The Franklin: Feb. 20, 2015

the

franklin Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 • TheFranklinNews.com

College-owned café hoping for more student involvement, gearing up for new events

By Gabrielle Sully

gabrielle.sully@franklincollege.edu

66 Water Street Arts Café, an off-campus gallery and café opened by the college in December 2012, may be updated in upcoming months.

Brooke Worland, dean of alumni and student engagement, sent an email to faculty late last year asking for departments or interdisciplinary faculty/staff teams to submit engaged learning proposals on ways they could use the café for academic purposes.

Although proposals were due to Worland by Feb. 2, she did not respond to an interview request regarding the proposals by publication.

The art department used to be involved with the café. The college requires art students to hold their senior shows there.

Franklin College received a 10-year lease on the property from the city in June 2012. The college used employees to manage the cafe.

Dan Schluge, vice president for business and finance and a former manager of the café, said the college decided that as an educational institution, the café’s resources would be best put toward scholastic’s practices.

The college has used the space for community and college live music performances, art shows and creative events.

Sodexo began managing the cafe in November 2014. Students work

in the café as a work-study job.

The only on-site Sodexo participant is a part-time supervisor.

Kiera Shackelford, a freshman and student employee said she’s very passionate about the café.

“It’s a very comfortable and relaxing place to be that’s off campus but not too far away,” Shackelford said. “And I feel like it has so much potential to be amazing.”

The main goal of the café continues to be the same, Schluge said. The property is a partnership between the college and the city, a place for everyone to come together as a community.

Hailey Houston, a Franklin resident, had not heard of the cafe.

“I have lived in Franklin for years, and I knew nothing about this place,” Houston said. “I wish I did before now. It sounds like it is full of promise.”

Les Petroff, food service director, said Sodexo plans to bring more entrees, sides, milkshake flavors and bakery items.

Tessa Bernard, current supervisor, mentioned potentially bringing back a wine and canvas event and open mic night.

“I really just love to watch the students grow,” Bernard said, “I love liberal arts colleges the best because the students are so incredibly creative.

I want the space to be utilized.”

Zoie Richey: The Franklin

66 Water Street Arts Café’s space can be rented by anyone via the Franklin College booking process. The cafe can close for private events or open on its closed days.

“I love liberal arts colleges the best because the students are so incredibly creative. I want the space to be utilized.”

Tessa Bernard,

Sodexo supervisor at 66 Water Street Art Café

Safe Zone Training

>> Page 4

Hamilton Auditorium

>> Page 5

Michael Powell

>> Pages 6, 7

Tennis and Track

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news Sodexo Behind the Glass: Food service director says Sodexo does not reuse food

By Ellie Price

ellen.price@franklincollege.edu

Although some students said they believe Sodexo serves leftovers, Les Petroff, food service director, said that’s not the case.

Because most food is placed under a warmer for an hour or two, Sodexo has to throw it away, Petroff said.

Sophomore Wanda Gaines said she believes Sodexo reuses food. After Valentine’s Day, Sodexo served the same desserts for the next few days, she said.

Gaines said she normally doesn’t have an issue with eating leftovers until Sodexo serves the same food item for three consecutive days.

“I think that’s when it starts getting nasty and the quality goes downhill,” she said.

Petroff said Sodexo uses batch cooking – a “cook-to-order” process where employees start cooking entrées when they are low on food to serve.

For example, if Sodexo is running low on fried fish, an employee will cook another pan that will be ready in five to six minutes, he said.

“You have to be careful with that because it’s easier to run out,” Petroff said. “But it’s also a way not to have a lot of waste.”

Petroff said some meals like lasagna take hours to cook. With these options, Sodexo has to put the food in hours in advance so that it is ready when students are hungry.

He said Sodexo employees maintain production records to track

how much food is prepared and how much remains at the end of each meal. This way, Petroff has a more accurate idea of how much food to prepare next time.

Petroff said Sodexo has to throw away uneaten food that is available to students and exposed to air because of health code violations.

If Sodexo makes an item in advance but does not need to bring it to a serving line, Petroff said employees wrap it and use it again.

“But that’s usually not an issue,” Petroff said.

Mary Harvey, director of operations, said Sodexo employees remake food each time they offer it.

“There are certain foods that contain bacterial contaminants that we make fresh no matter what,” Harvey said.

Senior Eli Curry agreed with Gaines, though. He said he thinks Sodexo reuses the food that doesn’t get eaten.

But “as long as they’re storing the food in a hygienic manner,” leftovers don’t bother him, he said. Growing up, Curry always ate leftovers.

Freshman Brandon Ruble said he wouldn’t be surprised if Sodexo served leftovers.

“I feel that the quality is poor because things are probably served days after it was first served,” Ruble said.

Republican budget spends more on schools, changes how dollars are distributed

By Jacob Rund

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana House Republicans released their first draft of the state’s next twoyear budget Monday, which included more than $16 billion in K-12 education funding – a 4.7 percent increase from the previous biennium and significantly more than suggested by Gov. Mike Pence.

