Quaker Campus Volume 25, Issue 2

QUAKER CAMPUS Sept. 17, 2026

The voice of Whittier College since 1914

Volume 25 — Issue 2

A Leaked Voice Audio Sparks Tree Rally Council and the residents of impact would occur if the trees Whittier in regards to keeping or were removed and that shade removing the trees has been an stations would be implemented ongoing issue. In 2023, the former on city sidewalks. City Council announced the plan City Manager McNamara to remove over 100 mature trees responded stating that the trees from the Uptown Whittier area were leading to damaged sidewalks alone. that in the past led to injuries Since then, the controversial and lawsuits. In 2018, special ed plan has been protested against, teacher, Justine Gurrola, tripped and advocacy groups have filed over a two inch raised sidewalk lawsuits in protest. It became a that led to her falling and major campaigning issue during suffering from a traumatic brain the 2026 City of Whittier Spring injury. She received $7.5 million elections, with the majority of in settlement from the City of the former City Council being Whittier afterwards. replaced by new members. While the trees uprooted the Current City Council members sidewalk, causing the fall, the such as James Becerra (Mayor), City of Whittier had no system Aida Macedo (City Council in place or inspectors to check member), and Vicky Santana (City if the sidewalks were safe for Council member) campaigned on residents to walk at the time. A a variety of issues, but all agreed Whittier resident during the city Lee Rivera / Quaker Campus that preserving and protecting the hall meeting stated that there have historic trees were important to been tree removals in the past to Save Our Trees held a rally to keep the native trees within the City of Whittier. them. prove their argument. Aubrey Proano-Keeler This was said by City shock about the contract awarded The Spring 2026 election With mature trees removed STAFF WRITER Manager Conal McNamara when to Micheal Baker Inc. “Yeah, I candidates brought hope for a and replaced with saplings, another Lucianda Frates describing why the City Council mean, to me, it was a surprise that more in-touch, involved, and issue arises. In the past, saplings STAFF WRITER is going forward with the former it was a no bid contract. And that like-minded city council for its that were planted consistently urban Forest Management Plan. is an issue, because when you do citizens. “It sucks, because we died within a month from lack Since the City of Whittier's The event was held by the City not have a competitive process campaigned for a few of these of water and maintenance. This official founding in 1898, it has Council, with groups such as to be able to figure out which candidates and we are a part of has been seen with the removal of always been known as an urban Michael Banker Inc., Chamber company is gonna do the best trying to create a new regime. I Whittier High Schools sidewalk forest. With its variety of native of Commerce, and Whittier work, to me there is already a red mean I can not speak for what trees. Where what used to be and non-native trees, they have Uptown Association were in flag.” the previous leadership did, but I mature trees providing shade are been a staple in the city’s history, attendance. As part of the Urban Forest know we had hopes for the current now empty dirt squares on the culture, and visual appeal for While two leaders of the Management Plan, Michael Baker leadership and the fact that they sidewalk. many current residents. In recent W h i t t i e r C o n s e r va n c y, a n Inc. created a survey to receive are letting us know outright with Furthermore, Council years, the City Council under Member Macedo agreed that former Mayor Joe Vinatieri (2008the survey contained biased 2009 and 2016-2026), made questions and advocated for the plans to cut down the majority “And that is an issue, because when you do not have a survey to be revised. In response, of trees within the city under Mayor Becerra concluded to the reasoning of beautification, competitive process to be able to figure out which company is move forward with City Manager simplified sidewalks water pipe McNamara Urban Forest maintenance, and avoiding future gonna do the best work, to me there is already a red flag.” Management Plans with Michael lawsuits. Baker Inc., however, the company In 2023, Vinateri signed a noneeds to have revisions on the - Polo Morles, a resident in Whittier bid contract with Michael Baker survey and make the questions International Incorporated for balanced. $800,000, which will be funded With plans in the next City by the city’s tax payers. This has environmental nonprofit, were public opinion. Survey expert, Jim their voices what they stand for, I Hall meeting for all City Council caused a stir in the majority of invited neither had attended. Sass, comments that the survey do feel betrayed,” states Matthew, members to approve the Urban residents to say the least. As a When McCormack tried to walk contains leading questions that a member of the Whittier Pride Forest Management Plan. It leaves result, a rally was held on Tuesday, into the event, she was turned will skew survey takers' response Coalition. the question, but what does this Sept. 8, which was organized by a away at the door. to be in favor of tree removal. As the City Hall meeting mean for the trees of Whittier? community activist group called, During this event, McNamara With Sass during the rally started, members of the Despite widespread citizen Save Our Trees Whittier, founded revealed that the new City reporting, “The survey would not community shared their concerns disapproval of the plan, City by Whittier resident, Conny Council is going to continue with be acceptable in an undergraduate over the leaked audio. The Council is planning to go forward McCormack. With longtime the contract that the former City research project.” Further majority of public comments were with the $800,000 contract despite conservation groups and new Council had signed upon. Only explaining that the questions about reasons to preserve the trees. being in an economic deficit. advocacy groups joining together changing a word in the new Urban emphasized sidewalk maintenance There were a variety of reasons The tension between the City to protect the city’s trees. Forest Management Plan would and safety, but do not have stated, most common concerns Council and residents of Whittier This rally was hosted in allow for the removal of healthy the same amount of questions noting the environmental impact City increases as the Urban Forest reaction to a leaked audio of an trees without public recourse. allowing survey takers to express that would occur if the city lost Management Plan continues. invite only meeting held at the The company responsible if they do not support the removal over 100 trees. City Manager McNamara hopes Whittier Police Department. for this plan is Michael of trees. The historic trees notably have that proving a healthy tree can The audio stated, "The Baker Inc., while they Before the city hall meeting, been providing shade, naturally be a hazardous one will allow the majority of our trees are in good have experience carrying-out McCormack created the rally lowering the surrounding removal of over 100 trees in the shape, it's just that they are just environmental impact reports, chant “Micheal Baker Survey temperature, improving air City of Whittier. destroying public and private they have never created an Faker” to spread awareness on quality, and being a visual appeal Save Our Trees Whittier, property. So if we could all agree Urban Forest Management the allegedly skewed survey. The that the city has won awards for the Whittier Conservancy, and that a hazardous tree can be a Plan. However, McNamara demand from the rally was for the in the past. local coalitions will continue to healthy tree, I do not need to asserted that the company is City Council to put a pause on Whittier residents believe collaborate to preserve a major part spend $800,000 in a year and a qualified for the project. the contract with Michael Baker that the trees of Whittier should of the City of Whittier's history. half doing this whole exercise Polo Morales, Whittier Inc. so the City Council members remain standing, with many With this being a battle between but we can’t come to the table resident and member of the had time to decide how to proceed calling for a pause or cancellation residents and local government when the folks want to sue us on Whittier Latino Coalition and with the new information. of the contract. Michael Baker Inc. since 2023, will the City Council that.” Organize Whittier, expressed his The battle between the City has stated that no environmental listen to their residents?

Index:

News — 1, 2, 3, 4 | Campus Life — 5, 6 | Opinions — 7 | Features — 8 | Sports — 9, 10 | Arts & Entertainment — 11, 12

NEWS

2

Sept. 17, 2026

Brush Fire Located in the City of La Habra

Courtesy of Los Angeles Times

Firefighters were on scene ensuring the fire was contained. Intro to Journalism Class FOR THE QC At approximately 2:25 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, an active brushfire was reported in La Habra Heights that would quickly engulf nearly 20 acres in a brush-filled canyon located near the intersection of Casalero Drive and Skyline Drive. Los Angeles County Fire joined La Habra Heights Fire at the scene by 3 p.m. By 3:29 p.m., Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s deputies went door-to-door evacuating

residents in the vicinity of the fires. An evacuation alert was issued to parts of Hacienda Heights, La Habra Heights, and Whittier, affecting hundreds of people. Red Cross opened evacuation sites at Los Altos High School and the gymnasium at The Park, located at 1885 Hacienda Road in La Habra Heights, for those advised to flee the so-called Palos Fire’s path. “It’s a big fire,” a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s department commented before firefighters, some of whom hiked into the

canyon, stopped the fire’s progress by 5 p.m. “It’s a very dynamic situation.” The La Habra Heights Fire Department said the brush fire was “rapidly spreading.” Multiple agencies from La Habra, Los Angeles County, and Whittier responded to the fire. Whittier Police assisted La Habra with traffic and evacuation management. L A County fire deployed “hydrating” helicopters to help fight the fire. At its peak, more than 250 personnel were deployed to combat the flames, which

threatened to jump Skyline Drive and damage homes. Responders faced multiple challenges to control the fire including winding access roads in the hilly neighborhood, steep canyons and dense dr y brush exacerbated by climate change. Low humidity and high temperatures on Monday contributed to increase fire danger. Some residents, no doubt with memories of the rapidly spreading and highly destructive Palisades and Eaton Fires in mind, chose to self evacuate. La Habra Heights residents Tammy Becker and Gregg Nolan reported their homes were destroyed in the fire according to ABC7. Becker said her home was near completion after being destoyed in the 2023 storms, only to lose it to the fire. “It was almost done [being rebuilt]. For the last, over three years, it’s been under construction, and it was almost done,” she told ABC7. Two other structures in the area were reportedly damaged in the fire. One firefighter and one civilian were reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Five horses were reportedly evacuated along

with residents. Evacuation orders and alerts were lifted by 6 p.m. as firefighters achieved 70 percent containment by Tuesday morning. Whittier College students were alerted to the fire by a clouds of smoke forming in the northeast. Responding to calls from student journalists, Campus Security said they were monitoring the situation as the fire did not present a threat as of 3:30 p.m. “No wonder there’s still helicopters around. We had no idea there was a fire,” said Whittier College student Valeria Martinez. “I live with my family in La Habra,” said Dalila Morales. “I don’t know if we will be forced to evacuate.” Firefighters were able to control the fire by Tuesday limiting its spread to less than 20 acres by Tuesday evening. They are currently putting out hotspots and strengthening perimeter. This fire comes early in the fire season and adds to worries that global warming is extending the duration and severity of wildfires in the region. Recent studies by UC Irvine’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering indicate fire season has grown by a month since the 1990s.

