Georgetown College’s Student–Run Newspaper
February 1, 2017
Volume CXXXVII Issue 2
The underappreciated stories of Black History Month Part One in a four–part series on Black History in its modern day context By BAILEE BOGGESS Opinion Editor
For the past several decades, the month of February has been designated as Black History Month. The entire month is dedicated to honoring the accomplishments and achievements of African– American citizens throughout history. Organizations from the NAACP to local schools focus on promoting awareness on a topic that is not often focused on year–round. Black History month started as “Negro History Week” in the early twentieth century by influential members of the African–American community. Carter G. Woodson led the movement by originally only having it during the second week of February to celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass, two of the most well–known faces in history that helped black citizens gain civil rights. As time went on, the week developed into two weeks, and then a month. College
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campuses were the main driving force behind getting the movement started, especially in the 1960s during the Civil Rights era. When recognized as an official holiday in 1976 by Gerald Ford, he said, “seize the opportunity to honor the too–often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” (history.com). While Black History Month has made many advancements during the past century, it remains under scrutiny by those who do not fully understand its purpose. Those who fight against diversity both discretely and openly question the necessary reasons behind the month, claiming that the history of this community of people is celebrated throughout the entire year. Many say that we should celebrate Black History all year round and that singling out one month is doing a disservice to the African–American community. However, it is apparent that many historical African– American figures are underap-
preciated, unheard, and have been ignored by the general population. People such as these include Congressman John Conyers, Jr., the longest serving African–American in the House of Representatives, Virginia Hamilton, one of the most honored writer of children’s books in America and Sidney Poitier, the first African–American to win an Oscar. While it is important to focus on figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou, there are countless people who deserve to be remembered but have gotten lost in the annals of history. Perhaps one of the most shocking unknown stories is that of Claudette Covin (theatlantablackstar.com). At only fifteen, she was the first African–American woman to be arrested for disobeying the bus segregation law. Her arrest took place months before the one of Rosa Parks’ and was the initial spark for the bus boycotts. Due to her socioeconomic status and unfore-
seen circumstances, including a pregnancy, her story was pushed aside for someone more famous. While Rosa Parks has a story that needs to be focused on, Claudette’s story is just another one that has been overlooked in history. Schools teach about the important people during February, but then place them on the back–burner for the rest of the year. History books, most often focused on the large pinpoints of societal change, tell about the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr.,and Fredrick Douglass. However, they neglect the everyday inventions and success stories that are large components of how modern society functions today. In fact, according to Teaching Tolerance (a project by the Southern Poverty Law Center), twenty states received abnormally low scores on teaching about the civil rights movement to students. Five including Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Oregon, and Wyoming did not teach it at all.
Herein lies one of the problems within America’s education system. A teacher from Maryland, Zia Hassan, said “I believe that having a month for black history compartmentalizes the issues, as if once the month is over we can turn our attention away from it again until the next year” (theatlantic.com). The level to which ignorance regarding Black History onth affects those in the education system is often overlooked. Many times in areas that have a low rate of minorities in schools, students feel singled out. How, as a society that is trying so hard to embrace diversity, forgetting about the emotional strain this must be for an entire population of people? The real issue at hand is this: Americans focus only a short period of time on an extensive cultural history that this country was literally built upon.
Georgetown students write their senators page 2
Equestrian team shows well at UK page 5
Common Ground starts coffee ministry page 6
Trump alarms many with immigration ban page 9
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News College participates in democracy
The Georgetonian
Global
Headlines Compiled by Aaron Benge On Saturday, January 29, President Trump passed an executive order to ban all immigrants from seven Muslim nations from entering the United States for 90 days. The British government is holding fast plans to invite President Trump for a state visit as protests mount. On Sunday, 6 people were killed in a shooting in a mosque in Quebec City, Quebec.
By EMILY EVANS Staff Writer This past Tuesday, January 31, political science professor, Dr. Melissa Scheier, hosted an event that allowed students to voice their opinions and concerns by sending postcards to their congressmen. The event pulled together students and faculty from all over campus with different political views and personal concerns. Many of the concerns that students wrote to their senators included education, the recent refugee ban, health care, reproductive rights and equal pay for equal work. One of the postcards was for issues specifically related to the recent Women’s March, and the other postcards were written for general concerns. One topic that many students addressed was education and their concern for the Secretary of Education nomination, Betsy DeVos. Another concern that many students held pertained to the recent refu-
On Tuesday, UNICEF appealed for $3.3 billion this year to help millions of children worldwide facing malnutrition, conflict and other humanitarian emergencies. A father and son were arrested early Tuesday in Battle Creek, Mich., after fighting over an onion. The Senate approved the nomination of Betsy Devos as Education Secretary on January 31.
Source: Georgetown College
Sophomore political science major Mikaela Adams and Dr. Melissa Scheier hold signs ouside of the Caf.
