QUAKER CAMPUS
Whittier College Climbs Up in College Rankings
In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges edition, Whittier College was listed as #14 amongst national Liberal Arts colleges for social mobility, a category that measures how well colleges serve students from lowerincome backgrounds.
The College has been quietly, but steadily, climbing the ranks in national higher education standings, marking a period of renewed recognition for our Liberal Arts institution. These designations underscore the College’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to higher education, enhancing student outcomes, and reinforcing its institutional identity as a small yet socially impactful Liberal Arts college in Southern California.
The 2026 U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges ranking represents a continuation of upward momentum that began five years ago. In 2020, the College was ranked #102 among national Liberal Arts colleges, improving slightly from the year before. By 2021, it had been recognized among the top 10 Liberal Arts colleges in California, and in the 2024 U.S. News edition, it rose 16 places to reach #8 nationally in the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” category.
In 2025, the College received several recognitions in various categories, which signal that the College’s efforts are not just shortterm, but part of a longer pattern of institutional progress. Historically, the College’s placement has hovered between the low 100s and mid-120s in national Liberal Arts rankings.
As of now, the College is ranked #92 in National Liberal Arts Colleges, #86 in Best Value Schools, and #14 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. This has broken records in the low 100s barrier.
Its gradual climb over the past five years suggests that the College’s academic mission and support programs are increasingly resonating with ranking evaluators and prospective students alike.
Several factors appear to be driving this steady improvement, a primary reason being the College’s demonstrated success in promoting social mobility.
The College’s recognition in this category underscores its commitment to first-generation and Pell Grant–eligible students,
evaluated. Recent methodological changes in ranking organizations emphasize equity and outcomes over prestige and wealth. Institutions that provide high-quality education to diverse and economically varied populations have seen more favorable results, while several elite universities that have historically
" The 2026 U.S. News & World Report : Best Colleges ranking represents a continuation of upward momentum that began five years ago."
groups that make up a substantial portion of its student body. As a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), the College has a mission centered around inclusion and opportunity, which aligns closely with the updated U.S. News methodology which now places a heavier influence on outcomes, such as graduation rates and post-graduation earnings, rather than standardized test scores or alumni donations.
The College’s upward movement also reflects a broader shift in how colleges across the country are
relied on reputation-based factors have fallen in the rankings. For the College, this shift has worked to its advantage, allowing the College’s strengths in access, affordability, and diversity to gain national visibility.
Beyond U.S. News, the College has also earned recognition from other ranking platforms. According to Niche, it ranks 44th out of 1,615 schools for “Most Diverse Colleges in America,” reaffirming its longstanding reputation as a campus that brings together students from varied cultural and socioeconomic
THE QUAKER CAMPUS STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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backgrounds. It also ranks #8 out of 110 schools in the state for “Most Diverse Colleges in California.”
While rankings may not fully capture the depth of a student’s experience, they serve as an indicator of institutional growth. In the College’s case, the positive trajectory can be linked to tangible improvements in student support systems, campus resources, and academic offerings.
The College has invested in expanding advising services, experiential learning opportunities, and community-based programs that connect coursework to realworld engagement. These initiatives not only enhance student outcomes but also align with what modern ranking systems reward: measurable results in retention, graduation, and postgraduate success. The
College's consistent improvement across multiple years and ranking categories indicates that its upward movement is not simply an artifact of methodology but the product of long-term strategic efforts. Ultimately, the College’s steady climb in national rankings illustrates a broader story of resilience and renewal. Its growing reputation as a top performer in social mobility and diversity underscores a commitment to equitable education that goes beyond numbers. While Whittier may not yet rival larger universities in research funding or national prestige, its emphasis on opportunity, affordability, and inclusion resonates strongly in an era where higher education is being reevaluated through the lens of access and impact.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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The Quaker Campus does not change material posted on online articles once they have been published in the paper — with the exception of an error being found. Only then will a correction be made to the online version. The Quaker Campus is a publication of Whittier College. Columns and Signed editorials do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Whittier College or its affiliates.
RIPaola Ruiz NEWS EDITOR
Whittier College's rankings are going up every year.
Courtesy of Whittier College
Courtesy of ShikSha Whittier College is #14 in Social Mobility.
Transgender Policies Changing Under Trump
Pain Mutilation Death EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Higher education has faced a barrage of attacks surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and is now laser-focused on gender ideology.
In early Sept., Texas A&M University Professor Melissa McCoul was fired for discussing gender theory in an upper-level children’s literature class. Texas A&M’s administration explained that this decision was made due to the course content not matching the course description. McCoul’s termination was called for by Republican politicians online after the discussion was filmed and posted, according to San Antonio News.
During the aftermath, McCoul argues that she had the right to discuss the topic while students retained the right to leave. This policy is practiced in many classrooms here at Whittier College, with professors encouraging students to discuss their ideology while also putting anti-hate speech guardrails in place.
On Oct. 13, California
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 418, which was introduced to provide transgender and intersex people with a stable way to access hormone therapy.
SB418 would require healthcare providers to offer a 12-month hormone therapy coverage plan to all holders, which would enforce nondiscriminatory practices rooted in sex or gender. According to the Los Angeles Times , Newsom
cited that SB418 would increase healthcare premiums. Transgender and intersex individuals are left to face the worsening instability surrounding gender-affirming care.
There has also been an increase in legislation pertaining to transgender people in athletics, which prevents these athletes from participating. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) created a new policy for transgender athletes on Feb. 6: “The participation policy for transgender student-athletes […] does not permit competition by an individual assigned male at birth to compete on a women’s team.”
In other words, transgender
athletes can practice and compete on men’s teams but are limited to only practicing with women’s teams. Whittier College is a DIII NCAA school, so it must abide by these policies.
The College offers a diverse range of courses surrounding Gender Studies and boasts a faculty and staff with members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community. These professors and coordinators regularly host events and spaces for LGBTQ+ students, like documentary showings,
themed housing collectives (in residential communities), and the Lavender Cultural Celebration (previously referred to as Lavender
Graduation) committee.
Student-led initiatives and community-building programs, which include the Gender-Inclusive Housing, Arthurian Order of the Knights of Pendragon (AOKP), and TOBGLAD, are also holding spaces for queer students on campus to brace for legislative fallout.
AOKP is particularly welcoming to transgender students, especially due to the escapist experience of LARPing and character creation.
“It’s a very interpersonal club […] it’s always been an escape for people,” says fourth-year member Evan Godley. “I’ve found other trans people in the community through this club, and we support each other through rough times, like during election night last year.”
Despite the College’s efforts, it still falls short on occasion. Some transgender and genderqueer students find it challenging to navigate name changes in the Whittier College registrar system.
Godley explains, “Some of us still have our deadnames on our MyWhitter profiles and Google Accounts on our school emails even after submitting name change forms. Even students who changed their names legally have run into this problem.”
Godley continues by describing a situation where a trans student had to keep their deadname on their account because their tuition bill goes to their family.
Many transgender youth face the issue of staying in the closet
while still depending on their family for support, but Godley attests that the College is a refuge for many.
Multiple students who have requested to stay anonymous have defined their enrollment and residency at the College to be a form of asylum from anti-trans legislation in deep red states. LGBTQ+ students have also been exploring options to seek asylum in other states and countries after graduation.
Federal legislation continues to put pressure on educational institutions, demanding erasure of transgender, intersex, and genderqueer identity. Education Departments in states like New York and California have pushed back by introducing equal protection legislation in their jurisdictions. New York Senate Bill S449 will require “the board of education and the trustees […] of every school district to establish policies and procedures regarding [equal] treatment of transgender or gender non-conforming students.”
K-12 institutions are more restricted in offering support to trans, intersex, and genderqueer students because a majority of their student population is under 18. However, higher education institutions usually have adult students who have different pathways to healthcare and social support. Colleges and universities are regularly considered safe havens for trans students to escape hostile political climates.
"No King" Protests in the City of Whittier
On Saturday, Oct. 18, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of Whittier City Hall as part of the nationwide “No Kings” protest.
Across the country, there have been over seven million people who have participated in over 2,700 protest nationwide. The “No Kings” movement started in June 2025 as a protest against President Donald Trump’s birthday parade. The simple message of the protest is in the name: America has no kings.
The protests also aimed to garner support and awareness of the upcoming special election for Proposition 50. The proposition would allow California to create more Democratic districts for the House of Representatives and prevent Republicans from having a dominating majority in Congress. Essentially, Prop. 50 would make it more difficult for Trump to pass legislation.
NBC Bay Area reported that the "No Kings" protests in its localities were composed of many participants who held signs in support of Prop. 50. The proposition was further advertised through a human banner made up of 3,000 participants in San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. These statewide efforts prove that “No Kings Day” in California may have doubled as a statewide rally for the
According to nokings.org, the protesters are standing up against the actions of the Trump administration, who are sending masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into communities, threatening to overtake elections, and gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education. The organizers and participants of the Whittier “No Kings” protest had similar sentiments to share.
the Whittier Indivisible Chapter, the organizers of the protest, said they had 600 people who had RSVP’d to attend the protest, but she believes that the number of attendees who attended far exceeded that. There were attendees of all ages, including children, and many were there with their families.