Custodial Workers Demonstate on Campus Xochitl Hood FEATURES EDITOR

Vital members of Whittier College, Campus Inn (CI) and Custodial-Housekeeping staff, are threatening potential strikes while waging independent labor disputes. At the mercy of contracts drawn up first behind closed doors between the College and their employers,

Flagship Facility Services and Bon Appetit Management Company, employees are taking these invisible dealings out in the open. Recent activity brought to campus such as pickets and demonstrations, signals an escalation across both separate but fraternizing fronts: between Unionized workers at the College for Bon Appetit and Flagship. In these disputes, it is not

to be lost that the College is a common player. Contracts reached by the College and third party employers failing to meet economic conditions of its employees are the impetus to unrest. Third party companies get invited to campus likely due to lower costs ultimately being spent on staff. Paying a company for a service of these kinds allows the College to avoid paying

THE QUAKER CAMPUS STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emma Galvan

FEATURES EDITOR Xochitl Hood

DEPUTY EDITOR Penelope Turgen

A&E EDITOR Emma Cianciola

MANAGING EDITOR Penelope Turgen

CO-HEAD COPY EDITORS Yen Tran Daniel Gomez

NEWS EDITOR Paola Ruiz OPINIONS EDITOR Tralee Jacobs SPORTS EDITORS Maia Chaidez Jayden Borgna CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Jaime Calderon

SOCIAL MEDIA Jaime Calderon STAFF WRITERS Jayden Garret Steven Lopez Rhodree Gonzalez Ernesto Hernandez San Cuellar Aster Hjelm Aubrey Proano-Keeler Lucianda Frates

COPY EDITORS Kaj Behr Bissama Melone Aaliyah Mallory GRAPHIC DESIGNER Abbie Almanza CARTOONISTS Tallahassee Quontology PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen Martinez Aguilar Maryam Zorba Bhoomi Kapadia Lee Rivera WEB DESIGNER Malena FACULTY ADVISOR Joseph Donnelly

worker’s compensation, health insurance, social security and other employee-related expenses. The College hands over a lump sum, signs away “extra” costs and supervision so that in the case of labor disputes, comments like President Dillon’s last two emails concerning labor unrest become commonplace. “This activity is related to ongoing labor issues between

Flagship and its unionized employees (housekeepers and custodians) and Bon Appétit and its unionized employees (dining ser vices) who staff Whittier College,” writes President Dillon on the morning of Sept. 11 in an email shared school-wide.

Cont. on pg. 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Submissions may be emailed to qc@poets.whitttier.edu in .doc or .docx format. Submissions must include the author’s name and year of graduation or position at the college in the signature. Letters are due by Monday at 5 p.m. to make it into that week’s issue. Submissions should be no more than 500 words. Submissions will undergo the same editing process from our production pipeline if selected. All stories must follow the same journalistic standards. Due to the high cost of publication, members of the Whittier College community are permitted three copies per issue. Additional copies may be purchased with prior apporval for 50 cents each by contacting the Quaker Campus. Newspaper theft is a crime, and those who violate the three copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution. 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.

Sept. 17, 2026 Custodial from pg. 2 These third party companies have contracts with companies as big as Google Campus’ and R1 Universities five times as large as the College, making unionized employees’ bargaining power hard to wield. Meanwhile, actions over at the Campus Inn (CI) capitalized on student and faculty presence during a planned walkout and confrontation with Bon Appetit management on shift. The walkout followed up a week after a picket outside the CI with students, workers and faculty chanting and circling the platform together. At 2:10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, employees at the CI for Bon Appetit walked together to back offices with students and faculty ready to demand answers for apparent stalled negotiations. Their union, Local 11 notified employees at the College of Bon Appetit's refused to give a date to meet at the table, leaving tireless staff rife with uncertainty. The mixed status group of folks concerned with CI workers working and living conditions piled into the office while management stayed seated and turned away from her desk at the invading crowd. Management, whose email address can be found in President Dillon’s most recent presser about labor demonstrations, repeatedly stated that she did her part by sending word to her superiors. Some employees expressed gratitude with smiles and others called their bluff with fervor and intensity. The crowd surged from the office bellowing a chant, “We will– be–back, We will–be–back.” Custodians and housekeepers, unionized with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721, have been at the table repeatedly for the last decade with Flagship.

NEWS These members of the community have been dealing with layoffs and expanded workloads without contractual changes, as well as retaliatory measures taken after complaints over supervisors behavior. Not to mention, workplace conditions are negligently kept with expectations to clean up dead rodents and visit mold infested cleaning closets without proper equipment. Concerns over workplace conditions were brought to the Quaker Campus’s readership in 2024 with an issue featuring a letter written by the remaining housekeepers at the College. This same passion was brought to the Painter Avenue sidewalk at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11 in a demonstration organized by SEIU Local 721. SEIU 721 leadership rolled in late and apologetic onto the small but mighty gathering, repeatedly urging the few workers who turned out that their efforts, however obstructed, were “working.” Little else but three student journalists were in attendance to witness the housekeepers' testimonies. “Yes, I am poor. I am hardworking. But I am not a damn fool,” asserted an annoymous custodial employee seeing red at the College. SEIU 721 leadership offered a follow up action meant to drive up student engagement in the next month. As of now, Local 11 has sent four dates to Bon Appetit to sit at the table for CI workers negotiations. They have still heard nothing back. Meanwhile, custodial workers with SEIU 721 await word of their next demonstration on campus. Both parties are sitting tight, working hard, and hoping that for the sake of themselves, students and all faculty that the disputes will not escalate to a strike.

3

Heatwave Impacts Students

Courtesy of Los Angeles Times Students at the College endured the heatwave. Kaj Behr COPY EDITOR Aster Hjelm STAFF WRITER

“Extreme heat warning” is what residents in the City of Whittier saw as temperatures reached up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit last week. Students have also been affected by these extreme weather conditions. Whether it be an interruption of daily routines, change of classrooms, or withstanding the heat in the Wardman Gym, many students wonder how the school will handle their concerns. On Sept. 9, The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an extreme heat warning for Southern California. The NWS advised residents to stay out of the sun, stay in air-conditioned rooms, and to drink plenty of fluids due to the increased risk of heat related illness. With a heat index of 110.4 degrees Fahrenheit, the NWS also warned of heat cramps, exhaustion, and strokes due to prolonged outside exposure. In an article from the Los Angeles Times, Dr. David Eisenman, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, stated, “A person’s body is working to maintain 98.6 degrees and if it gets hotter and more humid outside, the body has to work harder to maintain that stable temperature. The moisture in the air prevents the body from efficiently sweating, which is needed to regulate the body’s temperature.” With these risks in mind, many students on campus have been taking precautions to keep themselves safe during the heatwave. Gabbrielle Frances, a first-year student who lives on campus with her emotional support animal, Ivy, shared, “I take my dog out less often due to the heat. ​​I used to take her three to four times [a day], now I take her two to three times​​.” Frances added, “One [time] in the morning for 10 to 15 mins. When Courtesy of SEIU 721 afternoon comes the heat [is high,] Custodial staff on campus demonstate for better contract negotations. so it’s usually for five mins or less,

[and] then again at night.” For many students, normal routines have been disrupted and have caused discomfort around campus. Aira Ruiz Takeuchi, a returning Paola third-year student, taking a class NEWS EDITOR on the fifth floor of the Science Learning Center commented, “As soon as I walked into my sociology class, I felt a drastic change in temperature. It was in the 80s in the classroom [...] The professor, noticing [that], had us move to Hoover for a cooler environment.” This was the case for many students on campus, whose classes were moved to cooler classrooms. While it is a temporary fix, the question remains what the College’s plan is for future heatwaves. When asked about the effects of the heatwave on the campus, facilities and the Office of the President both declined to comment, with President Kristine Dillion directing us to the Dean of Faculty, Gil Gonzales. “We have not had this type of heat in a long time. [...] But I think [that] it is draining. It is tiring, you know? And there are some of the buildings on campus that are a little older and it is, [...] just hard for the AC’s to keep up in some of the areas,” Gonzales explained. Students with classes in the Wardman Gym, for example, have been feeling the effects of the heatwave without resolve. With the space being home to the Art & Visual Studies department, many of these students find themselves struggling to deal with the heat. Val Rivas, a first-year student in the Sculpture 1 class, said, “I had to buy a mini fan specifically for that class. The teacher is very aware of the heat in there and had us move locations several times to a cooler room in order to do a lecture." On certain days, these classes can be moved to other buildings, but with classes like sculpture, they require the tools located in the Wardman Gym. When the students are left to work on their projects, many of them struggle to deal with the extreme temperatures. “I have to take multiple breaks while working because of the heat, and honestly [I] just feel so nasty in general because I get really sweaty [...] and the dust from working

with wood gets stuck on you. I have not been enjoying that class as much as I would like and very much look forward to it ending,” Rivas added. In instances like this, the heatwave has caused some students to dread going to their classes. The question remains; what solutions does the school have for future heatwaves? When asked about plans to introduce air-conditioning to the Wardman Gym, Gonzales commented, “I think we brought in four or five swamp coolers, which are big [...] cool air movers to get us through this part of the year, but they are super loud and you have got to turn them off and on, and that's not really going to help cool off a space like that. [...] So I am not saying that we have not talked about [plans of adding AC] or that it won't be the case. I don't know how we'll make traction on that in the near future.” First-year student, Soraya Molina, a California native, stated, “We do not have hot summers. Our summers are like 60 [degrees] and this entire summer was like 75. There were [high school] buildings that did not have air-conditioning and so we got really really hot. [...] My high school is over 100 years old so [...] the main building of the high school did not have airconditioning, but other buildings in the school did.” According to an article released by the US Census in 2026, around 10 percent of households in the U.S. do not have air conditioning. In California however, it is anywhere more than 20 percent. When looking at the same data by county, it becomes obvious that the coastal areas of the state where a more Mediterranean climate is found, have more households without AC compared to the inland regions. While C a l i f o r n i a’s Mediterranean climate used to allow Californians to live comfortably without AC, rising temperature and unusual weather phenomena have forced residents to invest money into airconditioning installments. The question remains, how will the Whittier campus adapt to these changes?

