FRIDAY, OCT. 11, 2019 | THEFRANKLINNEWS.COM
behind the
SMOKE DETAILS ABOUT EFFECTS OF VAPING CAUSE CONCERN ON CAMPUS PG. 6
NEW PLANS FOR THE HIVE PG. 5
RACING TO THE FINISH PG. 14
NEWS
“THE Q:
What was your favorite childhood movie?
// OUR TEAM
“ WHO MAKES THE FRANKLIN?
Morgan Bryant Reporter “Stuart Little.”
Gauge Creech Reporter “Step Brothers.”
Brendan Evans Photographer “Air Bud.”
Tabby Fitzgerald Photographer “The Lion King.”
Executive editor Erica Irish erica.irish@franklincollege.edu Executive editor Emily Ketterer emily.ketterer@franklincollege.edu Opinion editor Carolina Puga Mendoza carolina.pugamendoza@franklincollege.edu News editor Victoria Ratliff victoria.ratliff@franklincollege.edu
Emily Hales Design editor “Spirit.”
Joshua Hansel Reporter “Lilo & Stitch.”
Erica Irish Executive editor “Labyrinth.”
Emily Ketterer Executive editor “The Ruby Princess.”
Sports editor Hope Shrum hope.shrum@franklincollege.edu Copy chief Abrahm Hurt abrahm.hurt@franklincollege.edu Photo editor Quinn Fitzgerald elizabeth.fitzgerald@franklincollege.edu
Ariana Lovitt Columnist “The Spongebob Movie.”
Haley Pritchett Reporter “Sleeping Beauty.”
Carolina Puga Mendoza Opinion editor “Matilda.”
Victoria Ratliff News editor “The Little Mermaid.”
Web editor Lacey Watt lacey.watt@franklincollege.edu Design editor Emily Hales emily.hales@franklincollege.edu
GETTING IT RIGHT // SEPT. 27 ISSUE
Publisher John Krull jkrull@franklincollege.edu Adviser Ryan Gunterman rgunterman@franklincollege.edu
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On page nine, one of Mike Shirley’s children was misidentified. He has a 13-year-old son, not a daughter.
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On page 12, freshman Shannon Spears’ last name was misspelled in one paragraph as “Shears.”
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On page 13, a story about the Franklin College golf team misidentifed the Mt. St. Joseph Invitational on Sept. 21 and 22 as a future competition. At the time of publication, the event had already happened.
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.
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On page 16, sophomore Chelsie Whorton’s last name was misspelled as “Wharton.”
Submit letters to the editor to thefranklin@franklincollege.edu.
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COLLEGE MOVES TO FIND NEW PRESIDENT Positions filled for search committee, transition committee yet to be announced JOSHUA HANSEL | STORY joshua.hansel@franklincollege.edu
A Presidential Transition Committee is being put together to make a recommendation as to who should fill President Thomas Minar’s position after five years leading the college. Minar announced in June 2019 that he will officially step down from the president’s office in June 2020, citing he has accomplished his primary goals, such as revamping the academic curriculum and creating the Franklin College Science Center. “We have accomplished the things here I set out for us, and I’m looking forward to my next challenge,” he said in an email released to students and faculty. The Board of Trustees ultimately makes the decision for who will fill Minar’s spot. However, the transitional committee only makes a recommendation to the full board as to who they believe will be the best fit in the role. The committee will be chaired by Trustee Robert DeVoss. In addition to the transitional committee, the Board of Trustees also put together a Presidential Search Committee to find potential candidates. The committee is made up of 16 people, which includes faculty, staff and the Board of Trustees representatives. The search committee was announced via email to Franklin College staff, alumni and parents. Not yet officially to students. Some of the committee members include Dan Callon, professor of mathematics, Sarah Mordan-McCombs, associate professor of biology and Joseph B. Hornett, vice
The president’s house, located on Forsythe Street, where each college president lives. BRENDAN EVANS | PHOTO
president and chief financial officer. The committee will also include a student and community representative. Those representatives have yet to be determined. When the email naming those on the search committee was sent out, it was only sent to staff, faculty, and parents, but not to the students. During the search, Franke Associates, based in Northfield, Illinois, will assist in coordinating the search timeline, the request for proposal and other logistics.
INBRIEF
ESTATE GIFT WILL ESTABLISH NEW SCHOLARSHIP
The Jerry W. Greenlee Endowed Sholarship will provide needbased support for future Franklin College students. Greenlee graduated from Franklin College in 1967. Following his retirement after 39 years in the classroom, Greenlee continued to educate and teach basic skills at the minimum security prison at Camp Atterbury. Before his death in 2010, he shared with his wife, Jan Mivelaz Foster Greenlee, his desire to leave his 220-acre farm in Decatur County to Franklin College.
The firm has helped other colleges in the past, including DePauw University, Ball State University and Luther College. “The selection of our beloved college’s 17th president is an incredibly important responsibility,” said Robert Brown and Christine Field, Presidential Search Committee Chairpersons, in an email to faculty and staff. “We appreciate your support and the opportunity to work with you in this vital endeavor.”
