The Franklin: Nov. 9, 2018

FRIDAY, NOV. 9, 2018 | THEFRANKLINNEWS.COM

ENDING THE

STIGMA

STUDENTS SHARE REALITY OF LIVING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES AND INTOLERANCES PG. 6

COLLEGE WEBSITE GETS A MAKEOVER PG. 4

DIVING BACK IN THE WATER PG. 13

NEWS

“THE Q:

What are you most likely to become famous for?

// OUR TEAM

“ WHO MAKES THE FRANKLIN?

Alivia Brewer Reporter “Re-watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ seven consecutive times.”

Quinn Fitzgerald Photo editor “Having a famous sister.”

Emily Hales Designer “My cute animal sock collection.”

Chaz Hill Columnist “Biggest ‘Star Wars’ fan.”

Executive editor Shelby Mullis shelby.mullis@franklincollege.edu Opinion editor Erica Irish erica.irish@franklincollege.edu News editor Emily Ketterer emily.ketterer@franklincollege.edu Sports editor Hope Shrum hope.shrum@franklincollege.edu

Erica Irish Opinion editor “Largest books ‘to-beread’ pile.”

Emily Ketterer News editor “My stuffed Disney characters collection.”

Abigail Larken Copy chief “Having the cutest dog in the world.”

Andrew Longstreth Photographer “My beard.”

Copy chief Abigail Larken abigail.larken@franklincollege.edu Photo editor Quinn Fitzgerald elizabeth.fitzgerald@franklincollege.edu Web editor Matt Thomas matthew.thomas@franklincollege.edu

Ariana Lovitt Columnist “Most coffee drank in a day.”

Jessie McClain Reporter “My incessant babbling.”

Peytan Mills Photographer “Binge-watching shows on Netflix.”

Shelby Mullis Executive editor “Eating a large fry in less than a minute.”

Advertising manager Tara Ricke tara.ricke@franklincollege.edu Publisher John Krull jkrull@franklincollege.edu Adviser Ryan Gunterman rgunterman@franklincollege.edu

AJ Prohaska Photographer “Cutting down really big trees for fun.”

Carolina Puga Mendoza Reporter “Awkwardly staring in confusion.”

Victoria Ratliff Reporter “Awkwardly standing in the corner.”

Tara Ricke Ads manager “My Tervis water bottle and cup collection.”

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.

Submit letters to the editor to thefranklin@franklincollege.edu.

Hope Shrum Sports editor “Biggest movie collection.”

Matt Thomas Web editor “Not responding to questions on time.”

Lacey Watt Reporter “Longest nap taker.”

Taylor Wooten Reporter “Being the most average runner ever.”

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM GRANTED ACCREDITATION Director expresses excitement for new opportunities VICTORIA RATLIFF | STORY victoria.ratliff@franklincollege.edu

was that they would also continue to have After a four-year journey, the Master of Phythe need for more PAs in their facilities,” sician Assistant studies program is officially Meehan said. accredited at Franklin College.

On Sept. 24, the college announced The program received its accreditation that Drs. Leonard and Teresa Bissonnette from the Accreditation Review Commission gifted the college on Education for $150,000 in supthe Physician Assisport of the MSPAS tant last week. program.

Franklin College Leonard Bissonis working with nette, a 1962 alumJohnson Memorial nus, was impressed Health and Coby Meehan’s lumbus Regional work on the new Health to fulfill the program and was need of physician honored to support assistant positions the impact this in their hospitals. program will have “Seventy-nine on students. percent of rural “By being small, counties don’t have The physician assistant program will share a space with the Master of Science in Athletic we’ll be able to a PA, so, there’s a Training program in the new Graduate Health know our students need,” said ThomScience Center. HOPE SHRUM | PHOTO well and give them as Meehan, the that personal MSPAS director. touch,” Meehan said.

“And we have this The journey to accreditation began in dedicated facility for them to be in.”

2014 when the college was granted a Lily Earlier this year, the college announced Endowment to start the program. In 2017, the collaboration with Johnson Memorial Meehan was hired by the college as the diHealth that established the Graduate Health rector of the program and to aid the process Science Center. The center currently houses of accreditation. the Master of Science in Athletic TrainThe college worked closely with Johning program and will soon be home to the son Memorial Health, which offered to MSPAS program, too. take Franklin College students for clinical Meehan hopes the facility will offer a rotations during students’ second year in the graduate school mindset for students, while program. allowing faculty to be present.

“Some of the affiliations with the hospitals Eighteen students were accepted into the was around [jobs]. Yes, they would take our program.

Class will begin in January. students for clinical rotations, but the desire

WHERE TO

GIVE

JOHNSON COUNTY SENIOR SERVICES

731 S. State St., Franklin 317-738-4544 The food pantry accepts donated nonperishable food and household items for senior citizens.

Website: jcseniorservices.org

INTERCHURCH FOOD PANTRY 211 Commerce Drive, Franklin 317-736-5090 Interchurch Food Pantry accepts food donations, as well as other needed hygiene items.

To donate, view the shopping list on its website. Requested items include cereal, toilet paper and mac and cheese.

