The Franklin: Feb. 27, 2015

the

franklin Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 • TheFranklinNews.com

College declines to comment, delays interview regarding absent professor

By Ellie Price

ellen.price@franklincollege.edu

Carl Jenkinson, assistant professor of English, did not teach classes this week and was out of the office from Feb. 23 to 27, according to a typed note taped on his office door.

David Brailow, vice president for academic affairs, and Susan Crisafulli, associate professor and chair of the English department, said they could not comment on personnel matters.

The Franklin could not reach Jay Moseley, president of Franklin College, for comment before publication.

Allison Groves, a freshman in Jenkinson’s World Literature II course, said Brailow spoke to her class on Tuesday to let students know that Jenkinson would miss classes for a while. She said he told students that they should not worry because Jenkinson was not sick.

Groves said Brailow told the class that Crisafulli would take over Jenkinson’s class.

Crisafulli said she also would fill in as the adviser of The Apogee, the college’s literary magazine, in his absence. She said it is unclear how long Jenkinson will be away.

But Groves said Crisafulli discussed long-term changes to the course’s

syllabus and eliminated one of their previously required books.

Although the note on Jenkinson’s office door in the Johnson Center for Fine Arts building said he would be out of the office this week, the college removed Jenkinson from the myFC employee directory on Tuesday but added him back on Wednesday.

Self-Service lists Jenkinson as the professor for World Literature II, American Modernism and a liberal arts writing course this semester. Jenkinson was one of the professors that led a Winter Term trip to France this January.

Jenkinson started teaching at Franklin College and working as an adviser of The Apogee during the fall 2012 semester.

The English department plans to hire three new employees to replace retiring professors for next school year.

The Franklin Police Department does not have any recent incident reports regarding Jenkinson on file.

Jenkinson did not respond to an interview request sent to his Franklin College email address by publication.

Ellie Price: The Franklin

Top: The blinds and door to Professor Carl Jenkinson’s office have remained shut this week. A note on Jenkinson’s door says he will be out of the office from Feb. 23 to 27.

Bottom: Carl Jenkinson, assistant professor of English, listens to discussion during an Apogee meeting in February 2014. Susan Crisafulli, associate professor and chair of the English department, will fill in as the adviser of the literary magazine in Jenkinson’s absence.

Jan Schantz, assistant to the president, said The Franklin could speak with Jay Moseley, president of Franklin College, on Thursday after publication.

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Read the updated story on TheFranklinNews.com.

Women’s Basketball

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Update on Science Building

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Casey Hayes

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news Sodexo Behind the Glass: Campus dining services provider pledges to reduce animal cruelty

By Ellie Price

ellen.price@franklincollege.edu

Sodexo plans to update its animal welfare policy after a farm animal protection nonprofit campaigned for colleges to drop Sodexo as a food service provider due to its cruel treatment of animals.

Les Petroff, food service director, said Sodexo has been at the college for more than 35 years. Five years remain on the company’s current contract with the college, he said.

Sodexo – the second largest food service provider in the country – has committed to banning veal crates by 2017 and to a total phase-out of eggs from battery cages by the end of 2020.

The European Union and some U.S. states prohibit farmers from using battery cages that restrict animals from spreading their wings or engaging in natural behaviors.

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said Sodexo’s new commitment is “one of the biggest decisions in the food sector from an animal welfare perspective.”

He said Sodexo’s pledge will remove 750,000 hens annually

from extreme confinement in battery cage systems.

Deborah Hecker, vice president of sustainability and corporate and social responsibility at Sodexo, said the company spends nearly $900 million annually on animal proteins.

“We see animal welfare … as a key component of a sustainable supply chain alongside food safety, food security, nutrition and science-based environmental practices,” Hecker said.

Toria Braun, a freshman and vegetarian, said Sodexo’s changes are an improvement.

“I think they should focus also on healthier options, like meat-free options, too,” Braun said. “But I do think this is a good step for Sodexo.”

David Coman-Hidy, executive director of The Human League, said he was pleased that Sodexo addressed the concerns from its campaign.

“Sodexo’s new animal welfare policy is one that will impact the lives of millions of hens over time,” Coman-Hidy said. “We hope to see the industry shift away from these terrible abuses.”

Flickr photo by farmsanctuary.org

Some U.S. states prohibit the use of battery cages for animals like chickens, who are restricted from any natural form of movement in them. Sodexo plans to phase-out eggs from battery-caged animals by 2020 after a campaign by The Humane League, a farm animal protection nonprofit.

