Issue 13

FEATURES Black History Month | PAGE 5 CAMPUS LIFE Internet policy change | PAGE 9

The Etownian

www.etownian.com

Vol. 116. Issue 13

Thursday, February 13, 2020

McCormick speaks Admissions updates: Accepted Student Day to Student Senate This three-part series will focus on the efforts of Elizabethtown College to increase enrollment at the College.

The first part of this series will provide a look at changes to Accepted Student Day and recruiting efforts from the Office of Admissions. The second part will explain the process of implementing new academic programs, and the third part will look at the partnerships between Etown and other institutions.

If there are any questions or concerns about the series, please email editor@ etown.edu.

by Meghan Kenney Staff Writer newseditor@etown.edu

Photo: Matt Smith | Staff Writer

McCormick discussed updates to housing and academic programs.

by Elizabeth Gipe Copy Chief newseditor@etown.edu

E

lizabethtown College President Cecilia McCormick addressed Student Senate for its Thursday, Feb. 6 meeting, focusing on updates from the recent Board of Trustees meeting, which was closed to Student Senate and the Etownian attendance.

“I wanted to make sure I’d be here for the Board recaps,” McCormick said at the beginning of her address.

She said she began the Board of Trustees meeting by telling the trustees about interesting things students have been doing.

In the recap, McCormick said that Etown was in the midst of getting accreditation for its new physician’s assistant program. She also spoke of different programs to be funded, such as additional money being allocated to the Stamps Scholar program, funding for a new engineering internship position and funding for improvements to the High Library.

McCormick gave a brief enrollment update, saying that the College is tracking ahead of the numbers they had at this point of the year in 2019. Related to that, she spoke with senators about Accepted Student Day, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 15, knowing that many of the senators would be involved in some manner.

Since spring break is around the corner, McCormick said that she has to travel across the country to states such as California and Texas to visit alumni and fundraise for the College, though she said she hopes that in future years she can change her schedule so she can experience spring break with the students instead of being out of state.

McCormick also told the senators about residential renewal. She says that Etown hopes that there will be “piecemeal” improvements to the Schreiber Quadrangle over time at a gradual pace. Brinser Residence Hall will get “a facelift and more” over the summer, with McCormick saying it will be “Myer-ized" in that it will undergo renovations much like Myer Residence Hall did over the summer of 2018. Royer Residence Hall will be taken offline for fall 2020 due to the many issues that have been reported there as the College examines everything that needs rehabilitating, or if the building needs to be demolished.

“I don’t want this to become the next Zimmer Project,” McCormick said about waiting before announcing more information about residential renewal.

SEE MCCORMICK PAGE 2

S

ince the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, Elizabethtown College’s Office of Admissions has seen many changes, from a new Vice President to a change in the leadership for tour guides.

There have also been changes made to Accepted Student Day, which will be applied for the first time Saturday, Feb. 15.

Vice President for Enrol lment Management John Champoli sat down with the Etownian to talk about the changes to Accepted Student Day, admissions, the yield campaign for the upcoming school year and more.

The changes to Accepted Student Day came because the administration decided that the event was too similar to Open House events. The biggest change coming to Accepted Student Day is that it will now begin in the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being instead of the

The

C h a n ge s t o A c c e p t e d S t u d e n t D ay a i m t o h e l p p ro s p e c t i ve students meet faculty and students while viewing the campus.

Leffler Chapel and Performance Center.

The President’s Breakfast will also now be open for all accepted students, not just those with the Presidential Scholarship.

There are blue jay footprints leading into the Bowers Center for Accepted Student Day, where the Fresh Nest will be giving out smoothies to attendees.

The overall goal of Accepted Student Day is not just to help these students get acquainted with Etown’s campus but also with the faculty and students.

One of the most important parts of early February is the beginning of yield season. This means that Etown (as well as all other schools) is trying to connect and stand out to accepted students so

Marketplace

by Samantha Seely News Editor newseditor@etown.edu

S

Photo courtesy of Elizabethtown College Flickr

tudents heading to the Marketplace for lunch Tuesday, Feb. 4 may have been surprised to find that the trays in the Marketplace were missing.

Dining Services removed the Marketplace trays, introducing “Trayless Tuesday” as a possible way to reduce food waste at Elizabethtown College. The plan was to test whether removing the trays would decrease food waste by making students more aware of the amount of food they were grabbing and to prevent students from filling up the tray with food for which they were not actually hungry. If the amount of food waste decreased during the hours the trays were removed, then the trays could be identified as a major cause of food waste.

“I think a lot of students have issues with trying to load too much stuff on their plates, and people will have three different plates on the same tray,” sophomore Grace Fernandez said. “When we have just two

hands and can only carry one or two plates, it will help students know how much food they’re having.”

There were mixed reactions to the plan. Many students expressed frustration at having to balance silverware, plates, cups and bowls or else make multiple trips between their table and the food lines. Another concern students had about Trayless Tuesday was that the tables in the Marketplace were messier without the trays to catch spills.

“I recognize the problem of food waste, and I think if you look at the Marketplace on a normal day, people do get a lot of food and then not eat it, so I see the impetus for it, but I felt it was a little inconvenient,” senior Michael Snyder said. “I saw people with bowls on their arms and stuff trying to carry them.

It’s a little inconvenient, but if it’s once a week and only a few hours long and is for a good cause I support it.”

However, despite the frustration and inconveniences caused, students recognized that the issue of food waste is an important one for the College to

that they choose Etown. Many of these accepted students have been accepted into multiple schools, and they are trying to make a decision.

Etown is trying to get two percent more students than last year. Last year’s first-year class was 370 students, so the goal this year is 400. As of Monday, Feb. 3, Etown already had 79 deposits, as compared to 68 last year and 60s for a few years before that. Champoli said this is great news and puts Etown on a good track.

The registration goal for Accepted SEE ADMISSIONS PAGE 3

goes

work on improving.

“I think this is a really good idea that takes steps towards becoming more sustainable, which is really great,” junior Rebecca Li said.

“I think it’s a good idea. It saves water,” junior Christian Morley said. “I don’t think it’s something they should do every

trayless day of the week, but maybe on the weekends.”

Although Dining Services originally planned to repeat Trayless Tuesday, Feb. 11, with possible further trials to gather more data, the lack of positive student responses led to the decision to delay the second Trayless Tuesday.

Photo: Ally Boniker | Staff Photographer

Although removing trays may reduce food waste, it can make getting and carrying food a hassle.

News

page 2

February 13, 2020

Today's Technology This weekly column will feature the latest topics and trends constantly emerging in a rapidlygrowing technical world.

Each week we will focus on a specific technological subject, with topics covering a wide range of high-tech issues and the latest professional gadgets.

If there are any topics or products that you would like to see covered in this column, please email editor@ etown.edu.

T

he Internet is a wonderful tool to access all kinds of information.

Many use it to access some of their most sensitive information, from messaging and emailing to full control over their bank account. The Internet, however, consists of many interconnected computers, meaning it is possible for a computer besides the intended recipient to receive a message. This is why encryption is so

important.

When sending an encrypted message, the transmitting computer combines the easily readable original message with a key that only it knows, turning it into a random-looking message. An unencrypted message is referred to as plaintext, while the encrypted message is referred to as a cipher. This cipher is then sent to the receiver, which can only decrypt the message back into plaintext if it knows which key is used.

In addition to being important for transferring data, encryption is important for saving local information so that only the intended user of the data can access it. This is how a website keeps its users’ passwords and other sensitive information secure. Unfortunately, not all websites do this. In a March 2019 article, MakeUseOf estimated that about 30 percent of websites store passwords in unencrypted plaintext.

Fighting for encryption has

by Niklas Byriel Staff Writer newseditor@etown.edu put many companies at odds with various global governments. In January of 2020, the FBI asked Apple to unlock a pair of encrypted phones belonging to a high-profile criminal, but, due to the nature of encryption, neither Apple nor the FBI could access the phone’s stored data without the user's passcodes.

Several of these governments have asked producers of encrypted

devices, such as Apple, and encrypted messengers, such as WhatsApp, to add “backdoors” into the encrypted data. These backdoors would allow the producers to access encrypted data using a key only they would have access to. These governments cite that they require access to this encrypted data in order to learn more about criminals after their phones have been seized. However, companies are hesitant to comply, since adding a backdoor could be a worrying precedent for the security and privacy of their users. Adding a new way for legitimate parties to access encrypted information also adds a new potentially exploitable way for nefarious parties to access the data.

