The Clarion, Vol. 80, Issue #11 - Brevard College

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Nov 14, 2014 - Residence Life Michael Cohen sent out an email to the campus ..... ing, “Snowpiercer” is an absolute
The

Clarion

Volume 80, Issue 11

www.brevard.edu/clarion

Web Edition

SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935

Find your voice:

Follow us on Twitter @ BCclarion November 14, 2014

Administration responds to student concerns after attempted sexual assault on campus By Kara Fohner Editor in Chief

Editor’s Note: We delayed the publication of the Clarion this week for two days in order to provide expansive, thoughtful coverage of the attempted assault, the meeting for women, and the surrounding dialogue between students, staff, and administration. Thank you for your patience. The campus has been reverberating with speculation, anxiety, and indignation since Friday, Nov. 7, when an unknown man attempted to sexually assault a female student outside Jones Hall at around midnight. The email that head of security Stan Jacobsen sent the BC community on Saturday morning said that when the student, who remains publically unidentified, broke from his grip, the man fled the scene. On Saturday, the student reported the incident to campus life with permission to contact the Brevard Police Department. She described the assailant as around six feet tall. He was wearing a black sweatshirt. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, as it is yet unknown whether or not the perpetrator is a student. Jacobsen advised students to travel in pairs whenever possible and to report any suspicious activity. Director of Residence Life Michael Cohen later informed students via email of a “women only” meeting, which occurred at 9:30 on Wednesday night. The meeting for men is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17. By the time of their meeting, some female students were already expressing their frustration. A small college is an echo chamber for rumors and misinformation, and many were up in arms about the supposed monetary fine for those who did not attend, as well as the division of genders and, accordingly, the possible implication that rape is primarily a female problem. Dean of Students Debbie D’Anna sent a clarifying email on Wednesday afternoon to inform the campus that while all were encouraged to come, women who did not attend would not be charged. The fine was originally a misunderstanding, but

it had evolved within hours into a controversial rumor. Finally, around 9:30, women ventured out of the dark to assemble in Ingram Auditorium. The cheerleading squad slouched in a row near the front, still in uniform, while other students, fresh from practice, SGA, and other campus activities, gulped down their only meals of the evening or clumped together in tense, whispering groups. Some seemed skeptical, already made wary by the widespread confusion. “Before the meeting, I was worried we would be told not to get assaulted,” said senior Alison Brown. Others, however, were curious and eager to hear from the administration. “I was very glad that they were addressing the issue and that they opened up the forum for discussion, because I felt like it was something that everyone needed to hear,” said junior Gabby Smith. D’Anna began by explaining that she organized the women’s meeting out of concern for the safety of female students, as the victim, in this case, was female. “We thought it was important to get you guys in here as quickly as possible because I’ve heard that people don’t feel safe on campus, and that concerns me,” D’Anna said. “We wanted to make sure that we had an environment and a climate that was safe for you to ask questions, and sometimes that’s not always true with a mixed crowd, and we have varying levels of maturity,” she added. “I apologize if anyone was offended by asking only women to come.” D’anna also stressed that the purpose of the meeting was to educate women on campus about the policies and procedures surrounding sexual misconduct, as well as the available resources and the protocols that she and other staff must adhere to in the event of a reported sexual assault. “We will not tolerate sexual misconduct,” D’Anna said. “That’s the bottom line.” “But we can only deal with what we know, and that’s why it’s important that there is trust between all of us so that you feel comfortable reporting things that have happened,” she added.

Dee Dasburg, a National Certified Counselor, also spoke in introduction. “Students come to talk to me about things all the time,” she said. “And I hear stories. Each one of you has a story. Each one of you sitting here tonight, you already know what’s happened in your past. You know who said what and who did what. Some of you are sitting here tonight, and something happened to you on campus. You know what’s happened. You know if someone said or did something to make you feel uncomfortable. “Women, find your voice!” she continued, eyes steady. “Don’t put up with inappropriate comments. We want you to feel empowered.” Her audience broke out in a smattering of applause. In addition to D’Anna and Dasburg, other staff and community members in attendance were housing director Michael Cohen, Director of Student Engagement Alessandra Tavoloni, Director of Center for Multicultural Service Initiatives Gabrielle Mellendorf, Stan Jacobsen, security officer Marvin Metcalf, and Brevard Chief of Police John Phillip Harris Jr. Harris, in tune with Dasburg and D’Anna, urged women to report any instances of sexual assault, stressing that, in the event of an attack, a victim may not want to immediately seek legal action, but that she may change her mind down the road. He likened his concern about the recent incident to his paternal affection for his 18-year-old daughter. “If you come to our police department, I expect you to be treated exactly like I would treat my daughter. It’s not because I have an 18-year-old daughter, but because I want to treat everybody with the best police service we can give,” Harris said. “Our principles are on the side of our vehicles, and the middle principle is respect. I want you to feel welcome. We will do everything we can when you call us.” He also suggested that women should take certain precautions to decrease the likelihood of an assault, forming contingency plans or traveling in groups. “Plan ahead,” Harris said. “If you parked your car somewhere near the mall when it was light,

