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Volume CXIX, No. 7
National New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter tourist district was a scene of chaos when gunfire erupted early Sunday. One man was left dead and nine others were wounded during what was supposed to be a festive time in the city for people vacationing over the Thanksgiving weekend. The shooting victims were two women and eight men ranging in age from 20 to 37. One of the victims, a 25-year-old man, died in the hospital. Police Superintendent stated that the victims were not intended targets; the gunfire was between two men who were arguing and shooting. A witness to the shooting described the scene as absolute panic with people being trampled in attempts to get to safety. Investigators are continuing to search for the two suspects, who fled from the scene on foot. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, “We will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that we bring them to justice.”
International Fidel Castro, Cuba’s former president of nearly half a century, died on Friday at 90 years old. Castro stepped down from the presidency in 2006 due to serious illness and had been in declining health since. Castro held on to power longer than any other national leader except for Queen Elizabeth II. The news of Castro’s death was met with mixed reactions; he was seen as a ruthless tyrant by some and hailed as a revolutionary hero by others. Certain areas, such as Miami, have been filled with celebration over his death, while areas in Cuba have been preparing for week-long services bidding farewell to their former leader. On Wednesday, Castro’s ashes will begin a three-day procession across Cuba, retracing the march of his rebel army from the Sierra Maestra mountains to the capital. Several national leaders released statements mourning Castro’s passing, including President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaux.
This week’s “Top Stories” were compiled by Nora Tidey with information from abcnews.go.com.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Thursday, December 1, 2016
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LeVar Burton addresses race and justice at Dedication Day ceremony B y A nnika J ensen E ditor -I n -C hief On November 19, a crowd of reenactors, community members and Civil War enthusiasts gathered at Soldiers’ National Cemetery to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Following a wreath-laying ceremony at Soldiers’ National Monument and music by the Gettysburg High School brass band, the Dedication Day program began at the rostrum at 10 a.m. with opening remarks by emcee Wendy Allen, vice president of the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania. The program featured remarks from keynote speaker LeVar Burton and a naturalization ceremony for 17 new citizens. An opening invocation was delivered by Anthony Stultz, professor of Buddhist studies at the Graduate Theological Foundation and founder of the Blue Mountain Lotus Society. Stultz tied Lincoln’s message to America’s current political climate, calling upon the audience to promote healing action and move beyond fear in order to “behold the ultimate measure of a human being.” In attendance at the ceremony were the mayor of Gettysburg, the assistant press secretary of the White House, and two descendants of Edward Everett, who spoke at the original dedication of the cemetery in 1863. Gettysburg College president Janet
Burton addresses the crowd at the Gettysburg National Military Park. Photo credit Gettysburg College Flickr.
Morgan Riggs spoke briefly about alumnus David Wills who hosted president Lincoln at his home the night before the president delivered the Gettysburg Address and the traditional firstyear walk, which Riggs described as a defining moment in students’ lives. Also preceding Burton’s keynote speech was Ed Clark, superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park, who addressed the new citizens awaiting naturalization, encouraging them to study history and take upon themselves the burden of preservation. “Starting today, the legacy of Gettysburg is yours,” Clark said. Clark drew sounds of disapproval from a few audience members when he conveyed his gratitude that there were not many “Lincoln-shaped” women in the audience. LeVar Burton followed, beginning his
speech by expressing his desire to share what had been on his mind as of late, saying, “recent events in America have caused my heart to be disquieted.” He described an internal turmoil similar to that faced by Lincoln with race, class and economics at the forefront of a conflict defined by anger and a lack of trust. “We are indeed a house divided,” Burton said; “the promise of America has yet to deliver to all her children.” Burton described the current political climate of America as “a crisis that truly has the power to tear us asunder,” asserting the existence of a chasm not so pronounced since the Civil War. He described the “duality of identity” in which Americans so proudly defend freedom but remain apathetic on the issue of slavery, citing the Japanese internment camps of WWII and the oppression
of people of color by means of legislation. Throughout his speech Burton repeated the phrase, “what part of ‘all men are created equal’ have I failed to understand?” B u r t o n emphasized the importance of education with anecdotes about his mother, a lover of language who earned an English degree at age 19 and continued her studies while working full-time as a social worker and raising three children by herself. “In my house, you either read a book or you were hit in the head with one,” said Burton. He described education as a tool to compete with “melanin challenged classmates,” a comment that drew laughter from the audience. Burton concluded his speech with a powerful invocation: “The way forward is clear, America.” He warned that if we do
not shape our society to reflect the idea that all men and women are created equal–another comment that received enthusiastic applause– then the Gettysburg dead will have indeed died in vain. “I pray we find courage and conviction to heed Lincoln’s sage advice,” he said. After his speech Burton was presented with a flag that had flown over the cemetery the previous day in a wooden case made from a tree that witnessed the battle. Burton held the case over his head and called out for the reenactors of the 54th Massachusetts regiment, one of the first official African American regiments in the Civil War. The reenactors responded with enthusiasm. F o l l o w i n g the keynote speech George Buss, a Lincoln impersonator, recited the Gettysburg Address, and 17 candidates for citizenship from 11 different countries were naturalized.
Students stage sit-in to protest hate on campus B y B enjamin P ontz S taff W riter and J amie W elch E ditor -I n -C hief More than a dozen students sat on the steps of Penn Hall for over 24 hours last week to protest what they saw as an atmosphere of exclusion, isolation and hate that pervades the student culture at Gettysburg College. In a protest they deemed “sitting down for hate” because they refuse to “stand for it,” the group spent the night outdoors in order to send a message of unity and intolerance for hate. It began in the afternoon on Nov. 17 when senior Joseph Recupero sent a text message to several friends asking them to join him in protesting what fellow protester Cait Goodlett, also a senior, deemed “increased hate speech all semester.”
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This Week’s Top Stories
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Anita Kinney of Democracy matters, pg. 2
Recupero penned a letter on behalf of protestors that read, in part, “Something has to change. Students can no longer face the mental and emotional abuse of hate speech. We should not have to fear walking across campus at night. We are here for an education but how can we focus on learning when we are constantly looking over our shoulders? Guess what? We can’t. So let’s make something happen. Together.” “This is not a political movement,” Goodlett emphasized in an effort to allay visceral responses that this dealt with Donald Trump’s recent election to the presidency. “This is just us voicing that [instances of hate speech and bias] are happening.” The group met with Gettysburg College President Janet Morgan Riggs that same afternoon, and Goodlett described the
Castle of Our Skins, pg. 3
Students gather on the steps of Penn Hall. Photo courtesy of Jamie Welch.
meeting as positive, noting that Riggs was sympathetic and responsive to their concerns and offered to support the protesters throughout the night in any way necessary. Students also entered the college’s regularly scheduled faculty meeting to share their stories. Goodlett
described the meeting as a touching event at which many student protesters and faculty members broke down in tears. Junior Taylor Atlas, another protester, said that too often, this topic is ignored. In staging the protest students hoped to spark ongoing conversations surrounding
Dogs and Diet advice dinosaurs, from Ari, pg. 4 pg. 5
Donald Trump, pg. 7
issues of isolation, exclusion and hate, all of which were prevalent in the results of the recent Campus Climate Survey. “This is not a topic that should be silenced,” Atlas said. “We’re not going to be able to fix it if we don’t talk about it.” Throughout -Continued on next page-
Women’s basketball, pg. 8
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“We will not stand for hate,” say student activists -Continued from previous page-
the protest, supportive bystanders brought food and other supplies to the students who were spending the night at Penn Hall. The Gettysburg Recreation Adventure Board (GRAB) supplied sleeping bags. President Riggs and Dean Ramsey visited the protestors around 11 p.m. on Thursday night. Both mingled and chatted with the protestors. President Riggs offered her well wishes to students and said she would be issuing a statement to the campus community “soon.” “I was at the faculty meeting today and spoke with several members of the group outside of Penn Hall throughout the evening. I was moved by their reports of feeling marginalized and disrespected in the wake of insensitive comments of their fellow students,” Dean Ramsey said in an email sent to The Gettysburgian Thursday night. “I was impressed by their openness and their willingness to engage the faculty and administration as well as other students, including students who may have a very different experience and perspective than theirs…I support their appeal for all of us
to be more considerate, more respectful and more supportive of one another,” the email continued. “My sense is they know change does not happen overnight, but they want to be part of helping us turn that corner as a community, to call us to return to our better natures. So I look forward to working with them to help the college become a community that nurtures all students to be their best and truest selves,” Ramsey said. The students continued their protest into Friday morning, Nov. 18, with about 20 students having spent the entire night sleeping on the cold metal steps of Pennsylvania Hall. President Riggs released a statement at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning acknowledging the protest and commending its purpose. “I was personally moved, as were many of our faculty who expressed their appreciation for the courage of these students in coming to the meeting and sharing their stories,” Riggs said. “I encourage you to stop by to show your support, share perspectives and engage in discussion about how to improve the
Students gather on the steps of Penn Hall. Photo courtesy of Jamie Welch.
