The Clarion, Vol. 82, Issue #20 - Feb. 22, 2017 - Brevard College

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Clarion

Volume 82, Issue 20 Web Edition

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SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935

Check out the Netflix review on page 9! February 22, 2017

‘This is what democracy looks like’ About 200 take part in Presidents Day campus march to protest injustice and promote civil communication See ‘BC march’, more photos page 2 and 3

Photo courtesy of John Padgett

Approximately 200 people, including students, staff, faculty and people from the community, assemble in the academic quad near the bell tower on the Brevard College campus Monday to take part in an SGA-sponsored “March for Civil Communication & Against Injustice in Democracy.”

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Campus News

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February 22, 2017

BC march against injustice and for civil communication By Florian Peyssonneaux

Staff Writer President’s Day was unique this year in Brevard College as students marched across campus on Monday, Feb. 20. The SGA’s call to action was answered by people who came on Monday afternoon in mass to support the movement. The protest, initiated by college students and organized by the Student Government Association started at the Bell tower where a large crowd was gathered. Brevard students, faculty members, community members and students from other schools were present. This event was an opportunity for people across Western North Carolina to gather, and peacefully express their opinion. The SGA reached out to BC students, other schools in the region, and in the community. Even though, the BC students turnout was highly inferior to the retirees, and elderly people who came in large numbers, the attendance overall was high with almost 200 people from various backgrounds attending the event. Ages from 3 to 90 years old, from Brevard College and other schools, teachers and faculty members, everybody had their own reasons to come and defend their beliefs. A few minutes after the 5 o’clock bell rang,

Brevard College students, faculty, staff, and community members, some carrying signs, continue toward the Porter Center during their march against injustice and for civil communication.

The flier promoting the march on the Brevard College campus.

SGA President Lauren Fowler started her speech to explain the motives of this protest. The SGA’s reason for the march was to prove that “we are a student body of passion and action,” Fowler said. “Action is our only option.” Fowler’s speech was well received by the large audience, interrupted on multiple occasions with applause. “We march today to bring to this dark divide hopes that we will one day learn to stand together. We all hope and fight for a better tomorrow for ourselves, our families, and our communities,” Fowler said. “We have a choice—we can continue to accept division as if it is normal, or we can stand up and fight back in unity.” Fowler then turned the podium over to Brevard College President David Joyce, who started by acknowledging the fact that this protest was more than a social meeting. “This whole gathering was the idea of BC students,” Joyce said. After mentioning that the presidential campaign had been very “uncivil,” Joyce read the open letter addressed to President-elect Trump that he signed in November. In reaction to the

Photo courtesy of John Padgett

letter, Joyce mentioned that of the 140 colleges and universities in North Carolina, presidents of fewer than 10 had signed it. This fact emphasized the importance of gatherings such as this march, he said. The mission of the SGA for this event states that “this is a call to action to the community of Brevard College to stand together to show our town, our families, and our country that we will not stand for anything less than compassion and love. By standing in kindness, we put to action our motto ‘Cognosce ut prosis, Learn in Order to Serve’ and show that we are not just bystanders in times of injustice.” Following Joyce, SGA Vice President Molly Riddle spoke to address the issues of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the risk of pollution if the pipeline were to break near sources of water. Riddle also invited the audience to sign the two petitions against Wells Fargo and the Military Corps. “Standing up for injustices is important, even See ‘BC community march,’ page 3

February 22, 2017 | The Clarion

Campus News

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BC community march Continued from Page 2

if it doesn’t affect you. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem,” said Brevard College student Ben Saettel. As part of the SGA, Saettel initiated a movement last semester to support Native Americans against the construction of the DAPL. “This movement got carried up by other students to become today a march for equality and against injustice,” Saettel said. “It’s great to see that.” Brevard College minister Sharad Creasmen gave a message of hope just before the march.“Get up and do something in order to make peace a reality,” Creasmen said. After the prayer, the crowd posed for a photograph before beginning their march to the Porter Center. Some Brevard students and community members who came to the march were holding American flags, signs against Donald Trump, for human rights, and for the protection of the environment. “I came here today to support the