2018-19 FUNDRAISING MOST SUCCESSFUL IN RECENT HISTORY Since the 2006-2007 fundraising year, Franklin College announced they received gifts totally $4.9 million. The office of development and alumni engagement raised $696,305 for the Franklin Fund, which is made up from gifts by alumni, parents, faculty and staff, and corporate partners. The remaining gifts were designated by each donor for other areas of the college such as an endowment, the creation of new programs or marketing initiatives.
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IN PURSUIT LAUNCH MENTORS ARE HERE TO HELP Mentors provide support to new students while managing busy schedules EMILY KETTERER AND TAYLOR WOOTEN | STORY emily.ketterer@franklincollege.edu taylor.wooten@franklincollege.edu
Part of the new first-year experience for students is their upperclassmen mentors. “Launch Mentors” dedicate time to guide new students through their first year of college. Mentors are upperclassmen who apply for the job in the spring to help new students with their first-year seminar class, and be a go-to-person for help with daily problems that arise while navigating college. “Sometimes it’s easy to get lost as a first-year student,” said junior and Launch Mentor Samantha Loyd. “It’s easier if you have someone who’s close to your age involved in the same student learning that you are.” With the Launch program, the mentors have the responsibility of running the weekly “Launch Lab” with the first-year student advocate, who is a faculty or staff member. These labs focus on topics ranging from professional development to self-care. The mentors will meet with the faculty advocate once a week to create a plan to present these lessons to engage the students. The faculty advocate is not the same as the student mentor, however. Sophomore Brynne Newland explained that her faculty advocate, Director of Greek Life Taylor Dwyer, handles more technical issues with students such as making sure they register for classes and how they are doing academically. Newland, who is a mentor for the first time this year, said mentors not only help with students’ school life but also their personal life. She said the best part about being a mentor to the new students is developing friendships with them.
&ABOUT:
OUT
10/12 CAMP-O-WEEN
Come camp at Johnson County Park in Edinburgh and participate in a campers-only event. There will be multiple competitions including a site decorating contest, and a pumpkin carving contest.
Sophomore Brynne Newland holds her Launch Mentor office hours in Hamilton Library. QUINN FITZGERALD | PHOTO
“If I wasn’t a mentor, there’s a good chance that all the people I’ve met in there, I wouldn’t know,” she said. “Actually, some of them have become my best friends.” Senior Jenna Spini, who is in her third year as a new student mentor, similarly said that building relationships on a student-tostudent basis is special. “It’s really special being able to develop relationships with the students and help them grow outside of the class,” Spini said. Although the Launch Mentors are a part of the first-year seminar that meets three times a week, they do not have to attend the class, but many still choose to be involved. Different from the original LA 100 course, students are able to choose from a variety of topics for their seminar. Senior Jade Harris is a mentor for the “Myths, Magic and Marvel” class taught by religion professor James Alexander. The
topics vary greatly from one seminar class to another, she said, but that doesn’t mean firstyear students are learning different skills. “It’s really about learning how to be a student,” Harris said. “You are learning the skills you need to read and annotate and work in groups, do presentations.” The mentors are also typically very involved on campus outside of the Launch program, which means they have to learn to balance their time. Newland is a member of Pi Beta Phi, Riley Dance Marathon and she works at the Boys and Girls Club. “I’ll finally get off work, I’ll start my homework and then I’ll get a call from one of them that they need to talk about something,” Newland said. “It takes a lot more time than I thought it would, but it’s good time that I’m happy to put into them because it changes their experience here on campus.”
10/17 OUTDOOR FILM SERIES
10/19 LOCAL AUTHOR FAIR
Enjoy a free movie outdoors at the rose garden in Province Park. Jurassic Park will show from 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Refreshments will be sold.
Meet and visit with dozens of local authors at a free vent at Greenwood Public Library. The event will be from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. All ages are welcome to attend.
Call 317-736-3689 for more details.
Call 317-885-5036 for more information.
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THE HIVE STRIVES TO TAKE SHAPE AMID OBSTACLES
Leaders want a space for ‘innovation’ but await answers key questions ERICA IRISH | STORY erica.irish@franklincollege.edu
Jeremy VanAndel talks with Denise Shorey in HamiltonOne. TABBY FITZGERALD | PHOTO
Franklin College officials mobilized quickly after two alumni donated $500,000 in fall 2018 to create a space for student-led entrepreneurship. First, they honed in on a vacant building in downtown Franklin once used for exercise science classes. They soon dubbed the space “The Hive” and then searched for and hired a director to lead the center. Now, however, The Hive has yet to take shape nearly a year after the initial donation — at least, not in the way officials advertised the experience to students and the wider college community. While many details remain unconfirmed by those leading the project, its new director and his colleagues said they want to emphasize the potential the center holds. As initially promised, The Hive will consist of three parts: A “Launch Pad,” where students can meet with other entrepreneurs and business leaders to develop ideas for projects, campaigns and products. It will also include a consulting office where students can assist clients and a “maker space” where students can work and play with a variety of tech and creative gear. Jeremy VanAndel, hired in July 2019, is serving as the center’s founding director. It marks his first professional experience in higher education after more than two decades working in hospitality, tourism and marketing throughout central Indiana.
