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Volume CXVII, No. 1
This Week’s Top Stories
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Thursday, January 22,
2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
FREE
Students see the world via CPS immersion trips CPS sends students around the world to learn about and serve the global community
Photos Courtesy of Gettysburg.edu
National
International Islamist militants freed about 250 Yazidi captives in Iraq on Sunday. The captives had been held for more than six months, a local official said. Most of those released were either the elderly or young children. Once freed, the former captives walked to a Peshmerga checkpoint southwest of Kirkuk. Yazidis, a pre-Islamic sect of Kurdish descent, are one of the smallest minorities in Iraq. Deadly floods in Malawi cut off tens of thousands of people from food, clean water and healthcare this week. The flood occurred in the southern tip of Malawi. Reports have estimated dozens of deaths to more than 170, which locals expect to rise over the upcoming days. Gift of the Givers, an African organization specializing in disaster response, said Malawi was facing “probably the greatest flood disaster in the history of its existence.” Malawi’s President declared a state of emergency in the areas affected and said an estimated 70,000 people had been forced from their homes. This week’s “Top Stories” were compiled by Brendan Raleigh with information from CNN.com.
Gettysburg College students spent their winter breaks doing more than just celebrating the holidays. Dozens traveled to Morocco, Alabama, Nicaragua, and the U.S.-Mexico border to learn more about the world outside of what they have already experienced.
By Brendan Raleigh News Editor The Gettysburg College Center for Public Service (CPS) offers a number of Immersion Projects each break. When students go home for Winter Break, Spring Break and the first weeks of summer break, those who want to serve communities both domestically and abroad apply to CPS to serve and learn in an unfamiliar destination. The focuses of these projects are also areas of social justice. They have taken place in communities as far as Nicaragua and
as close as Baltimore, Maryland. Various private organizations, separate from the college, collaborate in order to create these projects and facilitate the students’ trips. Participating organizations have included the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) and the Lutheran Border Awareness Project. This winter break, CPS hosted four Immersion Projects in Rabat, Morocco; Alabama; Leon, Nicaragua and El Paso, TX. This year’s Morocco trip focused on women’s rights issues as they relate to Islam. The project’s goal was to clear up any miscon-
ceptions that students may have about the relationship between Islam and women’s rights. In addition to meeting women who work in parliament and work to spread the concept of Islamic feminism, students were also able to experience what life is like in Rabat. The CCCL helped facilitate the trip by attracting a list of lecturers including outstanding scholars in the areas of social science, humanities, literature, religion and architecture, as well as artists, journalists, NGO activists, artisans and craftsmen. The Morocco trip was led
by senior Erin O’Connor. O’Connor commented on the trip, saying, “Overall, I think the trip went extremely well. It was the first immersion project in Morocco and I hope this trip continues so many more students can have a similar opportunity and experience.” The Alabama trip dealt with the state’s history regarding the Civil Rights Movement. The state was thrust into the national spotlight when the African American community in Montgomery boycotted the public transportation system to end segregation. The point of the project was
to educate students on the past and present struggles for political, social and educational equality. Students traveled to Birmingham, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Selma and White Hall to experience economic injustice firsthand. The Alabama trip was led by senior Amy Whitehouse. “We learned so much it’s hard to put it all into words,” said Whitehouse. “One thing the group took away was that narrative we learn in school about the Civil Rights Movement just gives us a few ma Continued on page 2
New Greek Recycling Program seeks to save The currently voluntary program seeks to have a larger impact on campus waste disposal B y B rendan R aleigh N ews E ditor Gettysburg College began its Greek Recycling Program last semester as a way of encouraging and helping fraternities to recycle more and produce less waste. Currently the college’s fraternities do not have recycling bins outside of their houses – only trash bins. Therefore, their recyclable waste is disposed of by the same means as non-recyclable material. Aluminum is one of the most abundant materials that is thrown out, rather than recycled, due to the number of aluminum cans present in what recycling intern and Sigma Sigma Sigma sustainability representative Maura Conley calls “weekend waste.” Conley has been integral in the program, serving as a go-between for fraterni-
Inside This Issue
Secret Service agents posted near Vice President Joe Biden’s residence in Delaware heard multiple gunshots near their station on Saturday. The vice president and his wife were not at home at 8:28 p.m., the time of the incident, even though he was expected to spend the weekend in Delaware. Agents observed a vehicle driving away from the house at a high speed directly following the shooting. New Castle Delaware County police are working with the Secret Service and the FBI’s Baltimore division to investigate the incident. President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech called for a simplification of the American tax system, which his administration believes is overcomplicated and designed to favor the rich. The aim of the overhaul is to pay for the President’s new slate of programs which are meant to strengthen the middle class. These changes include the offering of two years of government-funded community college.
Weird News, pg. 2
ties and the college faculty and organizing the “recy cling rescues” so far. She has managed to get Sigma Chi and Alpha Tau Omega on board with the help of Sigma Chi’s Kenny Lewis and Alpha Tau Omega’s Nick Uline. Some sororities and off-campus sororities have also gotten involved. Alpha Phi Omega, the college’s service fraternity, has also helped in the past with the recycling rescues, of which there were two last semester. Gettysburg Research and Action by Students for Sustainability (GRASS) and Rotaract, one of the college’s student service organizations, have also contributed to the recycling rescues last semester. Conley will be leaving to study abroad this semester, however, and she hopes that the program continues to expand in her absence. “We are hoping that
Golden Globe Awards, pg. 3
it is going to grow a lot more, but the college has just started the program,” she commented. This will require two recycling interns to take her place. Currently, the program is completely voluntary, so those involved hope to reach out to all fraternities to step up and represent their fraternity. Conley believes that making the recycling necessary for fraternities may help the program and hopes that the project will implement such a policy in its next phases. One of the current problems with implementing such a mandate is that the Greek Recycling Program has been unable to get the college to purchase recycling bins to place outside fraternities. Conley stated that this is because such orders need to be made in bulk orders around the size of 50 containers,
Jay Smooth, pg. 4
Photo Credit: Maura Conley
The Greek Recycling Program’s “recycling rescues” removed pounds of recyclable materials from fraternity’s trash areas. which could be an expensive venture for the college. Such a purchase would at least partially resolve a problem fraternities currently face, which is not having enough space in the current trash containers to store the used materials, recyclable or not.