campus climate. Their goal is to assure that all students on our campus are respected and treated with decency, a goal that we should all be able to embrace,” Riggs continued. “ A s w e consider next steps, I ask each member of this community to show more kindness, compassion, and appreciation for one another,” Riggs said. The protestors would like to provide input to the administration on what those next steps will
Senate Update November 28, 2016
be. On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 20, the group held a planning meeting at which they released a list of those policy proposals, several of which could prove to be highly controversial. One proposed policy change calls for all fraternity chapter houses to be college owned or controlled, a move that is sure to draw sharp rebuke from the privately owned fraternities on campus. Another proposal targeting Greek Life is a call for unaffiliated sober
monitors to be present at Greek events, a move the the group says will reduce sexual assault on campus. Other proposed policy changes include a more concrete definition of the line between free speech and hate speech, imposing harsher penalties on both individuals and organizations whose members engage in bias incidents and requiring Green Dot or similar bystander intervention training for all students. The group was
scheduled to hold what was billed by organizers as an “occupation of the CUB” all day on Nov. 21; however, the group of protestors never rose above ten and largely fizzled out by the end of the lunch hour. The group had vowed to continue protests and calls for policy changes after the Thanksgiving break and throughout the Spring semester. However, at press time no additional protests or other events had been announced.
DPS Crime Log November 22-November 28 November 23
Fire: caused by cooking, accidental/no further action - Stevens Hall
B y B rooke G utschick S tudent S enate S ecretary
• Student Senate will be hosting a canned food drive next week. Donations will be accepted before the meeting on December 5
November 22, 24-28 Nothing to report
• Jeff Foster presented the results of the HEDS sexual assault survey. Results can be found online on the College’s violence prevention page • BOMB Squad was allotted $242.64 •GBurg TV was allotted $1,761.97
Democracy matters to Gettysburg College students
Anita Kinney joins students for a “pizza and politics” lunch following the election B y B enjamin P ontz S taff W riter
Anita Kinney travels the country to talk about politics …except that she speaks not on behalf of a candidate, nor a political party. Rather, she speaks in support of an idea: that political campaigns should be publicly financed, taking the large-scale private contributions th a t o s ten s i b ly s w a y politicians to the interests of the donors
and away from the interests of their constituents. “ P u b l i c financing allows for diversity and difference of opinion,” explains Kinney, the national organizing director for Democracy Matters, a national non-partisan student organization advocating the removal of private money from politics. I n w a k e of two recent landmark Supreme
Court decisions, Citizens United and McCutcheon, money now flows more freely through Super PACs than ever before because the Court has held that limiting campaign contributions inhibits free speech. Undeterred, Kinney points to the success of recent statelevel ballot initiatives as evidence that the American people support comprehensive
campaign finance reform. “We need a people’s movement,” she says. Presently, her organization is focusing on connecting the campaign finance issue to other policy issues such as the environment as a way to raise awareness of the underlying problems in enacting reforms. T h u s , o n her recent visit to
the college, Kinney and the Gettysburg College Democracy Matters club met with representatives from the Black Student Union over a “pizza and politics” lunch to discuss ways that they can work together to promote change. “People need to stand up and not be afraid to recognize the intersectionality,” says Kinney. “Government isn’t the problem. It’s the process by which
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government elects people.” On campus, the Democracy Matters club chapter is three years old and holds four events per semester in an effort to engage the student body on its goals. The chapter has participated in social media storms as well as voter turnout efforts. Mary Buckley ‘19 is the club’s president, and Bruce Larson, professor of political science, is the advisor.
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A&E Featured films in WZBT: Gettysburg Gettysburg College’s Very Own Radio Page 3
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Majestic Theater
WZBT’s Top Weekly Adds and Albums “Artist”- “Disk” - “Label”
Moonlight 1 hour, 51 minutes – R
WZBT Radio 200 | ‘Top New Releases’ | CMJ 1408 1 Gap Dream-This is Gap Dream-Burger 2 Jeen- Modern Life- Self Released
A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery that chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world.
WZBT Radio 200 | ‘Top 10 Requested Albums’ | CMJ 1408 1. Joyce Manor -Cody- Epitaph 2. The Lemon Twigs -Do Hollywood -4AD 3. Lady Wray -Queen Alone -Big Crown Records 4. Nick Waterhouse Never Twice Innovative Leisure 5. C Duncan -The Midnight Sun -FatCat Records 6. John K. Samson -Winter Wheat- Anti/Epitaph 7. American Wrestlers -Goodbye Terrible Youth- Fat Possum 8. Ex-Cult-Negative Growth-In The Red 9. Lee Fields & The Expressions -Special Night-Big Crown Records 10. Martha Wainwright-Goodnight City- PIAS
Friday - Saturday (12/2 – 12/3) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Sunday (12/4) - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM Monday - Thursday (12/5 – 12/8) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Christine 1 hour, 55 minutes – R Rebecca Hall stars as an aspiring newswoman who finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a spiraling personal life and career crisis. Friday - Saturday (12/2 – 12/3) - 4:15 PM and 7:15 PM Sunday (12/4) - 2:15 PM and 5:15 PM Monday - Thursday (12/5 – 12/8) - 4:15 PM and 7:15 PM
Castle of our Skins rouses Gettysburg Gateway Theater Showtimes
in an impassioned residency
MOVIE SHOW SCHEDULE GATEWAY THEATRE, GETTYSBURG, PA FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND THRU WEDNESDAYS DECEMBER 7TH **BARGAIN TUESDAYS – ALL SEATS $5 – ADDITIONAL FEE FOR 3D** MOANA 2D PG (1:10) (1:50) (4:30) 7:15 MOANA 3D PG NO PASSES (4:10) 9:45 3D PRICING BAD SANTA 2 R I.D. REQUIRED (1:50) (4:50) 7:35 9:55 FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (1:00) (1:30) (4:00) (4:30) 7:00 7:30 9:50 10:15 ARRIVAL PG-13 (1:15) (4:15) 7:20 10:00 DR. STRANGE (1:40) (4:40) 7:25 10:05
PG-13
PG-13
TROLLS PG (1:20) (4:20) 7:10 9:20 HACKSAW RIDGE 7:00 10:00
R
I.D. REQUIRED
Dominique Christina tackles difficult topics with poetry B y K ayla B ritt MS&T Editor
D o m i n i q u e Christina, the final performer in the Rhymes and Revelations II series, gave an emotional and thoughtprovoking performance on Thursday, November 26. Christina’s approach of uncensored radicalization is uncommon and often controversial. Her lyrical prowess, the content and messages behind her poems and her oration combine to make her a powerful poet. She draws material both from her personal experiences and events occurring domestically and internationally. Her ability to take
B y D iego R ocha Contributing Writer
injustice and pain and channel it into her creative works is astounding. She never makes apologies for her opinions or for voicing her frustration over injustice. The topics her poems cover are emotionally charged and difficult, but she does not shy away from or sugarcoat them to make anything be less than it is. D o m i n i q u e Christina’s ability and willingness to reckon with the parts of her that are less than ideal--on a public stage--is incredibly brave, and it is the ultimate display of authenticity. Her poems included “For Mother” and the “Period Poem,” which she said was written in a
fit of anger on the back of a napkin. Her “Period Poem” performance, which was written in response to an uninformed tweet, has gone viral on YouTube. She included topics like domestic violence, sexual assault and self-identity. D o m i n i q u e Christina’s charisma, stage presence and skill with words have made her an excellent closing act for the Rhymes and Revelations II series. The audience thoroughly enjoyed her performance, as indicated by the standing ovation she received. Many audience members were left thinking about her performance long after it was over.