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and if you parked it in the far corner of the parking lot because you don’t want someone to ding your door, when it gets dark, you’re going to have to walk. Plan ahead.” “If my daughter calls me today and says, ‘Dad, I was stranded, and I had to call a cab and it cost me 75 dollars, I’m gonna send her the money,” he said. “Be safe. Make good decisions.” However, in the event of an assault, Harris advised women to try to fight to the fullest extent of their ability. “The best opportunity for getting away is in that very moment. You fight like you were raised in a swamp. Fight for everything you’re worth” he said. “And when you come tell us the story, you’ll be shaking like a leaf from the adrenaline, but you’ll be telling us the story and we’ll be going out and looking for that person.” Stan Jacobsen also contributed to the discussion, citing his experience as a hostage negotiator to explain how, in the instance that a woman is physically overpowered, she might talk her way out of an assault by humanizing herself in the eyes of her assailant. “If you lose control, the best thing to do is develop a rapport with that individual. You talk to them and talk to them and talk to them.” Jacobsen said. “Once a person is more familiar with you, there’s less of a chance that that individual will see you as a non-person, and they’re less likely to assault you.” As the evening progressed, the format of the meeting gradually shifted into an open forum for questions and answers. Campus Life provided a

Campus News Twitter handle for students to text anonymous questions. However, tensions began to rise as students began questioning the authenticity and the relevance of the presentation. “They called the meeting and they talked about what they said they were going to talk about, and I appreciate that. But I feel that the concern of the student is not how to report, but how to keep it from happening, and there were a lot of conflicting messages given,” said junior Allie Leburg. “I believe that the first half of the meeting (which addressed policies and procedures) was handled well and covered many concerns we as students had,” clarified Alison Brown. “I also appreciate that administration was ready to answer questions from us both verbally and anonymously. However I feel the second half of the meeting was a bit of a mess. Stan got off topic, speaking about kidnappings and murders, which just created unnecessary fear and confused the message being sent.” Amy Brinkley, Director of Information Services in J.A. Jones Library, also found Jacobsen’s illustration problematic. “Teaching verbal negotiation tactics continues to (mis)place responsibility on potential victims for managing a situation which is, by its very nature, unmanageable,” she said. Jacobsen responded via e-mail to a request for clarification. “A rape victim under the control of an assailant is in a similar situation as that of an individual taken hostage (i.e. they are both under the total control and domination of another human being),” he said. “Therefore, although a victim should fight initially to get free of their attacker/ hostage taker, once they lose control they must

Upscale your closet Local consignment shop offers open house for BC students on Friday, Nov. 21

By MacKenzie Samotis Staff Writer

Almost 50 years ago the women of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church began The Shop of St. Philip’s in efforts to support over 15 charities in Brevard. The “upscale resale” shop helps local charities such as The Boys & Girls Club, Family Place, and Meals on Wheels by creating new “little treasures” from the old. The shop carries a unique shopping experience by providing a variety of items from clothing and handbags to artwork and china. Back in 1961, the church received a small house on a dirt road, from that point on the first thrift shop in Transylvania County rose from the ground. It started as a consignment store but quickly made the transition to operate as a non-profit organization. Based off of the decision to change ways of garnering income, the churches efforts in community outreach only grew from there.

Today The Shop is run by 16 volunteers from the church and over 65 community volunteers. The process of going from box to floor is described by Lila Stewart, one of the expert volunteers as “structured but not confined”. She continues, describing each item as someone else’s old antique, transforming into the next owner’s “little treasure”. There is magic in finding the gold in something old, and the women of The Shop possess talents in allowing that quality to shine. The women have recently discussed reaching out to students at BC, and to welcome them are having an open house on Friday, Nov. 21, after the normal hours of 10am to 4pm. The Shop encourages all the students to come to 44 Four Seasons Plaza to explore their shelves and find treasures of your own. The highlighted Christmas shop has opened and if you are in need of a Christmas sweater The Shop is your hotspot. Come down on Friday to the warm welcome at The Shop of St. Philip’s and support community charities.

