The
eorgetonian G
February 26, 2014 Volume CXXXIV Issue 6
SGA President writes open letter to campus SGA President, Adam Wetherington, explains how SGA serves and benefits the college By ADAM WETHERINGTON Contributing Writer The past few months at Georgetown College have been challenging to say the least. We have witnessed the discontinuation of a notable student program, the announcement of potential changes coming to campus and even the death of a dear friend. Through all of this, we are persevering together as one Georgetown family. Now more than ever it is crucial that we continue to engage in open and meaningful dialogue. We are privileged to have wonderful students, faculty, staff and administrators who all strive to enhance the experience here at Georgetown. One group striving to achieve this goal is the Student Government Association (SGA). The three groups of official positions within SGA are the Executive Council, the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is our job to represent the student body of Georgetown College. We act as the liaison between the students and the administrators of the institution. One concern that has been mentioned recently was that, due to the discontinuation of the President’s Ambassadors program, there is no longer a link such as this. I can confidently say that this connection
has been established events which in the past through impact a broad SGA, and will remain range of students. established well into One important the future. It is crucial event that SGA is that this link exists responsible for is and we are excited Declare a Major that we are able to Day. Through this, provide this. A sizmany students able portion of our have been able job as an organization to declare their is to represent the majors and minors The Georgetonian/WESLEY FOLSOM students. This is an The members of the Student Government Associ- in a timely and effiincredibly important ation pose for a picture outside of Giddings Hall. cient manner. task that we do not SGA is respontake lightly. ing groups. sible for multiple Involvement We encourage students to In addition, SGA is respon- Fairs throughout the year come to our office, which is sible for providing grants to as well, the next of which is on the third floor of the Cralle RSOs. As the president of the on March 29 as part of the Student Center, and discuss Student Government Asso- “Today’s Tigers” event. We your thoughts and ideas with ciation I am very pleased to greatly appreciate all of the us. You may also fill out com- announce that, solely through campus-wide support that we ment cards which are available grants given by SGA, we have have received for all of these in our office as well. Students been able to either directly or events. This is just another may also choose to serve on indirectly affect close to 700 way in which it is evident that a committee through SGA. students. We have almost run Georgetown College is a speThese include committees out of grant money, which cial and important place. We such as the Safety Committee means that student organiza- are confident that SGA will and the CAF Committee. We tions recognize the benefits continue to provide excepare fortunate to have such that come from a strong Stu- tional assistance to all stustrong lines of communication dent Government. Through dents. with the administration and the distribution of grant Likewise, we are conwe encourage every student to money, we are able to assist vinced that together all of us be a part of that. with the funding for events are responsible for GeorgeAnother important func- that students have chosen to town College. Throughout this tion of SGA is the recognition provide or attend. We are also entire academic year there has and regulation of all Registered able to strengthen clubs and been a marked difference in Student Organizations (RSOs) organizations by providing the morale and atmosphere on campus. We approve the select funding for necessary of campus. While we will not official recognition of new materials. shy away from the fact that clubs and organizations, and Additionally, SGA is there are definitely areas with we regulate and monitor exist- responsible for a number of
room for improvement, there is a notable difference between this year and years past. It has become apparent that there is a great deal to be proud of here at Georgetown. We are an institution with an extensive tradition of premier education, athletics and community. It is important that we embrace this reality and do our very best to continue to preserve and enhance this institution which we love so dearly. This has been our goal as an SGA, and it is currently our petition to all those who have been impacted by Georgetown College. This is done in a variety of ways such as: financially supporting the institution, giving our time and other resources and even performing simple acts such as positively changing our attitudes. We are all to be stewards of this gift which we have received. Ultimately, all those who work to make Georgetown College a better place do so because they recognize the merit of the institution. SGA is proud to serve as the link between students and the administration and we encourage others to be involved in this process as well. As a family, we must all continue to stand fast and be “Georgetown Proud.”
News
Page 2
Global
Headlines Sponsored by Global Scholars
After massive protests which saw dozens killed or injured, Ukraine’s President fled the country. His whereabouts are unknown, and there is a warrant for his arrest due to the protestor deaths. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has proposed cutting the number of active duty military to the lowest number since World War II. The plan is said to be a cost-cutting move. In Uganda, President Musevini signed into law a bill that would make homosexual acts punishable by life in prison. Many African leaders are speaking out against the law, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. A new study, which tracks incidents of traffic fatalities around the world, lists Namibia, Thailand and Iran as the “worst driving” countries. The best? Malta, Tajikistan and the Maldives. Violence and protests continue in Venezuela, where opposition leaders are calling for peaceful demonstrations against the President Nicholas Maduro. Protestors claim the election of Maduro was illegitimate. The trial of Oscar Pistorius, the former South African Olympian who is accused of the murder of his girlfriend, begins next week in Johannesburg. Pistorius rose to fame after being the first double amputee to compete in the Summer Olympic games. Follow us on Twitter! @GCGlobalScholars
The Georgetonian
CFCI seeks fairness for Congo By ANDREA BELLEW Staff Writer
G