FC celebrates Black History Month, provides opportunities to learn

By Kaitlyn Short

kaitlyn.short@franklincollege.edu

Throughout the month of February, the college held various events on campus to both celebrate Black History Month and to educate the Franklin community about the civil rights movement.

The largest events, the showing of the civil rights documentary “The Abolitionists” and the subsequent discussion about the film, were held earlier this week on Monday and Thursday, respectively. Students, faculty and members of the surrounding Franklin community attended the screening of the documentary and participated in the discussion about the film.

The screening of “The Abolitionists” was the first in a series of events exploring the history of civil rights that the college will host through a grant provided by the National

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Endowment for the Humanities.

The endowment, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, offered the grant as a part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, which is meant to foster open dialogue about diversity.

Meredith Clark-Wiltz, assistant professor of history, applied for and received the grant in exchange for agreeing to hold three events at the college. She plans to show at least three of the four documentaries comprising the NEH’s Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle series.

The film “The Abolitionists” follows the life and work of prominent abolitionists in the early nineteenth century leading up to the Civil War. These names include some of the well-known leaders of the abolitionist movement like Frederick Douglass

and William Lloyd Garrison, but also include lesser-known figures such as the Grimke sisters. The other films in the series include “Slavery By Another Name,” “Freedom Riders” and “The Loving Story.”

Franklin College was one of the 473 institutions in the United States to receive the grant to show the documentary series. The other two films that will be shown and the exact dates of the screenings are still to be announced, but will occur sometime during the 2015-2016 academic year.

“Connecting history to contemporary issues is really important to understanding the world we live in today,” Clark-Wiltz said.

She said it’s important to understand the historical context laid out in this film to better understand the current state of race relations in America.

The discussion that followed the screening of the film was led by John Kaufman-McKivigan, professor of history at IUPUI and scholar on the writings of Frederick Douglass and Anne Fairchild, who oversees the Levi Coffin House, a National Historic Landmark located in Fountain City, Indiana. The Levi Coffin House was a station on the Underground Railroad.

Clark-Wiltz said she hoped it would “increase people’s interest in pursuing historical studies and in current race relations.” She also said she hoped this event, and the events to come, would connect students with the larger Franklin community so students can engage in dialogue surrounding current issues of race relations and “use lessons from past stories to understand the civil rights struggle taking place now.”

news

College may develop app for student, campus connection

By Leigh Durphey

leigh.durphey@franklincollege.edu

Plans may be in the works for the college to create its own FC app by the beginning of the 2015 fall semester.

Students in Professor Shelley Nelson’s class developed a survey sent to all students to assess the needs and desires of students for a full-functioning campus application.

“We’re soliciting students’ input on if the college were to develop an app, would they use it and what would they want,” said Ellis Hall, dean of students. “We can decide if it’s an appropriate investment of college time, effort and money to develop a functional FC app that would meet students’ needs.”

Hall is the chair of the campus’s retention group, which is focused on figuring out ways to keep students on campus after their first year.

This group thought that an FC app

would be an effective way to improve the college’s retention rate.

“If the college had an app that provided good accurate information to the students, and there could be an exchange of information from the college to students – announcements, moving stuff directly to your calendar, looking up information about where things are – if you could find that directly on your handheld device, it’d be a positive thing for the student experience and make them more connected with the college,” Hall said.

The college designed a campus app in the past; however, its limited scope and lack of applicability to different formats of phones caused it to be highly unpopular among students, Hall said.

“There would be a much broader reach of things you could do with this new app,” Hall said.

Hall said that the app, if developed, could give students access to Self-Service, grades, schedule, billing and campus announcements – all things that can be accessed through a mobile device browser, but with more functionality and consistency among devices.

The survey asked students what kind of apps they typically use, how much they use their current apps and what features they would be interested in for a campus app.

According to the 2013 Campus Computing Survey, 79 percent of colleges in the U.S. had activated mobile apps or planned to by the end of the academic year, which is about an 88 percent increase from 2011.

“I think there are a couple of different factors,” Hall said. “Part of it is if it serves students’ needs and the educational mission of

the institution, then that’s a real driving force to have one.”

If they decided to develop an app, it would take an investment of college money and Hall said he wants to ensure that students would actually use it frequently.

“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right,” Hall said. “We have to be sure that it’s not just a cool thing to have but that it’s worth the time investment for the college. “ Since smartphone usage among college students is an estimated 89 percent, many students would undoubtedly take advantage of the app.

“It would be extremely convenient,” freshman Allison Groves said. “You wouldn’t have to go to multiple sources to access the different websites, and I think it would be really helpful.”