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November 14, 2014

use alternate means to protect themselves. That's where the negotiation and rapport building come into play. As the questions became more emotionally charged, students began to mutter, squirming, but when one girl shouted, ‘Can we go home now?’ many grew visibly uncomfortable, scowling, shrinking down in their seats, or shaking their heads at her rudeness. Brown left the meeting dissatisfied, but other students were more optimistic. “I believe that this is a new situation for our little campus to take in,” said senior Rachael Barrow. “While yes, we have had sexual assaults on campus before, none of them have been out in the open, or by an unidentified person. I believe that our administration is handling this as best as they know how during this learning experience.” Barrow was correct. This, according to Jacobsen, is the first time in his 14 years at BC that a student has been attacked outside of a building by an unknown perpetrator, and the administration moved quickly to demonstrate presence and personal support to students even indirectly affected by this incident. Now, as their initial anxieties recede, both students and staff are united in their desire to generate and maintain a community dialogue about sexual assault. “We are kind of in triage right now,” said D’Anna. “The most important thing right now is to talk to you guys about the process. Then I think we have to continue the conversation, and maybe have another meeting where the entire campus is involved and have a panel discussion with people that want to be part of the conversation.”

RAs enforce policy, face harassment Early in the afternoon on Nov. 11, Director of Residence Life Michael Cohen sent out an email to the campus community. The email, which reads as follows, “Campus Life has recently received reports of harassment, vandalism, and bullying targeting Resident Advisors ("RAs"). Evidence suggests that these acts were in retaliation for the RAs' reporting of campus policy violations. We are investigating these acts and will take appropriate next steps pending the outcome of our investigation,” is a cause for concern. While little is known at this time about the investigation taking place, there has been much speculation among students. The Clarion will be following this story and fully intends to write a report on the details as this story unfolds.

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Arts & Life

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Photos by Joshua Cole Kristen Necessary

Photos by Joshua Cole A piece from "Almost Nowhere"

Necessary exhibition a must-see

By Joshua Cole Staff Writer

Kristen Necessary’s exhibition at the Sims Art Gallery had its opening reception last Friday and is definitely worth checking out! Her work exhibits an impressive level of skill in both printmaking and drawing, balancing simplicity with complexity, negative space with positive and implied texture with actual texture. Necessary is an art teacher here at BC, she holds two Bachelor’s degrees, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking she received from the University of Iowa in Iowa City and the other in art history from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Necessary has two separate projects on display at the Sims Art Gallery. “Good Neighbors,” is a series of prints, drawings, and installations that examine the way individuals and the greater community interact with boundaries and structures like that of a room or house. She explains that she was originally inspired by a Robert Frost poem from 1914 called “Mending Wall.” Necessary said that her daily walk through her neighborhood with her dog, Clutch, helped her to

develop a greater appreciation for an area or space. The pace of walking, she said, complimented her slow, contemplative nature. Her second project, titled, “Almost Nowhere,” is an exploration of the idea of staging, which is the process of preparing real estate for sale on the market through decoration. Necessary found it interesting to delve deeper into the way firsttime homebuyers approach purchasing a home, their aspirations, and the American dream of homeownership. “I attended weekly open houses throughout Iowa City as a first-time homebuyer,” said Necessary. However, she found it uncomfortable posing as something she wasn’t and later chose to describe her intentions to realtors as “looking to see if I am looking.” Her assumptions about the aesthetics of open houses changed when after a few visits she saw more depersonalization and neutral space than staged space. She said in her artist statement, “These attempts to create a neutral environment served to highlight the smallest of deviations and rendered the spaces as incredibly strange.”

Necessary’s actual work involves contrasting, pushing light and darkness together into such proximity as to infer texture. It can be simultaneously harsh and soft, in both tone and line. Her subject matter is linear in some compositions and yet natural in others, highlighting the contrast humans apply onto nature with straight hard lines, as exemplified in her work “Bracken,” one of my favorite pieces. Necessary has a large colorful installation setup in the Sims building, which she mentioned has an interesting effect depending on the different periods of the day that it is viewed due to variations in how the sun’s light enters the space. Printmaking is an interesting process, one which involves much trial and error, forethought, and skill. I highly recommend stopping by the Sims Art Gallery for a glimpse at Necessary’s work and the talent that comes from Brevard’s faculty. Necessary’s exhibit will continue until Dec 5, one week before the end of the fall semester.