VanAndel said while The Hive has been slow to take off, he and his associates have used the time to research which options will work best for Franklin College. He pointed to a similar program at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, as an example of what The Hive might look like in action. Officials at Nortre Dame, he said, reported obstacles to student participation because the space is located nearly a block off campus. He said this helped the team reevaluate how valuable it would be to open The Hive at the proposed location at 66 Water St. With this time spent on reevaluation, the college did not renew its lease with the city of Franklin, leading Hive organizers to look to a new location closer to home. But the reevaluation and others put a stall on progress, VanAndel admitted. That’s forced them to promote The Hive in other ways, such as in class visits and at the Be Engaged Fair on Aug. 29. “Having three substantial and distinct programs within one office is quite a lot to be able to offer. It’s a big step for the school,” VanAndel said. “But I think it’s a good step and a really big step forward for students.” Right now, the majority of those questions have yet to be answered by the college’s Board of Trustees, who met this week to discuss campus life. VanAndel said Hive organizers want “trustee buy-in” before
proceeding with the project. Christopher Fleming, assistant professor of business, sat on the search committee that found VanAndel. He said his vision for The Hive encompasses a space where all students — especially those who typically don’t work in business settings — can find hands-on experiences in their areas of study. “We need to get students out of the classroom more. That should be facultydriven and student-driven,” Fleming said. “My biggest challenge in teaching leadership is that people don’t dream big enough…I think The Hive gives people permission to dream.” That philosophy and direct community involvement should be “non-negotiable” parts of The Hive as its development progresses, Fleming said. Denise Baird, associate provost and professor of sociology, will oversee and work alongside VanAndel to help develop The Hive. She said there are many aspects of The Hive yet to be determined, such as what will be included in the maker space and where the center will be located on campus.
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I think The Hive gives people permission to dream, CHRISTOPHER FLEMING, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS
Baird said the maker space remains the most complicated part of The Hive. Leaders have been forced to weigh what equipment students might use, the cost and whether the new location for The Hive can accommodate for a wide range of gear. Ideas have ranged from a 3D printer to a textile workshop with sewing machines and fabric and more she said. The Hive is currently open to student feedback as it develops. Students can email thehive@franklincollege.edu with their ideas or questions. They can visit VanAndel directly in the Center for Exploration, located in the Johnson Center for Fine Arts.
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A proposed ban on flavored e-cigarettes will have different effects on the Franklin College community HALEY PRITCHETT | STORY
EMILY HALES | DESIGN
QUINN FITZGERALD | PHOTOS
Of 1,080 lung injury cases associated with using e-cigarette or vaping products in the United States...
70% of patients were male
16% were under 18 years old
21%
were 18-20 years old
Source: 2019 report by the CDC
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he controversy surrounding vapes has escalated with the threat of removing flavored nicotine from shelves. Last month, President Donald Trump said that he plans to propose a ban on all flavored e-cigarettes. This announcement comes as a reaction to the vaping-related lung diseases spreading across the country, with more than 1,000 cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of last week. Experts are still unsure if vaping itself causes lung problems, according to Harvard Health, but the problems might stem from inhaling chemicals in the vaping products. With this in mind, Franklin College freshman Katie Madlem said she supports the proposed ban on flavored vapes. “I think it’s a good thing that the government is trying to ban them because it’s getting the kids away from wanting to do it,” Madlem said. “If it tastes good, they’re going to want to do it, if it doesn’t taste good, they’re not going to want to do it.” Some groups say that with all of the flavor choices, vapes can be attractive to young people. Earlier in 2019, Juul, a popular vape brand, decided to restrict sales on some of their flavors that were marketed to teenagers, including mango, cucumber and creme. Jack Davidson, store manager at Karma Vape, a local vape shop in Franklin, said around 20 college students visit the store
each day. He estimates that 60% of sales include flavored e-cigarette products. With such a high demand for flavored e-cigarettes, Davidson does not believe banning the product would do any good. “It’s a terrible idea. It’s not going to end well, because people will do what they can to get black market liquid,” Davidson said. “[Black market products] could be made in someone’s garage, which will expose them to more harmful chemicals than what is being used now.” Davidson said it is not the certified vapes that are causing deaths, but the black-market marijuana cartridges. The New York Times says not even Juul plans to push back against the bill to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Madlem has been vaping off and on since her sophomore year of high school. With these new concerns revealed at the national level, she thinks it might be time to quit. “I don’t want to be one of those statistics,” she said. Vaping or smoking of any kind is prohibited on Franklin College’s campus, according to the Student Handbook. This policy also applies to college employees and visitors. “I believe it is all about health, and the well-being of folks,” Director of Residence Life, Jacob Knight, said. In residence halls specifically, staff said they can notice when students are vaping or
smoking in their rooms. “The ventilation at residence halls are very interconnected. You can often smell an odor that is not normally there just by walking in the hall. That is often times how we come by learning that someone may be violating this policy,” Residence Hall Coordinator Russ Norris said. Smoking and vaping can also cause negative health effects on other students along with the user. That is why smoking is not permitted, and alcohol is. “When folks are consuming alcohol, there’s not secondhand alcohol consumption,” Knight said. Several students on campus said they currently struggle with a nicotine addiction. “I tried to cold turkey before. I had headaches, and I felt like I needed it all the time. I’m addicted,” said freshman Carter Miller. These addictions can be costly. Davidson explained that vape device prices can range, granted that a device has already been purchased, from $20-$50 a month. Madlem has spent much of her savings on nicotine. “I’ve probably spent over $500 on it just this year,” Madlem said. A study conducted by the University of Buffalo found that nearly 30% of college students had tried e-cigarettes. Nearly 72% reported using e-cigarettes to try out something new.