Minor inconveniences on campus result in student frustration

By Kaitlyn Short

kaitlyn.short@franklincollege.edu

Walking through the Dietz Center lounge in pajamas while a formal meeting is going on is something that students who live there have to deal with on a regular basis.

The inconvenience shouldn’t stop students from using the door, however, said Steve Leonard, director of security.

“We would not want students to have to avoid that area,” Leonard said. “That’s their front door to the rest of campus.”

But that isn’t the only hassle some students face throughout the year.

Every student at Franklin College has received emails from Leonard with the subject line “Parking During Home Football Game this Saturday,” asking students parked in the Park Avenue Lot to move their cars in order to make room for football game attendees. If cars are not moved, they are subject to be ticketed.

Parking spaces are limited, so when students are asked to move their vehicles, it can cause some issues.

Earlier this month, Leonard sent an email on a Wednesday telling students that the Hamilton parking lot would close for students on Friday.

But for students that were already out of town and would not be back in time, this created a minor situation prompting them to email Leonard immediately.

“I try to give an appropriate amount of time but not so much that it gets lost in the shuffle,” Leonard said. “For instance, if the lot needs cleared on Saturday, I do not see any value in sending an e-mail out the previous Monday. It’s just going to get lost in people’s shuffles.”

For special events, such as the President’s Dinner, Leonard said he tries to send out an email a day

or two before and another e-mail the same day of the event.

Students that fail to move their vehicle will be contacted by security, with tickets being a last resort, according to Leonard.

Junior Joel Foreman said there have been days where he has had to work two jobs and go to two practices, making the parking choices difficult.

“I have little to no chance of finding a parking spot even relatively close to my residence hall,” Foreman said. “And then when events like these occur that diminish my options even further, I have to park unreasonably far away.”

He said he would like to see some possible changes in the future that could help alleviate the inconveniences when they come about.

“I would like to see in the future either more parking lots made or some sort of system where if you aren’t

using your vehicle on a regular basis, you are required to park in further lots and not take up the spots that are always taken up,” Foreman said.

He said he realizes that, due to Franklin’s small campus, it is not a huge deal to have to move every now and then.

But Foreman said he does think it is an inconvenience when, in the long run, routines and other factors are interrupted.

“We try to leave students alone,” Leonard said. “It’s always a consideration when impacting students and inconveniencing them. We don’t do it lightly, and I don’t think we do it very often, but we do do it for good reasons and try to give plenty of notice and try to be accommodating.”

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news Board of Trustees meeting focuses on Barnes fundraising, moving fraternity housing

By Ashley Shuler

ashley.shuler@franklincollege.edu

The latest Board of Trustees meeting, which took place Feb. 14, determined the college is “not close” to making a public announcement of the science building campaign.

Christine Fields, board chair, said the college has to continue developing relationships with potential donors.

“Even though it seems public because a lot of us here on campus know about it, we haven’t gone public with it,” Fields said. “With any campaign, you don’t go public until 75 to 80 percent of the funds are raised.”

At the beginning of October, Jay Moseley, president of Franklin College, told The Franklin the fundraising had reached one-third of the $25 million needed and is expected to reach the halfway point by the end of the 2014–2015 academic year.

The meeting brought no significant fundraising update. Fields maintained that approximately one-third of the $25 million had been raised, with funds totaled to $8 million.

The Barnes Hall renovation is the second phase of a plan to update campus, following the first phase construction of Grizzly Park–a collection of running trails, practice fields and renovated tennis courts–for $6 million.

Barnes Hall was built in 1927, and the renovation is expanding the building and providing for more interactive lab space fit for today’s learning environment.

“There’s a desire for it to get started,” said David Brailow, vice president for academic affairs.

“People would love to see bricks and mortar. Students would love to see it happen while they’re here, not after they graduate.”

Construction will begin after the campus reaches its 75 to 80 percent fundraising goal. Once construction begins, the college will seek out the rest of the funding.

Another focus of the meeting fell on the physical facilities committee, including the Tau Kappa Epsilon and Lamba Chi Alpha off-campus housing situation and demolition of the Grizzly Den.

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Artist rendition submitted by Deidra Baumgardner

Public announcement for the Barnes Hall renovation, the second phase of a plan to update campus facilities, will not be made until at least 75 percent of the needed $25 million funds is raised. The renovation is an expansion of the science building that will include a courtyard and a new building connected to the current building by a walkway.

The Grizzly Den, which sits at entrance of campus next to the Von Boll Welcome Center, is expecting to come down this summer.

The teardown comes after a proposal for renovations this time last year was brought to a close. The fraternities were unable to make the necessary commitment of staying in the building for the next 10 years.