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Sports

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November 14, 2014

Season complete with new track By Savannah Cox Staff Writer

The finishing touches are now being added to the track this week as the rubberizing process is now finshed. Lane markers and the start/finish line were added on Monday. The new and improved track is now open for use. This is considered to be phase 1 of the track remodeling process. With the completion of the track, BC now has a new, blue, rubberized, 8 lane track. In addition to the track, BC is adding a new long/ triple jump runway that will change locations from the previous track. In the future, BC would like to add a discus/ hammer cage, a high jump pit, and to potentially have new steeplechase barriers. The facilities, while an easy addition are very costly.

Sophomore runner Micah Voelzow says, “The new track is a great step in the right direction. I am very excited to be able to train on it." The completion of the track will hopefully open several new opportunities for BC runners. Voelzow states, "I hope that we can continue to build the program and eventually host track meets at BC.” The BC Cross Country teams competed at the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Cross Country Championships at Catawba College on Saturday. The men's team did not have enough runners to compete as a team, but the women's team placed seventh among eleven teams. Junior Hannah Cook placed fifth overall in the women's 5k race, only 55 seconds off from the

top runner. Cook's strong performance led her to be named to the SAC All Conference 1st team. Seniors, Heidi Kaartinen and Ashley Lowe were the next two finishers for BC, finishing only 19 seconds apart. As for the men's side, Freshman Hissan Kiprono was the top finisher for BC. Kiprono finished twelfth among all the runners in the men's 8k race. Kiprono was also added to the SAC All Conference 2nd team. This meet marks the end of the 2014 Cross Country season for the BC runners. BC will now begin training for indoor/outdoor track seasons.

Volleyball team enjoys strong finish By Savannah Cox Staff Writer

The BC volleyball team ended their season just the way they started it, winning. The Tornados were able to wrap up their season with two road wins, one versus Catawba and the other against Queens. Friday night's game against Catawba College was a five set thriller. BC started out slowly, losing game one, but they came back, dominating the second set. The next three sets were nothing short of a battle for BC. Having lost set 3, they fought, despite being down 2-1, to win

sets 4 and 5. This match had added intensity for the Tornados as they were facing the alma mater of Coaches Kelly Burdeau and Jordan Raye. Fatima Gharachorloo had a record game with 14 kills and Aleks Vrvillo led all players with 24 digs. The Tornados had a total of 8 aces at the end of the night, one of them being game point, which was scored by Kristen Rathbun. Saturday's match against Queens was BC's final game of the season, and they came out victorious. Gharachorloo had yet another successful day at the net, racking up a season high with 22 kills. Setter Erin Barr tallied yet another double-double this season with 32 assists and 10 digs. Notably,

Maggie Weiss served 5 aces, which matched the number of aces Queens had as a whole. Freshman Rachel Ruble finished with a team high of 254 kills for the season. Gharachorloo finished just slightly behind Ruble with 245 terminations. Vrvillo led all defensive players with 583 digs, averaging about 5.55 digs per set. With these statistics, Vrvillo placed 1st in the SAC for digs per set. Barr added 904 assists to the season stats, along with 271 digs. BC finished its season ranking 9th in the SAC, falling just one place short of tournament berth. This ranking being the highest finish for BC volleyball since entering the SAC in 2009.The team had an overall record of 12-17.

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Sports

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Marcelo Betcer By Calum McAndrew Staff Writer

As the soccer season draws to a close, so does the academic career of one of the team’s most prominent figures of the last four years, Marcelo Betcer. Originally from Sao Paulo in Brazil, Marcelo swapped the ‘Samba style football’ for ‘American soccer’ in 2011, when he arrived at BC. After going through the multiple tryouts and trials necessary for signing, he decided that BC was his best fit. In his first semester at the college, Marcelo made an immediate impact, playing in twelve games and scoring once. It was as a Sophomore however that he had his best performances, appearing in twelve matches and scoring four times, more than any BC player that season. As a Junior he suffered an unfortunate injury in a match against Belmont Abbey,breaking his collarbone and tearing three ligaments in his upper arm. The injury would rule him out for five months, but that didn’t stop him from appearing in a further eight matches. This semester, the final one for Marcelo,he found himself hindered during his pre-season preparations due to last year’s injury, which he said, “was extremely frustrating.” As the season went on however, he said, “the more games I played, the better it got.” This was evidently the case, as in the final match against Coker he scored his first goal of the season, ending his college career on a very high note, which he described as “an excellent experience.” There is a certain uniqueness to this situation, as it is not often that an international student will stay for so long at one school, but Marcelo explained that he enjoyed the “environment at Brevard.”. Specifically, the “small school feel” and the “relationships he had with professors” were major factors that convinced him to stay four years. In the future, Marcelo plans to travel back to Sao Paulo with his degree and look for work there. He also said that even though his college career is over, he “will continue to play soccer in Brazil.”