The Importance of Supporting Lemonade Stands pg. 5
The facilities request was almost completed, but Conley’s supervisor departed to work at Johns Hopkins before it could be finalized. “A lot of people realize that the fraternity recycling program is a good idea,” said Conley. “It’s just a matter of pushing them to take action.”
Women’s Red vs Blue basketball falls to Debate, Swarthmore, pg. 7 pg. 8
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
NEWS
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Thursday, January 22,
2015
Photo of the Week! Want your work featured as our Photo of the Week? Submit your photos to ralebr01@gettysburg.edu!
Photo Credit: gettysburg.edu
Gettysburg College’s Glatfelter Hall sees the snow and the sunset on January 9 while students are home for winter break. Photo by Paul Fairbanks.
AXP, TKE
Gburg students immerse themselves in the world
CPS immersion trips take students far away from home Continued from page 1
jor events and figures when in reality the Movement was comprised of so many unnamed, ‘ordinary’ people who exhibited tremendous bravery and sacrificed so much to move towards progress.” Another immersion trip took students to Gettysburg’s sister city of Leon, Nicaragua. This trip was sponsored by Project Gettysburg-Leon (PGL). Students visited various PGL-sponsored agricultural projects in the Nicaragua area. These projects dealt with the issues of deforestation, large commercial agriculture, lack of land ownership by small farmers and health concerns from pesticide use in the area. This trip was led by senior Steph Adamczak. Adamczak stated of the trip, “Despite the tumultuous past Nica has with the U.S., most Nicaraguans were more than happy to host us and
speak with us. They were able to look at us as individuals rather than products of a country that has repeatedly wronged them. I feel that we are all capable of labeling individuals based on their country of origin, but for students to witness the understanding that individuals are not themselves evil and are not representative of all of their country’s decisions was very powerful.” The last immersion trip concerned immigration on the U.S.Mexico border, which involved students traveling to El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM to look at the economic and political effects that U.S. immigration policy has on Mexican families. Like the Moroccan trip, the U.S.-Mexico border trip sought to dismantle any erroneous preconceptions students may have about life on the border and the United States border policy. The Lutheran Border
Awareness Project hosted this project in order to educate students about the various issues affecting those near the U.S.-Mexico border. The leader for this trip was Kyla Schneider. Most of the immersion trips lasted about ten days. The cost for each trip varied, with the most expensive trip costing $2950 and the least expensive costing $950. Financial awards were available, however, to help students afford the immersion trips. The Center for Career Development also hosts Career Immersion trips over winter break and after exams in May. These three-day trips are designed to give students an intensive look at various career fields. In the past, these trips have taken place in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Philadelphia. This year’s trip took students to learn about Ebola professionals in Washington, D.C.
Weird News of the Week B y B rendan R aleigh N ews E ditor
Hanging Trash: The Tale of Garbage Surfing Guy You drop your wallet in a trashcan. Hey, it happens to everyone. Now what do you do? Dive in the trashcan, right? WRONG. That’s exactly what some guy in Northern Cali (or “Nor-Cal” as they call it in the O.C.) decided to do and look where he ended up: being scooped up to a garbage truck and being stuck on the truck for an hour until he was dumped off at the landfill. The man was only able to escape a painful, grisly death at the hands of a trash compactor by climbing to the top of the garbage pile. Salvation Burglar Richard Leibman, a Hawaiian man known by police as the “Jesus Bandit” due to his long beard and robe, is wanted for refusing to show up for a court hearing after being charged with burglarizing multiple homes. Leibman, despite his Christ-like appearance, bears little resemblance to the Christian prophet in terms of his moral fiber. His history of burglarizing homes goes back since 2011, when he began adding to his rap sheet. His crimes now include first-degree burglary, second-degree theft, resisting arrest, first-degree escape and two counts of first-degree assault against a law enforcement officer. He is now wanted on a $10,000 bench warrant. A local resident, however, claimed that many of the people still respect him, as he is “the outlaw who can’t be caught,” even though he “scared the hell out of a lot of people” according to The Garden Island, a local newspaper. High on the Word In other Christianity-related crime news, an Ohio couple attempted to smuggle a heroin-laced Bible into a county justice center. Officers discovered a coffee-like stain after a standard sweep using a K-9. Tests discovered the substance to be heroin. The stain contained enough of the substance to constitute 30 to 40 hits, according to a regional narcotics unit.