students, we can see that they are motivated, and we want them to know that they are not alone,” said one protester. Blocking East Campus Drive, the crowd went on chanting songs, and waving the different protest signs made for the occasion. In the procession, there was even a 5-year old child who came with his sister and mother and he was singing “hey hey oh oh Donald Trump has got to go.” Once at the Porter Center, food and music were there to welcome the march in the outdoor amphitheatre. In front of the building, people were able to talk with each otherand enjoy some snacks. Also people were able to talk about what could be done to improve the situation, taking actions like most people did by signing the petitions. Participants in the march included people from surrounding areas, such as John Huck, an Asheville student who said he heard about the

march from one of his friends who goes to BC. “I came here today for equality and basic human rights,” he said. “I have a child myself and I served in the Marines for a few years, but right now I’d rather fight the government to improve society than fighting for the oil,” Huck said. With just over a week to prepare for this event, having so many people show up for the march was a very encouraging sign for students who organized it, they said. When asked if the goal of the march was accomplished, Fowler answered, “It’s just getting started.” Editor’s note: The web edition of this article includes corrections of some errors in the print edition, including the fact that President Joyce signed the letter calling for civility to thenPresident Elect Trump in November.

Photo courtesy of John Padgett

About 200 people came out to support the march protesting injustice and promoting civil communication on the Brevard College campus.

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Second Annual Writers’ Conference deadline set for March 1st By Elizabeth Harrison

Director of Communications and Media Relations The deadline is fast approaching to participate in Brevard College and the Transylvania County Library Foundation’s second annual writers’ conference. The Looking Glass Rock Writers’ Conference is slated for May 18-21, with a deadline to submit manuscripts March 1. This year’s theme is “A Sense of Place.” Jane Smiley, the fiction workshop leader, is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award recipient. Instructing the Poetry workshop is New York Times bestseller Robert Morgan. Sy Montgomery, recipient of a Presidential Award for Lifetime Achievement from the New England Booksellers Association in 2014, is heading the nonfiction workshop. “Residents and visitors to the Brevard/ Transylvania community develop an unusually strong connection to the geographical and cultural uniqueness of this place," said David Watkins, chair of the Transylvania County Library Foundation. "A perfect venue to study the importance of setting in good writing.” Applicants may choose from one of the three workshops offered, sending in a manuscript along with the short application. Submissions for fiction manuscripts can be either a story or novel excerpt, not exceeding 10 pages. Applicants for the poetry workshop must submit 3-6 poems, up to 10 pages, one poem per page, all in one document. Nonfiction submissions can be an essay or memoir excerpt, not exceeding 10 pages. The cost of the conference is $410, which includes all meals, receptions, and Brevard College campus housing in a private room. For applicants who wish to opt out of campus housing, the cost is $280, including meals. There is no application fee. The Transylvania County Library Foundation will offer three full and three partial scholarships, awarded based on merit. All applicants will be considered for these scholarships.

Campus News

Missing concrete deer By Alexis Henley

Staff writer An email was sent out by Stan Jacobsen on Feb. 14 concerning a large concrete deer that was stolen off of a lady’s back patio. The lady contacted President David Joyce of Brevard College to inform him about the deer that had gone missing. The deer in question was large and quite heavy. Someone had tried to steal it on Friday Feb. 10 but obviously, it was too heavy to move by themselves. The deer had been clearly moved from its original place on the back patio. The person or people then came back the following weekend to try again. The deer was placed into some cart or another means of wheeled conveyance and rolled towards campus from Franklin Street which is located behind the President’s house and the maintenance building. It was rolled over the bridge behind the President’s house and from there the trail ended. “That’s where the trail ended. The person or people could have loaded the deer into the back of a truck from there and continued on their way,” Stan Jacobsen said. The deer has been missing for around nine to ten days now and there has been no updates on the whereabouts of the deer nor are there any leads on who took the deer. There is no information indicating whether any Brevard College Students were involved in taking the deer. “Since the deer was brought towards the campus it could have either been a student or someone wanting it to appear to have been a student. At this point it’s all speculation,” Jacobsen said. The deer itself has no actual value in terms of money, however, it has an extraordinary amount of sentimental value to the lady who reported it missing. The deer was a gift from her parents who are now deceased. If a member of the campus community has any information or observed anything that might pertain to the missing deer, contact Stan Jacobsen at [email protected] or 828-884-8381. One could also contact the 24-7 security officer at 828-577-9590. If anyone can provide assistance so that the deer can be located and returned do not hesitate to get in contact with Jacobsen or security.

