Fall 2023 Issue 2

Gettysburgian The

Page 12

Unraveling the Strategic Direction “It’s difficult for me to discern what this administration values.”

Volume CXXVIII, Issue No. 2. October 2023.

T he Gettysburgian

1

Editor's Note

- On Unique Experiences By Ella Prieto, Managing and News Editor When I entered Gettysburg College, I had no intention of writing for the school newspaper. In high school, I had only written periodically for an editorial paper we ran, but I never found myself being committed to it. Thus, I find myself very surprised to be writing this note.

At the beginning of my first year here, I struggled immensely. I felt that I did not have friends, missed my home and overall felt miserable. So when my first-year seminar peer learning associate asked the class if we wanted to write for The Gettysburgian, I said yes to give myself something to do.

To my surprise, I found myself loving writing, a task I had never been particularly fond of before. As I wrote more and more articles, I was elevated to the position of Assistant News Editor, serving with our current Editor-in-Chief but then News Editor Laken Franchetti ’24. Being on the Editorial Board was a joy, and I felt that I had truly found my place.

Now, I serve as both the Managing and News Editor this semester, two roles I am honored to have. I find myself looking forward to our meetings, the hours dedicated to editing and creating our magazines and the time we commit to our online content. I cherish every second of doing these roles that I never imagined I would have but which have given me so much happiness and a sense of belonging. I hope you find these two things in every magazine you pick up that we create.

This magazine explores various avenues of campus, from the Interfraternity Council to the College’s musical “The Prom!” It discusses the changes facing Gettysburg College as we reflect on the closing of the Gettysburg Review and the impact of the administration. There are examinations of “cancel culture,” intramural soccer and environmentalism.

Pieces of campus are sprinkled throughout, and I hope you too can also find your place among them.

Managing Editor, The Gettysburgian

2

(Photo Will Oehler/The Gettysburgian)

Ella Prieto, '26

6

Table of Contents

Opinions

Single-Stream Recycling

7“The Prom” at 10 Professor A&E

Feature

Gettysburg

D'Addario

By Anastasia Volciak, Guest Columnist

Leah Nath, Contributing Writer

By Zach Brooks, Social Media Manager

11 The Rise of

16 12 Unraveling the Club Soccer

Cancel Culture

Strategic Direction Spotlight

By Kenzie Smith, Arts & Entertainment Editor

By Laken Franchetti, Editor-in-Chief

20

22

A&E

Opinions

News

Sports

By Owen Kutlu, Staff Writer

Feature

From Gettysburg The Abrupt Closure of the to Dental School: Gettysburg Review Kathryn Van Pelt

By The Gettysburgian Editorial Staff

By Laurel Bennett, Features Editor

T he Gettysburgian

3

Νθτ in Θυr Hθυsε: The IFC Led Program Against Sexual Violence and Assault

By Ella Prieto, Managing and News Editor In February 2020, Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) member Ryan Ahern ’20 showcased his campaign to combat sexual assault titled “Not In Our House.” He gave a presentation to a filled CUB Ballroom, containing brothers of various fraternities across campus.

A month later, however, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Gettysburg College, preventing the program from gaining traction.

Despite this setback, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) prepared to relaunch Not in Our House in the fall semester of 2022, and Caden Simons ’24 and Ries Faller ’22 spearheaded the campaign.

Now, in the fall semester of 2023, Not in Our House has officially been relaunched. Kezmarksy and Case, who still serve in their IFC leadership roles, discussed how they have crafted the program.

They had continued help from Blaugher and McClenon, who also serves as the IFC Advisor. In addition, Executive Director of Counseling and Wellness Krista Dhruv

4

“We are trying to really reach out to different groups and trying to make sure that through this program fraternity members see the benefits and better ourselves,” explained Case.

From those sources, they have implemented features that can be split into two parts: advocacy events and transparency.

The transparency aspect consists of Risk Management Plans being posted on the IFC website. These plans contain blueprints of six out of the seven fraternity houses on campus. They are labeled to show where sober monitors and TIPStrained individuals are located, as well as the areas where food and non-alcoholic beverages are, which are available to all guests during social events.

“If you need to find somebody, you can find where a sober monitor will be on that Risk Management Plan,” said Case. “So if you’re in need of somebody or you need something, that’s another way that we are making that an option for people.”

Additionally, there are now signs in the fraternity houses that state the expectations and rights of guests who attend social events, as well as QR codes to the Risk Management Plans, a site to report concerns and the new Campus Shield App by Campus Safety.

The other aspect, advocacy events, involves three topics: mental health, sexual assault awareness and health and safety. The specific events that corresponded with these were Fresh Check Day, the Consent Fair and Campus Safety Day. The expectation for these events was that 85% of fraternity men would attend at least one event, which was approved by the IFC through a vote. The final percentage was that 90% of fraternity men attended one event, a significant jump in events from last year.

Along with these events is an educational component that is decided and executed on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

“Each chapter coordinates one topic they are interested in learning more about…and that’s an ongoing thing that chapters are expected to do,” stated Case.

Fraternity men are also encouraged to attend speakers brought in through offices like Counseling and Wellness and Sexual Respect and Title IX as well as events like the “It’s On Us Week of Action.”

(Photos Will Oehler /The Gettysburgian)

In the spring semester of 2023, IFC President Jacob Kezmarsky ’24, IFC Director of Community Engagement Chair Cameron Case ’25 and IFC Inclusion Chair Henry Namiot ’23 continued this work.

They collaborated with the Office of Student Activities & Greek Life (OSAGL) Assistant Director Trevor McClenon and Title IX Director Amanda Blaugher to return the program.

and Campus Safety Captain Travis Griffie supported and helped coordinate the IFC’s attendance at advocacy events. Kezmarsky and Case were also guided by the anonymous survey results they received from all fraternity presidents, the Panhellenic Executive Board and all sorority women last spring.

News

When chapters are compliant with all of the Not in Our House rules, they can fly the Not in Our House flag and are acknowledged in the community for their work on violence and sexual assault prevention.

However, Kezmarsky and Case do not anticipate many, if any, houses to not be compliant as they feel that all the chapters have been engaged with the program and report that there has been no pushback.

Other fraternity men have also spoken positively of Not in Our House. Phi Delta Theta’s Risk Manager Rush Ehrhart ’24 commented, “I think the program does a great job at exposing fraternity members to educational information on sexual misconduct and awareness. This makes my job [as Risk Manager] easier, as I am more able to hold those accountable for their actions when they are in the know

with the expectations due to their educational experiences. This in turn creates a safer community at Gettysburg for everyone.”

President of Sigma Chi Michael Baehre ’24 concurred with Ehrhart, stating that the Not in Our House values aligned with Sigma Chi’s as well “Here at Sigma Chi we pride ourselves and having a zero tolerance policy with sexual assault in any way shape or form,” said Baehre.

“We will continue to be an advocate for education and proactive thought on this campus. We want people of all different creeds and convictions to feel welcome and accepted in our house.”

Blaugher also feels the program is valuable: “Since Not In Our House is a completely Student Designed program, it really has allowed for IFC to look at what

topics they want to cover and expand upon to deepen their learning and awareness. Additionally, the desire to increase transparency is important for the entire campus community… Men play a huge role in Violence Prevention, and getting them to a place where they understand that role is essential to see continued change on campus.”

Kezmarsky, who has been essential in bringing back the program, will graduate this year, and his presidency of the IFC ends in December. Despite this, he is confident Not in Our House will continue.

