 semester. On Feb. 15, economics professor Brendan Cushing-Daniels brought forth a proposal to faculty for a major entitled “finance and economics.” Radzevick, as chair of the BOM department, expressed concern that his department was not looped into the new major proposal soon enough.
At a faculty meeting held on March 7, Radzevick proposed an
amendment renaming the major to “financial economics,” which the economics department expressed disagreement with. Ultimately, the amendment did not pass.
On March 21, the faculty voted against the “finance and economics” major proposal. In April, the Student Senate Opinions Committee authored an opinion asking that the College reconsider the major proposal, writing that “such a major would pose a net benefit to the student body and has widespread support among students.”
After collaborating over the summer and this semester, the economics and BOM departments revived the major proposal, agreeing on the title of “finance” and reintroducing the major with two different tracks: a Bachelor of Science with a focus on economics and a Bachelor of Arts with a focus on business.
The finance major’s business track will require 12 courses. The quantitatively-focused economics track will require 16 total courses.
“The new major should provide students interested in finance with some exciting options for focusing their academic studies and starting along a successful career path in the field,” said Radzevick.
The Public Health Policy Major
The public health policy major is a joint effort by the departments of health science and public policy. Professor Ann Douds, chair of the public policy department, along with Amy Dailey, chair of the health sciences department,
presented the proposal to faculty. They argued that because of the intersection between public health and public policy, there is both a need and demand for a major specifically focused on health policy.
The major will be a B.A. with 14 total courses. Describing the new major, the College’s website reads, “Students interested in solutions-based approaches to mitigating public health challenges will benefit from this new degree’s rigorous, interdisciplinary, applied approach.”
Additionally, multiple courses required by the public health policy major will be available to complete abroad in Gettysburg’s new study abroad program in Bonn, Germany.
“In this new major, we cultivate critical thinkers to develop evidencebased responses to current and emerging public health policy challenges and consider public health through a social justice lens,” said Douds, describing the purpose of the major.
Since the passage of the public health policy major by faculty, another proposal regarding the already existing public policy major has been introduced and seeks to make public policy a standalone major. Currently, public policy majors are required to double-major, meaning they must take on another major in addition to public policy.
Last year, Douds visited a Student Senate meeting and presented the idea of public policy as a standalone major to students. The proposal will be voted on at the next faculty meeting scheduled for Nov. 7. ∎
Senior Spotlight: Janaa Eborn, Violin
By Zach Brooks, Magazine Editor & Social Media Manager
On Friday, Oct. 4, Janaa Eborn ’24 performed her senior recital in Paul Recital Hall. Eborn is a music major studying violin under Elly Toyoda at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music. The recital fulfilled an important degree requirement for Eborn, as well as representing a culmination of their musical achievement.
Eborn’s first piece was unaccompanied Bach, Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Eborn says her connection to the piece was immediate and intense: “I heard it for the first time and, like many, immediately fell in love with it.”
The chaconne is a part of the suite of dances that make up the Baroque partita, and it follows a themeand-variation form. It’s the style of baroque that has particularly resonated with Eborn from an early age.
“I've been drawn to Baroque music since I first started playing violin at about six years old, so the chaconne felt like an emotionally intense extension of the style I've always loved,” Eborn said.
One of Eborn’s favorite violin memories relates to the chaconne. Prior to her recital she demonstrated it on Sept. 26 as part of the Sunderman Conservatory of Music String Day for regional high school students.
“Playing the Bach chaconne for the visiting high school string players was truly an honor, and I was so happy hearing from the students
themselves that I inspired them with my performance of this piece!” Eborn shared.
Eborn’s performance demonstrated the piece’s technical prowess through using chord, double and triple stops, where multiple strings are played at once, and arpeggios. The separate lines work together forming the choir all in one instrument.
Collaborative pianist of the Sunderman Conservatory Scott Crowne accompanied Eborn’s second piece, violin concerto “To the Memory of an Angel” by Alban Berg, commonly referred to as the “Berg Concerto.” Movements titled are I. Andante and II. Allegro.
Eborn’s choice of repertoire comes from classroom curiosity. “I was curious from the moment I was introduced to Berg's violin concerto in Dr. Dorman's theory class, where we learned about post-tonal music and the 12-tone system,” Eborn said.
The piece combines the style of the Romantic-era and injects it with the twelve-tone technique transforming atonal music into grounds for rich
storytelling. To achieve this Eborn undertook much preparation.
“With the Berg concerto being such a new and complex experience for me, I spent a lot of time listening to recordings of the piece while doing score study,” Eborn stated.
Written in 1935, it’s the last piece Berg would complete before his passing. The Berg Concerto is dedicated to the late Manon Gropius who passed away at age 18, whose parents were close to the Berg family.
The piece’s second movement has baroque influence, connecting it to the first, quoting directly from Bach’s chorale “es ist genug,” translated from German to “it is enough.” The choral’s spirit is felt in the piece reflecting on life and death.
In the performance several techniques are used such as col legno, where the wood of the bow is used to play. Berg further distinguishes the specifics of his intended sound by specifying partial col legno where both the wood and hair of the bow is used at the same time.
During the reception directly after Eborn’s performance, students, family and faculty shared Ziggy donuts in custom. Eborn shared that after graduation, she plans to teach private lessons for aspiring musicians, particularly those in underprivileged communities. She hopes to work towards a master's degree in music and teach music and string classes back where she grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. ∎
Bullets Under the Lights! Musselman Stadium’s First Ever Nighttime Game
By Max Ferguson, Staf Writer
For the first time in College history, the Bullets football team played a home game at night under the newly installed lights in Musselman Stadium. The lights were a part of last year’s numerous fundraising campaigns put on by a group of alumni and families of students that led the charge for stadium renovations.
The first ever event to be held under these new lights was a Friday night football game against McDaniel College, the first of its kind to ever take place on Gettysburg College’s campus. The football team is not the only team that will benefit from the installation of lights at Musselman Stadium. Field hockey, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's track and field all call Musselman Stadium home. Likewise, all of these sports had a hand in securing the funding to renovate the stadium.
The first Friday night game at the stadium, held on Oct. 4, was celebrated with much fanfare. The College put a great deal of effort into promoting the game. Leading up to
the game, the College posted several promotional graphics and videos on the College’s Instagram promoting the game.