K-12 education comprises 52 percent of the GOP budget plan, while Medicaid expenditures – the second largest category – makes up 13 percent of the total financial plan.

House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, said the first draft of the budget is “education-centered” and would mark the most money ever allocated by the state to K-12 schools.

However, the increased funding would reflect a change in the way Indiana provides money to public schools by closing the gap between schools that receive higher per-pupil funding, mostly urban districts, and those that receive far less, which are often suburban districts.

The two-year plan increases the target foundation – or base – amount

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provided to schools for every Hoosier student. But it also eliminates the additional foundation money given to schools for at-risk students.

Instead, the at-risk funding becomes a separate grant with less funding.

The definition of an at-risk student would also change if the proposed budget is adopted, meaning schools will only get funding for students eligible to receive free lunch – instead of free and reduced lunch as is current law.

The reason for the change, Brown said, is to use the federally mandated free lunch criteria to ensure all schools are given the same amount of per-student dollars for at-risk kids.

Charter school capital grants would be awarded under the House Republican’s budget to renovated facilities, purchase new facilities and technology equipment, and provide student transportation.

The grants would total $40 million throughout the biennium and would not exceed $1,500 per student.

That replaces Pence’s controversial proposal to boost per-pupil funding for charter schools by $1,500, a move

that shifted money away from traditional public schools.

Higher education would also receive a funding boost if the first draft of the budget eventually becomes law. The plan increases funding allocated to higher education by $45 million through the next two fiscal years.

Brown said prioritizing public safety was also a crucial element Lesley Weidenbener: TheStatehouseFile.com considered when House Ways & Means Chairman Tim Brown says most schools will receive more writing the budget and money under the House GOP budget plan because it raises base funding across Republicans allothe board.

However, the budget reduces the amount of money dedicated to cated $80 million in at-risk students. the biennium for the Department of Corrections and local Brown and House Republican corrections programming. Howevleadership also included the transfer er, the budget excludes money for of $200 million each fiscal year to the the addition of cellblocks at WaMajor Moves 2020 Fund to supply bash Valley and Miami Correctional money for the upkeep and expanFacilities – a specific request made sion of the state’s infrastructure. by the DOC in its presentation to the lic transportation funding by $6.4 House Ways and Means Committee. million throughout the biennium.

news

Faculty, student relationships not tolerated on campus

By Leigh Durphey

leigh.durphey@franklincollege.edu

The rules for relationships between professors and students have been brought up for discussion after an issue involving a faculty member and student last November on campus.

The college fired Tom Howald for allegedly assaulting a student at Howald’s home on Nov. 5 and issued a protective order against Howald, banning him from being on campus or communicating with the 19-yearold student. Howald worked as a religion and philosophy professor and earth science adjunct for 46 years.

Because the details released regarding the incident were vague to protect the privacy of the student, rumors spread on campus about what actually happened to result in the firing of what students said was a well-liked professor.

There was no confirmation of an intimate relationship between the two, but Vice President for Academic Affairs David Brailow said that the actions the administration took against Howald were based on what they heard from both parties.

At small colleges like Franklin, professors and students form connections in and out of the classroom, but according to Brailow,

these relationships should go no further than a “professional” professor and student correlation.

“What I would say as a general principle, intimate personal relationships between faculty and students are always inappropriate,” Brailow said. “Even though it might be fully consenting – whatever that means – there can’t be real equal consent when there is a difference between the power and the relationship between the two.”

Franklin College has no specific policy concerning the issue of relationships between students and professors, but Brailow said there is a “general statement in the handbook” about professionalism and a thorough policy on harassment, which is not specific to professors.

“I believe that there is a very clear understanding by the faculty that those kinds of relationships with students are inappropriate and should not happen,” Brailow said.

In the 14 years that Brailow has been at Franklin College, he said he has never had any incident of that sort to come to his desk. If he did, he said the punishment would entirely depend on the severity of the situation.

“An important sanction would depend on the nature of the offense,” Brailow said. “I think beyond that, the policy on harassment does not necessarily call for dismissal of the person. The only statement it makes is that retaliation by the person that’s been accused is a dismissible offense. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t dismiss the person, and it doesn’t meant that we would.

Everything is circumstantial.”

Brailow said that the main concern for administration is the safety of the students on and off campus.

Freshman Ashley Bailey said she appreciates being able to connect with her professors, but believes there should be a distance kept between professors and students.

“I think that it’s good to have (a relationship) on a professional level and it’s good to feel comfortable to go to your professor when you need help,” Bailey said. “But if it is the opposite sex, like a female student and a male professor, I don’t think it’s appropriate to shut the door when they come in for help.”

Brailow said he believes the faculty at Franklin avoid any forms of unprofessional conduct.

“I believe that there is a very clear understanding by the faculty that those kinds of relationships with students are inappropriate and should not happen.”