“I have been planning on receiving feedback from a couple of different avenues to see what we are doing well and what we can improve on in the future,” said Kezmarksy. “So I can hand that off to the next person that will run for my position, and they can succeed.” ∎ T he Gettysburgian

5

Opinion

Single-Stream Recycling is Performative Recycling

By Anastasia Volciak, Guest Columnist Living most of my life in Europe, I have seen a plethora of effective multi-stream recycling systems that significantly reduce more waste than the typical single-stream recycling system found in most of the United States. It is unrealistic to change the whole system without additional research being conducted, but America cannot keep recycling only 35% of waste nationwide—a number that has remained fairly constant in the past decade despite claims of progress.

Single-stream recycling, a nationally praised and award-winning method, has been used at Gettysburg College since 2009. Single-stream recycling is a system in which all recyclables are placed into one single bin by the consumer.

The mixed-up recycling is picked up and compacted by trucks before being taken to a materials recovery facility to be sorted—an outdated and expensive process—and sold to markets.

Contamination can come from many sources—if there is more than 5% non-recyclable material, it all gets trashed. Last year, a plastic shipping bag recycling program that ran in CUB examined the proliferation of plastic and

6

Single-stream recycling only works if students know what they should be recycling and care enough to listen.

There should be more easily accessible resources available to students on what can be recycled at Gettysburg and it needs to be consistent—-not just when recycling is trendy on campus during

the “Race to Zero Waste” contest. Old sustainability brochures from the college told students to engage in wishful recycling, ignoring contamination entirely. There is also a false perception that recycling doesn't matter, as WM has been seen putting trash and recycling into the same trucks because their fleet includes “split-body” vehicles, which have 2 compartments to separate trash and recycling.

In order to reduce waste, Gettysburg must move to a dual or multi-stream system. Despite laws that promote the usage of single-stream recycling, municipalities nationwide have begun the transition to dual or multi-stream recycling to appeal more to domestic recycling markets. In Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, the transition allowed collections costs to fall as residents were no longer charged to dispose of paper while tonnage of recycling increased.

Recycling participation rates can remain consistent with either system if there is proper consumer education, but only dual-stream recycling leads to higher-quality and more marketable recycled goods. While it is imperative that we first attempt to reduce our waste, the inefficiencies of the single-stream recycling system across the whole country, not just in Gettysburg, must be addressed if we are to move into a more sustainable future. ∎

(Photo Will Oehler/The Gettysburgian)

Despite widespread praise, there is a serious lack of transparency behind how the waste is sorted. Proponents claim increased consumer participation because of the convenience, but the problems that contamination can cause are being overlooked. Wishful recycling—throwing anything into the recycling bin even if it cannot be recycled—negates the benefits of convenience. It’s easy to throw something in the recycling, thinking that it all gets sorted out. But it doesn’t. Waste Management (WM), the waste collector for Gettysburg, has previously confirmed that it only recycles waste that presents a contamination level of 5% or less, but it hasn’t released how contamination is measured. Nationwide average contamination rates sit at around 25%---how much of Gettysburg’s recycling is being taken straight to a landfill?

Amazon shipping bag contamination in recycling containers throughout the building. Plastic bags are a product that can be recycled only through specialty programs—some companies accept them but trash collectors do not. My involvement in the new glass recycling dropoff point here in Adams County taught me that glass, which is recyclable, is not actually recycled here. WM uses glass to make landfill roads at the materials recovery facility in Elk Ridge, Maryland.

Instead of ending its infinite product life cycle, the glass recycling drop-off point will allow for glass to be reused, as it is intended after CAP Glass, one of the nation's largest recyclers of glass, processes it. We hope to work with facilities to ensure that glass is taken to the dropoff point routinely by employees instead of having to rely on volunteers.

The college should offer more ways to opt into these specialty programs to allow for recyclable material to go to the right place and prevent wasting finite resources.

A&E

Gettysburg College Students to Perform “The Prom!”

by Leah Nath, Contributing Writer The arts departments of Gettysburg College puts on a musical spectacular for the community every two years, and this fall, the performance will be “The Prom!” Director and Theater Arts Professor Chris Kauffman returns after directing last year’s play “Shakespeare in Love.” This year, he is joined by choreographer Bruce Moore, a Broadway actor and native Gettysburgian who joined the Gettysburg stage as a guest director for “Next to Normal” in 2019. Kauffman and Moore are also assisted by musical director and Sunderman Conservatory of Music Voice Professor Susan Hochmiller.

Auditions for the show were held August 28 and 29, bringing in a cast and crew of more than 30 students. With rehearsals beginning the first week of September and stretching until the first week of November, the students and directors will have been preparing and polishing this show for months.

“The Prom” opened on Broadway in November 2018, a full five years before the music would arrive at Gettysburg College’s stage. Jack Viertel designed the original concept for which Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin respectively wrote music and lyrics for. The musical was also adapted into a film in 2020 by Ryan Murphy, starring famous names including Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman and Keegan-Michael Key. The first act begins with two actors, Dee Dee Allen (Adela Holahan ’24)

and Barry Glickman (Aiden Ludka ’23), attempting to improve their reputation after a failed Broadway show. They join efforts with two other struggling actors, Trent Oliver (Logan Sodl ’24) and Angie Dickinson (Libby Drew ’24), to change their public image by helping a young girl in Indiana. Indiana highschooler Emma (Ren Creasey ’26) has had her prom canceled because the community would not allow her to bring her girlfriend.

After protesting, the state attorney rules that the school must reinstate the prom, and Emma’s girlfriend Alyssa (Katie Poliero ’25) promises to come out to the school when they attend the dance. When Emma arrives for the dance, she discovers that the PTA had tricked her, and Alyssa refuses to come out.

The actors begin to step up their game, taking more proactive action to encourage Emma to keep fighting and to address the community.

Emma posts a video online about her struggle for acceptance, which motivates the actors to donate money and organize a queer-inclusive prom. The show is focused around motifs of acceptance, self-pride and empowerment, and it is ultimately a positive, uplifting musical.

many other talented actors and musicians in this musical. My favorite part of any show is always the way that we all become one show together, incorporating our own skills into one production.”

Another actor in the show, Scott Myers ’27, plays one of the highschoolers, and he shared his experience: “I really enjoyed the process, being able to make music in a new way, and engage with a new medium.”

One of the most special aspects of participating in the arts, particularly with stage shows, is the sense of community that is built from the effort necessary to create the performance.

Holahan, a seasoned actress on the Gettysburg College stage said, “My favorite part of every show is how close you get to the people you do it with.”

“The Prom” will open Nov. 2, 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Majestic Theater. ∎

Musicals are a feat to put on, requiring intensive efforts from a great number of people and combining various talents and skills to create an immersive art form.

Evan Hilborn ’25 plays Sheldon in the show and said, “It’s so exciting being able to work with so T he Gettysburgian

7

The Growing Disconnect Between Counseling & Wellness Services and the Student Body

By Sophie Lange, Assistant News Editor Gettysburg College’s Counseling and Wellness Services has long been promoted as a confidential resource for students’ mental health on campus. They provide services such as mental health consultations, workshops, referrals to campus partners, peer support, group and individual treatment and referrals to community partners. The importance of readily available care, diversity in care options, students’ desire to remain autonomous and increased use of resources across campus and in the community are all things the center highlights.

According to the Executive Director of Counseling and Wellness Krista Dhruv, many of the challenges they face surround their need for more participation in their groups and workshops.

Dhruv described the lack of participation as unfortunate: “We [the Counseling and Wellness Center] can reach more students and build peer support systems through these valuable programs.”

“We have limitations on the number of students we can serve for higher level care such as psychiatry and weekly treatment as well as

8

Despite this, Dhruv said the student feedback on their programs has been very positive. Counseling and Wellness Services receives requests for specific workshops that focus on certain groups or topics that the students found to be particularly meaningful. However, Dhruv noted that they did not collect feedback for the clinical services, such as therapy, that they provide. However, the center plans to implement a survey for students who utilized their services to give feedback.