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February 22, 2017

Vandalism on BC student vehicles

By Caro Addams Staff writer This past Sunday, the BC baseball team was at Shorter University in Rome, GA when two players, Caleb Kneece and Ryan Williams, were called by campus security about their windows and the back of their truck being knocked out. When asked exactly what happened Ryan Williams, a junior, and one of the other victims said, “we are still unsure what exactly happened, our best assumption was that it was a cinder block that was used to damage the windows on the car and some sort of pipe was used to knock out my back glass.” Williams, when asked about what the damage looked like, said, “it looked pretty bad and it was pretty bad. The damage was covered by insurance thankfully but it could have been a whole lot worse.” “Luckily nothing was stolen from ether of the two vehicles, it was as if someone wanted to vandalize for fun, or there is a grudge against the both of us that we have no idea about.”

the Clarion Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Calum McAndrew Managing Editor . . . Copy Editor . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . Michael Heiskell Arts & Life . . . . . . Jordon Morgan Sports . . . . . . . . Campus News . . . . Jeni Welch Layout & Design . . . Emma Moore Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett Caro Addams Bryant Baucom Zach Dickerson Asa Gray Alexis Henley

Other Staff Amanda Heskett Hayleigh Mann Alex Perri Florian Peyssonneaux Tyler Thompkins

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.

All correspondence should be mailed to: The Clarion, Brevard College, One Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712, or send E-mail to [email protected] clarion.brevard.edu  Letters Policy: The Clarion welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for length or content. We do not publish anonymous letters orw those whose authorship cannot be verified.

February 22, 2017 | The Clarion

Campus News

Brevard College still stand in solidarity with Standing Rock By Jeni Welch

Campus News Editor



On Jan. 24, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order to expedite the approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline and we are still seeing resistance, from Brevard College to places around the globe. Standing Rock Sioux have been saying that the oil line threatens their drinking water and violates territorial right in North Dakota established by an 1851 treaty with the federal government along with sacred sites. The BC school held a protest march on Monday Feb. 20. Molly Riddle, Vice President of SGA, said “It is our duty to stand with these people and say that we are tired of their voices not being heard.” Although the march this past Monday was started last semester when students voiced concerns about the injustices happening with the Dakota Access Pipeline, it does not alone stand against the DAPL. “This protest is for anything students want it to be. This is our protest. This is our chance to stand up for things in our society that we think aren’t right. This is our chance to stand up for all the injustices we learn about in our history, environmental, or other classes,” said Riddle. The news coming from the Access Pipeline has been far and few. Since August 2016, nearly 700 people have been arrested in protest and the press only reappeared after President Trump said, “As you know, I did the Dakota pipeline and nobody called up to complain, because it was unfair. Years of getting approvals, nobody showed up to fight it.” This is the direct opposite of the executive order made by Obama before leaving office. Even since, his daughter, Malia, has been spotted at an anti-DAPL protest and Michelle Obama has also openly spoken out against the pipeline. Pope Francis also spoke out against the DAPL on Wednesday of last week saying, “the right

to prior and informed consent [should always prevail especially] when planning economic activities which may interfere with indigenous cultures and their ancestral relationship to the Earth.” More recently, Bank of America, SunTrust, Wells Fargo and 14 more financial institutions that are funding the DAPL are facing backlash. Motions have already been made in requesting that the banks should fight to reroute the pipeline on Feb. 17. Seattle voted to end its financial relationship with Wells Fargo and Norway sold its stake in the pipeline back in Nov. Japan is also advocating against banks supporting the pipeline obtaining 10,000 signatures within the first month. A coalition of 130 different investors said, “We understand that the banks providing the project finance have contractual obligations to DAPL, but the extreme controversy tied to the project warrants their urgent action.” As of Thursday Feb. 16, over $53 million has been pulled from the banks supporting the DAPL and they are threatening to pull another $2.3 billion. The DAPL is currently being sued by the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes. Last semester, BC planned to raise money, send blankets, jackets, and other supplies listed before the Obama administration halted the construction. “We wanted the people of standing rock to know that we supported them, and if we could have protested with them, we would have,” said Riddle. “It’s obvious that our country right now is really divided, it’s nice to know that you have people backing you up sometimes.” There are no exact plans in the future dealing with the DAPL but there is talk at the SGA meetings that the involvement should not stop with protests.

