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The Etownian
www.etownian.com
Vol. 113. Issue 3
Thursday, september 22, 2016
Lancaster political forum features senior, staff members Vandals write
Photo courtesy of LNP
Senior Katelyn Gebbia, HACC student George Brown and Stevens student Samantha Nocheck were among the panelists at a political correctness forum Tuesday.
by Stephanie Miller Staff Writer
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ancaster Newspapers (LNP) invited Elizabethtown College to participate in a panel discussion about free speech and political correctness on college campuses. The forum took place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at the Ware Center at Millersville University. Millersville cosponsored the event and more than 120 people attended. Senior Katelyn Gebbia, Equity and Title IX Coordinator Dr. Armenta Early Hinton and Director of Diversity and
Inclusion Dr. Monica Smith represented Etown on the panel. Other panelists were from Millersville, Franklin and Marshall College, Stevens Institute of Technology, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster Bible College (LBC) and Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC). Including Gebbia, Smith and Hinton, over a dozen panelists spoke at the forum. Because there were so many participants, half of the panelists answered questions from the stage for the first 45 minutes of the discussion and the other half took the stage for the second 45 minutes. The panelists who were not on the stage at any given time were free to contribute from
the front row of seats. According to LNP Opinion Editor Suzanne Cassidy, the forum was higher education reporter Tim Stuhldreher’s idea. “We’ve been reading so much about the concerns of students, faculty and administrators over free speech and diversity on campus, and we wanted to explore how those concerns were playing out on local campuses,” Cassidy said in an email interview. Cassidy and LNP Deputy Opinion Editor Rich Manieri moderated the discussion. “Everyone knows you can’t say certain words, but what we need to talk about more is why we can’t,” Gebbia said before the panel. “But how do we do that if we can’t talk about certain things? We need to create spaces where we allow students to talk freely.” Gebbia said she thinks Etown is doing a good job of focusing on diversity. She was one of the students who worked to create the diversity-themed Mosaic House, which officially opens in October. The house is located just off campus and will host diversity-themed events while being open to students of all backgrounds. Gebbia used part of her time on the panel to advocate for spaces such as the Mosaic House. Gebbia hoped the panel would be like the Mosaic House by being a place where everyone was welcome to speak their minds. “There’s nothing more boring than going to see a speaker or panel where no one asks questions,” Gebbia said. “With a panel, the whole point is the questions. SEE FORUM PAGE 2
Sociology majors among few to attend national Honors Program in Seattle
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by Katie Weiler Staff Writer
his past summer Elizabethtown s e n i or s o c i ol o g y m aj ors Ire ne Snyder and Philip Ebersole attended the Honors Program of the American Sociological Association (ASA) in Seattle, Washington. Only 35 sociology students internationally have the opportunity to attend the ASA Honors Program, which is held in tandem with the ASA annual meeting. At t his annua l me et ing, var ious researchers presented their work to the organization. The ASA is an academically acclaimed organization and has credibility in a number of articles. Researchers from all over the world attend these events and spread their extensive research for the betterment of sociology studies. In addition to both the ASA Honors Program and the ASA Annual Meeting, the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociolog y Honor Society had their strategic planning meeting in the same week. Meeting the week before classes started at Etown, the academic conference gave the students a broader vision on what a career in the sociology field would be like. They met with sociology scholars and gained insight on what roads to take after their undergraduate schooling is completed. The students are among only a handful of Etown students who have ever had the opportunity to be accepted into the Honors Program. By applying to the program they had to compete against students in many larger research institutions. One of the first ever students from Etown to be included in the Honors Program, Barbara Prince stated, “It was a huge deal for Elizabethtown College to be represented among these other schools. The ASA Honors Program was transformative in terms of networking, professional development and academic trajectory so far.” Prince also attended the
Photo courtesy of Irene Snyder
Seniors Irene Snyder and Phil Ebersole met Dr. Earl Babbie at the ASA Honors Program.
