FRIDAY, OCT. 27, 2017 | THEFRANKLINNEWS.COM
STANDARD
POUR Reports show need for improvement in campus alcohol education PG. 8
CHAMPIONING BEST BUDDIES PG. 6
TEAM HOMECOMING TRADITIONS PG. 14
NEWS
“THE Q:
What’s your favorite sandwich?
// OUR TEAM
“ WHO MAKES THE FRANKLIN? Executive editor Ashley Shuler ashley.shuler@franklincollege.edu
Brandon Barger Reporter “Cold cut combo.”
Matthew Brown Columnist “Meatball marinara ”
Jalen Davis Photographer “Ham and swiss.”
Leigh Durphey Copy chief “Chicken bacon ranch.”
Opinion editor Christina Ramey christina.ramey@franklincollege.edu News editor Shelby Mullis shelby.mullis@franklincollege.edu Sports editor Ashley Steeb ashley.steeb@franklincollege.edu
Quinn Fitzgerald Lead reporter “Anything but PB&J.”
Nicole Hernandez Web editor “Chicken parmigiana.”
Erica Irish Reporter, photographer “The Veggie.”
Emily Ketterer Reporter, photographer “Grilled cheese.”
Copy chief Leigh Durphey leigh.durphey@franklincollege.edu Photo editor Zoie Richey zoie.richey@franklincollege.edu
Thomas Maxwell Reporter, photographer “Chicken salad.”
Web editor Nicole Hernandez nicole.hernandez@franklincollege.edu Jessie McClain Reporter “Chicken pesto.”
Shelby Mullis News editor “BLT.”
Christina Ramey Opinion editor “Cheeseburger.”
Advertising manager Matt Thomas matthew.thomas@franklincollege.edu Publisher John Krull jkrull@franklincollege.edu
Ashley Shuler Executive editor “Spicy chicken.”
Shelby Tays Reporter, designer “Ham.”
Matt Thomas Advertising manager “PB&J.”
GETTING IT RIGHT // OCT. 13 ISSUE
Bryan Wells Photographer “Chicken teriyaki.”
• On page 3, “Halloween” showed at the Historic Artcraft Theatre Oct. 13 and 14. • On page 3, Franklin College ranked 417 in the 2018 Wall Street Journal rankings. • On page 4, David Brailow was the vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college. • Clarifications to the turnover article on page 4 have been made online: goo.gl/vGiyeK • On page 8, Vicki May was engaged in July 2013. • On page 15, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship used to have more than 300 athletes.
Adviser Ryan Gunterman pgunterman@franklincollege.edu 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.
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INBRIEF
DIVERSITY CENTER HOSTS HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST
Director of Alumni Engagement Joanne Sergi (left) and President Thomas Minar (right) said alumni play a crucial role in the life of the college. THOMAS MAXWELL | PHOTO
MONTHLY MINAR UPDATE: ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT College searches for new ways to interact with alumni BRYNNA SENTEL & SHELBY MULLIS | STORY brynna.sentel@franklincollege.edu shelby.mullis@franklincollege.edu
Homecoming draws thousands of alumni from across the country to Franklin’s campus every year. Prior to that day, President Thomas Minar and the college’s alumni office spend months working to prepare for their arrival. “The college, every year, takes a look at the kind of outreach that it wants to accomplish with alumni and the kind of strategy it wants to have,” Minar said. “For example, homecoming here has a very deep trench and is a deep tradition and is something that’s important to many alumni. So it’s something we try to sharpen and make sure we’re making the most strategic use of.” But Minar said alumni do a lot more than just attend the traditional homecoming festivities and reminisce on the glory days. “Alumni have an impact on the life of the college,” Minar said. “It’s important in a community like this to engage alumni, but we’re really not just doing it to be nice.
&
OUT ABOUT:
10/27 PUMPKINS IN THE PARK Head to Province Park tonight for the annual Pumpkins in the Park 5K. Cost is $20 to participate. Check-in starts at 5 p.m. and the race starts at 6 p.m.
We’re doing it to assure that alumni engage in the life of the college for the rest of their lives.” From hiring students once they graduate to giving them opportunities to advise student organizations, Minar said alumni impact extends farther than one could imagine. But alumni involvement hasn’t always been high. “In the time I have been here, over the past seven to eight years, alumni involvement has increased tremendously,” said Joanne Sergi, director of alumni engagement. Sergi attributes the increased involvement to a variety of factors, including the faculty’s interaction with former students. “It’s been strategic on the faculty’s behalf,” she said. “They actually have done a lot of outreach to students that have graduated from their studies. We obviously encourage it, too, but I think the credit goes to the
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion is celebrating Halloween in the Napolitan Student Center Oct. 31 with its annual “Culture Not a Costume” campaign. The campaign encourages students to avoid culturally-appropriative costumes. Students can stop by the center in their costumes 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for candy and a costume contest. Students who cannot attend are also encouraged to send a photo of themselves in their costume to diversity@ franklincollege.edu. Diversity advocates ask participants be respectful to race and background. LIBRARY TO OFFER ‘TO-GO’ FEATURE Calling all bookworms: The Johnson County Public Library is introducing a new curbside service to cardholders throughout the county. JCPL cardholders can select from a variety of books, CDs, DVDs and audiobooks listed on the online catalog, then choose from one of four library branches to pick them up. The branch will notify patrons when their items are ready via text or email. Each branch will feature designated JCPLTo-Go parking spaces. Listed on the sign is a phone number to call in order to retrieve your pick-up. A library staff member will then bring all selections to the car. “Whether you have a mobility challenge, [or] you’re on-the-go, we’ve got you covered,” the library says on its website. For more information about the new feature and more, visit pageafterpage.org.