eorges Nzabanita, a study abroad student from Congo, Africa who left last semester, started a Conflict Free Campus Initiative (CFCI) chapter here at Georgetown College. CFCI is a national organization that is affiliated with Raise Hope for Congo and the Enough Project. Their main issue involves the electronics people buy worldwide, such as iPhones, cameras and laptops. Almost every piece of technology produced in the world contains these four minerals: tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. These minerals are mined pretty much exclusively in the Congo, where violence rages daily. Congo has an unstable government, so the people become helplessly enslaved over these minerals because they’re worth so much and the land is rich in these natural resources that the entire world uses. Armed forces come in and take over the villages so that they can force people to mine and smuggle the minerals across the border to Rwanda and Uganda. The smuggled minerals eventually get mixed into the products that people buy all the time. The money made from those products is used to buy more weapons, which continually escalates the problem, especially in a country that has the worst problem with rape. Rape is used as a weapon there. The death toll in Congo appropriately reflects their troubles; it has the biggest death toll since WWII. The Enough Project compiled a list of companies that shows which companies are tracking their supply chain. At the top of the list are the companies who have tracked their supply chain the most, and at the bottom are ones who do not so well. It is hard to
completely determine at this point whether or not someone is using conflict minerals in their technology, but the companies at the top are the ones who are taking the most steps to determine this. On our campus, CFCI is trying to raise awareness about what happens in Congo and how their consumer choices are possibly causing death. CFCI is also attempting to get the college’s administration to pass a The Georgetonian/AUSTIN FRALEY Conflict Free Resolution. Flint McCallum holds a sign that reads Signing the resolution would be “#CongoPeace” in support of the movea symbolic step towards buying from ment on campus. companies that are at the top of that list, the ones who are taking the most steps to track their supplies. The resolution was put through the administration last semester, but they denied it, so CFCI is going to do more events this semester in order to strengthen the organization Eventually, CFCI will put the resolution through administration The Georgetonian/AUSTIN FRALEY again in hopes of its Students (left to right) Emily Metcalfe, Jacqui Johns, passing. Austin Fraley, Virginia Hurst and Aubri Layson are For anyone who also making a stand for peace in Congo. wants to get involved, weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. in the Arnett Room of the LRC. This week, however, CFCI is showing a documentary at 8 p.m. called “Blood in the Mobile,” which is a Nexus event in Asher 112. This is their first event of the semester, but they have been taking pictures of people holding signs for their Facebook page, which is GC Conflict Free Campus Initiative. Source: Jacob Hanser Their weekly meetings will resume Austin Fraley holds a sign that reads “Because no one should die for my techthe week after next.
nology.”
Issue 6
News
February 26, 2014 Page 3
“Freedom” tour brings talent to GC
By ANDREA BELLEW Staff Writer
Georgetown College’s Student Abolitionist Movement (SAM) has some big plans in store. SAM is an organization committed to the eradication of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, and seeks not only to bring students the knowledge and reality of human trafficking in Georgetown and across the world, but also to equip students with tools and empower them to act for the end of slavery in our lifetimes. Currently, SAM is making preparations to sponsor a concert that is part of Jenny and Tyler’s “For Freedom” tour. They are holding a concert in the Chapel on Wednesday, April 2. The tour is based around their latest album For Freedom – A Covers EP, and as the name suggest it is an album of cover songs. The proceeds from certain merchandise items and their For Freedom album sales will go to organizations
that fight human trafficking such as In past years SAM has been known International Justice Mission. Joining for holding Frisbee tournaments, and their tour are musicians Levi Weaver one will be held and announced soon and Vanita Jones. as part of SAM’s fund raising for the To find out more about Jenny and concert. Both students and faculty can Tyler and their tour, you can go to their form teams, join teams or even make website: http://jennyandtyler.com/ teams from other campus organizaabout. tions in order to help the cause. Caliesha Comley, SAM student Some other SAM events that stuleader and Jenny and Tyler fan, said dents and faculty can look forward that she has seen one of their concerts to are the Hope Campaign with local before: “After the show they hung Human Trafficking Task Forces to around to talk to anyone and every- happen later this semester. The Hope one about their music and their mission. They describe themselves as a duo with Christian influences, and they support abolition efforts. I remember them as so personable, welcoming and Source: Somewhereinbetweenbeautifulthoughtsanduglyreality.wordpress.com sweet.” Jenny and Tyler will be paying our campus a visit on April 2.
Campaign mainly consists of wrapping tubes of Chapstick and lipstick with the number to the Human Trafficking Hotline. The items are then placed in human trafficking hotspots, such as gas stations and hotels. Comley encourages all to see the concert: “The event will be big, fun and not to mention free! But the message ‘For Freedom’ will bring to campus is one that SAM works for every semester. We’re really excited to be able to put this on!”
Belle of the Blue Pageant 2014 2014 Belle of the Blue: Elizabeth Feldpausch Scholarship (highest GPA and essay): Elizabeth Feldpausch First runner-up: Kyndal Curry Second runner-up: Olivia Coleman Miss Congeniality: Olivia Coleman The Georgetonian/COLLIN SMITH
Winners (left to right) Kyndal Curry, Elizabeth Feldpausch and Olivia Coleman pose with President Greene.
Sports
Page 4
The Georgetonian
Tigers unable to extinguish Fire By ERIC BALMER Sports Editor This past weekend the Georgetown College softball team traveled to Florida for a double-header against Southeastern University. Unfortunately for the Tigers, a win was not to come from the trip. GC held off the SU Fire for awhile in the first game but would eventually give the game up in the bottom of the 7th.
In the first of the two games, Georgetown kept Southeastern’s offense from scoring in the first five and a half innings. Although both teams managed seven hits in the game, the Fire was finally able to capitalize when they scored after a double was followed by a one-out single. GC made a push at the end, getting two players on base during the final Tiger at bat. A Georgetown runner scored on a sacrifice fly, which tied the
game. But the Tigers weren’t able to stop the Fire offense in the next inning. The ending to the first game was rather anticlimactic. SU hit a one-out sacrifice fly to bring in the winning runner and end the game. After 17 and 2/3rd innings, Kayla Williams ended her streak of no earned runs allowed. Southeastern also gave Williams her first loss of the season. Georgetown continued to struggle against what
appeared to be a stingy SU team. The Fire brought the heat and scored early and often. From the first inning, the Tigers were just overwhelmed by the offense of SU. Southeastern started the game with eight runs and would eventually end the game in five innings. GC (4-2) couldn’t manage to score a run and only managed two hits throughout the entire game. The home team had no issue making plays
happen and even hit a two-out grand-slam. The final score of the game was 12-0, which was the most the Tigers have allowed in their first five games of this season. The softball team hopes to get back to their winning ways at home against Midway College on Feb. 26. Midway and Georgetown will play in a double-header at the Tiger Softball Complex.