NEWS

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Sept. 17, 2026

9/11 and Its Everlong Lasting Impact

Courtesy of Boston University

The World Trade Center was hit by two hijacked airplanes on Sept. 11. Steven Lopez STAFF WRITER Paola Ruiz NEWS EDITOR Kaj Behr COPY EDITOR Daniel Gomez CO-HEAD COPY EDITOR

25 years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, Ne w York City suffered from catastrophic terrorist attacks as al-Qaeda hijackers took control of two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, also know n as the Twin Towers. Emergency responders arrived on the scene tr ying to save as many lives as possible. However, almost 3000 people were killed and more than 6,000 were injured. Individuals across 80 countries were severely impacted by these attacks. Professor Sara Angevine, Chair and Associate Professor of the Depar tment of Political Science, was a Journalism student at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C. When the attack happened, her professor said to inform the rest of the class that class would star t late because the Nor th Tower had been attacked. In the hallway of her dormitor y she caught footage of Flight 175 crashing into the South Tower giving rise to fear and c hose to stay indoors. Her classmates however, headed to the Pentagon to inter vie w Depar tment of Defense staff about the attacks, not knowing there would be another strike at the Pentagon shor tly after. The attacks also led to the first, and only, invocation of Ar ticle 5 of the Nor th Atlantic Treaty

of 1949, stating that “An armed attack against one or more of [the signatories of the Treaty] shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently [the member states] agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them [...] will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking […] such action as it deems necessar y.” The United Nations (UN) also took action with the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, which called for all 189 UN member states to suppress terrorism financing and to significantly enhance international cooperation on counter terrorism measures. Domestically, Dr. Angevine stated that the attacks directly led to the passage of House Resolution 3162, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001,” in Oct. 2001, commonly known as the Patriot Act, to strengthen U.S. national security. The Patriot Act “was the first step to the Surveillance State.” It expanded federal law to deter terrorist activity in the U.S., while als o expanding domestic law enforcement and intelligence capabilities, dramatically shaping domestic policy. The act has faced criticism since its passage, due to it granting the Federal Government broad authority to constantly sur veil the American public, with many believing that the act infringes on constitutional civil liber ties and privacy rights. As a result, the phrase “war on terror” was used to justify the actions of the U.S. government after 9/11. Actions t hat included

the U.S. illegally invading Afghanistan and Iraq, while also establishing Guantanamo Bay holding a center for “terrorists,” and dramatically expanding its sur veillance and national security powers at home: Transpor tation Security Administration ( TSA) in 2001, the United States Depar tment of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2002, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2003. Even today, Guantanamo Bay is still holding detainees. According to U.S. News, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, together with three accomplices, are accused of developing and directing the plan to crash hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. A militar y judge set Sheikh Mohammed’s trial to start on June 5, 2028. After the attacks, TSA focused on creating ne w measures and increasing

airpor t security. Philadelphia International Airport shared that amongst ne w regulati ons only passengers with tickets to fly could pass security checks. In addition, on Nov. 19, 2001, the Aviation and Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S e c u r i t y Act was passed to establish TSA to require screening, including all bags and people entering airpor ts. The Homeland Security Act established DHS into law in Nov. 2002 by President Bush. It helped create an executive depar tment that combined several federal agencies with a mission to protect the security of the countr y. ICE was created to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws. According to Pew Research Center, “ The FBI’s annual tally of hate crimes against Muslims spiked in

The survivors of 9/11 walking away from the Twin Towers.

2001, rising to 481 that year, up from 28 in 2000. Since then, it has fluctuated widely, from a low of 95 in 2021 to a high of 307 in 2016. But it has never returned to pre-9/11 levels.” Dr. Angevine commented that the attacks led to a sharp increase in violent and deadly attacks on Muslims and Mosques throughout the U.S., as well as a sharp rise in Islamophobia, both in the United States and around the world, with an equal increase in global anti-Muslim violence. On the website of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the last line of its mission statement reads, “May the lives remembered, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preser ve freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance, and intolerance.”

Courtesy of UC Berkeley

Sept. 17, 2026

What’s up, Whittier?

Stay up to date on events! For further info, visit https://whittier. campuslabs.com/Engage/ Pet Therapy • Thursday, Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. • Dezember House Patio Brotherhood Leadership Program: Family Reunion • Thursday, Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m. • Villalobos Hall Veteran Resource Center Open House • Friday, Sept. 18 at 12 p.m. • Veteran Resource Center High-Holiday Shabbat Welcome Dinner • Friday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. • Dezember Alumni House Kayaking • Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. • Alamitos Bay Drawin' Together • Monday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. • Dezember House ASWC Weekly Meeting • Monday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. • Villalobos Psi Chi Grad Panel • Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 12:30 p.m. • SLC 204 Pet Therapy • Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. • Founder's Hill Lawn Outdoor Flu Vaccine Clinic • Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 9:30 a.m. • Deihl Hall, Naylor Portico Poet Pantry • Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 12:30 p.m. • Campus Center, Room 141 CAAS Workshop: Goal Setting • Thursday, Sept. 24 at 12:35 p.m. • Computer Lab Poet Pantry • Thursday, Sept. 24 at 12:30 p.m. • Campus Center, Room 141 Pet Therapy • Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. • Dezember House Patio Drawin' Together • Monday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. • Dezember House ASWC Weekly Meeting • Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. • Villalobos Money Moves: College Edition • Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. • Ball Basement Pathways & Possibilities • Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. • Villalobos Hall & Club 88 • Poet Pantry • Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 12:30 p.m. • Campus Center - Room 141

CAMPUS LIFE

5

Aloha Poets, It's The Hawaii Club! Jamie Calderon CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Whittier College is well revered for the tight-knit environment its small campus size creates but within the sea of teams, societies, and classes ,there is always an aching for more. Calls from alumni, pleas from faculty, and an inner search for community fueled the fire among a few students to revive a forgotten club on campus, Hawaii Club. Fourth-year student and club president, Cohen Nakasone, expressed his reasons for bringing back the club. It came from a mix of a desire for a closer sense of community and a push from Kinesiology Professor Melanie Householder and Vice President of Enrollment Ken Woods. He reflected on his time as a first-year student, his first time away from home and in a totally new environment. “When I was a freshman, I didn’t even have a car. We were coming from, I don’t even know, like 1000 miles away from home, this is our first time living away from my family,” said Nakasone. And most students can probably relate to that strange feeling when they leave home to come to the College, the loss and longing of the people and spaces you know. “I just want to see one big community together. I feel like what Hawaii culture is [about] is taking different cultures, taking in everyone that’s different and not the same from you but, you’re still coming together,” stated fourth-year student and club vice president, Peyton Collier. And so far they have been successful in their effort to bring Hawaiian culture to the campus. If you were lucky enough to catch them at the activities fair early they

2026-2027 Hawaii Club at the Activities Fair.

Courtesy of Hawaii Club

may have given you an Aloha Maid drink. But if you were too late to grab one, you would have been in the majority. Collier shared, “Right before the activities fair, Cohen and I went out of our way and bought Hawaiian juice to give out to anyone that signed up. And we only bought 40 of them because we did not expect to get 100 signups, and just seeing that was really special for me.” It is clear that their mission for connection resonated with the student body, and the club hopes to carry that energy into the rest of the school year and continue to get people excited about sharing and learning more from Hawaiian culture. As of now, the club does not host weekly meetings, but they are looking forward to plenty of events this coming year. The biggest thing for them right now is planning out a big luau in the Spring semester. The main goal for the event is to bring the Hawaiian students together in a space to celebrate their culture, and to invite other students into the celebration.

“We touched on community a lot, but [the club is] also about building a network for after you graduate. Being able to go, ‘Oh, you were in Hawaii club too?’ Kinda creates an alumni network,” third-year student and club secretary, Warren Cancillier said. Even with Hawaii club not being active for a few years, the alumni network was still alive. In fact, they reached out to the College to help get the club up and running again. Cancillier himself is not Hawaiian, but his roommate is, and their bond is what brought him into the club. ”Him sharing the culture of where he's from is pretty cool and I think it’s something worth sharing to the school [. . .] and there’s a few players on our baseball team from Hawaii so being around them is part of it too,” Cancillier states. Na k a s o n e , C o l l i e r, a n d Cancillier are all looking to attend grad school after Whittier, but they will leave the club in good hands. Their club photographer, firstyear Urijah Acoba-Vea understands first-hand why the club is so

important to its other members, “When I first got here, I felt like it was just me. So I feel like this has been really important to me as it’s a way to share the culture around us and not just keep it in our like cliche. It’s to broaden out and share what we do, like the practices and stuff that we do,” Acoba-Vea shares. It is clear what this club means to Nakasone and his team, but they also encourage everyone to get involved. “We’re all in this together, and we’re all a community [. . .] Especially for incoming students to know that like this is a club, you have a family here, you have support,” Nakasone states when it came to his hopes for the club’s future. The year is only beginning, but they hope to make a mark on the campus life for years to come. This year alone they plan to host big events to bring Poets together, like lei making parties to support the sports teams, and even working with Hawaii clubs at other colleges. You can follow them on Instagram (@wchawaiiclub) to stay up to date!