If some modern encryption is so strong that even the FBI can’t break it, why are accounts still hacked? A security system is only as strong as the weakest part of it, and while the encryption is extremely strong, the weak link is often users’

Valentine's Day, diversity and equality

by Ashlee Reick Staff Writer newseditor@etown.edu

I

n light of Valentine’s Day, it is important to understand the relationship between love and diversity. The United States of America has addressed the issue of diversity in two Supreme Court cases on marriage.

In Loving v. Virginia (1967) the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Virginia’s anti-miscegenation law violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and subsequently legalized interracial marriage in the United States. Prior to Loving v. Virginia, 16 states still banned interracial marriage. Mildred and Richard Loving spearheaded the case as the plaintiffs and ultimately won.

In 2015, forty-eight years after the decision of Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court then heard the case of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). In a 5-4 decision for Obergefell, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that under the 14th Amendment, states are required to license same-sex marriage

and legally recognize a same-sex marriage if it was licensed and performed in another state.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Prior to the 2015 Supreme Court ruling, same-sex marriage and/or civil unions were only legal in 37 states.

In 2019, the Equality Act was introduced in Congress by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI).

The bill was then passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 236 to 173. Since then, the Equality Act has been referred to the U.S. Senate. Ultimately, the Equality Act would prohibit discrimination based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or other identities.

As such, the Equality Act could address the issue of discrimination based on samesex marriage among other issues on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. While U.S. Supreme Court cases Loving v. Virginia and Obergefell v. Hodges have progressed their respective movements, the Equality Act showcases that the fight for equality goes beyond marriage equality.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, another issue on

diversity and love has risen in prominance: disability marriage inequality. While not all people living with a disability are impacted, those who rely on welfare programs are actively affected by marriage inequality. Programs such as the Disabled Adult Children program are discontinued for those who are married, as the government assumes that their partner will be providing for the disabled individual.

Additionally, marriage often increases income, which means that some disabled people would no longer qualify for necessary welfare programs if their income rises above the poverty line after getting married. As such, some disabled individuals have chosen not to marry in order to keep their welfare programs intact as they and their partner could not afford the costs associated with their disability without the welfare programs.

Valentine’s Day is a day of love; however, some individuals do not have the freedom to express their love freely. Across the world, same-sex marriage is only legal in 28 countries.

Additionally, some individuals continue to face discrimination for who they love, which makes the Equality Act significant in today’s society.

passwords. There are currently two types of attacks most likely to break passwords: brute force and dictionary.

A brute force attack tries to use every possible combination of characters to guess a user’s password.

This is extremely fast for short passwords, but as the password lengthens, the time needed to test every combination grows longer as well. In February of 2019, tomsguide. com reported that a standard-length password of eight characters could be cracked by a brute force attack within a couple of hours and recommended that any new passwords be at least twelve characters long.

The other major type of attack is a dictionary attack, where a computer tries to use a dictionary of words or common passwords with slight variations to them. Passwords that include common words, even long words, are extremely susceptible to this kind of attack.

MCCORMICK PAGE 1

McCormick talks about programs McCormick also spoke of new programs that the College is looking to add, such as exercise science, sports marketing and public health.

She also said that the Board is not entertaining a student activity fee at this time.

In the question and answer section following McCormick’s address, most questions were asking for clarification about residential renewal. One question concerned the eSports team, which currently meets in Royer’s basement and will need accommodations if Royer is taken offline.

Another question was about how the College decides how to add and remove programs, which McCormick said the process considers many factors that make a certain program viable for Etown to sustain.

She did promise, however, that students in any cut programs will be able to finish their education at the College.

Pennsylvania Politics This monthly column will focus on a variety of issues of importance in the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

We hope this column will demonstrate the importance of civic engagement and encourage readers to be informed and involved in government at the state and local levels.

If there are any topics or concepts that you would like to see covered in this column, please email editor@etown.edu.

T

uesday, Feb. 4, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (D) addressed the General Assembly, proposing his 2020-2021 budget for the commonwealth. The proposal, totaling $36.1 billion in spending with a focus on education and workforce revitalization, was met with mixed reviews by the Republican-controlled state house.

The governor’s recommendation is a 4 percent, or $2 billion, increase from last year’s budget but does not raise the

commonwealth’s sales or income tax rate; therefore, the proposal relies on the continued economic growth that Pennsylvania has seen over the past year. The governor also balanced his budget by endorsing a spending cut for the state prison system justified by declining inmate populations across the commonwealth.

A major winner in the proposed budget is the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Wolf's proposal provides $204 million in potential scholarships for low- and moderate-income students seeking to attend one of Pennsylvania’s statesponsored universities. Funding for the scholarships would come from the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund. The Race Horse Development Fund uses proceeds from slot machines to offset the losses in horse racing purses due to other forms of gambling.

“Let’s bet on our kids instead of bankrolling race horse owners and ensure the viability of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education,"

by Matthew Smith Staff Writer newseditor@etown.edu Wolf said in defense of this transfer. The proposal has been met with opposition by the Pennsylvania Equine Coalition.

Pete Peterson, executive director of the coalition, said the governor’s initiative “would result in the end of horse racing in Pennsylvania by eviscerating the primary funding source for the purses and breeder incentives that serve as the

lifeblood of the industry.”

Wolf also included $1 billion to remove any remaining lead and asbestos in Pennsylvania’s aging public schools.

"Let's make sure that every parent who sends their kid off on the bus this September can spend less time worrying about mold, lead and asbestos, and more time looking forward to finding out what their kids have learned when they get home,” Wolf said. Other aspects of education spending include an increase in funding for free all-day kindergarten and $435 million in aid to state public schools, including an increase in teacher pay.

Wolf has also included billions to develop Pennsylvania’s workforce. The cornerstone of this plan is a proposal to increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $12/hour by July 1. The governor has been an advocate for raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage since his reelection in 2018, citing the fact that all the states that border the commonwealth have raised their minimum wage to between $8.70/hour

(Ohio) and $11.80/hour (New York).

"Is this driving Pennsylvanians across our borders to work jobs in neighboring states? You bet," Wolf said. Despite the proposal, many believe the assembly will only raise the minimum to $8/hour by July 1st, with small increases every six months until it reaches $9.50/hour Jan. 1, 2022 following the plan passed by the state senate last year as laid out in SB79.

The governor’s budget also invests in programs that he believes will help Pennsylvanians get back to work such as off-hour childcare, transportation and retaining programs. Furthermore, the proposal continues to support efforts that work to remove barriers for individuals leaving the state’s prison system.

Currently, Wolf’s budget is in the hands of the state legislators, who will evaluate the proposals and attempt to reach an agreement on a spending plan by June 30, 2020. If a deal is not reached by the end of the fiscal year, the commonwealth will enter a government shutdown.

News

February 13, 2020

page 3

Voting for presidential nominees begins

by Grace Gibson Managing Editor newseditor@etown.edu

T

hough the presidential election will not occur until November, Monday, Feb. 3 marked the official beginning of the 2020 election season. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have begun the process to determine their presidential candidate, convening for the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries. However, the Democratic hopefuls have received significantly more attention, as the Democratic nominee will almost certainly face the divisive Donald Trump in his bid for reelection.

Each U.S. state determines whether voters registered there will participate in a primary or a caucus. The results of each determine the party representatives, or delegates, who are sent to the national convention. The delegates’ votes at the national conventions select each party’s presidential nominee.

In a primary, voters cast secret ballots at their polling place; in a caucus, a more complicated process occurs. Voters meet in groups throughout the state for discussions before selecting delegates to represent various candidates. To complicate matters, rules also differ by party, with the Republicans and Democrats each setting their own standards.

Democratic delegates represent candidates proportionally, with different numbers of delegates based on votes received by each candidate.

Republican delegates may also be proportional, or all delegates can support one candidate — it varies by state.

State rules also determine who may participate in primary elections, with some involving only registered party members and others allowing participation of unaffiliated voters.