In their description of “Our Approach to Care” on the Counseling and Wellness Services website, they state, “We provide timely access to wellness education and mental health care… [and] help connect students to a wide range of services, including self-help resources, natural support systems, peer support, affinity groups, religious spaces and therapy both on and off campus.”

The Gettysburgian reached out to several students about their experiences with Counseling and Wellness Services. One of the major criticisms from the students about the center was the lack of timely scheduling and the inability to provide adequate mental healthcare.

(Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)

One of the most significant limitations faced by Counseling and Wellness Services is their ability to provide higher-level care for students who need it.

specialized services such as eating disorders and chemical dependency,” Dhruv explained. “These types of limitations are typical for a center of our size which isn’t designed to serve all needs comprehensively. For these services, we refer students to community providers to ensure they get the appropriate care.”

News Katie Poliero ’25 said, “I have experienced firsthand how the center’s lack of proper staffing has delayed scheduling, turned away walk-ins, and shortened appointments to the point that my peers and I are struggling to get the necessary support that we were promised.”

Additionally, the Counseling and Wellness Center has garnered a reputation for turning away students who require higherlevel care rather than referring students to other providers in the greater Gettysburg community.

Situations have occurred in which Counseling and Wellness Services has told students that their mental health was at a manageable level, expressing that the center no longer needed to see them. Later, when the students expressed that they

After telling Dhruv about his challenges with his mental health and adjusting to college, Dhruv told Melinn that she felt he could handle these struggles on his own and that she no longer needed to see him.

Referring to this experience, Melinn said, “They pick and choose who they think they can handle, and tell everyone else not to do appointments because they can’t fit everyone into their schedule.”

When Melinn reached out to Senior Administrative Assistant Dani Mancini about this experience, he said that Dhruv sent him an email stating that he was never denied care but instead, was dealing with symptoms that were more severe than those the center had the ability to treat. Melinn also requested a new therapist in the hope of feeling more comfortable

of Residential and First-Year Programs, deal with topics such as sexual assault, which may be upsetting to some students.

Poliero spoke on the overall shortcomings they found with Counseling and Wellness Services.

“In my opinion, the shortcomings of the counseling center boil down to the vast gap between the extent to which the services are advertised to students and the actual capacity of the center,” said Poliero.

Poliero was able to take on a leadership role during FirstYear Orientation this year, and they were reminded of just how often the college recommends new students to make use of the many services provided by the Counseling and Wellness Center.

“The shortcomings of the counseling center boil down to the vast gap between the extent to which the services are advertised to students and the actual capacity of the center.” -Katie Poliero ’25 felt they still required mental healthcare services, Counseling and Wellness Services told them they required a level of care that was higher than the services they could provide. This was the case for Ryan Melinn ’26.

“I also hoped to see a therapist on campus, because I desperately needed a real therapist, and I was hoping college would be a new beginning for me, where I could actually focus on my mental health and learn how to cope,” Melinn said. “I had a few meetings with her [Dhruv].

Two or three. And for the first time, I was being honest with my therapist, because I genuinely needed and wanted help.”

following this experience, but they denied him this opportunity.

Melinn said that he felt Counseling and Wellness Services had gone from labeling him as “not mentally ill enough to too mentally ill once I tried to get proof of what was happening.”

In addition to his negative experience with the individual therapy services provided by the Counseling and Wellness Center, Melinn had also contacted them to request trigger warnings be added to the Monologues that First-Year students are required to attend during Orientation Week. The Monologues, which are a series of short skits put on by the Office

“On the surface, this is a beautiful thing -- therapy is important, and the steps our society has taken to destigmatize going to therapy are great. However, when students are encouraged to utilize a resource to that extent, it is important for that resource to have the capacity to handle all the students. The truth is that the Counseling [and Wellness] Center at Gettysburg does not have the capacity to support students’ needs,” Poliero said. “The school’s inability to back up their promise of access to support for all students is disappointing and needs to be corrected.” ∎

T he Gettysburgian

9

Feature

Faculty Spotlight:

Professor Christopher D’Addario

By Zach Brooks, Social Media Manager The fall ’23 semester marks the start of Professor Christopher D’Addario’s term as Chairperson of the English Department. He enters the role having taught English at the college for ten years.

D’Addario first came to Gettysburg College in 2005 as a visiting professor after completing graduate school. After leaving Gettysburg and holding a job at another institution, he returned in 2012 in a tenuretrack position. One of the reasons D’Addario said he was drawn to teach at Gettysburg College is the smaller class sizes and the ability this provides for students to get to know one another and work with others in a way that one cannot at a bigger school.

“I’ve really enjoyed seeing students grow intellectually and emotionally across their four years and feeling that I can potentially contribute to that growth in meaningful ways,” said D’Addario.

D’Addario also said he was attracted to the freedom that Gettysburg College’s English Department gave him to develop his own courses about Shakespeare and early modern literature. One of these courses is a class on Shakespeare and global film, while another course is on environmental change in the Renaissance.

“The discipline is at an interesting and important crossroads as we try to figure out how literature and writing can react to and impact the number of

10

Additionally, D'Addario discussed the increasing popularity of AI-generated texts and the value that thoughtful and personal writing holds in light of this. He feels strongly that English as a discipline and major has an important role in this contemporary moment.

“English classes and the major generally do encourage and help students to face head-on these issues, issues that they will be dealing with for the rest of their lives, both in their careers and outside of them,” said D’Addario.

D’Addario anticipates some challenges in his new role, such as budgetary pressures from the college that could specifically worsen cost-cutting in the humanities. This includes the closure of the Gettysburg Review.

“The recent closure of The Gettysburg Review is especially alarming, given the journal’s high national profile and the damage that this closure will do to the college’s reputation and especially its reputation as an important voice in the literary and creative worlds,” D’Addario said.

D’Addario hopes that the publication’s

closure is not part of a continuing trend to take away opportunities from the arts and humanities programs that a strong liberal arts institution like Gettysburg College supports. D’Addario spoke on challenging the trend to devalue and defund the humanities.

“I’ve seen enough articles about the death of the English major that I am surprised that it has not become some sort of meme yet. Trying to debunk what has become a silly trope at this point is part of challenging these trends,” said D’Addario.

When asked if any works from Shakespeare may help him in his new position as Chairperson of the English Department, D’Addario said, “Honestly, most everything Shakespeare has to say about authority is pretty cynical and skeptical. Rightfully so.”

D’Addario ended his interview by sharing this quote from Shakespeare: “But man, proud man, drest in a little brief authority… plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep.” ∎

(Photo Provided)

In his new role, D’Addario hopes to build on the work of previous English Department Chairs: Professor of English Kathyrn Rhett and Professor of English and Graeff Chair Christopher Fee. D’Addario also wants to rethink the types of courses the department offers, as well as the ways that the department offers them.

crises – environmental, racial, social, political – that we face,” explained D’Addario.

A&E

Canceled or Popularized: The Rise of Cancel Culture

By Kenzie Smith, Arts & Entertainment Editor Any pop-culture enthusiast is familiar with the effects of cancel culture as there are endless social media posts and news articles on it. Cancel culture occurs when celebrities or other public figures participate in behaviors that are viewed unfavorable by the general public. This often causes a mass of people to publicly withdraw their support of the individual and call for others to do the same. Social media has allowed for cancel culture to upsurge and spread at a quicker rate.

This implication has both positive and negative aspects.

the jokes, he mentioned that people had told him they hoped he would die.

There are times when cancel culture works to decrease support of individuals who have been proven to partake in behaviors and ideas that are harmful to society, such as Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Matty Healy due to their anti semitic views. Social media allows for this information to spread quickly and gather more support.

