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Volume CXVI, No. 22
National One major issue facing the U.S. in the wake of the terrorist acts in Paris is whether to accept Syrian refugees. GOP governors and lawmakers support banning the refugees from entering. However, President Obama disagrees and supports welcoming immigrants into the U.S. despite the tragedy. Republicans are attempting to stop the Obama administration from resettling the refugees. Senator Ted Cruz of South Carolina believes refugees should “be resettled humanely in Middle Eastern countries.” The U.S. has accepted over 2,000 refugees since the civil war started in March 2011. The divide appears to be mostly along party lines, as the majority of Republican governors are attempting to stop the influx of refugees while the majority of Democrat governors have said they will continue to accept them.
International French authorities initiated a raid of the hideout of the ringleader of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The building attacked is located in Saint-Denis, a suburb in Paris. The French President has extended France’s state of emergency for three more months, and he will appeal to other leaders, including President Obama, to deal with the terrorists effectively. The tragic attack left 129 people dead and hundreds wounded. The extremist group ISIS, which has taken root in Syria, has directed reckless tactics and horrifying displays of violence against those who do not agree with their version of Islam. Post-attacks, France has become more heavily involved in the fight against ISIS, as it has more of a personal stake. Russia, too, is prepared to fight against terrorists in Syria, although they have a different opinion on how it should be done. This week’s “Top Stories” were compiled by Kayla Britt with information from CNN (www.cnn.com) and Project Syndicate (www. project-syndicate.org)
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
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Attacks in Paris reverberate through Gettysburg Study-abroad students and French faculty feel the effects of the attacks B y B rendan R aleigh E ditor - in -C hief A series of terrorist attacks took place in Paris, France this past week, killing more than 120 people and injuring over 400. The attacks, which occurred on the evening of Friday, Nov. 13, consisted of numerous coordinated bombings and mass shootings throughout the city. While investigations are still underway, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attacks. French and American authorities have expressed their beliefs that the Islamist militant group is responsible. French President Francois Hollande has referred to the attacks as “acts of war” and said that, in response, France will “lead the fight” against the perpetrators. Though the attacks took place nearly 4,000 miles away from Gettysburg, they have nevertheless had their effects on the Gettysburg College Community. “The events of this past weekend are still very heavy to bear,” said Professor Florence Jurney, a native of France and the chair of the Gettysburg French department. “Some of us on campus are French Nationals, others have been adopted by France and see it as their home away from home. The landscape that is so familiar to us will be altered for months to come, and people will have to find ways to grieve.” “[My reaction] was pretty much what everyone was feeling,” said Professor Jack Murphy, another member of
the college’s French department. “Shock and sadness and anger, too.” To help his students understand the attacks and how they were affecting France, Murphy and his classes went through French newspapers to analyze the reactions of French politicians and how the envisioned the country moving forward. The day after the attacks occurred, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Paul Redfern sent an email out to the college to confirm that all study-abroad students were “safe and accounted for.” Of the study-abroad students, those in the Aix-enProvence program were physically closest to the attacks – around 400 miles away from Paris. Even from that distance, students still felt the gravity of the situation. “Overall, we all felt slightly unsafe,” said Junior Alec Cottone. “Though most of us were far away from the tragedy, it still felt close and personal. While I have not talked to many French people about the attacks, everyone seems to be remaining strong. […] The French will not let this stop their daily lives. They will all continue to soldier on.” Junior Shannon Doyle was staying in Paris at the time of the attacks. “At first, we thought it was a car crash or something like that, but we noticed that the police response was abnormally quick and was followed by multiple fire trucks and ambulances,” said Doyle. “Not knowing what was happening,
we went downstairs to the lobby of our hotel to see a lot of bystanders looking onto the situation. One man I asked had said that he heard an explosion in the restaurant but there were rumors of gunshots as well.” Doyle continued, “There is a profound air sadness and somberness. There is an air of sadness and somberness, similar I would imagine to that after 9/11, though I was too young to really remember. [...] There is too, however, a sense of solidarity. When we left our hotel in Paris the next day, the few people that were out in the road were talking with one another, grieving together and trying to process what had happened.” To show support for France and the victims of the attack, Gettysburg students back on campus organized a vigil for the victims of the attacks. Meghan O’Donnell, a sophomore and a French major, planned the vigil, which will take place on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the CUB Ballroom. “I organized the vigil in part as a way to honor [the professors who are from France] and their families, friends and neighbors in France,” said O’Donnell. “However, I also organized the vigil to join together the members of the Gettysburg College Community in solidarity and with the understanding that we are part of a larger human community.” In addition to honoring the victims of the Paris attacks, O’Donnell stated that the vigil also will seek to honor the victims of attacks in Beirut and Baghdad. In another show of sup-
Photo Courtesy of Alisa Girard
On Nov. 13, the Islamic extremist group ISIS committed numerous acts of terrorism in Paris, France. France has been on high alert since Al Qaeda affiliates killed 17 people in Jan. 2015. port for the people of France, many around the world and on the Gettysburg College campus have added a filter of the French flag to their profile pictures on Facebook. “The solidarity expressed by Americans has been humbling,” said Professor Jurney. “Those of us living outside
of France have been deeply touched by the many messages of support we have received. We are, and I certainly am, reminded, yet again, of the friendship that unites our two countries.”
BSU sponsors campus-wide “Blackout”
Event seeks to support students who are facing discrimination on U.S. campuses tion.
Photo Courtesy of Ashley Fernandez
Members of the Black Student Union held a Blackout day on Nov. 12 in support of students throughout the country dealing with racism on college campuses. By Julia Sippel News Writer On Thursday, Nov. 12., in the wake of race issues across the country, Gettysburg students participated in a campus-wide Blackout, wear-
Inside This Issue
This Week’s Top Stories
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ing black in support of those students facing discrimination at the University of Missouri and countless others. For those who are not aware, Mizzou has recently been in the news when a peace-
ful protest became a riot, to be watched only in silence by the university president, Tim Wolfe. Students of color felt unsafe in their college environment, eventually calling and obtaining for Wolfe’s resigna-
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“It took the black Mizzou football players refusing to step on the field and a black student by the name of Jonathan Butler going on a hunger strike for Wolfe to finally resign,” said Ja’Nai Harris (‘16). “Following this event, students at Mizzou have been threatened by their peers and forced to feel unsafe on a campus that they were fighting to claim their rightful place in.” What many may not notice is the resonance of these issues for students here in Gettysburg. With the summer’s Confederate flag debate reigniting racial tensions inherent in the borough’s Civil War history, collegiate issues like those in Missouri are far from mythological. “We support them because we are them,” said Raichl Davenport (‘17). “Here at Gettysburg, we have faced similar incidents [since the civil rights movement of the 1960s], however our administrations have made efforts to change things.” Harris elaborates, “Being a Person of Color at a college
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like Gettysburg forces you to choose whether you will assert your identity or not on a daily basis…. They can choose to not take a stand or identify with the struggle of their racial group, however this only continues to support the systematic and institutionalized racism that acts against them.” While Gettysburg is not the subject of CNN-aired riots, these problems unquestionably exist. By standing together on this day, students showed unity with both their fellow students here and those across the country and around the world. “We need a campus culture change,” summarized Davenport. “We need louder, stronger responses from our administrators. We need more than silence from our peers. We need support, acceptance, discussion, and community, and right now, we don’t see that.” The Black Student Union meets every week on Tuesdays at 5 PM, and discusses a variety of issues pertaining to race and diversity on campus and in the community.
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