The game was preceded by a tailgate for students, staff, families and the wider community to come together prior to the game to rally spirit for the event. Campus groups were allocated tailgate spots on the lawn next to the Jaeger Center to set up tents and lawn games. The College provided a catered barbecue dinner that students could swipe in to as Servo was closed during
this time to allocate the people needed to run the tailgate. Keeping Servo closed was also an effective means of driving the student body to the event itself. The tailgate was also a host provider event, where students, parents, and family over the age of 21 could acquire alcohol before the game. The high spirits were maintained going into the game thanks to the rest of the student-athlete body and the marching band, which marched through campus to perform at the tailgate before marching to the stadium.
Leading into the game, every other college sports team participated in a parade from the Jaeger Center into the stadium into their own student section. The student section packed out to support their football team and the support could be continued thanks to the energy brought about by the night game atmosphere.
Athena Komitas ’26 commented, “It was fun. I feel like I would go back to another football game after that.”
Rallying off student support, especially in a Division III program, is crucial to the overall health and success of the
program. Unlike larger programs, a Division III school in a small market area like Gettysburg does not have the same capacity to tap into its fanbase. Keeping a loyal, engaged student section is mutually beneficial to both fans and players. For fans, an engaged crowd enhances the experience of attending a football game. For players, it creates a sense of pride that there are people in the stands invested in your success.
Gettysburg was in the hunt for a win. The pressure on to win given the commotion caused by the school about this being the first ever night game. Moreover, Gettysburg smelled blood in the water after the Bullets took a road trip to Westminster where the Bullets beat McDaniel 27-20. Last year’s conference opener ended with an iconic fake punt to ice the game, asserting
Gettysburg's dominance over the Green Terror.
Being Gettysburg’s first ever night game is not the only reason this matchup holds significance. For the first time ever, Division III teams now have access to replay review. The Centennial Conference is the first at the Division III level to bring this technology to the division. Given this game also served as the opener of conference play, it also marks the first ever time Division III coaches have had a red challenge flag in their back pocket.
As for the game itself, the Bullets spent the first half adjusting to their first conference opponent after giving Juniata a beatdown in their first week but falling to Christopher Newport at
Gettysburg’s homecoming game.
The Bullets were first to strike off a three yard run by Michael Zrelak ’26 in the first quarter to put the Bullets up by six points. The extra point was not scored as the kick was missed. The rest of the first quarter was entirely scoreless. McDaniel then answered with a touchdown of their own in early the second quarter off of a pass to McDaniel’s wide receiver Kyler Silver. McDaniel made good on their extra point attempt to put them up 7-6 against the Bullets. The score remained unchanged going into halftime.
The fanfare regarding the lights themselves continued throughout the halftime break. President Bob Iuliano took to the field to bestow thanks to the boosters, who were instrumental in securing funding to get the lights
installed, on behalf of the College.
During halftime, the marching band took to the field to play a number of memorable ‘70s tunes. Afterward, there was a mesmerizing light show put on thanks to the newly installed stadium lights. It is also worth mentioning that the lights now flash whenever
Gettysburg scores, greatly adding to the game’s atmosphere.
Coming out of the tunnel, both offenses remained quiet for the rest of the game. Neither offense was able to score a touchdown during the rest of the game. However, that did not prevent the score from changing. Nate DeLorenzo ’26 caught an interception that he then ran 52 yards in the opposite direction for a touchdown.
DeLorenzo has been on a tear this year as he has already earned centennial conference player of the week twice this season. Clearly rattled, McDaniel’s quarterback threw yet another pick six. This time, it was Nathan LaRosa ’24 who grabbed the pass and ran it 30 yards into McDaniel’s end zone score yet again. The game was iced by a two point conversion that put the Bullets up 20-7 to close out the game.
This game was a defensive shootout. Thankfully, the Bullets were able to score two touchdowns off of their defense. However, defensive scores are not guaranteed. The Bullets need to ramp up offensive production as they head into conference play if they wish to stay competitive.
Alas, the football season is young, thanks to high spirits from a strong showing of football skills and fan support, the Bullets are looking to make Gettysburg a “football school” this year by staying competitive in a tough Centennial Conference. ∎
(Photos William Oehler/The
Missing Packages: Charges Delivered in Gettysburg Borough Mail Theft Scandal
By Brandon Fey, News Editor
Gettysburg College received a mysterious influx of missing package reports throughout the last school year. Several students expecting packages reported having never received their items from the Campus Post Office after having ordered them to be shipped via the United States Postal Service.
One junior student at the College was disheartened to discover that a package sent to her by her aunt containing towels and a Stanley cup had never made it to Campus.
“I only received the package with just the towels; the one containing the Stanley never made it to my possession,” she said. “After confirming with my aunt that both packages had been marked as delivered I went to speak with an employee of the Campus Post Office, who told me that they never received that package on my behalf even though the Gettysburg Post Office listed it as delivered. They [Gettysburg USPS] told me they had delivered the package and the issue was with the College post office.”
The College had not previously encountered an issue like this, prompting Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Michael Bishop to contact the Gettysburg borough’s USPS, where many packages are delivered to campus. This local office then appealed to the regional postmaster at the Harrisburg office, where packages for this area are first distributed. At this point, a postal inspector was assigned to the case to uncover the source of the missing items.
The inspector employed a variety of tactics in an effort to find the culprit. These included shipping “tracking packages” which contained tracking devices that are meant to be stolen. The inspector also installed a security camera inside the Gettysburg Post
Office. After collecting several decoys and reviewing thousands of hours of security footage without a clue, some were beginning to question whether the missing packages had been delivered to the Gettysburg USPS at all.
The Gettysburg Times posted an article on Aug. 23, 2024 reporting that their publisher, Harry Hartman, had been suspended by the newspaper’s parent organization, the Sample News Group. The announcement was made a day after Hartman notified the organization that he faced imminent indictment on federal mail theft charges.
In the article, Sample News Group Chairman George Sample said that the company will “support [Hartman] and his family as they work through this serious matter.”
The postal inspector confirmed that an arrest had been made in the case, describing the perpetrator as a “contractor” — someone hired to transport mail who was not a post office employee.