This week’s “Weird News” was compiled by Brendan Raleigh with information from huffingtonpost.com.
g o L S P D e h T January 14-Januar
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January 14 12:00 a.m. ashington Street at W rth No 9 12 at e rc l entry with no fo Burglary: Unlawfu January 16 ll at 2:00 p.m. ernalia at Apple Ha ph ra pa ug dr of n sio Possession: Posses January 17 at Alpha Chi Ro drug paraphernalia d an a an iju ar m of on/possession Drug Abuse: Violati at 11:21 p.m. January 18 est Water Street at drunkenness on W ic bl pu d an s es nn encies: Drunke Assisting other ag llege Apartments nsumption at the Co co ge ra 2:40 a.m. de un d an ishing to minors Liquor laws: Furn at 3:40 a.m. January 19 Hall at 12:03 a.m. otics in Musselman rc na s ou er ng da of on/possession Drug abuse: Violati
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A&E ♦
Thursday, January 22,
2015
This Week at the Majestic I n R e v i e w : T h e 2 0 1 5
Golden Globe Awards
B y C handler R obertson S taff W riter
“Oscar Nominated” Imitation Game PG-13
Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the life of one of Britain’s most tragic unsung heroes, mathematician Alan Turing who cracked the German’s Enigma Code which helped win World War II. Friday (1/23) - 7:15 PM Saturday (1/24) - 4:15 PM and 7:15 PM Sunday (1/25) - 2:15 PM and 5:15 PM Monday - Thursday (1/26 - 1/29) - 7:15 PM
The Award Season for film, television and music is now in full swing, with the Golden Globes kicking it off on Jan. 11th. The Globes are a unique combination of Television and Film, as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association chooses their favorites from the past year. Comedians Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosted the award show this year for their second time, although this year will be their last. This year continued the trend of closing the gap between Television and Film. In the past, the television industry often found itself playing second fiddle to the film industry, however with the increase in platforms through which television series can be viewed TV is moving up the ladder. Two of the past year’s best Television offerings were nominated in the Mini-Series or TV Movie Categories, with the show “Fargo” defeating the popular “True Detective.” The other trend that continued was the prevalence
Foxcatcher R
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Friday (1/23) - 7:00 PM Saturday (1/24) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Sunday (1/25) - 1:30 PM and 4:15 PM Monday - Thursday (1/26 - 1/29) - 7:00 PM
If Interested, please email the A&E section editor @ Davera01
WZBT’s Top Adds & Albums of the Week 1 SLEATER-KINNEY Start Together SUB POP 2 LIAM HAYES Slurrup Fat Possum 3 DECEMBERISTS What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Capitol [*Inputting as the “Make You Better” single as of 1/19] 4 BC CAMPLIGHT How To Die In the North Bella Union 5 JON HARDY AND THE PUBLIC Restless City Self-Released
served as a trasition in the award show from the television awards to the film awards. I n F i l m , t h e nominees were perhaps less overwhelming than last year, if only just. Wins were evenly distributed amongst several of the favorites. Unexpectedly, The Imitation Game did not take home a Globe despite earning five nominations. “Boyhood,” the massive twelve year project of Richard Linklater won thrice, including Richard Linklater winning Best Director, Patricia Arquette winning Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, and the film taking home the award for Best Drama. Eddy Redmayne was named Best Actor in a Drama for his role as Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” a marginal surprise, as many expected Benedict Cumberbatch to emerge victorious for his role in “The Imitation Game.” “Grand Budapest Hotel” pulled another marginal upset over “Birdman “in the Best Comedy or Musical category, although “Birdman” still holds to hope as it will compete in the Drama category in the upcoming Academy Awards.
Like Movies? Art Exhibits? Music? Award Shows?
The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher lead by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to tragedy. Starring Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, and Channing Tatum. Winner-Best Director award-2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Top 5 Adds
of online programming amongst nominees and winners. Amazon Prime’s comedy Transparent was nominated for Best Comedy, and actor Jeffrey Tambor won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy for his role on the show. Additionally, Kevin Spacey won Best Actor in a Drama for his role on “House of Cards,” the Netflix original political thriller. House of Cards was also nominated for Best TV Drama, along with Game of Thrones and the oft nominated but never awarded “The Good Wife,” all of which were defeated by “The Affair.” Network television was dominated by premium cable along with online programming; not a single network performer or show winning a Globe. This year’s Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award went to George Clooney, who has proven himself to be one of the most dedicated and accomplished actors in Hollywood, as well as an adept director. Coupled with his activism in the global community, Clooney was an excellent choice for the Award. The presentation of this award
Gateway Theater Movie Showtimes
FRIDAY JANUARY 23RD THRU WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28TH **NO SHOWS AFTER 8PM MONDAY THRU THURSDAY**
**BARGAIN TUESDAYS – ALL SEATS $5 – ADDITIONAL FEE FOR 3D** **EXCLUDING THE WEDDING RINGER THIS WEEK** BOLSHOI BALLET: SWAN LAKE NO PASSES SUNDAY JANUARY 25TH 12:55PM EVENT PRICING
Top Albums 1 CJ RAMONE Last Chance To Dance Fat Wreck Chords 2 AJ DAVILA Y TERROR AMOR Beibi Burger 3 PARQUET COURTS Content Nausea What’s Your Rupture? 4 FLAKE MUSIC When You Land Here, It’s Time To Return: Reissue SUB POP 5 MARIANNE FAITHFULL Give My Love To London Easy Sound 6 MEATBODIES Meatbodies In The Red 7 ARIEL PINK Pom Pom 4AD 8 YAWN Love Chills Old Flame 9 MOGWAI Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1. Rock Action 10 TV ON THE RADIO Seeds Harvest Check out WZBT Gettysburg College radio to find out about top picks! Stay updated by liking WZBT’s Facebook page or follow them on twitter @WZBT or @WZBTPlaylist
STRANGE MAGIC PG NO PASSES (1:30) (4:30) 7:15 9:35 MORTDECAI R I.D. REQUIRED (1:15) (4:15) 7:35 10:00 NO PASSES THE BOY NEXT DOOR (2:00) (4:40) 7:40 9:50 AMERICAN SNIPER (1:00) (4:00) 7:00 9:50
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Thursday, January 22,
Women’s Center/ LGBTQA Advocacy & Education invites students to grand opening B y J anelle S mith W omen ’ s C enter C orrespondent
The campus community is invited to join the Women’s Center and LGBTQA Advocacy & Education to celebrate the grand opening of our brand new space,
located on the first floor of Apple Hall! This event will take place on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 from 4:00 pm to 6 p.m. Dean Ramsey will deliver opening remarks at 4:30 p.m. Come and learn about our upcoming events and programming, have your picture taken in
2015
Fit to be Tied “Sledding” B y E lliott H irsch C artoon C olumnist
our photo booth and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments. We hope to see you there! For more information, please visit the Women’s Center’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/gburgwomenscenter.