As incumbent president, Trump securely holds a majority of delegates in the primaries so far. His nomination is all but guaranteed: he received 39 of 40 delegates in the Iowa caucus, with challenger Bill Weld receiving only one. Trump also received all 22 of New Hampshire’s delegates.

The Democratic caucus in Iowa brought much more controversy, and not just in the distribution of delegates. This year, the Democratic party implemented a mobile app to report results, but problems appeared early, with some officials reporting that they could not log into the app.

While the Democratic party announced that technological issues would not hinder election results, results were indeed delayed. Results remained in question for several days, and prominent organizations like the Associated Press, the New York Times and NPR refrained from announcing a winner.

Current data narrowly places former Mayor Pete Buttigieg at the top, with 26.2 percent of the vote and 14 delegates, but a close race earned Senator Bernie Sanders 26.1 percent of the vote and 12 delegates.

The two candidates essentially remain in a tie, and neither has securely claimed the first primary win, a historically

important indicator of election results.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joseph Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar rounded out the top five, with eight, six and one delegate, respectively.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez was among those who called for a recanvass of the results under suspicion of inconsistencies, especially with the complication of the failed app. The re-examination of votes completed by the Democratic Party did not change the results, but it did add one more delegate to Buttigieg’s total.

New Hampshire brought fewer controversies. Sanders finished first, earning 26 percent of votes and nine delegates; Buttigieg trailed with 24 percent of votes but an equal nine delegates. A surprise showing by Amy Klobuchar led to her third place finish, gaining support from 20 percent of voters and six delegates. While they received no delegates, Warren and Biden once more rounded out the top five.

With Buttigieg leading at 23 delegates, and Sanders close behind at 21, the Democratic presidential nominee remains highly uncertain — especially as a candidate needs 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination. The upcoming Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary, in advance of primaries in 14 states on “Super Tuesday,” will further determine who will be on the ballot come November.

The Pennsylvania primary election will take place April 28, 2020. Voter registration continues until April 13.

ADMISSIONS PAGE 1

Admissions expecting high numbers of students

Photo courtesy of Elizabethtown College Flickr

Changes in regulations make it more important than ever to ensure that prospective students feel welcomed and at home at Etown.

Student Day was 200 people by Friday, Feb. 14, which was surpassed with a total of 201 as of Friday, Feb. 7, so the College is expecting high numbers for the first Accepted Student Day. But these good numbers does not mean that the admissions team is going to slow down any time soon! Tour guides have been hard at work preparing the yield gift — a box including an invite to Accepted Students Day and a hat shaped like an egg placed in a nest of shredded packaging paper.

They will also soon be sending out

Etown-related laptop stickers and doing some phone call and text campaigns. Admissions has realized how important communication via text is, especially since many students do not have voicemails set up. Admissions will also be utilizing their social media accounts, focusing Facebook on parents and Instagram on accepted students.

Champoli explained that there have also been some national changes to admissions standards.

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) regulates advising for admissions

departments throughout the college.

Previously, NACAC had a rule that colleges needed to stop engaging with students that did not decide on their school by May 1. That was recently found to be against anti-trust laws, so beginning this season, colleges will not only be able to engage after May 1, but can also engage with students who are actively attending other colleges.

Champoli said that this could lead to students being “poached” from their current institutions, so it is more important than ever to drive engagement and make students want to stay at Etown. He said he believes that some of the most important ways to prevent students from being “poached” are getting them to meet other people and helping them connect and engage with tour guides.

He mentioned that there are ethical questions that come with “poaching” and highlighted the importance of being transfer-friendly.

Et ow n h a s a l re a d y s t a r t e d recruiting students for the 20212022 school year, which is two months earlier than usual. They are partnering with Way Better Marketing to assist with starting this process earlier. So far, there have been over 5,000 respondents to this campaign, where Etown normally recieves only hundreds around this time. Although it is still very early, the top majors that these students have expressed interest in are pre-med, engineering, psychology and biology.

A large portion of these students remain undecided.

Student Senate

by Jessica Freels

Staff Writer newseditor@etown.edu

S

tudent Senate met for its weekly meeting Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. The meeting began with a special order for President of Elizabethtown College Cecilia McCormick’s report about the recent Board of Trustees retreat, held the weekend of Feb. 1. She provided updates on the College, including new programs, funding and housing changes. Details of McCormick's speech can be found in the article on page one.

The meeting then moved into student comments and announcements. Junior and Etownian staff writer Meghan Kenney asked about the possibility of extending the hours of the Steinman Center since students can no longer access the Adobe Creative Suite on their personal computers. Assistant Director of Campus Security Dale Boyer told Kenney to send him an email to work it out.

Sophomore Allie Melnikoff asked about putting blinds in the Jay’s Nest. Office/Work Station Manager for Facilities Management Bob Mrgich responded that it can happen with approval from Director of Dining Services Eric Turzai.

Vice President for Student Activities Dr. Celestino Limas said that his report was covered by McCormick’s at the beginning of the meeting but still took questions.

Junior Quinn Waldrup asked about the validity of a rumor about selling Student-Directed Learning Communities (SDLCs). Limas said that the College is only making five SDLC houses available for the 20202021 school year so that Facilities Management can access the damages in those offline. There are currently eight houses for the 2019-2020 school year.

Assistant Director of Student Activities Zac Pace told senators that approximately 150 students showed up to Conrad’s Corner for its Super Bowl party Feb. 2. Pace also mentioned that the upcoming trip to New York City Sunday, March 29 is about half full, so those interested should make sure to register in the HUB soon. The Office of Student Activities (OSA) is also sponsoring a trip to the King of Prussia Mall Saturday, Feb. 15, which is $10.

Both Boyer and Mrgich talked about the parking situation for Saturday, Feb. 8 due to the cheerleading event happening on campus.

Director of the Writing Wing Rick Fellinger spoke on behalf of the Center for Student Success, reminding students that progress report week starts Monday, Feb. 10. This is when professors can send out early warnings and kudos.

During executive cabinet reports, senior Publicity and Marketing Chairperson Julia Aleo awarded first-year Alex D’Amico with the senator of the month award for his work on the class of 2023’s advocacy project, diversity and inclusion.

Senators used new business to complete an appreciation activity. They wrote thank-you notes to faculty and staff to show their gratitude.

Kenney spoke during committee updates about the recent faculty assembly meeting held Tuesday, Feb. 4.

While two senators attend every meeting, a larger group was invited to serve as student representatives during their discussion of the pros and cons of a 4-credit model.

“From my perspective, I felt pretty listened to,” Kenney said.

Class updates began with first-year class president Lucas Cunningham. He said that the class of 2023 is selling candy grams for Valentine’s Day, as well as raffling off a date night basket.

Cunningham also updated senators on their advocacy project, saying that they have started a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter on campus. First-years Jalen Belgrave and D’Amico will serve as President and Vice President, respectively.

Junior class president Rachel Freed said that the venue for Jr./Sr. will be announced Thursday, Feb. 13 during the Student Senate meeting. Tickets for the dance will be on sale the week before and after spring break.

Student Senate then moved into an executive session before adjourning. Meetings are open to all and held every Thursday at 3:45 p.m. in Hoover 212.

Jessica Freels is the Class of 2022 President in Student Senate.

page 4 MEXICO CITY (AP) — The former head of Mexico's state oil company was arrested Wednesday in Spain on a international warrant issued by Mexico, authorities said.

Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero told Radio Formula that Emilio Lozoya was arrested in the southern port city of Malaga and that the goal was his extradition to Mexico.

Lozoya was director of Pemex

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's fragile economy is facing an uncertain future after the island's governor rejected a settlement announced late Sunday with bondholders that would reduce the U.S. territory's public debt by 70%.

The settlement is the biggest one to date since the island's government announced in 2015 that it was unable to pay its more than $70 billion public debt load and filed for

between 2012 and 2016 during the administration of former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Mexico issued international arrest warrants for Lozoya last year as a result of corruption investigations, including into his alleged ties to Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company that secured contracts across Latin America through a network of bribes.

News

the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy in May 2017.

It's unclear whether the deal will become final, with Gov. Wanda Vázquez saying it places too heavy a burden on the island's retirees and noting that it still requires legislative approval. The deal also has to be approved by a federal judge overseeing a bankruptcy-like process for Puerto Rico.