Photo by Megyn Terrell

Men and women’s soccer look forward to next season

By Sam Marlow & Kevin Thompson Sports Editor & Staff Writer

The men’s soccer team recently finished their season last Saturday in a home game against Coker. It was a season in which the team probably did not perform as well as they would have liked, but overall they gained more experience as a team. While they finished the year with a record of 4-13-1, which some might consider to be a bit of a disappointment, with a young team it could be somewhat expected. Injuries also played a role in the season taking a turn for the worst with some players unable to fully contribute to the team. With the team only having five seniors, the younger players had a lot of playing time and learned a lot throughout the season. These newcomers will be expected to use the experience gained this year to contribute to having a more successful season in the upcoming year. Despite the struggles faced this season, there were some steps in the right direction, an example being the fact that the team won more games on the road compared to last year when they won none. The team also saw an increase in the amount of goals they scored this year with the addition of many skilled freshman including Sergi Monso and Robert Ferrer. Monso and Ferrer lead the team in shots taken and combined for seven goals and four assists. When they did not come out on top, the team hung in making the game a gritty difficult win for

the opposition. They lost 2-1, in close-call game to #20 ranked Wingate and came out on top, 2-1 against rival Catawba to stop a three game losing streak. The team managed to keep the majority of their games close including playing in three double overtime games, although they lost two of the three and tied one. Although the team missed the playoffs this year they certainly have many bright spots to look forward to next season! The women’s soccer team ended their season with a three game winning streak concluding with a home victory over Coker. The team equaled the best winning percentage since 2009 with an overall record of 6-11, with 3-8 in the conference, 4-4 at home, and one win on the road at Erskine. Defender Currin Sessions is looking forward to building on this year’s improvements saying, “This season was a huge step for our team and really shows the amount of growth that this program has made. I am really proud to say that I have been a part of this great program.” Alexis Giffis and Katherine Nickels, who were both named to the All-SAC Honorable Mention team, have a year of eligibility remaining, and Freshman Keeper Jocelyn Springer, with 87 saves for the season, gained valuable experience that will be useful for a run next season. With a number of players returning and a strong finish on record, next season cannot get here fast enough for the Tornados.

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Arts & Life

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‘Snowpiercer’ By Michael Heiskell Staff Writer

‘Fury’ is gritty good time at the movies By Michael Heiskell Staff Writer

“Fury” is a fast paced, emotional, well-acted WWII movie that tries to show a more realistic side to war. “Fury” is written and directed by David Ayer and tells the story of a squad of men during WWII that run a tank affectionately called Fury. With commander Don 'Wardaddy' Collier (Brad Pitt) leading the men, they continue on in the hellfire of war. But things change when they bring in a new soldier (Logan Lerman) who isn’t as hardened by war as the rest of them. First off, as with any war movie, the action scenes must be talked about. With war films, the action has to be intriguingly choreographed so as to work on an action level, but also sensitive and weighty enough to work on a dramatic level. War movies can’t just be about action, there has to be something more to the fighting. “Fury” does that expertly by building an impressive and interesting cast of characters to emotionally invest in and root for. While they aren’t all “Good Guys” in the traditional sense, they are fascinating and interesting none-the-less. This is done, firstly, by the stellar acting jobs of everyone involved. Pitt and Lerman did their roles well of course, while Shia LaBeouf and Jon Bernthal both provided surprising but excellent performances as well. Altogether it was just a re-