3

INBRIEF

COLLEGE TO HOST BIG HEART 5K IN MEMORY OF FORMER STUDENT Franklin College is hosting a 5K run, walk and job to honor the memory of former student Wes Shambaugh who passed away from an enlarged heart in 2015.

Donations from the 5K will go toward adding an additional automated external defibrillator to campus.

There is no entry fee, but donations will be accepted at the table.

The 5K will take place Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Grizzly Park shelter house.

Registration opens at 9:15 a.m. and the 5K begins at 10 a.m.

NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENT INTRODUCED TO STUDENTS Pivot, a personal development summit, will be a new requirement beginning with this year’s freshman class.

The concept is aimed at preparing students to seamlessly pivot into and out of situations, careers and environments.

This is just a requirement for first-year students under the new curriculum, but upperclassmen can also attend the workshop, space permitting.

This year, students can choose from over 50 workshops taught by different professors and staff on campus. Each workshop is made up of three units, and students must complete all three to fullfill the Pivot requirement.

Pivot will take place Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Registration opens Monday, Nov. 29.

THE REFUGE FOOD PANTRY 65 Airport Parkway, Suite 114, Greenwood | 317-889-7338 The Refuge looks for food, hygene and household item donations. A list of requested items can be viewed on its website.

Items can be dropped off during the pantry’s hours of operation.

Website: therefugeinc.com/give

Website: jcpantry.org/donate *Local food pantries accept donations for the holiday season. For hours, call the pantries listed.

4

BRANDING EFFORTS EXTEND TO WEBSITE, BILLBOARD College gives website a fresh look, purchases billboard on Interstate-65 LACEY WATT | STORY lacey.watt@franklincollege.edu

The college website receives up to 500 guest visits per day, and with that traffic, the site needed an update.

Ann Smith, director of marketing, was the person behind the computer and the design.

Since the website turned five years old, it was time for the upgrade. Pages were not loading and links appeared to be broken — among other technological errors.

“There was a time where the site was almost broken on the daily,” Smith said.

“We had to remove some functionality. We were not happy about that. Too many things broken from a technological stand point.”

With the internet being a large marketing tool for the college, Smith decided to build a new design from scratch instead of merely updating the old design.

Kate Coffman, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid, said the team started from scratch to create a new design

and platform, calling it a “state-of-the-art website.”

“We feel like it represents the brand well,” Coffman said. “Not just the look, but the language and the things we were covering on the website tie into the brand strategically. It really is aimed at prospective students and that really is the best practice.”

Coffman hopes to use the new site as a tool to increase the amount of new student applications.

Additionally, while most recent branding changes have occurred online, the new brand also made its debut on the interstate.

There is a new billboard before exit 90 at Franklin on Interstate-65 to make people aware of Franklin College’s location.

“The first time I saw it, it was cool since we are such a small school,” freshman Katie Lauer said. “Now [for the commute], it’s part of a routine to see.”

Coffman said these projects would not have been possible without the help from donations to the college from those who wish to remain anonymous.

“Franklin College is really grateful we have donors who want to support marketing, and it allows us to bring in more students, which ultimately helps everything at Franklin,” Coffman said.

While the billboard and website help marketing and prospective students, it also benefits the college’s current student body, Smith said.

“When marketing occurs, not only does it bring in prospective students, it also brings in stronger students,” she said. “It helps business opportunities for graduates because of recognition and helps current students with internships and connections.”

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ADVANCES ON SCHEDULE

Nine-phase construction project to be completed by October 2019 ALIVIA BREWER | STORY alivia.brewer@franklincollege.edu

Downtown Franklin’s nine-phase construction project is less than one year away from its contractual completion date, and Mark Richards, the city engineer, said the project is advancing on time and on budget.

The $12.2 million project, currently in phase seven, includes the replacement of water lines, sidewalks, lighting, pavement and a new storm sewer. Construction on phase seven, which extends from the intersection of Jefferson Street and Branigin Boulevard to the intersection of Jefferson and Forsythe Streets, started in August.

“A great deal of thought and design has gone into the work and the image of Franklin the administration wishes to project,” Richards said. “It’s hard to argue with the result, especially with the growth the City has experienced over the past couple of years.”

However, the closure of some roads in Franklin, including the projected two-week closure of the intersection of Forsythe and Jefferson Streets on Oct. 16, has made the commute to Franklin College more difficult for some students.

Senior Brianna Hutton lives in a house on Forsythe Street, north of King Street and less than a one-minute drive to campus. She chose the house this summer because of its proximity to campus. However, the construction left her scrambling to find an alternative route to make it to class.

“It takes two minutes longer to get to campus, and that’s a lot when I have an 8 a.m. [class],” Hutton said.

The city opened the intersection Monday afternoon after weather delays.

Forsythe Street from Jefferson Street to King Street will be closed beginning March 2019 when the crew starts phase eight. This phase is expected to be completed by the end of May 2019. The intersection of Forsythe and King Street will close during the last two weeks of phase eight and will reopen to north-south traffic once that work is completed.

Phase nine will be the final phase of the project, with construction extending from June through October. King Street will be closed from Forsythe Street to Milford Drive.

