Page 1
Blasts from the past
This week in 1917, an editorial in The Gettysburgian discussed the what was the issue of the day a century ago, World War I. The editorial posed the question that was on the minds of many young men at the time: how am I serving my country during the war? Am I making the right decision to study in college rather than to fight? The editorial stated that if one was studying to go into a necessary field of work after the war ended, then he was doing the right thing and serving the country fully. Furthermore, the editorial stated that next generation must “take the place of the leaders who will have gone.” A little more than a year after this question was posed, the “war to end all wars” ended. This week in 1937, the marching band was on the front page of The Gettysburgian as they were about to receive new uniforms. The marching band had a total of fortytwo pieces, and they were awaiting the arrival of the uniforms that the director, Professor Bertram H. Saltzer, had ordered. They were weeks away from receiving them, with the expected delivery date to be October 23rd, just in time for the game against Lehigh. Thank goodness that we have Amazon Prime’s two day shipping! This week in 1952, a Colombian student described what it was like to study at Gettysburg. The Gettysburgian reported that first-year Jaime Podilla was the first Gettysburg student to hail from Colombia. He had been to America six times prior to coming to Gettysburg, but college was a new experience for him. He decided to come to Gettysburg thanks to a graduate he had met, Phil Garrett, and to his father’s desire for him to study in America. Podilla was impressed with the “spirit of friendliness” found at the college, and he decided to study political science at Gettysburg. He described how America was so different from Colombia — the constantly changing climate, the lack of class consciousness, and the acceptance of the high standards of living. Yet, there were some similarities — the nation-wide love of sports, particularly soccer in Columbia and baseball in the states. This month in 2002, it was reported that the Kline Foundation had granted $250,000 to the college to go towards the construction of the Science Center. The Gettysburgian wrote that the Kline Foundation had given grants to the college in the past, most notably for the restoration of Penn Hall and Kline Theatre. These archived “blasts from the past” were compiled by contributing writer Shannon Zeltmann thanks to Special Collections in Musselman Library.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Thursday, September 21, 2017
FREE
A l u m n i r e t u r n f o r College foresees no H o m e c o m i n g W e e k e n d policy change in light of DeVos comments
Large boards in front of the bookstore allowed alumni to sign their names and see who else had returned for Homecoming Weekend Photo Maddie Neiman / The Gettysburgian B y M addie N eiman four large boards stood in also attended the Fun(d) front of the bookstore— run on Saturday morning S taff W riter O v e r t h e each covered by a sheet and said that they enjoyed w e e k e n d , G e t t y s b u r g o f p a p e r a n d l a b e l e d cheering on fellow alumni. College welcomed back with graduating years for Bailey and Borovsky work alumni for Homecoming alumni to sign and look to engage young alumni celebrations and received for familiar names. These as members of the BOLD an enthusiastic attendance. b o a r d s s h o w c a s e d t h e Council. One young Special events, including signatures of Bullets from the Class of 2012’s Five 1950 to 2017, and the Class alumna, Amy Houck ‘12, Y e a r R e u n i o n a n d t h e of 2012 had an entire board returned for her class’s five S w i m m e r s ’ R e u n i o n , to themselves in honor of year reunion and planned to attend the Homecoming prompted many alumni to their milestone. Returning alumni Networking Social, the return, and others came to reconnect with friends, w e r e p r e s e n t e d w i t h a Class of 2012 Tailgate, classmates, professors, and packed schedule of events and the Catholic Campus to attend: departmental Ministries’ Open House. the Gettysburg campus. A l t h o u g h 4 6 8 meetings and colloquiums, Mostly, however, Houck alumni registered to attend, G r e e k L i f e r e u n i o n s , looked forward to seeing the Development, Alumni Schmucker and Musselman familiar faces on campus. and Parent Relations staff e x h i b i t s , t h e H a l l o f “ I t ’ s t h e G e t t y s b u r g e x p e c t e d t o s e e m a n y Athletic Honor Reception Know,” she said. “It’s like, more graduated Bullets and Inductions, various ‘Oh, I don’t know your on campus. Upon entering socials, The Cupola Society name, but I recognize you the CUB lobby, an alum Dinner and Celebration, from class.’” The “Gettysburg would have seen the orange and tailgates preceding and blue check-in table the football game against Know” was visible all across campus. A group of with pins for each class Dickinson College. T h e g a m e w a s recently graduated Bullets year and other Gettysburg merchandise, tables of free one event that drew recent laughed and hugged one refreshments, and shiny alumni Megan Bailey ‘14, another in the CUB lobby, posters of new renovation Rebecca Borovsky ‘16, while President Riggs ‘77 plans. Most prominently, Sarah Kaboly ‘16, and spoke and shook hands Jenna Fleming ‘16. They -Continued on next page-
B y K ate D elaney C ontributing W riter On Thursday, September 7, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced her intent to rescind federal guidance for handling sexual assault allegations that lowered the evidentiary standard in such investigations, criticizing the Obama administration’s system as having “failed too many students,” even stating, “The results of the [Obama administration’s] approach? Everyone loses.” DeVos claims that a system in which educators and administrators must also act as judges on sexual assault cases asks too much of these college officials, who are not experts in the field. “Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously,” she said. “Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined.” DeVos suggested finding other alternatives, such as a “Regional Center model,” which establishes a center for trained experts to handle all Title IX investigations. Ostensibly, this would levee fairer punishments and reduce wrongful findings of responsibility. The reaction to DeVos’s comments was mixed. Advocates of due process for those accused of sexual assault praised DeVos after what they viewed as overreach by the Obama administration that, in their eyes, stacks the deck against the accused. “Obama’s policy resulted in a kangaroo-court system where accused students often don’t have
access to counsel, the ability to effectively cross-examine their accuser (indeed, the Obama admin specifically urged that accused students not be permitted to crossexamine accusers), or even access to all the evidence in the case,” wrote David French in National Review. Putting more power in the hands of trained professionals and ensuring due process will lead to a more just system for all involved, they argue. Still others, including former Vice President Joe Biden, were outraged by DeVos’s words. Biden stated, “[the] announcement that the Department of Education plans to rewrite key Title IX guidance which works to address and prevent sexual in our schools is a step in the wrong direction. The truth is, although people don’t want to talk about the brutal reality of sexual assault…it is our reality, and it must be faced head-on.” Critics of DeVos’s statements are concerned that rewriting Title IX rules will only lead to weakening enforcement and adjudication in campus sexual assault cases and will allow colleges and universities to sweep cases under the rug. Gettysburg Responds Speaking on behalf of Gettysburg’s chapter of Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA), co-president Julia Burgess said, “Many college campuses are afraid of their sexual assault policies, many colleges, including Gettysburg, want more options and better sexual assault education for their students. While there are issues surrounding the -Continued on next page-
First-year class engages with post-apocalyptic novel in Common Reading experience
B y T hea T oocheck C ontributing W riter What happens when humanity has to start from scratch? “Station Eleven” is Emily St. John Mandel’s fourth novel and this year’s choice for the first-year common reading, a program designed to give incoming students a chance to connect through a novel’s themes and messages. The novel begins the night the Georgia Flu, an epidemic with a 99 percent mortality rate, hits Toronto. Within weeks, most of the world’s population is dead, but 20 years later, the Traveling Symphony is keeping Shakespeare and music alive as they perform at the scattered settlements of survivors. Mandel traces the twists of fate that connect the characters through time and space, and on Tuesday, September 12, Mandel came to Gettysburg for a lecture on the novel. To begin, she thanked
Inside This Issue
Volume CXX, No. 3
♦
her audience for reading her book, acknowledging that she was aware the students had to read it, though some probably had not, statements that were received with chuckles from the audience. Indeed, throughout her speech, her rather dry sense of humor and good-naturedness were apparent, as was her fascination with what makes us human. She recounted multiple anecdotes that captivate her, including one about a secret library in wartorn Damascus that reminded her of people’s “essential humanity” and another about Captain George Vancouver and his discovery of smallpoxravaged natives of British Columbia that shows “the awful randomness” and fear of disease. Both of these themes are present in her novel. Mandel mentioned in her speech that at its inception, she wanted to write a book that was different from the crime novels she had published previously. While
she conceded that she did not want to be stuck in a crime novelist marketing category, she also longed to express her “awe at the extraordinary level of technology around us” and draw attention to the way society takes such things for granted. In addition, she wanted to ask what we would miss, hold onto, or long to recreate “if all the trappings of civilization fell away.” “Station Eleven” heralds the fourth year of the first-year common reading program. In this program, a book is mailed to all incoming students, who are encouraged to read the book over the summer in preparation for the author’s visit and small group discussions in the fall. According to Musselman Library’s website, the goals of the program are to “provide a common intellectual experience for first-year students, foster a sense of community among first-year students, faculty -Continued on next page-
This year’s First-Year Common Reading title was Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Promotional photo)
Prof. Interview Senate Faculty Kerney with Emily discusses Spotlight: awarded St. John budget, William O’Hara, Mandel, $1m grant, pg. 2 pg. 3 pg. 5 pg. 4
Sunderman Bullets Spotlight: earn Eddie Isaac Plank Hawkins, Award, pg. 6 pg. 8
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
Page 2
NEWS
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Students have mixed reaction Senate swears in first-year to common reading selection members, discusses budget -Continued from page one-
and staff, [and] promote dialogue across disciplines on themes related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and internationalization.” According to Keira Kant, Associate Dean of College Life, “the books are chosen by a group of students, faculty and staff who bring suggested titles for review. A couple of people read a few titles and then the group shares perspectives of the book – the accessibility, the writing style, the genre, the themes, etc. The group comes to a consensus for several books and then the whole group reads the remaining three or four books. Other considerations include author availability and cost, other potential programming ideas, current issues in society, etc.” Erin Harten, a sophomore who was on the committee that chose Station Eleven, supported this year’s choice because “Station Eleven takes a unique look at a post-apocalyptic world by showing what really matters when you seem to have
nothing. This book worked well for the first-year reading program as it showed how in a time of struggle, differences between people are no longer of importance. We felt many students would be able to relate to aspects of the novel and find hope in the changing world around them.” Several students agreed. First-year student Lexie Bourne liked the image of the caravan traveling around spreading hope, and enjoyed the inclusion of the Star Trek quote, “Because survival is insufficient.” Michael Schuler found the writing style “really interesting because it kept the reader engaged throughout – I liked that it kept flashing forward and backward.” Others, however, found the switches in time and Mandel’s distinctive writing style confusing. “I thought the premise of the book was very interesting, but I thought the writing style was very passive … I was never really able to get into it; it took me a very long time to finish the story,” said first-year student Lauren Sherman. Rebecca Hotz added, “I found the novel to
be very formulaic; the [postapocalyptic] genre has been done to death at this point.” Still other students found the beginning dry enough to decide not to finish the book, while some did not even start it. However, Kant thought the novel was useful as “a way to look at humanity and what makes us human in the face of having to start over.” Indeed, Mandel stressed the human desire to keep what is best about the world even as we long to begin anew. In today’s loud, busy world, she believes that everyone is searching for a sense of peace even as they imagine the world is ending. While this may be a reflection of the anxious times in which we are living, she stated that throughout history, people have always believed they are at the end of the world. And, in fact, we are, Mandel insisted: it is always the end of the world. But it is also always the beginning of a new one, “appearing,” she said, “too quietly, too subtly to see except in retrospect.”