The inspector later proposed that because The Gettysburg Times sends its printed papers in the mail as opposed to direct delivery, it is possible that Hartman may have taken the packages as he was dropping off newspaper shipments at the back of the post office.
Several of the investigation's details remain confidential and it remains an ongoing case as of October. The authorities are working to find the number of packages that were stolen, as several had been found inside his residence following his indictment. Investigators are also attempting to locate items Hartman may have already sold either online or through personal interaction.
Gettysburg College students whose missing packages may be among those Hartman had taken will have to wait until his trial concludes before they
can finally receive them, as all stolen items will be held in evidence in the meantime.
“As a student with many other concerns on my plate, I should not have to be worried about packages that my family is sending as a show of care to be stolen,” the student said.
Bishop requested a list of these items for the College but has not received a response. It is uncertain how long the process will take, as mail theft is a federal offense for which no local court records will be available. The number of missing packages is also not publicly known.
“We are working to return any missing items to students,” said Bishop. “If possible, we will return whatever packages we can.”
Hartman’s arrest came 18 months after the issue began at the College. As the Campus Post Office is currently in its high-volume fall season, it has now reported a drastic reduction in missing packages as compared to the same time last year before Hartman was discovered.
The College encourages students who are missing packages to file a claim with the USPS. If they are not found, insurance claims can be filed if the packages were insured. None of the stolen packages have been delivered to Gettysburg College and all such items were shipped exclusively through USPS.
“My aunt and I were glad to hear the College administration was working with a postal inspector to get to the root of the problem, but it was disheartening that through this whole process the most we could do was make a claim for my aunt to get her money back instead of actually receiving the stolen materials,” said the student. ∎
Cheers to Cheerleading: A Conversation with the Captains
By Zach Brooks, Magazine Editor and Social Media Manager
Bullet cheerleaders chant, dance and stunt trackside during football games. Leading the squad are co-captains Rachele Dale ’25 and Mia McHugh ’25 who say it was cheerleading that ultimately helped both of them to pick Gettysburg College.
“I was in high school, and I fell in love with cheer,” said Dale. When choosing a school that balanced strong academics with an exciting cheer program, Dale and McHugh agreed the Bullets squad had both. Additionally, cheer offers its students athletes a welcoming community that uplifts them as leaders. For example, McHugh held multiple leadership roles ranging from recruitment chair to social media chair throughout her time on cheer before becoming a captain this season.
“I really do think that we are one big family.”
- Mia McHugh '25
Even in challenging times, whether that be balancing course loads or hitting a stunt, the team finds clever ways to bond through hand stand competitions, study nights and more. “We try really hard to end practices with something positive… it brings up morale but also it’s still movement,” said Dale. As student leaders on the team, Dale and McHugh, take active roles in finding new ways to bond.
Additionally the team's tight knit friendship offers a support system. “Even when we get frustrated at practice if something’s not working, a stunt isn't hitting, everybody has that support system we’ve tried to create,” said McHugh. The team is united on and off the field representing Bullets
cheerleading in the classroom and community. “I really do think that we are one big family.”
Dale emphasized the importance of representing the College as part of the team in and out of uniform, “You want to represent our team well, like it’s an expectation that if you’re on the team, you’re walking the straight and narrow,” said Dale.
Traditions of the team include an annual trip to Mr. G’s, gingerbread house making and bringing desserts and baked goods to the tailgating after each game. McHugh shared her favorite memories are some of these off the field moments, including going out with her teammates and welcoming parents and friends for family weekend.
Dale enjoys cheering her team mates and celebrating their accomplishments. “The first time someone hits something, it’s a whole team celebration, we’re all very proud of them,” said Dale.
A constant for the team is making things fun. Even with something like 24-hour rule, the period of 24 hours
before a game when teammates aren’t allowed to go out, teammates send fun selfies in the team GroupMe with kitchen utensils. “I think I used my kitchen sponge, or my favorite spoon,” said McHugh.
The cheer team is on the side lines keeping spirits high whether the football team is winning or losing. “They’re great at what they do. This year, it’s our year,” said McHugh. She posed the question, “Could you imagine no cheer team? That would be really quiet.” Dale echoed McHugh saying she cares about keeping school spirit high and the football players.
When discussing common misconceptions about cheerleading McHugh stressed cheerleaders are student athletes despite not being officially designated as a sport by the NCAA and the College. Title IX regulations require schools to offer equal participation opportunities for all students, regardless of gender. McHugh offered that cheerleading could be an important part of an inclusive athletic program. While the squad in recent times has consisted of
all women, there is the opportunity for men to participate as well.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve the quality and safety of the cheer program, the team recently acquired new uniforms and practice mats. Before this, McHugh described having to use safety pins to wear the uniform, posing a risk of self injury and injury to others. McHugh and Dale agree that the mats and uniforms are steps in the right direction. McHugh described other challenges the team faced such as volume and recruitment.
“Seniors have poured their hearts and soul into all of this, and we want to give them the best season that they possibly can have,” said McHugh. Dale stressed the team was ready to face the challenges it encountered and that with dedication and stretch they would get through them and ultimately benefit.
“It’s really heartwarming to see them grow, and flyer or not we lift them up."
- Rachele Dale '25 McHugh shared that she is proud of the team, and not just in their athletic abilities. She believes the bullet cheer program contributes to the well-rounded characters of its teammates, especially as they enter into the world. Looking to the future McHugh and Dale both expressed excitement as to what will happen to the team after they graduate, “Mia and I have both seen the people we know are going to continue to lead this team, and we’re both very proud of who they are and who they will become,” said Dale. “It’s really heartwarming to see them grow, and flyer or not we lift them up.” ∎
Gettysburg College Teachers’ Pets
By Sophie Lange, Features Editor Jasper
Professor and chair of the political science department Caroline Hartzell’s dog, Jasper, is a poodle and King Charles Cavalier spaniel mix with a few others thrown in. According to Hartzell, they got Jasper nine years ago, a week before her daughter left for college. She described his personality as sweet and friendly. “I like to say that he thinks his job is to be the neighborhood greeter. He'll go up to people he doesn't know and wag his tail until they stop to pet him,” Hartzell said.