Susan Williams, who chairs the physical facilities committee, did not respond to a request for additional information.

Updates on physical facilities, like Barnes and fraternity housing, will be made to the committee as they develop.

February meetings also made promotion and tenure decisions.

“Tenure track faculty who are on track are brought in front of the board,” Fields said.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Brailow, will announce the board’s decisions once finalized.

The board also reported that the college is slightly above pace

on applications compared to last year and about the same on deposits for new students.

The Board of Trustees meets three times per year.

franklin Issue 14, 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.

May’s agenda hasn’t been set yet, but it will include provisional budget approval.

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

In Emily Metheny’s column on page 9 of the Feb. 20 issue, it should read that Glenda Ritz would be removed from the chair position, not the superintended one.

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

news

Student country blues-rock band plays campus event

By Caitlin Soard

caitlin.soard@franklincollege.edu

Potential freshmen got a taste of Franklin’s artistic student body on Feb. 19.

After Rev. Jamie Washington’s talk upstairs in the Branigin Room, a student-formed country blues-rock band played for the visiting high school students.

Five students ranging from a freshman to a senior formed Brangin Boulevard in 2014. Senior Jesse Hamilton, junior Clay Murphy, sophomores Dan Hicks and Collin Ahlemeier and freshman Kody Emrich make up the band.

Hamilton plays acoustic guitar and provides lead vocals, Murphy plays lead guitar, Emrich plays piano, Hicks plays guitar, drums and piano and Ahlemeier plays bass.

The band formed after an opportunity to preform at Howard County Vietnam Veterans Reunion, an event in Kokomo, Indiana, organized by Vietnam Veterans. The event draws more than 20,000 people, and bands that have opened for John Mellencamp have played in the past.

“We got an opportunity to audition for a large event,” Hamilton said. “And we all decided to come together one day, and we all love music and we all love playing and so we all sort of found each other in that sense. It was really crazy how it all came together. I think I asked one person originally and within a week, we had our band together.”

The band’s Facebook page calls them a country blues-rock band, and Emerich described them as

“anything, but mostly blues.” At the event on Feb. 19, they played covers of songs popular with students, such as “Wagon Wheel.”

“We are all from different backgrounds of music,” Emerich said.

“I used to be into a lot of Christian worship, so I’m very influenced with Christian lyrics. Jesse very obviously is from a country and bluesy background. You’ve got Dan, who’s the music theory genius who has come from jazz and Clay was a metal guitarist until now. Jacob sings opera. We’re very diversified.”

It was their first on-campus appearance, but they have played once before at a bar in Indianapolis called Main Event. They still haven’t heard back from Howard Country Vietnam Veterans Reunion, but Hamilton said they plan on “playing a lot more coming up.”

Hamilton said the band is looking at playing at the Jefferson Street Pub in downtown Franklin as well as a pavilion at Prince of Peace church in Bartersville.

Hamilton has one semester left after this spring, and said he plans to stay around Franklin. “I hope it goes all the way,” he said.

“I’d say a good goal would be to get a record deal after we record a few CDs by ourselves,” Emerich said. “Right now we’re just recording with the software we have ourselves right now, so we’re kind of limited but to get that big record deal would kind of be pretty nice.”

Zoie Richey: The Franklin

The student band Branigin Boulevard performed in the Student Center for high school overnight visitors (top).

Jesse Hamilton (left) sings lead vocals and Dan Hicks (bottom) plays guitar for the five-man band.

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news Casey Hayes, associate professor of music, thought he had tenure when he taught at Whiteland Community High School. But the school forced him to resign once administrators found out that he was gay.

Hayes received tenure from Franklin College earlier this month, though, after working at the college as an assistant professor for six years.

Hayes said Jay Moseley, president of Franklin College, describes an assistant professor receiving tenure as a “marriage between a faculty member and the institution.”

Tenured professors are guaranteed their jobs and have more academic freedom with less fear of repercussion, Hayes said.

He said receiving tenure at an institution that is accepting of all faculty and administrators is extremely rewarding.

When Hayes interviewed for his position at Franklin College, he felt so welcome. Everyone’s smiles and friendly attitudes shocked him, he said.

“They just sincerely wanted a music program,” Hayes said.

“And that won me over.”

At that time, that college didn’t have a music department; it was part of the fine arts.

But since then, the number of students in choirs and band has grown tremendously. He said 11 students participated in choir when he first came to Franklin. Now, more than 100 students sing as a part of FC Singers or women’s or men’s chorus.

Hayes said he is proud of the department’s growth.