B y S arah H inck C ontributing W riter This week at the third Student Senate meeting of the semester, six recently elected senators as well as class officers of the Class of 2021 were sworn into office after pledging to uphold the principles of honesty, integrity, and accountability as leaders at Gettysburg College. The results of the election were announced Sunday: The elected officers of the Class of 2021 are Ali Nettles (President) and Hassan Williams-Kone (treasurer). No one ran for vice president or secretary, so the elected officers will appoint those positions in the coming days. The six senators, one representing each residence hall, are Nicholas Nelson (Patrick), Mark Marotta (Huber), Marisa Balanda (Hanson), Nate Bennett (Rice), Christi Wright (Paul), and Christain Whitsel (Stine).
Student Senate installed officers for the Class of 2021 Each of these Senate currently individuals is required to has $91,505 in its New serve on one of the many Initiatives Fund. Last year, committees. it dipped $23,000 into its At next week’s Rollover Fund, which meeting, multiple clubs contains unspent funds will be seeking approval of from previous years. their budget requests under President Luke the Senate’s new “common Frigon says that Senate consent” procedure, which hopes to spend that Rollover entails approval of the Fund this year, perhaps on budget as a single vote new water bottle filling after senators have the stations around campus or a prior week to review the new scholarship, two ideas requests rather than the that have been discussed prior practice of clubs thus far. He encourages presenting their budget students to submit their requests to the full body at own ideas as well for how each meeting. to spend the fund.
Homecoming 2017 College does not plan to change procedure for sexual assault investigations -Continued from page one-
with fellow alumni at Musselman Stadium. Dan Priga ‘79, who attended the Swimmers’ Reunion, described Homecoming as “a good chance to come back and see some old friends. I get to see a bunch of guys from my fraternity and a bunch of guys from my swim team.” Also returning for the Swimmers’ Reunion, Jamie Berrier ‘86 reminisced with her former teammate, Patti Schuman ‘84, and Schuman’s former roommates, Leslie Sanderson ‘84 and Martha Orem ‘84. Sitting by the Commons, they shared coffee and memories of “all those early morning swim practices” and hanging
“ I t ’ s t h e Gettysburg Know. It’s like, ‘Oh, I dont know your name, but I recognize you from class.’” Amy Houck ‘12 out by the post office until their next class. “It feels so good to be back,” said Schuman. Orem agreed, saying, “Every time I come back here, I feel like I’m twenty-one again.”
Despite having graduated, she stays connected to her alma mater. “If I see a ‘G’ that might be Gettysburg, I get super excited.” Schuman and Orem noted that they had not seen each other since graduation, yet, as Berrier said, “It feels like I’ve never not seen them.” Homecoming certainly reminded alumni of their time on campus. Bob Barkley ‘58 remarked, “A lot of changes started when I graduated.” He recalled eating meals in the basements of various halls and living on the top floor of Pennsylvania Hall as a first year. While this year was the first Homecoming for some, Barkley returns to Gettysburg at least twice a year for Homecoming Weekend and Reunion Weekend. As a fourth-generation Gettysburg graduate, a former Gettysburg College football and golf coach from 1959 to 1961, and a member of the Heritage Society, Barkley represents the many alumni who remain active figures in the Gettysburg community. Whether to cheer on the Bullets football team or to reunite with teammates and classmates, alumni who returned for Homecoming seemed overwhelmingly glad to be back.
-Continued from page one-
falsely accused, of the few survivors who actually report their assault/harassment, only 2-8% of them are false. So while reform may be the way to go, her main motive for reforming the college policies are [sic] controversial.” While Burgess agrees that more conversations surrounding sexual assault on college campuses would be beneficial, she believes DeVos overstates the prevalence of false reporting of sexual assaults. “But, [DeVos] cannot just talk the talk, she must also walk the walk,” Burgess said. “She spoke about the flawed process and even gave methods to change them. While I personally do not know how it could work on a national scale, her efforts are much appreciated and I think they’re the road to a more efficient way for colleges to be held accountable, and the survivors to better navigate the stress of reporting.” Student Senator Nick Arbaugh expressed concern at the lack of due process accused students have under the current system. “Due process, like all constitutional rights, is a cherished and integral part of American morality,” he said. “We should never subtract from the rights of the accused, even when maintaining those rights can slow down the
prosecution of the truly guilty.” Gettysburg’s Associate Dean for Violence Prevention and Resolution and Title IX Coordinator Jennifer McCary disputes the notion that Obama era guidelines surrounding campus adjudication have led to a fundamentally broken or unfair process and takes issue with some of DeVos’s recent comments. “[T]here are flaws to the current structure that the Department of Education has outlined. More can be done in order for the process to support survivors and provide fundamental fairness to the accused,” McCary said. “Here at Gettysburg College, we strive to support all of our students while remaining compliant with the law.” According to the Student Handbook, the college conducts a “factfinding investigation” in response to all reports of sexual misconduct, and, if the victim desires to become a reporting party, an adjudication process can ensue upon completion of the investigation. If an initial investigation determines there is sufficient information to proceed, the case can proceed to an informal resolution process when specific criteria are met or to the formal resolution process. In the formal
adjudication process, the Dean of Students, who may choose to designate a hearing panel, reviews reports from a conduct administrator and statements from the reporting and responding parties, and, using the preponderance of the evidence standard (i.e. it is “more likely than not” an outcome occurred), reaches a decision. That decision can be appealed by either the reporting or the responding party if specific criteria are met, and the result of the appeal is final. Both the reporting and responding parties may have an advisor throughout the process, although that advisor may not speak during meetings with investigators. “The current model of allowing institutions to investigate and adjudicate works, there just needs to be more options available as far as resolution is concerned to best meet the needs of our students”, McCary continued. Even if federal regulations governing college investigations were to change, according to McCary, “Gettysburg College will remain committed to providing an environment free of harassment and discrimination. Harassment and discrimination in all forms, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, and all other forms of sexual violence are antithetical to
the values of Gettysburg College. Our goal has been and will continue to be to provide prevention education programs that effectively stop violence before it occurs.” McCary also urged students to take note of proposed changes at the federal level and to voice their opinions. “[Students should] be aware of the impact of any changes and concerned depending on what those changes are,” she said. “Students should be sure to voice any concerns to the Dean of Students Office and even to the Department of Education.” For her part, Dr. Julie Ramsey, Vice President of College Life and Dean of Students, maintains that the college has no plans to change the institutional standard of evidence in light of DeVos’s recent comments. “The College routinely makes improvements to the policies and protocols based on our own experience with cases, evolving best practice and what is in the best interest of our students’ health, safety and wellbeing,” she said in an email. “Of course, we make changes to policies as required by federal law, regulation and guidelines. We have no plans to change the evidentiary standard.”