We will push back against hate and tyranny for the freedom and rights of ALL!"
exclaims Victoria Leigh Julien, spokesperson for Indivisible's Whittier chapter, in an emailed statement. She continues, "Our peaceful day of action is going to bring together local residents from all walks of life who share a simple message: We don't do kings in America."
One woman who attended the protest was there with her daughter, sister, and parents. This was her first time attending a protest, but she shares that she could not merely stand by and watch as the Trump administration continues to cause harm.
As a mother to three daughters and the daughter of a veteran, she felt compelled to attend the protest. Additionally, she believes that Congress should have the same access to healthcare that the Big Beautiful Bill restricts for the rest of U.S. citizens.
mother and daughter, Whittier College alumni duo passed out cards that outlined some basic constitutional protections relevant to ICE raids (“Know Your Rights” cards). The cards were in Chinese, Korean, English, and Spanish. The women emphasized that many people are not aware of their rights, so they wanted to help educate others about them.
There were a couple of people that attended who were from Whittier College, as well as an employee who works in the Campus Inn. She was filming the action as the protesters started marching down Painter Avenue towards Whittier Boulevard.
As first-time protesters, a proposition.
One of the volunteers with
"As our president continues to crave and pursue more power, we as a people continue to stand up against the regime and say NO to authoritarianism.
Another family, a couple and their eighteen-year-old daughter, state that they have been protesting Trump since his first term nine years ago, half of their daughter’s life. Their daughter also shared that she has added fears of what the current administration might do because she has autism and identifies as a Queer woman.
A pastor from a local church gave a speech where she claimed that protesting was honoring the Quaker roots of Whittier since the Quakers protested the colonial English powers. These various attendees showed the unifying power of the city amidst intimidating political pressure.
The “No Kings” protest in Whittier represented more than just a local response to national politics; it embodied a collective assertion of democratic values and civic engagements. From families marching together to alumni distributing “Know Your Rights” cards, they are trying to defend democracy.
Loocinda Frates FOR THE QC
Protestors attending the "No King" protest.
Courtesy of Lucinda Frates
Transgender policies are changing on a national and state level.
Courtesy of BloomBerg
What’s up,
Whittier?
Stay up to date on events! For further info, visit https://whittier. campuslabs.com/Engage/
Red Cross Blood Drive
• Thursday, Oct. 30 at 10:00 a.m.
• Villalobos Hall
Palestine in Context Lunch
Series: Critical Conversations
• Thursday, Oct. 30 at 12:00 p.m.
• Campus Inn
Poet Pantry
• Thrusday, Oct. 30 at 12:30 p.m.
• Campus Center Room 141
Dia de los Muertos Cena y Celebracion
• Thursday, Oct. 30 at 5:00 p.m.
• Upper Quad
PB's Haunted House: "Enter The Vault"
• Thursday, Oct. 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Club 88
Halloween Costume Contest
• Friday, Oct. 31 at 12:00 p.m.
• Campus Center Courtyard
College Scaries
• Friday, Oct. 31 at 1:00 p.m.
• Upper Quad Bug Club Meeting!
• Monday, Nov. 3 at 12:30 p.m.
• Campus Courtyard Lower Level
MEChA Weekly Meeting
• Monday, Nov. 3 at 4:30 p.m.
• Ortiz Lounge Sustainability Club Bi-Weekly Meetings
• Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 12:30 p.m.
• Founder's Hill
SAS De-Stress Craft Night
• Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5:00 p.m.
• The Spot Craft Hour
• Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 11:00 a.m.
• Ettinger Lounge
3 on 3 Basketball Tournament
• Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 p.m.
• Harris Amphitheater
Chair Massage
• Thursday, Nov. 6 at 11:00 a.m.
• Naylor Portico (Deihl Hall Patio)
Meet Your Professors: Douglas Manuell II & Melissa Mesinas
• Thursday, Nov. 6 at 12:30 p.m.
• Dezember House
Let's Get Planting!
• Friday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m.
• Founder's Hill Lawn (in front of Deihl Hall)
Whittier College VRC "Veterans Week Celebration Kick Off 2025"
• Monday, No. 10 at 9:00 a.m.
• North Lawn
CAMPUS LIFE
Psychology is Dead...Psych You Thought!
EEklias Loya A&E EDITOR
Some might say “Psychology is just an excuse to whine about your everyday life!” or “Why even study Psychology? It’s just common sense!”, but the revitalized Psychology Club here at Whittier College begs to differ. The Psychology Club, led by thirdyear co-presidents Skye Mendoza, Leanne Block, and faculty advisor Margot Kaatz, have become active again and are currently gearing up for an exciting school year.
The first meeting of the year was held on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 4:00 p.m. in SLC 309, where students from all years, majors, and backgrounds popped in.
Psychology Professors Margot Kaatz, Christina Scott, and Ayesha Shaikh were also in attendance.
Psychology majors made up a great deal of attendees, but even Criminology and Business majors were in attendance and interested in the Psychology Club. Everyone had a different reason for joining. Some cited their genuine curiosity for the field, while others explained how they wanted to stay active within Psychology as they worked on other aspects of their degrees.
One student in particular stated, “I feel like psychology has always been shrouded in seriousness. I’m hoping that maybe this club could bring back a more fun side to the field.” Fortunately, the Psychology Club aspires to achieve that goal.
According to the Whittier College website, the Psychology Club “aims to create an academic and social environment that
welcomes students from all majors,” with an emphasis on spreading awareness about Psychology graduate programs, career pathways, and creating fun activities related to the field.
After the introductions and the election of a new Secretary, Treasurer, and Social Media Manager, the club has begun planning out the events they would like to host, with areas of interest aligning with different sectors of Psychology and Criminology. Some of the ideas included art therapy, movie and game nights, group study sessions, and visits from various Psychology professionals and attorneys for those who were interested in Forensics or Criminology. Ideas for collaborations with Psi Chi (the Psychology honor society), the Peer Health Educators, and other wellness organizations were also discussed.
While all of these were simply
ideas for future events, the future of the Psychology Club is bright, thanks to its intelligent, capable, and excited leadership team.
“I feel like [Psychology Club] is a great way to connect with campus more, especially since there’s so many incoming students,” Block remarked, “It seems like a lot of them are really eager to join different clubs and organizations here on campus.” Mendoza chimed in, discussing how the club is a good means of exploring the major.
“It’s a good way to be like, ‘Am I going to rough it out all four years before I actually know what it is and what I want to do?’” Block agreed, stating that Psychology Club is “a great way to have social events and fulfill the academic desire to learn more about Psychology.”
It all sounds fun, but there’s a lot of work that goes into running the club itself. Following the departure of the previous President, Kat Shum, Mendoza realized how
difficult it was to bring back a club that did not have much of a presence beforehand.
Luckily, Mendoza was able to recruit Block for assistance, with the pair having the goal of rekindling the community’s desire to pursue Psychology. “So [the club] came back with people that just wanted community within Psych,” Mendoza continued, “A lot of people are in Psi Chi. That’s a big thing, but you have to get invited in.”
Not only is the club a gateway to learning more about the major, but it also presents the field in a fun, more accessible light for people outside the Psychology major. If you’re thinking about joining the club, learning more about the vast world of psychology, or are just looking to get more involved on campus, the Psychology Club is a great way to get your foot in the door. Stay tuned on Engage for future meetings and events!
Arachnophobes Welcome at Bug Club
Pennywise Turgen MANAGING EDITOR
“We can’t really exist on Earth without bugs,” declared Emily Perez-Medina, the fourth-year CoFounder and President of Whittier College’s new organization, Bug Club. She began the club’s weekly meeting with this statement on Wednesday, Oct. 20 in the Campus Courtyard. The Bug Club was founded by a group of friends, Perez-Medina, and fouth-years Izzy Brookshire, and Paige MeyerDraffen, to spread information about the conservation of insects and break the stigma around bugs.
Brookshire, Treasurer and CoFounder of the club, continued the meeting with a goal to increase social media posts, expressing the idea with the intention to lessen students’ stigma towards insects. The club features student submissions on social media and encourages Poets to identify insects and send photos via Instagram to @wcbugclub
The executive board hopes this involvement will increase student engagement. They also plan to draw in students with activities and events, like a nature walk. This event would be open to all of the College’s students, and it would
fully immerse students into the "bug life."
The Bug Club also synthesises bugs with their many other interests. This past meeting's theme was insects inspired fashion.
The club watched archived footage from Mugler’s 1997 Spring Haute Couture Collection Runway, which incorporated many arthropod themes, and was the main discussion of their meeting. “Fashion draws from so many places, architecture, sunsets, and more, but bugs have so much variety,” Brookshire elaborated.
Dresses which mimicked the wings of moths and butterflies were showcased in this collection. These kinds of dresses are often found in mainstream fashion as well, being the most popular buggy theme in clothing.