Some people, though, do not believe canceling an artist works as it is intended. People argue that cancel culture creates an environment of harassment and intolerance. There are also arguments that it is not productive as the most it can do is promote shame of the individual rather than accountability.

An example of cancel culture taking it too far is an instance between James Corden and the k-pop band BTS. BTS has a very loyal fanbase called ARMY, and in 2021, Corden made jokes that ARMY did not like. These jokes were about BTS’ fanbase being 15-year-old girls and calling BTS “unusual visitors” at the UN General Assembly. These jokes led to ARMY taking to social media platforms such as X to criticize Corden. In a later interview with BTS, where Corden apologized for

(Photos Provided)

Death threats in response to some possibly ill-thought-out jokes is excessive, but this example is not an outlier. Oftentimes celebrities and public figures receive death threats from people who do not agree with them. When cancel culture is used improperly, it breeds dangerous environments of hostility and violence that do not always match the weight of the controversy.

Although the backlash Corden received resulted in an apology to BTS, this progression is not always the case. Many times when celebrities are canceled, they are still participating in the behaviors or believing in the condemned ideas. Even though these celebrities are receiving mass criticism, they still remain popular. It can

be argued that they sometimes receive even more attention from being the center of a controversy.

Matt Healy is still on tour with his band, The 1975, even though he holds anti semitic views. Ye continuously has news articles and social media outlets highlighting his most recent actions.

Another artist who has found herself facing cancel culture that is perhaps making her more popular is Doja Cat. The controversies surrounding Doja go back to 2015 where she released a song titled after a racist slur. She apologized for the use of the title but also said that she had chosen the title to reclaim the term that had been used against her in chat rooms.

Other controversies surrounding Doja are her participation in chat rooms catered for incels and white supremacists, affiliation with streamer and musician J. Cyrus, the mocking of her fans and most recently, wearing a shirt that pictured alt-right YouTuber Sam Hyde. Although there has been an uproar on TikTok to cancel Doja Cat, she still has many fans and will be starting “The Scarlet Tour” on Oct. 31.

Cancel culture creates questions about its productivity and intent, such as what actions dictate canceling celebrities, and is the process a productive method or does it just cultivate a hostile environment? Cancel culture may work as a way to spread information on the questionable decisions and ideologies of public figures, but it is not enough to hold them accountable. This facet begs the question of what options exist to hold celebrities accountable, or in our society does fame cause people to transcend accountability? ∎ T he Gettysburgian

11

Unraveling the Strategic Direction

By Laken Franchetti, Editor-in-Chief Gettysburg College is currently facing budgetary pressures that have caused them to make and propose decisions that have elicited strong reactions from faculty and students.

In an interview with The Gettysburgian, President Bob Iuliano explained that the administration has launched a new strategic planning process, which causes the administration to determine what resources best enhance the student experience and student outcomes. Iuliano said that by investing in the future of the College, the administration will have to make hard decisions.

The Gettysburg Review’s Closure The first of these decisions to be made was the termination of the Gettysburg Review, a literary magazine that has been published at the College for 35 years. Gettysburg Review Editor Mark Drew and Managing Editor Lauren Hohle were not consulted prior to this decision and were not allowed to propose alternative routes for funding or financial relief.

“It’s difficult for me to discern what this administration values—they create Democracy Week, then don’t implement democratic practices; they tout co-curricular learning, then shutter a nationally-recognized magazine and balk when students and alumni write in to say how much interning at the Review meant to them,” Hohle said.

12

Drew reflected on what this decision meant for the humanities at Gettysburg College.

this decision has already significantly diminished the value of a Gettysburg College diploma.”

“Whenever an arts organization like the Gettysburg Review is removed, it’s a loss particularly to English departments, but certainly to the humanities as a whole, one that further diminishes them as a legitimate and consequential field of study, but also as a potential career path.

Jobs are quite literally being lost,” Drew said.

Professor of biology Véronique Delesalle objected to the idea that the Gettysburg Review was not an asset worth preserving, and she shared her perspective on the publication’s termination as a professor in the sciences.

Iuliano stated that the Review did not help to maximize the student experience: “We have a good sense of what the Gettysburg Review does and its mission and the like, and again, go back to the principles about the orientation of the Review. It’s fundamentally external.

We’re trying to devote our time and our attention in ways that maximize the student experience.”

Drew disagreed with this belief and feels that the administration did not understand the publication’s mission.

“I wholly reject the notion that the Gettysburg Review ‘did not enhance the student experience.’ This characterization is simply an attempt to justify their decision, which was a fiscal one made without a full understanding of the historical role the Review has played as a representation of the college’s once celebrated but currently denigrated commitment to literature and the arts,” Drew said.

Drew felt that the decision to end the Gettysburg Review diminishes the value of a Gettysburg College education: “...a degree from Gettysburg College carried weight in the academic, publishing, and art worlds, thus enhancing the appeal of students interested in jobs in those areas, and elevated the respectability and notoriety of the degree in general. Sadly,

“The social and natural sciences are often perceived as having mostly or only utilitarian value but as biology professor I can attest that many of us are motivated by the beauty of the natural world,” Delesalle said. “In contrast, the arts and humanities are too often perceived as having mostly intrinsic value and consequently having to defend their existence by arguing for their utilitarian value.

That is just wrong. And if we cannot preserve the Review, how can we tell students that we as an institution value the arts and humanities?”

Delesalle believed that the administration should have allowed the Review the opportunity to explore other cost-saving measures such as donors or partnering with another school to share the publication and its costs.

“Over the last ten years the Review had already been asked to save money by shrinking its staff from four to two and by reducing its publishing costs, going from a quarterly to triannual format,” Delesalle said. “It did so while maintaining its excellence and exceeding its annual revenue expectations. As such, the Review deserved an opportunity to fight for its life. To not offer them that opportunity was the wrong decision.”

English with a writing concentration

News major Molly Griffith ’23 felt that the decision to end the Gettysburg Review in order to maximize the student experience was misguided and false.

“It’s becoming more and more obvious that the administration does not value or understand the student experience they claim to so greatly prioritize, particularly the humanities who are such a esteemed part of the college who again and again are forced to suffer for the good of the whole without any transparency about why,” Griffith said.

Griffith believed that the administration is not valuing the humanities or listening to their concerns. She felt disrespected by the administration’s decision and their apparent lack of reservations.

“As a student of the humanities,

A change to this system has been proposed to faculty so that labs count as half credit. This proposal has not yet been finalized.

It also affects the reputation of the College in the physical sciences and our ability to attract students in the future.”

Tenure-track faculty, who are currently tenured faculty or those that are on the pre-tenure track, teach the equivalent of five courses over the course of a year. If this proposal were to be approved, Provost Jamila Bookwala believes these faculty members could be involved in additional courses such as first-year seminars.

Bookwala shared that department chairs have been asked to give their thoughts on the proposal, and Milingo gave her take on this process.

“So, if we have 182 labs in a given year, we are talking about 182 courses or course equivalents… yes, they are teaching very important work, not to deny that that is important information and important skills that our students are learning, yet it is an unsustainable model,” Bookwala said.

“Their instruction could have been

“The Provost is currently gathering input from the department chairs,” Milingo stated. “She’s asked them to gather data and discuss how we might maximize ‘curricular efficiency,’ but it’s slow going, and she wants to make decisions immediately, which is making the faculty very nervous. We don’t want to see hasty edicts coming from the administration.”

Milingo referenced the Gettysburg Review’s termination and the lack of communication between the

“It’s becoming more and more obvious that the administration does not value or understand the student experience they claim to so greatly prioritize.”