David Brailow, vice president for academic affairs “I feel pretty good about the kind of community that we have here when it comes to this sort of thing,” Brailow said. “I feel very good about the professionalism of my faculty.

I’m happy that I’ve not had to deal with these kinds of incidents.”

Student organizations face some difficulty claiming event location, time

By Kaitlyn Short

kaitlyn.short@franklincollege.edu

In order for student organizations to host events through the college, they must go through a bureaucratic process that was put in place to attempt to prevent similar events from happening at the same time.

This does not always happen, though.

Last week, while Passion for Paws sold roses for Valentine’s Day in the Napolitan Student Center, Riley Dance Marathon also had a table set up to sell candy.

Laura Olivo, a sophomore and Passion for Paws’ financial officer, said

Riley Dance Marathon’s sale didn’t hurt the rose sale too drastically.

“I didn’t feel any competition with them,” Olivo said. “We’re both fundraising for organizations that need our funds. We were doing it for the ferret rescue and they were doing it for their club. We had a successful sale so it didn’t affect us, I feel like.”

First, the organization’s members must determine what type of event they want to hold, the location where it will be held, and the dates and times it will occur.

Once the organization’s members come to a consensus on the type of event they would like to host and they receive their adviser’s approval, the executive board of the organization will work alongside their adviser to place the event on the college’s calendar.

After the organization’s adviser gives his or her permission, the adviser then submits a calendar request form on the organization’s behalf, requesting to reserve the agreed upon location and time slot. The calendar request forms

are submitted to and processed by April Reamsnyder, the college’s event management coordinator.

Upon receiving a request form, Reamsnyder reviews it against everything else on the college’s calendar to assure that both the time slot and location requested are available. Depending on the availability of time and space, she then either accepts or denies the request form.

If the calendar request form is accepted, then either a member of the See “Organizations” on page 4

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news >> Student organizations Continued from page 3

organization’s executive board or the organization’s adviser submits a solicitation form to Ellis Hall, dean of student affairs, requesting an allocation of funds to cover the cost of the event.

Despite event requests being carefully processed by Reamsnyder, sometimes similar events occur at the same time.

This is due to the lack of information submitted on the calendar request forms, Reamsnyder said.

“It’s hard not to have stuff like that overlap because the calendar request forms aren’t required

to fully describe the events that will be taking place,” she said.

A suggestion Reamsnyder had, to avoid the occurrence of similar events at or around the same time, would be for organizations to be more specific about the type of event they will be holding when filing calendar request forms.

Ellie Price: The Franklin

Sophomore Wanda Gaines sells roses for Passion for Paws before Valentine’s Day. Members of Riley Dance Marathon had a table selling candy nearby, making some students curious as to how events are organized on campus.

Safe Zone training fosters understanding, acceptance

By Caitlin Soard

caitlin.soard@franklincollege.edu

Safe Zone will be offered for the second time this academic year on Wednesday.

Safe Zone is a national program that John Shafer, director of the counseling center and the Grizzly Pride Alliance, started about ten years ago.

Shafer said the program is aimed at helping students, faculty and staff become more aware of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and make the campus more LGBT-friendly.

Terri Roberts, director of diversity and inclusion, and Jacob Knight, director of residence life, help run Safe Zone alongside Shafer, though in the past other faculty and staff members have helped him teach it. The program is typically offered once in the fall and once in the spring, Shafer said.

“A lot of people come to Franklin that have not really been around someone who’s gay or lesbian, or haven’t met a transgender person,” Shafer said. “So Safe Zone is really to help faculty and staff and students understand GLBT people and the sort of struggles that they face on a daily basis.”

Shafer said most of the participants are faculty and staff, but that

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RAs, Greek organizations and other students participate as well.

Junior Emily Meese went through the training last fall and said it left her with a lot of helpful tools as well as a different perspective of LGBT issues.

“I’m asexual,” Meese said. “So I wanted to get some definitions for other kinds of people in the LGBTQ alphabet community. And I thought it would be interesting and I wanted to be helpful to someone who might need help.”

The program consists of a two-hour workshop in which participants take vocabulary quizzes, do interactive exercises, learn about LGBT history and current issues and hear Shafer’s own personal story.

Shafer said the campus has become more progressive since he’s been here and that more students feel more comfortable coming out but that everyone is “on different levels.”

“I know there are still a lot of conservative students who maybe are religiously conservative at Franklin and they can’t understand how a person can be gay and be a Christian or gay and be Jewish, or they don’t get the idea that it’s not a choice,” Shafer said. “One day I didn’t just say ‘Oh, I think I’ll be gay because that’s

the cool thing to do.’ It’s a difficult life and people would not choose it. So I think there’s a lot of that learning.”

After completing the training, participants receive a placard to place on their office or dorm room door, indicating that they are sen-

franklin Issue 13, Volume 111

The Franklin aims for accuracy and clarity in all articles.

We take errors seriously and regret any mistakes. If you find an error, please send an email to thefranklin@franklincollege.edu.

sitive and understanding of LGBT issues and a safe person to talk to.