gee ban. Due to the recent change in administration and the many new policies and executive orders coming out of Washington, many people on campus, Source: Georgetown College i n c l u d i n g Above: The postcards that Dr. Scheier supplied for students. Dr. Scheier, Below: Everyone of all ages participated in the democratic believe that it event. is now especially crucial that our representatives are aware of the concerns and positions of their constituents. Citizens, especially college students, do not know how to voice their political opinions and feel as though they are not heard. Raygan Kilby said, “As college– aged students, most people think we don’t care about politics and what is going on in our world. But today proved otherwise. Being able to send a postcard to the congressmen voicing our concerns was very inspiring. Hopefully we are able to impact at least one of these men, showing them that just because we are students doesn’t mean we don’t care or have a voice.” Source: Kali Reagan Georgetown and the professors are always able to encourage students to practice democracy on a continuing voice their opinions, to feel as though basis. It’s not just a once every four year they do have a voice as a concerned cit- event,” Scheier said. izen and to know that they can always In a Facebook post, Scheier said, take action. it was a “great day for democracy at Dr. Scheier organized this event in Georgetown College. Students, faculty response to her recent trip to Wash- and staff wrote 108 postcards to their ington D.C. for the Women’s March on US Senators #postcardparty.” Washington during the weekend of the inauguration. “I planned the postcard party because I think its important that we
Issue 2
News
February 1, 2017 Page 3
Fraternity recruitment enters second week By BAILEE BOGGESS Opinion Editor Following the sorority recruitment season earlier this month, the fraternity members on Georgetown’s campus began hosting the men’s recruitment. Those interested in signing up for the men’s recruitment had the opportunity to do so outside of the Caf during the past week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or they could register and pay the $10 fee online. The last day to sign up was January 26. Men were encouraged to sign up, even if they were apprehensive. As of now, there are 50 men eligible to go through rush. The beginning of the informal recruitment week began on Tuesday, January 24, with Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha hosting parties. On
Wednesday, Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Tau hosted their parties. Finally, on Thursday, the President’s House Association (PHA) ended the week. While the informal side of recruitment was casual, this week brings formal recruitment. Men are invited back to have a dinner by the houses that take interest in them. There is a strict dress code of shirt and tie. In order to be invited back to a house, a person must have been to their informal recruitment. Therefore, it is crucial that they had participated the week before. This also means that a man cannot receive a bid from a fraternity unless they have attended informal recruitment. Tuesday, January 31, began the start of formal recruitment with Kappa Alpha and Lambda Chi Alpha hosting parties. Wednesday, February 1, is
when Pi Kappa Alpha and Phi Kappa Tau host their parties. Like the informal week, PHA ends the week with the final party on the Thursday. The IFC Council has high expectations for the second week, and hopes that it goes as smoothly as the first. The final end to men’s recruitment is the bid day. Similar to sorority recruitment, the men who have received a bid run out of the chapel to the section where their future brothers are standing. It is exciting for those already in a fraternity, and those who have been selected to join. Logan Smart, an officer on the IFC, reflects on recruitment: “I’m disappointed with the number of freshman who came out to rush this year, but it is an improvement from last year. There are a lot of quality guys and every fraternity should look forward to a nice
class. Hopefully we are on the upswing for overall fraternity requirement.” Officers of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) put in hard work to make sure that recruitment runs smoothly. Ian Gearhart is the President and Christopher Snider is Vice President of the IFC. Gearhart said, “Surprisingly, this year has been the most stressful rush week since I’ve been a part of IFC. We have almost doubled our numbers of guys signed up from last year, so I want to commend every fraternity chapter here with promoting Greek Life. My hope is that every chapter gets who they want, and that the new guys find their new home and enjoy it for the rest of their college career.”
Blevins speaks at first Chapel Service By DOUG MOLLETT
The worship leader for the day was Rev. Nathaniel Price, the Worship Each semester, Georgetown Col- Pastor for Central Church of God in lege holds six Chapel services featuring Georgetown. He lead the congregation special guest speakers and musicians. in singing while playing the piano. The services also count as Tiger Nexus The featured speaker was Rev. Dr. credits for students. Rhonda Abbott Blevins, the Executive On Tuesday, the first Chapel ser- Coordinator for the Cooperative Bapvice of the Spring semester was held. tist Fellowship Kentucky. Previously, Rev. Dr. Blevins was associate pastor at Tellico Village Community Church in Loudon, Tenn. Before that, Blevins served as a Baptist campus minTHE GEORGETONIAN/DOUG MOLLETT ister at the News Editor
University of Georgia. In 2014, she completed her Doctor of Ministry degree from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. On Tuesday, her message focused on Mark 8: 22–25. She put the sermon in context of the song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” She compared the song to America’s political situation. She also talked about how we need two healings from Christ. The first necessary healing would allow us to see, and the second is to allow us to see people for more than just objects. She ended by talking about how individual humans are weak and, but together Christians are the eyes and hands of the church. That is not the end of the world as we know it; “it’s a world without end. Amen,” she ended.
THE GEORGETONIAN/DOUG MOLLETT
Left: Rev. Nathaniel Price leads worship. Above: Rev. Dr. Blevins preaches out of the Gospel of Mark.
The Georgetonian Sports & Recreation The English Premier League and why you should watch it
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By WEST OSBORN Staff Writer
This weekend is the last NFL game of the season— the Super Bowl. The offseason is long, and I know a lot of fans fill it with draft news and other personnel rumors, maybe even another American sport. As for me, I fill the offseason with English soccer (err… I mean football). The Premier League season starts in August and each team will play 38 matches between then and May, amongst many other matches in other tournaments and competitions. With twenty teams in the league that means they will play every team in the league twice.
Rather than looking at a the season, the top six teams team’s record to determine to watch are Chelsea (55), their standArsenal ings, points are (47), Totearned for their tenham efforts in each (46), Livermatch (three pool (45), for a win, one Manchesfor a draw, zero ter City for a loss). This (43) and season has been Manchesfilled with nothter United ing but excite(41). ment. Some of Chelthe best players sea strugand coaches have gled to find been brought form last into the league Source: Wikipedia.com season this season and Wayne Rooney scores his as the have created a 250th goal for Manchester defending tight race for the United making him the club’s c h a m p i number one spot all–time top scorer. ons. Howin the table. ever, with Currently 22 games into their new manager, Antonio
Conte, they have been nearly unstoppable. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City started off the season in spectacular form but have recently begun to fall down the table. Jose Mourinho had a sub-par start to his first season with Manchester United but they have slowly but surely begun to show their ability to be a wonderful team and make a run for the top of the table. If you are looking for something to whet your appetite for sports during the NFL offseason, I highly recommend you give English soccer a chance. Some games can be boring, but that is more than made up for by the clashes of the top teams or an occa-
sional upset from a lower team. I’ll leave you with three great reasons why you should watch the English Premier league (or any soccer for that matter). First, there are no commercial breaks during the game, only during halftime. Second, the offseason consists of three short months with lots of transfer news and drama. Third, we get almost every Premier League game here on campus on NBC Sports and other NBC network channels. So what do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing. Look up the schedule, pick a team, and start watching.