Photo Courtesy of The Women’s Center at Gettysburg College.
On Friday, January 23, The Center will have its grand opening on the first floor of Apple Hall. The Center includes both the Women’s Center and LGBTQA Advocacy and Education.
2015: the year to broaden the term ‘environmentalist’ B y J ulia R entsch GECO C orrespondent
Between the hundreds of climate activists who ran for federal, state, and local offices, the people who took to the streets to protest, and the millions of people who made choices in their lives with the environment in mind, you could say that environmentalists were on fire in 2014. Of course, since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found 2014 to also be the hottest year on record, actually catching fire was not out of the realm of possibility. Since environmental issues have cemented themselves into mainstream politics (Keystone XL, the Lima Climate Change Conference, the fracking ban in New York, the drought in California, etc) the beginning of 2015 is an important time to reflect on what it really means to be an environmentalist and why everyone should (to some degree) be one. Though stereotypes of people who care about environmental issues usually depict a vegan liberal who wears hemp and has a propensity for hiking, assumptions and misjudgments are no reason to classify caring about people and the planet (environmentalism) as unfitting to you. Do not let politics throw you off, either: climate change is not inher ently a political issue, but has been made one thanks to think tanks and politicians funded by heavy investments in fossil fuels. People can still embrace whatever party’s ideals while also being cognizant of current
and future environmental damages. Remember, 97% of scientists agree that climate change is not only real, but also is definitively caused by human activities. These are scientists with diverse backgrounds, affiliated with both major political parties, who are producing honest reports about our problems based on research because that is simply what they do (as opposed to cooking up scare-tactic schemes). The discourse surrounding the issue is not as clear as it should be because of mistakes, misunderstandings and outright lies in the political sphere and on TV. Unfortunately, numerous conservative talk-show hosts who speak to their large audiences about why humancaused climate change must be a sham use incorrect and invented “facts” that can be dismissed by a single search on Google Scholar. Such muddling of the discourse is part of what makes the task of transforming our world into one that no longer exploits the safety of its people and the integrity of its land such a gargantuan task; one that, despite the movements forward in Lima last year, will not come to an end any time soon without everyone (everyone!) on board. What I am saying is, if you have not been making the most eco-friendly decisions in the past, there is still room in the movement for you, no matter the role you wish to take, because you are needed. Every liberal, conservative and all those between are needed for this movement; everyone who appreci-
ates our planet’s biodiversity and wants it to remain full of life; everyone who believes that greed should not be causing natural disasters that bring suffering to millions of people; everyone who does not wish to exploit others, especially the world’s poor; everyone who believes in justice. There are no rules that say you have to be vegan or make your own clothes in order to be an asset to the environmental movement. How about skipping meat once or twice a day and buying clothes secondhand instead of new? Choosing cleaning supplies that do not contain funky chemicals or dyes? Recycling vigilantly? Taking a laptop to class instead of printing? Though some of these are more impactful than others, they are basic habits that everyone should adopt. We should also recognize the plurality of identities of the people who call themselves environmentalists and not pigeonhole them in our minds as a fringe group, like the media would have us believe. You may not currently believe that you are the type of person to make environmentally conscientious decisions, but in truth the environmental movement is extremely diverse. Calling yourself an environmentalist is not just for liberals, not just for women, not just for gardeners or for hikers; let us all work towards a world in which everybody cares about our impact on the planet and on other people. 2015 holds so much promise; let us make Gettysburg proud.
Jay Smooth speaks at 35th Annual Celebration of MLK Jr. B y J amie W elch S taff W riter
The 35th Annual Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. was held in Christ Chapel on Jan. 19. The event was a celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. King and featured Jay Smooth as the Keynote Speaker and the famed Morgan State University Choir provided musical selections. The evening began with a musical prelude by the Biglerville High School Jazz Band, led by band director Jamie Cope. Following the prelude, Cope was recognized for over ten years of involvement in the annual event. After the award presentation, Gettysburg College President Janet Morgan Riggs welcomed the campus to the event and thanked the organizers for all of their dedication in putting the event together. College Chaplain Reverend Dr. Joseph Donnella gave the invocation and then the Morgan State University Choir presented melodious musical selections, including a selection that beautifully set to music the entirety of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Keynote Speaker Jay Smooth gave an address titled “On Hip Hop, Race, and Politics: The Way We Talk About Things.” Jay Smooth is founder and host of New York City’s longest running hip-hop radio program, WBAI’s “The Underground Railroad,” which he launched in 1991 when he was only a teenager. He is
also the mastermind behind the hip hop and politicallyoriented video blog “The Ill Doctrine,” (illdoctrine.com), where he serves up contemporary observation on topics of race, politics, music and pop culture. A leading voice in the sociopolitical realm, Smooth gained national attention with his video “How To Tell People They Sound Racist,” in which he humorously yet thoughtfully describes how to have the awkward “thats ou nd ed -r acis t” con ver s a tion. In 2011, he was invited to speak at TEDx, where he encouraged the audience to stop dancing around the topic and actively embrace conversations about race. As the son of an African American father and a white mother, Smooth credits his mixed race heritage for his “unique position to travel between different worlds.” S mo o th co u n ts amo n g h is legions of fans Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, who has referred to him as a “genius” for his cultural commentary. Wired has called him “the hardest blogging man in hiphop” and Salon named him one of its “Sexiest Men Living” in 2008. In addition to his media accolades, Smooth provides music commentary to NPR and is the creator of the website hiphopmusic.com. In 2013, Smooth joined Colorlines.com as its Video and Multimedia Producer. In his address, Smooth focused on drawing connections between the writings and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King and the rights
movements of today, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Smooth said that though many think that the work of Dr. King is done, it is not. All Americans are guaranteed equal civil rights but not equal human rights. Smooth posited, “What good is being able to sit at a segregated lunch counter if you can’t afford to buy a hamburger?” Smooth charged his audience not to wait for a charismatic leader to do the work for them, but to do the work themselves. Smooth said that the young people of today are doing a lot of things right, and that a new call for equal human rights for all is sweeping the nation in the wake of incidents such as the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. He called on everyone to work together to finish the work that Dr. King started, even if no great victories are achieved, because although the work will not be easy, it is instrumental. Following Smooth’s address, the Morgan State University Choir and the entire congregation joined t o g e t h e r t o c l o s e t h e c e lebration with an emotional rendition of “We Shall Overcome,” the same song that hundreds of thousands sang in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. when they came to hear Dr. King describe his dream that one day, a country “sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
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OPINIONS Page 5
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Thursday, January 22,
2015
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.