SEE “PRESIDENT” PG. 5
10/28 FC HOMECOMING
11/3 – 11/4 HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Stand up and cheer for the Grizzlies as they take on the Mount St. Joseph Lions at the annual homecoming game tomorrow.
It’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. Join hundreds for the city’s 5th annual Holiday Open House.
Crowning of the homecoming king and queen will be held at halftime. The game starts at 1:30 p.m.
More than 40 downtown Franklin retailers, restaurants and businesses are taking part in the two-day event. Visit at least 10 participating businesses with the event punch card and be entered to win a prize.
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COLLEGE EMPHASIZES SECURITY OVER INSECURITY How the Office of Global Education protects travelers in times of crisis ERICA IRISH | STORY erica.irish@franklincollege.edu
With a record-breaking 106 student travelers abroad last Winter Term, four students abroad this semester and one for the entire academic year, monitoring security is a top priority for the college’s Office of Global Education. The office watches global and state security warnings abroad for a minimum of 18 months in advance of approving a program or trip. Jennifer Cataldi, director of the Office of Global Education, said this is common practice for the office, which she’s led for five years. “We don’t allow our students to go anywhere with a U.S. State Department travel warning,” she said. Cataldi explained that there are two types of these warnings—an alert, which addresses a potential for violence, and an increased warning, which states that the government may not be able to help endangered citizens. Countries labeled with an increased warning,
Senior Allie Klein poses with a French flag. She spent a summer in France when a truck drove into a crowd in Nice, France. Klein was a 20-minute train ride from the attack. ERICA IRISH | PHOTO
such as Venezuela and Syria, are unavailable to students. While the office typically contacts individual students via Facebook Messenger in the event of an emergency, partner institutions, which are available to students studying
abroad for longer than Winter Term, may visit student residences. When senior Allie Klein spent her 2016 summer in Cannes, France, she witnessed this response in action during a truck attack on Nice, France—only a 20-minute train ride from her residence at the Campus International de Cannes. While Klein slept through the evening attack, one of her classmates was in Nice at the time of the incident. Klein said her representative at the campus went so far as to drive past travel blockades and police to bring the student back to campus. All students are required to be insured through vendors approved by the college in case of a medical emergency or evacuation during a crisis, Cataldi said. “Our system is not perfect,” Cataldi said. “We can’t ever prepare for every situation. The world is changing constantly, and it’s challenging those in the international education field to always come up with a new set of best practices.”
STUDENTS ACCEPTED TO INTERCULTURAL COURSE College’s only honors experience opens range of opportunities, scholarships THOMAS MAXWELL | STORY thomas.maxwell@franklincollege.edu
This year, 15 students applied for the Intercultural Honors Experience—what some call the college’s most challenging course offered. The program, which was introduced 11 years ago, is designed to help students build a solid intercultural foundation, introduce them to interdisciplinary learning and offer them the opportunity to study abroad at a more affordable cost. “IHE is the only academic honors course program on campus,” said Jennifer Cataldi, director of the Office of Global Education. “It is a team-led program that pairs faculty who apply for the course with students who also apply for the course. It’s a really academically challenging, energized environment for our students to be engaged in.” For one semester, students are exposed to an environment slightly different from a typical college class, Cataldi said. The four-credit hour seminar-style course, which heavily resembles a graduate-level class, focuses on one topic relevant to international
studies. The topic changes each year, as do the professors teaching the course. This year’s topic is “The Immigrant’s Journey: Immigration in the United States and Abroad.” History professor Lourdes Hurtado and English professor George Phillips will teach the course for the first time. “They’ve picked a very topical course and one that has a lot of student interest,” Cataldi said. “They’ll take a look at immigration, both the history and culture of immigration, as well as any political issues that surround immigration.” The application process is open to freshmen, sophomores and juniors, but typically attracts freshmen. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, complete an application, pass an entrance exam, interview with IHE team members and receive two letter of recommendation. “Fourteen offers of acceptance were sent to students [this year],” Cataldi said. Completing the course has several ben-
efits, Cataldi said, including the eligibility for exclusive scholarships to study abroad. Students must pass the course with an 80 percent or higher to qualify for study abroad scholarships, which are reserved specifically for them. Cataldi said students should take notice that achieving an 80 percent is “far more difficult” than the average class. Despite the challenges that accompany the class, students who have completed the course in previous years agree said the class is beneficial for a variety of reasons. “The class was a lot to take on as a freshman, but it was a valuable experience in that it allowed me to practice and refine skills such as public speaking, writing and creating a conference style presentation,” senior Caspian Schmitz said. “IHE changed the rest of my college experience in a positive way, both in academics and in my role as a citizen of the world.”
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HOMECOMING THEN AND NOW College tweaks annual homecoming events to increase student involvement QUINN FITZGERALD | STORY
LEIGH DURPHEY | DESIGN
THEN 1919 A tradition since the beginning of homecoming, the crowning of king and queen, has been done at halftime of the football game.
1941 This burning of the outhouse used to be a way for male students to get the female students out past curfew, and it wasn’t always during homecoming. The men who burned the privy were known as the Privy Council.
1986 The spirit stick competition was done at the pep rally, and the Greek organization that sang the fight song the best was pronounced the winner of the spirit stick.