The collection also featured a gown inspired by dragonflies with wings on the back and a segmented bodice to emulate the body of a real dragonfly. Models walked down the runway with elaborate bugeyed and antennaied headpieces as a focal point for the outfit, with a much less elaborate garment for the rest of the ensemble.
The meeting also touched on subtler examples of nature’s general inspiration given to fashion, such as the painting, "Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth" by John Singer Sargent. Subtlety in this context, is meant to describe the theme of the garment rather than the gown itself because those who know the painting, know it is anything but understated. It is a floor length,
bell sleeved, green dress that is completely covered in beetle wings. Adding onto this fashion inspiration, the club discussed how insects have made appearances in all forms of media, not just fashion. The art piece "Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, plenty of films featuring a character eating worms, and the song “Ladybugs’ Picnic” from Sesame Street are just a few examples.
Perez-Medina steered the discussion towards the influence that insects have on culture. She spoke from her own background, “Indigenous Mexican cultures use monarch butterflies as a symbol of change and as a sign your loved ones are visiting you from the dead.”
Perez-Medina expressed her uniquely high esteem for bugs while also opening the conversation for other students to make similar connections. Bug Club is here to show that bugs are (literally) everywhere, not just where you would expect. They can be found in the latest fashion trends, breathtaking artwork, or a part of your most valued cultural traditions. Only good can come out of more people adopting her bugloving mindset and joining the Bug Club, so next time you think about squishing a bug, think of Emily, the bug whisperer.
Members new and old attend the first meeting of Psychology Club.
Bug Club starts a buzz on Campus.
Elias Loya / Quaker Campus
Courtesy of Bug Club
CAMPUS LIFE
Celebrate Whittierween
They-A Killer CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR
Pennywise Turgen MANAGING EDITOR
As Halloween draws near, spirits are high at Whittier College as many student organizations and departments set up events to celebrate. Students have plenty of options to celebrate without organizations and even off campus as well. Most events have already passed, but there is always something you can do, even if it takes a little bit more planning. Here are a few things that you can do to celebrate Halloween on your own or with friends this year, if you dare:
Program Board’s Haunted House is a yearly event hosted in Club 88. In recent years, the themes have been a Zombie Club haunted house and The Ward. Both were super fun and enjoyable for the College community. With this year’s “Vault,” things are sure to get testy and the promise of fright is high. While the event is two days and the first day is over, there is always the second night on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 8:00 p.m. So go and head over to Club 88 and see what frightful sights you can set your eyes on as you “Enter the Vault.”
Media Council’s Costume Contest is also a great way to show off your costume and see what others have donned for the holiday. The three different categories being: funniest, eleaborate, and couple/ group, each student’s creativity can be showcased. Enter the contest and see what happens, or just go as whoever you decide to be and enjoy, for it is sure to bring joy and just a little fright to your Halloween day. Watch a spooky movie at the Starlight Cinemas in Uptown Whittier or spend an evening and watch one on your own. You can always invite your friends and make it a watch party, and who knows… it could be your last.
Dress up, go out into the community with friends, and party. You don’t have to go trick or treating, but going out and about is always fun. Even if you just go over to a friend's for a party. Just be careful because you never know what monsters you might meet.
A ghost photoshoot can certainly fun but it can also be spooky if you dare. All you need is a white sheet, sunglasses, and a phone camera. Wear the sheet over your head and do a sheet-ghost photo shoot. These can be super fun and are a great way of spending time with friends.
Pumpkin carving is as autumnal as it gets. Get a pumpkin, this can be any pumpkin really, even if it is plastic, and some tools used for carving. There are many images on the internet that you could take inspiration from and just have fun. Carve the pumpkin any way you want and use it as decoration. And if you decided to carve a plastic pumpkin then you have a decoration to use for years to come.
The Haunted Rose Haunt is a haunted house attraction celebrating local Whittier legends and even historical events with a spooky twist. Last year it was held at the Whittier Museum, and while this year it is being held at 12116 Groveland Avenue, it can still be a fun way of going out on Halloween. Enjoy the frights and fear as you learn about Whittier and its past.
While some of these haunts and frights may change next year, many of these ideas can be reused for future spooky events and frightful times. But that’s not all for this Halloween, the staff of the QC are balling out.
Pain Mutilation Death (Editor-in-Chief)
“I will be going to the West Hollywood Halloween Festival after I take my little cousins trick or treating in Orange! I really wanted to go to the club after, but my trash can costume is probably not going
to make the playoffs this year, so it should be a very exciting game to bear witness to. Although I'm not celebrating Halloween per se, my costume is a Vampire--a simple, easy, and spooky choice.”
Devellica Hellessy (Opinions Editor)
“I will be dressing up as 1994 Superboy and I plan on staying in my dorm, facetiming with my friends, and playing scary video games. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! My Halloween traditions include dressing up, hanging out with my friends, eating candy, and watching scary movies! I miss trick-or-treating a lot but luckily there's still other ways to have fun!”
RIPaola Ruiz (News Editor)
“I’ve always liked Halloween. It’s one of those holidays that brings everyone together in a fun way. I definitely miss trick-or-treating sometimes, mostly for the candy and the excitement of going house to house. I don’t have any strict traditions, but I always try to do something small to get into the spirit, even if it’s just watching a Halloween movie or carving pumpkins.”
They-A Killer (Campus Life Editor)
to fly with the bouncers. I will get my candy either way!”
EmmAHH Ghoulvan (Deputy Editor)
“Honestly I’m not sure what my costume for this year will be, but one of my dream costumes is to be The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland! It was one of my favorites costumes from my childhood and I would love to recreate it as an adult with more details and accuracy. I just plan to watch the 1930s Universal monsterera films like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man from the comfort of my own room. They’re not the greatest films nor are they book accurate, but they’re still a nice watch while relaxing in fluffy pajamas.”
Pennywise Turgen (Managing Editor)
“My close friend is getting married on Halloween and I’m a bridesmaid so I’ll be at her wedding! I’ll be spending the week helping her make sure the ceremony is dropdead gorgeous!”
Monzestein Meraz-Lerma (Sports Editor)
"My costume is Wednesday Addams. My boyfriend adn I have been doing some fun things leading up to Halloween, like going to downtown Disney, going to a drive in theatre, and we hope to go to a pumpkin patch. For Halloween night, I'm going out with my friends in LA! I love Halloween and the fall vibe that comes with it. My mom loves decorating our house, so it really gets us all in the spirit. I also love getting my tennis students Halloween goodies and hearing about thier plans. I can't wait for this Friday!"
Maia Faz Bear (Sports Editor)
“This Halloween I'll be packing the Honda Center along with thousands of others to watch the Anaheim Ducks take on my favorite team, the Detroit Red Wings! Both teams have started off the season relatively hot and are both looking
treating, but as I got older, I found that a lot of my street's Halloween spirit died down, and as a result I lost a lot of passion for that activity. Nonetheless, I loved walking down the block with my cousins and getting as much candy as I possibly could and scarfing it all down as soon as I got home. Hopefully I'll be able to trick-or-treat again soon!”
Emma SINciola (Features Editor)
“This year I’m going to be Kitana from Mortal Kombat. She was always my go-to character to play. It’s kind of funny to think about having my costume prepped but no confirmed plans yet. Should I just go back to trick or treating? Probably not. I’m excited to see where Halloween takes me and my friends, it’ll be fun no matter what.”
Cleaver Gore-ales (Headless Copy Editor)
“I plan to hit up a haunted house and have a Halloween themed event with friends. It’s also nice to be able to celebrate Halloween after not being able to for years! It's for sure allowed me to be a lot more expressive about other holidays too!.I don't have any traditions per se, but I do love buying some more spooky things for my house around this time of year!”
“I will be dressing up as a derpy dragon who is a character created by Kaypeacreations. And I like to spend my Halloween watching Hocus Pocus. It is a yearly tradition of mine and I have yet to give it up. I also have a tradition of dressing up every single day of October so I have 31 costumes each year and this year was no exception.”
EEklias Loya (A&E Editor)
“This year, I'll be dressing up as Kyle Broflovski from South Park! I actually plan on going to Horror Nights on Halloween Night, fully costumed, with some of my closest friends. I used to love trick-or-
Ethan Afraida (Copy Editor)
“This year I'm dressing up as John Wick. I don't have any plans this Halloween, I'll play it by ear. I absolutely miss Halloween, but nobody seems to celebrate it here in Whittier! It's like, one of the top three holidays ever! And there's nothing wrong with celebrating it, all that "Satanic Panic" is soooo thirty years ago.”
Be sure to have fun this spooky season and for many more to come. Unless of course this be the last, in which case you can join the ghosts of us who still haunt this plane for the next all Hallows Eve.
You are sure to have a scary time on Campus.
Courtesy of Program Board
"Is My YouTuber Gay? They Better Be!"
Devilica Hellessy OPINIONS EDITOR
Theorizing about the sexuality and personal lives of others seems to be one of the internet’s favorite pastimes. It’s natural for people to be curious and to make assumptions, especially when they don’t know the entire truth. Humans are nosey. When faced with a mystery, we want to solve it. We especially love it when our assumptions end up being proven correct. We want to feel that vindication. It’s just harmless fun, right?