To the Sticking Place An Imminent Battle with Student Loans B y S tephany H arrington S taff W riter Although I do not personally feel the burden of college tuition just yet, I know that I will very soon. Only a few months out of college, my sister was instantly hounded to start paying back her student loans. While we understood that was the agreement when we signed for the student loans, it feels less than fair that the government expects us to pay back these loans almost immediately out of college. It’s funny that they would do that because how is an unemployed graduate supposed to pay for school more than a current student? And when I thought about it, it was not really funny at all. It was smart. The government will readily distribute these student loans, but only if they are getting something in return. And with the interest on student loan payments, this is guaranteed. So while recent graduates struggle to stand up on their own two feet and find a job, they must also be responsible for paying back student loans, with additional interest. And yes I know, this is what we signed up for, we agreed to these loans, but we only agreed to them because we desperately needed them. How else were our families supposed to pay for $60,000 a year at school? Several news commentators discuss the government’s involvement in higher education and how it is directly related to price inflation. When the government offers students loans, the institutions raise their tuitions because now the students can
“afford it.” Of course schools know that families actually cannot afford it, which causes the students to seek more loans, which then gets the government involved again. This problem is only getting worse for students as tuition continues to rise each year. As I have already discussed in a previous article, when will the bubble pop? When will college be too expensive that most people decide it just isn’t worth it? Until then we are handing our money right into the pocket of the institutions and the government. There is still a debate about how much the government is actually making from student loans, but there certainly is a profit. The added interest really hikes up their return and allows them to benefit from our increasing debt. Despite that many students could not have gotten through college without federal aid, the illusion that it benefits us is astounding. Many articles discuss that starting work just out of high school would make us more profitable than coming out of college with mountains of loan debt and uncertain job prospects. Not all of us want to be engineers or have business degrees, but then we are told we should have chosen more practical majors. People preach that to us, but then they will turn around and say that we should follow our hearts and major in anything that we want. “College is a time for learning, you don’t have to decide what you want to do right away.” Well, despite that sweet sentiment, some days I feel like I should have taken more economics classes (even though I hated it) because perhaps I would have
more job security. That is another aspect that is so frustrating: the constant dismissal of arts and humanities. The way people discuss them–it is as if they have no value at all. I am a history major and therefore automatically disagree with that sentiment. The problem really is society’s need to attribute something’s value with wealth and money. That of course could be another article entirely, but I at least had to mention the capitalist implications and consequences of choosing a college major. It is true that I could have chosen a major that led me to a more stable and guaranteed career path. My sister was a nursing major and every place needs a nurse, so she was guaranteed a job somewhere. However, although she has a stable job in a career that she loves, that doesn’t change that fact that she is still struggling to pay her loans back. Because even with her stable income, between rent and groceries the general cost of living today does not accommodate a lot of leftover cash, especially to pay student loans and the additional interest. It would seem that it doesn’t really matter which major you choose or what career you end up with. Of course a high-paying job absolutely helps, but does not change the fact that the system was stacked against us from the beginning. We keep on giving and they keep on taking. And at the end of the day, regardless of what job we have, we will all just be staring at a bill with far too many zeros and not enough money to make them go away.