-Molly Griffith ’23 it’s deeply clear that the so-called student experience does not apply to us and that we are not valued or listened to by the structure of power currently in place,” Griffith said. “It’s disheartening and disrespectful that the administration has no qualms about treating such a respected and important part of the faculty and student body this way.”

Proposal to Adjust Lab Teaching Credit The humanities are not the only area of study being affected by the administration’s decisions and proposals. The College’s current system counts labs as one teaching credit, which is the equivalent to teaching one course or lecture.

redirected to a first-year seminar or the sophomore seminars that are soon to go online.”

Associate professor of physics Dr. Jacquelynne B. Milingo shared her concerns with the proposed system change.

“I can only speak in terms of the physical science faculty, but if you decrease or minimize the value of labs, that’s less time spent with students and/or less time spent doing anything outside of our teaching assignments,” Milingo said. “Decreasing the quality of the educational experience in labs, and placing a disproportionate burden on the physical science faculty, directly affects our students and weakens their ability to compete nationally.

administration and the publication’s staff before the decision was made.

“We all see what is happening with The Gettysburg Review and our valued colleagues Lauren and Mark,” Milingo said “That careless, uninformed, and extremely callous action has affected our community deeply. There was no conversation and no compassion in that decision or how it was executed. Our trust in this administration is on shaky ground.”

Faculty Appointments Part-time faculty, which includes adjunct positions, have had yearlong appointments in the past.

However, the administration has decided to adjust adjunct faculty to semester-by-semester appointments.

T he Gettysburgian

13

Bookwala explained that semesterby-semester appointments would allow the administration to better reevaluate the need for adjunct faculty members.

“They [adjunct faculty] used to get year-long contracts, and they could teach up to five courses. That’s an unusual way to hire adjuncts because part-time faculty are really intended to fill gaps. You have to be nimble in your use of parttime faculty, or adjunct faculty,” Bookwala said. “What happens is you [the Provost’s Office] get locked in, and if you don’t need a section or you can actually cancel one section, it just becomes more difficult if you already have a contract in place.”

Bookwala shared that the administration will also need to limit their reliance on visiting

of the remaining faculty will still not make up for the shortfall in staffing in all departments,” Milingo said.

“We’re not sure where the Provost intends to land with all of this as there are currently more questions than answers.”

Director of Hatter Planetarium and Laboratory Instructor II in the Physics Department Ian R. Clarke shared his hope to continue working at the College despite the proposed decisions: “...I have enjoyed my 32 years of teaching at Gettysburg College and do hope I can continue in the future, though recent statements from the administration have cast doubt on how likely that is.”

Adjunct instructor in interdisciplinary studies Matt Greene gave his thoughts on the adjustments to adjunct faculty appointments.

have to give up staffing sections for the major to staff curricular requirements.

“I don’t doubt that there are financial challenges that colleges must face with hard decisions, but this one, if implemented, promises to cause longterm damage to the core of our major and thus will actively disadvantage our students at the same time that it throws on the ash-heap individuals who have committed themselves to Gettysburg College and its students,” Fee said.

Fee also shared his perspective on adjunct faculty members and the value he believes they hold at the College.

“Adjunct Faculty at Gettysburg College really do fantastic work and are beloved by our students, who of course don’t generally know or care who has tenure or who is an adjunct.

“The layoffs of part-time faculty-and let's be clear, they are layoffs, no matter the rhetoric-will cause dramatic harm to the student experience beginning next semester.” -Matt Greene faculty positions, which are full-time and typically are appointments for one to three years. In the faculty meeting on Sept. 21, Bookwala stated that about 30 visiting faculty and about 60 adjunct faculty are hired every year. This garners a total cost approaching $3 million, and adjusting these positions can help to reduce budgetary pressures.

This decision affects all disciplines across Gettysburg College.

Milingo shared her belief that there were more questions about this change than answers.

“Departments are crunching numbers, but getting rid of the non-tenure track teaching faculty and increasing the teaching load

14

“The layoffs of part-time faculty-and let's be clear, they are layoffs, no matter the rhetoric--will cause dramatic harm to the student experience beginning next semester,” Greene said. “These cuts mean that necessary courses are being cut, or that we are having to ‘double dip,’ making existing electives or courses intended for majors now also cover general education requirements.”

Professor of English and Graeff Chair Christopher Fee explained that adjunct faculty relieve staffing pressure in the English Department by helping to teach courses that satisfy college-wide curricular requirements, such as first-year writing. Fee stated that if adjunct faculty were released, full-time members of the department would

Students just appreciate caring teachers who put in the time and effort to help them succeed,” Fee said.

Chairperson of the English Department Christopher D’Addario recognized the financial constraints that the humanities and the basic sciences are feeling.

“I do think many of the recent or proposed cuts have and will significantly affect the humanities. To be sure, other divisions, and especially our programs in basic science, are also feeling pressures,” D’Addario said. “Both humanities and the basic sciences have been deemed, mostly incorrectly, by our contemporary culture as not immediately practical.

As the school, seemingly bowing to those cultural pressures, continues to push for utilitarianism over learning

News and the liberal arts, the humanities will suffer.”

Proposal to Combine the Language Departments Bookwala has additionally acknowledged the possibility of the language departments being combined. She said that larger discussions with department chairs and faculty members would take place in the spring semester to workshop the idea.

“The faculty will have agency. We will ask them, ‘Can you come up with a model that works?’ So, that way, we can combine this [language departments] and really, once again, look at how we are using our teaching resources,” Bookwala said.

Chairperson of the Italian Department Lidia HwaSoon Anchisi gave her belief as to why the college is proposing this decision.

“The purported reasoning is that we are one of the few colleges where each foreign language is homed within an independent department and therefore transforming these programs into one of the largest departments on campus simply would be a reasonable move to conform to general trends. And, of course, to save money,” Anchisi said.

“But once again, couldn’t the college embrace our unique condition while thinking innovatively about how both to support our programs and still find ways to cut costs?”

Anchisi referenced the Gettysburg Review’s closure and the potential pattern forming at the College that is affecting students in the humanities.

“Shuttering the Review not only directly, negatively impacts professional opportunities connected with it, but it begs the larger question of whether there is a pattern here of decisions that

disproportionately affects students pursuing an Arts and Humanities path – such as increasing enrollment caps, merging departments, half credit courses for under-enrolled courses, eliminating part-time positions, and so forth,” Anchisi said.

which typically have much smaller caps, such as first-year seminars, writing courses and capstones.

Student Leadership Meeting

“Provost Bookwala mentioned increasing class sizes and merging lab sections… which will degrade the classroom experience. Especially in STEM, I feel that small classes— and labs, in particular—allow me to ask more questions when I get lost in the material and enable students to collaborate more easily,” Román Jordán said. “I am genuinely afraid that programs like X-SIG will be downsized or eliminated.”

On Oct. 11, an optional student leader meeting was held with Iuliano, Bookwala and Vice President for College Life Anne Ehrlich in order to discuss the College’s financial situation. The administration gave a presentation on the current state of the college and then answered questions from students.

Alfredo Román Jordán ’26 attended this meeting and shared his thoughts.

“The presentation seemed more like an attempt to gaslight students into believing that significant investments were being made in our education, while simultaneously announcing that teaching resources, which greatly impact our education, were being cut,” Román Jordán said.

“Additionally, we were presented with little facts and statistics, and the figures we were presented were manipulated to make them look more positive than they were.”

Román Jordán gave his thoughts on the administration’s recent and proposed decisions: “My main concern is that I don't think the administration is truly championing what makes Gettysburg great. They plan to increase the average class size and the student-to-faculty ratio, and eliminate special programs like the Review.”