When theorizing about a public figure such as a musician, influencer, or actor, you are not met with the same consequences you face in your personal life when making assumptions about those you know. Celebrity existence feels so removed from our own, which can make it easy to forget that they are real people. We begin to view them as existing solely for our entertainment.
Fans of these celebrities especially feel entitled to knowing all the juicy gossip about their lives, something that is regularly taken too far. We begin to think that we deserve to know about their personal relationships, their sexuality, their trauma, and even the street they live on. Many fans will go to extremes to uncover these truths, uncaring of how it might impact the lives of the people they claim to admire.
When it comes to invasive fan culture, popular British YouTubers Daniel Howell and Phil Lester are more familiar than most. Both men were popular in the early years of YouTube, Lester posting
his first video on the site in 2006 and Howell in 2009. Their careers skyrocketed in the early 2010s as YouTube rapidly grew as a platform.
Within the span of a few years, they went from average college students to hosting their own show on BBC Radio 1, interviewing massive celebrities like Ariana Grande, going on world tours, and even doing voice acting for Disney. They gained millions of views and subscribers, and along with that attention came an incredibly intrusive fanbase.
Early into their career as a duo, speculation began about the nature of their relationship. “Are Dan and Phil gay?” and “Are Dan and Phil dating?” were questions that a huge population of the internet desperately wanted to know the answer to. Both men attempted to set boundaries with their fans and deny the rumours, but it only added fuel to the fire. They were stalked, their address was leaked, and their families were harassed– all because fans wanted to know the “truth”.
In 2019, both Howell and Lester separately came out as gay.
In Howell’s coming out video, he opened up about his struggles with accepting his own sexuality after a lifetime of internalized homophobia which left him terrified to admit that he was queer. In this video, Howell mentioned that he and Lester had been romantically involved in the past. But since both men wanted to keep their personal lives private, he refrained from discussing the current nature of their relationship.
The duo have recently been making headlines as a result of their video “Are Dan and Phil in a
Relationship? The Truth” which was uploaded on Oct. 13. In the video, they confirm, for the first time, that they have been in a relationship for the past 15 years. They discuss in depth how countless attempts to forcibly out them as gay before they were ready to come out on their own terms was traumatizing and almost destroyed their relationship.
When people come out as gay, they will oftentimes get smug responses such as “We knew that already” or “It was obvious.” In both videos, Howell discusses how this type of rhetoric can be harmful. Not only can it serve to reinforce stereotypes about queer people, it also dismisses the bravery it takes to come out as queer.
The process of coming out is already scary enough because you never know what type of reaction you are going to get: violence, getting disowned by your family, losing friendships, being ostracized by your community, etc. are all very real possibilities. It’s a difficult process that should
never be forced, it should always be an individual’s own decision and happen at their own pace. Just because someone is a prominent figure on the internet doesn’t mean that outing them is any less harmful.
The assumptions fans make about others do not exist in a vacuum, especially when they are loudly proclaiming them to anyone who will listen. Speculating can be fun, but when you treat your headcannon as more important than the lived experiences of those you’re speculating about, queer people especially, end up getting hurt.
Fan theories about one’s identity may end up being correct, but it is just as likely that they are not, and fans certainly should not be trying to “prove” them either way. The sexualities and private relationships of others are none of our business, no matter how curious we may be.
If you find the concept of your personal relationships becoming a matter of widespread public speculation nightmarish, then what gives you the right to put others through it?
Maybe Everything Really Is That Deep
Ethan RAAHmillano STAFF WRITER
Over the last few years, it’s been common to see phrases like “It’s not that deep!” when engaging in discussions about media online. You’ve likely seen thumbnails on YouTube videos with obnoxiously large red arrows pointing to a random corner of the image, with text screaming, “WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??”
Are people trying to make something out of nothing? Did the author actually intend for their story to have those underlying themes or messages? Perhaps we should all just sit back and be entertained with a dose of dopamine from our surfacelevel media in this cold, cruel world.
Not everyone is interested in breaking down the minute details or the secret meaning behind every piece of media we are exposed to. This type of mentality extends to our everyday lives as well. Consider moments where we begin to overthink our interactions with people to the point of isolating ourselves. “It’s not that deep” becomes a form of reassurance. But far too often, it seems that this phrase has become an excuse for a crippling lack of media literacy and critical thinking skills.
This relates to a similar discourse surrounding the phrase
“All art is political.” It’s often met with posts of seemingly random and nonsensical images to disprove this talking point, saying, “See? What’s so political about this?” Perhaps this singular circle really is just a circle, with no greater intent or reasoning behind why the creator made it. However, that insignificant circle was created by a human being, shaped by their life experiences and culture.
As such, there is most definitely meaning behind what the media we create says, or does not say, about the world we live in. Media literacy is essential in understanding and interpreting art, because without it we are oftentimes missing the exact reason that a piece of art was created in the first place.
One popular case of this discourse in recent years has revolved around Hajime Isayama’s popular shonen series, Attack on Titan (2013). This anime certainly isn’t subtle about its themes on class systems or the cyclical nature of violence, especially around later chapters when the world becomes larger and far more complex than simply killing Titans (man-eating giants in the series).
I won’t spoil this awesome series here, but the story’s ending conflict and its conclusion have continued to remain a point of contention as to whether it’s ultimately an implicit
endorsement of fascism.
Fans on both sides of the fence have taken to breaking down not just what is directly presented in manga panels or anime cuts, but the greater significance of why Isayama wrote certain elements the way he did. An infamous example earlier in the series includes the inspiration behind the character Dot Pixis, a sympathetic military leader whom the author revealed was inspired by an Imperial Japanese general who participated in the brutal occupation of Korea. This fact angered Korean fans to the point of sending death threats en masse, while the Japanese audience rushed to Isayama’s defense.
Is Pixis’ inspiration from a likely war criminal proof that Attack on Titan includes subtext to brush aside the lingering atrocities committed by Japan? Or should we assume in good faith that the author simply took the likeness of this reallife general for his own character?
Regardless of where you stand, this is all crucial discourse that we risk losing if we simply turn off our brains and dismiss all the greater implications and subtext as “just fiction.”
And unfortunately, this refusal—or inability—to further engage our minds is a rising trend that we can observe, not just in niche internet communities, but
Dear Poets, I got bit by a squirrel last night and I woke up to my body growing fur. Suddenly, I am craving nuts and acorns. What should I do?
- A fuzzy Poet
Jane: This is simply your ancestors answering your calling. Out of all the people that could have been bitten, you were chosen to be a squirrel. Embrace it. Get out of your room, go find the tallest tree you can find and make the biggest nest squirrel-manity has ever seen. This is you now, embrace it.
Jo: Lemme see, you got bit by a squirrel, you’re covered in fur, and you’re craving nuts… Sounds like the backstory for your new fursona. Honestly, I kinda dig it! I don’t have any advice for what to do, except to add a bit more lore to this. I’m super curious about what your fursuit looks like or will look like. Keep us updated!
also in our schools. Humanities majors like History or Philosophy have been on the decline (dropping 24% in degrees awarded between 2012 to 2022 according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences) as students turn to STEM to find good-paying jobs, meanwhile younger students are increasingly struggling to meet grade-level reading standards since the COVID lockdowns.
This erosion of our critical thinking skills only serves the interests of authoritarian leaders, who have risen throughout the world over the last decade.
Authoritarianism can only flourish from a populace that accepts their rhetoric without a second thought. Media literacy is the key to recognizing and resisting propaganda.
Maybe I’m just thinking too deeply about it. But then again,
Johnny: Okay, first of all and no offense, ewwww! We’ve all gone through puberty at this point in our lives so it can’t be that. Before going to your classes and scaring your professor, you should go check the health center or perhaps the nearest hospital. A professional should be able to help you, but go quickly before the moon comes. I heard that once midnight hits, you’re stuck like that forever.
-The Poets
that’s exactly what dictators are counting on: to shame ourselves and our peers from asking the uncomfortable questions that can challenge their hegemony. Those in power want to dictate the knowledge we gain: they ban books, limit what can be taught in classrooms, and defund schools.
Dictatorships thrive on a lack of media literacy by encouraging us to not analyze the media we consume. We are slowly becoming desensitized to the idea of us not thinking at all.
YouTube / Dan and Phil
Celebrities are pressured to reveal private information like sexuality.
Emily Perez-Medina Paints The College Pink
Emma SINciola FEATURES EDITIOR
If you've ever stumbled upon a school event with tables full of activities, music flooding the space, and hard working students running fun booths for Poets to enjoy, there is a good chance that the face behind it is Emily PerezMedina. The fourth-year Biology major with a WSP, Insects and Arthropods in Society minor has largely dedicated her college career to uplifting her peers. Whether you see her vibrant presence that competes with her equally colorful hair leading KPOET, presiding over MEChA, or spreading curiosity and enthusiasm within the Bug Club, her success is shown when students involved in her events leave with big grins and unforgettable memories.