Georgetown College Equestrian Team shows at U.K. By LINDSEY PHILLIPS Staff Writer
The Georgetown College Equestrian Team competed this past weekend at a facility in Frankfort where University of Kentucky hosted. Both Saturday and Sunday, members of Georgetown College Equestrian Team showed to the best of their ability. For the first show of the semester, the team is proud and excited for what is to come. On Saturday, Bob Cacchione, the creator of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, sought out the members of GC to get to know everyone. Cacchione asked each teammate about their riding experience and
wished them luck in the weekend ahead. He exuded excitement about what the Georgetown College Equestrian Team has to offer IHSA and the conclusion of this year’s season. Cacchione is also looking ahead to the future of GCET and IHSA Nationals will be held again this year at the Kentucky Horse Park. GCET is striving to make the points needed at Morehead to compete at Regionals. Sophomore Ashley Duvall, had her first show back on campus this weekend. She received points this weekend that bring her count to 32. To compete at regionals, Ashley must get
four points at the show on February 11 and 12 at Morehead State University. GCET had some new fans come out to watch them compete this weekend. One of the supporters was Junior Jessica Rounce. She said, “This being my first time attending an event like this, it was really neat to see the dedication and passion of all the riders. I have many friends who ride on the team, so it was cool to see the end result of why they are always running off to the barn. While I couldn’t really understand what exactly it was the riders were being judged on, it was still really interesting to watch a sport so different from what any other team is doing on
Georgetown’s campus.” The Equestrian team loved having friends come out to watch and be supportive on the bleachers. Sophia Allen is a Freshman teammate, who competes in Novice Equitation and Novice Over Fences. For her jumping courses this weekend, she got a second place and a fifth place. In one of her flat classes she also received fifth. She has only increased in her ability this season, and is hoping to qualify for regionals at the next show. If she were to not qualify this year, her points would carry over to next season. However, she is determined to get there and her perfor-
mance at MSU will be one to watch. Bethany Jones (sophomore) and Erin Myers (senior) have both already qualified for regionals. The end of the season is fast approaching and GCET is excited to see who else will extend their season this year. Overall, GCET did a great job at UK’s show this past weekend. The next show is February 11 and 12 at Morehead State University facilites in Morehead Ky.
February 1, 2017 Sports & Recreation UK Football builds class; Basketball team hits rough patch Issue 2
By LOGAN SMART Staff Writer
The excitement of University of Kentucky football has not wavered despite the start of the offseason following bowl games. While Calipari’s Cats continue their success on the hardwood, the football program staff and coaches have been hard at work quietly building what could potentially be the best recruiting class in school history. It’s easy to forget about the “other” major revenue sport that performs for our state’s flagship institution, but luckily, high school athletes are taking notice. Historically, the program has been one worthy of titles such as “laughingstock of the SEC,” “cellar–dwellers” and unable to succeed due to the “basketball school” culture
of UK. However, head coach Mark Stoops has finally started to see the fruits of his labor pay off. The tide is turning in terms of talent on the field, perception of the program to recruits and fans and in the win column. This year’s signing class currently consists of 24 commits with some of the best athletes from Ohio, Florida and Kentucky. On the defensive side of the ball, the class is highlighted by ESPN300 defensive backs Yusuf Corker and Tyrell Ajian as well as a number of extremely high potential guys on the defensive line. Since the defensive line is the area of largest necessary improvement, it was vital for Coach Stoops and head recruiter Vince Marrow to add talent and depth to the position group.
Offensively, the class is headlined by phenomenal athletes and top rated Ohio prospects Lynn Bowden and Javonte Richardson. Bowden has drawn comparisons to Randall Cobb who Wildcat fans will remember as an electric playmaker from any position on the offense. Joining them, the Cats add a collection of three star receivers and offensive linemen adding depth to an already potent returning offensive squad. Lexington native Walker Wood joins Danny Clark as the two quarterback signees of the class, while 6’6”, 305 lbs offensive lineman Austin Dotson is the only other home state signee out of Belfry, Ky. (espn.com). February 1 marks the signing day for all high school seniors across the country and is an important
step towards their future education and athletic aspirations. If you know of or see any of these individuals, wish them luck. Back inside Rupp Arena, this year’s young squad has hit a rough patch. Having dropped their last two contests on the road to conference foe Tennessee and at home to fellow powerhouse Kansas, the Cats must right their ship soon. Freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox has struggled as of late, making decisions that have led to bad shots and careless turnovers. Sophomore vocal leader Isaiah Briscoe must learn to control his own emotions as well as be smarter with his decision making. Seniors Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis are going to be relied on heavily down the stretch,
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more so for their experience, demeanor, and intangibles than statistical production on the floor. The Cats have clear weaknesses that Coach Calipari has acknowledged. The straight–line drive defense must improve among the exterior defenders as the offensive production is no longer putting up 95 points a game to compensate. Calipari is still looking for another big man to battle physically on the defensive end alongside Bam Adebayo. While on the offensive end, Malik Monk cannot carry the full weight of both the go–to scorer and sharpshooter to generate an efficient offense. As of this writing, Kentucky stands at eighth in the country with a 17–4 overall record while also tied atop the SEC at 7–1.