Jasper is a rescue from Maryland. He was initially brought to Maryland with his two siblings, Brandy and Candy, who were adopted elsewhere. He enjoys walks and stuffed toys with squeakers. Hartzell said that he likes to try to take out the squeakers as quickly as possible, saying, “The doctor who lives across the street from us is very impressed by Jasper's surgical skills!”
His everyday routine includes getting a treat each morning before his walk, as well as another in the afternoon. According to Hartzell, Jasper will remind her and her family if they are late in giving it to him. When the weather is nice, Jasper also enjoys walks in the evening. Hartzell also mentioned that Jasper has taught her how important treats are.
Eloise
Professor of political science Bruce Larson has a mini dachshund named Eloise. His family got her ten years ago after his daughter, who was 14 years old at the time, learned that someone’s dachshund was having puppies and convinced her parents to adopt one. Larson described Eloise as “off-the-charts sweet and a total kid magnet.”
Larson said, “Eloise is so cute she essentially gets anything she wants.”
When she was a puppy, he said, “She was absolute bonkers,” but she has calmed down over time. However, she still has moments where the puppy in her shines through. Eloise enjoys eating, particularly on Larson’s chair, as well as sleeping, going on walks and spending time in their backyard when the weather is sunny. Occasionally, she spends her time chasing rabbits. Larson noted that she absolutely hates the rain and will refuse to go outside when it rains.
Each day, she wakes up to go outside and gets a snack. Then she naps, because according to Larson, “That’s an exhausting morning!” If the weather is nice, she stands by the door to the backyard to go outside and inside from the backyard all throughout the day. “She believes my spouse and I were put on earth to let her inside and outside,” said Larson.
When Eloise was a puppy, she even escaped the house after the door was mistakenly left open. As it was the holiday season, she was wearing a Santa Claus costume and ran through the woods in deep snow. “Deep for her, at least,” Larson noted. He said they could not catch her for a while, but when they finally did, she had managed to lose her Santa outfit. Larson said Eloise has taught him to live in the moment.
Ginger
Professor of environmental studies
Monica Ogra has had her dog, Ginger, for eight years after they met when Ginger was a puppy. Ogra says she thinks of Ginger “as a people-person: sweet, trusting and very attached to her pack (us).” She can be shy around other dogs and is generally mellow. However, she is still very playful for a dog of her age. Ogra said Ginger is also very kind to her family, “especially when we need a friend.”
Ginger loves swimming in the ocean, exploring creekbeds and tennis balls. She enjoys watching the squirrels in Ogra’s backyard, but she apparently does not chase them. Ginger’s daily routine is as follows: wake up, wake Ogra and spend time with her family even as they come and go throughout the day. Ogra noted that she visits Ginger each day at lunchtime and that she believes Ginger naps a lot during the day.
Ginger can tell which dogs are passing by in the neighborhood, and she gets very excited when her favorite dogs pass by her home. She also likes the neighbor’s dog a lot but only knows him “‘through the fence’ because she’s actually terrified of him in person,” Ogra said, despite the neighbor’s dog being sweet. Ginger also likes to do yoga with Ogra. “ She’s got a thing for mats, and it’s very wonderful for me to do downward dogs and puppy poses with her right there with me, too,” Ogra said. Ogra expressed that she has learned a lot from Ginger’s example, especially her patience. She also said Ginger has taught her to be in the moment, “and when all else fails, play fetch. Everyone wins!”
Yarrow
Professor and chair of the French department Jack Murphy owns a dog named Yarrow, a Welsh Pembroke Corgi. He has had Yarrow for around two and a half years, but he and his family met him when he was just three months old. He was originally supposed to be a show dog, but instead, he became beloved family pet. According to Murphy, “Yarrow is a gentle yet stubborn corgi who absolutely adores attention. He’s loyal and has a strong opinion on almost everything — especially when it comes to keeping his yard free of bunnies and squirrels! He also has a soft spot for treats and will never pass up the chance to show off his charm for one.”
Yarrow enjoys his everyday routine, particularly walking to the bus stop to see Murphy’s 10-year-old son off to school. He also takes on the role of “household supervisor,” as he wakes Murphy and his family each morning, oversees meals and takes much-needed naps. Yarrow also loves his evening walks, especially when he runs into his friend Weezy. He often spends his days patrolling his backyard, watching the squirrels and rabbits and greeting his canine friends through the fence. Murphy explained, “It’s his way of keeping everyone in check!”
Yarrow also likes walking the perimeter of the fountain on campus as if it were his own personal runway. However, this past summer, he accidentally fell in after getting too close to the edge. He was so shocked that he did not realize he could stand in the shallow water at first. “It
hasn’t stopped him from continuing his catwalk — he’s just a little more cautious now!” Murphy said.
Murphy said that Yarrow has taught him to enjoy the little moments in life, “like a quiet walk or a sunny afternoon in the yard, and to find beauty in the simple things around us.”
Boba
Professor of environmental studies Sarah Principato’s dog, Boba, is a lab mix of some kind. She got him six years ago from Crossing Paths Animal Rescue. He was driven all the way from Alabama to Hagerstown, Md., and Principato said she and her family adopted him before meeting him. They met him in a PetSmart parking lot, and he ended up being a perfect fit for her family.
Principato described Boba as being sweet and friendly. She also said he loves meeting new people and dogs: “Sometimes, he will stop in the middle of his walk, just waiting to say hi to someone or another dog. The problem is that he stops and waits even when the other person doesn’t want to say hi, and it can be hard to get him to move.”
Boba has a pretty standard daily routine: eat, walk, sleep, repeat. He barks at the delivery trucks as they pass by as well. He enjoys taking naps, either at Principato’s feet when she is working from home or in a warm, sunny spot. He loves walking and hiking, particularly when he gets to explore new places, and Dog Days on campus. “It’s his dream come true for so many students to pet him,” Principato said.
Boba does not like the noise that the air conditioner makes, and whenever it clicks on, he often runs to hide under
one of their beds. Principato also mentioned that Boba can be sneaky at times. “He has been known to swipe a waffle off of the counter when no one is looking,” she said.
“We love Boba so much!” Principato said.
Nelly
Professor of political science Lindsay Reid adopted her dog, Nelly, this past August. Nelly is a 14-month-old miniature Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She said that she and her husband saw her on the Adams County SPCA’s website on a Tuesday, and the next morning, they met and adopted her. Reid described Nelly as energetic, silly and loving, “usually shown via big hugs and kisses."