February 13, 2020 BERLIN (AP) — A German man's marriage proposal got a bigger audience than he had planned, after it showed up on an aerial picture used by Google Maps.

The German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that 32-year-old part-time farmer Steffen Schwarz used a machine to plant a field of corn in such a way that the gaps spelled out the words “Do you want to

marry me?”

Schwarz says he got his girlfriend to fly a drone over the field last May in Huettenberg, central Germany, revealing the romantic message. She said yes.

He told dpa he hadn't intended or expected the image to appear on Google's popular mapping service until an aunt in Canada pointed it out to him.

Schwarz and his fiancee plan to marry in June.

BEIJING (AP) — The number of new cases in China dropped for a second straight day in the virus outbreak that has infected about 45,000 people and killed more than 1,100, health officials said Wednesday.

The number of new cases has trended down in the past week, raising hopes that the epidemic may be peaking.

The National Health Commission said 2,015 new cases had been tallied on Tuesday, the second straight daily decline and down from

nearly 3,900 a week ago.

Commission spokesman Mi Feng said the situation is still grim but “we have seen some positive changes.”

Leading Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan told doctors in Wuhan that while the rest of China may have turned the corner, more efforts are still needed to stop the spread of the virus in the city and the rest of Hubei province, the hardest-hit area.

Global Perspective This weekly column will cover a variety of contemporary global issues including climate action, global health, international peace and security and gender equality.

I hope that this column will act as a platform to advocate for global progress and to empower young leaders to get involved in international affairs.

If there are certain global issues that you want to see covered in this column, please contact editor@ etown.edu.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Thailand began releasing bodies to relatives Monday after security forces cornered and killed a soldier who carried out the country's worst mass shooting in an hourslong siege at a shopping mall.

The soldier killed 29 people

starting with his commanding officer in a stunning tragedy that began Saturday and ended Sunday morning when security forces shot dead the heavily armed attacker in Terminal 21 Korat, an airport-themed mall in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The gunman, Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma, 31, was infuriated at a land deal brokered by his commander's mother-in-law, as far as authorities have been able to determine. She was another of his victims.

The death toll surpassed Thailand's last major attack on civilians, a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok killing 20 people that was allegedly carried out by human traffickers in retaliation for a crackdown on their network.

Messages of sympathy for the latest tragedy were sent by several countries.

The U.S. Embassy said it “stands with the people of Thailand, saddened by tragic events in Nakhon Ratchasima.”

Throughout Monday, people dropped by the Terminal 21 mall to offer flowers and leave notes expressing sympathy.

In the evening, several hundred people gathered outside the mall for a memorial service led by a Buddhist monk and lit candles to remember the victims.

More than 1,000 people mourned the victims the night before in another Buddhist ritual at the city's town square. They lit candles and chanted.

Thailand's prime minister said King Maha Vajiralongkorn has offered all of the deceased royally sponsored funeral rites and cremations.

Many of the 58 wounded are still in serious condition. The Public

Health Ministry sent a mental health crisis team to help relatives of the deceased cope with their losses.

Survivors and victims' families at the city's hospitals recounted their ordeals.

High school student Nachote Chotiklang said he was in his mother's car as she passed the gunman's vehicle.

The assailant "got out of the car and fired into the window. At that, I ducked down and didn't do anything until I felt that car hit something. It hit a tree."

When the teenager was asked what happened to his mother, Nachote shook his head. Another man explained that she had died.

Rachanon Kanchanamethi was riding a motorbike home when the gunman fired at him. The 13-yearold middle school student was his family's only child.

His father spoke at the first day

of his son's Buddhist funeral.

"I don't want to lose him like this," Nuttawut Kanchanamethi said. "This is too sudden. We had plans for him, growing up. That's all.

We didn't impose any expectations on him."

Nuttawut paused for a long moment.

"I want to continue taking care of him, but I no longer have that opportunity," he said, breaking into sobs.

The bodies of security personnel began to be flown Monday morning to the capital, Bangkok, for funerals.

Nakhon Ratchasima was not prepared for killing on such a scale.

The public hospital's lone forensic doctor is performing autopsies before the bodies are released to families for cremation, but families were told he can only do six per day, so some won’t be able to retrieve their loved ones until Tuesday.

February 13, 2020

Features

page 5

Understanding the importance of Black History Month

by Giselle Taylor Staff Writer featureseditor@etown.edu

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lready in the second week of February, Elizabethtown College is deep into programming for this year’s Black History Month calendar of events.

With student and campus-run initiatives abound, College community members seeking to honor significant Black figures and cultural movements won’t need to look far for informative and meaningful experiences.

The precursor to Black History Month, Negro History Week, stretched over the second week of February and was started by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926.

This week was chosen, as it happens to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Black History Month was first developed and celebrated in 1970 at Kent State University.

While its influence and practice expanded significantly in upcoming years, the celebration of Black History Month remained largely limited to the confines of academic institutions until 1976, when President Gerald Ford recognized it nationally.

Since then, every year the American government recognizes Black History Month every year and endorses specific, culturally relevant themes on which to focus.

2020’s theme is “African Americans and the Vote” in honor of the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment (which granted women the right to vote), and the sesquicentennial of the 15th amendment (which granted Black

men the right to vote).

While celebrated all over the United States, Black History Month has not been without its fair share of controversy. Many argue that by confining it to a single month of the year, Black History Month restricts the study and appreciation of Black history.

Such parties argue that supporters of Black History Month should instead work to better integrate Black history into mainstream education.

American film actor Morgan Freeman has famously stated, “I don’t want a Black history month. Black history is American history.”

Contrastingly, the Wall Street Journal has described Black History Month as “a time when the culture and contributions of African Americans take center stage.”

While this topic remains incredibly divisive, it is important for institutions and organizations to be aware of their own biases and limited perspectives when planning their annual Black History Month celebrations.

Having reopened this semester, the Mosaic House will be a hotspot for Black History Month events run by Noir.

Club leaders plan on organizing a karaoke night in the coming weeks to highlight Black culture and music.

Additionally, Noir will be hosting educational events in the Mosaic House, including a night dedicated to reading short stories and listening to podcasts by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a prominent Nigerian writer.

Monday, Feb. 24 the club will honor the late Kobe Bryant, a professional basketball player and renowned African American icon, who passed away in a helicopter accident in January of this year.

There will be a tribute at

Elizabethtown’s Peace Garden to honor Bryant and his legacy.

Club leaders picked the date – Feb. 24 – as a homage to Bryant’s Jersey number, which many NBA players informally retired following his death.

To round out their schedule of events, at the end of the month, Noir will be hosting a party at the Mosaic House in commemoration of Black History Month and all of the work done in its honor.

Additionally, through their planned events, the club hopes to help reestablish the Mosaic House as an accessible and meaningful space for

the student body.

In the end, Black History Month is very much a developing cultural celebration.

While some aspects remain in contention, what started as a small observance at a singular university has blossomed into a massive month-long effort of commemoration in nations all over the world.

With all the programming planned on-campus by students and staff, Elizabethtown remains a school dedicated to meaningful celebrations of diversity.

S c e n e o n C a m p u s : B l u e J ay Fo o t p r i n t s

Photo: Paula Groff | Staff Photographer

In preperation for Accepted Student Day , blue jay footprints can be seen on campus leading up to the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being.This is not the first time that footprints have been spotted on campus, but given its recent opening, this is the first year that the footprints have led students to the Bowers Center.

Features

page 6

february 13, 2020

The Anatomy Chronicles: Art, science and the body

by Olivia Moyer Staff Writer featureseditor@etown.edu

A

natomy, many would argue, is one of the trickiest subjects to learn.

It’s hard enough to understand the splitsecond processes that your body undertakes to keep you alive, and it’s even harder when you can’t visualize any of the crucial organs that carry them out.

It’s a challenge of which associate professor of biology Anya Goldina is well aware. In comes the project “The Anatomy Chronicles.”

Each year, students in Goldina’s Biology 201 and 202 Anatomy and Physiology classes are offered the opportunity to earn extra credit by making a creative piece that explains or highlights a part of the body.

This year’s exhibit includes poems, children’s books and cartoons, among other creations.

So why look at anatomy through a creative lens rather than its typical science-oriented one?