DPS Crime Log
September 4-5, 2017 • No incident to report September 6, 2017 • Assault: Other assaults—Not aggravated/ Harassment: Stalking at Academic Building; incident occurred on March 22, 2017; Closed: Referred to Title IX Coordinator and HR • Sex offense: Rape and Aggravated assault / Liquor Laws: Underage consumption at Colonial Hall; incident occurred some time between February 1 and February 20, 2017; Closed: Referred to Title IX Coordinator • Liquor Laws: False identification card; lost wallet turned in with fake identification at the exterior of the chapel; Closed: Referred to SRR • Burglary: Trespass and theft of a laptop from office at Eddie Plank Gym; Closed: Referred to GPD
Compiled by Brianna Bruccoleri, Contributing Writer crime occurred some time between April 16 and April 30, 2017; Closed: Referred to Title IX Coordinator September 9, 2017 • Liquor Laws: Underage consumption and Underage possession at Rice Hall; Closed: Referred to SRR • Vandalism: Light pole broken off at the base at Campus Exterior—Front Lawn at Lamp Post; Closed: No Suspects or Witnesses • Drug Abuse Violation: Possession of marijuana/ All Other Offenses: Possession of drug paraphernalia at Huber Hall; Closed: Referred to SRR September 10, 2017 • Larceny: Theft of bicycles at Campus Exterior—Ice House Bike Rack; Closed: Referred to GPD
September 7, 2017 • No incident to report
September 11, 2017 • Liquor Laws: Underage consumption at Public Clery—1st Block West Lincoln Avenue; Closed: GPD cited Brigid Thompson ‘20
September 8, 2017 • Liquor Laws: Underage consumption and furnishing to a minor at West Hall; Closed: Referred to SRR • Sex offense: Rape at Breidenbaugh Hall (outside);
September 12, 2017 • Other Assaults/Harassing/Stalking: Student received harassing text messages in Campus Residential Hall; Closed: Referred to Title IX Coordinator
September 13, 2017 • No incident to report September 14, 2017 • Drug Abuse Violations: Possession of marijuana/ Liquor Laws: Underage consumption at Musselman Hall; Closed: Referred to SRR and GPD September 15, 2017 • No incident to report September 16, 2017 • Drunkenness: Public drunkenness/ Liquor Laws: Underage consumption outside Patrick Hall; Closed: Ian Dobrzynski ‘21 of Gettysburg College arrested by GPD for public drunkenness and underage consumption • Liquor Laws: Underage consumption at Huber Lot Closed: Referred to SRR September 17, 2017 • Assisting Other Agencies: Underage consumption at Public Non-Clery—West Broadway 1st Block; Closed: Referred to GPD
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
FEATURES Page 3
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Four ways to optimize your caffeine experience Get the most out of your morning cappuccino
Celebrate your freedom to read: Banned Books Week 2017
Photo courtesy of Flickr
B y A ri S naevarsson F eatures E ditor
We all love a nice cup of joe to get our day started off right. But what if you wanted to see just how much you could be getting out of it? Read on to learn how you can easily optimize your caffeine experience and even take it daily. 1. How to take caffeine every day You have likely heard that regularly taking caffeine will lead to the development of a caffeine dependence. According to Eric Helms, doses of 0.45-1.40 mg/lb/ day can suppress tiredness without being affected by tolerance. This is also then a proper dose to avoid the development of a serious caffeine dependence. If you are a 130 pound female, this amounts to around 60-180 mg/day, which is anywhere from one diet soda to one small coffee per day. For a 180 pound male, this would come to 80-250 mg/day, so maybe anywhere from one light home-brewed coffee to a strong coffee. So now you are left with this: Take roughly one serving of caffeine a day so that you can take it daily without deleterious effects. How can we then get the most out of this one dose? 2. Take it on an empty stomach You will not find this advice elsewhere, and in fact most sources will adamantly caution against taking in caffeine on an empty stomach. The concerns range from inappropriate stimulation of gastric emptying to excessive hydrochloric acid production (which I suspect go hand-in-hand). However, this would only really be a concern at chronically, seriously high intakes. So, if you are looking at three espresso shots a morning, then yes, I would have to agree and caution you against doing so on an empty stomach (and certainly against doing so daily). However, it is pretty undisputed that caffeine is maximally absorbed
when other nutrients are not simultaneously taking up a lot of the body’s metabolic demands. This is true for any nutrient, really, although not all of them are ideal for sole absorption (for example, the fatsoluble vitamins are more effectively absorbed when taken with fat-containing meals). 3. Do not take it first thing in the morning but rather second This is most applicable if you are undergoing intermittent periods of fasting throughout the morning (aka skipping breakfast). Intermittent fasting advocates tend to advise you go a few hours in the morning first without caffeine, because you already have sympathetic stimulation and the raising of blood glucose naturally (growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon, epinephrine [adrenaline], and some others are all peaked around 4:00 a.m.). “But I feel groggy and dead if I do not get my morning coffee,” you might contest. I am right there with you. However, it is likely that most of that grogginess is actually coming from dehydration more than anything. So, make sure you fully hydrate and then give yourself at least an hour before getting that first dose of caffeine. 4. Pair it with a synergistic compound A synergistic compound would be any drug that has amplified benefits when taken alongside caffeine and that amplifies caffeine’s benefits in the same single stroke. Some options are listed here (word of caution: I am not advocating drug abuse or self-medication, and I only recommend taking the drugs listed below that are fully legal to obtain in your state): L-Theanine: This is one of the most interesting compounds to pair with caffeine. It is an amino acid analogous to l-glutamate and l-glutamine commonly found in green tea. Whereas caffeine comes with a list of adverse effects
seen with larger dosages, such as elevated heart rate and anxiety, theanine is a relaxant and promotes the calming alpha brain waves. These are famously taken together to get the concentration benefits of caffeine without the anxiety-inducing side effects. Ephedrine: While there are no legal restrictions on ephedrine in the state of Pennsylvania (you must show a driver’s license to purchase it), it is illegal to purchase in some states, for reasons I will let you do your own research into. Note this is on WADA’s Prohibited List, so student athletes should practice caution here. At any rate, this is an extremely potent stimulant and thermogenic. I rarely write about it in any of my articles and for good reason. It is shown to increase basal metabolic rate by up to 5-10% when taken in its normal “EC stack” form (75 mg ephedrine with 200 mg caffeine, three times a day; I do not advocate this protocol). It enhances the effects of caffeine more than any other compound on this list. Some other options, which I will not be exploring in as great depth, are listed below. Do some research for yourself and experiment to see which works best for you: -Phenibut -Ashwagandha -Alpha-GPC -Glucose Hopefully I have left you with some usable tips to get the most out of your morning cappuccino. Remember that no amount of caffeine is enough to counter bad sleep habits or stress management and, in fact, using it to fix a serious deficit in those areas will only dig you into a deeper hole. Always practice caution and moderation when dealing with a drug as strong as caffeine. I have been on the [legal] stimulant abuse train before in dieting for bodybuilding contests and it is hell to recover from.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
M usselman L ibrary
Have you ever read “The Kite Runner”? What about “The Color Purple”? Or “The House on Mango Street”? These books, and many others which contain diverse social and cultural themes, have been challenged and even banned in schools, libraries and bookstores each year. According to the American Library Association, over 50 percent of banned books are written by authors of
color or contain diverse themes and characters. What would we be missing if their voices were never heard? To celebrate the impact of diverse books on our lives and communities, visit Musselman Library this upcoming week, from September 25-29, for our annual Banned Books Week display on the main floor. Come tell us how a ‘banned book’ has impacted your worldview or check out a
‘banned book’ to expose yourself to places you have never been, ideas you have not yet encountered, or cultures different from your own. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you discover! To learn more about banned books and diversity, visit the American Library Association’s website at http://www.ala.org/ advocacy/bbooks/diversity or ask your friendly librarians!
Faculty Spotlight: O’Hara to teach course in video game music
Photo Alex Pearson/The Gettysburgian
B y A lex P earson C ontributing W riter When Dr. John “Buzz” Jones retired last spring after 28 years as a music professor who helped to build the Sunderman Conservatory, he left big shoes to fill. That challenge falls to Dr. William O’Hara, who has joined the Conservatory as an Assistant Professor of Music focusing on Theory and Composition. With a friendly smile and warm handshake, he welcomes students into his office. O’Hara received a B.M. from Miami University, an M.A. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. During graduate school, he found a way to combine things he loved with
academic study. As a Music Education major, he fell into the world of musicology by way of conducting. He decided that he wanted to teach college. His dissertation, “The Art of Recomposition: Creativity, Aesthetics, and Music Theory,” came out of a class taught by his future advisor. Pursuing and spiraling into his interest, O’Hara wrote a blog post on Dream Courses for Music majors and minors about what they should be taking and how teaching methods could be improved. At Gettysburg, in addition to teaching courses in music theory for majors and minors, he will teach a course open to all students on video game music - a special interest for O’Hara. The course will focus on “technological,
sociological, and artistic issues related to games and game music; will critically examine notions of play; explore the evolution of video game soundtracks; analyze how music operates in games; explore and critique “music games” such as Guitar Hero; and explore music and sound in game-related cultural phenomena (such as video game soundtrack concerts and tribute bands).” O’Hara, who is married and has a one year-old daughter, is new to the Pennsylvania area, and he liked the size of Gettysburg and its community. The faculty ensured that he met everyone and got a good sense of the school, and he has enjoyed his conversations with faculty and students.