Reid said Nelly loves to go on long walks, play fetch, chew on her human brother’s toys (much to his dismay) and attempt to steal food from the table. Nelly wakes her family every day, without fail, at 5:30 a.m. by jumping on the bed and giving her family kisses.
When asked what Nelly had taught her, Reid said the importance of patience and vigilance: “Our last dog, Rudy, passed away in April at the age of 15. We’d had him for ten years, and he was such a calm and constant presence for us. Nelly is full of energy and always getting into mischief, which is exciting but an adjustment. We’re learning to adapt to this new stage for our family, and Nelly is teaching us to be patient… and vigilant!” ∎
Postcard from Abroad Experiencing Seoul
By Meg Rayner, Contributing Writer
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—
Seoul has been the city of my dreams. I have long wished to study abroad and the College’s Center for Global Education is one of the many reasons I picked Gettysburg College in the first place. My days in Korea are diverse and filled with fun. Every day is full of new places, new people and new experiences. My summer was dull but full of anticipation for my next adventure. The independence that it takes to live in a foreign country on my own is something that can only be mustered through a dedication to grow as a person, student and friend.
My high-rise apartment view overlooks Hongdae — the central nightlife district of Seoul. Outside the window I see neon lights and skyscrapers. Seoul contains a multitude of scenery that I could never get bored of. Tall buildings seeded between the mountains that run through the city that intertwine nature and urban settings. My favorite part of Seoul is the Han River, which splits Seoul into a lower and upper half. The river has a special place in my heart as I now have fond memories of picnicking with friends as the sun lowered into the horizon.
I’ve met so many new life-long friends here and it has filled my heart with joy. Learning Korean has been a large part of my time
here and I am glad to say I love it! Throughout high school, I struggled with language classes and thought that I never had a knack for learning a second language. However, I missed a key part of learning a second language — the want, or desire, to learn a second language. Day by day I find myself being able to pick up more Korean and my classes have helped immensely. To tell the truth, I still mostly nod and smile when I am spoken to, but I am getting there!
To any students who wish to study abroad in Seoul, please come! Yonsei University is one of the top universities in Korea and offers such unique experiences. I have attended many sports games with the rival Korea University,
up in school regalia and cheers for the entirety of the game and leads the crowd in chants and songs.
Yonsei also has some of the most beautiful architecture. If you are a K-drama watcher, it is featured in many famous shows so you will recognize the campus! While I have gone to many of the instagrammable spots, there is so much more that this city can offer you. I feel as if I have discovered a piece of myself in Seoul and hope to carry my memories with me when I return to Gettysburg. ∎
(Photos courtesy of Meg Rayner)
The Hauntings of Gettysburg College A Collection of Ghost Stories from the Nation’s Most Haunted College
By Noah Simkiss, Contributing Writer
In the nearly 240 years since its founding, Gettysburg has established itself as a town of legend. It has become a dream destination for history buffs who visit the town to marvel at the cannon balls planted in Civil War era buildings and walk the battlefields of one of the most influential military engagements in United States history.
But the town is known for more than just its history. For many, Gettysburg is known most of all for its alleged paranormal hauntings.
Sites like the Jennie Wade House, the Farnsworth House and the battlefield itself boasts countless paranormal stories, attracting ghost hunters and thrillseekers who hope to experience the supernatural in what has been described as the most haunted small town in the country.
This reputation inspires many people’s most pressing question for Gettysburg residents: have you seen any ghosts? For some students, the answer is yes.
Among the College’s many ghost stories is the tale of “blue boy,” who is said to haunt Stevens Hall — the fourth oldest building on campus which still serves as a residence hall. According to campus legend, in the late nineteenth century a young orphan boy fled the mistreatment of his own home in the middle of a harsh, snowy winter and ended up at the door of Stevens Hall.
Trying to protect him from the cold, female students living in the hall at the time took him inside and let him into one of their rooms. But when a school official later
knocked on the girls’ door, there was nowhere for him to hide. In a panic, they placed him on the window ledge outside, out of sight of the official. When the girls were finally free to rush back to the window ledge and bring the boy inside, he was nowhere to be found.
Although we will never actually know what happened to the blue boy of Stevens Hall (in all likelihood, this story is nothing more than a legend), residents still claim to see his cold, blue face pressed against the glass of their windows, accompanied by all kinds of unusual events.
One student from the class of 2015 previously described an experience she had in Stevens Hall during the field hockey preseason. “I was the only one living in Stevens Hall,” she said in a Gettysburgian article back in 2014.
“One night I heard footsteps down the hall, and above me. When I looked around the next day, there was no one else in the dorm.”
The College’s ghosts are not limited to Stevens Hall. Mac Waldron ’26 recounted a story from her first year at the College, where she claims to have experienced the supernatural in the basement of Hanson Hall.
“I was sitting in the common room and the door opened inwards just a
little bit, so I couldn’t see who it was,” she said. “I yelled that it was okay to come in, but I heard nothing and the door slammed shut. I went outside, and there was nobody in the hallway.”
Describing the layout of the Hanson Hall basement, she added, “It’s a really long hallway. If someone is walking away in that hallway, you can see them. So unless someone can sprint that length in less than five seconds, the door opened and slammed itself.”
Another first-year dorm, Huber Hall, possesses claims of its own set of bizarre instances where two students reported ghostly incidents in the same third floor room but in different years.
“I was sound asleep one night last year and I woke up to my alarm clock going off, beeping 12:00 even though I didn’t set it. When I pulled the cord out of the wall, the clock didn’t turn off,” said the first student.
Another student previously described her own paranormal experience, stating, “I woke up one night to a pressure on my chest, and I heard someone dragging across the floor. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, every single item on me and my roommate’s desk had been thrown onto the floor.”
While we can never truly know the origins behind the plethora of ghostly stories emerging from Gettysburg College, there doesn’t seem to be a single building on campus where someone hasn’t experienced something they can’t explain. As we approach the spookiest time of the year on — allegedly — one of the most haunted campuses in the nation, make sure to keep your eyes and ears open for blue faces in the window or unusual footsteps in an empty hallway. ∎
Stevens Hall, allegedly the most haunted of the College's residential buildings, was built in 1868.
The Indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs
By Kenzie Smith, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Hollywood is known for its scandals, but one of the newest and more vile ones taking over news headlines and social media posts is the indictment of Sean Combs, otherwise known as P. Diddy.
On Sept. 16, Combs was arrested and charged as investigators uncovered a years-long scheme to sexually abuse and exploit women. On Sept. 17, Combs plead not guilty on the charges levied against him. This indictment was preceded by multiple lawsuits accusing him of sexual abuse, beginning as early as November of last year.
The first lawsuit was made by Casandra Ventura, on Nov. 16 who accused Combs of sexually and physically abusing her during their relationship from 2007 to 2018 and even forcing her to engage in what Combs called “Freak Offs” with other men, often sex workers. Although Combs denied these allegations, Ventura and Combs settled the suit on Nov. 17. In May 2024 a video surfaced of Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel in 2016. Combs released an apology statement for his actions in the video. Meredith Firetog, one of Ventura’s attorney’s, shared her sentiments on Combs’ apology.
“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, [Combs] denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday… He was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false,” Firetog said.
Before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act in Nov. 2023, a legal act in New York which allowed survivors of sexual assault who were over 18 to file civil claims outside of the statute
of limitations, two other women, Joi Dickerson-Neal and Liza Gardner, brought forth lawsuits against Combs for sexual assault.
Then in December, a Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs that in 2003 when she was 17 and Combs was 34 she was gang-raped and sex-trafficked by Combs and Harve Pierre.
In Feb. 2024, Rodney Jones, “Lil Rod”, filed a federal suit that Combs and his associates engaged in “serious illegal activity.” Jones claimed that from Sept. 2022 to Nov. 2023, he was sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, forced to procure sex workers for Combs and witnessed Combs lacing other people’s drinks at parties; Jones also allegedly had video evidence of some of these illegal activities. He also made claims of Combs involvement with transporting drugs and firearms.
Then on March 25, agents with the Department of Homeland Security raided Comb’s Los Angeles and Miami properties, discovering firearms in both of his homes. On Sept. 16, Combs was arrested by federal agents, and on Sept. 17 U.S. attorney for the Southern
District of New York Williams stated that since at least 2008, “Combs abused, threatened, and coerced victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”
Combs attorney, Marc Agnifilo, claims his client is innocent and will fight the charges brought against him in the indictment, which includes sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, forced “Freak Offs” and obstruction of justice.
Section One of the indictment against Combs states, “For decades, SEAN COMBS, a/k/a "Puff Daddy," a/k/a "P. Diddy," a/k/a "Diddy," a/k/a "PD," a/k/a "Love," the defendant, abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct. To do so, COMBS relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
When the glimmer of Hollywood is pulled away to reveal such atrocities as the one allegedly committed by Combs, questions arise for the public, such as how much goes on behind closed doors in Hollywood and what are young artists forced into to gain fame. Regardless of the answer to these questions and the somewhat cyclical revelation of the horrendous hidden secrets of Hollywood being smeared over with rose colored glasses, the public awaits to see the resolution to Combs' arrest.
(Photo Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Puck Drops to Begin NHL Season
By Owen Kutlu, Sports Editor
The 2024-25 NHL season is off to an exciting start, underlined by fresh storylines, breakout performances, and plenty of early-season drama. The season officially kicked off on Oct. 4 and 5, with back-to-back games in Prague, Czechia between the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres. Every other team in the league began their 2024 campaign in the following week back in North America, leading to some intriguing storylines.
One of the biggest narratives of the season centers around the Florida Panthers and their attempt to defend their firstever Stanley Cup title. After their victory over the Edmonton Oilers in a seven game thriller to close out the 2024 playoffs, the Panthers are aiming to replicate that success and become the first back-to-back full-season champions since the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1990s.
With star players like Aleksandar Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk still in their prime, Florida looks poised to make another deep playoff run. However, they have faced some early challenges after losing key defenders Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in free agency. Despite that, Florida has been solid thus far, stacking up three wins with just two losses.
Connor McDavid, arguably the best hockey player in the world, is also at the center of attention. The Edmonton Oilers, still grieving their Stanley Cup loss to Florida, are once again heavy favorites in the Western Conference. McDavid continues to build his case as a generational talent, chasing milestone achievements like 1,000 career points, which he is likely to surpass early this season. Edmonton’s offensive firepower, including Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, ensure that they
will remain one of the most dangerous teams in the league. However, the Oilers have gotten off to a rocky start with just one win and three losses so far.
On the other side of the ice, veteran legend Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is on his quest to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record. Ovechkin, entering his twentieth season, needs just 42 goals to surpass Gretzky's record of 894. The Capitals are looking to rally behind their captain in what may be one of the final major milestones of his illustrious career. Ovechkin has been held scoreless in the Capitals’ first two games of the season.
Newcomers like Connor Bedard, the highly touted first overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks last year, have immediately injected more young excitement into the league. Bedard, seen as a franchise cornerstone, has already made headlines with his impressive skills and poise on the ice, reminiscent of McDavid's early days in the league. His impact on a rebuilding Blackhawks team has given the franchise hope for a brighter future. Bedard has already tallied five points in the first few games of the season, consisting of one goal and four assists. Meanwhile, the NHL also welcomed its newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club, which replaced the Arizona Coyotes. The team's debut brought additional intrigue to the start of the season, with fans eager to see how the new club would fare against seasoned competition. So far, Utah has had a promising start with three wins and just a single loss.
Several coaching changes have also shaped the start of the 2024-25 season. Notable shifts include Lindy Ruff's return to the Sabres after being let go by the Devils and Dean Evason taking over the reins in Columbus after the Blue Jackets' disappointing 2023-24 campaign. Both teams are looking to reverse their fortunes, with Buffalo in particular trying to end a lengthy playoff drought. The Sabres have not seemed to figure it out yet, however, starting the season with a win and three losses. The Blue Jackets are in the same boat, with a single win and two losses thus far.
The Los Angeles Kings also made headlines with their coaching swap, promoting Jim Hiller after a rough stretch under Todd McLellan in the previous season. The Kings’ early season form will be crucial as they aim to return to playoff contention. They have picked up four points in their first three games, including a win and two overtime losses.