According to the event’s description, it’s a critical oversight to not consider how the topic lends itself to artistic endeavors.

“Human Anatomy and Physiology is part of our lives. It is what allows us to innovate, achieve incredible feats of athleticism and grace, climb mountains, dive oceans, fly into space and create the works shown in this exhibit,” the description said.

It’s a sentiment shared by Goldina’s students.

“Many people try to divide the sciences and the arts, which I think is a mistake,” Sophomore Casey Nathan said of the exhibit. “The integration of the two subjects helps us deepen

our understanding of our own bodies while providing a creative outlet for the information learned in the class.”

For Nathan’s own project, she made a drawing of the brain completely out of word art, curving and stretching the letters of each word to represent their meaning and how they contribute to the shape of the brain.

“It helps me conceptualize what the different parts of the brain look like, and I’m finding it helps me remember how it all fits together too, because I remember how I tried to make all of the words sit inside the shape of the brain.

I went through like 10 pieces of paper,” she laughed.

The value of The Anatomy Chronicles doesn’t just include the ability to combine science and art.

The exhibit, and its construction, also help students understand the course material on a different level.

“It becomes easier for us to understand, not just because of the time we put into researching and creating the projects, but we get to see the systems through the eyes of our peerswho break it down into parts that are easier to understand,” sophomore Michaela Teague said.

“It also allows us the opportunity for a grade boost in a way that everyone feels like they’ve really earned,” she continued.

Sophomore Katlyn Harper agreed.

“The most important part of this exhibit has probably honestly been just seeing everyone else’s projects and seeing all new insights because of the way they structured their stories or pictures,” she said.

New insights seem to be the key, especially when dealing with concepts that can sometimes feel monotonous.

“It really helps all of the concepts resonate in a way that feels new and fresh. As an Occupational Therapy major, I took classes in high school in preparation for my classes here at Etown. So when I got into Anatomy this year I kind of felt like a lot of the concepts were things I had already learned,” Harper said. “But this project allowed me to see a lot of things I thought I knew from a new perspective.”

The project isn’t just valuable to Anatomy students, however.

Nathan encourages everyone to come check out the exhibit.

“You don’t need to be a biology, or a chemistry, or an OT major to enjoy the exhibit.

Everyone should want to know what’s going on in their body. And it’s fun! It takes an abstract concept and makes it tangible. And isn’t that what learning’s all about?” Nathan said.

The Anatomy Chronicles will be on display in the Winter’s Alcove of the High Library until the end of this month.

Photo: Maddie Kauffmann | Staff Photographer "The Anatomy Chronicles" allows for students to gain a dynamic understanding of the interconnectivity of STEM and the arts through anatomy focused artwork.

Celebrating the legacy of Toni Morrison on campus

by Zoe Williams Features Editor featureseditor@etown.edu

I

n celebration of Black History Month, Elizabethtown College has featured events focusing on the late Toni Morrison.

These events included the screening of the biographical film, “The Pieces I Am” Thursday, Feb. 6 and the talk given

by Professor of English Dr. John Rohrkemper in the High Library Monday, Feb. 10 called “Toni Morrison’s Style.”

Morrison’s work has long been regarded as influential, earning her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Her significant works include the novels "The Bluest Eye," "Beloved" and "Sula."

Morrison is regarded as a phenomenal writer, but she was also as an advocate for fellow women of color.

Photo: Maura Longenecker| Staff Photographer Dr. John Rohrkemper presented about the unique qualities of Morrison's work across her literary canon..

Morrison highlighted the experience of black women in her work, writing dynamic stories about a group of people often overlooked in literature Aug. 5, 2019, Morrison passed away. The world is still reckoning with her legacy and how to best conceptualize the broad scope of positive work that she has contributed to the world through her lectures and writing.

The events that have been held on campus serve to underscore Morrison's significance, as well as to acquaint students with her work who may not have otherwise been familiar with her.

Such was the goal of the presentation given by Rohrkemper in the High Library. The event was put on with the support of and in coordination with Librarian Joshua Cohen.

The presentation given by Rohrkemper focused on the stylistic elements of Morrison’s writing that distinguish her.

“Dr. Rohrkemper explored how Morrison’s style of writing has changed from novel to novel to fit the particular content of each novel. He discussed the novels ‘The Bluest Eye’, ‘Beloved’, ‘Jazz’ and ‘The Song of Solomon,’” Cohen said.

Morrison’s work is versatile and comes from a place of deep empathy and understanding.

Translating those sentiments into practical, linguistic analyses of her work is what Rohrkemper has been doing for years as a Morrison scholar.

“I have written fairly extensively about Morrison’s writing, [from] scholarly articles [to] conference papers.”

Rohrkemper said.

In his presentation, Rohrkemper compared various excepts from Morrison’s body of work and discussed the stylistic variety between them depending on the subject matter of the novel.

“Morrison is often praised for her moral vision, for her ferocity in tackling complicated and difficult themes, for her celebration of black storytelling, but she also was a brilliant stylist,” Rohrkemper said. “Each work is without question hers to those who know her writing, but each also has a particular style all its own.”

“I liked his comparison of some select passages from a variety of her novels to show how her style of prose changed over the course of her career based upon the needs of the particular story she was telling,” Cohen said, reflecting on

Rohrkemper’s presentation.

Rohrkemper also provided an example of this stylistic variance, showing the versatility of Morrison’s talent.

“In her novel 'Jazz,' for instance, she not only writes about jazz music and the Jazz Age, but she writes in a style that feels like a jazz composition,” He said. “Because of this fusing of style and content, I often warn would-be readers of her work that each new novel they read will necessitate them learning how to read all over again.”

Morrison is often specifically regarded as an advocate for black women, and her literary talent at times can come second to discussions about her race and her gender.

Presentations such as Rohrkemper’s allow for audiences to engage with Morrison not just as an activist, but as the talented author she was.

It is important to allow Morrison this duality, especially given how significant her work was for giving light to the stories of people of color, specifically black people — voices who still are often missing from literary conversations.

“I think that Morrison should be remembered as one of the greatest American novelists of our time,” Cohen said.

“She is not just a masterful storyteller and wordsmith; her work has fundamentally changed how we view our country’s historical narrative by placing the African-American experience at the center of that narrative.”

Rohrkemper echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the enduring significance of Morrison and her work.

“I think Morrison is and will continue to be regarded as a one of the greatest writers of the late-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. No other American recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature has deserved it more than Morrison,” Rohrkemper said.

Morrison’s work uniquely tackles complex social issues all while embodying a remarkable understanding of literature.

While her work has always been significant, her recent passing has given students and scholars the opportunity to reflect on what her legacy will be.

"I think that the best way to honor Morrison is by reading her work. I would recommend ‘Beloved’ to anyone who is new to her writing," Cohen said. “The library has a display of works by and about Toni Morrison on our main floor through the month of February."

Features

february 13, 2020

Club

profile

page 7

series: Great to be a gay jay!

What is your name?

Sarah Kaden

What is the name of your club?

Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)

What is your role within the club?

President ---------------------------------

When did you first get involved in the club?

I first started going to meetings back in my first semester at E-town but ended up getting extremely busy and not being able to make it to meetings anymore. I became involved again my junior year and became the VP that spring.

What activities take place during club meetings?

It depends on the meeting. Sometimes it’s a casual discussion,;other times we have done movie nights or even presentations on student research related to LGBTQ+ things.

Does your club host any events?

We have hosted a few over the years. We’re probably best known for the drag show, which didn’t happen last year. It’s up in the air about whether it will happen this year. We’ve also hosted Coming Out Day each year, where students can write with chalk on the BSC patio to celebrate pride. This year, E-town GSA is working with The Black Gryphon to promote The Vagina Monologues, a performance dedicated to raising awareness of the experience of womanhood. The show will take place on February 24th at 6:40pm at The Black Gryphon.

What is your favorite memory in your club?

Probably Coming Out Day last semester. We had a bunch of people turn up and write messages on the sidewalk. It was really inspiring.

Why should someone join your club?