Richards said frustration with detour

Crews are currently completing phase seven of the nine-phase construction project. NATALIE HOLLENSEAD | PHOTO

routes by business owners, residents and visitors has been the biggest source of phone calls and complaints, but he said there is no way to adequately prepare people for difficulty in getting around construction zones.

The city, Richards said, did a “good job” of letting residents know what to expect regarding the construction.

“The overall reaction has been very positive and seem to hold a great deal of pride in what the improvements mean to Franklin,” Richards said.

5

PEACE FOUND THROUGH YOGA IN FRANKLIN Yoga studio offers classes, retreats and teacher training JESSIE MCCLAIN | STORY jessie.mcclain@franklincollege.edu

Only four years after opening her first studio in Speedway, Indiana, Mindi Epstein founded Peace through Yoga in October 2017 in downtown Franklin.

“I had a very well-defined idea of what I wanted the studios to be,” Epstein said.

“The absolute thought was to make it very welcoming and a non-judgmental place.”

This relatively new studio is celebrating its first year as a business in Franklin. It offers different yoga classes, retreats and teacher training classes.

A variety of yoga classes are offered throughout the week including beginner, candle, essential, restorative, chair and yin yoga. Each class is taught and hosted by trained and certified yoga professionals, including Epstein herself.

“There is nothing here that could make you feel uncomfortable,” Epstein said.

“There are no deities, no unusual symbols or anything that might make somebody feel as if they don’t belong.”

With walls filled with crystals and wideopen spaces, Peace through Yoga was created for relaxation, Epstein said.

No stranger to relaxation, Evelyn Byerly has been teaching yoga with the business for over three years. She said yoga is designed to offer people a way to let go.

“It allows you to find control with which is

Mindi Epstein, the owner of Peace Through Yoga, opened the Franklin studio in October 2017. Her first studio is located in Speedwat. JESSIE MCCLAIN | PHOTO

so many times beyond our control,” Byerly said.

Jennifer Mann, Franklin College’s administrative assistant for student success, has been practicing yoga for 10 years. She has been attending classes at Peace through Yoga for two months.

“For me personally, the stretching in yoga really opens up my body and allows me to feel less stressed and rigid,” Mann said.

“Yoga has a way of helping me process things and clear my mind. I just feel renewed

Peace through Yoga offers a variety of yoga classes to all ages. Classes range from chair yoga to restorative yoga. JESSIE MCCLAIN | PHOTO

and rejuvenated afterward.”

Research shows yoga is scientifically proven to be good for the body, physically and mentally, according to Psychology Today.

Byerly added that yoga is extremely beneficial to college students.

“It helps with focus,” Byerly said. “College students get so bombarded with their lectures and homework. It gets overwhelming very quickly.”

Peace through Yoga offers discounts for students who are interested in classes, Epstein said. Students can receive unlimited classes for $69 a month. Each session is $10.

Epstein said the location is geographically placed in Franklin for a reason. She chose to locate her businesses in smaller communities because she wanted yoga to be accessible to everybody, and she loved the Franklin community.

“We call it real life yoga,” Epstein said.

“We adopted it as our mission statement — we meet you where you are physically, spiritually and geographically.”

Peace through Yoga is located on Main Street in downtown Franklin, south of the square, by Richard’s Brick Oven Pizza. The time of classes depends on the class of your choosing. Classes for yoga teacher training are available during certain months of the year. Interested visitors can visit peacethroughyoga.com for more information.

Epstein said she wants more people in town to know about the business and hopes Peace through Yoga is not the “best kept secret”.

MORE THAN MY ALLERGY SHELBY MULLIS | STORY + DESIGN

ABIGAIL LARKEN | PHOTO

“

It was mind-boggling to realize I had been eating all these foods for so long, and I didn’t know they were affecting me this way.

S

ami Roberts takes six pills a day to avoid getting sick after eating even a small amount of gluten.

Growing up as a swimmer, Roberts, a Franklin College senior, always loaded up on pasta to max out her carbohydrate intake.

But two years ago, when she went to Olive Garden for an appetizer special, she never could have predicted what the next morning would bring.

“I had woken up and my stomach was cramping,” Roberts said. “It almost felt like my appendix was about to burst.”

After a visit to the hospital that morning, Roberts learned she had a gluten intolerance.

“I’m not allergic,” she said. “But when I eat too much gluten, my stomach starts to cease.”

For junior Kinsley Castro, it started with a migraine. When the migraines wouldn’t fade, and full-body rashes started to break out on her skin, blood work indicated Castro was sensitive to at least 17 different ingredients.

Now, Castro knows those 17 ingredients by memory. If she eats or puts any of them on her body, she can almost always expect a reaction.

Castro has a food intolerance.

Less than 4 percent of Americans have food allergies or intolerances, according to a June 2017 Forbes article that cited information from the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The data in the report was compiled using the electronic health records of about 2.7 million adults and children from the Boston area who received health care between 2000 and 2013. A total of 3.6 percent of the survery, or 97,482 people, had a food allergy or intolerance.

But what is a food allergy, and how is it different from a food intolerance like the ones Roberts and Castro suffer from?