Safe Zone will be offered at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the Student Center in Room 245. Those interested in reserving a spot should email diversity@franklincollege.edu.

Ellie Price Executive Editor Ann Gilly Opinion Editor Caitlin Soard News Editor Ben Brown Sports Editor Leigh Durphey Copy Chief Kiley Lipps Photo Editor

Ashley Shuler Web Editor Jay Siskin Sports Web Editor Morgan Whitaker Ads Manager Lesley Weidenbener Adviser John Krull Publisher

In the story about the England/Ireland Winter Term trip on page 4 of the Feb. 13 issue, students in health science and biology also took this course, in addition to athletic training majors. Dylan Reyher should have been identified as a senior and health science major.

In the presidential timeline on page 7 of the Feb. 13 issue, the photo labeled as a portrait of Edwin Allen Penn was not of him.

news

Hamilton auditorium gets facelift after 50 years

By Ashley Shuler

ashley.shuler@franklincollege.edu

The Hamilton Library auditorium received new seat backs, carpet, swing-away tabletops and energy efficient LED lights, as well as a refinished stage during Winter Term.

A $25,000 bequest from the Mary Hamilton estate paid for the projects.

She’s the daughter-in-law of B.F. Hamilton, after whom the Hamilton Library is named. The renovations used all of the endowment.

“Redoing the auditorium was a great use for it,” said Ron Schuetz, Hamilton Library coordinator. “We’ve been wanting to renovate for years.”

Tom Patz, director of facilities and energy management, said the space had not been significantly updated since it was constructed in 1964.

“This campus space is one of a very few that can seat over 90 people,” Patz said. “The auditorium was on the facilities’ priority to update, however we couldn’t have funded the updates this budget year without this significant gift.”

The most noticeable change is the blue-cushioned, more comfortable seats.

A Michigan-based company, American Seating, completed the seats in about three days.

“We just left the metal shell of the seats,” Schuetz said. “We decided completely redoing these seats made in the 1960s from the shells was better than purchasing completely new ones.”

The carpet, which has muted gold and blue tones, was put in

by Burton’s Flooring Center.

Burton’s is a local Franklin company that also carpeted the rest of Hamilton and many other buildings on campus in the past.

Dave Piland, physical plant general trades technician, constructed the new arms for the chairs and refinished the wood stage.

The auditorium is not yet complete; soon, putty-colored vinyl flooring

will be laid down in front of the first row of seats.

The flooring will cover holes left on the ground after the first row of seats was removed years ago.

Overall, Schuetz said he has received “very positive” feedback about the renovations.

“I think this space will be one that attracts a new interest for faculty and students to use for a variety of academic and extracurricular Kiley Lipps: The Franklin activities,” Patz said.

“The auditorium A $25,000 bequest from the Mary Hamilton estate allowed the Hamilton auditorium to be renovated this past January. is nicer, cleaner,” Schuetz said. “And we hope it stays that way.”

The library’s Gov. Roger Branigin The library team is working on archives will be presented in a room another long-term project on the with new shelving and lights. third floor to be completed in 2016.

Journalism department purchases new computers for technology update

By Ashley Shuler

ashley.shuler@franklincollege.edu

The Pulliam School of Journalism started the spring semester with more than $100,000 worth of new technology, including Macs and DSLR cameras.

The building runs on a fourto-five year update plan, and it was time to upgrade.

The program purchased an additional eight computers, and the new computers were placed in the upstairs work area of Shirk and at the Statehouse for use by the TheStatehouseFile.com team. The journalism program now owns 62 computers for student use.

The aim of the upgrade was to update the processing power, operating system and overall speed of the computers.

Virgina George-Nelis, academic technology coordinator, said the computers were beginning to fail.

“You replace them for the same reasons you would your personal computer,” George-Nelis said. “They start to run slow.”

Eric Schwarz, college technology coordinator, said in addition to faster speeds, the new computers are more energy efficient.

“They age because of use, just like a car,” Schwarz said. “There’s a big difference between a five-year-old computer model and a brand new one.”

A big factor in the upgrade was expired computer warranties.

“Anything that would have broken, we would have to replace without coverage from the warranty,” George-Nelis said.

“That can get expensive.”

The new computers have the same interface and programs as the old ones.

“They will put the new operating system on them this summer,”

George-Nelis said. “Because it’s the middle of the year, we tried to not make a lot of changes so that everyone didn’t walk in with a huge learning curve.”

IT purchased 25 computers from Shirk for $2,000 for the Hamilton Library 211 lab in an effort to repurpose the old computers.

“Before the Macs, the Hamilton 211 lab was a virtual lab,” George Nelis Anastasia Gentry: The Franklin said. “On those machines, The purchase of new computers in Shirk allowed a Hamilton lab to update you can’t save anything its outdated computers. on them, and you couldn’t really use all of the programs on them and InDesign – can be found on the because they are virtual machines.”

Hamilton Library lab computers.