Students Association (ASA), Hawaii club, and Hispanic Heritage Club. Students can connect with people of their same background as well as learn more about their culture. People of different backgrounds can sign up for any of them if they'd like to learn about different cultures or experience them. Diversity Clubs: Alongside the heritage clubs, diversity clubs are dedicated to various identities. Such as the case with Transgender, Other Identified, Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Allies for Diversity (TOBEGLAD), an organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ students or Women’s Leadership Association (WLA) who predominantly represent the women and female identifying students on campus. Like the heritage clubs, members can connect with people of similar backgrounds and are encouraged to build relationships and community. First Gen and Allies are a group that help first generation students navigate college life, while Cru encourages students to learn about the Christian belief. Societies: At Whittier College, instead of fraternities and sororities

there are societies, 10 of them to be exact. Like fraternities and sororities, Societies aim to bring students and alumni together. The Societies for women are Athenians, Ionians, Metaphonians, Palmers, and Thalians. The Societies for men are the Franklins, Lancers, Orthogonians, and William Penn's. And there is currently one gender nonconforming society that is known as the Sachens, originally an all men's society, it was opened up to other genders in 1972. The four pillars of the Societies at Whittier are friendship, scholarship, leadership, and community service. Media Council: A collection of all media based student organizations, Media Council is comprised of KPOET, The Video Production Studio (VPS), The Acropolis, and the Quaker Campus. KPOET is a student run radio station and release music, reviews, news, and run music for events on campus. They also post poetry readings, concerts, and comedy sets. VPS produce student made videos on campus but they also help prospective film makers learn the ropes of equipment and production.

The Acropolis is the one and only year book on campus, started in 1902, and returning in 2025 after a 12 year hiatus. It covers all things Poet over the school year, from clubs and organizations to sports and faculty. The QC is the student-run newspaper. Published since 1914 they showcase news important to Poets, updates on sports, campus life coverage, entertainment, and opinions. ICC: The Artorian Order of the Knights of Pendragon (AOKP) was recruting members to the secret campaign. Artscape was opening a space for all creatives. The Whittier College Cheer Team returns alongside football and was hoping to find more cheerleaders. And Transfer Club provides support to students transfers as they learn to navigate Whittier College. The Activities Fair takes place every semester. If you miss the one that took place this Fall, you can check the clubs out in the Spring! Our you can follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on when they host meeting, events, and fundraisers. It's never too late to get involved!

Clubs, Orgs, and Opportunities Galore Rhodree Gonzalez STAFF WRITER On Wednesday, Sept. 2, the Upper Campus of Whittier College was covered in tents and students for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual Fall activities fair. There were a variety of different kinds of clubs, career opportunities, and societies. For students looking for a community, a new opportunity, the activities fair offered numerous paths for every student. Many of the clubs offered students treats such as candy, chips, or cookies and the Hawaii Club even offered flower leis. Another fun aspect to the fair was free drinks. Students were given a card, and by visiting and getting a stamp from at least five clubs, they were able to get a matcha, or an iced herbal tea with cherry and hibiscus to keep them cool as they walked through the various tables of clubs and societies on the hunt for something new. Heritage Clubs: There are clubs dedicated to different races and ethnicities such as the Black Students Association (BSA), Asian

6

CAMPUS LIFE

Sept. 17, 2026

Hey Poets, There's a Fellowship For You! Jamie Calderon CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Fellowships are a gateway to the professional field of research. It is a way for undergraduates to become more prepared for what graduate school actually has in store for them. Essentially, fellowships are a personal research or creative project, led by the student, guided by a mentor, and funded by the program. “There may have been a time a professor mentioned something briefly and the class moved on, but you weren't ready to move on. And a fellowship is your opportunity to continue that conversation and maybe even contribute or update it,” Fellowship and Experiential Learning Coordinator, Elizabeth Sanchez-Cardenas shares when explaining what a fellowship can do for students beyond the paycheck. Fellowships are much more than just research though, they are about entering the field that you are interested in, be it Art, English, Statistics, Chemistry, History, etc. It is a chance to chase an interest in a field. “This is your time, if there’s a niche topic you’ve encountered whether through your major or your own personal interests. This is your chance to do a deep dive, to write a paper, to do a project based on this interest and get paid for it!” Sanchez-Cardenas excitedly reports. But the truth is, behind that is an opportunity to become

professionalized. In the process available after you graduate. Maybe encourages Poets to start the search of this research, you work with a you're a senior reading this thinking and preparations now. faculty mentor who is your guide "it's all over." Let me assure you it's She will happily take the and partner in the research process. not, there's still opportunities for time to get to know you and your And over the course of your you to apply, do research, and get interests and work with you to find fellowship you will not only build paid. You just have to do the heavy fellowships that will fit you. After a bond with that mentor but also lifting of asking for help. all, fellowships are often a two year learn how to communicate with Sanchez-Cardenas was actually commitment, requiring a lot of people in your field. a former Whittier Poet herself, time and dedication. But SanchezThe fellowships offered here at being from the Class of 2015. She Cardenas assures she can help you the College are constantly changing, has been helping students find find your best fit. so prospective fellows should check opportunities to do research and Fellowships can seem the website for an updated list or get paid for nine years. She will help intimidating, with researching topics you can stop by SLC 314. Currently, you understand what application alongside long-term academics, there’s 12 fellowships listed. For materials you will need to submit, preparing for grad school, and STEM majors there’s the Don 50’ like a personal statement, writing publishing your passion project. and Virginia Baudrand Fellowship example, proposal, etc. She will But, if you take the time to weigh in Chemistry and the NASA IPMSI even help you find a mentor. it out, you will discover the richness Summer Research Fellowship. Sanchez-Cardenas encourages this opportunity has waiting for you For Social Science majors students to start looking now. behind an application. there’s the Environmental Justice Fellowships will not open till the “When you apply, you increase Fellowship, Jeffery Lindstrom ‘94 start of Spring semester but she your odds by 50 percent, 50 percent Fellowship in Social Sciences, and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship which is also available for Humanities majors. The Jan Lopez Wood Endowed Fellowship is also available for Humanities majors. But if none of those suit you, there are more generalized options including the Ahmanson Foundation Veteran Fellowship, the Alianza de los Amigos Martin Ortiz Fellowship, the Barbara Ondrasik ‘57 & David Groce Fellowship, the Cathy Standiford Fellowship in Creative Writing & Journalism, or the Richard M. Nixon ‘34 Fellowship. There's even opportunities Fellowships Webpage On Whittier.com

you’ll get in, 50 percent you won’t. But if you don’t apply, you already know your answer, it’s no!” SanchezCardenas exclaims. So the choice is really up to you. Do you have a niche interest like a movie your're passionate about? Or a book series that changed your life? Maybe you're really into art history and long forgotten catalouges. Or maybe you really into DNA modification. Or maybe you are very passionaate about the political state of America since the 2006 market crash. Regardless of what your fix is, there's an opportunity out there for you to be a scholar. Don't let the field pass you by. Talk with the coordinator, fill out an application, take undergrad research by the horns, and get paid!

Courtesy of Whittier College

Asian Student Association: The Last Two Standing Sam Cuellar STAFF WRITER Many collectives and associations have gathered throughout Whittier College history. It has witnessed many diverse communities form on its campus, one of the facets of that diversity is the Asian Students Association (ASA). ASA's impact has been seen on campus, from the several promotional drawings made on the communal whiteboard in the Ettinger Lounge for the academic year of 2025-2026, to the beautiful Lunar New Year Luncheon that is hosted annually in our Campus Inn (CI). Despite its long-standing history, the current ASA has only two active members, those being second-year, Filipino-American student Jordan Torrente and third-year, Filipino-American student Chance Legaspi. Torrente is a new member to ASA, picking up behind the members who graduated, “What I hope to see happen is for the ASA to remain as a prominent club on campus." He hopes to continue in the footsteps of past ASA Executive Boards, "For us to meet on a consistent basis either weekly or biweekly, as a sort of business meeting and general gathering so we can discuss potential events we would want to make happen, as well as just build a community for the Asian-identifying students on

campus." He also recalls ASA's biggest event, "What I hope for us to continue on with the Lunar New Year's Luncheon that has been happening for the past few years, as it is the largest event to bring notice to the ASA.” Torrente is also a member of the Brotherhood Leadership Program, a program who's goal is to uplift men of color on their college journey. “What I hope for all of Whittier's Asian-identifying students, would be that they can find and build a community here on campus where they can feel as though they belong, rather than just fit in," Torrente said. He continues on about why ASA is so important to him, "There's a difference between belonging somewhere and just fitting in, and I would hope for the ASA to build that community for these students to belong on campus," stated Torrente. He also calls attention to an important detail to the difference between simply “fitting in” and celebrating a sense of true belonging. Organizations need to recognize that there is a difference between the two, and they need to understand how to properly foster belonging in all of their members. One of the ASA’s former executive-board members and Whittier alumni, Laurens Chao, also had much to say about his experience with finding out about

this organization and getting involved with it. “I was introduced to ASA through events on campus. My first year at Whittier college, I attended as many events as I could, ranging from movie nights to identity discussions. I appreciated how many events the 2024-2025 executive-board hosted and that I was represented on campus despite only around five percent of WC students being Asian," Chao says, reflecting on his time as a Poet and

and ASA member, as well as what it [ASA] meant to him. "In the future, I'd like to see ASA grow enough to have consistent meetings and continue its fun and educational events," Chao stated. The ASA has fought time and time again to support the Asian community on Whittier’s campus, and now it is calling for a favor from all Asian students and any allies. The first ASA meeting of 2026-2027 is scheduled for Sept. 25, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the

Past ASA flyers from the Special Collections Archive.

Ettinger Lounge. So for any readers, of Asian identity or an ally, now is the time to show up. ASA's current board can't run the show on their own. ASA is a great opportunity to learn about different Asian cultures and how to support those identities. Show up to the meetings! Attend their movie nights! Celebrate and learn about Lunar New Year! Show up to their affinity graduation in May. Show up for ASA in their time of need! Become a member!