>> PRESIDENT
continued from pg. 3
faculty on that.” Minar said he is very impressed with the degree of alumni involvement at Franklin College compared to other schools. “Alumni are very committed to the success of the institution, as they should be,” he said. “I think that alumni here take appropriate involvement to make sure the institution is at the top of its game.” Additionally, Minar said they play huge roles in the lives of students nearing the end of their schooling. “As the faculty is considering significant curricular change right now, a big piece of what that new curriculum would revolve around is advancement of engaged, experiential learning in the student experience,” he said. “We need alumni to be part of that
NOW HOMECOMING COURT
PRIVY BURN
SPIRIT STICK
“
What Franklin College students look forward to most is being a part of that lifelong community, and that’s very real to Grizzlies. PRESIDENT THOMAS MINAR
because, again, alumni own and operate and work in significant sites that are great interests to students in terms of where liberal arts and science education intersect with the world of work.” Alumni and seniors at Franklin College are
This year, there will also be a prince and princess chosen—an underclassmen man and woman. They will be crowned at the pep rally, and the upperclassmen king and queen will still be crowned at the game.
The privy burn now takes place the Friday night before the homecoming game. The Student Entertainment Board builds a replica to be burned on the corner of Monroe and Forsythe Streets after the pep rally.
As of last year, the stick is handed to the class that sings the fight song the best. The change came after student feedback to involve more non-Greek students, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement Keri Ellington said.
encouraged to attend the college’s networking event in the spring. Minar said seniors typically leave the event with business cards or interviews set with alumni who could become potential employers. The college also has a 33-member alumni council that reports to the Board of Trustees. The alumni on the council are involved in advising the college on alumni engagement and the life of the college. “What Franklin College students look forward to most is being a part of that lifelong community, and that’s very real to Grizzlies,” Minar said. “That’s something that’s really important to folks in our community. It’s very personal. But I know this experience here is that personal.”
A SERVANT
HEART
Student campaigns for Best Buddies Champion of the Year
b
est Buddies has impacted millions of people around the world since 1989, but one Franklin College student is using her passion and leadership to further expand that impact throughout Indiana. Sophomore Mariah Weddle is one of seven people vying for the title of Indiana’s Best Buddies Champion of the Year. Participants, known as “champions,” must organize their own fundraising events throughout the course of the campaign. The champion who raises the most funds for Best Buddies Indiana is named “Champion of the Year.” Weddle, this year’s youngest participant, has raised $3,197 for Best Buddies since joining the fundraiser in September. That money will go towards building one-to-one friendships and providing integrated employment for people with disabilities. “‘Champion of the Year’ started for me because someone nominated me, and then I decided that I wanted to do it,” Weddle said. “I went to one of the training days, and then I got so involved that I kept fundraising. I mean, it’s not really a competition, but I’m really competitive, so a lot of people are kind of competing to raise the most money for Best Buddies.” Weddle has been involved in Best Buddies since her freshman year at Franklin College, and she currently serves as the vice president of the chapter. She is also involved in INSPIRE, a program designed for students with intellectual disabilities to promote vocational and employment skills, as well as Live Laugh Dance, Camp Can Do and Special Olympics. But Weddle’s passion for helping others didn’t start in college. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always tried helping others,” she said. “My mom calls it a ‘servant heart.’” Weddle attended Edinburgh Community High School, which didn’t offer a Best Buddies program. Regardless, she still helped out with special education students. Weddle said they were the reason she became so involved with Best Buddies and other programs in college. “When I was in middle school, there was this girl that had autism,” Weddle said. “She just really took a liking to me, I guess, because
I would be the one who would always talk to her and make her feel included in everything. Then in high school, there was this guy named Bobby, and he has Down syndrome. Everybody knew that we were just best friends.” Since joining Best Buddies in 2016, Weddle has been paired with J.J. Kubancsek as her buddy. Senior Sadie Stokes, former Best Buddies president and the chapter’s current treasurer, said Weddle and Kubancsek are a “really good match.” “She’s really involved with him; she’s really involved in Best Buddies and all the other organizations she does. She’s very passionate,” Stokes said. “I think her buddy pair has helped strengthened her to be able to do this campaign.” Weddle is dedicating her future career to nonprofit leadership—a path that has become extremely relevant through her time with Best Buddies. She said she potentially wants to run a Best Buddies chapter one day. “I always knew I liked to plan things and fundraise, but after this ‘Champion of the Year’ fundraiser, it has shown me that I really want to go in that direction and lead a nonprofit organization,” she said. The campaign runs until Nov. 9. Weddle
EMILY KETTERER | STORY & PHOTOS
LEIGH DURPHEY | DESIGN
“I have always had a love for spending time with people with special needs, but Best Buddies has given me even more opportunities to do that. I love the friendships that I have grown with all of the buddies.” has organized multiple events in an effort to raise the most money for the Indiana chapter, holding two dine-to-donate events at local restaurants, a Mary Kay fundraiser, a costume party and basketball tournament. Her upcoming bowling tournament is scheduled for Nov. 5 at Hi-Way Lanes in Franklin from 2-4 p.m. Donations to Weddle’s campaign can also be made on her online profile at bestbuddieschampion.org/indiana. “I have always had a love for spending time with people with special needs, but Best Buddies has given me even more opportunities to do that. I love the friendships that I have grown with all of the buddies. I also enjoy planning and coordinating Best Buddy activities that are going to enrich their lives and mine.”