Sat outside the spot she takes a bite of her lunch, she takes a moment to relax from her busy schedule. Just this year, PerezMedina took on one of her biggest challenges yet, leading KPOET alone after two years of comanaging the organization with close friend Paige Meyer Draffen. She describes the transition as, “a really big change,” but one she has navigated with success thus far.
“I’ve been able to adapt pretty well,” she says confidently. “I brought up another manager, one of my good friends (Lucinda Frates), and I’m working on delegating so I don’t end up doing everything myself.”
Perez-Medina, values the
balance she's learned from juggling her independence while fostering supportive teamwork will follow her post-graduate career, while further contributing to the importance of community engagement that the KPOET organization lives by.
Perez-Medina's consistent community outreach is largely driven by her love of the College itself. “I absolutely love the community I’ve built here at Whittier. There’s so much at our fingertips, and I think really taking advantage of it has been one of the best parts of my college experience.”
She explains how grateful she is to have formed great relationships through her leadership roles and involvement. Students flood The Spot seeing it’s lunchtime, chatter rises as she continues her thoughts. She waves to students passing by.
“I’ve made a lot of really good friends through it all too.”
When reflecting on her love of organizing events, she expresses that her passions have benefitted her in more ways than one. “It’s increased my love for bringing people together and making connections. Before Whittier, I was really shy and didn’t like to go out of my way to talk to people.” She continues, “But after everything I’ve done here, I’ve become much more social and intentional about connecting with people beyond the surface level. That’s something I wasn’t used to before college.”
Beyond her work at KPOET, she is the President and founding
member of Bug Club, a member of the Whittier College Dance Team and she serves as the President of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan). Each organization strengthens a different skill Perez-Medina already possesses.
Through Bug Club, Emily helps “reduce the stigma that bugs are dangerous or scary,” by sharing educational resources and fostering curiosity about arthropods. For her, it’s about, “building that bug loving community,” and showing that science can be both fun and easy to learn.
When it comes to her involvment in the Whittier College Dance Team PerezMedina states “I’m very big on “Let’s just see what happens.” That’s how I joined the dance team, and KPOET. I was interested, so I gave it a shot and they ended up being
Lights, Camera, Liddicoat!
Cleaver Morales HEAD COPY EDITOR
Whittier College welcomed the play Sleeping Beauty to the Shannon Center on Friday, Oct. 17, and it was directed by one of the College’s favorite Theater and Communication Arts professors, Katie Liddicoat. Liddicoat's directoral career at the college that has brought us previous productions, such as Priscilla Dreams the Answer and All in the Timing to life onstage for 19 years. She reflects on the time she has spent here and has decided to direct her own play revolving around her journey to the College and what theater means to her.
Liddicoat notes that this year’s production was very unique to work on compared to some of the other productions she has been involved in. The majority of the actors involved in Sleeping Beauty were first-years, some of whom had never had any experience with performing arts.
“Usually you have more people who’ve done this before, and they just sit back and watch as it’s going on, and then kind of catch up that way,” Liddicoat reminisces with a smile on her face. “This probably is really, really different than anything they’ve experienced before.” She saw the inexperience of the cast as a perfect teaching opportunity, as
some of the cast were not Theater majors and had to learn many of the principles of theater, alongside their cohort.
According to Liddicoat, this allowed the cast to find their own way to both express their acting style and stay within the play, which really strengthened their camaraderie and morale going into the performance. Connecting with and engaging with students in this way has allowed Liddicoat to let each student’s unique passion for theater shine on stage.
Liddicoat also reflects on her academic journey. She had always known that she had wanted to pursue theater, and ironically the first play she was in was also Sleeping Beauty. Her understanding of the art of theater solidified when she founded her own theater company with Gil Gonzales, the Dean of the Theater department here at the College. They founded the company in 1999 after graduating from the University of WisconsinParkside, it was called the Remnant because there was another theater company that someone else had, and it dissolved.
“We would do two shows each summer, and it was one show we knew we could make money on and one show we really wanted to do, so we kind of funded the other one that way,” Liddicoat recollects. They ran the company for three years
before she and Gonzales moved to the University of Virginia for their Masters. Liddicoat considered her practical experience to be a vital part of her graduate school experience, as instead of doing a thesis, she and Gonzales got permission to produce their own show.
For Liddicoat, it was a huge part of who she was. Liddicoat and Gonzales then moved to California, where they both started teaching at the College and founded the Enceladus Theater company, which will be responsible for the production of It’s a Wonderful Life at the end of the fall semester.
Liddicoat chose to direct Sleeping Beauty for a very specific reason: she saw it as not just a chance to bring a fairy tale to life, but as a way of revitalizing the community of Whittier’s interest in theater arts. She wanted to direct the play as a lighthearted reprieve, one that immersed audiences with a set and costume design that made audiences feel as if the characters were coming to life.
To Liddicoat, this is especially vital right now during a time of turmoil and disconnect, but she also wanted this to be a play that students from the College’s elementary school, Broadoaks, could come and enjoy with their families. Liddicoat used to bring her own kids to shows at the College herself. The liveliness of the production
some of the biggest parts of my life here.”
Meanwhile MEChA, represents something deeply personal to Perez-Medina. “The Latinx community is going through a lot right now,” she explains. “It’s more important than ever to come together in solidarity.” She sees MEChA as a space not only for Latinx students, but also for allies who want to learn and support the community.
“Our community’s been under attack recently, so I want to make sure we can stay strong together and celebrate ourselves on this campus.” Perez-Medina encourages students to join the annual Día de los Muertos event on Oct. 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. “There’ll be food, dancing, and community celebration” along with plenty of much needed love and support for the Latinx
community!
Perez-Medina smiles glancing at the umbrellas being shaken by the wind, mulling over her advice for curious students. “Just go for it,” she says. “There were so many things I was terrified to do my first year, but I tried them anyway. And those ended up being the biggest parts of my life here. There’s always a community for you, you just have to take that leap.”
As she prepares to graduate, PerezMedina leaves behind more than a bulky resume. She leaves a legacy for all upcoming student leaders to following her footsteps, continuing to inspire student leaders long after her departure. Come see Perez-Medina's work, at Media Council’s Halloween Festival this Friday on Oct. 31st, for activities, costume contests and more at 12p.m. in the Campus Courtyard!
certainly played a vital role in connecting, as Liddicoat compares the immersiveness of theater to other forms of entertainment.
“The feeling of community in the audience and the energy they’re giving and getting back from the actors is like sharing that experience with your neighbor who you don’t know. I think that’s the most helpful for the community right now.”
Inside the classroom, Liddicoat’s main goal is to get people interested in theater, to understand the art form, so that, even though they might not choose to continue in or major in Theater, they can still appreciate the art.
“We try to break it down into a science so that even somebody coming off the street with no idea
can be given the tools that then they can go in and try their hand at it, and hopefully find a spark there,” Liddicoat confidently explains. It’s exactly this spark she wants to bring to the community, so that even the children who come to see Sleeping Beauty can find the same spark she did, and have the drive to continue experiencing theater.
Sleeping Beauty may be wrapping up production, but Liddicoat has big plans for the future. Although she does not yet know which play she will direct next, if she could choose without limits, she would want to eventually try and adapt a Chekhov play. We look forward to seeing how she’ll bring the next story from the pages of a book to a work of art on stage.
Courtesy of Emily Perez-Medina
Emily Perez-Medina is eager for her next steps.
Liddicoat is excited for future projects.
Photo Courtesy of Linkedin
Poet’s Sports Schedule:
Men’s Cross Country @ SCIAC Championships
Location: Claremont, CA
• 8:30 a.m.
• November 1
Women’s Cross Country @ SCIAC Championships
Location: Claremont, CA
• 9:15 a.m.
• November 1
Men’s Water Polo @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges
Location: Whittier, CA
• 10 a.m.
• November 1
Women’s Volleyball @ Pomona-Pitzer
Location: Pomona, CA
• 4 p.m.
• November 1
Men’s Soccer @ University of La Verne
Location: La Verne, CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 1
Women’s Soccer @ California Lutheran University
Location: Thousand Oaks. CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 1
Women’s Soccer vs. Universiy of La Verne
Location: Whittier, CA
• 4 p.m.
• October 22
Women’s Volleyball vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges
Location: Whittier, CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 4
Men’s Water Polo @ University of Redlands
Location: Redlands, CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 5
Women’s Volleyball @ California Lutheran University
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 7
Women’s Basketball vs. Pacific Lutheran University
Location: Whittier, CA
• 7 p.m.
• November 7
Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Chapman University
Location: Orange, CA
• 11 a.m.
• November 8
Are Sports Getting Too Dangerous?
Jayden Scare-rett STAFF WRITER
Sports, at its ethos, has always been about garnering crowds, bringing people together, and providing some of the best entertainment possible. However, from the collegiate to the national level, concerns have been raised that these games are possibly turning back into barbaric bloodbaths as they once were during the Ancient Olympic Games. All of this, at the expense of the very athletes putting on the performance.