He said one of his goals for upcoming years is to help the college

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develop its niche within music and higher education in Indiana.

Hayes said he wants all of the college’s stakeholders to have a clear vision of what skills Franklin College music majors have when they graduate.

He’s creating a document that explains the direction he thinks the department should move.

And he said he plans to release the details later this semester.

Senior Jesse Hamilton said Hayes, his adviser when he majored in music, has been a great mentor for him. Hayes answered all of his questions and pointed him in the right direction, he said.

“If it weren’t for Dr. Hayes, I wouldn’t be graduating,” Hamilton said.

Although Hamilton has since switched his major to religion, he said Hayes helps him on a personal level by guiding him through the difficulties of college.

Hayes said he wishes more students would take music classes and work with the department’s adjuncts, who teach everything from guitar to music theory.

“I wish that people would reconnect with their love of music and realize that they do not need to be any type of music superstar,” Hayes said. “It’s okay to fall in love with something that maybe is a little more unorthodox.”

He said many adults regret never learning how to sing or play a musical instrument or quitting. But he encourages them to try again.

“They can feel free to pick it back up here at Franklin anytime,” Hayes said.

news

the

musicman

“If it weren’t for Dr. Hayes, I wouldn’t be graduating.”

– Jesse Hamilton, senior

Story by Ellie Price, photos and design by Kiley Lipps TheFranklinNews.com

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opinion

editorial Olivia Covington

United States has no excuse for inaction against ISIS There is a great evil in our world that no one seems to care about.

As the sadistic terrorism of ISIS continues to plague the Middle East, the United States – and the rest of the Western world – continues to sit comfortably in its secluded alcove, giving little thought to the fate of the terrorized.

For months, news of cold-blooded murders has been streaming into our news cycles, each report more heinous than the last.

Nearly two weeks ago, the worst news yet arrived from Libya: 21 Egyptian Christians were captured and beheaded, all while an ISIS soldier filmed the murders for the world to see.

But this still has not moved our country to action.

While it’s certainly not the job of the United States to solve all of the world’s problems, this situation would seem to warrant some intervention by the world power.

There really is no excuse why the United States seems to be ignoring ISIS and its widespread killings. Sure, the president can give a speech about how evil these murders are, but words and empty threats aren’t going to scare conscienceless killers.

Only action – strong, harsh action – will stop this militant group.

The United States has adopted an overwhelmingly “stay out of it” policy recently regarding foreign policy (read: Ukraine). But this time, that’s not going to work.

If something isn’t done immediately to cut off the warpath ISIS is marching down, the killings will only grow worse, and more innocent lives will be unnecessarily lost.

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Lack of diversity at Oscars shows need for better representation It seems that awards shows always come coupled with controversy.

Whether it’s outfit disasters or risqué performances, there’s always buzz before and after a show.

The Oscars this week were no different, but the buzz was. For the first time since 1998, the nominees for the acting categories were all white. Additionally, no women were nominated for the best director and screenwriter categories.

Criticism was fierce as soon as the nominees were announced.

Blame was laid on both the “whiteness” of Hollywood and the voting members of the Academy, who choose the Oscar nominees.

The qualifications for being an Academy member are complicated and relatively unimportant, but here’s what you need to know: Members vote for candidates in their field.

Actors vote for actors, directors vote for directors and so on, according to MentalFloss.com. The one exception is that everyone is eligible to vote for Best Picture. It’s from these initial votes that the nominees we see at the awards show are chosen, and the Academy then makes a final vote based on those nominees.

Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

Well, consider this: 94 percent of the 5,765 Academy members are white, according to the LA Times. 77 percent are male.

This is a problem.

For one, this is clearly not representative of the American population, and certainly isn’t representative of the people who watch movies. White men make up only 31 percent of the American population, according to the Washington Post. But because the Academy is predominantly white and

male, the members are going to vote for predominantly white people or males. People generally have a bias, whether consciously or not, toward what they are familiar with. White men will vote for white men (or white women, depending on the category).

And unless there is a change within the Academy, this trend will continue to persist.

In the 83 years that the Academy Awards have been presented, only 4 percent of the acting awards have gone to black actors, and only one woman has ever won a directing award, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cue comments like, “Well, maybe there just aren’t enough black actors.”

It’s pretty safe to say that this is not a solid argument. There was a diverse range of presenters during the Awards show, many of them actors. And when Selma, a movie about the civil rights movement (and, thus, full of black actors), is snubbed when it is expected to get several nominations, it is necessary to consider the larger factors at play.