Bookwala has stated that course caps would change 100 level courses to be capped at 35 students or more, 200 level courses to be capped at over 25 students and 300 level courses or higher would be capped at 18 or 20 students. She recognized that these numbers would be adjusted for classes

Román Jordán is a physics major with a minor in mathematics, and he expressed concern with these decisions.

Ehrlich shared that the College will be communicating with students on how to improve the student experience. A survey will be sent to all students to determine what can be changed or reimagined.

“As we hone in on those areas for improvement, we will bring students into discussions so we can hear directly from them about decisions that will directly impact them,” Ehrlich said. “The shape of this work will take time, which I understand can be a bit frustrating, but we are committed to working with students to determine even better ways to ensure their input is heard where it needs to be heard.”

Román Jordán expressed a desire for the student body to be made aware of the administration’s future decisions: “Students want to learn about the alterations being made to our current situation. We desire information about additional reductions and, given the removal of the Review, sense that more will be taken from our student experience.” ∎ Editor’s Note: The author of this article served as an intern for the Gettysburg Review last spring semester.

T he Gettysburgian

15

Sports

Gettysburg Club Soccer Spotlight

By Owen Kutlu, Staff Writer There are many ways for students to get involved with their personal interests at Gettysburg College. One of these ways is Gettysburg’s club soccer team.

Soccer enthusiasts who do not want the time commitment of playing at the varsity level may find club soccer to be a perfect fit.

The team offers the opportunity for students to have an outlet to play the game they love with others who share the same feelings. Captain Alex Saville ’25 remarked that it is nice the team “is not high stakes and [everybody] can just have fun.”

According to member Salim Alwazir ’24, the club soccer team is “a very inclusive environment and everyone is welcome to play.”

He added that his favorite aspect is how “everyone comes together to have fun and get better.”

The team uses the fields next to the tennis courts for practice, which run from 4:15 p.m. to

16

Games are scheduled with nearby colleges, and they usually take place at the opponent’s school since Gettysburg’s recreational fields are not up to the standards to host games. Alwazir mentioned

“[It's] a very inclusive environment and everyone is welcome to play.”

-Salim Alwazir ’24

that the club is trying to convince the school to use Clark Field for games. This would allow the team to play more games throughout the season and not be forced to travel as much.

The team had their first match of the year against Dickinson on October 1st. They fell 3-1 on the road in Carlisle. Schmeltzer chalked the loss up to the fact that they “played well, but ultimately ran out of energy.” The team has some more games in the near future where they will look to bounce back. Saville noted that he is “looking forward to building up the team chemistry.”

Other fun soccer-related activities are also incorporated in the club in order to encourage member bonding. For instance, they hosted a FIFA tournament in early September to spur some lighthearted competition.

Any soccer fans looking to play casually or meet other people with similar interests on campus would find the club soccer team to be a fantastic, inviting group. The club soccer team is yet another example of one of the many great communities that are formed at Gettysburg College by the student body.

As the season continues, you can keep up with the team @gburgclubsoccer on Instagram. ∎

(Photo Will Oehler/ The Gettysburgian)

The club is also a great way to meet people of all different backgrounds. Captain and UK native Henry Schmeltzer ’24 reminisced on his sophomore year on the team. He described how the team “was able to attract international students and create opportunities to meet older students in different areas of student life.” The club soccer community is open to everyone who loves the sport.

roughly 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Since the club is unofficial, they only have access to a certain amount of resources. This makes it more difficult to do in depth drills, so practices usually consist of scrimmages.

Feature Postcard from Abroad:

My Madrid

By Leah McCann, Contributing Writer

My academic goals as a double major in music and Spanish were established during the very first semester of my time at Gettysburg College.

Finding my objectives outside the classroom, though, took some more soul-searching. My Spanish major came with more than just a commitment to my classes at Gettysburg; it obligated me to study abroad. So, I chose Spain—a country whose tapestry of culture, music, architecture and life immediately drew me in. A three-month stay was such a faraway concept at the time. Now, I’m still pinching myself to believe I’m here, and I’m learning how to make Madrid my own.

(Photos Leah McCann/ The Gettysburgian)

Landing in Spain was like descending into a snow globe: a bustling flurry of language and activity encapsulated in an untouchable shiny veil until the very moment I touched down.

When I emerged from Barajas Airport, I felt like one of the tiny snowflakes after a child shakes the globe, buffeted wildly by the winds of change.

It was not my first time traveling overseas, but it was my first time doing it alone—which I can now say makes a world of difference. It was my journey in the taxi on the way to my homestay that I realized this country was going to be my new environment for a few months, and it was time to embrace it.

Now that I have been in Spain for a few weeks, the process of settling in has begun. There have of course been obstacles, from memorizing the Metro lines that get me to my classes (Argüelles to Moncloa, if you were wondering) to running the mental marathon of following rapid-fire Spanish. I even went from being an only child to living with a host family of four children! But because of the exhilaration that meeting these challenges has given me, I have discovered how much I want to learn from the people living here. I am simply in awe of how content they are to enjoy tapas on a sun-drenched Wednesday afternoon, dance until six o’clock in the morning and truly live life to the fullest. Americans might complain about the late meal times, but what they might not know is that these nighttime dinners allow everyone to sit, relax and laugh after whatever the day has brought. My host family even sings and dances while they cook. There is a true zest for life that has rekindled my passion, both for the language and for my own aspirations.

So very much has changed after my first day in the “snow globe” that I once perceived Madrid to be. I still might not be able to roll my r’s, but I can tell you where you can find heavenly-smelling bakeries and magnificent architecture that makes your soul sing. Maybe I can’t always find the Lidl on Calle Fuencarral, but I can say that I’ve had some late nights out with friends where I forgot what time it was because everyone was still out dancing! But most importantly, I now find the joy of Spain near and dear to my heart. I’m working to make Madrid my own. ∎ T he Gettysburgian

17

A Day in the Life of a Gettysburg Student-Athlete

By David Goldman, Sports Editor

With 24 varsity sports at Gettysburg College, a large percentage of the student body represents the Bullets on the field, court and in the pool. Students at Gettysburg represent their respective teams with pride and put in a lot of work in their competitive efforts. However, as the term alludes to, student-athletes are students first, so they must balance their academics with their athletic commitments. Here is what a day in the life looks like for these five student-athletes: Charlie Cross ’24 Swimming

Callie Pidoriano ’24 Volleyball

Zoe Want ’25 Soccer

A typical Monday for Cross starts off with a breakfast at Servo to give him energy for the day. From there, he heads to his 10 a.m. class and then works as a lifeguard at the pool from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cross then manages to enjoy some free time from 1 to 4 p.m., when he usually does homework and gets some rest with an afternoon nap.

From there, it is time to head back to the pool for a team practice.

Practice runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and then the team heads over to the weight room for strength training.

After the workout, Cross and the team head to Servo for dinner.

From dinner, Cross goes over to the library to get some more work done before he calls it a night.

A day in the life of Pidoriano first consists of a morning coffee and snack. After that, she’ll go to her first class of the day and then go somewhere on campus to do homework before grabbing a bite to eat with teammates. Pidoriano then goes to her second class of the day and from there, will go straight to the locker room before practice. She is able to get work done in the locker room or spends quality time with her teammates until practice begins. The whole team then goes to dinner, and afterwards, Pidoriano heads back to her house and finishes up homework before she heads to bed.

For Want, her day begins with a team lift at 9 a.m. After her lift, she goes to her first class of the day at 10 a.m. and the second at 11 a.m. Want takes a lunch break and then heads back to her apartment to grab anything she may need for practice. She heads to her third and final class of the day at 2 p.m., and when class lets out at 3:30 p.m., it is time to get ready for practice.