ally great ensemble cast and all of them brought a certain flavor to the film. This movie is another example of a director taking drastic measures to achieve his goal. Prior to filming, the main squad of men all had to go to boot camp in preparation for the film. Getting in “war shape” was important for the film to be realistic. But Director Ayers also wanted the men to bond to create a realistic depiction of the bonds of brotherhood forged by war. To do this, he thought it best that the men fight before filming every day. Not only this, but they were asked to spend vast amounts of time in the tank so that they would be incredibly familiar with it and each other. “Fury”, sadly falls victim to a few war movie cliché’s. As I was watching the film I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu before I realized I had seen one of the scenes before in “Saving Private Ryan.” While this didn’t really detract from the film as a whole, it is a little bit irritating when another movie has done it first. Overall, “Fury” is an excellent war film that sports great performances and a moving story. I would give this film 4 out of 5 stars and since it is perhaps a bit more violent and realistic than some, I would only suggest this film for a war movie fan. Just don’t expect to see something totally original to the genre.

“Snowpiercer” is a movie that seemed to slip past everyone. Mind blowing, original and thrilling, “Snowpiercer” is an absolute blast to watch. Based loosely on the French graphic novel series, Le Transperceneige, “Snowpiercer” is set in a world that has ended. Earth has completely frozen over, and the only known survivors are those that are aboard an ever charging luxury train. Set 17 years after the end of the earth, things have gone awry on the train. Distinct class systems have been set and the rich live happily at the front of the train while the poor live with nothing at the back. But Curtis (Chris Evans) has a plan to get his people out from the back of the train and into the front. Director Joon-ho Bong does a wonderful job of creating a totally original world inside the confines of a train. Never is there a moment when this movie feels restrained or closed because of the train. The train starts to represent something different and becomes a conduit for the story to flow. The train is a totally acceptable world that works perfectly as a means to the story and also as an antagonist for the characters. Chris Evans does a superb job in this and reminds everyone that he isn’t just Captain America. A lot of other actors do a wonderful job in this, including the always lovely John Hurt and Octavia Spencer. But the bulk of this film relies on the performances of Evans and Kang-ho Song. Song is a lesser known actor, but in South Korea he has a more defined acting career. He is fantastic in his role and will likely receive a lot more attention here in the states because of it. This film is likely going to turn a lot of people off just because of the dark nature of the script and story. Truth be told, this film doesn’t hold anything back. The desolation of the world and morals of the people are purposely distorted to create a sense of terror for the audience. However, this movie does include a lot of squirm worthy moments. For what it’s worth, “Snowpiercer” was one of the most enjoyable movies I’ve seen in a long time. It reminded me what an original film looks like and gave me hope for future films from these actors and directors. I would give this film a 5 out of 5 and strongly recommend you check it out on Netflix.

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Opinion

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A historical election ... and why this election was historically terrible By Burton Hodges Staff Writer

Anyone who used YouTube over the past few months knows that something has changed this week. Last Tuesday, ballots were cast in the 2014 midterm elections, deciding seats in state legislature races, US congressional races, and in some states, gubernatorial elections. In an election cycle with an estimated $3.67 billion spent in campaigning, it was hard to miss the fury of ads pouring in through seemingly every possible medium. In “toss-up” elections such as the US Senate race in North Carolina between Senator-elect Thom Tillis and defeated incumbent Kay Hagan, as much as $100 million dollars is said to have been spent. One would’ve had to live the past several months in the remote wilderness to have been unaware of the recent elections amidst the onslaught of television, Internet, and newspaper campaigning across the country. Despite this however, projections indicate that voter turnout was the lowest it’s been since 1942, when a large majority of registered voters were engaged in World War II. Despite this historical display of voter apathy, Republicans across the country are celebrating what is being referred to amongst the GOP as a “historic victory,” after reclaiming a Republican majority in the Senate, expanding their numbers in the House of Representatives, and adding an additional three conservative Governor seats to their total of 31. Responding to what the national Republican Party referred as a “mandate” to reclaim seats lost in 2008 and in 2010, the GOP ran what has been called a “brilliant campaign,” focusing on not just national races, but state and local races as well. Weeks prior to the election, Chairman of the Republican National Convention Reince Priebus explained to Fox News that the Republican Party needed to “unite” and “tell people what they stood for.” Apparently, this was the difference in winning elections. “We have not been successful in going out there and letting people know what it is we’re trying to do and why this is the right direction,” said President Obama on Sunday, in response to the campaign strategy labeled by political satirist Jon Stewart as “curling up in a ball and hoping they don’t get kicked in the face.” “The democrats lost so badly because they let the Republicans define who they were,” said Dr.