New, young owners revamp local coffee shop HALEY CARNEY | STORY
EMILY HALES | DESIGN
BRIDGET LINDSTROM | PHOTOS
enjamin’s Coffeehouse fans may have noticed a couple of fresh but familiar faces running the shop. Benjamin’s, located at 49 E. Court St. in downtown Franklin, was purchased by Franklin College alumnus Evan Watkins and senior Kennedy Surface in May. They planned to bring a distinct atmosphere to the popular coffeehouse, including a new delivery system and affordable prices. A post went up on Facebook in February announcing that the shop was for sale after the former owners, Rick and Angie Stevens, planned to move to Florida. Watkins graduated in May and decided to take a chance and purchase the business with Surface. “We thought it would be a good starting point in our careers,” Watkins said. Even though they are young, they both have experience owning a small business. Watkins spent his Immersive Term in Guatemala studying coffee, how it is grown and fair trade practices. He also helped his dad run an IGA grocery for three years. Surface has owned her own business, Simply K, for two years. There, she sells custom-made signs, pillows, decorated mason jars and bracelets. The decision to buy Benjamin’s wasn’t hard in the end, Watkins said, because they loved the location near Franklin College and the casual atmosphere. He said he enjoys owning a small, local business in the same town where he went to college. “It’s in such a great area and it has a lot of loyal customers,” he said. “And when we bought it, it was already a developed business too, so it just gave us an edge.” A goal the pair had when buying Benjamin’s was to provide the shop more of a college-involved atmosphere. They wanted to steer away from the previous “bakery
theme” Watkins said and focus more on developing it as a “laid-back” coffee and sandwich shop. All of the menu items will remain the same, including classic sandwiches like the general and the chicken bacon ranch panini. The shop will continue to sell breakfast items, sandwiches and paninis, salads, soups and various coffees. “We want people to have a casual place to sit and have a coffee or sandwich,” he said. “We wanted this place to have more of a small-town atmosphere to it.” At the same time, Watkins said the small town of Franklin is still a booming, up-andcoming area, and he wants to continue to cater to what the community wants. For example, affordability is something Watkins plans to continue to offer for people who may not have a lot of money, specifically “broke college students.” The food on the menu is usually under $10, and Benjamin’s gives a student discount along with accepting Ben Bucks through student meal plans. He added that other small business owners around town are sometimes shocked by the low prices Benjamin’s offers. He said he hears every day that their prices are too low, and they would make more money if they raised them. However, he said Benjamin’s is well-off at the moment and doesn’t need to raise prices to compete. Overall, Watkins believes that his time at Franklin College has helped him immensely in his success of running Benjamin’s. “There’s a lot of factors that it takes to run a business,” he said. “Part of it was my education at Franklin College and part of it was my internship opportunities during that time. It was a whole mesh of experiences that I was able to get throughout my time at Franklin.”
OPINION
EDITORIAL | ATHLETICS FACILITIES NEED IMPROVEMENT Updates to sports facilities should be prioritized to meet student demand Sports facilities warrant renovations to promote longterm success for the athletic teams who use them. THE FRANKLIN EDITORIAL BOARD
It’s 5 p.m., and a student wants to go lift weights to relieve stress. But to their surprise, the weight room is already filled with an athletics team. From sports fields being scheduled hour after hour for practices and games, to weight rooms being filled to their capacities, athletics facilities are running into an array of problems that, if continued, could hinder the long-term success of the college athletes who use them. Athletic facilities have undergone multiple upgrades since the college first opened. For example, updates have been made to Faught Stadium and repairs have been made to baseball fields and tennis courts as well. Franklin College also added Griz Park in 2011 to mark the most significant updates to the college’s athletic facilities. Despite similar extensive updates to indoor facilities — including a complete renovation of Spurlock Gym in 1996 — there remains a gap in attention between the indoor and outdoor complexes. “We are very much behind,” said Kerry Prather, director of athletics and head men’s basketball coach. “I’m enormously proud of our outdoor facilities and what we have, but the indoor facilities are inadequate. To have one pretty small weight room for the entire campus makes it virtually impossible for all our teams to get in at a decent hour.” Today, 45% of Franklin College students are athletes, Prather said. Several student-athletes have voiced their discontent toward some of the indoor facilities,
specifically workout spaces. Their primary concerns, in the cases we identified, involved time: Sometimes, they have to wait outside for more than they can afford, or they choose another time altogether to work out. “I think our sports facilities at Franklin College are sufficient for some teams but not for all,” said junior Hunter Fields, a member of the track and field team. “There’s the fitness center but having a fight consistently for a spot with other teams…It’s not really possible for someone to go practice when there’s not physically a spot for them to practice. Prather said he is aware of and unhappy with the fact that students have to wait all day to use the facilities since so many teams demand it. This is affecting prospective athletes, too, particularly when the current facilities don’t meet a new student-athlete’s expectation. For example, despite sending several swimmers to a national competition last spring, the college still does not have an on-campus facility for swimmers and divers to practice. Instead, the athletes must use facilities at the local middle and high schools. “High-level swimmers are expecting high-level facilities, and when they find out that we don’t have one on campus we face challenges,” Head Swimming and Diving Coach Andrew Hendricks said. The Franklin staff would like to know when sports facilities will see substantial improvements, particularly if a delay in those improvements are pushing away prospective student-athletes. The big issue is timeliness. Recently, Franklin College completed a priority-one project with the opening of the multi-million-dollar Franklin College Science Center. While this was a necessary and positive project for the college, other projects, such as athletics, were put on hold. “We kind of had to be patient while the