Barmore to try out for US Olympic team By ERIC BALMER Sports Editor While the Winter Olympics are ending, hopes for the Summer Olympics are being realized. Georgetown Assistant Volleyball Coach Amy Barmore, who is a GC alum, is preparing to try out for the US Volleyball Olympic team. Barmore is in her second season as an assistant coach at Georgetown. Before coming
Women’s Bball Men’s Bball Softball Baseball
to coach at GC, she coached at Scott County (2011-2012) and Tates Creek High School (2010-2011). During her time as a player at Georgetown, Barmore was an All-American, and during her senior year she helped GC to the runner up spot in the national tournament. She considered trying out for the US team after head coach Nick Griffin urged her to go for it. Griffin said, “I went to her
W. 79-43 Cumberland Univ. W. 81-59 Cumberland Univ. L. 0-12 Southeastern W. 6-2 Saint Xavier
and said ‘Amy, you need to do this’, because she has always talked about wanting to play professionally overseas and wanting to chase dreams, and so we kind of twisted her arm and bought the tickets so she had to,” (wave3.com). She had pretty impressive stats when she was on Georgetown’s volleyball team, including 270 service aces, 2,804 digs, four-time All-MSC and twotime All-Region.
Feb. 27 @ Cumberlands 6 p.m. Feb. 27 @ Cumberlands 8 p.m. Feb. 26 vs. Midway 1 p.m. Feb. 28 vs. Cumberland Univ. 3 p.m.
Olympic team tryouts for volleyball will be held in the training center in Colorado Springs, which is where the Male High School alum must show everyone she’s got what it takes. She’ll have her work cut out for her, as there will be 250 players from all over the country trying out for a limited number of positions. Players from colleges like Stanford and Texas are said to be interested in the Olympic team. Barmore has good support from the players and coaches of Georgetown’s team, including current player Lauren Schneidtmiller. Barmore seems to be shy off the court, but she is definitely a different person on the court. Schneidtmiller said, “You can see how she pushes us is exactly how she pushes herself, so you just know she has a great work ethic”
(wave3.com). Barmore traveled to Colorado on Thursday for the try-outs, which are to be held Friday through Sunday. Athletes that are selected will be notified by early March.
Source: georgetowncollegathletics. com
Barmore hopes to make the 2016 US Olympic volleyball team.
Sports
Issue 6
February 26, 2014 Page 5
Kentucky wins in a nail-biter By AUSTIN FRALEY Staff Writer UK fans held their breath Saturday afternoon as Andrew Harrison shot a free throw in the final 20 seconds of the game attempting a tie, which eventually sent the game into overtime. While the Cats got off to a rough start in both halves against the Louisiana State University Tigers, they eventually gained the victory. Things weren’t looking hopeful when, within the first three minutes of the game, the scoreboard read 6-0 in the Tigers’ favor. It took Coach John Calipari calling a time out and pumping them up to get the players’ heads in the game. Once he did, however, they
were off and running with a consistent lead over LSU for most of the first half. Undoubtedly, much of this encouragement came from the coach as well as the fans, who flooded Rupp Arena in a sea of blue, with red speckles every now and then throughout the stadium. If any UK player looked up they were indisputably putting themselves in a position of encouragement, and if any LSU player looked up, it was equal discouragement. Saturday, the color of Lexington itself was blue. In the second half, the Cats again got off to a rough start, but this time when they caught up, the Tigers did not back down. Through and through it was a true back and forth. As soon as one team had the
upper hand by just two points, the other team would tie. Decisive moments came in the fouls of the final five minutes of the game, which resulted in the free throw that sent the game into overtime. Johnny O’Bryant started out overtime and it culminated in the familiar close war that had raged just five minutes prior to this tension, until the ball got to Julius Randle. UK fans were audibly fretting after LSU gaining the upper hand with just 30 seconds left in overtime. One could feel the communal terror while watching the ball run in the opposite direction of where the vast majority of the arena desired it to be. After UK got the ball back to its own goal, there were several attempts at shooting
a basket before Randle finally got the game-winning basket, with just 12 seconds left on the clock. The arena erupted into cathartic communal shouting and screaming, the waves of blue crashing from side to side. LSU quickly appropriated the ball and in a last-ditch effort to win the game, attempted a three-pointer as UK fans again held their breath silently. It would have made it in when the buzzer rang, but the Wildcats must have had the gods on their side, as the ball almost willingly bounced off the basket. The arena erupted into excitement from the fans, who had helped to distract the opposing team’s free throw shooters and garnered silence
for those of their home team. Randle, the savior of the team in the game’s final moments, stated: “Plenty of times we could have put our head down. There was a time when we did put our head down. We could have said ‘Just forget it’ and lost the game. But we didn’t. We kept fighting” (Source: Kentucky.com). The final score of the game was a close one, with UK at 77 points and LSU at 76. One could only imagine what the game would have been like had it gone into double overtime.