E-town isn’t always the easiest place to be when you’re a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and the GSA can help you find a supportive community. Also, we’re pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

Upcycled Ar t Feature

Photo courtesy of Mercedes Geiger

"This project is a found and fabricated assignment for my sculpture class! I chose to use Starbucks caps because I have been collecting them since high school for the purpose of a project, and I thought it would be interesting to use them as wearable art. Wearable art is a really intriguing concept because it almost gives the artwork a purpose. It’s hard to pick out sometimes because you don’t know where to hang it or display it in your home.

"Wearable art bridges the gap and gives you a place to display it, wearing it. Why did I choose an object that is usually thrown away? Because recycled objects are easily accessible and it’s cheaper to work with them than to go out and buy actual materials. And so many cool materials are wasted by just throwing them away!"

Photo courtesy of Sarah Kaden

The Elizabethtown College Gender and SexualityAlliance (GSA) is a place for LGBTQ+ students to interact with one another in a fun and safe enviornment on campus.

page 8

Campus Life

February 13, 2020

Horoscopes: How will the stars influence your Valentine’s Day?

Comic: Mercedes Geiger

Campus Life

February 13, 2020

page 9

The Weekly Chirp: Etown’s Internet Policy Change A recent change in the campus secure Wi-Fi leads to mixed reactions amongst students.

by Aprille Mohn Campus Life Editor campuslifeeditor@etown.edu

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change to the Elizabethtown College Secure Wi-Fi network at the beginning of the semester has led to some disatisfied reactions from students on the E-town Jays App. The change in policy has had strongly varied reactions because the primary discernable difference in the new policy is that websites containing mature and explicit content — most notably pornography — are now blocked on the campus internet.

Several students on the E-town Jays App created posts in late January raising their objections to the policy change with hashtags #bringbackthehub and its abbreviated version #BBTH. This does not refer to the Digital Humanities Hub located in the Wenger Center as some thought, but actually is in reference to video sharing and pornography website Pornhub.

One student suggested skipping class as a strike against the change, and another created a petition on change.org which recieved 90 signatures.

Other students suggested the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) or browsing on data rather than on the secure Wi-Fi. Lastly, a student created sticker designs in reference to this policy change with a suggestive phrase, though it is unknown if the stickers were actually created.

While many students appear to be making a joke of the policy change, some pointed out their larger concerns with internet censorship and issues of transparency on the part of the administration. The example may be a laughable one, but it brings to light the distrust students have of the administration based on their choices in communication to students.

Student Voices: responses from the anonymous Weekly Chirp survey, students weigh in “Although they explain it as blocking any possible “viruses,” websites such as 123movies and other sources that you can pirate movies are still allowed. Viruses are more likely from sources such as [those] than pornography. Just call it what it is and people wouldn’t be as mad: it’s a pornography block.”

“Try to work with students to keep network security but also not block students from using free, safe [and] legal websites.”

“I tend to stand by the college in most decisions, but this one I do not. They keep trying to tell us it is a security issue- I can assure you it is not, as the only types of websites that have been blocked are pornographic ... This was an intentional action meant to censor content that was taken without student feedback or concern for student’s freedoms... A person’s moral judgement about pornography cannot be forced upon others.” *Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

“There was a complete lack of transparency.

It’s not about what this school blocked, it’s about the fact that they are blocking things at all. We’re adults who pay to use the services this school provides. It’s disrespectful to our integrity to decline to comment on this matter.”

“This makes sense for school-owned computers, where Etown policy should definitely apply, but not for personal ones. If a student wants to watch porn in their dorm, that’s their business. If there absolutely must be an absolute ban, maybe put hours on it? Free it up at night time?”

Expert Corner:

The Etownian Awards 2019 American Scholastic Press Association First Place Award 2016 ASPA - First Place 2013 Apple Awards Best Newspaper <5,000 Student Division 2012 ASPA - Most Outstanding College Newspaper in the U.S. 2011 Keystone Press Award Second Place for online content 2009 SCJ Excellence in Collegiate Journalism

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief | Katie Weiler Managing Editor | Grace Gibson News Editor | Samantha Seely Features Editor | Zoe Williams Campus Life Editor | Aprille Mohn Sports Editor | Amity Radcliff Copy Chief | Elizabeth Gipe Photography Editor | Megan White Online Co-Editors | Ashlee Reick & Julia Soltis Asst. Features Editor | Alyssa Marzili Asst. Campus Life Editor | Elizabeth Cunningham Asst. Sports Editor | Ezekial Ciafre Photographers | Maddie Kauffman, Jill Distler, Paula Groff, Jocelyn Kline Copy Editors | Lauren Robitaille, Jessica Freels, Stephanie Biese, Ashley Conway, Emma Danae Droz Faculty Advisors | Erica Dolson, Matthew Skillen

Interim Executive Director of ITS Mr. Steven M. Rutter Editorial Policy The Etownian is the student newspaper of Elizabethtown College. All editorial decisions are made by the student editors.

With the exception of editorials, opinions presented here are those of quoted sources or signed authors, not of the Etownian or the College. For questions, comments or concerns about a particular section, please contact editor@etown.edu.

If you have a story idea, suggestion or if you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please email editor@etown.edu.

T

he Office of Information and Technology Services (ITS) at Elizabethtown College works continuously to update the network settings to provide access to the Internet and websites in a safe and secure manner for our campus community.

Our network risk monitoring and reporting will flag high-risk traffic due to the use of applications and browser traffic that may leave our network vulnerable to attacks, carrying malware or waste bandwidth.

Our security systems communicate continuously withanindustryleaderthatevaluatesandscoressitesthat are risky, suspicious and identified to contain threats.

If users on our networks find that a site is blocked, it is primarily done based on the sites’ policy assessment and risk scoring. In most cases, we will work with the Senior Leadership Team to make adjustments to the network settings to reduce potential risks for the institution.

page 10

Campus Life

February 13, 2020

Welcome to the jungle: a triple feature Music Review: Lyn Inaizumi Yogi, Porter and Cork share the spotlight and their mom

by Elizabeth Cunningham Asst. Campus Life Editor campuslifeeditor@etown.edu

O

MG! We’re so excited for this interview! Sure, we live twenty minutes from campus, but we love being active in our mom’s college life.

Here, not to overwhelm you, but I think it would be easier if we did this one at time, so I’ll go first since I knew our mom the longest.

I’m Yogi! I knew my mom Meghan since she was in the eighth grade. She’s grown up a lot since I first met her. It has been a bit of an adjustment not seeing my mom in the afternoon as much as I used to when she was in high school.

I think she tries to spend the most time on campus to be with her friends as well as her other activities like being the vice president of the first-year Student Senate and the secretary of Undergraduate Fellows. She’s also in Momentum, which sounds really cool.

Plus, my mom doing her homework on campus lets us spend the most amount of time with her when she’s home. We usually spend that time cuddling on the couch together.

Photo courtesy of Meghan Healey

Yogi is a good older sibling with wisdom to share and a beautiful smile.

Alright, my turn! I’m Porter! I’m the middle child of the group and met our mom only a year ago. I was rescued at a shelter and have loved living with my new family ever since.

Transitioning was a little easier for me than Yogi, not having my mom around as much, but I still love running up to her along with my siblings when she walks through the door.

We get along fairly well when she’s away, and we also have her family to help keep us in line. However, when it comes to toys, it’s an all-out war. Our family had to

get the durable toys so we don’t rip them apart as easily. Typically, if the toy isn’t one of the tough ones, they don’t last an hour with us. But don’t let that shy you away from us; we’re very kindhearted and loveable dogs.

Oh also, I have been on campus before and I really, really wanna come back! I hope next time, Yogi and Cork can come so we can play in the Dell together. I’m gonna go ask my mom right now if we can go!

Photo courtesy of Meghan Healey

Porter and Cork have to be patient while their mom is on campus during the day.

Finally! I’m Cork, and I’m the newest of the bunch. I was adopted only a couple of months ago, probably to keep the house more active with my mom gone the majority of the day.

I don’t know how kids do it, living on campus and everything. I would miss my new mom so much if she lived on campus, but that’s beside the point.

I love my new family even though they have a giant, stubborn dog living the backyard named Knips. Yogi keeps telling me that it’s a horse, not a dog, but I don’t believe him. I think it’s just his sassy nature to be right all the time.

Anyway, I know my mom is doing great as she’s still deciding what she wants to be. I heard that her semester was amazing and I know this one will be just as great. Porter said maybe we’ll be able to come to campus soon, but I would want it to warm up a bit.