Sam Cuellar / Quaker Campus

7

OPINIONS

Sept. 17, 2026

The Trade-Off: Trade Schools vs Liberal Arts Tralee Jacobs

OPINIONS EDITOR

When it comes to education and career, my brother and I are two sides of the same Gen Z coin. He is attending trade school to become an electrician, while I am pursuing an English degree at a liberal arts college. He wants financial independence to fund his life outside of work; I am fighting to make my life’s passion my actual work. Many of our family members have already declared a winner. They view his path as a secure, fast track to stability, and mine as a romanticized slip into financial ruin. They are not alone in thinking this way. Gen Z is increasingly looking toward the skilled trades, where the path from education to employment can be shorter, cheaper, and more predictable. According to Thumbtack's 2024 Future of the Skilled Trades Report, 55 percent of Gen Z respondents have considered a career in the skilled trades, a 12 percent increase from the previous year. Among Gen Z respondents with a college degree, that figure rose to 72 percent. At the same time, Gen Z is

entering a workforce increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 63 percent of Gen Z respondents worry that generative AI will eliminate jobs. The shift is also reflected in enrollment. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment at high-vocational public two-year colleges increased 11.7 percent in spring 2025, compared to a 2.1 percent increase in bachelor’s programs. Trade school is a very smart decision, no doubt. It’s more affordable, takes less time to graduate, and can lead straight into a well paying job. A job that is needed, essential, and physical work that a bot can't take. It's not hard to piece together the draw to such a choice. A liberal arts school is almost the opposite of a trade school. While trade schools teach you the practical skills needed for your profession, liberal arts schools traditionally value reason and judgment over more vocational skills. What is the reasoning in this education choice? If I’m studying Kinesiology why should I take a class in dissecting film? If my major is Business Administration, why should I learn

how to craft short stories? If I’m going into graphic design, why should I take a class in archeology? Is it better to go to a school that just teaches me just what I need to know for my job? It has been proven time and time again that humanity advances when we are working in conjunction with all of the studies. Charles Lyell’s geology gave Charles Darwin the timeline required for biological evolution. Albert Einstein utilized the philosophy of David Hume and Ernst Mach to rethink traditional physics. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky drew from theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski’s insights on emotion and lived experience to develop our understanding of human consciousness. Meaningful discoveries can only be made through shared knowledge. Although the cost of going to a four-year liberal arts degree program is a problem that deserves more words than can be spared here, the value of such a degree has not diminished. It has gone up. Thinkers are innovators; they disrupt how reality is perceived. In a world that feels increasingly heavy and complex, the ability to step back and analyze why is increasingly crucial. This reality forces a critical question: why has society shifted toward

the idea that a four-year liberal arts education is a waste of time? Maybe it’s too taxing to think critically, especially when so many resources are being poured into machines who can do it for us. There is no doubt that the shadow of artificial intelligence weighs heavy on the future of Gen Z. It is an exhausting narrative that often leaves an entire generation feeling burnt out. Yet, in the dawn of this vast, uncharted territory, the opportunity arises to actively pave the way for what new works and discoveries will look like in this new age. Artists, philosophers, and thinkers hold the power to pioneer the creative landscape of this era. While the future may be littered with hollow, artificial products, human creators get to engineer the masterpieces that will rise above the noise—just as F. Scott Fitzgerald took the materialism of the 1920s Jazz Age and spun it into literary classics, or Keith Haring defined 1980s street art by reclaiming public spaces from corporate advertising. Trade schools are argued as admirable because they make sure your job is essential, and to that I

ask: what makes something essential? While trade schools build our physical infrastructure, liberal arts colleges graduate the architects of our culture, communication, and daily meaning. What good is a perfectly wired city if no one wants to live there? What good is the plumbing in a movie theater if no one makes the movies for us to watch? A liberal arts degree is an investment in the human infrastructure that keeps our world livable. Neither path is inherently superior to the other; as humans, our definitions of fulfillment are deeply individual, which makes the constant, judgmental comparison of these choices so incredibly frustrating. We have become so obsessed with asking what a degree will get you that we have forgotten to ask what an education will make you. We live in a society that increasingly reduces human existence to mere labor, currency, and productivity. No one writes a book of poetry expecting to make millions, but perhaps that isn't the point. Perhaps education does not always need to justify itself by what it allows us to earn. Maybe its value can also be found in what it allows us to create, question, and become.

Why Chad Normies Outmog Chud Incels Daniel Gomez

CO-HEAD COPY EDITOR

For those who have spent a fair amount of time on the internet in the past few years, they are sure to have come across words such as "looksmaxxing," "chad," "chud," "alpha," and "mogging." For most functional people, these are just newer internet slang that everyone in this generation knows. The roots of where these words come from however, are anything but innocent. This goes to show how repeated and widespread usage of words without context can help perpetuate ideologies of hate. These words come from the incel community that started taking off after the events of 2014 when an angry extremist, Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old man, went on a six-person killing spree and suicide leaving behind a 141 page document detailing his history of loathing of women due to his virginity. The news media coverage of this event should have been met with widespread horror, but to one community he was praised as a hero. Despite its current known status as a scornful, online group who despise women who dare wish for any level of autonomy and condem the men who believe woman should be treated as equals, the incel community had actually started as a small beacon of hope in an online forum before the 2000s by a brave young soul named Alana. Alana and others of any sexual orientation who found it difficult to find a romantic partner would talk together and help each other find ways to overcome these difficulties. After finding a partner of her own, Alana left oversight of the online

Peters storms off in the middle of an interveiw with Adam Hegarty. forums to someone else. It was not until much later that she realized how cancerous the community had become. No longer was it accepting of everyone, it became a haven for lonely and angry men who blamed nearly all of their failings on anyone but themselves. This new community threw all of its weight into the belief that the rise of feminism was to blame and that it was "taking away the rights of men to have easy access to women." Although there is something to be said about how one derives inspiration from older ideas and media, to blatantly rob from them is another. The term "red-pilled" and "bluepilled" may be common enough online, but how many know of the origins of the terms? The terminology and ideas are taken near-directly from The Matrix by trans creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski, a movie originally created as a trans metaphor. Since the early 2010s, the appropriation of these

concepts has taken a perverse and malignant direction used by many in the incel community and overarching "manosphere" to symbolize a unity amongst the media illiterate and ‘outcast’ men. The incel community takes it a step further and not only use "redpilled" as a shorthand to show their shared ideology, but have created the term "black-pilled." The term is for those who have given up and believe that they are genetically inferior and can’t find a wife “in her prime.” This leads them to believe that practicing social skills, "looksmaxxing" and (primarily) becoming wealthy are the only ways to get a partner. They lack the mental fortitude and understanding to see that their overall behavior and misogynistic views are the primary turn offs for women. As well as the inability to continue through higher education due to a clash of ideals and keeping up with the curriculum. That really only leaves "looksmaxxing" and attempting political

Courtesy of Pedestrain tv change to force their ideas onto others. Today, a popular online celebrity, Braden Peters (also known as Clavicular) is famous for his "looksmaxxing" goals where he attempts, through poorly understood science, to enhance his physical appearance. He has grown famous for posting his routines which consist of the use of crystal meth to curb hunger, "bonesmashing" to improve bone structure, and a combination of peptides and testosterone supplements that he has admitted has probably made him infertile. In a 60 Minutes Australia interview with Adam Hegarty, Peters was asked how he feels about people associating him with the incel community. This line of questioning set Peters off on a tantrum, defensively claiming to not be an incel, is apolitical, and insinuated that Hegarty’s nonexistent wife had cheated on him and perhaps could

teach him about "looksmaxxing" before then walking off set before the end of the segment. One could believe Peters about his apolitical stance and lack of ties to the incel community, if one were incapable of critical thinking. Peters frequently has hung out with controversial figures such as far-right commentator, Nick Fuentes, and convicted sex trafficker, Andrew Tate. Peters has also visited Tel Aviv, Israel, where he was used for political goals by an IDF social media manager and advisors to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an effort to gain more support from younger male citizens. This was due to Peters’ ties to widely known farright figureheads particularly in the incel and "manosphere" communities. Whether young Peters fully understands that his position as a celebrity and who he hangs out with and endorses is political or not, he is still a pawn for the far-right to influence many young people. The controversial aspects of his lifestyle and who he hangs out with prompts the social media algorithms to push his content out toward a large audience as nothing gets engagement like angry responses. This increased presence online means an increased use of such terms as "mogged," "looksmaxxing," "red-pilled," "chad," "alpha," "beta," and "foid." Let it be known that nothing is truly apolitical, with an increased usage and presence of these words online comes a normalization of those beliefs. Beliefs intended to keep men lonely and angry. To me, I can not help but look at their hatred of women and desire to be accepted by others, particularly men, to be achillean.

8

FEATURES

Sept. 17, 2026

Keith Dunn Keeps Academic Affairs Fresh Daniel Gomez CO-HEAD COPY EDITOR

The department of Academic Affairs was busy this summer looking for a change in position of Vice President for Academic A f f a i r s ( V PA A ) . L u c k y f o r us, their needle landed on a movitated educator, Keith Dunn. Dunn obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from Indiana University Bloomington and in July 2011, he became Provost Emeritus at Millsaps College where he continued for 12 years before becoming the Interim President for Millsaps for one year. To Dunn, the past 13 years was an incredible experience, and in recognition of his efforts, he was granted a sabbatical. As this was the second time in his life he was granted sabbatical, Dunn wished to do something more than just rest and relax. “I had no formal leadership or business training […] I want to go learn from world experts on the things I had already been doing on my job,” Dunn says. He later found himself applying to the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania for their Global C-Suite Leadership Program, the program took a year and covered six to eight graduate level courses. This desire for continued learning shows that Dunn does not come to the College with short term goals in mind.