Even host Neil Patrick Harris acknowledged the lack of diversity in nominees, remarking that they were at the show to “celebrate Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry … brightest.”

Fortunately, great speeches addressing issues like the wage gap for women, incarceration of black men and talking about suicide were given by many of the winners. Unfortunately, much of it was undermined at the announcing of the winner for Best Picture.

Before announcing that “Birdman,” directed by Alejandro

Our Position: The Franklin editorial board believes having diversity represented in Oscar nominations more accurately reflects American moviegoers.

González Iñárritu, had won, presented Sean Penn joked about who gave Iñárritu his green card.

Not very subtle, there, Penn.

As college students, it’s impossible to know exactly where we’ll end up after graduation, but it’s important to realize that we may one day be in a position where representation will matter and be visible. We need to recognize that representation of all kinds of people is an accurate reflection of this country and the world.

Students of Franklin College, taking a closer look at what’s around you might open your eyes to the subtle inequalities that others face.

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.

opinion

provs. con Snow days at FC

Paige Clark

U.S. history courses offer students honesty

Zoie Richey: The Franklin

Students walk through the snow during January term.

Snow days needed for safety of campus

Grown-ups don’t get snow days

Caitlin Soard

Emily Metheny

A few weeks ago, I woke up to a post on Instagram that was a screenshot of the weather in Franklin (a balmy negative 4 degrees) juxtaposed against the weather in the North Pole.

It was 2 degrees higher in the North Pole.

That same day, I trudged my way to class, almost slipping and dying on the sidewalk because, surprise, it was a solid sheet of ice! I had hoped, in vain, that maybe, just maybe, classes would be canceled. It was negative 4 degrees, after all. Every friend I have at other colleges was enjoying their blessed snow day.

For some reason, we never seem to get snow days, no matter how cold it gets (and last week it was so cold outside that it physically hurt me to breathe).

Maybe it’s because our campus is so small, so the justification is that we don’t have to walk very far.

But what about professors and commuters?

When the roads are unsafe, school shouldn’t be happening. Simple as that. Nothing is more important than the safety of students and faculty – no, not even a pop quiz. The fact that it got so cold and so icy outside and we didn’t have at least a delay is kind of unacceptable.

We’re cold. We’re tired. We don’t like falling on our butts. Give us snow days or give us death.

(Just kidding, the sidewalks will kill us.)

When I was little, I loved snow days. But they have gotten progressively less fun as I have gotten older, due to athletic commitments and work.

College is supposed to prepare us for life, and working adults do not get snow days – except in severe circumstances (state of emergency, anyone?).

For most of us, we just have to walk across campus.

We are not at IU or another large school where cold would affect us more. According to the Center for Disease Control, it takes 30 minutes outside to get frostbite if the windchill is negative 19. During the month of January, we did fall into that category, but our walk across campus does not take that long. If we are wearing winter clothes, we can make that trek easily.

What about commuters, you ask? You are an adult.

You can decide if it is too dangerous to travel to campus.

That’s a lesson that students have to learn because we will be asking ourselves this throughout our lives. Faculty and staff have to drive to campus, too. The school would not put its faculty, staff and students at risk.

When it comes to snow, traveling is more difficult. But let’s not forget about our physical plant workers who do their best to keep the sidewalks iced and parking plowed.

It may not always be perfect, but the world beyond our walls is the same. We are just being prepared for life.

Only if Homeland Security issues a state of emergency will I be all for a snow day.

Recently, Oklahoma proposed Republican-backed legislation to eliminate AP U.S. History classes. The Republican National Committee said the courses showcase a “consistently negative view of American history” – basically educational bad juju.

I remember rolling my eyes at the long range of pages assigned for my first AP History class.

But what I remember more is the different style of writing within the textbook. For the first time in my high school career, I was handed a book with opinions and real background information, not a public relations-approved paragraph about scandals with a positive spin.

And maybe that does come off negative, but I think it’s more honest and transparent. No matter how hard you spin Watergate, it’s still bad. No matter how you spin concentration camps for Japanese Americans, it’s still bad. Segregation? Still bad.

We’re America the Great, not America the Perfect. Mistakes happen. But what really makes a mistake a “scandal” is usually the big lie used to cover it all up.

Why would we want to encourage removing a class that removes all the lies and just tells the truth?

It’s 2015. If high school kids want to learn all the deep dark secrets about American history, they can just Google it. Wouldn’t you rather them learn about America’s past from an approved historical text book rather than some blog written by an American conspiracy theorist who blames the Smurfs for the terrorist attacks and still lives with his mom?