FOOD INTOLERANCE VS. FOOD ALLERGY

Michelle Hernandez, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of North

JUNIOR KINSLEY CASTRO

Carolina Chapel Hill, said a food allergy causes specific symptoms each time a person is exposed to the food.

“The types of symptoms they usually develop are hives or skin rash with redness, they develop itch, they can develop vomiting, diarrhea and sometimes they have difficulty breathing as well,” Hernandez said. “As I mentioned, these symptoms happen every single time that they eat the food.”

A food intolerance, however, is not life-threatening like a food allergy can be, she said. Instead, it affects a person’s ability to digest certain substances, impairing their quality of life.

Hernandez said over 90 percent of food allergies and intolerances are to cow’s milk, soy, wheat, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts.

Drew Bird, a pediatric allergist at University of Texas Southwestern and director of the Food Allergy Center, said symptoms vary for each person, especially depending on the severity of the allergy or intolerance.

Food allergies can lead to life-threatening reactions in some circumstances, such as hypotension or low blood pressure.

An allergy or intolerance may characteristically affect the organ system, more specifically, the respiratory system, including sneezing, copious mucus production, difficulty breathing, coughing or wheezing or gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, cramping or diarrhea.

After three months of severe migraines, rashes and acne breakouts, Castro visited a variety of specialists in search of an answer.

Everyone suggested it was caused by some sort of food.

It wasn’t until a functional medicine doctor completed a food allergy test on Castro that they were able to narrow down what had caused these reactions.

“It was mind boggling to realize I had been eating all these foods for so long and I didn’t know they were affecting me this way,” Castro said.

BUILDING AWARENESS

Roberts can’t change her illness, but she said she can change the negative stigma that surrounds food allergies and intolerances.

“You can change your weight. You can change your hair. You can change all this stuff about you, but an allergy?” Roberts said. “You don’t wake up one day and say, ‘I want to be allergic to bees.’ You don’t wake up one day and say, ‘I want my ankles to itch every time I stand in grass.’”

By now, she is used to being the person at a party who can’t have something because they are allergic or sensitive to certain foods.

“I have been that person, and it’s upsetting because a lot of people take it as a joke,” Roberts said.

Bullying is another serious risk that Sakina Bajowala, a board-certified allergist and immunologist, says comes with food allergies, especially in school-aged children.

“Thirty-five to 50 percent of school-aged children with a food allergy reported being bullied due to their food allergy,” Bajowala said, referring to a study from the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine. “Food allergy bullying creates a climate of fear and intimidation in what should be a safe and secure place of learning.”

Still, it extends beyond the realm of the K-12 classroom.

“There’s a lot of stigmas I feel,” Castro said. “People are like, ‘Oh, you’re so high maintenance,’ or, ‘You put so much effort into your food. You’re just basic.’ You don’t understand that I feel so much better in myself when I eat the foods I know I can have.”

Castro said she has been the subject of jokes and taunting, too.

“It’s not a game,” Castro said. “Some people think it’s funny to taunt me with food, like, ‘Oh, I had pizza for lunch! Want a bite?’

If I could eat what I wanted, you bet I would have pizza every day. I know the consequences, and I’m the one who suffers the most when I eat things I’m not supposed to.”

ONE WOMAN

“

I always say: You can do anything with enough determination.”

Senior Alaina Justice joined the military four years ago, and nothing has stopped her from raising her son or getting a degree.

Justice, 27, joined the United States Army National Guard in April 2014 due to financial-aid necessity. For her, the military was just a backup plan, she said, but college was her first choice.

However, joining the military didn’t keep her from attending school, even while going through basic training in 2014.

“It’s hard, it’s a really tight schedule, especially if you are in training. I was going to training and school and that was very difficult,” she said.

Recently, Justice became a mother to her now 15-month-old son, River Justice, while also being a philosophy major with a studio art minor. At first, her family was surprised, yet supportive of her decision to join the military, tackle school and raise a son, she said.

After River entered her life, Justice had to learn how to manage college, the military, a night job and being a single mother.

“Part of it I’m doing out of a necessity... because I have to provide for [River], it’s challenging sometimes but I know he’s living a good life,” Justice said. “I’m doing the best I can to provide that for him. He’s getting a lot of good experience because of what I’m doing, so [it’s] a win-win.”

Currently, Justice is under a six-year con-

“

tract. She works as a 42A human resources specialist, where she organizes soldiers’ paperwork.

She continues to go through training that consists of sharpening skills, weapon training, job training and preparation for deployment, Justice said.

The military training has helped her face her fears, which is something she would not have learned without this experience.

“You know when you are nervous to do something and it’s just like, ‘Okay I gotta do this to get over this fear,’ like I’ve experienced that more times in military than have in any other aspects of my life,” Justice said.

With her training and desk job, Justice is given one weekend off per month and a couple weeks a year.

“I have no free time at all, I max out myself, but I like it,” she said. “I like staying busy, I like feeling like I’m progressing and making my life better, and to provide a good life for my son, it’s worth it for sure.”

Justice is still undecided on what is going to happen in the future. For now, her focus is to graduate and to find a job, while also looking forward to where the military will take her.