Unrequired Reading: The Lighter Side of Musselman Library M usselman L ibrary
Are you a firstyear student who enjoys hanging out in bookstores and libraries? Do you love reading for fun or indulging in a good movie on a rainy Friday afternoon? If so, this session is for you! Join us on either Tuesday, September 26 or Wednesday, October 4 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Room 014 of Musselman Library to
learn how to find books, films and other library materials that can be used for enjoyment (or even for classes). From graphic novels, Rolling Stone magazine, and reading programs, to audiobooks and the latest award-winning films, there is something for everyone at our library.
Photo Mary Beth Bielicki/Flickr
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
FEATURES Page 4
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Interview: Emily St. John Mandel discusses her upbringing, writing, career
Photo courtesy of Dese’Rae L. Stage
B y G auri M angala C ontributing W riter
Emily St. John Mandel visited Gettysburg College Tuesday to deliver first-year students with a thorough and poignant analysis of her novel, “Station Eleven.” I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit
down with Mandel and discuss her journey. From British Columbia, Canada, Mandel was homeschooled for her entire education. “Growing up in Western Canada, my parents were hippies, so it was kind of a counterculture thing to do. They thought they would
keep me home for kindergarten and we kept going for years. There was a period of time when I was about 8 or 9 years old when one of the very few requirements of the curriculum was that I had to write something every day.” Mandel was writing short stories from a very young age. After high school, she danced with a few companies, primarily in ballet and contemporary dance. “There was a moment when I was about 21 when dance just wasn’t fun anymore,” Mandel remarked. “That’s when I started to think about writing more seriously. It was just a slow process of thinking of myself as a dancer who sometimes wrote, to a writer who sometimes danced.” “Station Eleven” speaks to the feeling of being alone
without being lonely, especially through the character of Kirsten. “It’s not that loneliness isn’t real, and of course we need people and human interactions, but we should be capable of solitude. I think that is something we have lost a little in the smartphone era.” Kirsten’s experience mirrors first-years’ initial apprehensiveness at their newfound free time, previously unknown, which Mandel believes should be seen as a gift. Another prevalent theme in “Station Eleven” is that of civilization. With Mandel’s prose jumping in time between the technological society we know and the barren wasteland of a future one, the reader must face the
question of “What is civilization?” While our society may not be facing an epidemic, we are seeing a change in civilizations with the current state of affairs in areas like Houston and the Floridian peninsula. “In terms of how hurricane victims are depicted, I think there is a lot of racial bias,” Mandel commented. “We’ll see black or brown people gathering supplies and we call them looters. And we see white people gathering supplies as we say ‘Oh, they’re scavenging to survive.’ You see a lot of that in the language that the media uses. It’s kind of gross.” Mandel struggled to properly define civilization, just as her readers do. “I guess I think of it as everything that’s beyond mere survival.
I see civilization as the grace notes that we add on top of that. The things that remind us of who we are.” When asked to compare the postepidemic society of “Station Eleven” to the emotional transition undergone by firstyear Gettysburg students, Mandel had this to offer: “In high school, you have your little bubble, your little world. Then you get thrown into this larger world in college. I think that’s the point of what college should be, to encounter different people, and different worlds.” Mandel is currently working on her fifth novel, projected to come out in two years. She considers writing to be her calling, and, after reading her honest and beautiful prose, I am inclined to agree.
Dodging the Bullet: A battlefield reflection B y R yan S ipple C ontributing W riter
I like running. I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy it. With my mind focused so intently on pushing one foot out in front of the other for miles, the barely noticeable subconscious can reflect upon life. Running enables an unassuming sort of thinking, one of quiet reflection instead of deep and unsettling introspection. All of this to say that I found myself running along the narrow gravel path towards the battlefield only a few mornings before the first day of classes. What better place to deafen my anxieties and let my thoughts meander peacefully than the site of enormous bloodshed and shockingly steep hills?
So sure enough, I plodded along the gravel path, sprinted up the first big hill I saw (hills being something of a novelty in flat-asglass Delaware), and promptly gave up at the top. I had run enough for the day; my fears about starting college were too pressing to be brushed off so easily. Would I make friends? Would I succeed in my classes? Would I find the path I wanted my life to go on? Questions too difficult to answer while toiling up hills. Half to cool off and half to take my mind off worrying, I walked towards the Eternal Light Peace Memorial looming overhead. I passed the tour group huddled around one of many cannons and stood beneath that light, ever burning, and read
the inscription at the base of the memorial: “Peace Eternal in a Nation United.” I was spellbound, stuck staring at the carved words for what seemed like hours, staring at what seemed to be a cruel joke. How hollow those words felt in today’s America. The dream of a united nation, let alone a nation of peace, felt farther away than it ever had. In that moment, fueled by my own fears and grim thoughts, I could not help but feel frustrated and furious for the soldiers who died there, who died for an America that seemed all too ready to forget their sacrifice. At last, I turned my eyes away from the memorial and climbed the nearest observation post, where my thoughts turned down
Photo Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr
a peculiar path. It would have been easy to gaze into the natural abyss surrounding me and feel impossibly small and powerless, and indeed I did feel small. But I thought back to the soldiers who fought and died around me. Surely each of them felt just as insignificant as
I did, and yet they carried on. So what if evil and darkness remained in the world after their sacrifice? Today’s America does not diminish the America that those soldiers helped save, each playing their own small role that nonetheless fed into
greater change. Could I carry forward and fight for a world I believed in, as they did? I wasn’t sure then, and I’m still not sure now, but I had to start somewhere. I ran up the next hill I saw and kept running, not sure where I was going, but with grim resolution to get there.
Staff Box The Gettysburgian
Editor-in-Chief, Jamie Welch
Opinions Editor, Alex Romano
Director of Photography, Claire Bickers
Managing News Editor, Benjamin Pontz
Co-Sports Editors, Claire Healey & Elizabeth Hilfrank
Advisors, Jim Duffy & Jack Ryan
Lead Copyeditor, Morgan Hubbard
To get involved with The Gettysburgian, contact a section editor or visit http://tinyurl.com/gettysburgian to complete our interest form. We would love to have you be involved!
Arts & Entertainment Editor, Katherine Lentz Features Editor, Ari Snaevarsson Money, Science & Tech Editor, Aphra Murray
Copyeditors, Lauren Hand, Nora Tidey, Sidney Caccioppoli, Maddie Neiman, Jessica Greenman, & Shannon Zeltmann
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
MONEY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Page 5
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Understanding Professor Kerney’s Research Grant B y A phra M urray MS&T E ditor Biology Professor Ryan Kerney successfully applied for a $1,031,000 grant through the Gordon and Betty Moore foundation with a focus on the relationship between algae and salamander embryos, faculty meeting minutes show. The foundation, which deals largely with funding environmental conservation research and research projects focused on the Bay Area. There are, however, a number of grants available for basic and applied research. While Kerney was working in Sri Lanka on work related to tropical frog embryos, an unexpected drought left no breeding tropical frogs to study, and lots of time to work on the grant proposal. So in Sri Lanka, Kerney put together a proposal that involved reaching out to a number of potential collaborates
and experts on a number of techniques needed to advance the project. The research that the grant focuses on is the endosymbiotic relationship between algal cells and salamander embryos (endo meaning a cell inside a cell, symbiosis meaning a biological interaction between the two organisms.) Work has already been done sequencing and characterizing the genes of interest in both the algae and the host, but Kerney is interested in seeing this work move towards imaging of this interaction. This will be done by examining the transfer of chemicals and quantifying that movement, using techniques known as autoradiography and confocal Raman spectroscopy. Given the complexity of this multifaceted research, a large number of collaborators will be working on this project, including academics from Columbia
University and Stony Brook University in New York. The grant will fund the use of these instruments, as well as research positions available for Gettysburg students over the next three summers and post-doc positions at the collaborating institutions. Eventually, Kerney looks to understand how and why this endosymbiotic relationship exists through light sheer microscopy, a technique that will scan the embryos in order to resolve three dimensional images of the algae as it is distributed. This can then be expanded into a fourth dimension as these images are understood over time as well. Overall, this presents a lot of opportunities for Kerney and potential student researches for collaborative science, in particular to work with experts in the microscopy and spectroscopy needed to delve deeper into this research topic.