Support young innovators through lemonade stands
Source: rachaelvoorhees on Flickr
B y J esse D e M artino & B renton S lotoroff C ontributing W riters As we reflect on our childhood, we realize our first business ventures came at fairly young ages. My first enterprise started at about eight. Brent feels his was at ten. We both laugh when we think about it because it only lasted a day and all we had in our pockets was a measly few dollars and a face full of sunburn. What was this failed attempt at running a business you may ask? It was a lemonade stand. We all did them, but was anyone ever successful? Some might wager to guess that the reason we failed was because the quality of our product was inferior to that of our competitors. That wasn’t it. Others think it was because of our location. We didn’t set up in the center of town, we were just working out of our front yards. But we’ll tell you the real reason: it was because no one stopped to buy it. This memory isn’t really a memory at all. Why? Because we don’t remember it, but are fairly sure it happened. Now, as 21-year-olds
with a better wherewithal for business, we are happy to say that we contribute to every local lemonade stand that we pass. We don’t do it just to be friendly, and we certainly don’t do it because of random lemonade cravings. We do it to send a message, one that is powerful and one that will stick. We send this message by delivering a few simple sentences to the kids every time. I [Jesse] always tell them that I admire their entrepreneurial spirit and explain to them that this country was built by capitalism. I then dumb it down for them by telling them that it’s awesome to see them working hard to make some money. As I leave I give a generous donation of about one or two dollars, which is normally six or seven times the price they ask for. Brent goes for the more academic approach. First he draws their attention by asking to see their books to make sure their profits are legit. Then he goes into a deep ramble about business ethics and the importance of adapting to the market. Right before he lulls them to sleep with the story of Enron catastrophic collapse a parent usually comes out and asks what the hell is he doing drawing
equations on a white board in front of their nine-year-old. He nods his head, leaves a few dollars and tells them to keep up the good work However, is it weird that we do this? Eh, we don’t think so. Our line of thought is one that leads me to believe that if we influence enough young lemonade salesmen and leave lasting memories in their head, they will go out in their lives and continue to make something of their selves by taking advantage of our great country. Society needs more children who turn a nice day into an opportunity. Although they may not view it as such, the principles of hard work, persistency, and ambition are all embedded within a lemonade stand. So keep in mind, whenever you drive by a lemonade stand, take a minute out of your life, drop a dollar on their table and send a message of positive reinforcement. Who knows, you might be making a huge difference in the direction of someone’s life. If the message isn’t received as profoundly, then oh well, at least you made a kid happy.
Red v. Blue
A weekly column where Gettysburg’s College Republicans and Democrats debate topics in the news. This week College Republicans discuss:
Crony Capitalism By Timothy Meads College Republicans If you were a legal lager aficionado at Governor Tom Wolf’s inauguration party, you might have been scouring the bar looking for your favorite adult beverage: the glorious Yuengling beer. Yuengling is America’s oldest brewing company and Pennsylvanians have enjoyed it since 1829. Founded by a German immigrant, the business became a well-respected firm and has employed thousands of Pennsylvanians. So why didn’t the Pennsylvania Governor want it at his party? The company isn’t unionized. Why should that deter Tom Wolf from supplying their libations to the people who elected him? No, the answer isn’t that Tom Wolf and his elitist pals only quaff Stella Artois and the finest Pinot Grigios. The real answer is this is a classic example of Big Government sleeping with Big Business, or in this case Big Unions. Anytime Big Government gets involved with Big anything, it spells troubles. While this case may seem trivial, the sentiment and message that has been sent is not: agree with Tom Wolf and the unions, or your company will pay the price. This precedent is not specific to Tom Wolf alone, he probably learned it from his buddies in D.C. Kickbacks abound across America for those who support corrupt officials. The problem does not lie within the Democratic Party per se, but within a leftist and statist mindset that pervades the American government and exploits the taxpayers, whose hard earned dollars are doled out in exchange for votes or personal financial gain. Business officials who seek to profit on the backs of the taxpayer know these corrupt public servants exist and take advantage of their greed. The oldest case of Crony Capitalism is the building of the transcontinental railroad. The Credit Mobilier scandal set up a system in which the federal government subsidized the Union Pacific railroad. A certain amount of money, often inflated, was allotted for each mile built across America. This meant the longer the rail itself, the more the railroads stood to make money. To make matters worse, companies knew they had to keep in good standing with Congressmen. Like any crony capitalist, these businessman sold company stocks to Congressmen at a cheaper rate. This meant so long as the government
supplied funding, all officials involved would make profit. Eventually this scandal was exposed and halted, but the government simply gave a slap on the wrist to those involved. The lack of punishment foreboded a great danger to the American taxpayer. The secret was out. Tax dollars could be used to bribe companies as long as companies could ensure political victory. Fast forward to 2009 and over many cases of crony capitalism to the Stimulus Package, promising new jobs and a rejuvenated economy. Critics warned this bill would be laden with pork barrel spending, but the promises set forth by Barack Obama seemed too tempting to resist. The critics were right. The $787 billion stimulus package failed the American taxpayer. It wasn’t all gloom though; businesses and unions who supported Obama’s presidential run gained incredible amounts of revenue. Billionaire Elon Musk has been thriving off the taxpayer since 2009. Musk donated the maximum amount of $35,800 dollars to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008 and has helped raised hundreds of thousands for Democratic candidates across the country. One of his numerous government-backed companies is Solar City, a company that installs solar panels. Solar City received $11 million dollars in the stimulus, but through a tax program has received more than $442 million dollars in tax credits. According to Watchdog.org, this company is now being investigated by the government for overpricing its products. The more expensive the product is, the higher the taxes are on it and Solarcity can yield more profit through tax credits. One might wonder if Elon Musk got his business model from the railroad owners in the late 1800s. Interestingly enough, Musk applied for another massive loan upwards of $300 million from the Department of Energy, but was denied. He quickly found the funding in the private market and for good reason: it is profitable to be in business with a man who is in bed with the government. Most recently Elon Musk came to help another Democrat get re-elected, Governor Cuomo in New York. Cuomo failed to turn around Buffalo’s ailing economy and needed a bailout. Musk came to the rescue and promised to move Solar City to the beleaguered upstate city. In return, Musk received $750 million from the state of the New York and lucrative benefits, such as paying a $1 a year
property tax on his company’s factory. He created jobs, but how much more beneficial would it have been to just cut state taxes and city taxes to make Buffalo a viable option for businesses? Furthermore, how is this not disrupting the market by giving Solarcity privilege over a potential competitor that could outperform Musk in the free market? A plethora of jobs would have been created, but Governor Cuomo would have lost reelection. To save his own skin, Cuomo sacrificed the taxpayer to the corporations. Democrats will be quick to argue that the stimulus bill and government spending create jobs for millions of Americans. What they do not understand is that these jobs are often temporary, are funded by tax payers and distort the market. Billions of dollars are spent unwisely on maleficent products. Big money benefits big business, leaving the taxpayer in the dust. This rampant corruption cheapens products, reduces efficiency and creates distrust of our government. The market cannot function because those with government connections have the competitive edge over those who do not. Consider the example of Musk’s solar panels: he was incentivized to charge more to a select few who could afford the panels rather than try to innovate and create an efficient, cheaper panel for the masses. This is not capitalism, this is Crony Capitalism. It prevents sustainable job growth and much needed inventions like viable, cheap renewable energy from emerging in the free market. Democrats will also point to numerous examples of this from the Republican side, and they have a valid point. But those Republicans are not true Conservatives. This problem is bipartisan. Any liberal with an R or D next to their name thinks the government can dictate the economy and reap the benefits. Whether it’s as simple as beer or as complex as solar energy, companies are taking advantage of government subsidies. My advice to any free market advocate is to grab your Statist friend, sit them down with a Yuengling, and explain that while we’re getting drunk off beer, fat cats with connections are getting drunk with our taxpayers dollars. Read next week’s paper for a reply from College Democrats. Interested in College Republicans? E-mail Harry Fones at foneha01.