conference this year and is now a doctoral candidate in sociology at Bowling Green State University. The members of the program all wear identifying ribbons around their necks to show they are part of the program. This way, many esteemed sociologists at the convention introduce themselves to them and congratulate them on all of their achievements. The achievements that led Snyder and Ebersole to the Honors program all started here at Etown when they participated in a community-based research project with their class. The students’ partnered with Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the International Sociology Society, by conducting a questionnaire on last year’s strategic planning meeting and the thoughts of its members. Having this research under their belts and working alongside AKD aided in their resumes for the program, but in addition to a solid resume, they needed a faculty recommendation and overall impressive reports including GPAs and personal essays. Prince had also attended the program
with Associate Professor of Sociology Michele Lee Kozimor-King, who at the time was regional representative of AKD. The contacts that Prince made during her time in the Honors Program have stayed in touch with her, eventually allowing her to become the Graduate Student Representative for AKD today. KozimorKing has since served as the presidentelect of the entire AKD society for two years and was officially inducted into the role of President this year during the ASA program in Seattle. Overall, Ebersole noticed the conference was very welcoming, and he was able to discuss his own research as well as the work of the scholars’ around him. “I learned that it is possible to be both scholarly and a political activist. This will help me to better deal with the negative political bureaucracy that is intertwined with higher education. It will also help me to challenge myself on a higher playing field,” Ebersole said, regarding the major influences that the program had on him. SEE ASA PAGE 2
racial, gender slurs in dorm
by Megan Kane and Stephanie Miller Asst. News Editor and Staff Writer
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ias-related vandalism was found in Schlosser Hall this past weekend. The events occurred in the middle of the night Saturday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 18 on the second and third floors. Racial slurs, a gendered insult and inappropriate drawings were found on white boards. Door decorations and bulletin boards were ripped down. Residents heard people running through hallways, knocking on doors and trying to turn doorknobs. There was a f lo or meeting in t he Schlosser lobby to discuss the incident Monday, Sept. 19. Even though it was not mandatory, the meeting was well-attended, showing that the Schlosser residents cared about what happened and wanted to help the community move forward. Area Coordinator Cody Miller and Interim Coordinator of Multicultural Programs and Residential Communities Stephanie Collins provided details about what happened over the weekend and encouraged students to seek support if needed. Associate Dean of Students, Residence Life Director and Title IX Deputy Coordinator Allison Bridgeman was also at the meeting to talk to students about what happened and answer individual questions. “Our hope and goal is to make sure the community is safe,” Miller said. In order to prevent any further incidents from occurring, the RA’s and student patrol officers will continue to do regular rounds throughout the residence halls. Campus Security is closely monitoring the situation and is also willing to do building rounds. According to Miller, these three levels of security are in place so that the Schlosser community feels safe. Campus Security is actively investigating the incident. If the responsible party is caught, security personnel would first try to get as much information as possible. Security would then give the information to the Office of Rights and Responsibilities. This office would work with the students to determine appropriate sanc tions. According to Miller, every bias-related event is taken seriously. “Regardless of intent, the impact may be significant,” Miller said. Whenever an event such as this occurs, Miller believes that there are two crucial steps the college community must take. First, information must be given to Campus Security as soon as possible so that they can conduct a thorough investigation. There are several ways that students can report information they have about the event. Students can reach out to their RA’s or contact Miller, Collins or Campus Security. Students who wish to remain anonymous can report information through the EC Hotline by calling (855)-696-1899. The second step is to come together as a campus community. Students who feel threatened by the events or who want to talk about what happened can contact the counselor on call or visit Counseling Services in Suite 216 of the BSC. “I recognize this incident may not directly affect you, but the impact can be significant for students who feel they are part of a targeted group,” Miller told the students at the floor meeting. Collins believes that many incidents like this one stem from fear and a lack of understanding. Her office works to implement new programs to promote inclusion and bring the campus community together. Already this year, the new diversitythemed Mosaic House is preparing to open and provide educational events for students from all backgrounds to gather. SEE VANDALISM PAGE 2