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Gender Studies class tours UNC-A exhibits about Nazi persecution By Humanities 210 Contributors

Most high school graduates know the significance of the yellow Star of David used in Nazi Germany to mark Jews as targets for oppression. Fewer know of the pink triangles which singled out male homosexuals for abuse. Students from Brevard’s Introduction to Gender Studies class learned about Nazi persecution of homosexuals last Friday while touring an exhibit from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on display at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Brevard students were, in fact, the first official group to view the exhibit after its Grand Opening on February 16. The exhibit will remain open to the public in Ramsey Library through April 7, 2017. According to facsimile documents on display, approximately 100,000 men were arrested for homosexuality between 1933 and 1945, under a law known as “Paragraph 175.” This paragraph of the German constitution made “indecency” – defined not merely at “intercourse-like acts” but also “simple looking or touching”—sufficient grounds for criminal conviction. In the words of one propaganda piece: “The German Volk can only live if it fights, and only fight if it maintains its masculinity.” The emphasis on masculinity explains why lesbians did not suffer the same systematic attack as gay men under the Nazi regime. Roughly half the individuals convicted under Paragraph 175 were imprisoned. From 10,000 to 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. Some were offered shorter sentences if they submitted to “voluntary” castration or agreed to serve on the front lines in “cannon-fodder battalions.” Others were singled out for medical experimentation. More than half died in the camps. Even after the camps were liberated, survivors faced ongoing imprisonment because sodomy laws remained on the books in Germany until 1969. (Parenthetically, some states in the US still have not repealed their anti-sodomy statutes.) The Gender Studies class had attended the Brevard theatre department’s production of “The Laramie Project” in the fall, a play exploring community reactions to the brutal murder in 1998 of Matthew Shepard, a young gay male. See ‘Gender Studies’ page 11

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Opinion

President Trump: What are you doing? By Jordon Morgan Staff Writer

Despite everyone’s best hopes, President Donald Trump continues to undermine the First Amendment in his continuous attacks against the media and the concept of free press. In a press conference intended to introduce Donald Trump’s nominee for press secretary, our president spent most his time repeatedly and viciously attacking reporters in an attempt, I would guess, to defend his administration from all the negative attention it has been receiving. As reported by CNN Media, rampant accusations of dishonesty and failure to cover stories were the main talking points that Trump continued to bring up. "The press has become so dishonest that if we don't talk about, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people. Tremendous disservice," Trump said. "We have to talk to find out what's going on, because the press honestly is out of control. The level of dishonesty is out of control." In particular, Trump went after CNN’s own Jim Acosta after he was asked questions relating to the idea that he is damaging the First Amendment and the press’ ability to be a free and open one with his continuous attacks and labeling of media that calls him out as “fake news.” He also complained about the supposed tone that the media puts out, saying that “The tone is such hatred," he told Acosta. "I'm really not a bad person, by the way. No, but the tone is such -- I do get good ratings; you have to admit that. The tone is such hatred." This is what is so infuriating and terrifying about this administration. Instead of focusing on the tasks at hand and offering a positive image for his presidency, he once again puts all his energy into trying to discredit the media,

bolstering his own accomplishments (whether they are even true or have any merit), and trying to legitimize his Presidential victory. One really must ask the President one question: What are you focusing on right now? Is all your time really going to be put into discrediting all the people who happen to disagree with you? And when those people call you out, you continue to brush it aside with statements such as the one made when a reporter discredited your notion that you had the biggest electoral college victory since Reagan with, “Well someone gave me that information.” So, it just stops there? I’m sorry Mr. President, but you can’t just keep shifting the blame to everyone else but you. You have the power to look over the information given to you and simply conduct a five-minute google search as to whether it’s true. This does not paint the image of a leader who has the people’s best interests in mind. It’s hard to come up with any singular, legitimate reason for anything that he has done. Between nominating a billionaire, anti-public education activist as Secretary of Education, appointing a billionaire oil CEO in Rex Tiller as Secretary of State, to bypassing the Senate with continuous executive orders as if Trump is under the impression that America can run like one of his businesses (let’s hope he doesn’t bankrupt us like one). President Trump, stop becoming fixated on whether or not you legitimately won the presidency. When you are asked a question about rising anti-Semitism in the U.S., don’t immediately start talking about your electoral college victory as if it has any relevancy. Acquire a willingness to learn, and focus on your own policies instead of attacking people. For the sake of us and the country, and in the words of CNN’s Jake Tapper, “now get to work and stop whining about it.”