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sports Softball starts season placed high in conference

By Jay Siskin

kevin.siskin@franklincollege.edu

Ben Brown

Paul George: Proceed with caution Paul George said that he wants to come back to the team March 1.

The Pacers currently sit half a game out from the final playoff spot, and with George’s return, the team is hoping to make a late run and clinch a spot.

My biggest fear is that George will try to force a comeback too quickly.

At 23rd in the league, the Pacers could definitely use some scoring help, but if George reinjures his leg, the team could be looking at two bad seasons instead of one.

If he does return, the Pacers should give him the rest he needs and limit his minutes. Making a run just to get to the playoffs is not something that’s worth risking the team’s star player.

George seems to understand this as the March 1 return is just a return to practice. He said he hoped that he would be able to play his first game by the middle of March.

I have high hopes that the Pacers can make the playoffs.

However, if they just make it, they will be playing against the best team in the Eastern Conference – the Atlanta Hawks.

George said that facing off against the Hawks or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs would be ideal.

If George gets his way, I can see an early exit from the playoffs for the Pacers. If they expect to make a decent run, they need to push for a higher seed.

When George returns, he may be sluggish and his shot may be a bit rusty. The atmosphere in a playoff game is a challenge for anyone and even harder for a player just returning from a major injury.

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The softball team has been selected to finish third in the upcoming 2015 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference by the league coaches in a preseason poll.

Franklin is coming off a school-record 21-win season in 2014. Expectations are certainly high for the Grizzlies after the team failed to make the conference tournament.

“We had 21 wins last year and we didn’t make the conference tourney,” senior Jessica Ayers said. “This year we are wanting to make the conference tournament and win it, so I would definitely say our expectations are set very high for this season but not hard to exceed.”

Ayers, the team’s only senior, will be “a force to be reckoned with offensively and defensively,” sophomore Savannah Belvins said.

“As a senior, my leadership role has changed,” Ayers said.

“I don’t seek to be the best player anymore. I just want to be the best teammate possible.”

Junior Katie Struewing hit a school record 18 doubles last season and tied for team best in runs with 26.

“We want to build on our success from last year,” Struewing said.

“I’m excited about this upcoming season because of the potential this team has to succeed.”

The Grizzles start the season with an annual trip to Fort Meyers, Florida, this weekend.

“The trip to Florida will be a great start to our season, as we will be able to play teams we wouldn’t normally play,” said Blevins, who led the team in runs batted last season. “It will also give us an opportunity to fine tune our skills and gel as a team.”

“My personal goal is to lead the team in RBI’s and increase that number from last season,” she said. “I would also like to make the All-Conference team.”

Franklin begins the season Saturday with doubleheader games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Lacrosse opens first varsity season with new head coach

By Ben Brown

benjamin.brown@franklincollege.edu

The women’s lacrosse team is entering its first season as a varsity sport while undergoing a new coaching change.

As of last season, Stephanie Eft moved from the assistant coaching position to the head coaching spot. Veronica Mitchell gave up head coaching duties and is now the assistant coach for the team.

Last season the lacrosse team played a total of four games and went 1-3 for its club season. The team’s only victory came against Rose-Hulman.

This season the Grizzlies will be apart of the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC), which is also in its inaugural season. The conference is made up of five Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) teams and five teams from the President’s Athletic Conference.

The other teams in the HCAC include Transylvania University, Mount St. Joseph’s, Hanover and Defiance.

According to coaching polls in the ORLC, the Grizzlies are expected to finish near the bottom, in ninth.

Despite the low rank, sophomore Hannah Grow is excited for the start of the first varsity season.

“It brings so much excitement,” Grow said. “We are the underdogs

right now. No one knows what’s coming, and they’re all wondering how we will do. I love the element of surprise that we will have.”

Grow, who missed the majority of last season with a broken foot, said that from last year to now the team has improved immensely.

“If anything, the years that our team has been waiting for this varsity season have made us want this year that much more,” Grow said.

Junior Megan Rhoton said that she also hopes that the program continues to grow and the support they have gotten from the school continues. She also said that the team had excitement for the first official varsity season.

“We are hungry to see how well we can make this new team and be competitive in every game,” Rhoton said. “We have nothing to lose with being new, so it drives us to be good and show everyone that we are not going to be an easy team to beat.”

Although this is the first season for the team they have many goals that they hope to accomplish.

Grow said the team wants to finish the season with a winning record. The team also hopes to beat Hanover and, most importantly, to make it a year to remember.

“We have nothing to go off of so this year is all about trials,” Grow said.

Grow said that having another new head coach was only going to affect the team in a positive way.

She said Eft was great and knew a lot about lacrosse.