C a s t l e o f our Skins (COOS), a musical collective based in Boston, visited Gettysburg College from November 13 to the 15, holding a series of events over their brief residency that inspired and moved many on campus. For this stay on our campus, COOS brought members Fred C. VanNess Jr. (tenor), Orlando Cela (flute), Ashleigh Gordon (viola), Javier Caballero (cello), Anthony Green (composition and piano) and special guest Amber Rose Johnson (spoken word) in an ensemble created to perform their piece Oh, Freedom! which features music by Anthony Green and poetry by Amber Rose Johnson. This piece was performed as part of their Monday afternoon concert, the most prominent event of their residency. Oh, Freedom! is a piece meant to portray the constant struggle for freedom faced by many black Americans
“yesterday, today and tomorrow” through music. It culminated in a stirring performance of Green’s setting of the post-civil war spiritual “Oh, Freedom,” which was also used heavily during the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s. This piece brought the audience to their feet in song and was also preceded by a mix of music and spoken word poetry performed by various members of the visiting ensemble and Amber Rose Johnson. COOS held several other events as well, such as their session with Gettysburg College’s Music Education students on the Sunday night before the concert, where they presented ways to “embed culture, race and history into music curriculum.” In this discussion, COOS artistic director Ashleigh Gordon and assistant artistic director Anthony Green presented students with difficult questions regarding the role of an artist and the value of black history and artistry within a broad and diverse curriculum.
Gordon also provided students with a sample of a presentation that she does with elementary students in her own lectures. The following morning the ensemble read a piece that was written for them by Diego Rocha, a sophomore music education student after they asked student composers to write pieces for them inspired by black artistry and history. This provided the composer an amazing opportunity to work with the ensemble to improve upon his piece. That night, after the concert, Fulbright Scholar Amber Rose Johnson also held a lecture without the COOS ensemble, in which she presented on “gender representation in poetry, politics, history and spoken word,” providing audiences with an insightful perspective. You can learn more about Castle of our Skins at their website (www.castleskins.org), and see the program for Oh, Freedom! (www. castleskins.org/the-ohfreedom-project.html).
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MONEY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Page 4
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First fossilized dinosaur brain How the Agricultural Revolution discovered in southern England affected man’s best friend weight, transforming the fect “pickling” solution By Aphra Murray Staff Writer Dinosaur smarts have been a mystery-until now. Researchers in the United Kingdom claim to have discovered the first fossilized dinosaur brain, which will hopefully lead to more concrete information about the external “plumbing” of the brain. Believed to be about 133 million years old, the fist-sized brain was discovered in a tidal pool in southern England. The brain would have been buried in sediment when the dinosaur died and over time would have been compressed by
sediment to hard rock. Ultimately, minerals replace the once live tissue in the brain, and thus a fossil is born. Perhaps the most interesting part of this find is the way in which this particular fossil was preserved; an unlikely series of events took place that pickled the brain. In order for this happen, the dinosaur probably had to have fallen head-first into a swamp like pool of water. The water was made up of a unique combination of salty and acidic ions, creating the per -
that kept bacteria from breaking down the flesh of the brain. The tissue then followed the conventional fossilization process that left it perfectly preserved. Some of the information researchers have gathered include folds where blood vessels exist and the topography of the brain. While no detailed information about the inner workings of the brain can be taken from the find, this is truly one of the examples of the “cool” discoveries that science is responsible for.
Chemical reaction could help reverse climate change By Sam Siomko Staff Writer Sometimes, new scientific discoveries are not the result of enormous research ventures or million-dollar companies. Often, breakthroughs are the result of accidents. And one accident that recently came from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee might have the potential to save the world. Researchers happened to discover a chemical reaction that can turn carbon dioxide into ethanol, which, if widely implemented, could help slow or even reverse global climate change. Hold up. Reverse climate change? That seems like the stuff of science fiction. While Oak Ridge may not be able to save the planet single handedly, its discovery proves that it is possible to reverse the reaction that released over 400ppm of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. Energy that comes from burning things such as coal, fossil fuels, and wood is the result of a simple reaction known as combustion. Combustion is when a fuel reacts with oxygen
to produce energy, usually in the form of fire, light, or heat, as well as water and carbon dioxide. It is easy enough to make this reaction happen with just a simple match. But imagine taking that light or heat and turning it back into a piece of coal. The Oak Ridge team discovered that to reverse this reaction, a simple catalyst was needed. A catalyst is a chemical or element that makes it easier for a reaction to happen. Combustion does not need a catalyst, but the reverse reaction does. And while studying a small part of this reaction, the team discovered that their chosen catalyst was so reactive that it was essentially turning carbon dioxide into ethanol all by itself. What is this miracle catalyst? The Oak Ridge researchers found that a simple “spike” of carbon and copper, along with a little electricity, was enough to make this reverse reaction happen. The secret was to make these spikes so tiny that the electric current could be concentrated. These tiny energy-focusing catalysts were the result of advances in nanotechnology which al-
lowed researchers to get the tips of the spikes to be so small (50 nanometers to be exact, which is about 2000 times smaller than a human cell). Not only could this technique be used to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, it would also be using extra electricity from the grid that is otherwise wasted. Since raw electricity cannot be stored, it usually dissipates without being used. Since this reaction requires electricity to work, researcher suggest using the extra electricity to “store” energy in the form of ethanol, which is another highlycombustible substance usually obtained from corn. Researchers do not know when this technique could be implemented, but they hope to explore it more thoroughly. They are just happy that they were able to discover such a breakthrough entirely by accident. So don’t worry about making a mistake on your chemistry test – who knows? It could be the first step to a new scientific discovery.
What is the once-in-alifetime “supermoon”?