Got an Opinion? Email weisju02 for more information!
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
SPORTS Women’s basketball team falls to Swarthmore Page 6
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Thursday, January 22,
2015
Gettysburg wins Gettysburg Tournament, competing against Hood College, Neumann University B y C laire H ealey S taff W riter The women’s basketball team has been back in Gettysburg since December 30 and they have been hard at work ever since. On Jan. 5, the team took first place in the Gettysburg Tournament competing against Hood College, Neumann University and Wilkes University. First facing Hood College, the lady Bullets won in a 56-41 final. Meanwhile, Neumann University rose victorious 58-45 over Wilkes University. This win led Neumann to face Gettysburg and Gettysburg battled to success with a 64-56 win. Senior captain Jenna Swope described her thoughts on the tournament: “Neumann was definitely no easy contest. I’m really proud of how we were able to fight back and get a great team victory.” Swope’s three-pointer in the second half of the championship
game gave Gettysburg its first lead against Neumann. Senior captain, Samantha Pagel, also was a great attribute to this victory. Pagel had a break-out twenty-eight-point game against Neumann University. With an additional nine rebounds, four assists and two steals she received the Sally Musselman Outstanding Player award for the tournament. Pagel believes that the winter break training benefited the team both on and off the court: “During these past couple weeks, our team definitely bonded more so than we previously were, and I think this has been particularly evident on the court, which has been great!” This victory marks the fifth time Gettysburg won the tournament since 2008 and marked the team’s tenth consecutive win of the season, one of the best streaks in the team’s history. Unfortunately, the Bullets could not keep their winning streak
Photo courtesy of GCC&M
First year, Annie Reilly, scored 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks against Swarthmore last Saturday. forever. On January 10, Muhlenburg College gave the Bullets their first loss, in a close 46-47 battle. Gettysburg held the Mules off 46-45 until the final 43 seconds, when
a lay-in pushed Muhlenburg past the Bullets. Although the loss was unfortunate, the closeness of the game proved the evenly matched talent of the teams and gives hope for victory later on in the sea-
son. The order of games was unfortunate since the next battle for the Bullets to face was against the Haverford Fords. The Fords are ranked at the top of the conference. Always being a tough match-
up season to season, the Bullets were unable to come out victorious losing 33-59. The Bullets struggled in the last two games of winter break, travelling to Ursinus College and Swarthmore College and facing defeat in both locations. Both games were close, however. Gettysburg lost by three points in each, with the final being 48-51 against Ursinus and 66-69 against Swarthmore. Although the women’s basketball team has faced a difficult streak of games, there is much hope for the rest of the season. With all of the success already proven from the team, there is faith that the lady Bullets will be sure to rebound and bring home some wins soon. Ranked in the top half of the Centennial Conference, we can be sure to see a lot more from them. The Bullets will host Washington College this Saturday, January 24, at 1:00 pm.
Men’s basketball wins three consecutive games Sophomore Tanner Kirkpatrick scores eighteen points against Swarthmore By Stephanie Karalis Staff Writer
The Gettysburg men’s basketball team (10-5, 6-2 CC) ended Swarthmore men’s basketball team’s three-win winning streak after leaving their gym with a W Saturday afternoon. All five of the Gettysburg men’s basketball starters ended the game with double digits on the scoreboard. The first quarter started off with a three pointer made by senior Barkley from Swarthmore College. Soon after two more three pointers were added to the scoreboard by Swarthmore. However, junior Kevin
Gladstone assisted Gettysburg by sinking two solid free throws. The Bullets continued putting up shots, but the man who brought the Bullets back into the game was sophomore Tanner Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick scored 15 points in the first half. The lead scoring team in the game consistently flipflopped back and forth in the first half. Unfortunately, in the last 0:44 seconds of the first half, Swarthmore took the leading victory when first year, Zack Yonda put two points up on the board. Both teams had a hard time taking a solid lead in the beginning of the second half.
Junior David Kaiser placed third out Photo courtesy of GCC&M of thirty eight competitors in the long jump.
Within the first 4 minutes and 21 seconds, the crowd watched the lead change seven times. But after a long fight by both teams, senior Sean Gordon ended that battle by sinking a 3-pointer leaving the Bullets in the lead for the duration of the game (39-37). A layup made by first year Robbie Walsh put Swarthmore only seven points behind the Bullets with 11:05 minutes left in the game. The Gettysburg men’s basketball team then had a 9-0 run resulting in the largest lead in the game (54-41). This 9-point run was fueled by sophomore Pete Christ and was finished off by junior Kevin Gladstone.