Just this season alone in the National Football League (NFL), wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who’s signed for a multi-million dollar contract with the Miami Dolphins, dislocated his knee and tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
San Francisco 49ers’ linebacker, Fred Warner, is also out, suffering a fractured and dislocated right ankle, making it very likely that he won’t be back for the rest of this season.
Basketball, which is commonly referred to as a “noncontact sport,” has had its own array of career-concerning injuries occur. Damien Lillard, star player on the Milwaukee Bucks, tore his achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs. Jayson Tatum, arguably the current face of the Celtics franchise, suffered the same injury
Is the spike in injuries a trending towards sports becoming more dangerous?
during his team’s playoff run as well.
If injuries like these are occurring in a sport where physical contact is heavily penalized, how are we to expect athletes in sports that live in a contact zone to remain safe? Is the wear and tear just part of the job for simple games? How is it that, in games with very to little contact or with plenty of protective gear, injury trends are going up?
Team-based sports aren’t the only ones having frequent injuries either. This past Saturday, Oct. 25, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavy Weight Champion, Tom Aspinall, was inflicted with eye gauges,
causing a detrimental injury. The fight ended in a no contest as he was unable to see after this attack.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is known for being a bloody sport, violent in nature, but there are still rules and regulations, which are put in place to stop these incidents from occuring.
However, one of those rules has recently been lifted. After revising its rules, the UFC lifted the ban on the infamous 12-6 elbow rule, which now allows players to strike their opponent with a vertical downward motion of their elbow. It was previously banned because dropping a pointed elbow straight down with that much leverage causes serious harm (but it seems
that UFC CEO Dana White has decided it is worth the risk now). It is difficult to pinpoint if incidents like these come with the territory of competing to be the best of a sport. These situations also beg the question if viewers have become more demanding and less sensitive to bloodshed and gruesome happenings. On the contrary, this may just be recency bias, but at the end of the day the same question has to be asked. Are sports getting too dangerous? Is there a solution to making them safer without compromising the integrity of the sport and ruining the competitive spirit? It’s a question that has been asked time and time again.
Langlois and Zika Splash Into Preseason Feats
Xo-kill-tl Hood STAFF WRITER
Nationally ranked Division III swimmers, third-years Honza Zika (No. 18) and Thomas Langlois (No. 14), are happiest when covered in chlorine. They boast strong SCIAC standings, determined by the average of their four best events, with Langlois proudly at No.1 and Zika not far behind with No. 2.
Zika came to the United States from his home of Prague, Czech Republic at the age of 15, with his sights set on competitively swimming at the highest level. Unexpectedly, his collegiate experience was a game of hopscotch jumping from DI to DI institution, each failing to meet his high standards.
At the University of Indiana, Zika’s performance declined because of the negative environment created by coaches and teammates. The value put into his performance in the pool by his coaches eclipsed the value of who he was as a person. His teammates twisted his arm to accept the same premise–-that his worth was tied to his performance. Zika admits that he felt this tug as his execution worsened upon swimming under such conditional support.
“Your performance dictates your worth and […] it’s really wrong, but that’s just the way it
is,” Zika says. “When you step up on the block […] you feel so many nerves because you feel like if you do bad, you’re less of a person. But it’s not true.”
His next school, the University of Hawaii, was too extreme of a change. Zika remembers not getting trained enough, teammates lacking motivation, and the coaches feigning interest. Once he arrived at Whittier College this year, Zika was finally given the chance to put his unrelenting selfrespect center stage. He already made a seismic splash at the UC Santa Cruz Slug Fest on Oct. 10 with a blistering 200 fly time of 1:51.74, breaking the school record.
“As I slowly started building who I was outside of the pool, I noticed that shaped my relationship with swimming,” Zika says. “It feels more like I’m already in a group of people that appreciate me…”
Coaches Michael Jafari and Jeff Natalizio pride themselves on the culture under their protection on the pool deck. They focus on creating better people, not just better swimmers. The aspirations of coaches and teammates alike breathe in the air of their verbal talisman with their motto: “Happy swimmers are fast swimmers.”
Emblematic of their trademark “Jafarian” phrase is none other than French-Canadian, Thomas
Langlois. At the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s (MPSF) Open Water Swimming Championship in Long Beach on Oct. 18, Langlois placed first in the men’s 5k with a time of 59.06.41. He defended his championship after winning first in the previous year’s MPSF race. The distance and duration of this event makes his mental clarity all the more important, especially considering that this event’s namesake is not just for fun. Open water means the swimmers do not get lane lines, let alone a pool— instead they are nuzzled in a pack in an open-water course. Langlois advises that to be successful in this type of competition, you must practice a lot of open water swimming to find your rhythm.
“You have to look in front of you to know where you’re going,” Langlois says. “You have to know who you’re racing against to try to not lose the pack, and a lot of drafting is the biggest difference for me.”
The constant shift in attention to detail in all different aspects of an hour-long race requires an unyielding discipline. Langlois has developed strategies, opting to zone out and focus on the water, or he admits that he’ll sing songs through fully in his head to distract from the situation at hand. His ability to find peace in struggle mirrors what he thanks swimming for on a daily basis. The rhythmic
exchange of focus he must execute as part of his speciality lends him a healing quality.
“When your head is in the water, I feel like it’s very therapeutic, it makes me forget about a lot of problems that could happen either in school or my personal life,” Langlois says. “When I’m done with practice I feel so much better mentally and physically.”
The success of Zika and Langlois is a testament to the humanistic coaching of Jafari and Natalizio. Their methods refuse to lose sight of the fact that the work
of training is incomplete without a fundamental human element. The team as a whole cares about each other beyond the milliseconds determining a win or loss. Each member commits to taking care of their quality of time together upon every one of their formidable, daily 6 a.m. swims. Zika and Langlois have contributed to a successful preseason run for the Poets through their records and recurring championships. Their strengths will be on display with the official start of their season on Nov. 8 at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Women’s Soccer Seniors Bid Emotional Farewell
Monzestein Meraz-Lerma SPORTS EDITOR
Whittier College’s Women’s Soccer is coming to a close with their last conference game away from home against No. 17 Cal Lutheran University on Nov. 1. After a devastating loss against Occidental College on Oct. 29, the Poets fell short of the playoff line to participate in the post-season tournament. Last season, the team made it to the playoffs for the first time in six years, leaving big shoes to fill this season.
Fourth-year captains, Alanis Cervantes, Mya Rodriguez, and Emma Tumbarello, were a part of that glory and hoped to produce the same outcome this season. Despite their season cut short, the Poets reflect on their accomplishments thus far and future plans.
The defensive line, with Tumbarello as centerback and Rodriguez as goalie, was a known force to be reckoned with by preseason polls. The SCIAC warned the conference of their previous seven shutouts in the 2024 season. Yet this season, Tumbarello and Rodriguez surpassed that with a program record of nine shutouts.
Additionally, Tumbarello set program history as the first non-goalie to be named SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week. Rodriguez was recognized by the SCIAC on Oct. 17 as one of the
top three conference leaders in save percentages. Their relentless efforts have maintained the team’s record of mostly ties, giving the offense time to develop and produce goals.
“I can’t score any goals,” Rodriguez says. “I just do my thing back there, and I fully believe that [the offense is] going to score some goals. We just have to.”
Despite Tumbarello’s position in defense, she has contributed in scoring. She scored her second career goal with a header against La Verne on Oct. 22, securing a critical win for the Poets. She recounts that this header was identical to her first career goal from her freshman year, making the experience more memorable. Within the blink of an eye, Tumbarello jumped and the ball was in.
“It was so exciting because I don’t get moments like that,” Tumbarello says. “In a game, if we get zero corners, I have pretty much zero chances to score.”
As the team virtually has a new offensive line after several graduates left their positions, Cervantes, a midfielder, has been left with a bigger responsibility to find opportunities to score. She explains that the team has been going through trial and error to find the best combinations, including her recently new placement as a forward/wing.
On Oct. 13, she was recognized as the SCIAC Offensive Athlete of the Week after her assist against Cal Lutheran and her
goal against Redlands University. As a forward, Cervantes was able to shoot a beautiful goal against the Bulldogs five minutes after halftime, breaking the stalemate and contributing to the 3-0 score on Senior Night. Afterall, she holds the eighth place as a conference leader in shots per game.
“In every sport, in anything you do, you just can’t give up,” Cervantes says. “I know it can be frustrating, but if we shoot, we keep shooting, we keep shooting, then, we’ll get that goal.”
The seniors also reminisce on their past years at the College. Cervantes, Rodriguez, and Tumbarello all admit they will miss their once dreadful 6 a.m. practices. Cervantes and Tumbarello are four-year Poets, so they especially value their past captains who served as role models for them now. They recognize the influence they hold on and off the field and find motivation behind these roles.
Rodriguez came as a thirdyear junior college transfer and has gained a valued perspective of playing for a team rather than solely personal improvement. To truly cherish every last game, the team has finished off their last game days by dedicating each game to one senior. With 40 girls rooting for one player, they have squeezed every ounce of motivation into their games.