“I’m an example that you can do all three and have a functional life,” she said. “So really you just got to accept that you don’t get a lot of sleep, that you will be working a lot, you just got to keep in mind your end goal and have determination.”

I like feeling like I’m progressing and making my life better...

ALAINA JUSTICE, SENIOR

CAROLINA PUGA MENDOZA | STORY

EMILY HALES | DESIGN

AJ PROHASKA | PHOTO

OPINION

EDITORIAL | WOMEN DOMINATE CAMPUS LEADERSHIP College men should become more involved in non-athletic student life EXAMINING THE GENDER GAP REALITY

Student organizations best serve the college community when leadership consists of both male and female perspectives.

THE FRANKLIN EDITORIAL BOARD

Dylan Graham has been involved in the Student Entertainment Board since spring of his freshman year. Beyond his role as a tennis player, this was the junior’s first major extracurricular club.

Graham became treasurer of the board in fall 2017, a role he still holds to this day.

This makes him one of only a handful of male-identifying students in leadership positions among Franklin College’s official student organizations.

While The Franklin can’t identify this as a new or substantial trend without supporting data, it is clear to members of the staff that male leadership in all areas of campus, particularly within student associations, has become increasingly rare this academic year.

Some of the most prominent student organizations are led entirely by or primarily by female-identifying students. This includes Student Congress, Black Student Union, the Franklin College Pride Alliance and more.

However, the college has not collected formal data on this trend to the knowledge of Dean of Students Ellis Hall and Tim Garner, the college's associate vice president for institutional analytics and special projects. But that doesn’t mean the subject will never be up for discussion.

Hall said, as co-chair of the college’s Campus Life Group, student involvement is a topic that is currently being studied by the

THE FOLLOWING GRAPHS SHOW THE NUMBER OF WOMEN ENROLLED AT FRANKLIN COLLEGE ACROSS FIVE YEARS VERSUS MEN AND THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN VS. MEN WHO GRADUATED WITHIN FOUR YEARS ACROSS A SEPARATE 5-YEAR PERIOD. SOURCE: FRANKLIN COLLEGE STUDENT OUTCOMES FACT SHEET

college’s staff and faculty. This committee is one of seven established to study the current culture of Franklin College and determine how that culture advances (or harms) the goals of The Pursuit, the college’s new curriculum set to launch with the class of 2022.

Gender, however, was never considered when this group collected the total membership of student organizations on campus at the beginning of this academic year, Hall said. He did say the number of women in leadership roles is to be commended compared to years past.

“The good news is that women are engaged and women have been in leadership roles,” Hall said. “In my 18 years here, I don’t see that women have been kept from leadership positions. I’ve seen men as leaders, and I’ve seen women as leaders.”

Graham offered his own reason as to why he sees fewer men as leaders in the college.

“Each person is very unique and different from everyone else,” Graham said. “For women at least, they feel like they can make a difference within their organizations.”

Colleges and universities beyond Franklin may also struggle with this and for reasons that have much less to do with choice.

In fall 2017, campuses around the country reported their populations consisted, on average, of more than 56 percent women.

Additionally, an estimated 2.2 million fewer men than women enrolled in colleges and universities overall in the 2017-2018 academic year, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

In less than a decade, too, the department's discovered trends show at least 57 percent of all enrolled college students will

be women in the future.

The media has been aware of this issue for some time, as evident from several reports released in national magazines, newspapers and news websites.

An August 2017 article by Jon Marcus of The Atlantic, showed colleges and universities are even changing their tactics and adding new amenities to recruit more men.

At Carlow University in Pittsburg, Marcus reports, college administrators added new sports teams, changed their branding rules to include more men in media coverage and expanded their business program, all in an attempt to draw in reluctant male students.

The U.S. News and World Report's profile on Franklin College currently shows that an estimated 1,016 students attend the school. Of this total, 48 percent of students are male and 52 percent of students are female, the report continues.

Even with this population disparity, student involvement across all genders could be improved, and all members of campus — no matter where he, she or they identify — should make an honest attempt to contribute to the college's diverse and meaningful student involvement opportunities.

Gender, too, is a vital form of diversity on our campus that deserves recognition and an active role in student life.

But a culture of inactivity, or a desire to participate in more traditionally masculine areas like the college's athletics teams rather than contribute to the academic and social network at Franklin College, will stall this mission for years to come.

11

REALITY CHECK | TWO MINUTES FROM DOOMSDAY

The risk of nuclear disaster is real, but a topic often forgotten in modern times Americans in general are ignoring the fact that a nuclear war is always a reality, despite its prevalence in popular CAROLINA culture like the PUGA MENDOZA television series “American Horror Story: Apocalypse,” among others.

Ready, a national campaign that educates the public about the risks of nuclear warfare, says the first targets would be military bases, important centers of government such as the White House, and state capitals, including Midwestern capitals like Indianapolis.

Indianapolis is the 17th largest city by population in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. An estimated 6.6 million people lived in the state in 2017.

Imagine, then, the terrible and unimaginable loss of life posed by a nuclear war.

Advancements in nuclear technology, as well as relics of the Cold War and past nuclear tensions, continue to threaten all of the world’s citizens. They must not be ignored.