Ralph Hamlett, Associate Professor of Political Science and Communications. “Democrats were framed as being behind Obama, and they didn’t respond back.” In the few examples where Democrats did respond- such as the case with former North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan- distancing themselves from being “behind” the President didn’t work either. The underlying issues perhaps, had more to do with the narrative that was, in fact, established by campaigning Democrats, who appeared to be drowning in the Republican ocean, but were unwilling to allow their party leader to throw them a life jacket. Democrats publicly distancing themselves from the President appeared to be a prevalent trend in this election. In North Carolina for example, Democrat Kay Hagan was ‘accused’ by Republican Thom Tillis for voting with the President 96 percent of the time, which as a member of the Democratic Party, one would assume she would. Ironically, the Raleigh News-Observer reported in February that Hagan “went against the grain more often than all but three of her Democratic colleagues.” No response came in the form of a rebuttal; however, Hagan seemingly pivoted during her campaign to “snub” the Obama administrations policies on Syria, immigration, and on the environment, issues that congressional Republicans have notoriously challenged and prevented legislation on since President Obama took office in 2008. In mid October, Obama said in an interview that Democrats avoiding him on the campaign trail were “all folks who vote with me; they supported my agenda in Congress; they are on the right side of minimum wage; they are on the right side of fair pay; they are on the right side of rebuilding our infrastructure; they’re on the right side of early childhood education.” It was a different “right side” of these issues that prevailed at the polls. Democrats lost seven seats in the Senate, twelve seats in the House of Representatives, and three Governors’ races. “I think that the country was repudiating the Obama administration and the gridlock we have had in congress over the past four years” said Drew Baker, Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Leadership. That much seems evident, considering that both parties campaigned on resisting, defeating, or outright refusing to cooperate with the President of the United States. It’s difficult however, to conclude that this election was the country sending President Obama a message of displeasure.

With only a projected 36.4 percent of eligible voters participating in this election, it seems more logical that well over half of the country repudiated the political system all together. In an election that was been referred to as a “victory for money” and the “election that America forgot to vote in,” it seems plausible that neither side actually won. What was demonstrated however was the apathy the electorate has for a political system which has shut itself down, been engaged in a decade of war, attempted to repeal healthcare legislation nearly 50 times, and continues to allow corporate interest to dominate the political process and global affairs. All the while habitually failing to reverse the title of “least productive Congress in history.” If any lesson can be extracted from this election, it’s not that the Republicans won or the Democrats lost. Rather, voter apathy was the loser, and the consequences that invariably affect an electorate that simply does not care- the winner.

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the the Clarion larion Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Kara Fohner Managing Editor . . . Sam Blakley Copy Editor . . . . . . Gabby Smith Opinion . . . . . . . . Arts & Life . . . . . . Alex Webster Sports . . . . . . . . Sam Marlow Photography . . . . . Rachel Anthony Layout & Design . . . Michael St. Marie Business Manager . . Burton Hodges Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett Other Staff

Ce’Ara Cannon Joshua Cole Savannah Cox Jonathan Furnell Michael Heiskell Jule Hermann Amanda Higgins

Richard Liell Arlan Parry MacKenzie Samotis Jesse Sheldon Kevin Thompson Calum McAndrew

The Clarion is a student-run college newspaper produced by student journalists enrolled at Brevard College. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of the staff of The Clarion. Other opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff or administration of Brevard College.

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November 14, 2014

Wednesday’s meeting sparks controversy By Gabby Smith Copy Editor

On Wednesday, at the all-girls meeting about sexual assault, Dee Dasburg made the point that “if you were slightly intoxicated and someone went and stole money from your wallet, you’d report that and you’d recognize that it was wrong, but with rape a lot of women don’t do that because it’s got so much shame attached to it.” I heavily agree with this statement, because whether it’s widely realized or not, sexual violence is an epidemic. According to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 1 in 4 women in an institution of higher learning will be a victim of rape or attempted rape. Sixty percent of these incidents will never be reported. One of the major points of Wednesday’s meeting was how to report an incident of sexual violence and why it matters. Dean of students Deb D’Anna walked us through the process explaining that many people are scared to come forth and report because they don’t want to name their attacker or go through a criminal investigation; however, you don’t necessarily have to do those things. According to the 2010 version of the BC Student Handbook, “In all cases of alleged sexual or other unlawful harassment, complaints and proceedings will be subject to the College’s legal obligations to assure resolution and will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. In all cases, the College will make every effort to prevent public disclosure of the names of all parties involved, except to the extent necessary required by law. In disciplinary cases involving sexual harassment, victims will be notified of the final outcome and sanctions imposed on students that have been found in violation of sexual harassment. “(BC Student Handbook 2010) We were continuously told to think proactively in order to avoid inadvertently placing ourselves in a situation that would make us susceptible to sexual violence. Suggestions ranged from things such as walk in large groups to make sure to park your car in well-lit areas when you’re in public. I wholeheartedly agree that being proactive is the first step to reducing sexual violence on campuses. That being said, at times the advice given was a little too vague or impractical for many students. For example, while I know that walking with others would reduce my chances of being a victim to sexual violence, it is not always plausible for me to do so. At no time during the meeting were we given statistics or proof of research to explain why this is such a big deal and how to curtail the effects. Instead, we were provided basic information, most of which was common sense. What the