Want heads to the Jaeger Center to grab her practice gear from the equipment room and then goes out to Clark Field to begin practice with her team. Practices at the beginning of the week tend to be more intense and usually consist of small-sided games and drills. Want and her team then head to Servo for their team dinner, which they do together everyday during the week. She then ends her night with a library homework session or goes back to her apartment to plan out the rest of her week.

Although the daily grind of being a student-athlete is often tiring, Cross believes that his experience is very rewarding. He commented that his favorite part of being a studentathlete at Gettysburg is “having a strong support group of friends and coaches.”

18

Sports

“It’s a lot to balance with my football responsibilities and school, and I do have a hard time staying on top of things, but I can’t imagine my life without sports.”

– Leo Sattamini ’24

Leo Sattamini ’24 Football

Chase Morgan ’24 Lacrosse

Sattamini starts his day off bright and early at 5:30 a.m. He goes to a team meeting at 6:15 a.m. and then begins his practice around 7:45 a.m.

Practice will typically go until 9:30 a.m. depending on the day, and after, he’ll get some food and a much needed coffee from Bullet Hole. After that, Sattamini goes to his first class of the day at 10 a.m., and he then heads back to his apartment to get some rest before his next class at 1:10 p.m. When class is done for the day, Sattamini will do some homework or hang out until dinner at 5:30 p.m., and when dinner is done, he will relax and try to go to bed early for another full day.

Similar to Sattamini, Morgan starts off the day early in the morning with a 5:45 a.m. wakeup to prepare for a 6:30 a.m. team lift. Him and the squad recover with a breakfast meal at Servo and then Morgan heads back to his apartment to get ready for his classes. Morgan’s first class begins at 10 a.m., and he heads straight to the training room after. Here he completes physical therapy, which takes approximately an hour. Around 12:15 p.m., Morgan heads to the Bullet Hole with his teammates. He then heads to his next class of the day, and after that, he prepares for practice.

Sattamini admits that it is challenging to focus on school and sports simultaneously, but he still views it as a very rewarding experience.

“It’s a lot to balance with my football responsibilities and school, and I do have a hard time staying on top of things, but I can’t imagine my life without sports,” Sattamini said.

(Photo Will Oehler/The Gettysburgian)

He also says that the best part about being a studentathlete is the competition and community on the team: “I’m very competitive and very social, so I love competing every week with my friends.”

Lacrosse practice begins at 4:10 p.m. and runs until about 6:30 p.m. Morgan and his teammates clean up the field after practice and count the lacrosse balls to see if they need more for the next day. Morgan is unfortunately injured and so he is unable to participate in practice, but he still puts in the work afterwards with a cardio workout on the bike. He then heads over to Servo for dinner with the team, goes back to his apartment and finishes up work before he goes to bed at around 9:30 p.m.

Morgan says that the best part about being a studentathlete are the life-long friends he has been able to make and those he spends a lot of his time with.

Student-athletes are very busy, yet that does not mean they don’t love competing as a Bullet. It takes a lot of discipline and sacrifice to be a collegiate student-athlete.

These athletes highlight what it truly takes to put their best foot forward both in the classroom and while competing in their respective sports.

T he Gettysburgian

19

Editorial: The Abrupt Closure of the Gettysburg Review

By The Gettysburgian Editorial Board Gettysburg College stands out among other colleges and universities with the incredible opportunities it offers, in and out of the classroom, that greatly enhance the student experience. These opportunities allow students to make practical connections between what they learn in the classroom and the real world, which enables students to make the absolute most out of their short time at Gettysburg.

The Gettysburg Review is regarded as one of the nation’s leading literary magazines. The publication has won countless awards over the years, and its nationwide prominence in the literary world makes it a major draw for prospective English majors to attend Gettysburg College.

Since 1988, the college-owned publication has overseen the creation of many highly praised issues featuring poetry, short-stories and essays selected from hundreds of submissions. Review editors Mark Drew and Lauren Hohle have mentored many students interested in the publishing field through their internship program, which runs every semester and is exclusive to Gettysburg College students.

Drew and Hohle are active and valued members of this community who have dedicated their careers to building the Gettysburg Review, making connections in the community and, most important of all, providing opportunities for students to enhance their learning experience.

On Friday, Sept. 29, in a meeting that Drew and Hohle expected to be

20

routine, the two were informed that the Gettysburg Review would be shutting down and that they would be laid off in December. Faculty were informed of the decision on October 3 via email, yet the student body did not receive direct communication on the closure from the administration. The decision came abruptly and without prior warning or communication—English department chair Christopher D’Addario was the only faculty member informed of the decision before its public announcement, but he was informed after the decision was made.

demand and the overall student experience.”

In their email to faculty, President Bob Iuliano and Provost Jamila Bookwala stated that the decision to close the Gettysburg Review was made “after thoughtful consideration.”

The English department, which runs a partnership with the Review to place English majors in their internship program, released a statement condemning the closure and explaining the importance of the Review. The statement confirmed that there was no communication from the administration to English faculty before the closure. The lack of communication demonstrates how the decision was made without proper consideration for other options. President Iuliano should be in active communication with departments, working with faculty to make decisions that better the student experience. Instead, the administration continues to make out-of-touch and unpopular changes that worsen the student experience and weaken the college’s reputation.

“The Gettysburg Review has been a renowned and premier literary journal with a legacy that spans 35 years. We are deeply grateful for the significant contributions made by all those who have been a part of this esteemed publication’s journey including the authors, contributors, readers and supporters,” stated Iuliano and Bookwala.

In the email, Iuliano and Bookwala explained the decision to shut down the Gettysburg Review to faculty in only two sentences: “The changing demographic and enrollment realities across higher education require us to be as strategic as possible in the investment of our limited resources. We must have a more intentional focus on the programs and activities that directly and significantly enhance student

Despite praising the Gettysburg Review’s success as a leading literary journal, the administration went forward with their decision to close the Review without first involving the editors or any faculty.

Members of the college community believe the administration’s decision was made in ignorance.

In its 35 years of publication, the Gettysburg Review has served the campus community—enhancing the reputation of Gettysburg College nationwide while providing opportunities for students.

Directly addressing the administration’s claim that the Review fails to improve the student experience, the department wrote, “The closure of the Gettysburg

Opinions Review will have a lasting impact on student experience at the college.

Every year the Review provides a unique opportunity for several students to intern at the publication, many of whom have gone onto careers in the publishing industry.”

The department’s statement went on to criticize the previous decision by the administration to end most teacher certification programs, which used to be offered by the college in many subjects.

“It's especially odd that an administration so concerned with vocational advising, tracks and outcomes has made decisions that woefully undermined two of the most helpful aspects of the college in that regard for English majors. Not

Despite claiming his commitment to listening to faculty, there is a clear pattern of President Iuliano’s lack of proactive communication between faculty and administration. Iuliano only communicates with faculty on administrative decisions after his mind is already made up.

Further, The Gettysburgian questioned Iuliano on who made the final decision to close the Review.

His response was as follows: “I’m not going to get into the tick-tock of who did what when. The college made this decision because of the focus that we have on the student experience.”

Should students not, at the very least, be consulted on what does and does not strengthen the student

the administration remains out of touch with the desires of the Gettysburg College community.

Students, faculty and staff alike have expressed strong disagreement with the decision. A change.org petition to reverse the decision has garnered over 2,400 signatures and counting from students, faculty, alumni and supporters of the humanities across the country. If the administration actually desires to make the Gettysburg College experience better, then it must take real effort to listen to the student body.

Every step in the closure has been mishandled—from the failure to communicate with Drew, Hohle and the English department to the

If Iuliano values the student experience to the degree he has stated, he would reconsider this decision. all English majors go into teaching or publishing by any means, but these are the kind of tracks parents often ask about first.”