The RDS-200, also known as the “Tsar Bomba,” “is the biggest and most powerful nuclear bomb ever made,” according to

Army Technology, a website regarding army news. It was developed by Soviet Union scientists during the Cold War of the 20th century and is still in Russia’s possession.

The Tsar Bomba would kill 930,000 people and injure another 860,000 if it were dropped on Indianapolis, according to an analysis by local broadcasters at WRTV-TV. Randall Smith, chair of Franklin College’s political science department, said it is unlikely that the Tsar Bomba will ever be used, given that political tactics have changed drastically since the Cold War. “It’s a technique that is reminiscent of the Cold War,” Smith said. “It’s about having the bigger, better toy, which gives you an empowerment.”

But have tactics really changed to that extent? Recent rhetoric by President Donald Trump would argue otherwise.

“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! [SIC]” President Donald Trump said in a tweet in early January.

This is a scary statement. In one order — or in one tweet — we could be condemned.

Nuclear disasters can also take forms different from an outright attack.

In our country, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports there are over 8,652 power plants in use today. This is the result of decisions made by the United States in the mid-1960s to better focus on technology and energy derived from nuclear power plants, according to a report by the World Nuclear Association.

Since the creation of these power plants, there have been several recorded meltdowns, or events in which nuclear reactors overheat causing the plant to explode, on American soil.

While technology is better now, which means better failsafes and awareness across the country’s nuclear power plants, who is to say disasters like this — or worse situations — will never happen again?

As residents of the United States — the country with the most nuclear power in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute — it is up to each person to better monitor these domestic threats and international policies before it is too late to turn back from doomsday.

TO DO | A LOOK AT FRANKLIN’S ONLY BOOKSTORE

Wild Geese Bookshop owner aims to provide identity and ideas to community In downtown Franklin, a small community bookstore sits among a strip of buildings on Water Street.

But the ARIANA LOVITT bookstore itself — Wild Geese Bookshop — stands out with its green facade, its delicate, watercolor logo emblazoned on outdoor signs, and by the legacy it is creating in Franklin’s quaint community.

Tiffany Phillips, Wild Geese Bookshop owner, is an attorney who moved to Franklin from Kentucky some time ago after her husband, George Phillips, took a job as an associate professor of English at Franklin College.

She first purchased the storefront in 2016 to use it as a personal workspace. But, with time, she followed a different path and chose to open what Franklin’s downtown lacked: a bookstore.

The name is derived from the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver, a 20th-century American poet. Tiffany Phillips said the poem spoke personally to the duality of her work as an attorney and bookstore owner — two roles that don’t always follow the same goals, she said. Its encouraging words also offered her a beacon of hope.

Tiffany recalls wanting to feel a sense of belonging in Franklin’s college town, a desire she has infused in much of Wild Geese’s business model and daily mission.

“Being together in a community has a positive impact on our lives,” she said. “I hope to encourage students to come downtown and experience that. I want the store to feel like a home away from home.”

Through deals, such as the 10 percent Franklin College student discount and a 20 percent discount on hardback books every Tuesday, Tiffany hopes to draw in more customers, whether they are students, community residents or out-of-town visitors.

She also manages an online shopping

Wild Geese Bookshop offers a variety of fiction and nonfiction titles. The store celebrated its second year in business last weekend.

PEYTAN MILLS | PHOTO

market for her store at www.wildgeesebookshop.com, where patrons can order specific books and store merchandise.

“We’re trying to create and cultivate a community of readers and thinkers,” she said. “Books are a connection and a way to remember that we’re all connected and part of the order of things.”

12

BEYOND THE BEAT | BENEFITS TO THE BRAIN

Music can enhance studying, but students should check their personalities first Music leaves an impact on the brain, on mood and certainly on actions. But how does music impact personal study habits?

KARA SIMON The Right and Left Brain Theory presented by Roger W. Sperry suggests that the left portion of the brain is what allows a person to think logically, statistically and analytically, while the right side allows an individual to express more holistic thinking and creativity in their work.

In most instances, it is believed music can offer inspiration to those working on projects involving writing, reading and creativity.

However, when working on subjects like science and mathematics — both of which are more logical in nature and require less abstract thinking — the presence of background music can negatively impact productivity. But is this true?

Ryan Rush is an assistant professor of psychology on campus and specializes in the study of memory. For him, the first measure of music’s effect on the brain comes from the level of attention and effort required to

complete a specific task or series of tasks.

“It is interesting because when you are working on a project that is less demanding on your brain, music can actually pull your attention away,” Rush said. “If you listen to music while doing something that requires less attentiveness in the first place, it actually causes you to underperform.”

The University College London, a public research college, conducted its own test to see if an individual’s level of distraction from music could be impacted depending on if they are introverted or extroverted.

The school issued memory-based tests with a focus on participants' memory of information presented to them directly after reading the material. A second series of tests measured how well participants remembered material a couple of hours later.

The participants also completed two immediate reading comprehension tests.

Participants were given two stories and told to read one with no distractions and one with music. They were then asked to recall the storylines.