GC Men’s Basketball Defeats University of Pikeville
By MANDY FLAIG Staff Writer
On Thursday January 27, our Georgetown Tigers Mens Basketball Team beat their rivals, the University of Pikeville, 64–45. UPike has always considered Georgetown their rival in all sports. They are rarely successful in their goal to beat the tigers. The rivalry was fueled even more when UPIKE beat the Tigers in football which ruined Georgetown’s chance at making playoffs. This was the first time the University of Pikeville has beaten Georgetown
in football in eight years. ing right behind the Tigers. Because of this, when they Our Tigers refused to lose managed to beat our tigers and sought to get revenge for the first time in history it against the university of fueled a huge rivalry against Pikeville. When the Tigers UPIKE. came back to play the second Fortunathalf of ley, our men’s the game, basketball team they gave came back with it their all, a vengeance and pulling pulled through through with a win. The a n d game started ending the out as a close game with match with the almost a first half ending twenty in a score of point lead. 23–21 resulting Source: Georgetowncolleathletics.com T h e in UPIKE trail- Edson Avila shoots for two. l a d y
Tigers were not as successful, but they gave a great effort and gave UPIKE a run for their money. Emilie Ziese said “We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but we are a team that doesn’t give up and goes back tot the drawing board so we can make improvements. There’s always something to improve and learn.” The final score was 73-56. UPIKE proved to be a tough competitor for our Lady Tigers. The girls were able to keep the score extremely close during the first half of the game. The lady tigers gave the last
half of the game their all. Although UPIKE proved to be a harder competitor than our ladies planned for, we are still very proud of their efforts in Thursday’s game. The girls did not let the loss keep then down and continue to work hard at practices.
Features
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The Georgetonian
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Tom Johnston By BAILEE BOGGESS Opinion Editor Each week, the Georgetonian features a senior on campus who has made an impact of some form during their time at Georgetown. This week, Tom Johnston is the senior to be focused on. He is originally from Carmel, Ind. Despite being from out– of–state, Tom found his home at Georgetown. He says that prayer was the driving force behind his choice; “Georgetown College was/is an answered prayer, God led me to Georgetown College.” Tom is a communication and media studies major and believes that choosing this path has been the best decision he has made since graduating high school. The communicationsDepartment is his “immediate family inside the Tiger community.” Because of Georgetown’s close–knit
community, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the department has this effect on students. Johnston emphasizes that the department has allowed him to grow spiritually, intellectually and has helped him to develop relationships with people that he considers life– long friends. Reflecting on his time in the department, Johnston said, “As a second semester senior, I often find myself reflecting on the day I was welcomed with open arms by the Tiger community and the Communication family.” His favorite class at Georgetown was Seminar in Communication and Media Studies, and his favorite professor is Dr. Susan Dummer. He states that he cannot express his gratitude enough for the opportunities that she has made possible for him. He also sends special thanks out to Coach Bill Cronan.
Espresso Ministry By ELIZABETH SMITH Graphics Editor At the Freshman Family Groups annual fall retreat to Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center, the Common Ground team was inspired to begin a new ministry here on campus. After talking with another school on the retreat to learn more about their espresso ministry, Georgetown’s leaders saw a need for our campus. After a great deal of discussion and processing various ideas,
the leaders saw a need to minister to Georgetown students with a late night ministry. Towards the end of the fall semester, campus minister Rev. Dr. Bryan Langlands was able to buy an espresso machine for the campus. Since then, multiple student ministry leaders are now trained baristas for the ministry. The leaders make the drinks special to order; current flavor options include hazelnut, vanilla and caramel. On Wednesday nights
Photo submitted by Tom Johnston
During his time at Georgetown, Tom has been involved with the GC Football team. He played from December of 2015 to November of 2016. He also is an active member of non– profit organizations that have a focus in social service and faith. Regarding work, he has been a consultant/intern for Interact for Health. This is a Cincinnati based organization
starting at 8:00 p.m., students may go to the basement of the chapel for a latte or hot chocolate. This ministry was designed with the needs of students in mind. The leaders saw a need to provide coffee drinks to students who are getting out of late practices or need a study break without having to go off campus. Students may come for a drink before returning to their homework or studying, but they are also invited to stay for fellowship, worship, prayer and teaching which starts at 8:30 p.m. In addition to the Wednesday night activities, the team
that serves a 20–county area in the tristate region, where he worked with heroin prevention and opioid misuse. He also works for a landscape/ hardscape company when at home. One of Tom’s biggest accomplishments during his collegiate career was the development of an app through his participation in the Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp which is through the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Kentucky. He was able to lead a startup initiative. The focus of the project was to “unify communication through a personalized platform,” with the software company UNi specializing in the “streamlining of higher education communication.” He states, “Our team focused on developing a platform that reinforced a wholistic approach. Platform serves as a one stop shop, success-
fully meeting student’s social, academic, safety, extracurricular, and health needs.” So far, the front–end app design is complete. Tom and his team are now working towards getting the amount of funding needed to complete the process. He refers to the efforts as “pitch competitions.” After graduation, Tom plans on working in the public health and government administration at a higher level. He wants to help those who have substance use disorders and the populations that are related to these disorders. He also wants to continue to focus on his entrepreneurship opportunities as they present themselves. Eventually, he hopes to start his own company to help those with substance use disorders, and to run for office at the state and federal level. Continued on Page 7...
would like to use espresso drinks as an avenue to reach the rest of the Georgetown College community by bringing the espresso drinks to events such as Future Tiger Fridays. Continued on page 7...
THE GEORGETONIAN/ELIZABETH SMITH
Features
Issue 2
Feburary 1, 2017 Page 7
Kinesiology Health Science Club Spotlight By BAILEE BOGGESS At Georgetown, there are many different types of clubs that students can get involved in. One of them, the Kinesiology Club, has been very active on campus this academic year. Originally started by several students and faculty within the department, the club has grown from just a few members to a collection of many passionate students wanting to work to spread awareness about Kinesiology and health studies. Ultimately, the goal of the club is to promote healthy living and setting realistic exercise goals for students and faculty. The club strives to provide resources for the campus community that emphasizes kinesiology. These can include
tools students can use for school or their future career, or even just basic lifestyle tips. The club is open to all students of any major or minor but places an emphasis on students who are majoring or minoring in Exercise Science, Health Science, Athletic Training and Public Health. The officers for the 2016– 2017 year are as followed. Aubrey Walter is the current president, with Brittney Moshos as Vice President. Danielle Lang is serving as treasurer, Spencer Sims, Rob Bonse and Jacob Roberts head up public relations. The networking aspect of things is covered by Emily Anderson and Fatima Maxwell. In the fall semester of 2016, the KHS club sponsored the Exercise is Medicine month in October. The members and
Senior Spotlight Contined...