Winning the third game in a row wasn’t the only success of the Swarthmore game. Kirkpatrick scored a game high of 18 points, five assists and had five rebounds. Gordon put up 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Keifer had a season-high of 15 points. Christ and Gladstone tossed in 11 points. Gettysburg broke its season record with a 90% success rate at the free throw line. This victorious game placed Gettysburg fourth in the conference and tied with Dickenson. Come out to Bream Gym to watch the basketball team play this Saturday at 3:00 pm against Washington College.
Gettysburg men’s wrestling team snags three big wins Men’s wrestling matches their record for most total wins in dual meets in the past decade By Michael Boncardo staff Writer The Gettysburg men’s wrestling team came out strong in their home opener last weekend. The Bullets scored three wins, improving to 7-1 overall and equaling their record for most total wins in dual meets over the last decade. Gettysburg edged out non-conference opponents Penn College, King’s College, and Southern Virginia University in a day that was full of standout performances by many athletes. Both upperclassmen and first year athletes put out some
very impressive numbers. First years Anthony Puca (197), Lenny Ogozalek (125), and Quinn Merrigan (149) each recorded two pins each. Sophomore Camden Stoops (184) and junior Tyler Cunningham (174) also posted two victories. The meet began with Gettysburg taking an early lead against Penn College. A quick pin by first year Lenny Ogozalek (125) and a 10-4 decision win by senior Matt Laux (133) gave the Bullets two early victories. The Wildcats surged back, winning the next four matches and taking a commanding 9-15 lead. The Bullets recovered beauti-
Photo courtesy of ,GCC&M
First year Lenny Ogozalek was named athlete of the week after recieving three wins last week.
fully and three straight pins by Camden Stoops (184), sophomore, Mike Burek (285), first year, and Anthony Puca (197), first year, pushed Gettysburg to a solid 30-15 victory over the Wildcats. Gettysburg faced King’s College in their next matchup. The Bullets fought hard, edging out the Monarchs 26-18 in a bout that consisted of Gettysburg beating the Wildcats 6 consecutive times out of the first 8 matches. Pins by Brandon Carcuffe (165), sophomore and Lenny Ogozalek (125), a first year, helped propel the Bullets to their second of three victories.
The Bullets ended the day with a decisive victory over Southern Virginia University. Gettysburg won 8 out of the 9 matches, with pins by first years Anthony Puca (197) and Quinn Merrigan (149) and a 10-4 decision win by first year Brian Gianforte (165). The Bullets walked away from the contest with an impressive 43-6 victory. The Bullets begin their conference schedule next weekend when they take on Washington & Lee University and the Merchant Marine Academy. You can see them in action at noon on Saturday, January 4th at Johns Hopkins University.
Swimming returns from training in Florida
The Gettysburg men’s swim team remains undefeated at 5-0 after the winter break By Meredith Tombs Staff Writer M e m b e r s o f t h e G e ttysburg swim team, having just returned from their annual training trip over winter break, have launched off the spring semester with renewed enthusiasm. Both the men’s and the women’s teams are looking to continue their successful year in the 2015 season. The men’s swim team stands undefeated at 5-0, and the women’s team holds an impressive 5-1 record thus far. The women’s team lost to Ursinus in a close 106.5-105.5 meet. This year’s week-long training trip took place in Lake Worth, Florida, where the student-athletes were
able to swim twice a day. The West Palm Beach setting was different from previous training trips to Barbados but the Bullets took advantage of the tropical weather all the same by holding their dry land workouts on the beach and soaking in the southern sun. The Fairfield Inn & Suites provided an ideal location with access to a 50 meter facility. This offered a host of different training opportunities and allowed the swimmers to focus on their distance training. “It’s always nice to get out in the real world as a team,” says Josh Kiehl, a sophomore on the swim team. In addition to the physical training aspects of the trip, the Florida venture also
Photo courtesy GCC&M
Haley Weaver and the team jumps back in the pool this week .
offered a mid-season opportunity for extended team bonding. After losing both the performance and leadership of a number of graduated students from last season, the members of this year’s team have really stepped up and made the necessary adjustments. “The team’s new first
years have done a great job fitting in and adjusting to college-level performance,” says Lizzy Butler, sophomore. Butler is looking forward to her team’s showing at the upcoming Centennial Conference meet, which is being held at Gettysburg this year. The 2015 Centennial
Conference is scheduled to take place from Feb. 20-22 in the John F. Jaeger Center. Under the leadership of head coach Mike Rawleigh and assistant coaches Jillian Hancock and Cami Rawleigh, the Bullets have been preparing for their strongest competitors, such as, Franklin & Marshall and Ursinus. Fortunately, the Gettysburg swim team will get a chance to compete against Franklin and Marshall’s new team in a near two weeks, Feb. 7, at the Kunkel Aquatic Center, in Lancaster PA. “We’ve got some really tough competition ahead of us, but we’re ready,” says Caroline Moyer, sophomore. Moyer has already broken a number of Gettysburg and
Conference records this season for the breaststroke. She ranks 13th in Division III collegiate swimming with a time of 2:22.42 in the 200-breaststroke. While excited about her performance so far this season, Moyer is also pleased with the growth of the team this year. “I love the camaraderie. We don’t just race as individuals, because we know we’re all in it together.” The Bullets will travel to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, on Saturday, Jan. 24, for their next meet. Saturday, Jan. 31, Gettysburg will host Swarthmore College at 2 p.m.