Rhoton agreed with Grow about a new coach having a positive effect.

“Coach Steph is the perfect coach to start this program and make it grow like she is,” Rhoton said. “It will not affect the team in a negative way because the drive and positivity she brings to every practice makes us want to work hard for her.”

Both players said they believe that the past seasons as a club team have helped the program tremendously.

“I honestly think we will do very well this season because we are all competitive, hard workers and won’t go down without a fight,” Rhoton said. “Our coaches are smart and have the drive to make us the best we can be, so we are all very excited to see what happens this year.”

The team heads to Transylvania University Wednesday for its first varsity match at 7 p.m.

sports Weekly Recap Feb. 18 Men’s Basketball Franklin vs. Rose-Hulman L, 79-61

Women’s Basketball

Franklin vs. Rose-Hulman W, 41-36

Feb. 22 Men’s Basketball Franklin vs. Defiance L, 89-58

Women’s Basketball

Franklin vs. Defiance W, 61-54

Women’s Track and Field HCAC Indoor Championship Franklin was 1st of 10 teams

Men’s Track and Field Kiley Lipps: The Franklin

Senior Lindsey Dall (left) and senior Nichole Thompson (right) go up for shots against Defiance College on senior night for the Grizzlies.

HCAC Indoor Championship Franklin was 6th of 10 teams

Women’s basketball opens HCAC Tournament at third seed

By Seth Morin

seth.morin@franklincollege.edu

The women’s basketball team has continued its winning season by defeating Defiance College in the final regualr season game, allowing the team to earn a high seed in the conference tournament.

Victories over the past two weeks against Earlham, Rose-Hulman and Defiance solidified the Lady Grizzlies as the number three seed in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) tournament. Prior to winning their final three games of the season, the team had dropped three straight against conference opponents.

The HCAC women’s basketball tournament begins Friday night with Franklin taking on Rose-Hulman – a team they’ve defeated twice this season, 41-36 last week and 56-53 earlier in the season.

Rose-Hulman is the 6th and final spot in the HCAC season. Rose-Hulman was also able to end its season with a victory.

Transylvania is this season’s favorite to win the HCAC Tournament.

Transylvania is 24-1 on the season and a perfect 18-0 in the conference.

The tournament is also being hosted by Transylvania this season.

Last year, Franklin advanced to the semifinal of the conference championship before losing to Hanover 92-83.

But the road to the tournament was not easy.

Going into the final three games, the Grizzlies had a 9-6 conference record and were 11-10 overall – on the verge of not making the tournament.

With the three wins to close out the regular season, the Grizzlies are feeling great about their chances in the tournament.

“We have had our ups and downs,” said Lauren DeSutter, a sophomore guard who has started in all 24 games this season, one of only three players to do so. “But, for the most part, we have put on a strong front against all of the teams we have faced.”

DeSutter leads the team with an average of 10 points per game and 241 total points scored so

far in the season. She also leads the team with 35 steals.

“One area of improvement for our team is being able to push the ball better in transition and being able to get some of those easy baskets,” DeSutter said.

But the need for improvement in some areas has not affected the team’s mindset.

“Our team has great chemistry on and off the court, which in the end, helps our play,” DeSutter added.

DeSutter said that it has been a great season but does not want it to end.

She said she wants to help end the season on a high note for the three seniors – Nichole Thompson, Brittany Elliott and Lindsey Dall.

If Franklin defeats Rose-Hulman yet again, they will advance to play regular season conference runner-up Hanover – a team they beat 69-63 in December but lost to in early February 61-54.

The Grizzlies will take on the Fighting Engineers at 8 p.m. at Transylvania University.

Tournament Schedule Friday, Feb. 27 Game 1 - Manchester vs. Bluffton Game 2 - Rose-Hulman vs. Franklin Saturday, Feb. 28 Game 3: Transylvania vs. Game 1 winner Game 4: Hanover vs. Game 2 winner Sunday, Mar. 1 Championship: Game 3 winner vs.

Game 4 winner TheFranklinNews.com

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friends of franklin

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you travel?

“I’d go to Palm Springs, California, because it’s negative 6 here right now, and it’s 80 degrees in Palm Springs.”

Thomas Minar, president-elect of Franklin College

Emily Metheny: The Franklin

How important are your friends at Franklin College?

“They are a great support system who become like family members. We are able to study together, hang out, share our stresses with each other and stay optimistic about our futures.”

Hannah Hoyt, freshman Photo featuring freshmen Patty Ko, Shar Say, Hannah Hoyt and Tyres Par Ellie Price: The Franklin

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