TAKING ACTION Alcohol programming committee explores student involvement as possible solution to alcohol reports QUINN FITZGERALD | STORY & PHOTO elizabeth.fitzgerald@franklincollege.edu
9 Alcohol-related, on-campus arrests decreased from two to one between 2015 and 2016, according to the 2017 Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety report. The number of alcohol-related disciplinary referrals on campus, however, increased by two, rising from 47 to 49. Forty-one alcohol-related disciplinary referrals took place off campus between Jan. 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2016. That’s four more than in 2015, according to the same report. In an effort to combat a rise in incidents, the Alcohol Programming Committee is seeking students to join and offer input. “That is something we want to do,” said Jacob Knight, chair of the committee and residence life director. “We, at our last meeting, had discussed trying to pull in some students to help out with us.” Established in 2016, the committee currently includes Knight, Security Officer Nelson Preston, Counselor John Shafer and Health Center Coordinator Cathe DeCleene. Ellis Hall, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, created the committee to shift the responsibility of alcohol programming from the counseling center to a group of people from across the Student Affairs division. “In the Student Affairs division, this past year—well every year—we wanted to make sure we do alcohol programming because it’s a continual issue for our students,” Hall said. “It’s an issue that we want to make sure our students learn about and have some educational perspective on.” Although the committee will sometimes have its own initiatives, Knight said it doesn’t necessarily create alcohol programming. Its main purpose is to oversee other alcohol programs and support them.
ONE IN FOUR
college students report academic consequences from drinking, including missing class, falling behind in class, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall. NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM | SOURCE
The goal of the committee is not to “talk down to students,” Shafer said, but instead is aimed at encouraging moderation or supporting the choice to abstain entirely. “Talking about the ‘evils of drinking alcohol’ is not effective,” Shafer said. “It is a challenge to get students to change any behaviors, but we need to continue to encourage them to make smarter choices.” Another reason for the committee is to ensure students are aware of the campus policies. “Often alcohol leads to, or is connected with, a lot of violations of other college policy,” Hall said. Outlining these campus expectations is one of the reasons Preston joined the committee. Although he said he is uncertain why some numbers have decreased while others have increased, he’s pleased to see the number of arrests go down. “I’d like to say it’s because of alcohol programming and education and students are making smarter choices,” he said. As for the disciplinary referrals, Preston said several factors could contribute to this statistic. For example, a particularly strong residence life staff that reports on behalf of residence halls could attribute to the increase in disciplinary referrals.
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Nobody’s saying we don’t want people to drink. There is some experimentation. We would just like people to be safe and smart. CATHE DECLEENE, HEALTH CENTER COORDINATOR
“I haven’t seen a big increase in alcohol incidents. I haven’t had a whole lot this year,” Resident Assistant and junior Priyam Patel said. “Whenever we have alcohol incidents, we’re told we need to be looking out for the safety of our residents.” When dealing with alcohol incidents, resident assistants have to fill out a form saying a student broke an alcohol policy and provide information about everyone involved. It’s then sent to Knight, Residence Hall Coordinators Mike Rivera and Russ Norris, and Assistant Residence Hall Coordinators and seniors Kyle Sauley and Alexis Beed to be reviewed before submitting it to the judicial board. Violations of the alcohol and drug policy could result in probationary status, fines, required educational programming, required
A L C O H O L S TAT I S T I C S on a national level
58%
48%
of full-time college students aged 18-22 drank alcohol in the past month
of 18-22 year-olds not attending college full time drank alcohol in the past month
2015 NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH | SOURCE
alcohol assessment, removal from housing or suspension from the college. Counselor Sara Kinder said the college continues to educate students through a variety of alcohol programs, such as AlcoholEdu and Safe Haven. Both are programs freshmen are required to complete before starting their first year. Kinder said the college paid EverFi, an online digital citizenship company through which AlcoholEdu and Safe Haven are provided, about $1,500 this year for the AlcoholEdu program alone. This was after the college received a two-year grant from the Youth Alcohol Awareness and Education Foundation. Guest speakers are also hired throughout the year to speak with students. Hall said there are too many factors to reach an estimate on how much the college spends to invite speakers to address alcohol awareness. “We cover their transportation and a meal, others have fees,” he said. “Some are covered by grants. It varies greatly what costs might be to have a speaker come and talk on any topic, much less alcohol.” Aside from the numbers, DeCleene hopes alcohol programs have a great impact on students but understands that it’s simply the nature of some students to come to school already drinking or wanting to experiment. “Nobody’s saying we don’t want people to drink. There is some experimentation,” she said. “We would just would like people to be safe and smart.” LEIGH DURPHEY | DESIGN
OPINION
JORDAN BRODNER | PHOTO
EDITORIAL COLLEGE IS BEHIND THE TIMES Fight for gender-inclusive housing continues There are 265 colleges and universities in the United States that offer gender-inclusive housing, according to Campus Pride. Four are in Indiana. Franklin College is not one of those four. “Franklin, as an institution, really leaves transgendered students in the dust, and it’s mostly with housing,” said Rebecca Bridges, president of the Franklin College Pride Alliance. All the dorms on campus are co-ed. Men and women each have their own floors. None of the dorms offer a gender-inclusive housing option. Earlier this year a group of students, two females and two males, tried to get a section together. They were approved the accommodation until shortly before school began. As reported in the Sept. 15 issue of The Franklin, the group was denied the housing because gender-inclusive housing has yet to be approved as a campus offer. Residence Life Director Jacob Knight pointed to that their special accommodation could prevent it from being approved. This begs the question: If students are showing a strong interest in having genderinclusive housing, why hasn’t it been approved already? Some universities set aside residence halls for gender-inclusive housing. “Eastern Illinois University has moved to offering gender neutral housing on their campus. What they did was they set aside an entire residence hall, and it was themed as gender-inclusive housing,” Director of Residence Life Jacob Knight said. “The whole concept is anyone can be a roommate for you if you live in that space.” This dorm doesn’t factor in biological sex or gender identity, and students have the chance to fill out a form saying they want to