thirty copies. As a result, the dogs were able to produce 28 times more amylase than their wolf counterparts. Other genes of note were those linked to the conversion of maltase i n t o s u g a r a n d t h e a bsorption of sugar into the stomach. The domestic dogs possessed mutated versions of both genes, allowing them to carry out both processes more efficiently. These genetic differences between dogs and wolves are remarkably similar to genetic differences seen between humans before and after the Agricultural Revolution, and the researchers postulate that the two species likely derive the changes from the same cause. As humans transitioned from a society that primarily hunted meat and gathered berries to a society that farmed grains and vegetables, they began incorporating more starch into their diet. Therefore, they naturally had more use for the starch-digesting genes like AMY2B. According to the researchers, man’s ever-faithful canine friends had be come quite reliant on human “leftovers” by this point, so when the humans began adapting to a starchy diet, the dogs followed suit. This theory was revisited earlier this year when Morgane Ollivier, a paleontologist at Ecole Normale Supéieure de Lyon in France, led a study to confirm the time period of these genetic changes, focusing specifically on the duplication of AMY2B. Working with Axelsson and other researchers, Ollivier collected ancient DNA samples from the remains of 13 wolf and dog specim en s f o u n d at ar ch eological sites throughout Eurasia. Four of the ancient dogs, found at sites in Romania, Turkmenistan and France, contained more than eight copies of AMY2B, and are believed to be between 5,000 and 7,000 years
old. Ollivier’s study was published on November 8 in Royal Society Open Science. Because the ancient dog samples predate the emergence of dog breeds, these genetic changes are unlikely to be the result of modern breeding practices, comments Oxford geneticist Laurent Frantz. Therefore, Ollivi er’s findings appear to confirm the conclusions of Axelsson and Lind blad-Toh; dogs evolved these extra AMY2B genes to better digest the starchy diets that their human masters had turned to. Robert Wayne, an evolutionary biologist at UCLA, supports this theory, reporting that the ability to survive on excess human food would have enabled these ancient dogs to expand their range immensely as humans expanded theirs. A 20 16 s u rv ey of wild and domestic canines further supports this research. While almost all wolves, dingoes and coyotes had only two copies of AMY2B, almost all domestic dogs had many more. Two key exceptions to this trend were Siberian huskies and dingoes, both of which lived, until fairly recently, with societies that primarily hunted and fished for food. Thus, these breeds would not have had the same need for starchdigesting genes as those that had adapted to farming communities. Ultimately, the research of Axelsson, Ollivier, and their colleagues has provided remarkable insight into the influence of human technology on the socalled “natural” world. Their work has also r e i n f o r c e d t h e c o n v e rgent paths of humans and their canine companions over the course of history. As summarized by Peter Savolainen, an evolutionary geneticist at Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology, these results provide a “coherent picture” of man’s influence on man’s best friend.
Help Alzheimer’s research with online game Stall Catchers
On November 14, the moon was the biggest it has been in almost 70 years and was Photo credit: NBC News 14 percent brighter than an average full moon. B y A phra M urray S taff W riter November 14 was a pretty big date. On this night, the moon was the biggest it has been in almost 70 years, since January 1948, and it will not be this big again until the year 2024. On the eve of November 14, this “supermoon” was around 30 percent bigger and 14 percent brighter than the average full moon. So how does a
B y E mma G runer S taff W riter The Agricultural Revolution is well-regarded as a turning point in human history, in more ways than one. Socially, this shift marked the beginning of modern civilization, but scientifically, it marked a major change in the makeup of the human genome. As our ancestors transitioned from nomadic hunter-gatherers to primarily sedentary farmers, their bodies, and ultimately their DNA, were forced to adjust to this dramatic change in lifestyle. As it turns out, though, human genes were not the only ones affected by this change. The genes of dogs, ever man’s best friend, were forever altered as well. Dogs were thought to be first domesticated approximately 15,000 years ago, prior to the Agricultural Revolution. While the behavioral consequences of domestication (e.g. decreased aggression, increased sociability) are well known, little research had been done on its genetic effects until fairly recently. In 2013, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh and Erik Axelsson of Sweden’s Uppsala University led the first comprehensive study on this topic, in which they compared the genomes of modern dogs to those of their closest relative, wolves. The study analyzed the genomes of 12 wolves from around the world, as well as 60 dogs from 14 diverse breeds. As expected, the researchers found various discrepancies in brainrelated genes, which accounted for the behavioral differences mentioned above. Yet the researchers also discovered notable differences in genes related to digestion. One such gene was AMY2B, which codes for amylase, the enzyme responsible for converting starch into maltase. While the wolves studied generally only had two copies of AMY2B, the domestic dogs possessed anywhere from four to
supermoon form? The moon has an elliptical orbit, which means that at one side, scientifically known as the perigee, it is closer to the Earth than at the other side. Specifically, 300,000 miles closer. There are a number of different astronomical events that have to take place for this one supermoon to occur. When the Earth, the Moon and the Sun line up, it is known as a syz-
ygy. When this syzygy takes place, with the moon facing us and being at the closer side of its orbit, thre occurs what is known as a perigeesyzygy. This is what is going to make the moon look even bigger and brighter than you have ever seen. It appeared even bigger and brighter if you were up somewhere high as opposed to laying on your back in the grass.
B y K ayla B ritt MS&T E ditor Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and is projected to cost $236 billion in 2016 (with other dementias). It constitutes a major public health, financial and emotional burden for loved ones. Despite extensive research and funding, no cure currently exists for the disorder. Enter EyesOnAlz: a new citizen-based project to fight Alzheimer’s. Anyone can play and help combat Alzheimer’s while taking a quick study break. Stall Catchers, which went viral on October 1, is the name of the game. The game is funded by the BrightFocus Foundation with collaborations with Cornell University, UC Berke ley, WiredDifferently, SciStarter and Princeton
University. Generally speaking, research, especially on diseases as complex as Alzheimer’s, seems esoteric and findings are often only shared within the scientific community. This new project seeks to change that and encourages the general public to learn more about the disease by engaging with the game. So what exactly do y o u d o w h en y o u p lay Stall Catchers? Players look at clips of real blood vessels in mouse brains and search for stalls: clogged capillaries that block blood flow. The more stalls you catch, the higher your score. A high score can earn you a digital badge. The more participants, the better; the results of Stall Catchers will help researchers in their quest for an Alzheimer’s cure.
Researchers in the Schaffer-Nishimura lab at Cornell have recently honed in on reduced blood flow in the brain as a potential therapeutic target. The blockage caused by stalls could be contributing to some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. One study in mice found that reversing the stalls could reverse some of the cognitive symptoms, including memory loss. One of the toughest and most time consuming stages of research is data analysis. That’s where Stall Catchers comes in. The EyesOnALZ group will combine and average responses to produce one answer. Ideally, this new initiative will garner public interest and speed up the research process, leading to more effective Alzheimer’s treatments.