GC finishes home games with wins By KAITLIN FAHEY Copy Editor On Saturday, Feb. 22 the Georgetown College men’s and women’s basketball teams each played their last home match of the regular season. Both Senior day games were against Cumberland University of Lebanon, Tenn. and were successful in sending this year’s seniors out with a bang. The women won their match with a final score of 79-43, and the men won theirs with a final score of 81-59. The women took the court first and proved to have con-
trol over the game right off the bat. Cumberland tied the score once within the first minute, but other than that, the lead belonged to Georgetown. Over the course of the high-scoring game, eight Tigers achieved at least one field goal. Junior Devanny King led the team with 19 points, including reaching her 900th career point in the second half. Jessica Foster had 18; Mykal Farris had nine; Lizza Jonas, Andrea Howard and Haley Armstrong each had eight; Kourtney Tyra had seven and Teonia McCune had two.
The win against Cumberland University is the third straight win for the women’s team. Amongst those three wins, the Tigers have won by an average of 21 points. Head coach Andrea McCloskey said, “This team is a family…the past few games [have really shown] that bond…they are playing with a lot of heart and rhythm” (georgetowncollegeathletics. com). The men’s team faced challenges as the lead changed five times in the first half due to several turnovers; however the team found its footing towards
the end of the period and went into halftime with a 13-point lead. They maintained a fairly steady lead for the remainder of the game. In a similarly high-scoring situation as the women’s team, each Tiger who set foot on the court scored at least once. Jaylen Daniel led the way with a game-high 24 points, including two three-point field goals. Monty Wilson had 13 points, Russ Middleton had 10, Noah Cottrill and Corey Washburn each had nine, Deondre McWhorter had eight, DJ Townsend had four and Montavious Marc and Brandon
Burnette each finished with two. Both teams will travel to University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. this Thursday, Feb. 27. These games mark the end of the Tigers’ regular season play. The Mid-South Conference tournament will begin next week on March 6-9.
Page 6
Features
The Georgetonian
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Dennis Propp By KAITLIN FAHEY Copy Editor Senior Dennis Propp of Crestwood, Ky. said that Georgetown College “felt like home from the start,” referring to when he visited campus after hearing about it from his friends back home. Over the past four years, Dennis has certainly found his home in many different places at Georgetown. Dennis has served as the president of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, a member of the Campus Outreach Ministry Team and a participant in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and STEMM Fellows. He also served on the new student orientation team both as an orientation leader and, for the past two years, an orientation coordinator. Dennis is a ropes course facilitator and works in
the admissions office as a Tiger time before he begins work or his fraternity brothers during Tour Guide. medical school. his junior year which consisted Dennis’s coursework is In his free time, Dennis of backpacking in the Great just as indicative Smoky Mountains. “To of his work ethic say the least, we were as his many leadnot very prepared at ership roles. As a all,” he said of the trip. biology major with “But our struggles and German and chempain brought about istry minors, Dennis laughter to the situaplans to apply for tion.” medical school for Other fond mementry in fall 2015. He ories of Dennis’s time is also a finalist for at Georgetown include the Fulbright Proearning an A on his first gram, which would physics exam despite allow him to teach having box seats at a English in GerReds game the night many for a year if before. He described Source: Dennis Propp he becomes a recipDennis enjoys the great outdoors in his free men’s Bid Day his ient. With such big freshman year as the time. plans ahead of him, most excited he’s ever Dennis said one of felt, saying, “I don’t the things he is most looking enjoys outdoor activities such even remember running down forward to in his last semes- as tennis, fishing, swimming the stairs of Cooke because of ter at Georgetown is taking and backpacking. He recalled the adrenaline rush.” advantage of all of his free a fall break trip with three of When asked about a certain
professor who strongly influenced him, Dennis credited Dr. Rebeccah Dawson with motivating him to become a German minor “by showing the value of the German language and culture in today’s world” as well as for her help with his Fulbright application. He continued, “Her class is also very fun, and makes German very easy to learn.” As he prepares to leave Georgetown, Dennis has the following advice for underclassmen: “Enjoy the time you have in college. School is important, but know that it is not everything. Sometimes the more memorable moments will not be what you studied, but rather the people you spend time making memories with. Be sure to take time to make those memories because when you graduate, you won’t get these years back.”
Students gather in support of Venezuela
Source (all photos): Patrick Barker
Features
Issue 6
February 26, 2014 Page 7
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Genée Johns By ALEX COURTENAY
Georgetown College’s “Pirates of Pinafore.” In 2013, Genée was a contestant for Belle of the Blue. When she was only considering it, her roommate signed her up. Genée won audience choice and overall scholarship, so her roommate did her a favor. Genée’s favorite classes she has taken at Georgetown are “Survey of Art History” with Dr. Decker, “Keyboard Literature” with Dr. Hayashida,
Staff Writer Like all humans, Genée is 75 percent water and, unlike most, 25 percent bagels. She is a music major and a borderline genius on the piano. If you have the chance to hear Genée play the piano or have a bagel with her, consider yourself lucky. While here at Georgetown College, Genée has been involved with Freshman Family Groups, Tiger Tunistas and Campus Ministries. She has led the music portions of Rooted and has served as an orientation leader. Genée is also a member of Delta Omicron, an international music fraternity. She has worked as an English tutor and in the Writing Center. What Genée said she loves about Georgetown is, “the close community aspect. Professors know the students by name, and they remember you when you leave. Georgetown College is really embedded and involved with the surrounding Georgetown community, and students have the opportunity to reach outside our own circles of academia.” Genée also loves the fact that her sister, Jacqui Johns, is a freshman at Georgetown College and can spend time with her on campus. Genée will miss living in a community of 20-year-olds, her friends, late night runs to Hongs and prepared food in the Caf. She will also miss her professors when she leaves Georgetown, as well as taking
The Georgetonian/COLLIN SMITH
Genée plans to study music therapy after she graduates in May. piano lessons and practicing piano consistently throughout the week. She’ll never forget the Flowers study room (or as she likes to call it “the Dreamatorium”). However, she is bitter that the school will not let her paint the room a color of her choosing (except for three shades of gray) because she lives in Flowers aka an independent dorm. Genée’s cousin and fellow Georgetown College senior Leanndra Padgett said, “I have known Genée for a long time — pretty much since I was born. She is a really genuine person, very conscientious and one of the best conversationalists I’ve ever met. She can strike up a meaningful conversation with just about anyone. She works really hard and gives everything she does her all.” On describing Georgetown, Genée said, “There are so many things! It’s been a very shaping experience. It’s
helped me to discover things I want and love to do, grow deeper in my relationship with God and develop lifelong friendships. My mind has been opened to tremendous possibilities.” On the weekends, Genée loves to play Taboo and Scattergories with her friends, as well as watch NBC’s hilarious TV series Community. Some of Genée’s favorite memories at Georgetown College include running the 5k for SHMAC, going to Georgetown football and basketball games, Reds games and tubing with GAC. According to Genée, the different spring break mission trips she went on to Arlington, Texas, Jackson, Miss. and right here in Georgetown were “all great experiences” and she “learned so much from them.” Genée, (remember she is a talented pianist) also had a great time playing triangle for the Lyric Theater Society of
and two classes with Dr. Price “Counseling Skills and Techniques” and “Abnormal Psychology.” Genée also took “Christian Heritage” with Doc, and she cherishes the opportunity she had to be in his class. Genée plans on attending Kentucky University for Graduate school to study music therapy. However, she said that “Georgetown will always be considered home to me.”