Well, that’s everything from us. Hope to see you around campus soon!

Lyn brings variety to the “Persona 5” soundtrack

by Elizabeth Gipe Copy Chief campuslifeeditor@etown.edu

I

f you’re into gaming, you might remember the “Persona 5” craze from 2017. If you’ve ever played “Persona 5,” or spoken to someone who has, you’ve probably heard one thing about the game mentioned more than everything else: the music. Gamers might disagree over the quality of the story or the gameplay, but the music of “Persona 5” is widely agreed to be unparalleled in terms of video game soundtracks.

“Persona 5” boasts a long soundtrack, with 110 different songs spanning three CDs in a physical release. Of those 110 tracks, seven feature vocals from Japanese soul singer Lyn Inaizumi (credited under the mononym Lyn). For the sake of this review, I will focus on the six Englishlanguage vocal tracks from the standard game.

My first exposure to the vocal tracks of “Persona 5” was back in 2017. It was my senior year of high school, and I was ditching class with two guys, driving around town to get food. The rule was that whoever drove could control the AUX cord, and my friend John was driving this time.

He told us that he was obsessed with this new game, and he raved about how good the music sounded before putting on some tracks for us to listen to. I remember being struck by the sound of the woman’s voice— so deep and rich and nothing like the other Japanese singers I was familiar with from anime openings. However, I didn’t have a PlayStation 4 at the time, and he didn’t play the soundtrack for us often. Quickly, the music from “Persona 5” faded from my mind.

However, I recently finished “Persona 5,” and now the music will not leave my mind. As I was playing the game, I was once again amazed by Lyn’s voice, causing me to remember my first time listening to the vocal tracks on the way to McDonald’s back in high school. This time however, I have the experience of having played the game to fully appreciate these tracks.

Perhaps the most famous of the vocal tracks is “Last Surprise,” which functions as the normal battle music in “Persona 5.” The cacophonic orchestra of this song fits its purpose as a battle theme, and even though this song plays for every single regular enemy encounter, you don’t grow tired of it — something which I largely attribute to Lyn’s voice.

“Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” is the opening theme of “Persona 5,” and to me, it embodies the acid jazz genre of the soundtrack the most. In an interview with Glixel, the “Persona 5” soundtrack director Shoji Meguro said that because of how “Persona 5” is more realistic in

visuals compared to the previous “Persona” installments, he wanted the soundtrack to mirror that realism, which leads “Persona 5” to sounding a lot different than other video game soundtracks.

Another track players will hear a lot is “Beneath the Mask (Rain),” which plays at nighttime whenever it rains. This track shows Lyn’s expertise as a soul singer, and her vocals here truly capture the somber mood during a nighttime storm. This song is beautiful and calming, which comes as a pleasant respite from the emotional rollercoaster of the story and battles, especially once you reach the game’s climax.

One of the climcatic songs is called “Life Will Change,” which in the beginning parts of the game only plays as an instrumental.

However, once you hit the sixth dungeon and reach the final stretch for the boss, the lyrical version plays for the first time. This song focuses on rock elements to capture the high-strung tensions on the way to the area boss, and of course, Lyn delivers on the strong lyrics that vow to defeat the area boss.

Another climactic song is “Rivers in the Desert,” which plays for the penultimate boss of the game — and which first-time players will mistake as the final boss. Obviously, this track has to match the stakes of the battle as the biggest foe the heroes have faced so far. The song starts off with Lyn’s fast lyrics, creating a lot of build-up as she sings about having to prepare for the battle. This leads to the explosive chorus as the heroes become a beacon of hope in a world of desolation, much like water in dry land. I have to say, this song has to be my second favorite, because it captures the stakes of a final battle so well and because Lyn’s vocals showcase a new level of power not yet seen in the other songs.

My favorite vocal track from “Persona 5” isn’t the dramatic boss music, however.

It’s actually a song that plays during the exploration of the sixth dungeon and just so happens to be the theme of one of my favorite characters. “The Whims of Fate” is another exemplary song of the acid jazz genre, playing in the casino-themed dungeon controlled by a corrupt public prosecutor who treats her trials like a game to be rigged and won. The song has a sultry, playful vibe, all of which Lyn captures so perfectly in her voice. I cannot tell you how often I would just stand still in the dungeon and avoid battles just so I can listen to the song on an endless loop. Out of every vocal track, this one wins out for me by far.

Six songs out of 110 is just a small sample of every track “Persona 5” has to offer. If you find yourself liking Lyn’s voice or the acid jazz genre, then there is endless music available to you in the rest of the franchise’s sequels, spin-offs, anime adaptions and remakes, with a good portion of those songs featuring Lyn.

Mini Fun Zone: Still Fun, just smaller than usual Rebus puzzles: can you figure out what phrases are meant by these pictograms?

February 13, 2020

Sports

page 11

Men’s volleyball takes Conference loss

In Etown Athletics...

Track and Field Saturday, Feb. 8 the Elizabethtown College men’s and women’s track and field went to the Plex Shootout hosted

by Alvernia College. The women’s team had multiple competitors give all-time performances. Sophomore Marissa Lapinsky had the best finish, placing second in the 800-meter with a new personal best time of 2:23.39.

The men’s team also did really well in the meet. Junior Ean Mann was the star competitor, placing first place in the 60m with a time of 7.08. He also took a second place finish in the 200m dash with a time of 22.96.

Photo: Jocelyn Kline | Sports Photographer The men’s volleyball had a rough Continental Volleyball Conference loss.They drop to 0-2 in the conference overall. The team does not seem put off and looks forward to the rest of the season.

In the Pros...

Baseball Joe Maddon reflects on his time with the Chicago Cubs and his return to the L.A. Angels. During the offseason, Maddon usually takes a trip to Pennsylvania or Florida, but with the changes this year he is getting himself reacquainted with Southern California and the Los Angeles lifestyle.

He got to create a stronger relationship with the Angels’ general manager Billy Eppler who is in the final season of his contract. Maddon also took the time to reflect on the changes in the past month and why they were so important.

To read more, visit espn.com.

by Amity Radcliff Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu

S

a t u r d a y, F e b . 8 , t h e Elizabethtown College men’s volleyball team took a 3-1 loss against Marymount University.

This put Etown 6-5 overall and 0-2 in the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC).

The Blue Jays were able to take the win in the first set but couldn’t defend the nest in the following sets.

Senior Nick Baxter led with a total of 12 kills, followed by

f irst-ye ar Ste ven Swain w ho came out with six. First-year Dan Brackholtz went double-double with 28 assists and 14 digs for the team. First-year Tony Camillo had a team-high of four block assists.

In the first set, after being tied 6-6, Etown took a rally of four points and forced a timeout by Marymount. The Blue Jays were able to hold their lead although the score kept closing in.

In the second set the Blue Jays were down one when they got three points between Camillo and Swain. Marymount responded with a 7-1 point rally, gaining a 16-12 advantage and continued

their lead to the end of the set.

The third set was all Marymount taking a strong 17-7 lead.

The final set was similar to the third.

With a strong Mar ymount l e a d , t h e B lu e Jay s c a l l e d a timeout, but couldn’t get an edge on Marymount who continued to hold the lead.

Although the Blue Jays cut the nine point lead, Marymount came out on top.

The team will be on the road against Rosemont College and King’s College Saturday, Feb. 15 with their first game starting at 2 p.m.

Women’s basketball has back-to-back losses by tough opponents

by Amity Radcliff & Ezekiel Ciafre Sports Editor & Asst. Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu

W

ednesday, Feb. 5, the Elizabethtown College women’s basketball team fought on their home court against the Catholic University of America.

Junior Veronica Christ had a team high of 21 points followed by senior Lydia Lawson’s 15. Christ scored 12 of those points in the first half, while Lawson scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half.

Catholic was a tough opponent. They had 19 second chance points, 26 fast break points, and grabbed 16 more rebounds than Etown.

At the break Etown trailed Catholic by 20 with a score of 43-23.

Catholic kept their lead and added to it throughout the second half. By the end of the game, they were 43 for 90 on shots (47.8 percent).

Etown attempted 29 free throws and made 18.