Espresso Ministry Continued...
He aspires to give back to Georgetown by building a state of the art academic facility for the college after creating a professional life. Tom’s parting words for underclassmen are as followed: “Stay in the moment, but constantly seek opportunities that will help maximize your potential. Regardless of your major/ extracurricular involvement every professor, coach, faculty and staff member are here for a reason (as students WE are that reason). Rather than taking their willingness to serve for granted, embrace it by developing relationships and expressing your gratitude.”
When asked what impact this approach to ministry will have for Georgetown students, team member Marcus Price responded, “It will give students the ability to enter into the ministry without the pressures of having to sign their name down as totally committed. It’s a way to reach as many students as possible.” José Baeza led worship at the kickoff night last week alongside Awaken Love ministry. José said, “We felt a very warm atmosphere. It was a place where people could encounter the Lord and hang out with friends, it made me very happy. Also, the coffee was spectacular.”
Opinion Editor
other students participated in a walking program to engage the campus in healthy, active living. A social media contest was developed to raise awareness about a healthy lifestyle. Finally, different active faculty, staff and students were featured in the Georgetonian newspaper. After all their hard work in the past semester, the officers are very proud of all the accomplishments they have made. Their advocacy for living a healthy lifestyle has been promoted in educational ways for all of those who are on campus. In reflecting on her time in the club, senior Brittney Moshos said, “The Kinesiology club has allowed me to grow as a person through holding multiple leadership roles. They have allowed me
If you would like to become involved or learn more about the ministry, you may contact student leaders Marcus Price, Elizabeth Smith, Emily Evans or Kater Riddle. The team will continue to train baristas later in the semester and would love for more students to get involved in the ministry.
to develop professionally and I will be able to take the skills I have learned and apply them to my future career. Also, I have been allowed to participate in campus–wide events which has allowed me to grow as a student at Georgetown.” Over the course of the semester, the KHS club is planning three to four new and exciting events to bring to campus. They will hopefully be offered to students as Nexus events and will cover topics that help students prepare for their careers and life after Georgetown. Some professions that might come up would be physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, nursing, athletic training, sports administration, cardiac rehab therapy, and more.
Secretary, Spencer Sims, looks forward to this semester and said, “Our KHS Club has been working really hard with healthcare professionals to provide events that will benefit our student body as a whole for the upcoming months. We plan to include different professions so that students can get a well–rounded experience during their time in the club. We are also planning ahead for the next Exercise is Medicine month and are really excited to get our campus more involved in the campaign.” Overall, the KHS club has many new opportunities coming up for students to take advantage of this semester. Georgetown’s campus wishes the club good luck on their endeavors and future events!
QUOTE MY GEORGETOWN PROFESSOR
“Let’s face it, I’m not going to retire. I’m probably going to die in my office.” Dr. Rebecca Singer
Quote taken from Quote My Georgetown Professor Facebook page
ArtsEntertainment
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The Georgetonian
“La La Land” is fresh and inspiring By DEVON WILLIAMS Staff Writer . Fresh in theaters around the country is a film that has been dominating award shows, critic reviews, record sales and ticket sales; that film is, “La La Land.” It tells a story of the relationship between an aspiring actress and a jazz pianist in the colorful, fantastic but unforgiving world of Los Angeles. Part of the film’s charm is in the unfolding of the narrative, so I won’t say anything more than that. This is a love letter to old Hollywood, modern L.A., film and jazz. Many old films are given nods through aesthetics, sound and dance. It’s also a masterful blend of comedy, drama, romance and romanticism (of jazz, film and L.A). The picture is brought to us by young gun, Damien Chazelle, a man
who is rising in the film world with great speed and gravity. In 2014, Chazelle wrote and directed the critically acclaimed “Whiplash,” a film highly regarded in writing and directing (among many other things). It is widely considered to be one of the best films of the 2010’s and even the 21st century. Two years later, he has done it again. He has written and directed only his second picture. Second! If the 7 Golden Globe wins aren’t enough evidence that this guy is special, look to the record–tying 14 Oscar nominations for this film. Here, he shows his directing prowess, really getting the most that he can get out of his writing, actors, music, cinematography, etc. With these two fantastic pictures under his belt, I’m excited to see what he does next. The film is led by two genuinely
heart–warming performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, with an onscreen chemistry rhyming of classic Hollywood duos like Tracy & Hepburn or Bogart & Bacall. Stone beautifully plays an aspiring actress who dreams of being on the silver screen, even sleeping under a mural of Ingrid Bergman. Gosling portrays a poor, old–fashioned jazz pianist who lives in the past, much like the city in which he resides. These two give incredibly believable and likable performances. As you might have heard, the two had to learn how to sing and dance; Gosling even learned to play the piano for the screen. The music, composed by Justin Hurwitz, sweeps the story along with beauty and grace. The songs and score all contribute to the story and character development through big, upbeat numbers and
small, intimate pieces that are hopeful, yet tragic at times. The soundtrack has done incredibly well in sales and on the Billboard charts. The music has really struck a chord with audiences. It isn’t a perfect film, as people will undoubtedly say; there is no such thing. But it is as close to perfection as it can be. This is a heart–felt story made by dreamers about chasing your dream. Like the characters in “La La Land,” all dreamers question whether or not they are good enough. But this film doesn’t condemn them; it pushes and applauds them. As Emma Stone sings in the song “Audition,” “here’s to the fools who dream, crazy as they may seem.” Chase your dream as the group of individuals responsible for this film did. Art is important. This film aknowledges that.