Quote My Georgetown Professor “The length of your answers should be like women’s skirts. Long enough to cover the important parts, short enough to keep it interesting.” -Dr. LaRue Posted on the “Quote My Georgetown Professor” Facebook group
Georgetown Tree Huggers
The Georgetonian/MEGHAN ALESSI
This week’s Tree Hugger is Senior Racquel Ryan.
Page 8
ArtsEntertainment
The Georgetonian
Dr. Ralph Wood speaks on Tolkien By AUSTIN FRALEY Staff Writer Tolkien admirers, English majors and Christians (particularly Catholics) were equally delighted on Tuesday when Baylor University professor of literature and theology Dr. Ralph Wood came to campus. He came to speak about Tolkien at the Danford Thomas Lecture as the first–ever extension of this lecture. In his first lecture, Wood expounded on the differences between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, drawing a distinction between what he defined as “adventure” of the former, and “quest” of the latter. Wood defined “adventure” as a journey in which at the end, “one returns to where they began fundamentally unchanged.” Bilbo goes on an adventure, whereas Frodo goes on a “quest,” a journey in
which one does return fundamentally changed at the end. Also an important distinction, perhaps Wood’s central point, is that in a quest the protagonist does not choose to go on the journey. “Poor Peter Jackson has Frodo volunteer,” Dr. Wood lamented, “but avid readers will know that this is simply not the case.” He then related this point to John 15, where Christ tells his disciples, “You did not choose me. I chose you.” A person does not choose to go on a quest. A person is called. In his second talk, Wood chose to focus on something all Tolkien fans were ready and willing to hear about: the meaning of the three powers the wearer of the ring possesses. These are: invisibility, immortality and exercising power over another. Wood brilliantly related Tolkien’s ambiguous and slightly hidden alle-
gory to the Christian’s struggle with sin. When asked to discuss how imagination plays into the desire that the ring produces, Dr. Wood said, “The importance of imagination on the part of the one attempting to destroy the ring is vital. Sauron cannot imagine anyone who does not act like him, in total self-interest, while wearing the ring.” Dr. Wood himself is an interesting character, having been raised in east Texas as a Baptist, but increasingly becoming more aligned with Catholic traditions as he aged and studied. I was part of a group of students that got the privilege of sharing dinner with him and asked him if he had ever considered becoming Catholic. “Yes,” he told me, “But, and you’ll understand this being from the south, I realized that there is so much from the Catholic tradition that I want to
impart to Baptists and other Protestants. If I became Catholic they would simply tune me out. I wouldn’t be ‘one of them.’” Undoubtedly an interesting man in all respects, Wood combines things that wouldn’t normally go together. Not only is he a Baptist who seems to have more in common with Catholics, but the position that he holds at Baylor as professor of literature and theology is a position which Roger Ward quipped, “basically means that they invented the position entirely for him.” Whether you’re a Tolkien fan or a Christian or neither, there were words in both of Tuesday’s talks that reached out beyond the words of the pages of both The Lord of the Rings and the Bible that spoke to the fundamental questions and problems of the human condition. Hopefully we do not forget them.
•Stars. These were talked about constantly. I’m not sure what they were trying to tell us. •1914-2014. Farrell’s character is stuck in New York for 100 years, and they don’t show what he was up to. All we know is he found new clothes and grew out his hair. Did it really take him that long to figure out who he was? What was he doing for 100 years? •Blood. Crowe’s character decides to draw a painting from the blood of someone he just killed with his bare hands. I do not want to see that. •Baby Moses. The beginning shows Peter’s parents putting baby Peter (Farrell) into a makeshift boat and dropping him into the New York harbor like Moses in the Nile. •Fight scenes. I’m a girl, and even I thought the fight scenes were pretty
lame. This article was taken from a blog •Will Smith. When Smith showed post from Caitlin Knox’s new blog, up as Lucifer, the audience laughed out Scrupulously Scribbled. You can read loud. Crowe was scarier than the devil more posts at scrupulouslyscribbled. himself. Smith is dressed in a modern wordpress.com. t-shirt and blazer in the early 1900s, and bares some really strange teeth when he gets upset. •Hair. Colin Farrell could not get his hair right. It was shaved on one side, and the rest was flopping all over the place like a bad toupee. •Lightbulbs. In Lucifer’s “office,” there are lightbulbs on a string that they are always turning on and off. Are they trying to say that Hell is a dark place? •The end. I was longing for a Source: Contactmusic.com reunion that would out-sap every Expect creepy Crowe to be the subject Nicholas Sparks movie, but there of your nightmares after watching this movie. was just more talking about stars.