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
When and how often Chi O Night Live should you eat? A practical look at the applicability of meal timing and frequency
Photo credit: ukgreeksing.org
N oelle Z immerman S taff W riter
A ri S naevarsson F eatures E ditor
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I think the question, “When/how often should I eat,” or some variation of that, is on a lot of people’s minds. I have quite a bit to get through in answering this, but I wanted this all in one succinct piece, so here it is. Bear with me, and give this a read, because this should serve to put this worry to rest and give you the [almost] complete story. Calorie distribution The first aspect to this issue is the “when.” Put more plainly, should you consume more calories early in the day or later? The boring, but necessary, answer is that the studies are divided pretty evenly on this (about a 2:2:3 ratio, the third finding being that neither makes a difference). So I will give the answer you were probably expecting: it boils down to personal preference. Are you hungrier in the mornings? Well then, sorry if I am blaspheming for any diehard intermittent fasters out there, but skipping breakfast will probably not be your best bet. Interestingly, when studies have participants change their habits in this realm, that is when results are reliably reproduced. This only serves to further validate the notion that dietary mindfulness/awareness is crucial to a successful dieting endeavor. Meal frequency Then there is the more controversial question of meal frequency. The preeminent dietary advice used to be to eat frequent, small meals throughout the day. This was based off of a handful of animal trials and a few flawed human trials (look up the studies of nibbling versus gorging; they are actually quite interesting). The physiological theory was that this would somehow “stoke the metabolic furnace” and enhance weight loss. Where the logic begins to fall apart is in its assumption that the act of eating marks some massive metabolic event. Actually, calories expended in chewing, digesting, absorbing and transporting nutrients (called the thermic effect of food, or “TEF”) are trivial at best, and any postprandial hormonal responses that occur would just be smaller versions of the responses
Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk
we would expect to see following consumption of larger meals. With the growing popularity of intermittent fasting (IF), the broscience has shifted towards advocating for two or so larger meals a day, the benefit supposedly stemming from the omission of breakfast, to induce a roughly 16-hour fast. However, this too was the product of an inaccurate elaboration of study results. This was largely steeped in the premise that an intermittent fast represents how our ancient ancestors would have eaten. Unsure of when the next meal would come, hunter-gatherers would purportedly feast only once or twice a day. The science behind this is backed up by the observed physiological response to fasting. As it stands, a series of important events occur during a fasted state. The liver is depleted of glycogen (which induces positive neural/hormonal changes in its own right), blood glucose eventually falls (improving insulin sensitivity), fatty acids are preferentially mobilized and oxidized and, voila, you lose fat! Of course, to again be the bearer of bad news, the story is not so cut and dried. Most of these changes would not occur to a significant enough degree until we enter a prolonged fast (at around 72 hours or more, and other than proponents of “water fasts,” I would hazard to guess most would not find this approach feasible), and surely some would not occur at all until that time. Moreover, these are entirely theoretical in nature, as few, if any, of the available studies look at both surrogate endpoints (i.e. decreased blood glucose) and the clinical endpoints we are ultimately after (i.e. more weight lost). Be skeptical of cited studies Here is the blunt truth: most of the relevant studies are flawed. For example, the majority of IF studies people rely on to make claims of its benefits come from alternate day fasting (ADF) diets that had subjects eat ad libitum on feeding days. Now, I do not mean to imply we abandon all studies. Rather, this presses a point I tend to harp on in my articles and rants, namely that studies need
to be used and understood strategically and in the appropriate context. For example, large epidemiological studies looking at correlations without ascertaining a comprehensive profile of their subjects are not necessarily worthless. They serve the purpose of providing insight into large-scale trends, which can then be examined further in more tightly controlled trials. Most of the studies out there right now give that foundational basis for scientists to look further into their validity in more tightly controlled study designs. Gurus promoting a specific diet protocol for monetary gain will often cite studies ad nauseum. These should be met with heavy skepticism, as it only takes a brief look into one of these studies to see the story is not always as unequivocally one-dimensional as the guru might have you believe. Closing remark At the end of the day, I think the appropriate answer can be summed up as such: make sure you have your ducks in a row before jumping into this variable. Starting from the most important, foundational level (this specific hierarchy of nutrition comes from the guys at Precision Nutrition), do you know how much you are eating each day? From there, how are you eating? Why are you eating? Then we can ask, what are you eating? And are you doing all of this consistently? If you answered no or were unsure for any of these, that needs to be addressed before you can move forward. Even then, and I think it is fair to say this singles out only a few individuals (not to be misconstrued as a judgment call), you would be hard-pressed to note any significant, physiological benefits to an altering of your caloric distribution or meal frequency. As I have said, where this might have relevance is mainly in improving long-term adherence. For example, if you are hungriest at night, moving your food back towards night would be the obvious solution. Hopefully this was all informative. I left quite a bit out, but I will be sure to address some of the missing elements in future articles.
On Friday, November 11, Chi Omega held a fun event called Chi O Night Live to raise money for the MakeA-Wish Foundation. As the performances were about to start, all of the lights turned off. The room was filled with cheers from different sororities. It felt like the Greek life version of Bring It On. To start the excitement, the dance team appeared on stage and gave the crowd
a taste of the skill they are about to witness. During this event, each sorority preformed dances to multiple different songs. In between each sorority, a representative from each fraternity displayed a talent or answered questions for a mini game of The Bachelor. From a whimsical cover of Figaro to an extraordinary Napoleon Dynamite dance, these brothers truly did win our hearts over. However, the real stars of the night were the sororities.
Every single dance routine was impressive. For people who are not actual dancers, the girls did an amazing job! Delta Gamma came in second place, starting their routine off with a remix of The Lion King (great choice). However, the ultimate winner of the night was Chi O. Not only did you girls dance your socks off, but you also organized a very fun event that helped to make a child’s wish come true. Shout out to all sororities and fraternities for your participation!
Why not to crash diet Photo credit: Flickr
B y A ri S naevarsson F eatures E ditor
There is a certain allure to severe caloric deficits for weight loss. The thinking is that bigger is better, so a greater degree of caloric restriction must yield greater results. Any reservations that dieters may have regarding such an approach are easily ameliorated by whatever hogwash rationale is being thrown out by the prescribing diet guru. “Take shots of apple cider vinegar between meals” or “supplement your lowcalorie diet with injections of 200 IU human chorionic gonadotropin!” Before I go any further, keep in mind that these “crash diets” are not always bad, and I find it absurd to prescribe a “slow and steady” caloric deficit across the board, regardless of clinical or body compositional markers. You see, that advice might make sense for someone looking to lose a little bit of weight before a big wedding, but try telling that to someone who is morbidly obese. Losing one pound a week might mean upwards of three to four years of dieting before such an individual can hit their goal weight. However, for the vast majority of the general population, this is not an optimal approach. In fact, even for elite athletes, rarely does this diet approach merit consideration. Maybe it could have implications for weight class athletes competing at the highest level who either failed to diet optimally beforehand or are relying on a meticulously-planned supercompensation effect
before their respective event. Really, the only group I can see routinely getting much use from crash dieting is, and my bias will unavoidably shine through here, physique competitors (I may expand on this in future articles). Let us get straight into the reasons this approach may be suboptimal, and even counterintuitive, for the weight loss goals of the general population. First off, there is the natural compensatory human response to food deprivation to go all out once you “break the diet” (i.e. one blueberry muffin becomes an entire box of sugary cereal and a dozen donuts). This is largely the product of leptin downregulation and ghrelin upregulation, along with changes to some other notable appetite hormones. Second, you risk plunging the body into a state of severe physiological distress. “Severe” is not an exaggeration; to the almost two millionyear-old physiological architecture of the human brain, 1500 calories a day under one’s total daily energy expenditure means we are entering a state of food scarcity that could last God-knows-how-long. This leads to low-grade cortisol secretion, as well as reductions in leptin, which then further stimulates cortisol, perpetuating the cycle. This goes on to cause water retention, via aldosterone, and it may stall actual weight loss, as well as favor visceral fat storage (meaning in the stomach, the most dangerous area to hold fat). Third, muscle mass will decrease on these semi-
starvation diets, unless relevant variables are tightly controlled, and I mean tightly. Just to keep muscle loss at bay, the dieter should know exactly what protein intake is correlated with lean body mass retention during prolonged fasts, what exercise mode is the absolute maximum you can sustain in this phase, etc. In any event, maintenance of muscle mass requires a marginally higher resting metabolic rate. This figure is generally overhyped, but it does help contribute to the broader story here. Now, more hormones and neurotransmitters are involved in this intricate phenomenon of hunger/ appetite regulation and the body’s resistance to starvation dieting, but I think this should give you the gist of it. To make one final point, and of course the aforementioned hormones have profound implications on this as well, at a certain point, restricting calories excessively becomes a counterintuitive process to all the signals we receive in our daily lives. The whole “food marketing makes you buy super unhealthy, obesogenic junk foods” sentiment is pretty ingrained in most of us already, so I do not necessarily think I need to rehash that one too much. However, it is important to understand that the idealism of a perfectly planned diet using all the right foods and macros and tracking devices means nothing if it is at odds with your current circumstances. In the same vein, as great as some of these crash diets may sound when you read works by the nutrition gurus who pimp them out, they rarely come to fruition so flawlessly when applied to the average person’s life. In closing, I would caution that most people try not to touch these VLCDs with a ten-foot pole. The appeal of rapid weight loss is enticing, but bear in mind that good things really do come to those who wait. This does not mean resorting to an incredibly small caloric deficit and expecting minimal weight losses each week; as with all things, there is a healthy middle ground. I will cover this in more detail in articles to come.
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
FEATURES Page 6
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
Humans of Gettysburg Featured photo Alissa Lopez ‘18 Political Science
A ri S naevarsson F eatures E ditor
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What do I do for fun? Well, besides binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix and keeping up with The Walking Dead and Grey’s Anatomy, I just got into fantasy football and basketball. It can sometimes be infuriating when someone in your league picks up a player you wanted, but overall it’s pretty fun. Basketball is definitely more my thing than football, can’t lie. Probably doesn’t help that my fantasy football team is plagued with injuries every other week. Other than that, I really enjoy reading. I just finished up reading Road to Serfdom by FA Hayeck, pretty intense.