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ArtsEntertainment “A Series of Unfortunate Events:” now on Netflix Issue 2
By ELIZABETH SMITH Graphics Editor This January, Netflix released their original series “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” The show is based on the book series by Lemony Snicket. Though originally written for children, many now enjoy the plot in the show. In 2004 the book series was turned into a movie. However, the movie only received an audience score of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. One review said that “it just kind of spins its wheels” while others complained of lack of climax (www.rottentomatoes.com). I believe that these reviews are a result of the movie’s attempt to combine three of the thirteen books into one movie. The Netflix series has received an
February 1, 2017 Page 9
audience score of 82%. Personally, I enjoy the show more than the movie because there is more room for Snicket’s style and creativity to show. One reviewer said, “The dark writing is still the star of the show here, bringing the characters to life in all of their misery” (www.rottentomatoes. com). The style of writing that appears in the tone of the show is what makes such a miserable story so captivating. “A Series of Unfortunate Events” tells the epic story the Baudelaire orphans: Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Upon the death of their parents, the orphans are sent to live with their distant relative Count Olaf. Count Olaf and his theatre troupe attempt his corrupt scheme to marry Violet in pursuit of the family fortune. The intelligent and creative chil-
dren evade the horrible scheme and their family financial advisor places them in the care of another distant relative. However, Olaf reappears in disguise with another plan. The children foil that plan and then another, then another, then another… Count Olaf is played by Neil Patrick Harris. Harris is widely known for his role as Barney Stinson in “How I Met Your Mother.” However, he has recently starred in the original Broadway cast of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” To me, it is Harris’s experience in musical theatre that prepared him so well to pull off the disguises of Count Olaf with such zeal. Spoiler alert: my favorite aspect of the show is that the audience is aware that the parents are actually alive. When I read the books in elementary
school I, sympathized for the orphans, though I also lacked an appreciation for rhetorical devices such as irony. I enjoy the dramatic irony in the show in that it contributes to the dark humor that makes “A Series of Unfortunate Events” less of a tragic experience. Honestly, if I didn’t know the parents were alive, I would be too depressed after the first episode to continue watching. If I didn’t continue watching, then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of enjoying the style of Lemony Snicket, the theatrical brilliance of Neil Patrick Harris or the excitement of seeing some of my favorite childhood novels come to life.
Reviewing “Arrival” and the debut of the Corgi system By HARRY SMITH Staff Writer I’m a little late to the starting block with this one. Usually, I try to only put out reviews of movies that have come out recently. However, since Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 film “Arrival” has seen theater resurgence because of its critical acclaim and eight Oscar nominations, I’ll let myself make an exception. “Arrival” stars Amy Adams as Louise Banks, a linguist, and Jeremy Renner as Ian Donnelly, a theoretical physicist. The story revolves around the arrival of aliens on Earth. Their task is simple: find out how the aliens got here and what they want. As the mysterious ships linger in the sky, tension around the world builds and open hostilities brew that could lead to an all–out war with these mysterious travelers.
“Arrival” is primarily a science– fiction movie that focuses more on the science. To me, this was crucial to keeping me engaged and keeping the story grounded. While the scale and stakes of the movie were enormous, it felt like a small, personal piece. Most of the movie is centered on these two characters trying to communicate with our intergalactic visitors. Don’t see this movie if you are looking for an action flic. This is a precise, methodical film that takes you through the process of what it might be like to learn the language of something completely inhuman. The extraterrestrials are thoroughly alien and share almost no features with humanity. The protagonists are given what seems at first to be an impossible task, but nevertheless, they work against the odds and against the clock to unravel the mysteries of a new language.
As the story progresses, Banks becomes beaten down by exhaustion, emotional turmoil and the pressures of the world. Yet somehow she perseveres and through her work we get to the climax. This, for me, is where the story shifted from science to fiction. I loved the ending and the implications it had for the characters. I enjoyed everything about this movie. Personally, it is the best movie I have seen in a while. On my new rating scale, I’d have to give this film 5 out of 5 Corgis, the most superior breed of dog for a superior movie. One of my favorite things is that I get a multitude of answers when I ask myself “What did it mean?” Many philosophical and hypothetical questions arise from the plot, which I won’t get into here for the sake of spoilers. One obvious theme you could draw from the movie is xenophobia. The
fear of the unknown or the foreign can have dire consequences for the world. We, as a nation and as the human race, should strive to avoid unnecessary hostilities from differences between creed or color. However, at the end of the day, this is a film about language. It underscores the inescapable necessity of communicating not only with the unknown but also with each other. “Arrival” shows that communication fosters social and scientific progress for humanity, which is an ideal that I believe we should all hope to achieve.