The same software, including all of the Adobe Creative Suite proTo read the rest of this story, grams – like Photoshop, Bridge visit TheFranklinNews.com.

TheFranklinNews.com

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ally). But he will benefit from having teammates next year.”

Powell said he encourages other students to consider diving, as he went “from absolutely no diving background to having some success.”

Woods credits Powell’s hard work and team-oriented attitude to his success.

“He’s able to listen well and make corrections on what I ask him to do,” Woods said. “He’s mentally very strong. He can visualize his dives and get the most out of each of his practices.”

In addition to diving, Powell also runs track and cross-country for the college, sometimes requiring him to have three practices each day, as early as 5 a.m.

“You have to love it,” he said.

“But the success is worth it.”

Even with his packed daily schedule, he said he is able to balance all of his commitments because of the excitement he feels from diving.

“There’s nothing better than getting the perfect entry on a new dive you just learned,” Powell said. “It may be scary at first, but once you learn it, it feels amazing.”

Woods said she is amazed that Powell is able to function at such a high level while balancing sports, work and classes.

“I don’t know how he does it while maintaining great grades as well,” Woods said.

into

diving

Sophomore Michael Powell joined the college’s diving team as a freshman with no experience.

But Powell progressed so quickly that he was able to compete last season. He learned six new dives so he could compete and score points in a championship meet.

Powell said he’s currently focused on increasing the difficulty of each of his dives. More challenging dives have a high base score and earn more points.

About 40 points behind third place, Powell placed fourth out of four in the 1-meter diving competition at the 2015 Liberal Arts Championships last weekend.

“It’s not too overwhelming competing against divers with more potential,” Powell said. “But I think within the next two years, I can be closer to that level.”

Powell is the only diver on the Franklin College team. He dove with three other students last year, but they since have quit.

The team expects to recruit experienced divers for next season.

While Dee Woods, head diving coach, said she enjoys being able to give Powell individual attention, she wishes he could learn from other diving teammates.

“The detriment is that he can’t see good dives being performed so he can emulate that,” Woods said. “From a selfish standpoint, I love (coaching him individu-

succ

“You have to love it.

But the success is wo

Michael Powell, sop

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phomore

Story by Ellie Price, photo provided by Michael Powell, design by Kiley Lipps TheFranklinNews.com

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editorial Caitlin Soard

‘50 Shades of Grey’ promotes sexual violence “Fifty Shades of Grey” shattered box office records for President’s Day weekend, according to Variety.com.

The film grossed $81.7 million from 3,646 locations over the holiday weekend. 2010’s “Valentine’s Day” held the previous record, grossing $56.3 million on its opening weekend.

Why does this matter? Because “Fifty Shades of Grey” is a film that romanticizes abusive, emotionally manipulative relationships and sexual assault.

The idea of a story about BDSM itself isn’t the reason there’s been such backlash against the film. The problem with “Fifty Shades” is that main character Christian Grey is an abusive, uncaring partner being masqueraded as a romantic ideal.

In the books, Grey forces a younger woman, Anastasia, into a sexual relationship—making her sign a strict contract saying she cannot refuse to perform certain acts, which is often done in BDSM relationships. But later in the story when she asks Grey to stop because she is uncomfortable, he refuses.

This is assault, plain and simple.

The fact that a major motion picture is glorifying assault should have people’s blood boiling, and yet it’s breaking box office records.

The reason movies and books portraying relationships like the one in “Fifty Shades of Grey” are problematic is because it normalizes sexual assault and abusive romantic relationships.

To read the rest of this column, visit TheFranklinNews.com.

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Students should think critically about media portrayals of Muslims “If this were a Muslim man, killing three white Americans, there would be mass hysteria and the terror alert raised to HIGH. “#MuslimLivesMatter” This is a tweet from Twitter user @ChrisJohnMilly, sent on Feb. 11 after news broke of the killing of three Muslims near the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

The hashtag is a variation of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, which was created in the events following the shooting of unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Both hashtags were made to affirm the value and importance of minority lives in a country where the value and importance of white or Christian lives is never questioned.

The killing at Chapel Hill took place on Feb. 10, when Deah Barakat, his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were allegedly shot by neighbor Craig Stephen Hicks after what police are calling “an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking,” according to the Washington Post.

The three victims were Muslim and their neighbor is an atheist.

Many people using the hashtag have done so to point out how underreported the story is and to make the point that it would gain mass coverage if the religions of those involved were reversed.

We live in a country where religious freedom is touted and celebrated, but it seems at times that many feel it only truly applies to Western religion. Followers of Islam continue to face much more scrutiny and prejudice than followers

of other faiths, both in the United States and other parts of the world.

For example, as brought up by #MuslimLivesMatter, issues involving Muslims are often only highlighted when something negative happens.

While it’s not a good practice for media to bring up religion (or any other qualifier) unless it’s somehow directly relevant to the story and situation at hand, it happens. And it has a direct consequence on how we understand these different elements of people’s lives, like religion.