He has a desire to help prepare students for a future that grows increasingly more complicated. When it comes to the College, Dunn remarks, “We try to instill in you the fact that one of the most important things you can get from Whittier is to become a lifelong learner. I feel like we need to model that.” To Dunn, moving across the country to become a part of the College was not merely to take on another leadership position, “Where Whittier is now and where we're going aligned so well with the strategic direction that I helped implement and cement at Millsaps.” He then goes on to comment, “Whittier is a great small school like Center and Millsaps [...] Both right around a thousand students in NCAA Division III,” showing his history and care for working with smaller schools. Despite not working at the College until this Fall, Dunn has had many opportunities throughout his professional career to work with administrators and faculty in national organizations. Through the years, he had come to know about the College, of its values, and long history as a liberal arts institution. This alignment of global leadership skills, strategic direction, and liberal arts values finds itself consolidated within the Whittier Works Initiative, where Dunn will focus his efforts in. Whittier Works allows students to receive

Courtesy of Whittier College Keith Dunn, new Vice President of Academic Affairs. one-on-one faculty mentorship and practical experiences on or off campus through internships, civic engagement projects, and research. He stresses, “I think a liberal arts education is the best career preparation that you can have, period.” He goes on to describe how education in liberal arts helps students figure out how to learn, and gives the confidence and humility to recognize what is not known and how to adapt. Dunn wishes to grow Whittier Works so that students will become further engaged in research experiences, internships, and problem-solving skills in real world situations

while on and off campus. Dunn let in on the fact that the Career Center is now part of the Academic Affairs office, which would allow for it to work more closely with Whittier Works. The Whittier Scholars Program (WSP) caught Dunn’s attention as it is a perfect example of the kind of intertwining relation between students and Whittier Works that he seeks to grow during his time here. He praised the College for truly upholding what students say they want to do with a design your own major program, which other schools fall short of. His move to California is a

somewhat lonely one, having to leave behind a loving wife, two adult sons, a dog and a cat. He has obtained temporary residence on campus while his new residence nearby is finishing up renovations and will not be ready until much later this year. Meanwhile, the faculty here have been very welcoming to Dunn and helping him get acclimated to his new position, with previous VPAA sal johnston also lending a helping hand. A s t h e p r e v i o u s V PA A , johnston was monumental in establishing the Whittier Works initiative and, after six years, officially stepped down from his position on Dec. 31, 2025. In his place, acting as Interim VPAA, was Tracy Poon Tambascia who helped the College during this transitional period and previously had held the position of Dean of Students nearly two decades ago. “I just love being a part of the campus culture, and Whittier seems to have a really thriving campus culture,” Dunn remarked as he recalled how Douglas “Doug” Manuel II could not walk more than a few feet without a student stopping him to say hello. Dunn is very excited to be participating in the campus’ culture through its sporting events, theatre, and musical performances. With a high display of enthusiasm, a good career history, and desire for a continued pursuit of knowledge, Dunn shows the potential to bring positive growth to the College.

Courtesy of Whittier College

SPORTS

9

Sept. 17, 2026

Poetic Injustice: Women’s Lacrosse Cut Poet’s Sports Schedule:

Women’s Volleyball @ Kean University Location: Union, NJ • 2 P.M. (5 P.M. ET) • Sept. 18

Football @ Azusa Pacific University Location: Azusa, CA • 6 P.M. • Sept. 19 Women’s XC vs. UCR Invite Location: Riverside, CA • 8:25 A.M. • Sept. 19 Men’s XC vs. UCR Invite Location: Riverside, CA • 8:55 A.M. • Sept. 19 Men’s Water Polo vs. Cuesta College Location: San Luis Obispo, CA • 9 A.M. • Sept. 19 Wo m e n’s Vo l l e y b a l l @ Montclair State University Location: Montclair, NJ • 9 A.M. (12 P.M. ET) • Sept. 19 Women’s Soccer vs. Ausa Pacific University Location: Azusa, CA • 11 A.M. • Sept. 19 Wo m e n’s Vo l l e y b a l l @ Franklin & Marshall College Location: Montclair, NJ • 11 A.M. (2 P.M. ET) • Sept. 19 Men’s Water Polo vs. UC Merced Location: San Luis Obispo, CA • 12 P.M. • Sept. 19 Men’s Soccer vs. Azusa Pacific University Location: Whittier, CA • 7 P.M. • Sept. 19 Wo m e n’s S o c c e r v s . Occidental College Location: Whittier, CA • 4 P.M. • Sept. 23 Men’s Soccer vs. Occidental College Location: Whittier, CA • 7 P.M. • Sept. 23 Wo m e n’s Vo l l e y b a l l v s . University of La Verne Location: Whittier, CA • 7 P.M. • Sept. 23 Visit wcpoets.com/calendar for the full sports schedule!

Courtesy of Tony Leon / Action West Photography

Poets Women’s Lacrosse disbanded without any warning whatsoever.

Karen Martinez Aguilar PHOTOGRAPHER

It is tragic to think that a beloved sports team such as the Women’s Lacrosse team can be cut unexpectedly from the athletic program after nearly two decades of history at Whittier College. The team was suspended in Feb. of 2026 after a shortage of members for the upcoming season, only a week before their first game. They were told they would only be suspended until they could get at least two more members to meet the minimum member requirement (15) for the team, and they were encouraged to recruit players. However, only two weeks later, their head coach, Leslie Escobar, was fired without warning and their assistant coach, Brendan Murphy, became the interim head coach. Up until Escobar’s contract was terminated, a player reported that she had been fiercely trying to recruit members for the team, going as far as Canada to get more players on the roster. While the team was on suspension, their practice spots were taken away from them, leaving them no reserved list time to practice on the field. This caused many difficulties as they believed they’d still need somewhere to practice in case they found enough players for their season. Without reserved practice times, they were left to only be allowed on the field whenever it was available, which was almost never. This was very unfair to the team, seeing as they still had a very high chance of participating in the season because they almost had a full roster of 13 players, but were actively being pushed away before anything was permanently decided. On top of all that, while they were told they could not practice, they were still technically on the team roster. Despite that, they were told they weren’t a team and, therefore, could not call themselves a team.

This was, again, all very unjust to the players because the athletic department made them believe that if they could get enough players, their season would continue, but then their head coach was randomly dropped after having been actively recruiting. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Murphy’s contract was also terminated. Next came the tragic news; the Women’s Lacrosse team was permanently discontinued as of this year. The athletic director, Rock Carter, announced this decision back in June, the summer before anyone even knew if they would have a full roster or not. Why was no one made aware of this? Many of the women on the team were recruited specifically for

remain anonymous, said, “They [the athletic department] didn’t give us a heads-up that they were thinking of dropping us.” Another anonymous player said, “They didn’t give us a chance,” proving that the department was never going to wait for the team to finish recruiting. They weren’t even given the opportunity to see after other sports’ seasons were over, which is when they have previously recruited people to join the team. They were simply cut from this year’s season altogether and given no prior notice of the decision. Some of the people on the team thought the athletic department was gunning for them because their team was always purposely left out of sports calendars and

“Girls from all different sports have played lacrosse as well, and even girls with no experience [...] The entire team, including the coach, was completely blindsided.” - Brianna Gutierrez lacrosse and chose to attend the College because of it. How is it fair that they are stuck at a school whose whole reason for bringing them in is dropping the program? Jillian Gurrola, who was recruited to play lacrosse here, said, “I used to commute an hour and a half every day to school just to play lacrosse.” For over two years, Gurrola saved up money to live on campus specifically for lacrosse, only for the team to get cut. “I wasn’t planning on coming to an expensive private school, but I did because of lacrosse.” Showing not only her dedication, but also the athletic department’s lack of respect for the people who put in the effort and couldn’t do the same to ensure they were at least given the opportunity to continue. One player, who preferred to

announcements. Their schedules and wins weren’t posted on social media, unlike other male sports teams, which demonstrates the difference in treatment and value. To top it all off, it came to attention that the athletic department had been focusing on rebuilding the football team for the last four years after the last head coach quit. So instead of cutting the team because they had no head coach, they put in the effort and resources for the past four years in order to make sure football had its comeback. But when it came to the Women’s Lacrosse team, they were immediately cut. The inequality and favoritism is astounding, seeing as how even in the 21st century, Men’s sports will always be taken more seriously and preferred over Women’s sports.

With the situation barely coming to the center of attention, Br i a n n a Gu t i e r re z , a n o t h e r previous lacrosse player for the College, sheds some light on the situation, as well as her reaction to the email from Carter. “I was sad, angry, shocked, and irritated. He [Carter] cut our program in the summer before we even got the chance to talk about next season.” She explains that, “ The lacrosse team has been a melting pot for the past four years. After the head coach left in 2023, many players left with her or transferred somewhere else; she did not try to recruit anyone for the team before leaving. Leaving the new coach to completely rebuild the program.” Gutierrez goes on to say how, “Girls from all different sports have played lacrosse as well, and even girls with no experience have gotten the chance to be a part of the athletic program here at Whittier. The entire team, including the coach, was completely blindsided.” After the team has worked hard for numerous years and learned that their program was ended without anyone fighting to keep it alive, it’s truly devastating. They deserve the same respect and treatment as other teams, such as football, soccer, and even the men’s lacrosse team. With the Women’s Lacrosse team being immediately cut with no real opportunity to fight for it, what does that say about the other sports women at Whittier play? Will their programs also be cut if they risk low roster numbers? Where will the inequality for these teams end if situations like these continue in the years to come? We can only hope that the athletic department will come to its senses and give the lacrosse team the proper opportunity they deserve to keep the program here at Whittier alive. Hopefully, the Women’s Lacrosse team still has a chance of making it to this year’s season and proving they deserve the same attention and treatment as the other male sports teams.