science campaign was going on because that was a priority and it was a very expensive priority,” Prather said. “I’m hoping that we now turn our attention on how to catch up in terms of athletics facilities.” Cody Graham, men’s soccer coach, said he also understands college officials have an obligation to strike a balance between athletics and other priorities, particularly in the academic opportunities it provides to students during their time at the college. “It just depends on where priorities lie,” Graham said. “You have to find the proper balance, because kids here are trying to get an education so you can’t strictly just improve athletics facilities.” All coaches work on the semester’s schedule during the summer, so teams have set times to use the facilities. And yet, the weight room has 31 pieces of equipment, and the fitness center has 21 in a school reporting an average of 19 teams plus non-athletes who look forward to exercising. “This is a generation of students who have grown up with more in terms of resources,” Prather said. “I think it would be naive to think we can continue to finesse our way around the facilities issues…that’s on [students’] list of what they want to find.” Prather is still proud of student performance and how the facilities have improved over the years. Moving forward, Franklin College officials might consider funding improvements from alumni donations and grants, a process that helped create the science center. For now, though, Prather said Franklin College athletes are still able to excel, even if the conditions may not be ideal. “What I’m most proud of is that we have made this work. We’ve worked around the facility limitations as well as you can possibly do and still be competitive and successful,” Prather said.
SPORTS FACILITIES PER USE BY TEAM Faught Stadium
Spurlock Center
John P. McDowell Field
H. Dean Evans Track and Field Complex
Mickel-Hoover Tennis Complex
No Facility
football softball
basketball
golf
lacrosse volleyball soccer
track and field baseball
Behrens Field
tennis swimming and diving
Source: franklingrizzlies.com
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UP ON THE HILL | SANDY HOOK NOT FORGOTTEN Powerful commercial stirs debate over our approach to school shootings Students run through the halls wearing new shoes to start the school year, but they aren’t being chased by their friends: They ALEXA SHRAKE are being chased by an active shooter. This was one of the first scenes in a new commercial broadcast by the Sandy Hook Promise, an advocacy group working to stop gun violence in schools. The commercial has renewed debates on social media and beyond about the impact of the shooting of the same name, and for good reason. Almost seven years after the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut left 27 dead, there have been 2,237 mass shootings in the United States. Michael Black, assistant professor of music, knows firsthand the trauma the Sandy Hook tragedy posed to the community. “At the time my wife was teaching at a preschool, I heard what had happened,” Black said. “It made me stop…think about how delicate human life is and how we take for granted that we can go about our daily
life without the potential that we can be shot at any moment.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump haven’t completely addressed all questions regarding stricter gun laws. As it states in the U.S. Constitution, all citizens of America are given the right to bear arms, but at what cost? For Black, who was so near to the Sandy Hook tragedy, the answer is clear. “I don’t care what happens. I would just like to see something happen,” Black said. Currently, state legislatures decide whether to have stricter gun laws since there is no precedent set by the national government. According to Giffords Law Center, a policy organization to prevent gun violence, the state of California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. They’ve also reported the lowest gun death rates in the nation. But this isn’t the case for all states, and certainly not for Indiana. The Giffords Law Center rated Indiana a “D-” for its gun laws. Because of this, there are more opportunities for those who shouldn’t have guns to obtain them. Access to guns is too easy for students to find and act out of anger because they did
not receive the help they needed. “Students do not need to feel like they are going into a prison to go to their kindergarten class,” Black said. “Change does not have to mean resource officers, arming teachers, metal detectors, searches and planned active shooter drills. Changes need to be made in our laws and society. Are we going to keep letting young children die at the hands of someone with a gun because we are too afraid to talk about the possible changes that need to be made to our Second Amendment? Nothing will change until Congress decides. The Sandy Hook Promise commercial is raising awareness that schools need to stop being normalized as a place of violence, and in ways as horrific as the reality. The commercial shows children defending themselves against an active shooter with pencils and helping their peers stop a bleeding gun wound with a knee-high sock. Children should not have to prepare for an active shooter in their school. School supplies should not be thought of as weapons used for protection. This is happening now.
GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT | PRESS DESERVES PROTECTION A career in journalism can be dangerous, but it shouldn’t be On Oct. 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia’s government, entered the Middle Eastern country’s consulate in Istanbul, ISAAC GLEITZ Turkey according to the New York Times. But Khashoggi never left. The Washington Post reports Khashoggi, one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent journalists, was the leading voice against the country’s leadership. He left the country to seek journalistic freedom, writing in his first Washington Post article, “I can speak when others cannot.” Al Jazeera, an independent news organization, says he was killed by Saudi intelligence operatives. His death serves as an example of the dangers journalists face worldwide. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 16 journalists have been killed this year around the world. Pressfreedomtracker.us, a database of press freedom incidents, reports that 28 journalists have been attacked on
domestic soil. John Krull, director of the Pulliam School of Journalism at Franklin College, said there are levels of danger. There is danger when covering riots. He said his friend, Rich Miller, was swarmed by protesters at a KKK rally and he had to protect himself with a monopod. The most extreme level of danger is assassination. Krull said another friend, Daniel Pearl, was “beheaded in gruesome fashion” by a radical Islamic group. Krull said he was a nice guy who was just trying to do his job as a Wall Street Journal reporter. “They were killing him because they could get an audience,” Krull said. Krull said public officials serve rather than rule. If an official dismisses all scrutiny, that is grounds for replacement. Journalism professor Joel Cramer said there are forces that disrupt journalism’s societal role. Many think “the press is the problem.” Work may be judged on principle, rather than content, rendering journalism “necessary, but perhaps not appreciated.” He
said people threw water bottles at Franklin journalism students at a Trump rally. “There is an unwillingness on the part of the audience to hear something which challenges their preconceived notions,” Cramer said. When journalism professor Hank Nuwer was covering Minnesota farmers protesting powerline installation, he was dressed in lumberjack attire when state troopers confronted him. One of them told him that he should leave because he looked too much like “them,” meaning the farmers. “The huge Minnesota state troopers came at me ready to knock me flat with a [baton],” Nuwer said. “I held my press pass…one man stop and said ‘kid, head up to the hill, you look like them and I can’t protect you.’” Despite the many pressures experienced by working journalists, those wishing to enter the profession shouldn’t fear. Fear is the wrong response. Now, as political tension encroaches on journalists more than ever, we need young people to uphold the occupation.
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TUNE IN | PIRATES DON’T ONLY WEAR EYEPATCHES
Illegally downloaded music grows into a bigger issue in the digital age When I say “pirates,” your mind probably takes a vacation to the Caribbean with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. However, Captain Jack Sparrow PIPER GAUL is not what you should be thinking about. Rather, imagine a teenager who doesn’t want to pay for music, or an adult who illegally downloads a YouTube video without remorse. It might seem normal, sure. But whether someone feels guilty about it or not, pirating music is illegal and immoral. According to a research study done by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), a non-profit organization dedicated to representing recording companies around the world, most internet users above the age of 15 listen to music legally. Their study also shows that at least half of the young adults on the internet also illegally download it. Most people would like to tell you they
are law abiding citizens, but with statistics like that, it’s a sentiment that doesn’t hold much weight. Joel Cramer, journalism professor and lawyer, believes pirating music makes no sense at all from a moral or legal standpoint. “Music is one of those things that speaks to human hearts and human souls,” Cramer said. “It is not easy to create, and it takes a lot of intellectual effort and creativity to come up with something new and exciting that we haven’t heard before that we want to hear.” Pirating music is a felony and could land you in jail or with fines that’ll make your student debt shake in its boots. While the FBI might not be knocking on your door right now, if you pirate music then you can expect it to catch up with you. “The law is always a bit behind technology, [it] hasn’t really specifically addressed some of these issues,” Cramer said. “When the court finally deals with it, you’re going to discover that they are going to treat you as someone who just stole the album out of the store.”
Casey Hayes, Franklin College music department chair and director of choral activities, concluded that music piracy has a terrible effect on artists. “[Piracy] steals their revenue, it steals their income,” Hayes said. “Once you start messing around with artists’ money then there is a hesitancy for them to create new [content].” Essentially, by taking this content without permission and without paying the artist what they are owed, people are disregarding the effort put into the piece. “[If it were my music] I would be furious,” Hayes said. “Theft is theft, whether you’re stealing something that is concrete that you can put your hand on, or you’re stealing an idea… It doesn’t matter what it is, you’re stealing someone else’s stuff. I’d be as mad as if somebody stole my car.” Not everyone can afford to buy premium music streaming services with the rise in prices. But music is more available than ever, and most streaming services let you listen for free without breaking the bank or the law. No matter what, though, resorting to piracy — to stealing — should never be considered one of those ways.