LeVar Burton, star of Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow came to campus Nov. 18, the day before his Dedication Day address, to speak with students. Photo credit: Gettysburg College.
So long, Sue, and thanks for all the meals The Gettysburgian would like to wish “Servo Sue” Noel a happy retirement filled with adirondack chairs, great food and nice weather. Thank you, Sue!
Photo credit: Jamie Welch
Photo credit: Jamie Welch
Staff Box
The Gettysburgian Editors-in-Chief, Jamie Welch & Annika Jensen Advisors, Jim Duffy & Jack Ryan News Editor, Nora Tidey
MS&T Editor, Kayla Britt
Copy Editor, Joshua Wagner Event Coverage Director, Ben Pontz Social Media Editor, Jules Sippel Web Content Editor, Andy Milone
Features Editor, Ari Snaevarsson Opinions Editor, Jack Gentes Sports Editor, Elizabeth Hilfrank A&E Editor, Raichl Davenport
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THE GETTYSBURGIAN
OPINIONS Page 7
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
Note: The opinions published in this section are those of the individual writers and are in no way representative of the views of The Gettysburgian staff, The Gettysburgian or Gettysburg College.
The derision that What to do about ov er l oo k s th e 2 0 1 6 President Trump election By
wellington baumann
contributing writer
By
alex romano
staff writer
Well, it’s over. Tuesday, November 8, is now just a date on a calendar page that has been ripped off and tossed into the wastebasket. The wait is over, and the longhanging cloud of anticipation now lifted. The rallies have ended, the suspense has died, the polls have closed and the winner has been announced. The bloodiest and most toxic campaign season in the modern age has concluded with an unexpected result. And now the American people have Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States to look forward to this January. Trump’s victory came as a shock to many–if not most–Americans, as they tuned in to their respective news stations to watch the returns for the general election broadcast. I was one such surprised viewer, staring incredulously at my laptop screen as it live-streamed the results and repeating the names of the states that swung Trump’s way to my poor roommate, who humored me with an occasional response. I knew that I was becoming a nuisance by relaying the information to someone who was already well within earshot of the television, but I simply could not help myself: Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida and Pennsylvania were all tipping Trump’s way, in addition to a number of other key states. The Rust Belt suddenly started to look the shade of the autumn leaves, and several critical counties nationwide that had supported Obama in 2012 turned to the Right this time in 2016. By the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 9, Trump had secured 247 electoral votes compared to rival Hillary Clinton’s 215. Pennsylvania was still up in the air when I went to bed, and given his present lead in the polls, I thought it was a safe to predict that if Trump won Pennsyl-
vania instead of Clinton, he would be the next President of the United States. I went to bed at 2:00 a.m., leaving the tabs on my laptop open and setting my alarm for 3:30 am. I figured that Wolf Blitzer’s panel would have declared a decisive winner by the time that my alarm sounded. Just moments before I drifted off to sleep, I saw that Trump had taken Pennsylvania. And that’s the ballgame, folks. Nobody seemed more surprised with Donald Trump’s victory in the election than Donald Trump himself. One can only imagine how electrified he must have felt when Clinton called to concede, and how dejected Clinton must have felt when she dialed his number. It was a night of strong emotion for all involved, candidates, campaign staff, journalists, commentators and viewers alike, all of whom definitely had some powerful feelings regarding the victor. However, no matter what the degree of Trump’s excitement or the depth of Clinton’s disappointment were the early morning hours of November 9, neither contender’s emotion matched in power the intensity of the contempt with which many vocal members of the Left received after the election results. The list of actions taken by youthful liberals to protest the election is by now common knowledge: people taking to the streets and marching out on the highways, students holding vigils and opting out of taking midterms and colleges cancelling classes and making final exams optional. But, considering the fact that Trump did not seize the presidency by means of a military coup and did not steal the election (as opponents accused old W. of doing in 2000) through a heated Supreme Court battle, these protests all appear frivolous and unfounded. They may not be, though, to some. Trump won the White House while failing to gain the majority of the popular vote,
and cleaned up the delegate count only, which is always a controversial development in an election cycle. Protesters do have a point as far as wanting the popular vote to be the deciding factor in electing the president. But the demand for the decisive power going to the popular vote is just an excuse. Judging by their democratic leanings, those upset by the results of the contest do not so much mind the electoral college deciding the president as they do seeing Donald trump over Hillary and being given the reigns of government. The sudden pro-direct democracy rhetoric of liberal protesters is a facade for their dislike of Trump and fear of a new leader who will strip minorities of civil liberties, set back reproductive rights to pre- Roe v. Wade times and engage the United States in a nuclear confrontation (none of which events will happen). But none of the protests will do any good; they are all a waste of time, as there is a new sheriff in town, like it or not. So rather than continue this waste of time, perhaps Trump’s opponents ought to figure out what they should do now that their nemesis is in office. It is too late to stop him; now you will have to work with him. To be fair, Trump is somewhat to blame for this heated reaction. He is an abrasive old man, a thunderous boar whose apparent lack of a mental-verbal filter has caused him to make alarming oratorical assaults on Muslims and other minority groups. In this way, as I wrote in my last article for the paper (an underwhelming piece that I am relieved will never see the light of day in the physical Gettysburgian), Trump appears merely “half-presidential.” No worries, though, to all those protesters, objectors, and other concerned Americans out there. Now that Trump is president-elect, he will certainly act more presidential. He has no choice.
What are those? By
colby sites
contributing writer
Satire I do not have a foot fetish, but I do love feet. I enjoy walking around barefoot whether I am going across campus, or just walking around my house. My intention is not to convince the student population that a barefoot lifestyle is the only true lifestyle to live, but I am trying to persuade the fact that it is my prerogative to be barefoot. I am not going to judge someone for wearing shoes, boots, or flip-flops because they have that right, but I want people to realize that I should be treated the same for not wearing any shoes. It all began when I ran cross country in high school. I sustained a foot injury during a race, and I would later conclude that I pinched nerve. It became difficult to wear my spikes, because my shoes were too tight and pinched the nerve. To compensate for the pain, I began wearing no shoes during practice. At this point, I was merely just experimenting with the idea of not wearing shoes. During practice, I finally felt comfortable running again. There were no
restraints of me being myself, and I felt free. Eventually, I found other people that also enjoyed being barefoot while they ran. It was a miracle: not only did I discover something about myself, but I also found a group of people that accepted me for who I am. I have encountered a fair share of critics. Sometimes my parents struggle to wrap their mind around the idea that the son they raised for twenty years likes to be barefoot. They constantly tell me that they were brought up on the idea that people should wear shoes, and that God would judge me because even Jesus wore sandals. Certain businesses would not serve me, because my lifestyle conflicted with their store values. A manager at a store once asked me what I was standing for by bringing my barefootness into his store. I looked at him and said I was standing on my feet. It is difficult to convince people on the idea of me being barefoot, because it is not considered a social norm to the public. In the public’s mindset, I am considered backwards or crooked because I am not on the straight and narrow. I understand
some people will be against me, because they do not realize how fulfilling it is to be barefoot. I feel free to be myself, and I feel comfortable and confident because I do not have to change who I am. I take a step onto the grass in the morning, and I feel a sense of belonging as my toes feel the grass and dirt. Feeling the natural Earth underneath my feet gives me a sense of euphoria. My father always taught me to let people’s comments go in one ear and out the other. At times this is difficult, especially when people are constantly reminding me that being barefoot is not right. I always think to myself, “Who decided this code of ethics for the population to follow?” There is nothing morally wrong with not wearing shoes, and I am not harming people by being barefoot. People act like it is an injustice to walk around barefoot. I am not creating a movement or protest by going barefoot, because I can understand that some people choose to wear shoes. Shoes make them feel comfortable and safe, and I respect their decision. All I want is people to respect my decision.
Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. In a stunning upset, Trump outperformed every major poll and decisively defeated Hillary Clinton. If you had told me this on the morning of November 8th, I would have laughed in your face, yet 2016 has shocked me again. First the Cubs win and now we have President Trump. This election has been divisive and emotional, but people must be careful how they grapple with defeat. The reaction of various universities and colleges has been to cancel classes and even make midterms optional because the student body is too “traumatized.” This is not surprising coming from the same people who suffered a mental breakdown after they saw the words “Trump 2016” written in chalk on the sidewalk. Many students have taken to the streets in major cities across the nation, and as is tradition with most leftist protest, some have devolved into riots. This childish response does not help anything. I am often told that Republicans did not unify behind Obama so why should Democrats do so now? Those people are right, but I fail to remember a mob of thousands of Republicans closing major highways, vandalizing property, and resisting law enforcement in the wake of Obama’s victories. When activists shut
down interstates, they are only making people hate them more. When they run into oncoming traffic, they are putting not only their own lives in danger, but all of the drivers as well. They successfully block people from commuting home, getting to a hospital, or engaging in commerce. And when the police finally arrive to restore law and order, the protestors cry that they are being oppressed. How much more entitled and self-righteous can you be? The rioting and destruction of private property should speak for itself. Everyone has the right to free speech and assembly so long as they do not break any laws. As for the legal protests, what do they accomplish? This is one of the main reasons Donald Trump won. People are tired of the pretentious and immature leftists who are propagated by the Democratic Party. Middle America is lashing out because for years they have been blamed by the left for racial injustice, sexism, or any other issue that they can conjure up. Rural Americans are done with being dismissed as racist hillbillies by elitist liberals. These Americans have valid opinions and grievances too. The failure of the Democratic Party and institutions of higher learning to listen to them has contributed directly to Trump’s victory. While I am thankful that Gettysburg College has handled this election with maturity, there are many who
feel incredibly threatened. Frankly, I would be too if I was only getting my news from places like the Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, or the Colbert Report. The mass liberal media has painted Trump as a monster in an attempt to rally enough people to vote against him. The left has been doing much more fear mongering than Trump himself Many liberals, particularly on the social justice left, will throw out words like racism, homophobia, and fascism without truly understanding what they mean. They are simply buzzwords that are used to silence the opposition because they do not have the temperament to engage in a civil debate. I would suggest that these people get their hands on a thesaurus, and if they do not know what that is then they can grab a dictionary and work their way forward Trump’s victory is not the result of racism; it is all a reaction to years of liberal intolerance. And now the reaction of these college students is only creating a deeper divide within this nation. You do not have to agree with everything that Trump has said, but to actively resist the peaceful transition of power is dangerous. It is time for this nation to heal. We need to give Trump a chance to lead. He has proved me wrong about this election and hopefully he will prove me wrong about himself.
Response to “What to do about President Trump” By
jay hauser
contributing writer
I would first like to point out that the writer is not entirely wrong in his claim that the Democratic Party has ignored the concerns of the middle of the country. I would argue that, while we do support a lot of the policy proposals that would help Middle America, we have failed to communicate them (see Hillary Clinton’s seldomdiscussed plans for rural and coal-based communities). In fact, this failure to communicate has become a major issue in the election for a new DNC chair. However, I would like to stress that while there are some issues where the Democratic Party needs to better consider Middle America, there are other issues where the rights of oppressed groups are at stake (LGBT+ rights, criminal justice reform, gender inequality, etc.), and Middle America is less on board with changes than the coasts. Oppressed groups should not have to wait for the support of the entire country before pushing for change. Now, onto the points of true contention. While I do agree that riots are not wise when public opinion is at stake, there are two places where the writer is severely incorrect in his discussion of them. First, he seems to think that these riots are the most extreme and uncalled for reaction to the results of a presidential election. I would like to remind him that the tipping point for South Carolina that led them to secession was the election of Abraham Lincoln. In response to this, he might
point out that the Southern Democrats were the group that led secession or that there are talks in California of secession. I would respond by pointing out that in terms of ideology (states’ rights, tariffs, etc.), the 1860s Democratic Party more resembled the modern Republican Party. Furthermore, one ought to take the California secession issue as seriously as we took the 2012 Texas secession talks following President Obama’s re-election. Second, the writer seems to be under the assumption that these riots are due to simple bitterness. He is woefully incorrect. These riots represent more than post-election blues from a group of liberals he would characterize as “entitled and self-righteous.” These riots represent a cry for help from individuals who are put in danger by Trump’s policies. For example, President-elect Trump has promised a repeal of President Obama’s proLGBT+ executive orders (no employment discrimination by federal contractors, no discrimination towards transgender individuals in schools with regards to bathroom use, etc.). Vice-President-elect Pence is an outspoken supporter of conversion therapy, which can lead to suicide. Finally, a Trump presidency empowers and validates hate groups, allowing them to more confidently and avidly spread their vile messages. I just have a few more notes. For one, even if someone only got their news from political satire programs, they would be pretty well informed
on actual comments President-elect Trump has made. As the expression goes, the joke wrote itself. There’s a campaigns-worth of material that one has valid reason to feel threatened by (presenting Mexicans as criminals and rapists as the norm, Muslim ban, John McCain’s status as a war hero is diminished because he was captured, pussygate, etc.). It is unfair to call it “fear mongering” if concerns are based off of direct quotes taken in context. Additionally, towards the end of the article, the writer asks the campus community to give President-elect Trump a chance. We are, but considering his decisions to put Steven Bannon (former chairman of Breitbart News, an alt-right news blog) on as his chief strategist and senior counselor, Myron Ebell (a climate change denier) as the EPA transition director, and Vice-President-elect Pence as transition director (where he will assuredly recommend anti-LGBT+ appointments), it’s not looking good. Finally, I would like to ask the writer what makes him think he understands racism, homophobia, and fascism more than the communities who experience them? As a member of the LGBT+ community and a Jewish person, I probably know a hell of a lot more about homophobia and fascism than he does. If he wants to engage in some in-person civil discourse over these “buzzwords,” my door is always open and I am always in the mood for a healthy public discussion. No keyboards. Face to face. Game on.
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
SPORTS
Page 8
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
Bullet Women’s hoops off to a bounding start Shot: Gettysburg defeats Johns Hopkins University 77-66 Athlete of the Week
Senior Pete Christ
Charlie Williamson Contributing Writer The Gettysburg College men’s basketball team eked out a victory against No.23 Franklin & Marshall College 57-54 Tuesday, November 22. The Bullets owe much of the success to a couple of late three-point shots from Senior Cocaptain Pete Christ. With four seconds left in the game, Christ hit the three that would win the game. Christ only had three points on the board until he hit a clutch three-pointer with 2:48 left to play, making the score 52-47 Bullets. The Bullets preserved their lead until F&M hit a jumper followed by a lay up to tie the game at 54 with a minute left to play. Christ’s sharp shooting was called on again, and he nailed the coffin shut with a three-ball to end the game. Christ has enjoyed the start to what hopes to be a strong senior campaign. The guard nets an 11.8 points-per-game (second on the team) so far this season, while also boasting the team’s highest three-point p ercentage at over 52%. The Bullets will need Christ’s senior leadership and ability to stay hot from beyond the arc if they hope to continue to beat the strong conference opponents. Tuesday night’s victory was crucial for the Bullets (1-3, 1-0 CC), as they beat not only a Centennial Conference opponent but also a Centennial Conference team that is nationally ranked. The team looks to get some momentum from its nail-biting first victory during its next streak of games, facing three Centennial Conference teams in the next four match-ups. Christ will take his home court a Thursday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. to face Johns Hopkins University. The senior’s early success warrants him the title of Bullet of the Week.