Winter’s Tale is a winter’s fail
By CAITLIN KNOX A&E Editor This Valentine’s Day I saw “Winter’s Tale.” It was a beautiful love story that brought most of my friends to tears. But there were so many parts of the movie that just…failed. Here are a few things that bothered me (*a few tiny spoilers*): •Russell Crowe. He plays a demon who really hated Colin Farrell. His mouth twitched into a menacing smile. He twitched so many times that after a while it became humorous. When he showed his true demon self, it was all I could do not to look away. He also sounded like he had throat cancer. •The unicorn. There was a magical white horse. He was a guardian angel. He had rainbow wings. What?
Issue 6
ArtsEntertainment
February 26, 2014 Page 9
Last of Us video game worth a try By SHAY McCLEAVY Staff Writer
4 out of 4 stars Can video games tell engaging stories? Last summer The Last of Us was released to critical and commercial success on the PlayStation 3 platform. Its setting was a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus (it’s a real thing, check it out at your own risk) causing zombie-like creatures. The story centered on Joel (Troy Baker), a bitter, broken man, and Ellie (Ashley Johnson), a young, feisty 14-year-old girl, as they trekked across America avoiding dangerous survivors and the infected. It was an affecting tale creating an experimental mix of subtle character building interactions while also giving you tense, propulsive and brutal action.
The creators have released a new downloadable three-hour story for those who own the game, and have continued to press their experimental gameplay. The Last of Us: Left Behind is first and foremost a coming-of-age story. It presents two tales intercut with one another. The first supplements a key moment from the original game, the second acts as a prequel recounting Ellie’s last day with her friend Riley (Yaani King). The former recalls the main game’s tense stealth and survival aspects while pitting you against the infected and a party of humans hunting Ellie and Joel. It’s winter; you’re holed up in a dilapidated mall searching for medical supplies. Playing as young Ellie allows for a different perspective than most video game protagonists. She, and by
extension the player, must cautiously and thoughtfully take part in or sneak past conflict. The vulnerability coupled with only owning a knife, a handful of bullets and eventually a bow and arrow makes every action count. The latter forgoes combat for story, experimentation and emotion. Instead it focuses on the friendship between two teenage girls. You’ll spend most of the time exploring another abandoned mall, only this time you’re a younger Ellie curious about a world outside her quarantine zone. The contextual banter between the girls that you will engage in highlights their beautiful playfulness, while contrasting the dangers of the counterpart story. Each player may find something different to interact with, allowing a sense of discovery while leading to new conversations
with Riley. It gives you the chance to play like a teenager. A scene exploring a Halloween store enables you to try on scary masks to frighten your friend; another involves finding a photo booth and choosing poses. It also repurposes the game’s controls in inventive ways. Instead of firing arrows into the hearts of enemies, you’re sneaking around the mall fighting with water guns for bragging rights. I’ve become fascinated with developers experimenting with the medium that’s been long overdue for maturity and subtlety. Though the action side of Left Behind remains tense and taut, it’s the quiet, introspective coming–of–age story that surprises, giving audiences a glimpse into the untouched potential of video games.
Nine getting a new tightly wound and strict commanding officer, Captain Ray Holt, who is a polar opposite from the previous commanding officer. Captain Ray Holt is also a homosexual African-American who worked through prejudiced people to get to the commanding officer position he is in now. Holt is now the boss of Santiago, a competitive person, and wants to make Holt her mentor. Diaz is a tough ex-ballet student with an anger management problem. Boyle is a hard–working but awkward detective who is also a foodie. Hitchcock is a middle–aged detective who never knows what is going on and always wants to take his shirt off. Scully is also a middle–aged detective
who is really lazy and is a talented opera singer. Jeffords is an extremely fit sergeant who turned soft when he had twin daughters. Then there is Gina, a self–absorbed and sarcastic civilian administrator, who also shows signs of kleptomania.
butt and continuation of the precinct’s rival with the Fire Department. The show also features some amazing guest stars like Kid Cudi, Andy Richter, NFL superstar Joe Theismann and Adam Sandler. The star of the show is no doubt Andy Samberg, and he is of course hilarious. Fortunately, the show is not just focused on his character, Peralata. Yes, most of the episodes have to do with Peralata and his childish antics, but the Nine-Nine treat each other like family and are actually really good at their jobs. Honestly, I thought Brooklyn NineNine was just going to be all about Andy Samberg and just a slapstick comedy. However, it is actually a well– written show with strong actors and well–developed characters. I haven’t missed an episode yet, and I cannot wait to watch the next episode Tuesday at 9:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is more than slapstick By ALEX COURTENAY Staff Writer Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a new hit action comedy show on FOX about the (fictional) 99th Precinct of the New York City Police Department in Brooklyn. The show has swept two awards at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Andy Samberg won the Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine precinct includes Detectives Jake Peralata (Andy Samberg), Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio), Michael Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker), Norm Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller), Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), Captain Ray Holt (Andre Braugher) and Administer Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti). The series starts off with the Nine-
The Nine-Nine is a talented group of crime fighters; they act more like children than professionals. The episodes in the first season include: a hysterically intense bet between Santiago and Peralata, Boyle getting shot in the
Opinion
Page 10
The Georgetonian
Georgetonian Religious holidays for all or none?