Looking ahead, the first month of the season will be critical in determining which teams can establish themselves as contenders and which will need to adjust their tactics to remain competitive. Fans can expect more intriguing matchups, stellar individual performances, and plenty of surprises as the 2024-25 NHL season continues to unfold. ∎
Opinion: Warning from a Former Trump Supporter
By Michael DeRenzo, Guest Columnist
Back in 2016, I was an avid supporter of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump. His personality was bold and brash; with my then-limited impression of him, I was led to believe that anything and everything he stood up for, he represented the vast majority of us. Ideas that were once considered crazy and lunatic, such as wanting Mexico to pay for a future border wall that would deter illegal immigration, or, in his own words, wanting to "Make America Great Again" made me feel proud to be an American. Besides, who would want to vote for Hillary Clinton? In my mind, she may as well have represented the antichrist. Maybe you're not into religion and perhaps you don't look in between the lines like I do. At the time, my family and I firmly believed that Trump was inevitably chosen by a deity — a higher power — to lead perhaps the greatest country in the world.
Four years later, and the nation enters the 2020 election cycle. I was 17 at this time, still not an adult, but at the very least wiser than my 2016 self. With the advent of the pandemic, my eyes began opening up. I stopped listening to what I used to want to hear; for the first time ever, I finally embraced the fact that perhaps it was a mistake to elect Trump as president. His handling of COVID was downright horrific, and while I personally was not affected, I knew at the time that there were heaps of misinformation often perpetrated by our then-President.
From downplaying the sudden rise in COVID cases to not taking protocols immediately that would have combated the upward trend in cases, Trump embarrassed our nation on the international stage. Countries such as New Zealand and Vietnam easily outshined the United States in stopping the spread. As the wealthiest and most influential country in the world, the U.S should have been equipped and ready to handle an international crisis like the pandemic.
The Trump Administration’s handling of the pandemic was only a start of things to change in my opinions. The 2020 election came around, and, once again, both my family and I fully supported Trump again. We all believed that he would win and continue to serve as president. But soon, we learned that Joe Biden had won and that Trump’s time in office was coming to its end.
While disappointed, my family and I accepted the results and moved on. But Trump was not done.
While disappointed, my family and I accepted the results and moved on. But Trump was not done. Not even close. This would be the start of his madness being on full display to myself. He would come to challenge these results, even going as far as to launch more than 50 lawsuits, and even committing overtly corrupt acts
such as asking Georgia’s secretary of state to “find 11,780 votes” that he would have needed to beat Biden and win Georgia’s electoral votes. All the lawsuits were shot down, and rightly so, as they were legally baseless. The insurrection on Jan. 6 then rocked the nation and advertised Trump's delusion and lack of care for his country to the entire nation. He attempted to stage a coup against a democratically-held process and his supporters obliged to stir violence, even going as far as to call for the execution of his own vice president, Mike Pence.
While not a perfect democracy, The U.S. has shown itself to be a stable leader of democracy worldwide. . And yet, for the first time, doubts started to rise about the stability of the U.S. and its ability to maintain its democratic institutions. If anybody could believe Trump's false claims of a stolen election and go as far as storm the Capitol, then any atrocity could be made in the name of Donald Trump. And if anybody could start an uprising, the foundational institutions of the U.S. could be at threat.
Now, Americans once again will see Donald Trump’s name on our ballots. After being impeached twice, after having his reputation further tarnished through sex scandals and his personal affiliations with monsters like Russian president Vladimir Putin and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, it seems that at this point, a lot of Americans have come
to accept how our election process is occurring. The same man that has attempted an insurrection against a democratic process is now running for President again. And, once again, he affirms that he will only accept the election results if it is "fair" to everyone else, this essentially means that he only wants to accept the results if he wins.
I have seen how the MAGA cult has devolved. I do not like Joe Biden. I don't even like Kamala Harris. And, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe Joe Biden is fit to run for president again. However, I see this as a tale of finding a "lesser of two evils.” Would you go for somebody like Harris, who will doubtfully live up to all of her promises, or would you vote for somebody who is openly a threat to U.S. democracy — to America’s very own roots and foundational values?
To anyone reading, I urge you: trust your senses. Look at what is happening in our country. Constant accusations toward the so-called "radical left" through baseless claims, affiliations with ultra-conservative organizations like the Heritage Foundation who authored Project 2025, a vow to harm the lives and freedom of minorities including the LGBTQ+ community and women and false and downright racist hoaxes such as Haitian immigrants eating pets, are all now realities that have been normalized by Trump’s rhetoric.
I say this to everyone: as somebody who used to support Trump, come to your senses.
We can no longer laugh at a candidate like Mitt Romney and make fun of him for his mistakes. The fun days are over. We now have to worry — with all the alarming comments Trump and his associates have made — if our very lives are in danger.
I say this to everyone: as somebody who used to support Trump, come to your senses. Accept that the future of this country can remain bleak for those who do not align with the motives of Donald Trump. Who once appeared as a joke to many people in 2016 now can single-handedly tear down the virtues of what it means to be an American. Being an American entails accepting everyone of their political, religious, and miscellaneous beliefs. It does not mean setting up pro-Trump loyalists to run our country, thus rendering the two-party system possibly obsolete, in favor of what could become a country headed towards totalitarianism. It does not mean having Project 2025 in full effect, thus going as far as labeling any non-straight individual as a sex offender or pedophile. It does not mean name calling and scapegoating people, entities, and groups, all for the sake of the “Big Lie”. It does not mean having a party where your very own members support and admire dictators like Putin, or make comments supporting Nazism, or creating policy that only advantages the 1%, while making it more difficult for everyone else to climb the social ladder.
Besides what is happening domestically, further consider that Donald Trump does not care about your moral values. He doesn't care if
Ukrainian men, women and children are murdered in Russia’s invasion. The last thing on his mind regarding the Israel-Hamas War is the lives of civilians, especially those of Gazans. Trump would rather side with ruthless monsters such as Vladimir Putin instead of with Americans and with our NATO allies. Simply put, he no longer believes in fulfilling the American dream; he would rather turn our country into, at the very worst, a Christo-fascist state that has the American flag wrapped around it.