Sept. 17, 2026

SPORTS

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Women’s Soccer: Growing as a Player and Unit

Jayden Borgna SPORTS EDITOR

The 2026-2027 season sparks a new enlightenment for the Whittier College Poet’s Women’s Soccer program. Coming out of preseason with a 2-3-1 (two wins, three losses, and one tie) record, the Poets are learning to push through many different hardships they have faced. New head coach, Nicole Borowinski, is gearing up to bring a fresh start for the College’s team. After watching the College’s film and visiting the campus, Coach Borowinski found it the perfect place to continue her 17 year career. This new season is a season based on growth and coming together as a team. When Borowinski came into the program her main goal was, “Making sure that we have a great culture. Having a good foundation, and ultimately building the players beyond the sport, and for life.” The emphasis on creating a strong foundation this year for the Poets is a key difference between last season and this season. Borowinski also explains that, “The girl’s biggest thing that they wanted to do this year was growth. Their biggest goal this year was about how we grow as a unit, as a person, and as a player.” It leaves no question that the team this year is truly focused on dialing in on the growth of the team, and the individuals.

Fourth-year defensive player, Mia Cordova has been at the College all four years and has witnessed the changes within the team firsthand. Cordova states, “Compared to last season, there has been a lot of growth [...] we have come together as a team and developed our identity. We have had to adjust to new expectations, but instead of letting that become a setback, I think we have used it as an opportunity to grow.” Fourth-year center mid player, Annabelle Allison, holds a strong captain position for her team. Transferring from Cal State San Marcos, Allison says, “Due to the changes in our program, I also see my role as helping set a new standard for the program not just for this season, but for the girls who come after us.” Cordova, similar to Allison, also holds a strong leadership role on the team. Cordova elaborates, “As a captain, I think one of my biggest responsibilities is leading by example and helping hold myself and my teammates accountable.” Team sports are those that if the team is player-led rather than coach-led, it will more than likely be a more successful program. Regarding this upcoming year, this season is looking to be their breakout season. “I’m really excited for this season. Seeing all the positives from preseason has made me even more excited for what we can do,” states Allison. “We’ve also had moments where things haven’t gone

Courtesy of Avery M. Gonzalez Growing as a player and a unit, Women’s Soccer is ready to take the next step. perfectly, but we’re learning from play creeping up on Sept. 23 “This team has a lot of grit, at those moments and using them to against Occidental. Building a the end of the day they fight and grow before our next games.” new team culture and program give everything they have until the This team is proving early on is a difficult task, but Coach very end,” Borownski emphasizes. that they are capable of achieving Borowinski is facing it headfirst, “The number one thing that I success both on and off the field ready to do big things for the have recognized with this team is with their second game of SCIAC College. that they really do love each other.”

Men’s Soccer: Turning Ties into the Win Column Jayden Borgna SPORTS EDITOR

Men’s Soccer heads into the 20262027 season with a record of 2-04 (two win, zero losses, four ties). Head coached by Poet alumn, Shea Harwell, has had quite the history with the College’s soccer program. Harwell played soccer at Whittier during his collegiate run, and took over the coaching position in 2010­—his senior year. Since then, he has not left the College and has stayed apart of the program for the last 16 years. “We want the ties to be wins, but I am happy with the performances we have so far,” says Harwell, “We are making simple errors at this time, which are most likely not going to be repeated in upcoming games,” Coach Harwell says. Last season, the team started off very strong, and ended the season with ten wins. However, with SCIAC being such a small margin, the Poets lost their last two games and didn’t qualify for the playoffs. It was really unfortunate to start so strong only to plateau towards the end. Fourth-year win player, Nils Degardin, has one of the strongest leadership positions for the team, a captain role. Degardin has been here all four years, so it has been

them prepare for games. Harwell advocated for how important a part discipline and mental strength play in their strategy this year. Additionally, adding a bigger roster of 43 players, which is much higher than the average 30 player roster allows there to be both a first-team and a second-team. Adding a second-team makes the environment so much more competitive and game-like for all of the players. The Poets took on their first SCIAC conference game and win on Wednesday, Sept. 16, against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges with a 1-0 win. Degardin has high hopes for the upcoming season despite the slower start to season than last year. Dedgardin says, “We have a talented team that can compete with anyone in the conference, but we need to turn close games into wins [...] Our main goal is to finish 1st and reach the conference playoffs, but, I believe we are also capable of competing for the SCIAC championship.” After the long fought battle last season, both Coach Harwell and Captain Degardin are both looking to both start and finish the season strong. With new strategies and gameplans, the outlook for the upcoming season looks promising. Will the Poets push through the Courtesy of Tony Leon / Action West Photography trials and tribulations of collegiate soccers to come out with the wins? Men’s Soccer are looking to turn those ties into wins, and getting passed any mental barriers. a different and unique experience for him. Going into his final year, he wants to end the season strong after last year’s unsatisfactory ending. “It was a very bitter way to end the season after starting so well. I am proud of what we accomplished for most of the season, but I also think that we missed a huge opportunity,” Degardin says.

“That was difficult for us, but that disappointment has also given us motivation to finish stronger this season.” Harwell thinks that last season was mainly a mental downfall, but there were also physical problems. Still, Harwell believes that they let their mindset get the best of them near the end. Harwell elaborates, “It was

100 percent mental. Everyone was struggling physically near the end [...] but when we hit a bump in the road, it knocked us down and made us scared. That psychological space we were in really hurt in the end when it counted.” Coming into this season, the coaching staff has put an emphasis on statistics, implementing a new video analysis system to help

11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The QC Staff

The Loss of a True Doll(y) Parton

Suggests:

Bhoomi Kapadia PHOTOGRAPHER

Emma Galvan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Want to know what our Editor-In-Chief recommends this week? Read on! Coffee Shop In my opinion, Bark Coffee is one of the best, if not THE best coffee shop I've been at. They make the best chai latte! Definitely get their chocolate croissant, it is perfectly warmed and comforting.

Courtesy of Doordash

Hobby I am usually bored during the summer so I started picking up journaling. It has been pretty fun jotting down my thoughts from the day and consistently making nokes for future me. It's also made me try and fix my horrible handwriting ha ha.

Courtesy of Kimberly Us

Movie Little Women (2019) is just a bundle of comfort but also emotions. It's a film I can watch over and over again. I especially love the historical outfits, you rarely see them done right in films.

The industry, her friends, her family, her fans, her coworkers, and the world all loved Dolly Parton. Parton was such a significant figure in people’s everyday lives through her music and activism. Despite her death at 80 from an undeclared form of cancer, she was a strong and empowering woman whom this century needs, but sadly can’t have anymore. Born on Jan. 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton grew up poor. Her father was earlier a sharecropper and later became a construction worker, so she didn’t get to experience a wealthy life, so she made one. Parton's love for music began at a young age when she started participating in her grandfather's church, the Church of God, where she performed. In her interview with New Humanist magazine, Parton said, “We all need something to believe in, whether you believe in God or not, whether you call it Mother Nature or Father Time or a higher wisdom. You need to believe in yourself, and you need to believe there’s a force that can push you and lead you on.” Parton tends not to be a “religious person,” but with her background, she identifies herself as a “person of faith.” At eight years old, Parton started playing guitar, and her music career began then. It started with singing in local radio and television programs and grew into her becoming a famous singer, actress, and activist. In Dolly Parton’s 80 years of life, she made major changes to

Dog Breed: Rottweilers my beloved! I own an adorable Rottweiler named Beaya and she has made my life so much happier, but also more chaotic. They are big babies, so energetic, and they are just so so cute. Be warned though, they will give you the biggest stink eye for wanting cuddles, but that's just their love language.

Courtesy of Dogstar

the dropout rate of children by providing children with $500 when they graduated from high school. This tactic helped the dropout rate go from 35 percent to only six percent. Later, the Imagination Library was established in 1995, which has gifted more than 300 million books to children globally. Parton grew up in a religious environment in East Tennessee,

Courtesy of Rolling Stone Memorials and tributes have been established all across Tenessee and the U.S.

the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and two songs that reached #1. During COVID-19, Parton donated more than $1 million to Vanderbilt University to help support research centers that developed Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Through her philanthropic endeavors, she donated millions to various organizations and hospitals, providing aid to communities that were affected by natural disasters. Parton was truly an icon for donating to help others. The Dollywood Foundation started in 1988 to help students stay in school and achieve educational success. They decreased

which explains why many of her songs have Christian themes. Parton's music blends country, bluegrass, and storytelling all t o g e t h e r, r e s o n a t i n g a c r o s s generations. It makes people relate to her through themes of resilience, love, and hope. Her most famous albums were Coat of Many Colors, 9 to 5, and Old Jobs. The first album is about her impoverished childhood and country storytelling, which many people liked because it is deeply touching and personal, as it uncovers the theme of family, love, and self-worth. The second album is about the lives of the working class, in which

Parton expresses the stereotypes, sexism, and low pay of the time. Through these albums and many more, Parton has connected with and touched people’s hearts worldwide, representing them and showing their struggles to the world. Aside from producing music and songwriting, Parton advocated childhood literacy, LGBTQIA+ acceptance, women’s rights, and universal healthcare. Parton, having grown up in poverty and impoverishment, understood the str uggles of being did not want any child to experience that. She founded the Imagination Library, which gives free books to children encouraging them to stay educated. CBC quotes Parton saying, “I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are, and to love who they love. I don't think we should be judgmental,” indicating that Parton does not judge anyone based on their identity and sexuality. T h r o u g h s o n g s , Pa r t o n discussed the unequal wage gap between men and women, teen pregnancy, double standards, and reproductive justice, which brought up the topic of strengthening feminism. Through her donations, Pa r t o n s a ve d m i l l i o n s o f lives during COVID-19. In recognition of her compassion and contributions to public health, she was awarded the APHA Presidential Citation in 2023. Dolly Parton was an angel, a star, and a great philanthropist, whos work and personality will forever be remembered. Rest in peace, Dolly Parton. You will forever be missed.