AppTeezr
Byte-size reviews of the latest apps MyScript Calculator Diving deeper into the academics of this semester, those of us who use calculators know the struggle of trying to use your phone in place of a scientific calculator. This app lets you scribble the equation you are trying to solve onto your phone, and then the app will transcribe it and solve it for you! Free Category: Productivity Updated: Oct 6, 2015 Version: 1.3.2 Size: 15.2 MB Language: English Rated 4+ Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Chemistry department Genetic study shows NSF grant brings new how humans evolved instrument to campus
Solution NMR structure of Diiron protein in the presence of 2 eq Zn2+, Photo Courtesty of Pires et al. By Aphra Murray MS&T Editor Over the summer, four faculty members in the Chemistry department successfully applied for a NSF-MRI (National Science Foundation – Major Research Instrumentation) grant that will be bringing a brand new instrument to the Science Center, a circular dichroism spectrometer. The faculty members who were responsible for writing the collaborative grant were Professor K. Buettner, Professor S. Frey, Professor L. Thompson and Professor K. Andresen. This was done in con junction with a number of other schools in the
area, including Franklin and Marshall, Ursinus, Messiah and Lebanon Valley College. The instrument, a circular dichroism spectrometer, which should be up and running by the end of the semester, will eventually be used in both course work and research. The instrument uses light interactions primarily provide information about the structure of proteins, specifically the secondary structure that is made up of coils (helices) and folded sheets (beta sheets). The spectrometer, however, will also be used to conduct research on structures such
as the assemblies of gold nanoparticles and DNA coils. Professor Buettner, along with her research students, will be looking at protein folding upon binding to metals. Students not in research will also have the opportunity to work with this instrument, as it will eventually be used across a range of classes such as advanced inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, general chemistry, and a number of the cross-disciplinary labs as well.
By Emma Gruner Staff Writer Evolution, essential though it may be to our understanding of science as a whole, is one of the most difficult topics to research. In credibly slow, in some cases incredibly subtle, and influenced by more variables than can be counted, producing a reliable and informative study on the topic is a grueling task. Still, that does not stop scientists from trying. Last week, a group of researchers, led by Columbia University’s Hakhamenesh Mostafavi, published their findings from a massive human genetic study – one of the first to directly study evolution over one or two generations. The study analyzed DNA from over 215,000 participants – about 60,000 Americans of European descent and 150,000 Brits – and found that natural selection appears to be eliminating life-shortening mutations in the human genome. The results were published in the journal PLoS Biology on September 6. In order to study the genetic links to longevity, the team looked for mutations that varied in prevalence across different participant age groups. Humans that carried a harmful mutation would die at a higher rate, so it stands to reason that the frequency of those harmful mutations would be much lower in older participants. The researchers also collected data on age of death of the participants’ parents; again, they expected that those who carried harmful mutations would have parents that died at a younger age than those that did not. Two mutations in particular that stood out as being particularly detrimental to life expectancy. One was a variant of the APOE gene, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease in women and was found very rarely in
participants over the age of 70. Another was a form of the CHRNA3 gene, which causes a disposition to heavy smoking in men and whose frequency dropped dramatically after middle age. In each of these cases, it appears that those who lack the harmful mutation have a survival edge, and thus a better chance at a long life, over those that possess it. These findings cannot be automatically linked to evolution. Since the mutations take effect after reproductive age, those that possess the variants could still produce many healthy, viable offspring, even if they themselves did not live as long. Hence, there would not be any selective pressure for or against these mutations, making them “neutral” from an evolutionary perspective. But if this was true, it seems that there would be numerous life-shortening mutations alive and well in the gene pool – the fact that the team only found two of significance suggests that natural selection is likely weeding them out. But as was established earlier, late-acting mutations should have no effect on natural selection, so what is it about a shorter life span that lowers a person’s genetic fitness? One possibility is that, for men especially, a longer life allows a person to have more children, which in turn causes their genes to spread through the population more rapidly than their short-lived counterparts. Another explanation could be that parents who live long, healthy lives are better able to care for their children and grandchildren, thus increasing their survival chances. This theory is sometimes referred to as the “grandmother hypothesis.” Finally, the scientists postulate that even late-acting mutations may still cause other, more subtle forms of harm early on in life. This is the
weakest of the team’s main theories, though, as more thorough studies would need to be conducted to prove it. In addition to their main findings, the researchers uncovered several other interesting links between genetics and longevity. One was that certain combinations of mutations, while causing little harm individually but significant health effects when taken together, were often associated with shorter life spans. Perhaps the most intriguing finding, though, was that longer-lived people were more likely to possess mutations linked to delayed puberty and childbearing. The death rate was 3-4% lower for those who started puberty a year later than average, and 6% lower for women with a oneyear delay in childbearing age. Of course, longevity and late fertility had been linked before, but the connection was previously thought to be more social than biological. These new findings suggest that there may be some sort of evolutionary “trade-off” between life span and fertility, which had previously only been seen in animals. As Stanford University’s John Pritchard says, “To actually find this in humans is really pretty cool. I think it’s a really nice study.” So while the findings from this study aren’t necessarily cleancut, they represent a huge accomplishment in the field of evolutionary research. Human evolution is particularly difficult to study, as a reliable analysis would, theoretically, have to take into account the frequency of a mutation in a starting generation, all of their children, and all of THEIR children – which would be a logistical nightmare, to say the least. And evolution is hardly a linear progression. As Mostafavi says, “The environment is constantly changing.”
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
Page 6
♦
A&E
Thursday, September 21, 2017
F e a t u r e d f i l m s i n WZBT: Gettysburg College’s Very Own Radio Station Gettysburg WZBT’s Top Weekly Adds and Albums “Artist” - “Disk” - “Label”
Majestic Theater
“Wind River” 1 hour, 47 minutes – R An FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) teams with a town’s veteran game tracker (Jeremy Renner) to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation. Friday - Saturday (9/22 - 9/23) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Sunday (9/24) - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM Monday (9/25) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM Tuesday - Thursday (9/26 - 9/28) - 7:00 PM “The Trip to Spain” 1 hour, 48 minutes – NR Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a road trip through Spain, sampling the restaurants, eateries, and sights along the way. Friday - Saturday (9/22 - 9/23) - 4:15 PM and 7:15 PM Sunday (9/24) - 2:15 PM and 5:15 PM Monday - Thursday (9/25 - 9/28) - 4:15 PM and 7:15 PM
Gateway Theater Showtimes FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND THRU WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH **BARGAIN TUESDAYS – ALL SEATS $5 – ADDITIONAL FEE FOR 3D** STEVE MCQUEEN: SALVATION OF AN AMERICAN ICON NR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28TH AT 7PM THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE 2D (1:15) 7:15
PG
NO PASSES EVENT PRICING NO PASSES
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE 3D PG NO PASSES (4:15) 9:40 3D PRICING KINGSMEN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE R (1:00) (4:00) 7:00 10:00
I.D. REQUIRED NO PASSES
FRIEND REQUEST R I.D. REQUIRED (1:35) (4:35) 7:35 9:50 NO PASSES MOTHER! R I.D.REQUIRED (1:10) (4:10) 7:10 9:50 AMERICAN ASSASSIN R I.D. REQUIRED (1:40) (4:40) 7:20, 9:55 IT R I.D. REQUIRED (1:05) (1:30) (4:05) (4:30) 7:05 7:40 9:55 HOME AGAIN PG-13 (1:45) (4:45) 7:25 9:45
WZBT Radio 200 | ‘Top New Releases’ | CMJ 1408 1. The National - “Sleep Well Beast” - 4AD 2. Alvvays - “Antisocialites” - Polyvinyl 3. Deer Tick - “Deer Tick Vol. 1 + Deer Tick Vol. 2” - Partisan 4. Chad VanGaalen - “Light Information” - Sub Pop 5. Queens of the Stone Age - “Villains” - Matador WZBT Radio 200 | ‘Top 10 Requested Albums’ | CMJ 1408 1. See Through Dresses - “Horse of the Other World” - Tiny Engines 2. Guantanamo Baywatch - “Desert Center” - Suicide Squeeze 3. Ema - “Exile In The Outer Ring” - City Slang 4. So Many Wizards - “Heavy Vision” - Lolipop 5. Cymbals - “Light In Your Mind” - Tough Love 6. Benjamin Gibbard - “Bandwagonesque” - Canvasback 7. The Memories - “Royal United Song Service” - Burger 8. Grizzly Bear - “Painted Ruins” - RCA 9. Oh Sees - “Orc” - Castle Face 10. Sheer Mag - “Need To Feel Your Love” - Wilsuns RC
New album by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s B y C harlie S ternberg Contributing Writer
The fertile music scene in Australia has given us many popular and interesting bands in the last couple of years, including Tame Impala, Pond, and the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, just to name a few. But no group has been nearly as prolific as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. This seven person psychedelic rock outfit from Melbourne has released eleven full length albums since 2012, and they shocked many fans this year when they announced that they would be releasing five albums in 2017. The first album this year was Flying Microtonal Banana which was followed by Murder of the Universe, and now they have released the third album of 2017, Sketches of Brunswick East. Sketches of Brunswick East is a collaborative album which was written together with Alex Brettin of Mild High Club. It gets its name from an album by Miles Davis, and as a whole it is very jazzy and improvisational in nature. Gone are the screams and heavy riffs that characterized their most popular and recent releases. “Sketches” slows down the pace and focuses on small everyday life as opposed to giant concepts about the the universe. While
the band had briefly delved into some jazz-influenced music in the past on the song “The River” from Quarters!, this album is distinct from that in how it presents itself. The vocals on “Sketches” are light and playful. Melodies here are floaty and fun, with one song often drifting into another song with no break in the middle. The album does a good job in painting a picture of Brunswick East, the suburb in Australia where the band does much of their recording and has their headquarters. With subtle sounds embedded in the music, such as trains in the distance, dogs barking, birds chirping, and children playing, you really feel immersed in the sounds of the city. Flute melodies feel free and the rhythms are laid back. In the past, the band has been known for having aggressive songs that are constantly driving forward without stopping, but here they are not afraid to just sit back and let songs flow. This makes the album stand out in their discography as a truly unique experiment, but it is also a flaw. Often, the songs are too relaxed and seem to go nowhere before transitioning into the next song. Some songs feel like incomplete ideas that were not developed as much as they could have been. The album is rather short, with a run time of thirty seven minutes, but it feels much longer as a result
of how it meanders. Still, there are some good tracks to be found here. A gentle keyboard solo towards the end of “Countdown” descends into an eratic solo with staccato notes dropping like a drizzle of rain drops. This reminded me of some of the unusual solos from Mild High Club’s last album Skiptracing, in particular the fuzzy guitar solo at the end of “Kokopelli.” Another highlight is the song “The Book” which features the return of the microtonal experimentation that characterized their earlier release Flying Microtonal Banana. To dismiss this song as merely a b-side from that album would be a disservice, because this song really embraced the half tone scale in a way that expands on the experiments of that album. The lyrics explore dark fanaticism and moral certainty from the perspective of a religious fundamentalist. Overall, Sketches of Brunswick East is a distinct departure from the usual sound of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Although it suffers from a lack of momentum, the album is a fun effort by the group to take their sound somewhere new. There is no doubt that the group has already moved on to their next project if it is not already finished yet. Who knows where the group will take us next?