The university’s tests showed that extroverted individuals performed better under the distractions of music.

Rush also believes there may be a correla-

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by Dean Lewis tion between an individual’s personality and study music.

“It would make sense that those energized by social interactions could have a relationship with activating and energizing brain. However, I could also see how it could be defeating,” Rush said.

Students should know themselves and their limits when studying. This is key to forming successful study habits. To learn if music is beneficial, a student must first isolate themselves and try to learn the material without other aids.

UNSEEN CAMPUS MINORITY BEGS TO BE HEARD A non-traditional student argues for acceptance and visibility on campus The days of silence have passed.

The majority of Americans today like to speak openly about diversity, includJESSIE MCCLAIN ing controversial topics such as the privileges, prejudices, stereotypes and stigma that affect all of our lives.

This effort is but one wave in an even larger ocean. And one facet of diversity is continuously left untouched: age.

I know this because I am a married mother of two in my 30s and a public relations major at Franklin College.

In my time at this school, I have noticed a hesitance to accept the few students on campus who differ in age. I’ve been called an outcast and viewed as more unintelligent than younger, traditional students.

I started my journey at Franklin College feeling foreign. I stepped into uncharted territory and onto very shaky ground. I didn’t know anybody, but that’s life, and I was okay with that. But in a country so diverse, I never thought a number, an age, could make you feel so uncomfortable at times.

This shouldn’t be a surprise. Ages over 25 in college are far from common. In fact, according to the Lumina Foundation, 38 percent of students are over the age of 25 while 26 percent of college students are also parents. Despite this revelation, I have been told I don’t fit the demographics and that I’m not like everyone else.

I am not much older than most college students. I’m 31 years old and in a group that wants to be included. We want acceptance. We want friendship, even if we have to go home and fix dinner for our children after class instead of attending a party.

And some of those I know personally

have amazing stories to tell.

Army veteran, photographer, community artist and Franklin College art student Greg Potter said it was hard to adjust to life as a non-traditional student.

“I’ve lived my life. I’ve had a good, good life,” Potter says. “It feels awkward to be the old person in school again. But as the class goes on, you kind of start blending in.”

I am not writing this to condemn Franklin College or the students. I’m proud of this college and honored to even be here at all.

But everyone should remember non-traditional students are not ignorant or unwanted in the outside world.

We are people to know, and people to be active friends with — people with character, stories and plenty of successes and failures dotting our long, complicated lives.

Instead of avoiding us, take the time to ask us about who we are. Most of us would be happy to tell you our stories.

SPORTS

CROSS COUNTRY TEAM HOSTS MAJOR RACES Coach and runners reflect on conference, look ahead to regional contest HOPE SHRUM | STORY hope.shrum@franklincollege.edu

After a strong season, the Franklin College cross country teams are about to close out their season on their home course when they host the NCAA Division III Regional meet for the first time ever.

The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference cross country championship meet was held Oct. 27 at Franklin’s home course in Shelbyville for the first time since 2015. The men’s team finished in fifth place out of nine teams, and the women came in seventh out of nine.

For the women’s team, sophomore Krista Robinson lead the Grizzlies in 36th place out of 85 runners. She had a time of 26:03:2 in the 3.73-mile race. Freshman and The Franklin reporter Taylor Wooten ran a new personal-best time of 26:31:4 in her first collegiate conference championship.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, two Franklin runners finished in the top 12 of 97, earning them First Team All-HCAC honors.

Junior Clayton Brumfield finished the nearly five-mile race in fourth place with a time of 26:15:1. Following him, junior Blaine Conners placed seventh with a time of 26:33:9.

This year was Conners’s first time receiving an all-conference honor, but it was Brumfield’s third year in a row collecting the title. Brumfield said it feels great to have received the recognition his freshman year and each year after that, as well. He hopes to get a fourth one next year.

Franklin will hosting the 2018 Great Lakes Regional at Blue River Memorial Park in Shelbyville Saturday. The race is scheduled to start at 11:45 a.m.

Head coach Brandon Dworak said with so many more people expected to be at the regional meet than conference, the energy level is going to be much higher.

“There will be a lot of excitement swirling around, but we have to focus in on what we need to do,” he said.

Dworak hopes improvement from last year is gained from regionals. Last season, the men finished 21st out of 36 teams and the women placed 28th out of 35.

TIME OFF LEADS TO CONFIDENCE

For senior runner Meghan Yencer, the last two years have been a difficult, yet redeem-

ing journey.

During her sophomore year, Yencer injured the labrum, a soft tissue surrounding the hip socket, of her left hip.

She decided not to run track that year, and she ended up taking a total of eight months off. She came back to the cross country team her junior year when Dwroak reached out to her the summer before.

Yencer said while coming back from the time off was a lot harder than she thought it’d be, her teammates and coaching staff made running fun.

“It’s always easier to do when you’re having fun with it,” she said.

During the #JennaStrong Fall Classic in Wilmington, Ohio, Oct. 12, Yencer finished with the fastest time she’s recorded since her freshman year at 21:25:9. She described this accomplishment as a confidence boost after the realization she could still run that fast.