The administration stands willfully ignorant towards what the campus sees as beneficial to the student body, and stays unengaged with the dialogue currently going on between faculty, students and the community.

In a recent interview with The Gettysburgian, Iuliano stated that he is committed to dialogue with faculty on administrative decisions.

“We absolutely will continue to engage and have conversations, even following the faculty meeting, with members of the English Department, so we will continue to engage all of our faculty,” Iuliano explained. “Just as we are talking with you [The Gettysburgian] today, we will always engage our faculty in an ongoing dialogue about their perspective on the decisions we are making and need to make.”

experience? Social media is flooded with student support for keeping the Gettysburg Review’s doors open. If Iuliano values the student experience to the degree he has stated, he would reconsider this decision. So far, he has refused to do so.

Closing the Review ignores how dedicated editors Mark Drew and Lauren Hohle are to the campus community. Hohle has worked for the Review for 10 years, while Drew has worked for the Review for just over 25 years. Both have spent their time building the magazine’s institutional importance to Gettysburg College. Such dedicated employees deserve the chance to make necessary changes to keep the Review open. Both Drew and Hohle have stated their desire to work with the administration to decrease costs and keep the journal that they have dedicated so much to open.

The decision to close the Gettysburg Review is another example of how

demonstrated lack of understanding of the importance of the Review in the literary world and campus community.

The closing of the Gettysburg Review represents the administration’s unacceptable shallowness towards the desires of faculty, students and staff. It’s not just the Gettysburg Review— the administration’s trend of poor decision-making is clear in acts including the mishandling of safety and crime on campus and in forcing international students to pay a non-waivable $3,500 fee for health insurance beginning this year.

President Iuliano, reconsider this decision. Consider campus opinions.

Keep the Gettysburg Review open. ∎ Editor’s Note: This editorial reflects the collective opinion of The Gettysburgian’s editorial board.

Editor-in-Chief Laken Franchetti, who was a past intern with the Gettysburg Review, did not participate in the development of this piece nor did she sign off on it.

T he Gettysburgian

21

A&E

From Gettysburg College to Dental School: Kathryn Van Pelt ’23

By Laurel Bennett, Features Editor

22

Professor of Art and Art History Tina Gebhart prepared her for the hands-on nature of dental school.

“I have to sculpt each tooth out of wax in dental school,” Van Pelt said. “The vast number of pulls and trimming I did in ceramics class to get a tall height on pitchers and nice beveled feet on pieces taught me dexterity and patience that has significantly helped me in my wax lab.”

Van Pelt served as president of the Pre-Health Professions Club on campus for two academic years, which exposed her to a wide array of healthcare careers

despite her trajectory towards dental school.

“Interacting with guest speakers from all different healthcare jobs in the Pre-Health Professions club at Gettysburg is helping me have more confidence when communicating with patients,” she said.

Aside from her involvement with the Pre-Health Professions Club, Van Pelt worked as a communications assistant for the athletic department the entirety of her time at Gettysburg, and she was a peer learning associate for the chemistry department.

Even though Van Pelt spent long hours balancing homework and getting involved with extracurriculars, her commitment shaped her into the student she now is.

“I never expected Gettysburg to prepare me in so many ways, but the skills I learned there have prepared me for my next steps,” Van Pelt said.

She reflects fondly on her fouryears at Gettysburg, despite her education being significantly interrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes current and future Gettysburg students will do the same.

“Live in the present, appreciate what you have, make the most of your time at Gettysburg and don’t forget to call home,” Van Pelt concluded. ∎

(Photo provided)

Gettysburg College is known for its consequential education which enriches and prepares students, both in their time at Gettysburg as well as in their experiences following graduation. Kathryn Van Pelt ’23 is a recent alumnus who is currently in her first-year at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

Van Pelt credits the professors at Gettysburg and the college’s multitude of opportunities for helping her to attend dental school. With a major in health sciences and dual minors in chemistry and biology, Van Pelt had her sights on dental school throughout her years at Gettysburg. The skills she learned because of her classes and extracurricular commitments have helped to set her up for success as a graduate student.

“Managing multiple science labs at once taught me efficient time management skills, which is critical when I am now in school for forty hours a week and still have to find time to study and do things that make me happy,” Van Pelt explained. “When I was taking the five-hour Dental Admission Test (DAT) to get into dental school, I remembered the long hours of general chemistry lab at Gettysburg.”

Van Pelt appreciates the vast array of courses that are offered to students at Gettysburg, and her experiences in a ceramics class taught by Associate

The Crossword Made by Riley Nolan Across 1. Relating to arcadia in Greece 8. Each 14. Captain Marvel Star 15. Fish with a reputation of eating flesh 16. Pollutant falling from the sky 18. First note on a scale 19. College dorm “parents” 20. Super Mario Galaxy Character 21. 2014 X-Men movie title, abbr.

23. Used to clean floors 24. Irish Republican Army, abbr.

25. Child who tells adults 27. Phonetic spelling of the 14th letter of the english alphabet 28. Unique online “tokens” popularized in 2017, includes Nyan Cat 29. Introspection based on someone else’s actions 30. Nintendo product with two screens 31. Capital of Burundi 33. It __ what it __ 35. Ray finned fish 36. University of South Carolina, abbr.

38. 16th president of the United States 40. The Princess and the ____ 41. Donut-shaped cake 43. Type of saxophone 45. Night before a big game 47. Tool to break up clumps of flour 50. Car service 51. Trick or ______ 53. Hit song by Carly Simon “You’re so _____” 54. Ambulance heroes 55. Special blocks mined in Minecraft 56. One of the explanations to the Salem Witch Trials 58. Climbing belay device 59. Saturate with water 62. Triple A or 2008 comedy 64. Reaction to something gross 65. British boy band with hits “Night Changes” and “Story of my Life”

Down 1. Startled 2. Commonly referred to as “trash panda” 3. Chips in England 4. British Supermarket chain 5. D in DK book publisher 6. Runways and airplanes are present 7. Grandmother 8. A way to ask for mother’s help 9. MLB or NBA player 10. Iowa, abbr.

11. Enlist 12. Wears or damages due to rubbing 13. __ sports, creator of FIFA video games 17. Absentminded 21. Body of water with high concentrations of salt 22. One-celled animals 25. Buffers 26. Roman numeral 6 32. “He” equivalent in spanish

33. Mate dogs with close relatives to have specific characteristics 34. Type of underwater diving that utilizes air independent of the surface 36. 2009 Disney-Pixar Classic 37. Fried squid 38. A sugar in milk and milk products 39. One flip of a switch 42. Entire set of DNA in a cell 44. Ink 46. DC comic TV Show starring Stephen Amell 48. Persian language 49. Precedes Woods or lily 52. Next 57. __ tac 60. Just __ it 61. New England, abbr.

63. Physical Therapy, abbr.

T he Gettysburgian

23

T he Gettysburgian Editorial Staff:

Want to Read More?

Laken Franchetti, Editor-in-Chief Ella Prieto, Managing Editor & News Editor

gettysburgian.com @TheGettysburgian @Gettysburgian

Eric Lippe, Magazine Editor Vince DiFonzo, Lead Copy Editor & Opinions Editor Will Oehler, Director of Photography Sophie Lange, Assistant News Editor

Interested in Joining?

Kenzie Smith, A&E Editor David Goldman, Sports Editor

Gettysburgian The

Laurel Bennett, Features Editor Zach Brooks, Social Media Manager Dr. Scott Boddery, Advisor

Cover Photo by Will Oehler/ The Gettysburgian Staff Photo by Sofia Gutierrez/ The Gettysburgian

24