administration did do however, was eloquently explain that rape is never the fault of the victim and should never go unseen. Dasburg even said, “…our biggest fear is that you’re going to be walking around carrying something by yourself.” When you live in a society where rape culture is so deeply ingrained in people that every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted and 97 percent of perpetrators never go to jail, it is easy to place shame and blame on those who fall victim to these crimes. That being said, at times the language used to describe men was insensitive and inflammatory. While it’s true that women are disproportionately affected by sexual violence, men are also victims and shouldn’t be painted solely as aggressors. According to RAINN, 10 percent of all cases of sexual violence are men, and they are even less likely to report these crimes than women. My biggest concern from the meeting is that while there were definitely some good points made, overall there seemed to be no real preventive measures put in place to protect students outside of the call boxes, campus security, and lights, and no plans for the future in regards to making changes on campus. There seem to be many issues with the lighting on campus, as it was brought up by multiple students, and the call boxes are intrinsically inadequate for use as one can’t remain stationary during an attack. Really, the only resource that seems useful is the security. However, a group of RAs on campus has formed a group called “safe walk” mirroring a program already established at Chapel Hill. D’Anna said that repairs to things such as lights on campus and locks on doors will be “done more quickly now because they’re needed more quickly now,” which begs the question: why wasn’t this done before as a precaution to prevent incidents such as the assault last Friday? On the other hand, the best message to take away from the whole night was that rape is like stealing. Dasburg put rape into context by explaining that “It’s stealing because they’re taking something you didn’t want to give. Stealing your integrity, your confidence…..” This is such an important message, especially when women themselves have perpetuated negative stereotypes that contribute to rape culture and dismiss sexual violence. A good example of this would be when a student in the audience loudly verbalized “can we go home,” showing a large amount of apathy in the face of an issue that is so serious. Looking around it seemed that a lot of people were apathetic to what was being said and were of two opposing mindsets in regards to the meeting; “too little too late” or “this doesn’t affect me.”

Recently in the news, we’ve seen a number of women disappear from colleges all over the country, specifically in the Southern United States. We’ve seen a rise in violent crimes against women, and we’ve seen an increase in the overall indifference of society towards women’s rights. While I understand that this is the first time BC has dealt with an open attack upon a female student by an unknown assailant, I think that things could’ve been handled better in many regards, especially when it comes to the information provided to students about these issues. It’s more prevalent than ever that we have these conversations on campuses, and I’m very grateful that our administration took the time to address this situation and create a safe dialogue; I just wish it would’ve been better executed.

Auditorium Renamed

On Oct. 3, 2014 Dunham Music Hall had its auditorium renovated and renamed. Dot Coffer, BC Alum '84, donated the majority of the funds for the renovation and had the newly updated auditorium dedicated to her parents. The Friends of Fine Arts raised the funds to match Coffer’s donation and the renovations began. Dunham needed the entire electrical system to be reworked before the rest of the updates could be made. The lighting for the stage and seating area was completely revamped, including a new light-board. According to Brandon Smith, “the lights were switched from incandescent to LED which will pay for themselves in 5 to 7 years.” “Brevard College is going green. This is a great step to start conserving energy,” says Smith. Ingram Auditorium is now home to new curtains, a cyclorama wall, new flooring, repaired seating, and a new paint job. Already this space is being enjoyed by the campus and the community at large. The space is being rented out for events and the athletic department recently used it to host a guest speaker. Funds are currently being raised to provide the auditorium with new sound equipment, new seating, new carpet, and more lights including movers. Should you wish to make a donation to support the updates of Ingram please contact Laura Franklin or Susan Cothern.