The
Editor-in-Chief............................................. Hannah Krieger Managing Editor................................................ Eric Balmer News Editor................................................ Caliesha Comley Sports Editor...................................................... Eric Balmer Features Editor............................................. Meghan Alessi A&E Editor..........................................................Caitlin Knox Opinion Editor.................................................. Anna Meurer Back Page Editor................................Leanndra W. Padgett Web Editor ..... .....................................................Max Terril Photo Editor.......................................................Collin Smith Technical Editor...............................................Caitlin Knox Copy Editor....................................................... Kaitlin Fahey Copy Editor......................................................Racquel Ryan Copy Editor................................................. Brooke Whitaker Faculty Adviser...........................................Jennifer Beckett
The Georgetonian is a free weekly newspaper published most Wednesdays during the academic year by Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. Its contents are written and edited by current students of Georgetown College. Letters to the editor should be under 600 words and should include the writer’s name and telephone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. Please send letters to one of the following addresses:
email georgetonian@georgetowncollege.edu
post
The Georgetonian Georgetown College 400 E. College Street Box 280 Georgetown, Kentucky, 40324
All material printed in The Georgetonian is copyright ©2013 Georgetown College, unless otherwise noted. Any republication in any form without express permission from the writer and editor is prohibited.
Scan with your QR code reader
facebook.com/ Georgetonian
instagram.com/ Georgetonian
By FIONA MCELRATH Staff Writer
There is some controversy, I have noticed, as to whether or not Muslim holidays should be recognized in public schools—that is, if the government should or shouldn’t decree such days as days off from school for all students, not only Muslim ones. This has recently been done in New York, thanks to their mayor, and is awesome for the Muslim community. But is it really the government’s place to make changes to the school curriculum to accommodate one religion? “Whatever happened to separation of church and state?” is the question some of you may or may not be asking. Indeed, the First Amendment established such separation; and while of course we have Catholic and Christian schools—we are a historically Baptist college ourselves—public schools seem to have taken quite drastic measures to stay indifferent thus far. The way I see it, if public institutions are going to recognize religious holidays, let it be all or nothing, and this is why: America is known as the land of religious freedom, true, and because of this we have never had a national reli-
gion. The First Amendment guarantees the separation of church and state, which means that it keeps the government from dictating any laws about religion. For the integrity of America, it is important that such separation remain strong in this country. It is true, though, that as far as holidays go the most well known and established holidays of this nation are religiously based: Thanksgiving and Christmas are prime examples—even winter break and spring break have Christian themes. Despite such underlying values, however, they have become so very commercialized over the years that they are more cultural than
explicSource: usatoday30.usatoday.com
Schools have to balance religious holidays.
itly religious any longer. Even Halloween used to have saintly associations. If America were to not acknowledge the holidays of any religion, what might that look like? As a somewhat extreme example of shunning all religions in schools is France, where students may not wear anything seen as “religiously conspicuous” to school. Students who did were, at one time, expelled. I do not perceive that America will take such measures, at least not any time soon. On the other side of the coin, as it were, is the option to acknowledge all religious holidays. I am no expert on how many holidays a given religion has that are important enough to require a day off, but with the number of religions that could be represented in America, I would guess that the school year would have to be expanded somewhat to make up for the loss of school days. I believe in religious freedom; no individual should be oppressed because of such beliefs, and students should be allowed to express those beliefs in their schools if they so desire. Perhaps there is a better way of managing Muslim holidays so that students wouldn’t have to miss a day of class than simply letting the entire school out—or maybe there isn’t.
Opinion
Issue 6
February 26, 2014 Page 11
Arizona’s freedom and equality decidely (un)American By ZAC LOSEY Staff Writer Despite our great tradition of being a unique melting pot (or salad bowl, if you prefer) and promoting equality for all, the United States has been dastardly slow when it comes to actually establishing any sort of legitimate equality. History shows that we have been shamefully resistant to ending discrimination against women, Jews, the Irish, Native Americans, African-Americans, the LGBT community…the list goes on and on. Yet somehow, despite this pervasive and ever present habit of discriminating and oppressing, we still fancy ourselves as the pinnacle of freedom and equality in the world. Now, I’m not saying that we aren’t, per se. But I’m definitely not saying that we are. On the whole, that’s a debate for a different day. My point for now is that for some reason, America has this nasty habit of touting freedom and equality while simultaneously systematically discriminating and oppressing large groups of people. All. The. Time. There are a lot of different groups that could be used as fine examples of this, but today I’m going to talk about a particular group which has received the brunt of American discrimination as of late. Today’s story starts with the lovely, immigrant hating conservatives of good ol’ Arizona, who have decided it is about time to protect religious liberty in America! Because when religious privilege and freedom are at high tide and
not actually under any legitimate threat at all, they must be preserved. Fearing change to our traditional white, heterosexual, Christian, male power structures, but feigning persecution and suffering, the Arizona GOP has passed a bill they say is intended to “create a shield for all citizens’ religious liberties.” Essentially, this “religious freedom” bill will permit individuals, corporations, businesses and organizations to refuse service to same-sex couples if they sincerely believe doing so somehow compromises their religious beliefs. I’m sad to say I’m not surprised. This comes from the same state where science education standards are being bashed by Republicans who are mad about programs using “fuzzy math” that substitutes letters for numbers in some examples. You know, algebra. It’s been said before, but it seems fitting to say again: you can’t spell ‘crazy’ without R-AZ. Spurred by a case in New Mexico where a same-sex couple sued a photographer for refusing to take pictures of their wedding, and a case in Colorado where a baker refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, Republicans in Arizona have been able to push this Jim Crow, Jr. bill through the legislature and it now awaits the governor’s stamp of approval or veto. Thankfully, there has been some hard and fast pushback against the bill, even from the very same representatives who championed it in the first place. While this pushback is
ballpark good, the reasoning behind it is less than ideal. The primary motivation for much opposition has not been a stance against its egregious discriminatory power, but instead seems to be centered on the economic consequences it might have on the Arizona business community. Personally, I’m rather appalled and disheartened that boycotts by companies on board with gay rights have been cited as the reason for
which of their customers to serve anyway? Will the Arizona legislature mandate that gay consumers wear rainbow stars out to the shops so businesses will know who to refuse service to? Or is everyone who walks into the Hobby Lobby going to have to sign papers attesting to their straightness? How are we going to determine whether or not the religious beliefs being cited to discriminate are “sincere” or not?