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February 22, 2017

Democrats: The party of failures By Jordon Morgan

Staff Writer Perfectly encapsulating everything that is and has been wrong with the Democratic Party for years now, Tom Perez, leading establishment candidate for new Democratic National Committee Chair and former Secretary of Labor, in a statement reported by Observer admitted what many progressives were afraid of and that is that the Democratic primaries were rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. This isn’t exactly new news as everyone and their mother knew that the Democratic Party’s main pick was the former Secretary of State and that Bernie Sanders was considered too radical or not likely to win. This in and of itself is idiotic, as if there is anything that Donald Trump’s presidential victory proved, is that the voters wanted anything but establishment candidates. But it doesn’t end there. The Observer also reported in that same article that Perez almost immediately backpedaled, saying in a tweet that “I have been asked by friends about a quote and want to be clear about what I said and that I misspoke…... Hillary became our nominee fair and square, and she won more votes in the primary—and general—than her opponents.” This is what is so infuriating about the party at the national level. Not only do they seem utterly incapable of winning elections, but either through a combination of pride or utter stupidity, they would rather continue losing then fall in line with progressive candidates and policies. Per a 2016 Daily Beast article written by Michael Tomasky, America as a whole is in favor of several progressive policies: Free college tuition (46-41%), Higher minimum wage (63% in favor, with 83% in favor of indexing it according to inflation), and even free healthcare (39-33% with more undecided). So, with all that information one must wonder, why, at least in recent history, do Republicans continue to get elected? They have continued to oppose the policies I just mentioned as well as many others with vicious abandon. They have even gone as far as to orchestrate the government shutdown of 2013 due to not being able (or willing, what have you) to come to terms with then-President Obama about the debt ceiling, with many conservatives such as Ted Cruz leading a cause to defund the Affordable Care Act in the process. Ironically, even as Republicans at the national See ‘Democrat failures’ on page 10

Opinion

February 22, 2017 | The Clarion

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‘There is a War’ article a ‘grotesque review’ L E T T E R S to the E D I T O R

I would like to start out this e-mail by acknowledging that I know we are talking about a school play and a school newspaper. I am pointing this out because I know it is not extremely serious. Also, I understand that this was an opinion piece. Alex, I would like to point out your flaws on this whole review: You went to the show opening night to write a review about it. Anyone who has had any experience in theatre knows that if you want to see the best performance, to not see it opening night. Maybe you did this intentionally in order to write a bad review, who knows. The Friday night performance was incredible. The audience definitely did not feel “lost in translation.” If your attitude that night, for some reason had an influence on your nasty review, maybe you should consider separating personal from professional. If this is just what your personality is, maybe you should re-evaluate yourself and try to not live your life in such a negative way. And lastly, if there is something going on personally, I hope you are okay, I really do. But, I have had a number of things happen in my life recently and I would never let that get in the way of my professionalism. I don’t know what your case is, but whatever it is, it could never be an excuse to write such a review. You point out things that really don’t make sense. You said, “There seemed to be a clear effort to steer the production away from making a political statement about our government’s current climate, in an attempt to make a more sweeping and obvious generalization that war is pointless.” This is an already written play. Brandon Smith did not write this play. He cannot add things in to make the show more apparent to our government? The only thing he did was in scene 7, he told Anthony Zuniga, who played Field Commander Goodman, to change his accent in the line “you’re fired” to match Donald Trump’s voice. Your point about the show attempting to make an “obvious generalization that war is pointless.” 1. Obviously it's not obvious that war is pointless if wars are still going on. Yes I agree with you that it is indeed pointless, but not everyone has come to this conclusion... obviously. 2. There is ONE line that says the war is pointless: Scene 8, the leader hippie “Theo” says “to show people how stupid and pointless the war really is.” Yes, pointlessness of the war is definitely a point of the play, but it's not the only one. In fact, there were a number of points in the play: The Chaplain, Father Michael, in Scene 3, says “executing our own people to make the numbers make sense.” Making the point that the government doesn’t think of people as