Sunderman Spotlight: IT (2017): More than Isaac Hawkins a horror movie? B y M ichelle G rosser Contributing Writer
By
katherine
L entz
A&E Editor
T he t railers for t he mov ie ‘I T’ s u g ge s t a ter r if y i ng f il m st a r r i ng a s c a r y, m u r d e r o u s cl ow n . The movie certainly delivers on its promise of plenty of gasping and seat grabbing moments as the clown preys upon the children of Derry, Maine. This was to be expected, of cou rse, f rom one of the most anticipated movies of the season. What was unexpected, however, was that the bond o f f r i e n d s h i p , l o y a l t y, and shared exper iences between the children b e c ome s a s c omp el l i ng a t a l e a s t h e h o r r o r s t o r y. The movie is Director Andy Muschietti’s adaption of Stephen King’s n ovel of t h e s a m e n a m e. The movie opens with the horrifying disappearance of a child and introduces the audience to the ter r if ying clow n , Pen ny w ise ( Bill Sk a r sgå rd .) T he m issi ng ch ild is Georg ie (Jack son R o b e r t S c o t t) , t h e l i t t l e brother of Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher.) Bill is determined to find out what happened to his brother and enlists his group of friends to help h i m i nvest igate the disappearance over their summer break. The interaction
between the group of friends is not only delightf ul and of t e n hu morou s , but a l so cr ucial in establishing distinct and interesting p e r s o n a l it ie s fo r e a ch of Bill’s friends. The friends include Eddie (Jack Dylan G r a z e r) , t h e wo r r y wo r t m o m m a ’s b o y , S t a n l e y (Wyat t Olef ) the shy boy, and the smart aleck, scene steali ng R ichie ( Fi n n Wol f h a r d ). T h e b oy s a r e considered losers by their classmates and are verbally a nd physical ly abu se d by the local bully Bowers ( Nic h ol a s H a m i lt o n) a n d his accomplices. Early in t h e s u m m e r, a s a r e s u l t of Bowe r s bu l ly i ng ot he r children, the boys add three more t o t hei r g roup. Be n (J e r e m y R a y Ta y l o r) t h e over-weight new kid, Mike (Chosen Jacobs) the homeschooled kid, and Beverly (Sophia Lillis), the only girl i n t he g roup who ha s t he added burden of a troubled home life with a single father. Each of the f r ie nd s i nd iv idu al ly have a f r ig ht e n i n g e x p e r ie n c e involving a terrifying ghoul or monster that eventually transforms into Pennywise. Each of these experiences are presented in the gruesome, horrifying detail that earned t he f il m it s hor ror mov ie credentials. As the friends
c ont i nue t hei r se a rch for Georgie, the hor r if ying i nt e r a c t ion s w it h I T (t he name the child ren give to many forms of Pennywise) increase in their intensity, gor i ness, and violence. However, while the expected hor ror na r rative is playing out, another more subtle narrative about the f r iendship that builds bet ween the k ids th roug h their experiences develops. The st rength of this bond of friendship and loyalty is tested as the friends have to decide on several occasions, whet he r to st ick toget he r a nd c o nt i nu e t he s e a r ch , or to abandon the search in a act of self-preser vation. T h e q u e s t io n of w h e t h e r one or more of the friends will abandon the search in orde r t o s ave t he m selve s is as i nt r ig ui ng as t r yi ng to determine the next time Pennywise is going to jump o u t f r o m b e h i n d a d o o r. This is where ‘I T’ d i s t i n g u i s h e s i t s e l f from other hor ror movies: r at her t ha n hav i ng a cast of characters whose main purpose is to open doors or enter dark basements, ‘IT’ has a cast of characters that are interesting in their own right, and would probably d raw public i nterest even i f t h e y we r e n’t b e i n g ter ror ized by a clow n.
What is your major? Bachelor of Music Education What is your instrument? Clarinet
What has been the most important part of your conservatory experience? The most important part of my experience has been getting to know the people. I have always thought that the Sunderman Conservatory is not about the building, but about the people. I have benefited enormously from getting to know and work closely with my professors and peers and learning from everyone I have met over the past three years. How has your time here influenced your projected career in music? The music education program has opened my eyes to more options in the field of music education. I don’t feel as pigeon holed as I did when I first came in. My methods classes, like Elementary methods, have given me the abilities to teach a wide variety of areas, not just high school band. I can say that with some work I think I would be able to teach something out of my specialization like elementary strings. And in my student teaching placement I am going to be given even more exposure to the many different areas of music education. The Bachelor of Music Education degree is a comprehensive degree
Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College program that has prepared me for whatever comes my way. What are your plans for after graduation? I plan to teach music. Tell me about your recital. I am playing a variety of pieces that don’t necessarily fall into a specific category other than “Music that I love.” I wanted to make sure that I loved every moment of every piece that I am playing, because I believe that if I love it, I will give the audience a great performance. My goal is to have an enjoyable performance. I will be playing Astor Piazzolla Etudes 1 & 3 (originally for violin or flute), Camille Saint-Saens
Clarinet Sonata Op. 167, Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche (for alto saxophone and orchestra), and Conradin Kreutzer’s In Yonder Valley. I like all of these pieces for different reasons. The Milhaud is an incredible closer, while the Sonata is absolutely beautiful. Each of these pieces is perfect for their own role in the program. What is your advice for future conservatory students? Listen to every single moment of music on your recital before handing in your proposal. Isaac’s senior recital is on November 18th at 8:30pm in Paul Recital Hall, Schmucker Hall.
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
OPINIONS Page 7
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
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.