“Catholic really beat us by scoring a lot in transition and in the paint. They also beat us on the boards, which really hurt us,” Lawson said in an email interview.

With the loss, the Blue Jays drop to 10-9 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

Saturday, Feb. 8 the team traveled to Susquehanna University, taking another tough loss with a score of 81-73.

Lawson led the team with a team high of 25 points followed closely by sophomore Angie Hawkins with a total 16 points.

At the end of the first quarter the Blue Jays led by three points. At half time the score was 32-31 Blue Jays.

The third quarter seemed to be the breaking point for the Blue Jays, although they had their largest lead of eight points with 2:47 left. An evenly matched 24 points gave the River Hawks the edge they needed for the fourth quarter.

The team’s next game against Drew University is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15th.

Photo: Jocelyn Kline | Sports Photographer The women’s basketball team takes back-to-back losses.The team fought hard in both games, where the lead was turned over halfway through the game.The season continues as they move onto competition against Drew.

Sports

page 12

February 13, 2020

True Blue This weekly column will feature the True Blue athletic games.

Each week will be a different sport highlighting players, coaches and fans.

The True Blue series features the most important games of the season.

F

r i d ay, Fe b. 7 , t h e m e n’s volleyball team played their True Blue event against Randolph-Macon College.

The Blue Jays took a 3-1 loss.

This was the first Continental Volleyball Conference match of the season. The team now stands 6-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

S e n i or Ni ck B a x te r we nt double-double in the match with a total of 17 kills and 10 digs. First-year Blake Hildebrand followed Baxter with 10 kills.

First-year Dan Brackholtz made a high 35 assists. Junior Joey Nelson and first-year Steven Swain made 12 digs each.

In all True Blue fashion, the

by Amity Radcliff Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu Blue Jay community went out to support the team and some of those early birds got a fun item from the Office of Student Activities (OSA).

The Blue Jays started off on the right foot, taking the first set 25-21. Randolph-Macon put themselves on the board by the second set, starting a win streak for them.

Men’s basketball takes three-point loss, breaks two-game win streak

by Amity Radcliff & Ezekiel Ciafre Sports Editor & Asst. Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu

W

ednesday, Feb. 5, the Elizabethtown College men’s basketball team faced off against the Catholic University of America. The men lost at Catholic by three points.

With just three seconds left, Catholic’s senior Colin Hartmann made a three-pointer which won Catholic the game.

Three players scored in the double digits for Etown. Senior Ethan Dubois scored a high of 21, followed by first-year Wyatt Hockenberry with 11 and senior Connor Moffatt with 10.

Midway into the first half, a pass from DuBois assisted Hockenberry in making a three. With this score, the Blue Jays saw their first lead of the game at 16-15. For the remainder of the half, Etown fought to keep their lead and extended it to five at one point.

The Blue Jays had an advantage of four points at the half with a score of 33-29.

Etown kept its lead into the second half.

After two shots by senior Bryce Green midway through the half, the Blue Jays had a nine point lead at 46-37.

During the last 12 minutes of the game, the score was tied eight times; Catholic managed to put up a three just before the end of the second

half. With a score of 67-70, Catholic won and the Blue Jays fell to 11-8 overall and 4-5 in conference play.

“Their free throw shooting was … much better than ours in the game,” Moffatt said in an email interview.

The team took to Susquehanna University Saturday, Feb. 8 for their 10th Landmark game.

They took a 92-67 loss against the River Hawks, putting them at 11-9 overall and 8-2 at home.

With this loss, the team now has a two-game losing streak.

First-year Jalin Robinson made a career-high 13 points leading the team, Hockenberry came in with a total of 12 points and senior Bryce Greene followed closely behind with a total of 11 points.

Greene led with a total of six rebounds for Etown.

Moffatt and Dubois made four rebounds each.

The Blue Jays turned 17 points over to the River Hawks, and the biggest lead Etown had all game was two points early in the first half. This was a tough game for the Blue Jays.

The score was pretty close in the beginning of the game, but the River Hawks found an opportunity and took the lead 21-7 by the end of the first half.

This game was the seventh Landmark Conference game that the River Hawks had won.

The team’s next game against Drew University is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15th.

Both the third and fourth set were also won by RandolphMacon.

In the first set, the Blue Jays made seven points in a row, giving them an advantage that they were able to keep throughout the rest of the set.

In the second set, although the Blue Jays started out strong, they were not able to keep up after the lead change and trailed a few points behind Randolph-Macon.

This was a similar situation in the third and fourth sets.

The team will travel again

Saturday, Feb. 15 to King’s College with the first set starting at 2 p.m.

Wrestling on a three-match winning streak after big wins

by Amity Radcliff Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu

T

he Elizabethtown College wrestling team had a full weekend. Saturday, Feb. 8, they took to the road for a 33-9 win over Gettysburg College.

Eight Blue Jays took wins in their respective matches, with two taking falls to Gettysburg. Senior Colton Rex (141) got pinned at 2:04 against his opponent. First-year Jacob Latham (184) lost by a major decision, 12-5.

Junior Austin Jones (125) started the Blue Jays off on a good foot; he won with a tech fall at 5:10 and a score of 19-4.

There were two pins at the end of the meet, both made by Etown.

The first one was by Tyler Phenegar (197) who pinned his opponent at 1:43. The second, closing the match, was Keegan McCord (285), pinning his opponent at 3:34 Su n d ay, Fe b. 9 , t h e t e am w a s at it again at home against King’s College, which was also senior night to commemorate the senior wrestlers.

The seniors recognized were Max

Rhoden, Dayne Ross, Josh Paisley and Colton Rex for all of their time as part of the team.

This match was similar to the match against Gettysburg with eight players taking a win in their respective weight class. Jones won this match by forfeit, giving a lead to Etown right off the bat.

Another forfeit came a little bit later at weight class 157, gave first-year Brian Schneider the win.

The first match of the night was junior Josh McLaughlin (133), who won by a 15-7 decision over senior Dakota Quick. The match had to be stopped a few times due to a nosebleed that McLaughlin had.

Following was Rex who had a 6-2 decision winning match.

Josh Paisley (149) won by a tech fall score of 18-2 at 5:46 over King’s first-year Colby Spencer. Phenegar won by a forfeit. Closing out the night was McCord who won by fall over his opponent at 0:51.

The regular season will be wrapped up Friday, Feb. 14 on the road against Messiah College. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Athlete of the Week Brinley Beveridge Feb. 14 m/w swimming @ Landmark Conference Championship m/w track @ Fastrack National Invitational wrestling @ Messiah

Feb. 15 m/w swimming @ Landmark Conference Championship m/w track @ Seamus McElligott Invitational & Albright Throws Meet m lacrosse vs.

Coast Guard

by Amity Radcliff Sports Editor sportseditor@etown.edu

Feb. 15 (continued)

First-year Brinley Beveridge is a two sport athlete and was a part of the soccer and track and field teams in high school as well as at Elizabethtown College. Beveridge started doing track and field at the age of 14 and is a jumper. In the most recent Etown track and field competition, Beveridge cleared the high jump at 1.49m, finishing sixth overall. She got bumped up one spot on the all-time list for the respective jump.

m volleyball @ King’s and Rosemont

m/w basketball vs.

Drew

Feb. 16 m/w swimming @ Landmark Conference Championship

Feb. 17 Feb. 18 m volleyball vs. Neumann

Feb. 19 m basketball vs. Juniata w basketball @ Juniata

Class year: 2023 Major: Biology (Pre-med) Hometown: Spring City, Pa High school: Owen J. Roberts High School Favorite athlete/sports team: Seattle Seahawks Favorite Jay’s Nest item: Chicken Quesadilla or BLT Favorite TV show/movie: Stephen King’s IT Favorite musician/band: X Ambassadors Favorite place to visit: La Jolla, California

In 10 years, I want to...

Be successful in my line of work Hardly anyone knows that...

I really enjoy snowboarding Favorite Etown Memory: My first homecoming at Etown, the women’s soccer team played Scranton in the Homecoming game. I was lucky enough to be a part of the team that beat Scranton 3-2 on our home field Greatest Etown accomplishment so far: Passing my first semester of college Greatest track and field accomplishment: Being part of a 2x championship team in high school I started doing track and field at age...

14

Photo courtesy of Brinley Beveridge