As Muslims make up only 1 percent of the U.S. population, according to the research group Ipsos MORI, many people may never have the opportunity to interact on a personal level with someone who is Muslim. People like this – not that there’s anything wrong with them – form their views of Muslims, then, by what they see in the media. That’s likely the most prevalent and pervasive information that many people get. So when the news is full of mostly negative portrayals of Muslims, it creates a generally negative perspective.

It also affects our ability to see Muslims as humans. After 145 people were killed in an attack by Muslim extremists on a school full of Muslim students in Peshawar, Pakistan, this past December, some major American news outlets immediately blamed Muslims themselves. Why hadn’t they stopped these extremists yet? They barely allowed the affected community time to grieve. But we don’t blame Christians for the actions of extremists like the Westboro Baptist Church or the Ku Klux Klan.

It’s easier to place blame when we

Our Position: The Franklin editorial board believes critical thinking aides students in creating more accepting and informed worldviews. don’t have a good understanding of another culture or experience.

So what does this have to do with you as a student at Franklin College?

As students of the liberal arts, we are given the tools and opportunities to learn about experiences different from our own. Whether it’s taking a religion class, going to a speaker or utilizing library resources, you can make yourself more knowledgeable about the world around you. Doing so aids critical thinking about the messages media send.

Students of Franklin College, you can play a pivotal role in changing people’s world views and the state of American culture by being informed yourself. It won’t change overnight, but it can come in time. No one, including Muslims, should feel threatened or prejudiced for personal beliefs.

The editorial board represents the opinion of The Franklin and its staff members. The board meets once a week to discuss pressing issues relevant to Franklin College students.

Meetings are moderated by Ann Gilly, the opinion editor.

Board members are seniors Emily Metheny and Olivia Covington and juniors Paige Clark, Caitlin Soard and Gabrielle Sully. Ellie Price, the executive editor, sits on the editorial board. If you have an issue you would like the editorial board to consider, please feel free to email Ann Gilly at ann.gilly@franklincollege.edu.

provs. con Starting fundraisers for others in need Screenshot from gofundme.com

Fundraising for others shows selflessness

Fundraisers may foster uninvited attention

Olivia Covington

Gabrielle Sully

We could all use a little help from time to time.

Despite our society’s insistence that people should pick themselves up by their boot straps, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and asking for assistance when you really need it.

Within the last year, it has become increasingly common to see online fundraisers all over our social media pages. The needs can vary – mission trips, medical issues, etc. – but the message is always the same: I need a little extra cash. Can you help me out?

But online fundraisers aren’t just being used to help ourselves. It’s becoming more and more common for people to ask for money on someone else’s behalf.

In our world of self-centeredness, this is a refreshing change of pace.

Don’t get me wrong. I know those constant requests for money can be annoying (PSA: Always try to raise your own money before asking others). But there are cases in which some people genuinely need help and are just too scared to ask.

That’s where a friend comes in.

People who go out on a limb and try to raise money for a friend in need are rare but important in our society. It seems like we’ve forgotten how to ask for help, or even how to help each other, so we need that gentle reminder every once in a while.

So the next time you see someone asking for a donation on Facebook, try not to jump to conclusions. Read their story first (because those online fundraisers always come with an About Me section), and then decide if the person is truly in need. You might be surprised by what you find out.

It’s common human decency: Something bad happens, and you say, “How can I help?” However, what’s seldom asked is, “Am I helping more than hurting?”

Helping is a great gesture, but what if we try to help those who don’t ask for our help? I can tell you, there are consequences.

I’m as soft-hearted as they come: Animals, children, homeless, abused, ill, etc., all get to me. I want to save the world in a single swoop, throwing money at the poor and food at the hungry. But it doesn’t work like that.

There are dangers to helping those who didn’t ask for it.

Here’s an example of good intentions, bad consequences: If I throw money at the problems of the poor – give them a house, put a deposit on an apartment, fill the fridge with food – it might not help. It could cripple them. I could create a situation that they are unable to sustain. I didn’t help them get a job or a home; I gave them a temporary fix. They may feel insulted or uncomfortable.

The homeless and lower-income areas can get violent when a community member receives a small fortune, especially when the media want to publish it as a “feel good” story. So, by trying to help someone who didn’t ask for it, I may open them up to threats and more problems.

I am all about helping, but it should be limited to need and desire. It should be calculated, careful and necessary to maximize the benefits.

Getting a fuzzy feeling from helping is not worth someone else’s safety.

opinion

Emily Metheny

Debate on Ritz’s right to stay causes backlash As a senior in college, I’ve seen my fair share of angry teachers.

But I have not seen as many angry teachers and parents in one spot as I did in a video from Monday.

Protesters gathered at the Indiana Statehouse in support of Glenda Ritz, the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The key word here is elected.

If you follow politics, you know that Gov. Mike Pence and Ritz are not always friendly. In Senate Bill 1, authored by Sen. Travis Holdman, Ritz’s position as the superintendent would be stripped from her. A replacement would be elected from the board.