He may tout patriotism, but I warn everybody that his actions speak louder than words. After all, many of my fellow Christians are supporting him, and yet he goes against exactly what our religion calls for. He is not humble nor a man of God, but a false idol who can very-well threaten how the United States functions.
Do not trust any political candidate, but do not trust those who openly spout hatred and wrap it around an American flag.
Please hear what I am saying. I do not have to be known myself, but I wish for my voice to be heard. This is no longer a fight about left or right, but rather a bleak vision for the United States or, at the very least, an above-mediocre Democratic candidate. Do not trust any political candidate, but do not trust those who openly spout hatred and wrap it around an American flag. ∎
Opinion: Vote Like Your Life Depends on It. This Election, It Does.
By Alisha LeVine, President of College Democrats
I’m sure many of us remember where we were when we learned the results of the 2016 Presidential Election. The Trump presidency spun American politics on its head. A businessman with zero political, policy or military experience assumed the position of Commander-in-Chief. Typically, a newly elected president makes attempts to unify the nation in this period of transition. Trump, a former reality TV star, basked in his love for political turmoil. He prioritized the top 1% in his policies, cast distrust of American public media and spread incendiary misinformation until the very democracy this nation was founded on was violently attacked. What did Trump accomplish? He rolled back hundreds of crucial environmental protections that regulate our air, water, wildlife and poisonous chemicals. He handed out corporate tax cuts for America’s wealthiest. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who stripped protections for women’s reproductive rights. He withdrew from crucial multilateral agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran Nuclear Deal. He left a nation barely hanging on, ravaged by COVID-19 with no vaccine distribution plan, not to mention the damage done by racist disinformation. We watched insurrectionists attack Capitol Police and smash windows in the Capitol all while calling for the killing of Mike Pence, all while Trump sat on Twitter in the White House, refusing to make a statement. And don’t get it twisted: there was no widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Trump-appointed judges and voter data experts hired by Trump's campaign like Ken Block have proven so.
Since then, the Biden-Harris Administration has implemented some of the most significant legislation we have seen in decades. The $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill provided billions of dollars to state and local governments allowing major investments in roads, bridges and broadband. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was the first federal comprehensive gun safety legislation in 30 years. The American Rescue Plan provided financial relief to help Americans get through the pandemicinduced economic downturn. To build upon Biden’s previous investments in American manufacturing, the CHIPS and Science Act was passed, providing billions for American semiconductor development and production.
Now, more than ever, we need a decisive and sensible leader who will move us up the right path — we need Vice President Harris
The last four years haven’t been easy. The country has been left to grapple with the overturning of Roe v Wade; the loss of basic bodily autonomy that American women had been granted for nearly fifty years. Additionally, almost everyone's wallets have felt the effects of inflation, and the fear of further U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflict is ever looming. Now, more than ever, we need a decisive and sensible leader who will move us up the right path — we need Vice President Harris. A second Trump administration will be more unstable and destructive than
the first. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 plans a major government overhaul, banning life-saving abortion medication, dismantling agencies that report on climate change and eliminating crucial diversity efforts of universities and the executive branch. Our next president could possibly appoint even more Supreme Court justices to life terms.
Right now is a pivotal moment and an opportunity we must seize. Kamala Harris has common-sense plans to better American lives: building new homes and providing down-payment assistance so that we can afford property. She will work to codify abortion rights into law. She will push Congress to bring back the bipartisan border security bill that Senate Republicans killed earlier this year at Trump’s command. Her opportunity economy addresses serious American concerns in an attainable manner. She would call for the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries.
Kamala Harris is the breath of fresh air our country desperately needs. Representing a new generation of leadership, she is a way out of the tumultuous political landscape that has engulfed our country for nearly a decade. She will move us away from dangerous lies, political violence, and the overturning of the most basic civil and political protections that our laws afford us. Let your voice be heard and say no to Donald Trump one last time, like your life depends on it! ∎
The Crossword
By Cassidy Haines,
Assistant
Magazine Editor
Across
1. IGS is the acronym for the ___ & Global Studies program.
8. This is a popular flavor in coffee, but it’s especially popular during the fall season.
9. A way to get around; not everyone has one of these on campus.
12. Sigma Alpha Iota, often called ___ (abbr.), is the music sorority on campus.
13. If you are not being truthful, then you are telling a __.
14. One of JFK’s most famous quotes is “__ not what your country can do for you…”
15. Peers Educating & Encouraging Peers to Succeed (abbr.)
17. Sport utility vehicle (abbr.)
18. East Asian Studies (abbr.)
20. Laugh out loud (abbr.)
21. An online course discussion board is also called a __.
22. “Once __ a time” is a classic way to begin a fairy tale.
23. A Doctor of Education degree is abbreviated as __.
25. With reference to (abbr.)
26. A famous bear known for protecting forests from destruction and teaming up with firefighters
28. Another way to say decorate, adorn, or ornament
29. A very, very long time.
30. If someone is very famous, they have great __.
32. An ancient Greek form of long, poetic storytelling; Homer's Odyssey is an example of one of these.
34. Don’t forget that “neither” comes before “__” when speaking in negatives.
35. __ is a verb for “to extract poison from.”
37. Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (abbr.)
38. Our campus celebrated __ from Friday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 27.
Down
2. A way to silently show approval is to __.
3. National Cheerleading Association (abbr.)
4. To barter or exchange.
5. Before two and after none is __.
6. Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies (abbr.)
7. Fire __ Week is Oct. 6 through Oct. 12.
8. The __ (abbr.) department’s chair is Professor James Udden.
10. Audio Interface Unit (abbr.)
11. A spooky holiday at the end of Oct.
12. The adult human __ is made up of 206 bones.
15. An informal way of saying “professors”
16. You can tell it’s fall when this flavor finally returns to stores and coffee shops.
19. July’s birthstone is the __.
24. Dining Services did a Wizarding World themed __ this month.
27. This is both a planet and a studentrun literary magazine.
31. A kitchen utensil used to mix things together.
33. Some of the main parts of speech in English are the __, pronoun, adjective, verb and conjunction.
34. National Science Foundation (abbr.)
36. Autumn is the best season for this – especially apple, pumpkin or chocolate pecan!
Kenzie
Sophie
Owen
Sarah
Katie