COMMUNITIES DEBATE REUSABLE STRAWS
Students should consider the implications of popular eco-friendly trends
Reduce, reuse, recycle. These were the first words I learned about sustainability. It all seemed straight forward unQUINN til my mom, whose FITZGERALD wisdom I admire, recently expressed her annoyance with metal straws. Sustainability means living in a way that balances the environment’s resources with preserving enough for the future. The most recent trend in sustainable living includes reusable straws. According to National Geographic, on Jan. 1, Washington, D.C. began the ban on plastic straws in restaurants. But it was Seattle, Washington, that became the first large U.S. city to ban plastic straws. National Geographic states that straws contribute to .025% of the 8 million tons of plastic that end up in the ocean annually. The movement responds to a video published on Aug. 15, 2015, in which marine
biologist Christine Figgener and her team removed a plastic straw stuck inside a turtle’s nose. Today, services like American Airlines and Starbucks are eliminating plastic straws, according to TIME. At first, straws were created for patients in hospitals who could not reach their drinks or even pick them up, according to an article in National Geographic. Marketing aided its debut and practicality turn it into a convenience which eventually turned into consumerism. Now, today’s society is facing the challenge of rectifying the situation. “Is what you’re doing causing harm to future generations?” is a question Spanish Professor Agueda Mayan urges students to ask themselves. Mayan, who is leading the winter term in Costa Rica, said sustainable development is a conscientious effort. Even small actions, like using reusable straws, can help. “It doesn’t have to be complicated,” said Mayan, who doesn’t use straws at all. Change takes time. Senior Jade Harris, vice president of Earth Club, describes her
solution for how to achieve sustainability. “Sustainability is not an instant result, we must be patient to see anything really happen and that’s okay,” Harris said. “One thing to help maintain sustainability is to give an object the most use before we toss it.” During these transitions however, it’s crucial to consider the negative consequences of sudden change. These products that we are eliminating are created by people whose incomes have depended on these the plastic and coal industries. These are the kinds of reasons I believe my mom was getting at the day she was cleaning the dishes and giving me her two cents about the downside of using reusable straws. I also question whether they were truly a good alternative, but for my own reasons: I often wonder, for example, how unsanitary they can be. Ultimately, the problem isn’t simply that plastic straws are bad. It’s that our capitalist country took them and created hundreds of kinds of straws that we could do without in the first place.
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SPORTS
FC ATHLETES PRACTICE MARTIAL ARTS Freshmen athletes apply skills from one sport to another
ZACH ROBERTS | STORY zachary.roberts@franklincollege.edu
Although Franklin College offers many varsity sports, it doesn’t have anywhere for students to practice martial arts. Despite this, freshmen athletes JP Osafo and Jaycee Wilburn both practice martial arts in their hometowns and on their own. Osafo was inspired to begin his journey in martial arts at age four by shows like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Spiderman.” Osafo’s martial arts school was very broad, teaching him mixed martial arts, kickboxing, karate and Taekwondo. While they have helped Osafo as an athlete and a football player, he said martial arts are less about refining the body. “Martial arts honestly teaches more mental lessons than physical,” Osafo said. He said some of the mental lessons he has learned through martial arts include the discipline of showing up on time and learning respect through leaders like his sensei. Physically, Osafo credits his balance, footwork and speed on the football field to his martial arts. Osafo said he plans on continuing his martial arts practice for the rest of his life and hopes to eventually teach. He has already begun instructing bow staff classes
motivate him to progress. in and near his hometown of Chesterton, Wilburn hopes to continue martial arts Indiana, to martial artists who are just throughout his entire life and is hoping to beginning weapon training. Perhaps Osafo’s biggest accomplishfind a nearby gym. He has already started ments, he said, include the third-degree teaching children and adults at his martial arts school in New Castle, Indiana. black belt he earned at age 11, and the Both Osafo and Wilburn have slowed time he won the world amateur kickboxing down on their martial arts due to college tournament in Florida — in which people from all over the world, including Tokyo, and their respective sports, but they are competed — at only 12 years old. looking forward to continuing when their schedules clear up. Wilburn, on the other hand, began practicing martial arts in middle school when he was 14 years old to get away from what he called “the bad crowd.” He started after his grandma agreed to sign him up for the nearby martial arts school. Wilburn practices Taekwondo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing. Wilburn said he has learned how to physically push himself and has impressed himself by performing moves he never felt were possible for him beforehand. Mentally, he feels it helped him develop a better work ethic and discipline in school. It also helped him break out of his shyness and become more confident in daily life. Since Wilburn is also a cross country Freshman Jaycee Wilburn demonstrates his and track runner, these martial arts help martial arts skills. HOPE SHRUM | PHOTO
SWIMMERS MAKE HISTORY FOR FRANKLIN Sentel, Gast compete in 5,000-meter open-water race in Kansas lake TAYLOR WOOTEN | STORY taylor.wooten@franklincollege.edu
Junior swimmers Kevin Gast and Brynna Sentel traded a pool for Lonestar Lake in Lawrence, Kansas, for their first competition of the 2019-20 school year on Sept. 14. In doing so, the pair became the first Franklin College Grizzlies to compete in the 3.1 mile open-water race held by the College Swim Coaches Association of America. In the women’s 5,000-meter race, Sentel battled it out for a time of 1:14:00.9, finishing 60th out of 82 women. As for the men’s 5k, Gast placed 37th out of 54 men with a time of 1:10:43.9. Since the event was not sponsored by the NCAA, all divisions could participate allowing Sentel and Gast to compete against Division I athletes. Participants had to meet cutoff times during the 2018-19 season in the 500, 1000 or 1650-yard freestyle races. Sentel qualified on her 500 freestyle time while Gast made it in with his mile (1650 freestyle).