“She made some big jumps in track [her junior year], really getting her times down a bit more,” Dworak said. “I think she’s carried that momentum over, especially in the second half of this cross country season.”

SWIMMING, DIVING TEAMS START NEW SEASON STRONG Swim times improve as winter season ramps up for Grizzly swimmers and divers TAYLOR WOOTEN | STORY taylor.wooten@franklincollege.edu

Four mornings and six afternoons a week, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are in the pool or the weight room making progress toward their goals.

The teams kicked off the season with their first meet at the Indiana Division III Invitational with strong finishes of second out of six teams for the women and fourth out of seven for the men.

“I think they performed much like I expected,” said head coach Andrew Hendricks.

“We had two sophomores on the women’s side, Jacqueline Richard and Jessica Halsmer… [who] were rivaling some of their best times from last year.”

The team attributes the positive change to an increase in weight training and an overall change in attitude.

“We’ve put a lot of emphasis on positive

attitudes this year and team accountability,” Richard said. “We’re really just trying to maintain a culture of positivity where practice isn’t a chore. It’s something we get to do; it’s a stress reliever.”

The team added a new coach this year, Dom Centofanti, who specializes in making weight training plans that benefit the swimmers specifically. This is an addition the teams have not had before this year, and they are seeing the advantage through their swimming times.

Both teams have experienced success in the past, and their major goal is to replicate that.

“We went undefeated last year on the women’s side, we’ve been undefeated on the men’s side before; it’d be great to do that,” Hendricks said. “I think our expectation is to win all of our dual meets, or, at least, as

many as we can and try to win both male and female conference championships.”

Franklin divers are gaining attention early in the year, as senior Will Combs and sophomore Lexi Blackburn were named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Divers of the Week for the week of Oct. 23. At the invitational that opened the season, Combs placed second in both of his dives, while Blackburn placed first and second for her dives.

This marks Blackburn’s fifth time receiving the honor and Combs’s second career conference diver of the week.

The men’s and women’s teams each remain undefeated in their dual meets.

“We’re focused on one goal this year – to win conference – and I think that’s something that’s pretty attainable,” said sophomore swimmer Charlie Hall.

SIDELINE

SMILES W

hile watching Franklin College’s football sidelines this year, you may see a new coach dancing and bringing smiles to the team.

Emry Himes, 19, was born with Down syndrome. He joined the football team this summer as the general manager and inspirational coach.

Himes graduated in May from Franklin College’s INSPIRE program. This is where he first met head football coach Mike Leonard, who spoke at the graduation ceremony.

INSPIRE (Individual Needs in Special Plans to Increase Relevant Work Experience) program – which works with disabled high school students to earn a certificate of completion – teaches students skills that will help them obtain and retain jobs.

After graduation, Leonard went out to eat with all of the graduates and their

ABRAHM HURT | STORY

parents. He told Himes if he ever wanted to be around the football program, he could be a coach.

Earlier this year, Leonard was driving Himes to Speedway where Leonard lives.

“We spent some time together, and on the drive, I said, ‘Emry, you’re not really a coach,’ and he kind of looked at me funny,” Leonard said. “I said, ‘You’re the GM,’ and he kind of looked at me and said, ‘GM — great man. I like that.’”

Leonard said Himes’s involvement is not only good for Himes, but is even better for the team.

“He just brings a spirit of unconditional love,” Leonard said said. “He loves everybody. It’s just an infectious attitude he has.”

Himes has become a large part of the program, just as Leonard wanted him to be.

EMILY HALES | DESIGN

He travels to every away game and supports the team at every home game.

Himes said his job at each game is to encourage the players and lift their spirits.

“I get them prepared through my heart.”

Himes said.

Leonard said his favorite part of having Himes involved with the team is watching the different players interact with him.

“I’ve learned it’s so fun watching our guys and the guys that are truly attracted to him, and it may not be everybody, but there’s people that really gravitate towards him and that he really bonds with,” he said.

Seniors Austin Fleming and Austin Woiteshek are two players who have had the opportunity to grow closer with Himes this year.

Woiteshek, a lineman, said Himes has

CLAIRE CASTILLO | PHOTOS

changed the team’s perception of football.

He has learned that, by always having a positive attitude, it’ll bring pleasure to yourself and others.

“Emry is an exact replica of what I want to be from an attitude perspective,” Woiteshek said. “The love he has for us, we give it right back to him.”

Fleming, also a linebacker, said Himes’s joy is inspiring to the whole team.

“You may be having a bad play or a bad game, and you see him dancing on the sidelines, and it just makes you happy,” Fleming said. “It raises your spirits, and honestly you play better. If he’s having such a great day, why can’t I?” Hope Shrum contributed to this story.

The love he has for us, we give it right back to him.

SENIOR AUSTIN WOITESHEK

LAST LOOK CHRISTIAN BOWLING, SENIOR

Bowling performs as Regina Valentine in Franklin College Pride Alliance’s annual drag show. “[Drag] is a form of selfexpression. It is a way for those who normally would not feel comfortable expressing themselves in other ways,” Bowling said.

ABIGAIL LARKEN | COVER PHOTO QUINN FITZGERALD I BACK PHOTO