The governor chose the 10 other board members. By taking Ritz out of her position, the entire State Board of Education would be comprised entirely of people appointed by the governor.

Like her or not, she was elected by 1.3 million people to that position.

Also, keep in mind the rally that happened on Monday drew in more than 1,000 people against the change, according to The Indianapolis Star.

If you watch any of the videos, you can see people covering the atrium floor and chanting from the balconies on the upper levels.

A version of the bill has been passed in both the House, House Bill 1609, and the Senate. The bills will go to the other chamber for consideration in the second half of the session to continue the process.

TheFranklinNews.com

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statehouse Supporters rally for Superintendent Ritz, public education

By Andi TenBarge TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANPOLIS – More than 1,000 teachers and supporters public schools of had already been rallying for well more than an hour when the woman they’d been fighting for made an appearance.

“I am an educator,” state Superintendent Glenda Ritz told the crowd gathered in the Statehouse atrium. “I know what we need in our schools.”

Ritz spoke as one floor above the rally, a state senator chose not to call a bill for a vote that would demote her as chair of the Indiana State Board of Education. That bill could pass the Senate, though, as soon as Tuesday.

“Stop the assault on public education,” Marilyn Shank, the rally organizer, said. “There are lots of bills out there that are harmful on education.”

Rally supporters said that they want their voices to be heard and say they are infuriated by legislation to strip Ritz of her power. Ritz unseated then-Superintendent Tony Bennett in the 2012 election by gaining 1.3

million votes – more than any other statewide candidate that year.

“I’m a Republican and voted against the policies of Bennett and Mitch Daniels,” the state’s former GOP governor, said Worthington, an 8th grade teacher from Martinsville.

“Bennett was immaterial to me.”

Proponents of the legislation said that removing Ritz as chair would help clear up dysfunction among board members.

But others said that the gridlock comes from confusion about who is in charge of education policy making. Shank said that there needs to be a more clear definition about what jobs are designated to the board.

“That’s what the fights are about, ‘Who’s in charge?,’ Shank said. “We to get that settled so we don’t have the dysfunction.”

Lawmakers said that the dysfunction is so great that changes need to be made immediately to prevent more problems.

Ritz makes moves to reduce ISTEP exam by 3+ hours

By Lesley Weidenbener TheStatehouseFile.com

Andi TenBarge: TheStatehouseFile.com

Top: Ritz voices her frustration with the proposal to strip her as the chair of the Indiana State Board of Education.

She made an appearance at the teacher’s rally Monday.

Bottom: Students hold signs in response to the amount of standardized testing in grades 3rd through 8th. This comes after the announcement of the ISTEP exam time doubling to 12 hours.

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INDIANAPOLIS – The ISTEP test would be reduced by about three hours in all grades under changes state Superintendent Glenda Ritz announced last Friday.

Ritz will also seek legislative approval to eliminate a social studies section she said is required under state law, a move that could shave another hour off the test for students in grades 5 and 7.

That will reduce the overall testing time to roughly eight or nine hours depending on the grade. Ritz said that should bring the test in line with more rigorous exams now being prepared or administered in other states.

Michele Walker, the Indiana Department of Education’s director

of student assessment, said the test will be even shorter next year after a new testing system is implemented.

Ritz announced the reductions during a special State Board of Education she called to address questions about the test, which had been projected to double in length to more than 12 hours for some students.

Most of the reductions will come from changes in the way questions are piloted for the 2016 exam, which will be a complete testing overhaul to match new curriculum standards. And Ritz said she came to the decisions largely in consultation with experts Gov. Mike Pence hired this week to make recommendations for shortening the test.

sports Men’s tennis team being tested for conference play

By Ben Brown

benjamin.brown@franklincollege.edu

The Franklin College men’s tennis team will go into its fourth match of the season without a win. The team looks to turn things around against Brescia University on Sunday.

Despite the 0-3 start, players are not worried about the direction the season is heading.

“The 0-3 start is because our coach is very intelligent in scheduling very hard non-conference competition early in the season to prepare the team for our conference matches later in the season,” senior Robby Woerhle said.

Woerhle said he has no doubts that the wins will pick up soon. He also said the team usually starts out with a few losses each season because of the level of competition.

Senior Luke Snyder said by the time conference play comes around, the team will have picked up play.

“By practicing more, getting in shape and knocking off the cobwebs, we should be able to get in full stride when we need to,” Snyder said.

The Grizzlies finished last season with a 7-7 overall record. They finished 4-4 in conference play and made it to the semifinals of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

This season, the team was picked to finish fourth overall in the conference by the preseason coach’s poll. Earlham College was picked as the favorite again coming off of four straight HCAC Championships. Rose-Hulman and Transylvania rounded out the top three in the voting respectively.

Snyder said he believes the team can at the least keep the number four ranking through out the season. The team’s goal, however, is to better that ranking.