B y M addie brown S taff W riter The Gettysburg College women’s basketball team took advantage of its home court Tuesday night, defeating the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays 77-66. Coach Nate Davis, who is in only his second season with Gettysburg, leads the young but deep squad. Davis comes from coaching five seasons at Eastern University, where he garnered a 79-52 record. A s s i s t a n t s Kaleigh Boreman and Casey Thurston have also joined the team this year. Boreman played under Davis at Eastern for four years, then coached as a grad assistant for one year after, also at Eastern. Thurston played ball at Shippensburg University and Kutztown University before being the assistant coach at Shippensburg High School and then head coach at Gettysburg High School. The Lady Bullets come off of a 19-6 record from last season. The team lost a handful of influential seniors to graduation, and no juniors returned for a final run. Thus, junior veterans Emily Gibbons and Jamie Relin now lead the women. A third junior, Kendra Meredith, is new to the team. Having transferred from Southern Connecticut State University this fall, she is expected to start at point
Photo courtesy of David Sinclair, GC C&M
Junior transfer Kendra Meredith has made an appearance in every game so far this season. guard. set the tone of the team field goals in the first With only three culture. quarter. juniors, plus Emma T u e s d a y On the Bullets’ Dorshimer as the single e v e n i n g ’ s g a m e h a d side, though, Meredith a c t i v e s o p h o m o r e , t h e s t a r t i n g l i n e - u p w i t h was able to make a few Bullets were fortunate to Gibbons and Dorshimer effective fakes and score have acquired nine first- at the forward positions, on a pair of lay-ups. The years this season. first-years Ashley Gehrin first quarter ended 21-17 C o a c h D a v i s a n d K i e r a C e s a r e o a s Bullets. is pleasantly surprised guards and Meredith at In the second by the first years’ early point. quarter, three-point success. The Blue Jays also s h o t s a b o u n d e d o n “They a r e put forth a young squad, both sides of the court. p i c k i n g u p o n t h i n g s with only one senior amid N o t a b l y , G i b b o n s p u t q u i c k l y a n d a r e n ’ t t o o four sophomores lining u p s e v e n p o i n t s a n d visibly nervous,” Davis the bench. consequentially became said. “With so many H o p k i n s w o n permanently face-guarded new players that don’t the tip-off at the start, on defense by two Blue know the expectations, but Gettysburg seemed Jay forwards. it is definitely poses a to take control for the The half ended 39-33 in challenge for the leaders remainder of the game. Gettysburg’s favor. on the team.” Sophomore Blue The Bullets The new challenge J a y L e x i e S c h o l t z r a n s t a r t e d t o p u l l a w a y causes Coach Davis to the point position for the early in the second half. rely heavily on Gibbons, opponent. The Blue Jays Meredith made a number Relin and Dorshimer to scored three three-point of assists to Gibbons, and
Dorshimer claimed seven points in the first four minutes. Johns Hopkins coach Nancy Funk was forced to call several strategic timeouts in response. These delays proved effective, as firstyear Blue Jay Maggie Wodicka recorded five of nine points scored in the last minutes of the quarter. The third quarter finished with a score of 58-48 Gettysburg. In the final period Coach Davis returned his starting five to the floor, yet no points were scored until two minutes and 30 seconds had passed. At this point, Hopkins Sophomore Lillian Scott earned eight of her 18 points on the night. The score grew closer, 61-56, and it forced Gettysburg to take a timeout. After, the Bullets pulled away in the latter part of the fourth quarter, and Hopkins was left with the only choice of a foul throw. The game ended 77-66 Gettysburg. Gibbons finished the game with 19 points as well as 19 total rebounds. Meredith finished with 16 points, eight assists, eight defensive rebounds and three steals. Dorshimer had 23 points, 12 of which were threepoint shots. After this week’s win against Johns Hopkins, the Bullets no stand 3-1 overall, and 2-0 in the Centennial Conference for the season. Gettysburg next visits Washington College Saturday, December 3 at 4p.m.
Wrestling Team Takes Two at McDaniel Duals
Sophomore Colin Kowalski continues successful 2016 streak B y A ndy M ilone S taff W riter The Gettysburg College wrestling team had a successful start to its duel season campaign Saturday as the Bullets swept two wins at the McDaniel College Duals against University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a score of 43-3 and AldersonBroaddus University with a score of 26-16. The Bullets fell 26-10 to the University of Scranton. The contest results were an improvement upon last season’s, when the Bullets managed to take home only one victory. Sophomore Colin Kowalski had two individual victories, one against Alderson-Broaddus and one against Scranton. He was one of only three Bullets to record a win against Scranton. Kowalski has been a consistent support to the Gettysburg team this season, as he had finished runner-up at both the Ursinus College Fall Brawl and Messiah College Invitational. “A lot a wrestlers make a big jump in success from their freshman to sophomore years. I have a year of experience at the college level under my belt and have been
able to adjust to the level of competition,” said Kowalski. “Additionally, our team has really pushed it in the off season, and I have put in additional work. I feel that my conditioning level is exceptional, and it has helped me to win a few close matches.” Junior pair Noah Malamut and Jake Bracken also had positive showings Saturday. Both were the two other decisions against Scranton. Gettysburg showed the ability to compete with Scranton, winning three of the first five matches before being upheaved in the latter five. Malamut also earned a 10-8 victory against Alderson-Broaddus in the 133lb weight class, while Bracken won by forfeit against UMBC. Gettysburg started out the day with three consecutive wins against Alderson Broaddus: Lenny Ogozalek’s third period pin, Malamut’s 10-8 decision, and firstyear Colin Devlin’s 6-2 decision in the 141lb weight class. “We were pleased with our first two results against Alderson Broaddus and UMBC, and we’re all kind of kicking ourselves for letting the Scranton match get away from us, but
Sophomore Colin Kowalski earned two victories at Deuls Saturday. we take a lot of positives The Bullets from our performance,” t o o k m o m e n t u m f r o m said Devlin. “I think our the Alderson Broaddus energy and stamina have matchup into their matches been very good so far; against UMBC. everyone fights every time G e t t y s b u r g they’re on the mat which dominated the opposition I accredit to how hard w i t h n i n e B u l l e t s everyone worked in the contributing victories to offseason and continue to ten matches. Devlin’s 14-5 work during practice.” decision was his second A f t e r a l o s s i n triumph of the day. the first match, Kowalski “My job is to l e d t h e B u l l e t c h a r g e always go out and beat the w h e n h e m a r k e d d o w n person across from me, an 11-4 decision to put whether its tournament or the Alderson Broaddus a dual meet, so preparation Battlers on their back was the same for the heels. matches at McDaniel,” Gettysburg took said Devlin. “It was the t w o m o r e m a t c h e s t o first time I’ve wrestled a diminish the possibility dual meet with my new recovery. teammates, so I wanted
the McDaniel College
to help the team out with some victories, not just for myself.” Devlin was not the only first-year to succeed, as newcomers Josh Newman, Austin Roskos and Tristan Chen each earned a win as well. The Bullets were fortunate to have two guaranteed wins in this match-up, with forfeits by the UMBC Retrievers in the 149lb and 197lb brackets. Gettysburg will next return to the mats for a two-day event at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational in Grantham, PA December 2 at 12p.m and December 3 at 9a.m.
This weekend in Gettysburg College sports: Friday, Dec. 2: Women’s Swimming vs. Gettysburg Invitational - 6:00 p.m. Men’s Swimming vs. Gettysburg Invitational - 6:00p.m. Wrestling at Petrofes Invitational - 12:00p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3: Women’s Track & Field at Franklin and Marshall Invitational - 10:00a.m. Men’s Track & Field at Franklin and Marshall Invitational - 10:00a.m. Men’s Basketball at Washington College - 2:00 p.m. Women’s Basketball at Washington College - 4:00p.m. Women’s Swimming vs. Gettysburg Invitational - 10:00a.m./5:00p.m. Men’s Swimming vs. Gettysburg Invitational - 10:00a.m./5:00p.m. Wrestling at Petrofes Invitational - 9:00a.m.
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