Ashamed to triumph: How we all got trumped B y A lex R omano O pinions E ditor
Did I vote for Trump last November? Yes. Will I vote for him again? If things keep going the way they are now, no. That previous paragraph warrants an explanation. People who voted for Trump are generally grouped into the following categories: Hateful Racists, Hillary’s Basket of Deplorables, the murderous thugs who dress up in ghastly white robes and masks and mow down peaceful left-wing protestors in heinous acts of vehicular homicide; Misguided Losers, the uneducated rabble of construction workers, truckers and the like to w hom the pres ident promised a gold mine and ended up giving a derelict strip mall parking lot; Apathetic White-Collars, the moderates and uppermiddle-class in the Republican Party who did not have too much of a stake in the election and so just shrugged the whole thing off and voted the party line when it came down to crunch time; Turncoat Democrats, who inexplicably leapt across the gap from their own party to join the Trump Train; Protest Voters, the regular folk who are all fed up with the current era of PC overkill and free-speech suppression; and Hopeless Defeatists, who saw the corruption of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the pair’s unappealing personalities, shady backgrounds, and moral ambiguity, saw no notable difference between the two (besides Hillary’s experience, but that will be covered later), decided that it was time for career politicians to take one on the chin, and entered their ballot for the Man with the Cornsilk Hair. These are reasonable categories; probably most people would fall under at least one of them. However, all of thes e categories imply that the voter is an active bigot, a cynic, a fool, or a dupe. That is not fair. There appears to be no such thing to the president’s opponents as a Trump supporter who is entirely intelligent, compassionate, courageous, and reasonable. Everyone who chose Donald John Trump to be president has no valid reason for doing so and is critically flawed either in morality or in intellect, or both. Yet that is unfair. There is one final type of Trump supporter that deserves notice. This is the group to which I belong, the actual Silent Majority, who took a gamble and went into the booths to vote for the man who they thought would change the Republican Party for the better, who dismissed the notion that Trump was a force of evil bent on turning the country into an anarchic war zone, and who ignored the altright, failing to believe that the GOP would actually yield its beliefs and guiding principles to
a political sect created by misfits and geeks on the Internet. It took a long time for the mainstream media to take Donald Trump seriously as a contender, but once the cable news networks caught on to the surging Trump phenomenon, he was already the most feared and least understood player in the GOP field. He was out of control. He was attacking party favorites, he was giving edgy interviews, he was racking up popular support. And he was doing all of this in a way that appalled Democrats as much as it appalled Republicans. Though the American people tend to forget just exactly why it appalled both parties. D e m o c r a t s were outraged because of the usual: Trump was spouting off against immigrants, against Muslims and against protestors. His ignorance showed early on. Republicans , though, were not initially repulsed by the racial dog-whistling and tasteless verbal attacks of Trump. Rather, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, and company were upset by the issues that Trump touched on in the reality TV-perfect first primary: issues such as free trade, campaign finance reform, internal improvements, health care, illegal immigration, and economic recovery. The Republicans onstage were confounded, incensed, even scared (Rand Paul), as if the business mogul standing beside them was an orange peel-skinned apparition manifested out of pure space divinely charged with the purpose of thwarting the GOP’s regulars’ efforts to succeed Barack Obama. In addition, he was flat-out berating them, charging them each with accepting monetary contributions from him for their campaigns, and voicing what many already thought: that the men on the stage were feeling the bottoms of their pockets for loose change to continue funding their presidential runs. All the while he was dropping hints about the ideas that would become the components of the unconventional policy agenda he wanted to use to reshape the Republican party. Later during the summer of the primary, Trump expanded on his political views and stirred up more dissent within the Republican Party. His ideas for tax reform and refusal to support overturning the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage, along with his relative silence on gun control and abortion rights, did not sit well with mainstream conservatives. Or, as they were called then, neoconservatives. Moderates within the party had long had problems with these neocons, who they felt were responsible for how poorly the GOP had been doing lately. It would be
unwise for Americans to forget the state of the Republican Party preTrump. It was battered, sickly, and old, withered by the collective agencies of time, impracticality, intolerance, and Mitt Romney. The neoconservatives were and are a dying group, their stilted ideology a passing trend started by the Gordon Gekkos and Patrick Batemans of the 1980s, and given righteous justification by televangelists and fundamentalist Christian pamphleteers who harangue people in front of abortion clinics and delight themselves by disrupting the funerals of gay people. No public figure belonging to the neocon faction wanted Trump in office, with Fox News and mainstreamers in Congress claiming that Trump was an ultraliberal con man. Indeed, among Trump’s earliest critics were Bill O’Reilly and Greg Gutfeld, political analysts featured on the neoconservative network. None other than Glenn Beck published a book titled Liars in which he ranked Trump alongside Presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Obama as dangerous progressive giant of the modern age. Let that sink in: the Republicans feared that Trump was a progressive. They were afraid that he would take the party out of its comfort z one, and finally push the Republicans into a new phase of evolution. Right-wing moderates such as myself were not afraid, but relieved, even excited, to see the reactionary elements of the party not have their way for once, and to be given the chance to elect someone who would allow the conservatives to progress. Every gaffe, every inflammatory line of rhetoric, every impulsive Tweet came next to these early signs of progression in the Trump campaign. At last. Change in the Republican Party was long overdue by the dawn of Trump, so many moderates and centrists wanted to get on board his campaign train. He suggested tax increases on the wealthy. He voiced his approval of free advertising for political candidates. To capitalize on his public image as a master negotiator, Trump came forth with a plan for departure in conservative Middle Eastern policy. He proposed the practice of realpolitik between Israel and the Palestinians, appearing to wish for a middle road between the unquestioningly pro-Israel right and the cynical, Zionismweary left. Media focus on Trump’s plentiful open legal cases, disrespect for women, brashness in demeanor, inexperience with regard to public office, multiple failed businesses, and insensitivity towards minorities fell right to the wayside for Republicans who had for so long wished to
see the party evolve and take up a more current ideology. The bluster and vulgarity were just campaign rhetoric, the extreme policies just usual overhype for the electorate; Donald J. Trump was saying what the more radical elements of his base wanted to hear and, once elected, like many a candidate before him, would back off of his aggressive language and provocative speech and accept the realities of the political process, settling in as a reasonable man of business with a more moderate agenda of his own. A yuge wall being constructed in between the United States and Mexico may not seem to be a very moderate idea, but voters like me kept in mind that Trump is first and foremost a businessman who has made his living overstating things and outraging the public. A t y p i c a l business maneuver is to start from the highest demand in a negotiation and then from there work down to a compromise. With his suggestion to have a wall built, Trump was sending signals to get a rise out of Mexico, which materialized in the form of a profane comment from Mexican President Vicente Fox. Building the protective structure and then having Mexico pay for it was Donald Trump’s offer, but that is all that it was: the first offer. It was not unthinkable that negotiations could have followed to me and those who filled in their ballots like me. In this way, by emphasizing his skills as a deal-maker, Trump convinced voters that his election would herald an era of moderation and limitation. I and people like me who expected this result had reason to think so. An extraordinarily wealthy and successful businessman, Trump was not without political connections. He had observed the political scene for decades, and established his record as something of a political shapeshifter, having supported the single-payer health care system in the past; opposed the war in Iraq; spoken permissively of abortion in the past; remained friendly with the gay community through his capacity as a television persona; gained favor among African Americans and Latinos as the star of “The Apprentice”; supported Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign; and wrote up a document criticizing President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. For years of his life, Trump was a Democrat. Given his fluidity with political stances an d af f i l i a t i o n s , i t d i d not seem unreasonable to believe that he would have some leeway with his policies and that he would be open to new ideas and compromise, despite what he currently believed or what he said he currently believed. But the possibility that
he was just as bad as his opponents claimed also nagged at the minds of his moderate voters. Filling out his bubble on the ballot was a gamble in that way, but it was a worthy gamble. The hope that he would not live up to the grotesque villain that liberals made him out to be outweighed the concern that he might. When it comes to experience, Hillary wins out over Trump. She has been a major player in the political scene for decades. That does not mean that the value of experience can be, and, in the 2016 election cycle, was not overstated. What good is a person with experience if that person has no vision? W e m u s t remember that our absolute worst president, James Buchanan, spent 40 years of his life as a public servant, in capacities as varied as Clinton’s. He was a Pennsylvania state legislator, senator, minister to Russia, ambassador to the UK and secretary of state, and he learned much from his service in those fields. He even turned down an appointment to the Supreme Court. But he lacked the vision of an America united and at peace with itself, of a friendly North and South and a freed African American people who have been granted their basic humanity and dignity. While it is a long shot to argue that Clinton would have supplanted Buchanan as the country’s worst leader, it serves as the prime example of experience meaning little without a grand plan to back it. Being With Her is not a vision; Making America Great Again is. Though of course Trump could have been a great deal clearer during his campaign with regard to how exactly he was going to go about fulfilling his vision, but that is an unwelcome digression from the main point of this article. At least he offered something on which the public could chew. Anyway, so far Trump has not turned out to be the president that I thought he would be. Hindsight is 20/20, and it is still early in the game, but Trump seems to have decided on a solidly alt-right course for his term of office. I was initially excited that the first candidate for whom I had ever voted in a presidential election won, but looking back on that long gray day in November, I feel less and less a sense of triumph. Trump decided long ago that his relentless publicity, tabloidstealing overexposure, constant gimmicks, and public appearances at various nationally televised events are not the means to the end of running a successful business or, with respect to the presidency, leaving a lasting and indelible mark on human history, but that the means are the end. Much like how Clinton and Cruz’s opponents view the two as living for politics for
politics’ own sake, Trump is living for publicity for publicity’s sake. He is the embodiment of a public relations vehicle, a man who has spent his life feeling out the next big thing in order to attach his name to it and so never go out of style. Public housing, casinos, USFL teams, steaks, airlines, bottled water, reality game shows— all mere trends, the popularity of which ebbed and flowed with public sentiment, and Donald Trump was never far to cash in. Given his shrewd eye for the faddish, it only follows that Trump would tap the alt-right to launch him into the White House, as that fringe group has used the cold, callous, and uncaring channels and chat boards of the Internet to work its way into the minds of its users and establish itself as the latest craze. That is where we are. No longer do policymakers, educators, charitable organizations, intellectual think tanks, news analysts, or political scientists convince the electorate how to vote, or inform the public, or provide the common American with motivation to join a party or become involved in a cause. Screw that. Today the course that our governing bodies take is determined by meme addicts, Reddit fiends, 4chan freaks, petty Internet trolls, unmerciful spammers, illegitimate pseudopolitical fringe Website hacks, and the occasional self-righteous talk show host. We have to take these people seriously now, which is as painful for me to write as it is for you to read. But what can you do? If I were able to go back in time to the day when I mailed in my absentee ballot, I am still not confident that I would have voted for Clinton. I am positive that I would not have voted for Gary Johnson, even if it tickles me that he reminds me of James Woods. But it is also highly, highly unlikely that I would have voted for Trump. No. Instead of all three of those names, I would have gone for John Kasich, who I admire for his moderate Republican philosophy and deep human compassion. For Democrats who point to Kasich’s straight conservative record as governor of Ohio as evidence that he is just as bad as the rest, they should remember that he is nonetheless more moderate than most, and he may not have been such a hard-liner as president. For, once you take the moderate course, you accept the need to compromise, which is a lost art that Kasich could have revived. Oh, he stood no chance of winning, not that time around. But at least I would have sent out that ballot and felt good about contributing to my country’s political process. In these times, it is very difficult to do just that.