Beyond the field, the seniors have begun to plan their post-graduate futures.
Cervantes hopes to get into an accelerated Bachelors of Science in Management program to work in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) or in pediatrics oncology. Tumbarello wants to pursue a masters in education to become an elementary teacher, and Rodriguez plans to apply her marketing degree in sports. They all hope to integrate soccer in their post-graduate lives. Cervantes is involved in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, which Rodriguez
hopes to join, and Tumbarello will continue to coach club soccer.
Regardless of the outcome of their last game, the graduating Poets have left their mark with new program records and becoming conference leaders. The College will miss these cherished seniors!
“We’ve been successful, and even in the years where we weren’t as successful as we would have liked, it’s been fun,” Tumbarello says. “I felt loved and got to meet people that are now family.”
Courtesy of Tony Leon / ActioN west PhotogrAPhy Langlois finishes first at the MPSF race for his second year in a row.
Monze Meraz-Lerma / QuAker cAmPus Women’s Soccer groups together after their last home game.
The QC Staff
Want to know what our Copy Editor recommends this week? Read on! Suggests:
Ethan Airada COPY EDITOR
Game:
I played Red Dead Redemption
2 for the first time this past year. It’s not a mere game, but an experience everyone should, well, experience! It’s about an outlaw in the final years of the Old West as he tries to make a future for his fellow gang members while also dodging the law, while maybe causing a ruckus along the way.
Movie:
Watch Back to the Future, it’s a masterpiece. Technically it’s two period pieces at once because it’s time travel, but the whole thing is somehow both dated and timeless at the same time. It’s weird, but awesome.
Music:
One of the best (and classic) heavy metal bands out there is Iron Maiden. They were one of the first, starting all the way back in the 70’s, and they’re still going! It’s a crime that they’re not in the Rock Hall of Fame, but, let’s be real, they don’t deserve this band with how awesome it is. Everyone should listen to the Piece of Mind album.
Dessert:
Now, common consensus says cake or ice cream. That is wrong. Everyone underestimates the power of the chocolate chip cookie. You can resize it, reshape it, and mold it; you can eat it in one bite or have a feast with one. They are the perfect blend of chocolate and sugar. Go eat them, or I’ll find you—
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Don't Sleep on Sleeping Beauty
Jayden Scare-rett STAFF WRITER
Whittier College's production of Sleeping Beauty is anything but a snoozefest! This unique spin on the classic story, produced by Stacey Lane, found its way into the hands of the College’s very own Katie Liddicoat to direct one of the most interactive theatrical experiences the College may have ever seen.
The entire play was wonderfully cast, with second-year Johnna Gaines delivering an artistic performance of the evil fairy Griselda, who sentences the Sleeping Beauty to her tragic fate that many know. Although Gaines was the main character, she wasn't the only star of the show; first-year Christian Galindo played several integral roles in this production, my favorite being the Story Teller.
First-year Kaia Mason plays Morwinda, the first good fairy, who found her own opportunities to steal the show, Zoe Jones was Torwinda the second good fairy, who skillfully caught the baton from her co-stars each time to hold the spotlight. Calvin Morgenstern was the magical frog who lept his way into the hearts of the crowd. Angelica Castro was the beautiful princess Penelope whom the audience's hearts wept for. And last
but not least, Natalya Orduno-Chavez played our resident Sleeping Beauty, who drew audiences to the edge of their seats, wishing for a “happily ever after” for her.
Each cast member perfectly understood their role. They pulled the audience into the fantastically crafted world of Sleeping Beauty by directly involving them in many fun, unpredictable ways, through audience interactions. This ensured that each night's viewing experience was completely customized. Despite this, the same level of excellence was guaranteed to remain the same no matter which crowd interactions occured. With that being said, not all the star power of this production existed directly on the stage in front of you.
The production of this performance was absolutely outstanding. The costume design by Gabby Sardo felt extremely authentic, and so many high-quality, thoughtful pieces stood out. I think the biggest testament to Sardo's craftsmanship was the frog head that Morgenstern donned for his role. The production can’t just lend itself to costuming though. The stage and prop design truly felt like the professional standard you’d hope to see at any show which could await the young team in the workforce. They’re doing an
amazing job and are being properly prepared to perform at a stellar level for years to come. Another “Sleeping Beauty” inside of this production team was the sound design. Katie Liddicoat did a wonderful job in sourcing the perfect “Poofs”, almost as if they were ripped straight from the texts of the fable itself. How it sounded wasn’t the only impressive thing; the timing was impeccable. Not a single beat of it was missed with third-year Maia Longhenry as the soundboard operator. The final piece to this production that fits so snugly with the others was the lighting. The lighting
designer, Zyanya M. Gomez, did a beautiful job at selecting just the right hues for just the right moments to really encapsulate the fantastical feel. This entire production is a perfect example of how greatness can be achieved by working together.
Each department and individual brought their absolute best to this production and it’s easy to see that even with your eyes closed. If you didn't see this production yet, you absolutely missed out on experiencing the beautiful work of this cast and crew. The cast and crew did a wonderful job and should be extremely proud of their rendition of Sleeping Beauty.
What Scares the Quaker Campus?
prey animal in the theater.
Pennywise Turgen (Managing Editor)
The coming of autumn heralds the inevitable return of a season of horror, all leading up to All Hallows’ Eve. Horror and spooky stuff are crucial to the Halloween season due to the many historical and cultural origins, such as Samhain or Dia de los Muertos. Historically, these supernatural events were celebrated because it was thought to be the day that the barrier between the living and the dead thinned, so that someone could cross over into the land of the living.
The entire horror genre has remained one of the most popular across all kinds of media. The idea of horror stories has been around since humanity could relay stories to each other, about things we feared or couldn’t comprehend, be it beasts, the dark, or, perhaps, each other.
Thus, these stories are not just a way to entertain each other, but a tunnel into the darkest parts of the human imagination, a warning of the dangers we face. Thankfully for all you readers, most of us at the Quaker Campus are, in fact, humans that enjoy stories. Here are a few of our favorite pieces of horror media!
Pain Mutilation Death
(Editor-In-Chief)
Freaked (1993) is one of my all-time favorite movies, partially because of the practical effects and partially because of how stupid it is. This is my favorite kind of horror movie because it relies on comedy more than jumpscares and I'm a total wimp around gore and scary media. I'm reduced to some kind of
I really liked X and Pearl but NOT the 3rd one. It’s a trilogy, and MaXXXine is NOT good. X and Pearl were great movies, dude. X is like a mock 70s slasher where a bunch of porn stars rent a place to film, and the two old people who live at the farm they rented are all pent up, so they kill them. Then, Pearl is a prequel about the old lady in the couple who kills the porn stars. She came from a German family, with the film taking place right after WWI, which was a tough time to be German (it was about to get worse). She wanted to be a dancer or actress (or famous in any way), and that, plus her ego and delusion, kind of drives the film, as she's the main villain in that one too. Plus! David Corenswet plays a character called "The Projectionist," who kind of feeds into her delusions until he sees the real her. And then MaXXXine is like, dumb.
EmmAHH Ghoulvan (Deputy Editor)
I live for Telltale's The Walking Dead; it's a story-based video game that I loved during my middle school years and always tend to come back to with fond memories as I get older. I never actually got to play, but I loved watching gameplays to see what changed in the overarching story based on the decisions each YouTuber made. I always laugh at the amount of times I got in trouble with my mom for staying up late or faking being sick just to watch live streams of the newest episode, but it was very worth it.
They-A Killer (Campus Life Editor)
While I don't enjoy horror media and avoid watching movies and reading books, there is one piece of horror media I enjoy and that is horror games. The one that started it is Bendy and the Ink Machine. I have many fond memories playing the game, and it was the first video game I bought for myself that I can still play.
EEklias Loya (A&E Editor)
I personally love playing horror games, and one of my favorite horror games of all time is the Resident Evil 2 remake. Besides having a cool combo of Leon Kennedy (the GOAT) and Claire Redfield, RE2r has an amazing atmosphere. It's dark, brooding, messy, and at times, claustrophobic.
The different settings, such as the Raccoon City Police Department, the sewers, and the underground lab, are some of the most anxietyinducing areas I've ever experienced in gaming. The game is full of cool enemies, like the Lickers and Mr. X, while also making you tackle puzzle solving and resource management.
I also really enjoy the interwoven plot lines you can run through (even though there are plenty of plot holes in this iteration of RE 2).
Maia Faz Bear (Sports Editor)
My favorite piece of horror media is the small survival horror indie game called Signalis. It’s a beautiful love story between two characters that is plagued with horrors that just make you physically go “Blegh.” From the gameplay itself, its tragically beautiful songs, to its art style, it’s solidified itself into not only my favorite piece of horror media, but my favorite game and story of all time. I cannot recommend the game enough! It will make you jump and cry at the same time.