people. In Scene 4, the audience sees a guy who would rather be chained up and hit in the stomach every five minutes than go to the front to see the horrors of the war. The characters Dean and Becky in scene 5 are de-sensitized to the war: the audience sees this by Dean holding up chopped-off hands saying “high-five,” Becky laughing about Dean being covered in blood, and other things that are a “joke” to them and horrific to Anne, since she is not de-sensitized. In scene 6, Anne finally finds someone who seems to have hints of human morals, Stewart De Lune. Everyone else Anne has met has been a “Lune”atic, but the guy who is actually named “Lune” is the most sane one out of them all. In reality, a lot of the time officials don’t know what they are doing or talking about: this is pointed out with the “Braintrust” in scene 7, where they are using apples and scotch tape as location markers on a map. This scene also brings up the power of money, which is one of the main points in this play. Anne is told by the protesters in scene 8 that the war is misunderstood on both sides, that “blues and greys are the same, just different colors.” In scene 9, Kate, a grey, threatens to kill Anne when she finds out that Anne is a blue, trying to save her grey friend Ollie’s life. As soon as the message arrives that the war is over, Kate lets Anne take Ollie to a hospital. This points out that war is just a government-run mind-fuck. In scene 10, the hospital scene, the audience sees the war spiral on, yet now between the red ward and the orange ward. This is just to show that 1. war can be started on the most trivial things (a.k.a “stealing another wards q-tips”) and 2. war is ongoing and unpredictable. To say that “the first act was almost entirely forgettable” is laughable at this point. I understand that’s how you supposedly felt, but really? Some of the actors were only in the first act. The TWO things you said that were not as ugly as the rest of the review were “While certain BC actors stood out for their well delivered performances,” and “Among a few clever bright spots,” out of the whole review, these were the only things that weren't completely bashing the show, and both of them were followed by something rude. In order to be a good journalist, you must actually know what you are talking about. Now, clearly you didn't like the show. I can say that Thursday was definitely a little rougher than the rest, just by hearing it all backstage. But this is because the actors’ nerves were

through the roof, because as I said before, it was opening night. I could care less if you don’t like me: my intentions are not to get your blood up. I honestly hope you take this all into consideration. Working with this play was absolutely amazing. The actors and all the crew members all worked extremely hard during this entire process, so for you to just publish a grotesque review on the front page like it’s “nothin” or your “job,” is unattractive and in my opinion, unprofessional. Please be more considerate of the humans that your articles affect. Thank you, Malynne Petoia

Faculty Council chair: BC Civility Pledge not a commentary on Trump presidency Thank you for covering the Civil Discourse Resolution signed by the Brevard College Faculty. (Zach Dickerson, “Brevard College’s Civility Pledge,” Feb. 15 issue) In the opening paragraph, Mr. Dickerson states that the Faculty saw the need for this pledge, “Due to certain recent events, particularly how the 2016 Presidential election was handled (by both sides), the type of news going around (both true and false), how it has been circulating, and how the new presidency is turning out so far.” The last item on this list is a factual error. The Resolution was written before President Trump took office, so it had nothing to do with “how the new presidency is turning out so far.” It may seem like a small point, but the Faculty Council was working in a non-partisan way to unite faculty who are both Republicans and Democrats by reminding them of a core belief they share in civil discourse. We do appreciate that the Clarion covered this action by the Faculty. Dr. Margaret Brown Chair, Faculty Council Brevard College

Arts & Life

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Senior profile:

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February 22, 2017

Alex Webster

By Amanda Heskett Staff writer

Alex Webster is a senior at Brevard College. She is a Theatre and Communications major, and gets herself involved with many things on campus. Many of her classmates know her as a “know-it-all who runs around with coffee and a computer” at all times, according to her. She is known as a girl who tries to do everything, and will hardly say no to anyone. Alex came to Brevard with vocal training and dance training. She got most of her acting training from the opportunities she was presented with here. The most challenging thing for her about studying at Brevard is the massive amount of opportunities. She has been forced to prioritize and “focus on both present and future.” She has kept balance with a combination of a paper planner, a google calendar, and the organizational tools she’s acquired here. She also stresses that it’s the fact that she enjoys the work she’s doing that balances it out. “I try to have fun and enjoy what I’m doing. That balances the work, in actuality. Yesterday, I took a walk to go get a cup of coffee in between work and the show. So that is how to balance the crazy.” “The obstacles for me during my four years have revolved around both myself and my professors understanding the balance between student and professional, and the balance of capability versus limitation. I am a student, but how can I be a professional? And what can I do and how far can I push my limits?” Balance in life is something Alex has put a lot of thought into, and she offered some insight on the topic. She stated that she often ran into the problem of taking on too much, and that all surrounds the balance in her life. “I think that I’ve really begun to understand that we are all in the process. We don’t just stop learning, and we don’t just stop growing and improving. At Brevard College, we believe that we are lifelong learners, so we will act like it, and eventually, we will receive the label of professional, but if we really want to exceed, I think, we will still strive to be students.” “My word of the year last year was intentional.” This ties back into focusing on the present and future. Alex has given a lot of thought to what she wants to improve in her life. “I think