THE GETTYSBURGIAN
SPORTS
Page 8
♦
Thursday, September 21, 2017
earn second Eddie Plank Award Bullet Bullets Shot: Women’s lacrosse prepares for another successful season Athlete of the Week
First-year Reggie JeanCharles By John Zak Contributing Writer T h e Gettysburg College Bullets football team has had a rough go so far following a 0-3 start in nail-biters against Bridgewater, U r s i n u s , a n d Dickinson. Each of those losses came by one touchdown or less. However, first-year running b a c k R e g g i e JeanCharles has stood out amongst this year’s team in his college debut. JeanCharles has done a lot for the Bullets’ offense so far by netting 299 rushing yards over 3 games, for an impressive average of 99.67 rushing yards per game. His most notable performance was against Ursinus College in week two when he ran for 170 rushing yards on 28 carries, providing the strongest numbers on offense for the Bullets that week. JeanCharles’ m o s t r e c e n t performance against Dickinson included 51 rushing yards on 19 carries and 56 receiving yards on three receptions. He once again produced a 100+ yardage performance for the Bullets’ offense. Overall this season, JeanCharles has been averaging 4.5 yards per carry proving himself an important weapon in the offensive unit while managing to rush for two touchdowns against Bridgewater and Dickinson. Gettysburg will continue their season on Saturday against McDaniel College, and will rely on JeanCharles’ offensive power to earn their first victory of the season. JeanCharles’ status as a firstyear student and his contributions to the Bullets football team make him this week’s Gettysburgian Athlete of the Week!
B y E lizabeth H ilfrank S ports C o - editor
The Gettysburg College Women’s Lacrosse team received the Eddie Plank Award from the Gettysburg Borough Council Monday, September 11. For the second time, the women’s lacrosse team has been recognized for athletic achievement – the first being after its first national title in 2011. The award recognizes strong athletic achievement by local community members and is given in memory of Eddie Plank, a former pitcher for the Gettysburg College baseball team. In addition to recognizing the win of a second national title, the Borough gave the Bullets the award for ranking as a top-academic team, beating eight of the top 14 teams in the nation and tying the program record of 21 wins for the season. Plank played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Terriers before retiring in 1917. He held the record for most wins by a left-handed pitcher and continues to hold the record for most complete games and shutouts by a lefty. Plank was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. After falling in love with Gettysburg, Plank retired to the town, where he served as a battlefield tour guide at Gettysburg National Park until his death in 1926. He continues to be remembered on campus through the Plank Gym. The Lady Bullets were invited to the Gettysburg Borough Council meeting last Monday,
Photo Courtesy of Gettysburg College Athletics The Gettysburg Women’s Lacrosse team won against The College of New Jersey May 28 to earn its second national title.
where Gettysburg Mayor Theodore Streeter presented the certificates to senior defender Elsie Wagner and Gettysburg College President Janet Riggs. “We know Eddie Plank and we know what he stood for as an athlete and what he means to the community here at Gettysburg. It’s an honor to be a recipient of the Eddie Plank Award,” said Head Coach Carol Cantele. Coach Cantele is a Gettysburg graduate herself. Graduating in 1983, the 2017 season was her 25th season as head coach. Cantele holds the Gettysburg program record for total wins, with 378 under her
belt so far, 10 of which were earned during the Centennial Conference Championship games and two earned in the national championship. In her overall career Cantele is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to have surpassed the 400-win mark. Since her time as coach, she has been named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year three times, Metro Region Coach of the Year nine times and Centennial Conference Coach of the Year twice. Coach Cantele also serves as the Assistant Director of Athletics on campus. Earning the Eddie Plank Award early into the 2017-2018 school year provides the drive for the
Lady Bullets to continue to work towards success. Always looking forward, the Women’s Lacrosse team held a “prospect” day Sunday, September 17 and an alumni game during Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, September 16. The Lady Bullets graduated five seniors last spring. These seniors had to have a special commencement ceremony as they had a game on the actual commencement day. But, out with the old and in with the new, eleven first years have joined the Lady Bullets for the upcoming season. The team is up every Tuesday and Thursday at 7AM for the college SPARQ’s
conditioning program provided for all spring season athletes. During this session, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams -- in addition to baseball, basketball and track and field -- turn out for a series of running and strength training workouts. Women’s lacrosse has also started fall ball practices routinely during the week. T h e t e a m understands that one success does not define the whole story, which is why they are already back in action. The Lady Bullets will return to the field for a fall ball game versus Mount St. Mary’s University at Stevenson University September 30.
Field hockey falls to Shorewomen
Bullets lose to Washington College in double overtime By James Ficano Contributing Writer The Gettysburg College Field Hockey team lost 3-2 to the Washington College Shorewomen in Saturday’s game at Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium in Chestertown, MD. A barnburner, the field hockey game went into double overtime. It was not until the 87th minute, 17 minutes past standard regulation time, when Washington College’s junior Emily Pantazes shot the ball past senior goaltender Haley Mowery
that the game finally reached its conclusion. Mowery had 11 saves on her record for the day prior to this shot. The loss is the fourth loss on the season for the Gettysburg Bullets, who now stand 1-4 on the season. It was the third overtime appearance for the Bullets. The game kicked off with a quick tip-in goal by Washington’s first-year forward Grace Steele in the third minute of the first period. Steele’s second goal of the season was assisted by first year Kailyn Brandt by way of a long pass
through the circle leading to a tip-in. The Bullets fired back with a goal only minutes later thanks to a blast by first year Emma Bertrando at 8:12 of the first period. It was also Bertrando’s second goal on the season. Senior Lindsay Kraus assisted the goal. Gettysburg surged and took the lead when Bertrando once again put points on the scoreboard. Senior captain Lily Neibart assisted the goal with a pass from the top of the field in the 29th minute. Washington College had
Photo Courtesy of David Sinclair Senior Lily Neibert provided the assist for Gettysburg’s second goal of the game.
This Weekend in Gettysburg College Sports Friday, September 22nd: Women’s Tennis vs. York- 4:00p.m. Men’s Tennis vs. York- 4:00p.m. Saturday, September 23rd: Women’s Cross Country at Delaware Valley Invitational- 10:00a.m. Men’s Cross Country at Delaware Valley Invitational- 10:00a.m. Football at McDaniel- 1:00p.m. Volleyball vs. Ursinus- 1:00p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. Ursinus- 4:00p.m. Men’s Soccer vs. Johns Hopkins- 7:00p.m.
two more failed penalty corner attempts before the end of the first regulation period. The Lady Bullets hit their stride in the beginning of the second regulation period, getting several good shots on goal. The team rattled off five shots with the help Bertrando, first year Megan Kratz, first year Grace Torrence, and senior Philippa Lumsden. The Bullets also defended against three shots, two of which were blocked by defenders and one saved by senior goalie Haley Mowery. The Shorewomen went on to tie the game late into the second regulation period with a goal by first year Kailyn Brandt. Brandt went unassisted on this shot, dribbling around Gettysburg defenders and scoring with a reverse stick shot. With the game standing 2-2 as the end of regulation neared, senior Bullet goalie Haley Mowery made a penalty stroke save in the 69th minute to push the game into overtime. The action-packed first overtime period went without a score. Several shots came from both the Bullets’ and the Shorewomen’s squads. The Bullets fired five shots with no avail, and the Shorewomen fired eight with the same result. Mowery once again showed
tremendous effort with six saves in the first OT period. The second overtime period started with an aggressive push by the Shorewomen heldoff by Mowery’s efforts. Eventually Pantazes scored off of a rebound from a save in the 87th minute to bring an end to the long game. “Our most recent game against Washington College was a great game that ended in double overtime,” said Head Coach Barb Jordan. “The conference is very strong with each team having a viable chance of making it to the conference tournament, so every game is extremely important.” Although the Bullets’ record is currently negative they have shown through their three overtime appearances that they can battle with the tough competition and are still looking for a spot in that conference tournament. “ W e w e r e obviously disappointed with the result, but we will continue working to improve and will be ready for our next conference game,” said Coach Jordan. The Bullets will look for another win this weekend when they face the Ursinus College Bears at 1p.m. Saturday, September 23 at Mussleman Stadium.
Get the full Fall 2017 Athletic Calendar Visit gettysburgsports.com