Source: Washingtonpost.com
Arizona protesters oppose Senate Bill 1062. Gov. Jan Brewer to veto the measure. This attitude is disturbingly reminiscent of the businesses in Germany who were concerned with losing the purchasing power of Jews during Hitler’s regime. While economic considerations are always important, I’d much rather see opposition to this atrociously discriminatory bill on moral grounds instead of “it might mean we make less money” grounds. Speaking of Nazi Germany, I wonder how exactly businesses are going to know
Also, if we’re going to allow one’s personal religious beliefs to be grounds for refusing service to homosexuals, is this sort of refusal going to be extended beyond Christians? In America, all religions have equal standing under the law, or at least they’re supposed to, according to that little document we call the Constitution. So are adherents to Islam going to be allowed to refuse service to women who do not cover themselves? Unlikely. Will Hindus be permitted to refuse service to beef eaters?
Doubtful. No, this is not a bill to protect religious freedom, just one intended to protect a specific brand of Christians freedom to cause harm. It’s merely more Christians exhibiting the persecution complex, claiming oppression whilst actually doing the oppressing because the long standing privilege they have enjoyed for so long is being questioned, and perhaps a little bit compromised. The fact that legislation like this has made it as far as it has, and is now only being criticized by its architects due to potential economic repercussions, is reprehensible. Discrimination is wrong. That’s all there is to it. If you’re a Christian who is appalled at the idea of serving someone who lives a lifestyle you find “sinful,” remember that Jesus surrounded himself with and served the sinners of his day. Jesus was an advocate for the marginalized, not the religious power structures. His disgust was not with tax collectors, prostitutes or lepers: it was with the judgmental, pompous, self-righteous religious jerks of his day. So maybe instead of fighting for the right to oppress, hurt, discriminate and hate, it’s time to quit worrying about what other people do with their privates in private. Maybe instead it’s time to worry about that log in our own eye and lead a life of love, compassion and service that actually reflects the example of that man so many of us are so eager to imitate.
THE BACKPAGE No law... abridging the freedom... of the press
By LEANNDRA W. PADGETT Backpage Editor / Global Scholar
M
y call to fellow college students: be informed about things outside of your sphere. I’m preaching to myself and am all too aware of the lure of an insular, selfabsorbed life. But we must move beyond. Lest you think that this is another treatise on campus unity, hear that I am referring to a larger scope than our campus. This is more than a call to move beyond our Greek or Independent status, sports teams, clubs or personal cliques. This is a call to look at the world in which we live and recognize its global issues. Pop quiz: 1. What has happened in Ukraine this month? 2. What is the current state of Syria? 3. What is going on in Venezuela? If you’re anything like me, these events all ring a bell. You have vague impressions about wars and rumors of wars, but do not have a real understanding of these situations. I’m not calling all of us to become political analysts or experts, but as educated people we need to have an idea of what’s going on in the world. As con-
scientious members of society, we need lans cannot make the injustices they are to care about the plights of our interna- experiencing known, even within their tional brethren (and sistren). own nation, because their government As college students (or newspaper has control of the media. Twitter has readers), we are people actively seek- even been shut down. ing higher eduThe loss of cation. By this the freedom of point, we surely expression and realize that most the suppresof our educasion of truth in tion is coming any situation from self-iniis an outrage. I tiative. High am so proud of school teachers the Venezuelan no longer feed us Georgetown information; we College students are asked to think Source: Patrick Barker who stepped up and learn and seek GC formed the letters “SOS” on Gid- in these desperate dings in solidarity with Venezuelans. times and used understanding. It is so easy their voices here in for us to be informed. We have innu- Kentucky. They informed our campus merous news and social media sites, about what is going on, demonstratin addition to the old fashioned TV, ing that the issue is personal — all of radio, newspapers, magazines, books us have seen these students around our and even EBSCO for crying out loud. own campus — and that there is a need Access to the world is all around us. for our attention. On Monday, I learned that our VenInternational crises often leave me ezuelan friends are not as lucky. When with a sense of helplessness and inacI attended SOS Venezuela in the LRC, tion. How do we move past the paralone of the most compelling things that ysis induced by knowledge? It is true I learned was about the suppression of that ignorance is bliss and “the more the press within that country. Venezue- knowledge, the more grief,” as Scrip-
ture says (Ecclesiastes 1:18). The Venezuelans left us with a clear action item, however — spread the word. Since their countrymen (and women) are limited in their ability to make the world aware of these atrocities, those of us with a free voice should take it on as our responsibility. You don’t have to be an expert — just ask a question that leads others to google the situation online. Bring it up at lunch, see what your friends know about the situation or mention it in a relevant class discussion. We need to exercise the benefits of our access to knowledge by learning about the world. So, I challenge you — take a step this week to learn about current events. Be discerning — there are plenty of junk articles out there, but seek reliable sources and give them a try. We must move beyond ourselves.
Shout out to GC’s Global Scholars, a group with a vision “to enhance the learning experience for students with an interest in expanding their global perspective”