live in this community. Other colleges have chosen to remodel their bathrooms. Instead of having a bathroom with showers and toilets stalled off, they would have bathrooms called “pods.” “You would go through a door that you could lock behind you, and there would be a sink. There would be a toilet. There would be a shower or bath tub or something like that you could use,” Knight said. “So that is a much more secured space when you are in there.” The biggest challenge in implementing something like this is finding the money to do it. But it is, and should be, something under heavy consideration by the administration. Gender-inclusive housing should be offered. All students should be able to live comfortably without having to go the extra mile to get that comfort. “I think it’s kind of crappy,” Bridges said. “I really don’t think it’s fair that they have to jump through all these hoops to get a living place that is comfortable for them, that they feel safe.” Bridges lives in a section with a transgender woman and a genderqueer
The Franklin staff believes the college could better accommodate transgender students. THE FRANKLIN OPINION BOARD
individual. Bridges decided to live with them to improve their chances at getting a section in Johnson-Dietz. Franklin College was the first college in Indiana and seventh in the nation to start accepting women in 1842. Franklin showed progression then. If the college wants to continue this progression in the 21st century, it needs to offer gender-inclusive dorms. If money is an issue for remodeling the bathrooms, then set aside a floor of a residence hall to be gender-inclusive. A survey should be sent out to current and incoming students asking if this type of residence hall would be of interest to them. The college will likely see a large number of students requesting these accommodations. It’s time that the college caught up with the times once again.
#FRANKLINVOICES The Franklin’s poll board in the Student Center atrium gives students, faculty, staff and the larger Franklin community a chance to voice their opinion.
DOES FRANKLIN DO ENOUGH FOR LGBT STUDENTS?
49 PEOPLE SAID YES 32 PEOPLE SAID NO
81 people participated in this poll. The Franklin’s polls are illustrative and not scientific. They are a way to get the college community involved.
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WOULD THE COLLEGE BE PREPARED FOR A SHOOTING? Columnist shares views on how Franklin would respond to a shooter on campus In a society where waking up to the latest mass shooting is less surprising than an overnight change in the weather, it forces conversation THOMASMAXWELL on the possibility that anyone could be caught in the crosshairs of the next deadly attack. Since the Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012, there have been more than 150 mass shootings and acts of violence at schools and on college campuses, according to gunviolencearchive.org, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free, online and public access to gun-related violence data. This raises a powerful and often fear-inducing question: Could this happen at Franklin College?
While the probability of a shooting occurring at Franklin is impossible to calculate due to the changing and unpredictable factors involved, the open nature of a college campus is, without a doubt, a risk. Director of Security Steve Leonard said several years ago the college moved away from a checklist of items to follow for a mass shooting and adopted the procedure of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “First and foremost, we involve local law enforcement with whom we foster a close relationship,” Leonard said. “Campus security guards are not sworn law enforcement and do not carry firearms, so we are not equipped to handle a mass shooting without local law enforcement.” Leonard said students should be vigilant and have a plan in place for any major event,
not just shootings. As a campus with inherent vulnerabilities, students are always at risk, and the possibility of a shooting is forever present. “A mass shooting here on campus is definitely possible,” junior Alexis Varvel said. “I personally wouldn’t expect one, but no one really plans for those things.” Despite the fact shootings have become a regular occurrence, we continue to have a false sense of security that something like the Vegas shooting or the Virginia Tech massacre would never take place on our campus. While our campus security would do everything possible to stop an act like this from happening, it is of utmost importance that students remain alert and be prepared for any possibility. This preparedness could eventually save a life.
STRICTER GUN POLICIES COULD MAKE US FEEL SAFER
Debate over Second Amendment continues after another mass shooting Four of the deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the last 10 years, according to a CNN Library report. Most recently, at least NICOLEHERNANDEZ 58 people were killed and almost 500 were injured in a shooting during a country music festival on the Las Vegas strip Oct. 1. When a shooting breaks the news, the debate over gun control is reignited. When people hear the phrase “gun control,” they tend to think of banning guns entirely or eradicating the Second Amendment. But gun control can take many forms. “I don’t think there should be a limit on how many guns you can have because you can do a lot of damage with one gun or you can do a lot of damage with multiple guns, and it really doesn’t make a difference,” said junior Austen Byrer, a gun owner. “It can be an effective way to cause damage either way you look at it.” Since the Las Vegas shooting, no federal action has been taken. Campus policy states that firearms are strictly prohibited with the one exception of on-duty police officers. The Franklin reported on an incident in
TWITTER POLL
the Sept. 15 issue where a man was followed by police onto the Franklin College campus. Had this man been armed, Byrer said the incident could have ended much differently. “I would definitely feel safer if I could conceal carry on campus because when I’m at home I can,” Byrer said. “If he had had a gun, then he could’ve caused a lot of damage in a short amount of time.” Director of Security Steve Leonard said he understands a student would want to feel protected, but he agrees with the college’s policy and doesn’t believe that it is necessary for students or faculty to carry a gun on campus. “I know that in the 20 years that I’ve been employed here working nights and weekends and challenging situations, I’ve never felt unsafe,” Leonard said. “I have never felt like my life would be safer if I was carrying a gun right now. So for us to have a hundred students concealed carrying a gun concerns me.” The Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to lawfully own a firearm. But that doesn’t guarantee an individual to lawfully carry a firearm with them wherever they go. The Second Amendment acts for the purpose of self-defense specifically in the home.