Coyote Catches Roadrunner's... Heart Sam Cuellar STAFF WRITER *This article contains spoilers for the film*

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

the music, health, and education industries; she was more than just a singer. With her beautiful voice, Parton recorded her single “Puppy Love,” which got her to the Grand Ole Opry, where she met the famous Johnny Cash. Cash knew Parton was going to be famous one day, and he was not wrong: 113 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 23 songs on

Sept. 17, 2026

The infamous world of the Looney Tunes universe has always been a vast and expansive property of Warner Bros. but two characters that have always caught the attention of audiences worldwide have been Wile. E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Both characters started as a parody of Tom and Jerry and other character duos who often engage in episodic chase scenes, but succeeded as their own personalities. The dynamic duo first appeared in the animated short Fast and Furry-ous in 1949, whose legacy still lives strong with the recent release of Coyote VS. ACME. This movie however, created lots of controversy when the project got shelved in late 2023 as a $30 million tax write-off for Warner Bros. which was then received with backlash from fans. The decision was reversed soon after the initial announcement and Warner Bros. had let animation studios buy the rights to the film for an estimate of $75-80 million, until Ketchup

Entertainment bought it for $50 million and had it play in theatres on Aug. 26. In spite of the film’s winding journey towards the silver screen, Wile E. Coyote tackles fictional corporation ACME head-on in the animated film due to the numerous incidents of ACME’s products failing on him. The film follows him and his two main representative lawyers, Paige Avery, who is played by Lana Condor, and her uncle Kevin Avery, who is played by Will Forte, as they pull together a case with duct tape and glue to try and bring justice to Coyote. Paige and Kevin contrast one another with Paige’s natural tendency to find the silver lining in more unfortunate situations, while Kevin is much more pessimistic about the success of the law firm. He tries to convince Paige that they should stick to their routine of getting clients a cheap settlement from ACME. But when Coyote’s case is presented, Paige believes that they can go head-to-head with ACME and their reckless treatment of cartoons. Between the various moments of slapstick that typically involve Coyote, the despicable actions of ACME with their treatment of cartoons in the Sisyphus Project,

and the heartfelt moments of connection from man to toon, the movie delivers a powerful message that highlights the need for a community built upon people willing to swing for the skies even if they don’t hit a homerun. Despite how one normally imagines the underdog winning in a sort of feel-good sense, Coyote loses his trial to ACME after a disheartening speech, but still getting the last laugh by redirecting his trap to the CEO of ACME Foghorn Leghorn and his lawyer Buddy Crane, played by Eric Bauza and John Cena. Later, many cartoons come to Kevin and Paige after witnessing Coyote’s

case, the film reveals Bugs Bunny’s leaked footage of Project Sisyphus, ACME’s sinister project that benefited from the exploitation of cartoons. Overall, the film speaks for the many independent films in the current movie industry, In less than a year there have been amazing stories put out for the world to see by more compact teams with smaller budgets, hopefully we will see these kinds of wonderful films continuing to thrive especially after the love letter that Coyote VS. ACME was to its techniques in utilizing both 3D and 2D animation. Be sure to see it if you haven't already!

Courtesy of New York Times Coyote VS. ACME gained $5.2 million on its domestic opening day.

Sept. 17, 2026

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

12

Reprise, Revival , Reproduce, and Replicate Tralee Jacobs OPINIONS EDITOR It has been the era of sequels for a while now; ironically, it's nothing new. Newspaper articles dating back as far as the 1960s have covered the same topic: Hollywood is losing its soul to remakes. Something new (or, more accurately, recycled) is always getting announced. And when someone's favorite movie is getting an adaptation or sequel, the conversation gets stirred up again. So what’s there to look for ward—and backwards—to now? At the D23 Expo on Aug. 14–16, Disney dropped a massive slate of project announcements. Among the heavy hitters were Ice Age: Boiling Point, Tangled (Live Action), The New Simpsons Movie, Coco 2, Lilo & Stitch 2, Romy and Michele 2, Frozen 3, The Incredibles 3, The Princess Diaries 3, and Zootopia 3. And that isn’t even the full list. Of the 16 feature-length movies that were announced, only four were original movies: Ghost Market, Gatto, Hexed, and Clay. The plots overall seem imaginative and, well, original. Ghost Market is a tale about a young boy in Hawaii who

stumbles across the crossroads of the dead; Gatto is a black cat in Venice, Italy at a crossroads in his life; Hexed is about a young Billie Doe escaping into a world of magic, and Clay which follows a bad mentor looking after a baby clay. When examining these films, they feel deeply whimsical and built for escapism. Meanwhile, plenty of other studios are building their own empires away from the House of the Mouse. We're currently staring down the pipeline for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, The Batman Part II, Dune: Part Three, The Angry Birds Movie 3, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and Shrek 5. We don't even have to look to the future to see the trend; it's dominating right now. The box office this year has been absolutely massive. Audiences have packed theaters for sequels l i k e To m Ho l l a n d ' s re c o rd breaking Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Pixar's billion-dollar success Toy Story 5, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and Illumination's Minions & Monsters. These numbers are “scarily” close to hitting double digits, with Scary Movie 6 and Scream 7 earlier this year. Why is this happening? Even in advertisements for major streaming companies, they are pushing early 2000s nostalgia. In a

real world where global violence, economic anxiety, and bad news feel entirely inescapable, it’s no wonder we want to shrink back into the warm, starry-eyed comfort of our childhoods. Even the original movies that are coming out are about escaping into another world, or further proving the horrors of this one. Look at the original films that have captured our attention this year: The viral, claustrophobic Backrooms uses its liminal space as an allegory for modern dissociation, showing the mental loops we lock ourselves into when we refuse to face reality. The breakout horror hit Obsession takes our very modern anxieties about things like AI relationship dynamics and packages it into a literal s u p e r n a t u r a l n i g h t m a re . It mirrors the uncanny valley of artificial intimacy—where getting exactly what you "wished" for turns out to be a terrifying trap. And the anxiety doesn’t stop with original scripts. Look at how our big-budget, non-franchise adaptations are reflecting our current lives right back at us. Take Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of Project Hail Mary, which takes very real anxieties about global climate

Courtesy of Davis Theater The sequel made $32.5 million on its first day in theaters alone. extinction and resolves them by, well…leaving. Even Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, an adaptation of one of the most classic texts in human history, ends up reflecting our modern life perfectly. It turns an ancient myth into a massive survival story about someone desperately trying to find a home after everything they knew was destroyed by war. This, and all the other films

mentioned, are all processing the same truth: we are desperate to find out who we are when the world we built starts to give way. Maybe multiple things can be true: Cinema can be stuck in a repetitive loop, and we can still be happy to see our old friends on screen again. But remember, for every cinephile lamenting over the excess of sequels in Hollywood, someone's mother is raving about Romy and Michele 2.

A Horrifying Horror Nights At Universal Studios Ernesto Hernandez STAFF WRITER Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is one of the many annual Halloween traditions that SoCal in favor horror fans. Universal Studios in particular, is often known for their IP houses that they put together each year. As for this Halloween Horror Nights, we got the pleasure of being able to welcome in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and Damien Leone’s Terrifier for the 2026’s lineup. If one were to compare today's current Halloween Horror Nights to past Horror Nights, the popularity has grown immensely seeing as the nightly crowds have gotten much bigger than ever before. Thus, if you are planning to go and deciding whether or not to get the early entry add on, do it. It guarantees to do more of the houses that they have available early on as well as beat the crowds 1.5 hours before the event initiates. The houses this year were aesthetically on point and honestly did not disappoint at all. A new feature that they added to the houses, that enhanced sensory stimulation, was the scents throughout the houses. We got the scent of cotton candy and butter for Killer Klowns, burnt butter for Evil Dead Rise and the smell of carnation flowers

Courtesy of Discover Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2026 will be held from Aug. 28 to Nov. 1, buy your ticket today! inside of Killceñera. The houses available for early entry include Evil Dead Rise and Hellraiser which could be found in the upper lot behind Harry Potter World, as well as Killer Klowns and Stranger Things 5 that could be found in the lower lot behind the Transformers Ride. Out of the entire line up, I would say that the most memorable and nostalgic house this year would have to be Hellraiser as it has been a

crowd pleaser to fans of the throughout the park. For fans franchise. In regards to original of the Terrifier franchise, be idea houses the one that had sure to try out Art the Clown’s the most scares would have to cold brew that they serve with be Dead, Deader, Deadest. That a small dark chocolate hat on maze has so many unexpected top of the white chocolate cold scares throughout the house foam or the pull apart blood a n d e s p e c i a l l y t o w a r d s t h e c ov e re d i n t e s t i n e d o u g h n u t end, it had the vast majority of that is shaped to represent a atendees running out the house. pair of intestines! Not a blood A l t h o u g h t h i s e v e n t i s and gore person? Try the Hello known for its haunted houses, K i t t y s t r a w b e r r y c h e e s e c a k e i t a l s o o f f e r s i n d i v i d u a l s sundae that is topped off with the opportunity to try out her iconic stitched bow that is different horror-themed food made to represent the just as

iconic Chucky doll. There are a lot of iconic characters that roam around the park at night, one being Nikki from Curry Barker’s Obsession. You can catch her roaming around the entire park dressed as her iconic face smashing scene in the same blood covered attire as seen in the film. Keep an eye out on HHN’s Instagram (@ horrornights) as they release a special code word that you could tell Nikki for a themed “One Wish Willow” card for fans to keep as memorabilia. Not only will you encounter Nikki, but also the majority of "skins" from the game Fortnite as it is the first scare zone you encounter upon entering the park. Each Fortnite scare actor is "spooky" themed skin. Many people have mixed emotions regarding bringing these characters into the park, regardless theyre here to stay this season. Fo u n d d e e p w i t h i n t h e Fornitemares scare zone, you can catch a glimpse of Art the Clown making an appearence playfully roaming around with his trash bag full of goodies with weapons, if you're lucky he might even give you a HAND for you to hold. If you plan on attending the event this year, I advise you plan accordingly early in the day to beat the October crowds. Grab some friends, go in a group or with your significant other, and scream the night away!