“I think the team goal is to move up to the three spot this season by beating Transylvania, which I do not think we have done in my four years with the team,” Snyder said. “We have the potential and talent to move

past Transylvania but we will have to play well and have a good season.”

Woerhle took the goal a little further: winning conference.

“This will be no easy task, but with our incredible coaches always supporting and helping us, anything is possible,” Woerhle said.

The team will have two more matches before they begin conference play. Both Snyder and Woerhle believe that the team’s next game against Brescia will be tough.

Snyder said the match would be interesting because he has never faced Brescia before, and the match will be held outside. Brescia, located in Owensboro, Kentucky, is expected to have a high of 28 degrees on Sunday.

“It’s always tough playing against NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) schools since they are generally on athletic scholarships,” Woerlhe said. “But with the amount of work Franklin puts in I expect it to be a very close match.”

Track and field teams prepare for close battle at HCAC Indoor Championship

By Jay Siskin

kevin.siskin@franklincollege.edu

The men’s track and field team was picked to finish second in the upcoming Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference indoor championships with several runners and jumpers competing for individual championships.

Junior Eric Thompson is bringing a top 10 ranking in the HCAC in the 800-meter and the mile to the team.

Senior Blake Albrecht is the sixth seed in the 5000-meter run. Fellow senior Matthew Icenogle ranks second in the 60-meter hurdles.

“Our goal is to always compete in the upper third of the HCAC,” Head Coach Paul Sargent said.

Senior Clay Warner will be a top contender in the long jump and triple jump events. Warner is currently tied for fourth place in the triple jump.

“Rose-Hulman is the dominant team followed by Anderson and Bluffton,” Sargent said. “It’s a pretty tight race after that, so we’re hoping to scratch out points wherever we can.”

Rose-Hulman is the defending HCAC Champion. The university’s men’s team scored a total of 200.5 points in the 2014 Championship.

The Grizzlies picked up a second place finish with a score of 113.

During the competition, Icenogle set a school record in the 60-meter hurdles and finished in third place.

The Franklin College women’s track and field team was selected to finish third in the indoor championships.

“Our seniors will highlight our scoring,” Sargent said. “We should be competing for an HCAC title. It’ll be us, Manchester, and Hanover for the team title.”

Senior Anna Murdock has the fastest times in the HCAC for the 800-meter and mile run. Murdock is also ranked third in the HCAC in the 3000-meter run. Junior Natavia Howell set a school record in the 60-meter dash last weekend at the DePauw Invitational.

Junior Ashley Myers ranks fourth in the triple jump. Sophomore Erica Christy ranks second in the shot put and senior Jennifer Nevitt ranks fourth in the pole vault.

The 2015 HCAC Men and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship will be held Saturday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute.

“Rose-Hulman is the dominant team followed by Anderson and Bluffton. It’s a pretty tight race after that, so we’re hoping to scratch out points wherever we can.”

Paul Sargent, head track and field coach

Ben Brown

Tanking for the future The Philadelphia 76ers have received a lot of criticism for their recent decisions involving their players.

Over the past two years, they have scored two top players in the NBA Draft: Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. The only problem with these two drafts was that they were both injured at the time they were drafted to the team.

In order to get Noel, the 76ers gave up arguably one of their best players, Jrue Holiday, and multiple trades that many fans and critics shook their heads at.

It looked like the ultimate form of tanking on behalf of the 76ers, and this season has not been much better. One of the issues with this method is that being the worst team in the NBA only gives a 25 percent chance at the number one pick.

The team, however, is not tanking according to General Manager Sam Hinkie. Instead, everything is going just as planned.

The idea is that the team is in complete overhaul mode. Instead of being a subpar team and not getting past the first round of the playoffs, the team is playing for the future.

How far into the future is unclear at the time. From an outside viewer’s perspective, I am kind of okay with this. But from a player’s standpoint, I am not sure I would be willing to go along with it.

There are just so many factors that can happen in a player’s NBA career. They would also have to assume some players may not be okay with playing for way in the future, ultimately setting their careers back even further.

While I am interested to watch how this plays out over the next few years, I can’t help but feel like some of these early selections such as Noel and Embiid are coming out as losers.

TheFranklinNews.com

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friends of franklin

What’s your favorite thing about your big sorority sister?

“My favorite part about my big is that she is really helpful. She helps a lot of people, and she’s a great listener.

She always gives good advice.”

Novi Evani, freshman (left) What’s your favorite thing about your little sorority sister?

“My favorite part about my little is she is always positive, and she’s always energetic. She always supports everyone in our chapter.”

Autumn Huse, sophomore (right)

Emily Metheny: The Franklin

Why do you want to work with kids?

“They look up to you a lot and make you feel like you’re actually making a difference in their lives.”

Did anything funny happen while you were working at the Boys and Girls Club?

“Last year I got hit in the face with a dodgeball. It wasn’t on purpose, but it was really embarrassing.”

Taylor McGee, sophomore Ann Gilly: The Franklin

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