We asked Franklin College students: Would an increase in gun control make Franklin safer?
28% 72% YES NO
Even if Indiana state law allowed students to carry on college campuses, it would still be prohibited to carry a gun on Franklin College’s campus because it is a privately-owned property. Would the outcome had been different if concert goers at the Las Vegas shooting were allowed to carry their guns into the festival, assuming they were not allowed to because of security checks that take place at concerts? Naturally, in a crisis situation, our first response should be to run or hide in order to exit ourselves from the situation. The college’s preparedness plan also follows this procedure of run and hide first, then fight if there’s no other option. Concealed carry or using a gun for the purpose of self-defense means that your firearm should only come out when it is absolutely necessary. Gun control is a heated subject, and there is obviously no clear-cut answer. Individuals are prohibited from carrying guns on college campuses and concerts for good reason. It would benefit everyone for officials to take a better look at who has access to guns.
46 people participated in this poll. The Franklin’s polls are illustrative and not scientific. They are a way to get the college community involved.
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ADMINISTRATION CUTS BIRTH CONTROL GUARANTEE
Women deserve support in protecting the only body they have Women are again losing control over their bodies—the result of a culture that long repressed female sexuality and health. ERICAIRISH The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice issued a rollback on an Obama-era mandate guaranteeing birth control coverage Oct. 6. Employers with a “sincerely held religious or moral objection,” according to the agencies, are now exempt from the rule. Roughly 55 million women benefit from no-cost birth control, according to a Politico article. That’s 55 million women who must now closely monitor their workplace’s policies. Others still may need to leave their company in favor of one that supports their health. Student Health Center Coordinator Cathe
DeCleene said the on-campus clinic only offers condoms. But she is authorized to write prescriptions to local pharmacies for women seeking additional protection—a request that she said is “an almost daily situation.” “You can get a prescription for free,” DeCleene said. “But if somebody doesn’t want it on their insurance, they would pay $4 to $9.” The latter reality serves as a reminder of the fear and shame women associate with natural sexuality—and worse, a very logical desire to protect themselves from unexpected pregnancy as they exercise that right. Additionally, with the uncertainty of this rollback, this $4 to $9 price could easily rise, exploiting those women who are afraid to use their insurance. Young women are so in fear of having their parents learn about their sexual habits that they would rather pay than discuss their personal needs. It is this cultural terror and
stigma that must end. As the name would suggest, the main purpose of birth control is to prevent pregnancy. Yet many feel that they must defend its use by addressing the secondary benefits of hormonal birth control first, such as regulating periods and other hormonal irregularities. For some women, such as freshman Olivia Inman, these other reasons are primary and valid and will no less impact where women such as her choose to work and be insured. “I use the pill to regulate testosterone levels,” Inman said. “Without insurance, it would cost $50 every month.” While these reasons deserve attention, women who use birth control to prevent pregnancy shouldn’t be silenced either. It’s time that society acknowledges the validity of a woman seeking protection and control over the only body she has, and free birth control guarantees her right to sexuality and choosing motherhood.
ADDED PRESSURE MOTIVATES COLLEGE STUDENTS TO CHEAT Despite outside forces, students solely responsible for academic dishonesty The harrowing pressure to succeed skyrockets in a college classroom, making the urge to cheat even stronger than in high school. MATTHEWBROWN But much of that urge comes from outside forces—including demands from professors and societal expectations. “Motivation is one thing that predicts cheating,” said Ryan Rush, professor of psychology. “Specifically, as intrinsic motivation goes down and extrinsic motivation goes up, we see that cheating increases.” A recent study published Sept. 22 in Psychological Science explored how an outside demand—those extrinsic motivations—could be a reason why some students cheat. The researchers put young children into separate rooms. They then told a handful of these students they were doing a good job, or they were very smart. When they left to observe their behaviors, they found the students they complimented were the ones who cheated. By being told that they are smart, the students felt a psychological pressure to live up to that reputation and cheat to meet those expectations. This idea of pressure and extrinsic motivation is transferable to college students, who are expected to not only get good grades,
9 OUT OF 10
college students admitted to cheating.
54%
said that it was okay that they cheated.
76%
said they copied text from someone else. CAMPUSTECHNOLOGY.COM | SOURCE 300 college students participated in this study
but also to maintain active social lives, be involved in community work and prepare for the workforce. “Cheating as a behavior is contagious,” Rush said. In another study of 300 college students, only about 12 percent said they never cheated. That means 88 percent of those students have cheated in their lifetime. Such a high number demands a way to fix this issue. But the question then remains: How can we stop students from feeling so much pressure to do well without lowering expectations? At Franklin College, the rules in place to prevent cheating are explicit. With such a specific definition and punishment, faculty are able to recognize the types of cheating and plagiarism that occur and make them
clear to the students. For the offense, students will receive an F or a zero on the work they cheated in. A second offense will result in the student’s dismal from the college. There’s only so much a college can do to prevent these instances. Cheating ultimately falls on the student. Students must learn to balance the extrinsic motivators that compel them to cheat with their own moral compass. How important is a good grade in comparison to the guilt and lack of learning you receive when deciding to cheat? If these factors prove to be too much to handle, ask for help. Students sould express to their professors they are struggling with the material, and he or she will provide them with the resources to better control the urge to cheat. Thinking about cheating? Next time, think about the consequences. Do you really want to have academic dishonesty on your permanent record?