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Georgetonian
Opinion
Trump abandons reason and empathy in newest executive order
The
Editor–in–Chief..............................................Raleigh Dixon Managing Editor.............................................. Doug Mollett News Editor...................................................... Doug Mollett S&R Editor.................................................... Bethany Jones Features Editor............................................... Meredith Bell A&E Editor...........................................................Ross Smith Opinion Editor.............................................. Bailee Boggess Back Page Editor.....................................Rachel Cheatham Web Editor ................................................Rachel Cheatham Graphics Editor............................................Elizabeth Smith Copy Editor.....................................................Whitney Bryan Copy Editor.................................................... Bethany Jones Copy Editor..................................................... Kallie Fleming Faculty Advisor...........................................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:
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The Georgetonian
By BETHANY JONES Sports Editor Despair, hopelessness, pure fury, gut–wrenching pain and baffled sadness. That’s been the cycle of emotions rushing through my mind since Donald Trump’s election, and they’re only getting more intense. Donald Trump’s executive orders freezing immigration from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen in the name of “safety” is completely and utterly appalling. Refugees, Green Card holders and Visa holders have been held detained in airports across the country. Fun fact: these majority– Muslim countries, according to NPR among other sources, have not produced a single terrorist that performed an attack on this country in at least the past two decades. This blatant discrimination against Muslims raises questions about Trump’s lack of business ties in these particular countries, given that countries such as Saudi Arabia which have a history of producing Anti–American extremists were left off the list. In light of this, I remind you that entire families— mothers, fathers, children and loved ones—are lying dead and dismembered in the rubble of some of these conflict–ridden countries. I remind you that while these people are mourning, dying and suffering unimaginable fear and pain,
we elected a man who told them to stay away. These refugees are not cowardly people running from their problems. They are tired, weary and pained people who deserve to be treated like human beings If you support the idea that Trump’s executive order is for the safety of our country, then I dare you to look me in the eyes and tell me that the loss of children’s lives is worth preserving our fragile perception of “safety.” This country desperately needs a lesson in empathy. In fact, humor me and take a moment of your day to imagine that you have no home and have lost everything familiar to you; you are now an orphan and the only one from your family to survive a bombing; a stranger led you to refugee camp where all you can hear day and night are the screams and cries of your people; you no longer know what love feels like. Now imagine that your only hope was to escape, but that hope vanished with one signature full of hatred signed by a man who doesn’t even know you. Terrifying, isn’t it? In a correlated train of thought, let us now take a moment to remember the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want to be treated. In fact, this concept is quite simple. One would think that because of the descriptor (and its simplicity), Trump would be interested in it, but apparently being a decent human being is so far outside his rep-
ertoire of comprehensive skills that he’s willing to ignore his favorite color. Not only is the executive order completely deplorable in and of itself, but the fact that other Senate and House majority leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan actually claim to support the move by Trump truly is mind–boggling (The Washington Post). I genuinely do not understand how people can have such a lack of conscience. And every single argument spouted from their mouths has been weak and empty—citing only that dangerous people wouldn’t be let into the country. Logically this doesn’t work, and as suggested earlier probably isn’t even remotely true. Although Trump claims that this wasn’t a ban on Muslims, that’s sure how everyone else views it. Given his history of deceit and disconnection with reality, it really doesn’t matter what he claims, he needs to understand that just because he says it, doesn’t make a statement true or right. As I wrote this, my phone buzzed with new reports of a federal judge issuing a stay on certain aspects of the ban, but the damage has been done, the message has been sent. On Monday, Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to enforce Trump’s unconstitutional order. While it’s nice to know that a few in our government are willing to stand up to Trump, there need to be many more.
Writing Center Opens on Sunday Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
Opinion Why are we incapable of political conversation?
Issue 2
By HALEY OLIVER Staff Writer
“Politics” has become a dirty word. It’s the subject that everyone tells you not to bring up at the dinner table. It’s that crap your opinionated uncle is always posting on Facebook. It’s the quickest way to get yourself into a heated argument that seems to run in circles until both parties are too exhausted to go on. If you’re like me, you might keep your political conversation to a minimum simply to avoid confrontation. Or perhaps you seek out individuals who will listen and validate your thoughts rather than make you feel as if you’ve just pressed a self–destruct button. Both of these strategies
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might help preserve your mental health, but they are very harmful to a nation that relies on its people for coherent governance. You might be thinking “false, the government (and the dirty politicians that run it) represents the people in the same way Westboro Baptist represents peaceful protest.” And you might be correct. The government of the United States is meant to be a representative democracy. However, it seems as though we have never quite established a stable definition of “representative.” In our earliest years, only the opinions of land–owning white males were represented in governmental decisions. Since then we have (formally) extended the right of participation to
African–Americans, women, people with disabilities and most other groups of people. Ideally, a developed nation with universal suffrage that boasts a representative democracy would actually represent its citizens. However, if there is anything productive to learn from our nation’s political and social history, it is the art of self–evaluation. Perhaps it is time now to reevaluate our current situation. In the 2016 general election, an estimated 57.9% of people eligible to vote actually voted. Over 40% of the eligible population was not represented in this election. As for local elections, approximately 20.6% of eligible voters turned out for the primaries in our home state of Kentucky (state.
gov). Part of the problem might include the countless physical barriers preventing many Americans, especially those of lower socioeconomic status, from voting. Another major problem, however, seems to be a widespread lack of faith in our political system. This lack of faith might be merited, as its decisions tend to cater to the “needs” of large corporations over and above its hard working citizens. But I digress. The point of all this is to emphasize something that anyone could easily state: the government of the United States does not currently represent its citizens in the way that it should. But my other point is to tell you why we must not throw up our hands
in exasperation. Our government will never wake up, admit it has a problem and start a rehabilitation program on its own. Fortunately, there are about 318.9 million individuals who have the power to incite change. If you are fed up with the circus we currently call “politics,” start talking about it. Vote in local elections. Search for news sources that inform rather than affirm. Attempt a rational conversation with your obnoxious uncle. The issues you care about will never be adequately solved by the brainpower of one political party alone, much less one demographic alone. We need to start talking about politics. It is time to actively and genuinely participate.