Emma SINciola (Features Editor)
I’ve always loved psychological thrillers over plain horror movies. Not to diss a good jumpscare (I’m terrified of them), but I find myself gravitating towards more suspenseful pieces. I think Jordan Peele’s Us is a perfect balance of psychological thriller and horror, appealing more to the suspenseful and mysterious aspect. I’ll watch it any time of the year, definitely one of my favorite movies.
Devellica Hellessey (Opinions Editor)
My favorite piece of horror media is undoubtedly the horror podcast The Magnus Archives. It starts off seeming like an average fictional horror anthology series, but over the course of the podcast you realize that all these individual stories are actually connected. You really feel like you are unraveling the mysteries of the story along with the protagonist. And when everything finally connects, it’s an amazing but terrifying feeling. The horror is excellent, the writing is phenomenal, and the world-building and characters are incredibly compelling, especially when the underlying narrative becomes the main focus.
Cleaver Gore-ales (Head Copyeditor)
For me, the best piece of horror media I've consumed is for sure Train to Busan. It's an actionpacked yet deeply emotional zombie movie which puts a unique spin on the zombie genre and has many characters who you both want to see survive and want to be turned into zombies.
Courtesy of Steve Spielberg
Courtesy of Rockstar Games
Courtesy of EMI/Capitol Records
Courtesy of Tessa Arias
Ethan Afraida COPY EDITOR
Sleeping Beauty was anything but a snoozefest!
Courtesy of Whittier College
Staff Recs. Continued from pg. 10
Ethan Afraida (Copy Editor)
After a little deliberation, I think The Thing from 1982 is my favorite horror movie. It was kind of built up for me; my brother said he didn’t want to eat pizza for a while after watching it for the first time, and I kept hearing people being genuinely disturbed by it, so I was morbidly curious by the time I watched it. It
did not disappoint.
Ethan RAHHmillano (Staff Writer)
I've never been a big horror guy, and I was terrified of Five Nights at Freddy's back in middle school when it was blowing up. I quickly overcame that fear when I beat FNAF 2, and I mainly appreciate the online community that developed around trying to decipher the increasingly complex lore behind the games (particularly Game Theory). If anything, I was creeped out more by
the dark implications revealed in Game Theory videos or fan-made content on the story than the jump scares.
Jayden Scare-ret (Staff Writer)
Friday the 13th or Jeepers Creepers. Friday the 13th because Jason just genuinely has aura, it’s something about that ski mask and machete. Jeepers Creepers, because as a child that fuckass alien genuinely was a source of terror for me.
Steven Lo-possessed (Staff Writer)
Bendy and the Ink Machine. It's a game about discovering the secrets about an old cartoon studio while
you are being terrorized by Bendy, a deformed cartoon demon. It's a fun game with very deep lore. I love it.
Avoid these Horror-endous Movie Series
Jayden Scare-rett STAFF WRITER
A masked scoundrel, murderous dream entities, men that howl at the moonlit sky, a creature from the great unknown: all these terrors and yet only one can truly make any true fan's blood curdle. . . . A horrible remake, or even worse, a horrible franchise adaptation.
Since the beginning of horror as a genre in cinema, the creations have been hit or miss, but as time passed and productions piled on, the percentage of flops began to heavily outweigh the number of hits.
Bad flicks seem to grow in number every year with companies trying to artificially force the cultural impact that the original films already had.
The Halloween franchise might be the most notorious culprit of this. For what purpose do we have Busta Rhymes screaming “Come on Mike!” in Halloween Resurrection (2002) and roundhouse kicking Michael Myers out of the top floor of a home, only for the character to not only return later in that film but for a whopping five more.
That’s not even including the seven before it. With each film, it’s almost like Miramax and Blumhouse exclusively hire their writing and production team from ACME—the fictional corporation from Looney Tunes —to create the most cartoonishly ridiculous plot lines and executions that could be imagined.
Another culprit of this behavior is the Purge franchise. It started with simple concept that gave audiences a group of protagonists to really root for.
The franchise started off with a man trying to protect himself and his family inside of his own home during the 12-hour purge; half a day where nothing is illegal and people can act as they please without any legal consequences.
You could actually track fan reception of the Purge films by how people reacted when they heard the fake emergency broadcast sound clip. It started off with positive reactions, which sparked genuine conversations about the film, or even “what ifs” about the concept of a purge being real.
Slowly, however, The Purge began degrading to an eyeroll.
By the fifth installment of the
franchise, people would swipe before the emergency broadcast could even complete. At the very least, these films had a good start with promising premises and something tangible that was unfortunately milked.
There is one franchise unlike the others, that is, at its core, entirely, absolutely grotesque. The entire Hellraiser franchise can only be described as heavily fetishized cinematic-gore-porn with an obscene budget. The entire concept that sits at the center of the narrative is pain and pleasure, so intertwined they’re indistinguishable.
In the context of this film, this intersection would be skinning the victim, and donning tight leather exposing tissue and flesh. Not only in the explicit sense, but literal red flesh and white bones on display in a sick pornographic conjunction.
There’s no real horror in Hellraiser as there is in traditional horror movies. Every moment of misfortune is entirely selfinflicted because it’s “what your heart desires."
Not only that, but you have to solve an extremely complex alien Rubik's cube from another
dimension to summon the cenobites, the extra dimensional species that serve as the antagonists of the series. You also have to accept the trial, where the Leviathan (the deity the cenobites worship) deems if you're worthy of being transformed through extreme pain and pleasure, or if you are to be sentenced to eternal torment; you cannot be forced, tricked, or manipulated into it.
The entire franchise is just a
gory, sick fantasy that producers throw money towards.
At the end of the night, you can go to a Halloweekend party, a haunted house, you can even send a risky text to your ex, but there’s a production studio somewhere out there in the dark of night lurking, ready to butcher your favorite franchise and waste your money.
That alone may be scary than any slasher you could encounter on a highway road.
Silent Hill f Has Players Screaming in Approval
Jayden
Scare-rett STAFF WRITER
Silent Hill f is not only the latest installment, but also the second to feature a female protagonist in the Silent Hill franchise, and another beautiful addition to Keiichiro Toyama and the legendary Hideo Kojima's collection of wonderful work. Set in 1960s rural Japan, the standalone project follows Hinako Shimizu, a teenage girl who finds herself in the center of an ominous otherworldly curse spreading throughout her small town.
In typical Silent Hill fashion, the game uses the story to tackle serious topics such as guilt, isolation, and transformation through the use of psychological and physical horror through the enemies in the game and the horror elements.
There’s also a supernatural red fungi that plays a major role within the game mechanically and narratively. Spending too much time in corrupted areas causes your “Corruption Gauge” to
Courtesy of NeoBards Entertainment
Silent Hill continues to psychologically torment its characters.
build, let your gauge fill and you’ll suffer from a variety as negative effects such as hallucinations, which causes stronger, more hostile enemies to spawn in.
Certain weapons degrade at a rapid pace and you can lock yourself out of being able to complete certain puzzles within the game.
The narrative isn’t the only thing about this game that’s staying true to Silent Hill’s roots.
In its own unique way, Silent Hill f ’s takes the implication of sanity (and its loss) from previous
games and turns it into its very own “Sanity Meter” mechanic. Sanity acts as a finite resource that directly impacts the player’s visual and combat experience by layering altered visuals and distortion, effectively causing the player's character to hallucinate. This makes not only combat, but navigation much more difficult as timing and spacing can be drastically thrown off.
Players can expend sanity by taking advantage of another new function within the Silent Hill franchise, “Focus.” Players can
charge focus, which slows down time and can be used to execute high damage attacks to enemy mobs.
If struck while charging your focus, the character will suffer from immense sanity loss, which could lead to them taking actual health damage as opposed to the games interpretation on psychological damage.
While players may have access to this new high-risk, high-reward playstyle, there’s still another new lingering mechanic within the game to discourage from treating it like a bandit beater (games where you make progress through repeatedly beating enemies).
This game uses item durability, and unlike its predecessors Silent Hill f limits the player's abilities to raid boss-level enemies and by giving in-game items a set amount of health before they break.
If you discover a katana or a knife, you may have come across newfound insurance for a sticky situation.
However, you have to make sure you use it sparingly, as overuse could cause you to find
yourself without a weapon midbattle, which could definitely end your no-death run.
Alongside some of these fresh new takes are Silent Hill classics that are immediately recognizable by fans of the series. The radio detection system makes a return, crackling static can be heard when enemy monsters are nearby. The iconic Silent Hill fog is present throughout this game; it feels almost impossible to have a Silent Hill project without the fog. It’s a true staple of the franchise.
There’s also reality and nightmare shifting, where your character phases in and out of the nightmarish landscape and back to reality from time to time, drastically changing the experience. = Areas that were once safe have now become occupied by enemies. The structure of the map changes, and the answers to puzzles and riddles lie in between the different states of mind.
In essence, Silent Hill f is another amazing addition to the series and is definitely worth you checking out.
Some horror movie franchises shouldn't be resurrected.
Courtesy of The Goods
Enjoy these spooky staff recommendations!
Courtesy of Romolo Tavani