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
cases reported at the college
40 CASES 20 CASES
2016-2017
2015-2016
SPORTS
GAMES IN REVIEW VOLLEYBALL @ Bluffton University L, 3-0 WOMEN’S SOCCER @ Earlham College W, 5-2
An NCAA rule prohibits basketball coaches from participating in pre-season practices. Freshman forward Danny Goggans, pictured, said the rule doesn’t bother him much. ZOIE RICHEY | PHOTO
NCAA RULE KEEPS BASKETBALL COACHES FROM PRE-SEASON PRACTICES Prather understands purpose, but would make changes
FOOTBALL @ Rose-Hulman W, 29-22 MEN’S SWIMMING vs. Illinois Institute W, 171-27 WOMEN’S SWIMMING vs. Illinois Institute W, 168-25
BRANDON BARGER | STORY brandon.barger@franklincollege.edu
Around 11:50 p.m., the gym inside the Spurlock Center was silent. At the stroke of midnight, it filled with the sound of a ball going through the net, shoes squeaking against the court and coaches barking out instructions. The atmosphere turned serious compared to what practices had been before this night. Because of an NCAA rule, college basketball coaches aren’t allowed to be at any team practices until midnight of a certain date. This year, it was Oct. 16. Players are still allowed to participate in practices before this date, but coaches can’t be in attendance, and the sessions are more relaxed. The players play music, talk about NBA players and argue about who has the best layup. Head Coach Kerry Prather said he understands why the NCAA has a rule against official practices in the spring and fall, but there are some changes he would make to the rule. “My own preference would be—and I think the preference of the student athletes—would be some modified lead up to the season, similar to, but not as extensive as, Division I,” he said. Prather said the difference for Division I out-of-season practices is coaches are allowed to have a certain number of days per
MEN’S SOCCER @ Earlham College L, 2-1
week to work with certain players on skills. In Division III, the coaches can’t because it takes away from educational time. Prather said the Division I modifications can be made for Division III. Freshman forward Danny Goggans said he doesn’t mind the player-led practices before season but would like to have the coaches there. Freshman manager Demonie Johnson said he doesn’t like the rule. “My opinion on the rule is that it is kind of cheesy,” Johnson said. “Between coming from high school and coming to college, I don’t see what the big deal is about it. It seems that we had summer league and when school starts, we had to pretty much do stuff on our own. I think the coaches should be here to see the talent coming in.” Prather said he knows that even though he isn’t there, the team is still working hard. He said he relies on the team’s veterans to take up the leadership role until the coaching staff is allowed to step in. “Everybody does it the same way,” Prather said. “The quality of your out-of-season work is reflective of the quality of the leadership of that team. So, if you are blessed with an older team with a lot of veterans, they make sure that the sessions are productive.”
UPCOMING GAMES VOLLEYBALL 10/28 vs. Mt. St. Joseph WOMEN’S SOCCER 10/28 vs. Anderson College MEN’S SOCCER 10/28 vs. Anderson College FOOTBALL 10/28 vs. Mt. St. Joseph MEN’S SWIMMING 10/28 Blue & Gold Intrasquad WOMEN’S SWIMMING 10/28 Blue & Gold Intrasquad
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HOMECOMING PREPARATIONS VARY AMONG SPORTS TEAMS
Franklin celebrates traditions, members through sporting events JADA JONES | STORY jada.jones@franklincollege.edu
Homecoming is a time where all current and former students come together and celebrate the organization they are connected to. At the college, sports teams have their own annual traditions for the event. SWIMMING AND DIVING The swimming and diving teams hold various “Blue and Gold” team contests throughout the week, including a Friday night capture the flag game, Head Coach Andrew Hendricks said. The week ends with the annual Blue and Gold swim on Saturday morning. After the competition, the teams spend time together in Cline Woods with friends, family, food and football. CROSS COUNTRY The cross country team’s conference championship falls tomorrow, the Saturday of homecoming. While the team doesn’t have any traditions yet, Head Coach Brandon
Dworak said he is looking forward to creating some. “I think it’s a great way to celebrate current and past members of not only Franklin College athletics, but anyone who attended and graduated from our institution,” he said. FOOTBALL The football team follows Franklin College’s traditions of the annual privy burn and pep rally. But one of the players has a few of his own traditions. “One thing I enjoy doing is having a big meal with my family,” said Fazaun Stephens, senior defensive back. “Then my family and I think of as many jokes as possible that I can say on the field to the other team, and then I tell my family how many I got out.” Head Football Coach Mike Leonard said seeing all the alumni come back to campus is one of his highlights from homecoming. In comparison to the other colleges Leonard has coached at, he said Franklin
College’s homecoming is incredible. “I’ve been fortunate that I’ve coached at a lot of different colleges and Franklin’s homecoming compared to the places I’ve been is just absolutely phenomenal,” Leonard said. “I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s something about the setting of the campus, how things are right here and how the football stadium is kind of right in the heart of campus.” As they did for the last few years, the Grizzlies will face Mount Saint Joseph University. Tyler Hopperton, Mount Saint Joseph’s football head coach, said playing in Franklin College’s homecoming game makes the competition interesting. “Preparing to play Franklin College is never a simple task,” Hopperton said. “The atmosphere at Faught Stadium is extremely exciting and is one of the best we’ve ever played in.”