The change in distance and setting presented new challenges for the swimmers. “With swimming in a lake, as opposed to a pool, you can’t see the bottom. You have to lift your head a lot, and so I was working a lot on trying to develop those muscles so I wouldn’t die during the race,” Sentel said with a laugh. Another complication Sentel found in the open-water race was the difference in distance between her and her competitors. In a pool, everyone is forced to remain within sight, but open water is different. Since NCAA Division III rules prevent athletes from training on campus out of season, they had to prepare on their own time. “I swam in an open water competition [over the summer], and I know Brynna was going to a lake and training once or twice a week,” Gast said. Both swimmers agreed that the competition had a positive impact on their training.
“Having a goal early in the season that you can set, saying ‘We’re going to this meet, we need to be in shape for it,’ kind of gets you geared up to attack the beginning of the season,” Gast said. Sentel doesn’t usually swim anything further than the 500-yard freestyle, but she believes completing the 5k will help her mindset in future competitions. “It makes me look at the 500 as a lot easier, so that helps me, again, mentally to think, ‘Oh, if I can do a 5k, then I can do a mile,’” Sentel said. The pair hopes that more FC swimmers can join them in the future. “I thought it was really cool starting that for the college team,” Gast said. Head Swimming and Diving Coach, Andrew Hendricks, said Gast pushed to get the team involved in open-water swimming. He added that Sentel was willing to try something new with the open-water competition.
D
ouble yellow. Double yellow. Yellow, yellow, yellow, green. Freshman Kristen Locke hits the gas and takes off down the long strip of asphalt. Going 83 mph in her dragster, Locke finished in a mere 7.94 seconds in both of her timed trials at her race on Sept. 28 at the Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana. In a sport where consistency is key, this was an amazing trial run, according to her father, Bob Locke. He praised Kristen while he drove a golf cart down the sideline to pick up her and her blue car. On the track, engine rumbles filled ears and vibrations left a constant purr of excitement in spectators’ chests. Everyone stops what they’re doing to participate in a prayer said over the speakers prior to the national anthem playing at the start of the first elimination round. This race, which continued on Sept. 29, was Kristen’s last. Since she turned 18 years old in May, Kristen aged out of the junior dragster division but was able to finish out the season one last time. For Kristen, though, drag racing is more than a sport — it is a way to connect with her family and their shared tradition. In his early twenties, her father turned his first car, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, into a drag racing car. This move set forth an unforeseen family tradition for the Lockes. Her father still has that car today; her brother, Ryan, races it. Kristen hopes she
can race Bob’s Camaro in the future until she can afford to build her own car, like her brother is currently doing. Bob explained that he and his wife began drag racing shortly after college and had always been around cars because of their families.
I don’t really know how to explain the Lockes because they have a very special bond that you have never seen. EMILY PARKER, FELLOW JUNIOR DRAGSTER
“Taking our old cars to the race track just seemed like another way we could enjoy them,” he said. Their family chemistry plays off this shared love of racing. The Lockes get along exceptionally well, especially at the track as they support each other through their wins and losses. Emily Parker, a 16-year-old from Shelbyville, Indiana raced against Kristen as a junior dragster. She also happens to be Kristen’s best friend. “In drag racing you don’t really see a
family quite like how they are,” said Parker. “I don’t really know how to explain the Lockes because they have a very special bond that you have never seen.” Kristen’s parents stressed that they are racing as a hobby together. To them it is supposed to be fun more than anything. This family connection extends past sharing a car and the sport they all love. It also encompasses the support they have for each other and passion to see each other succeed. “A part of me is always nervous, but I know they are both skilled,” Kristen said about cheering on her family as they pursue their racing. “I’m just super excited. It just makes me smile so much to even talk about their racing.” Bob does all the maintenance and fine-tuning for Kristen’s car when she races. On the trackside, right before her race, he starts the engine and positions the car at the start line. As a consequence, he’s not been able to race as much. But he’s found a silver lining. “Although I had been racing for about 15 years when my kids first started racing, I learned quickly that I had more fun watching them and helping them succeed than I ever did racing myself,” Bob said Kristen wants to see him return to the sport as she focuses more on school, and he won’t need to center his attention on her racing. Though her junior dragster career is over, Locke hopes to continue racing. “It’s something that I definitely want to keep doing,” she said.
Freshman Kristen Locke poses with her father, Bob Locke, in front of the Lucas Oil Raceway. HOPE SHRUM | PHOTO
A FAMILY ON TRACK
Freshman Kristen Locke carries on family tradition MORGAN BRYANT | STORY
BRIDGET LINDSTROM | DESIGN
HOPE SHRUM | PHOTOS
LAST LOOK MARIAN CASE, FRESHMAN
Case sits on a blanket and admires Klause, a local dog, during a mid-semester Pet Therapy Day on Dame Mall. The Franklin College Counseling and Health center hosts therapy days periodically to help students alleviate stress. “I came to pet therapy because dogs make me happy,” Case said. HOPE SHRUM | COVER PHOTO BRIDGET LINDSTROM I BACK PHOTO