lands National Park unofficial Twitter account last week as news of the gag order released. If not, there are supposedly a few park rangers who decided to take matters into their own hands and make Twitter accounts that are not restricted by Trump in order to keep the public informed. It may very well have been someone else trying to make up a story. Regardless, we are now living in a world where our president is afraid of science and fake news is most likely the norm. If that were not true, none of this would have gone as viral as it did. Another thought could be that it is standard procedure for these federal agencies to
halt public communications during a time of presidential and personnel transition. But if that is the case, I have only one question. Why? Why do the National Park Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and other scientific agencies be silenced? Their content should be objective and not relevant to the current political ideologies in the White House. Unless those ideologies refute scientific fact, or these agencies need a blackout period to get their personnel transitions finalized. But if that were the case, why not tell that to the public? It would save everyone the headache and hassle of pointing fin-
gers. I understand that the government cannot and should not disclose all Intel to the public. Sometimes it is for the best if we do not know about our military dealings or foreign affairs. But, science isn’t politics. The distribution of scientific knowledge and research does not need to be muddied with political dealings. It’s one thing for the government to decide to allocate funds in one place or deny funds to another in alignment with their beliefs, but it’s another to say, “no I don’t agree with these facts; the public doesn’t need to see them.” It scares me that I can pull up three reputable news
sources and they all contradict one another; not on their opinions, but on their facts. I implore all of you to read carefully and think before you accept what the media has to say is true. Don’t get caught up in all of the fake news and these alternative facts. At this point we should no longer have to convince people that climate change is real and that humans are the main cause. That’s fact, it shouldn’t be an argument anymore. We should be spending our time convincing people that we should be doing something about it. That’s an opinion, we should talk about that. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
National Park System stands against Trump
By WEST OSBORN Staff Writer Over the past week, I have heard news claiming that President Trump has placed a gag order on multiple federal agencies. Also, there are some claiming that the gag orders were fake. I’m not here to argue whether these orders have in fact been put in place. The problem is that we are dealing with either an embargo of scientific facts and research, or fake news . They both are completely believable and disgusting. As a scientist, thinking of all of these “alternative facts” makes me sick. That term shouldn’t even exist. I’m sure we all saw the Bad-
T H E B A C K PA G E By RACHEL CHEATHAM
A woman who has respect refugees.
Let them in Dear readers of the BackPage, It’s been the pattern within US history for the majority of the population to disagree with raising the amount of refugees in America. However, using this as an avid reason for cutting the refugee cap from 110,000 to 50,000 means that the President has failed to understand why citizens are upset now. It’s not a matter of which President cut or raised the refugee total, but the reasons why. One of the reasons for stronger vetting and the pause on certain aspects on American refugee systems is the threat they could pose to civilian saftey. However, history shows that of the 750,000 refugees admitted to the U.S. since 9/11 “none have been arrested on domestic terrorism charges, though two—a pair of Iraqis in Kentucky—were charged with terrorist activities connected to aiding al-Qaeda” (time.com). From September 11, 2001, to December 31, 2014, there were 3,066 Americans who died in terrorist attacks. 2,902 of these deaths occured during 9/11, meaning only 164 citizens had died since then (start.umd.edu). To put this into perspective, 440,095 Americans have died as a result of gun violence (CNN). The US’ refugee vetting program is already highly critical of all applicants. To add further vetting sounds ideal, but when the actual process takes 18—24 (time.com) months, and has 20 different steps which are: “1. Registration with the United Nations. 2. Interview with the United Nations. 3. Refugee status granted by the United Nations. 4. Referral for resettlement in the
United States. (The United Nations decides if the person fits the definition of a refugee and whether to refer the person to the United States or to another country for resettlement. Only the most vulnerable are referred, accounting for less than than one percent of refugees worldwide. Some people spend years waiting in refugee camps.) 5. Interview with State Department contractors. 6. First background check. 7. Higher—level background check for some. 8. Another background check. 9. First fingerprint screening; photo taken. 10. Second fingerprint screening. 11. Third fingerprint screening. 12. Case reviewed at United States immigration headquarters. 13. Some cases referred for additional review. (Syrian applicants must undergo these two additional steps. Each is reviewed by a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services refugee specialist. Cases with “national security indicators” are given to the Homeland Security Department’s fraud detection unit.) 14. Extensive, in—person interview with Homeland Security officer. 15. Homeland Security approval is required. 16. Screening for contagious diseases. 17. Cultural orientation class. 18. Matched with an American resettlement agency. 19. Multi—agency security check before leaving for the United States. 20. Final security check at an American airport” (nytimes.com). Taking into account these two
important facts, we should have a greater understanding as to why people would be agitated and concerned with Trump cutting the allotted number of refugees in the U.S. to 50,000. With the Syrian Civil War having no end in sight, and seeing as Russia is vetoing aid to the Syrian rebels from the U.N. Security Council, it leaves Syrian citizens little choice except to flee. The media dubbed the seven country ban the President initiated the “Muslim Ban.” While you could argue for or against it, we still need to address the refugee situation. Because at the end of the day, this is about more than Democrats and Republicans. This is for the safety of our fellow human beings. So, given the extreme rarity of danger refugees pose, I am disturbed that we would close our doors to people. People whose deepest wish is for help and Source: flickr.com asylum for their families. We have the privilege of fearing ridicule for our political stances, while others who will be turned away at our borders fear death. Being afraid of Muslims is not synonymous with being afraid of ISIS. Muslims are not terrorists. True Muslism who follow the teachings of Allah, their God, are not and have never been terrorists. I understand the push for a stronger military, and I understand our concern for Middle East relations. But, what good does strength do if it doesn’t protect the weak, those who most need it?
There are millions in the world who need the assistance of a super power, and if the U.S. doesn’t step up, then someone else will. Yes, in the past Obama had 70,000 as the cap, but he raised it to account for the increase in international conflict. The U.S. State Department’s Refugee Processing center recorded “in the first quarter of fiscal 2017, almost twice as many refugees have entered the U.S. as in the first quarter of the year before, when nearly 14,000 refugees entered the country (Pewresearch.org).” You can argue that we won’t have
50,000 refugees come to our country. You can say that it was rare if at all that George W. Bush or Barack Obama ever reached their limit. Even if the limit was never reached, lowering the cap sends a negative message to the international community. Winston Churchill said “The price of greatness is responsibility.” If we truly aim for America to be great again, then we must also recognize our responsibility to those around us, not only our fellow citizens but the nations and people that make up our international community.