COLUMN BASKETBALL PROGRAM CAUGHT IN RECRUITMENT SCANDAL
NCAA fires long-term head coach for committing rule violations Franklin College’s basketball season is just around the corner. But excitement for the season to JUSTIN PENNINGTON start might not be the only conversation about college basketball. A prominent basketball program may have participated in some form of recruitment violations. University of Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino was fired by the university Oct. 16 for suspicion of giving recruits money to attend the school to play. Some players being recruited by Louisville are also under investigation for being offered up to $100,000 from Adidas in exchange for their commitment. Pitino is denying he knew about these recruitment deals. This action is against the NCAA rule that no player is to accept any type of donation
or amount of money for any reason from fans or coaches. I am saddened to see Pitino fired, but agree he needed to be fired. Actions of this sort should not be tolerated for any reason. Kerry Prather, athletic director at Franklin College, said the situation with Pitino is severe. “The allegations are very serious, and they come on the heels of the prostitute scandal at Louisville,” Prather said. “The administration has obviously reached the point where they no longer found it believable that coach Pitino was unaware of these activities.” Prather said the NCAA expects all programs in all divisions to monitor compliance year round. He said violations of this sort would be unlikely below the Division I level because that’s where the money flows. It’s the only level where the return on those huge investments by shoe companies is lucrative. “Our coaches have ongoing compliance education and all know that we take compli-
ance very seriously,” Prather said. “We hold head coaches responsible for the actions of their assistants. Our culture of compliance is very clear to everyone who works in the athletic department.” Prather said the NCAA must get better control over the wealth of money coming from the shoe companies and elsewhere into Division I programs. College presidents and athletic directors at Division I schools should know all about what works and has worked for years. If I was a player in the midst of all this speculation, I would feel overwhelmed with the attention. I couldn’t help but feel responsible for someone losing one of the most important things to them. The NCAA is showing it’s serious about the rules after the firing of a 16-year, successful coach. At the end of the day, it is still a business, and it must address issues of this severity.
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Banners with the names of every school in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference hang in the hallways of Spurlock Center. The conference’s commissioner announced he will retire after the academic year. BRYAN WELLS | PHOTO
CAREER DEDICATED TO ADVANCING COLLEGE ATHLETICS REACHES END Chris Ragsdale, HCAC commissioner, set to retire after academic year JARED SCHOEN | STORY jared.schoen@franklincollege.edu
The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s second-ever commissioner will be leaving the position in July. After 10 years in the position, Chris Ragsdale is looking to partially retire from his 41-year career in higher education. “I’m sure that I won’t get too far away from collegiate athletics,” he said. “I’m not sure what that looks like right now, but it certainly won’t be full time. I’m not leaving this position in an effort to look for something else.” Throughout his career, Ragsdale served as the head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at several small, private colleges across the country before accepting the commissioner job with the HCAC. “When looking at the conference, the job was advertised for individuals who have a certain skill set,” Ragsdale said. “I felt that because of my past experiences as a Division III head basketball coach and athletic director, I looked at it as a new and different leadership opportunity and a natural career progression for me.” Under Ragsdale’s leadership, the HCAC gained new championship sports sponsorship with indoor track and field and, most recently, swimming and diving. This pushed
the number of championship sports in the conference to 20. Kerry Prather, Franklin College’s athletic director, said Ragsdale has done valuable work for the conference. “He helped bring the parties together, most recently in swimming,” Prather said. “He has been in front of the movement to organize post-season events for our new sports.” The HCAC has also made efforts to partner itself with other groups like the Special Olympics, a program that works to create opportunities for students with disabilities. Because of Ragsdale’s efforts, the HCAC is the only national conference to share a championship with the Special Olympics. “Timing is everything,” Ragsdale said. “I was looking for something that we could get our conference involved in and ultimately involving all of our membership institutions.” Ragsdale said Mike Furnish, the CEO of Special Olympics and former HCAC football referee, approached him with a plan to create some kind of bond between the organizations. The bond started as a one-time bowling event and has increased into the combined championship, which consists of more than 130 student athletes and Special
Olympics athletes. Prather said when looking back on Ragsdale’s legacy of a commissioner, it will be remembered as one of positive change, inclusion and fair treatment. “What Chris has done in the 10 years he’s been here is really establish a much more consistent, visible and effective connection between our league and the NCAA,” Prather said. “He has been really helpful in serving as the interpreter of rules on behalf of the NCAA.” The conference plans to hold a national search to fill the commissioner position.
HISTORY OF THE HCAC 1987 HCAC was created as the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference 1992 Women’s teams join the conference 1998 Conference name was changed to HCAC 2008 Chris Ragsdale hired as HCAC commissioner
QUINN FITZGERALD | COVER PHOTO ZOIE RICHEY | BACK PHOTO
LAST LOOK
JACKIE LIST, FRESHMAN List passes out candy during the Residence Hall Association’s trick-or-treating event Tuesday. “In my neighborhood at home, I’ve seen less trick-or-treaters,” she said. “It’s nice to see kids still coming out and having fun.”