it’s really important to have purpose, and not everything necessarily must, but when most of our action has intention, then we are going to enjoy the results, and we will be happier.” Alex has proudly participated in many Theatrical productions and events in her time at the college. One of her favorite memories was the Fine Arts Gala last year, in 2016. “Seeing the Gala go up was one of the most rewarding things that I’ve done.” She has also performed in many of the plays, one of her favorites being Crimes of the Heart. Through her time at Brevard, Alex has found the thing she loves and will always make time for. She states that that is the thing you will get the most out of. “If I am sick, the only thing that I will get out of bed for is rehearsal. If I do

not get out of bed for rehearsal, I am dying.” “Find that one thing that you refuse to miss and do that. Because you will do it with the most intensity, the most passion, you will do it whole-heartedly, and you will find incredible fulfillment in it. Even when it is frustrating, or tiresome, or you are exhausted at the end of the day, you will still do it, and you will get something out of it.” Alex believes that she has learned a lot and has grown a lot at Brevard College, and when she leaves, she will continue to learn, wherever the tides take her. She is applying to Graduate Schools, attending the Southeastern Theatre Conference to audition for jobs and schools, and she is applying for jobs and internships across the country.

Photo by Rachel Anthony

Alex Webster performing in ‘Some Enchanted Evening’.

February 22, 2017 | The Clarion

Arts & Life

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‘13th,’ A powerful look at a A taste of Ed Sheeran’s album troubling problem in America ‘Divide’ By Jordon Morgan Staff writer



Every now and then, a documentary comes along that challenges every preconceived idea or notion that you’ve ever had. Sometimes it even takes opinions you may have already had and further enlightens them, allowing you to truly understand the issue you feel so passionately about, and Netflix’s “13th” is the most stunning example of such documentary in quite some time. The title of the documentary refers to the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution which stipulates that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” However, this documentary points out that the loophole in this amendment, “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,” has been and continues to be exploited through convicted prisoners in correctional facilities. It also examines the prison-industrial complex and how privately owned prisons perpetuate and push for people to be imprisoned so that they can continue to be profitable. Finally, it examines the disenfranchisement of African Americans, lynchings, the Jim Crow era, and conservative Republicans declaring a war on drugs that weighed (and continues to weigh) more heavily on minority communities that has led to an era of mass incarceration of people of color in the United States. Ava DuVernay, director of “Selma,” another excellent look into the civil rights era, uses its interviews of several prominent history professors, activists, and civil rights icons to highlight the history of the effects of that particular loophole in the 13th amendment. Because these interviews encompass figures from both the progressive and conservative field, it feels like an authentic perspective, one that doesn’t feel so overly biased so as to skew its message or intent. The documentary also lays out its information in a way that feels natural, a progressive (or regressive depending on how you look at it) chart so to speak of where our country was and is. It points out the brutal truth that despite all of the progress with civil rights we as a

country have supposedly made, there is still a long, long way to go. It’s main point throughout, that of the phenomenon of mass incarceration, is conveyed with sharp expertise. At different times in the film, it highlights the U.S. prison population at the time in which they are talking about. For instance, in 2000 the prison population was 1,938,500 according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, all the way up to 2,217,000 in 2013. Another thing the documentary points to is that even as late as the 2016 presidential election, Republican candidates focused on fear of crime to generate votes, claiming high rates in various states, despite the fact that crime is lower overall in than it has been in decades. Crime is going down, but prison population keeps going up, and it isn’t helped with the advent of private prisons. One of the most stunning and sickening aspects of our society as pointed out by this film is the fact that private prisons, more specifically the Corrections Corporation of America, gain millions in revenue through state lawmakers crafting arbitrary laws so to force people into prison for minor offenses, and thus prisons under CCA gain a profit. Kyung-Ji Kate Rhee, a member of the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions featured in the film put it eloquently by saying “all the legislation you could think of that we fight so hard against, ‘three strikes, you’re out,’ mandatory minimum sentencing laws, were the ones they were putting out there like on a premier pre-fixed dinner menu, a steady influx of bodies to generate the profit that would go to the shareholders.” What the film also does so extraordinarily well is explain better than any politician or spokesperson (actual spokespeople being interviewed notwithstanding) the importance of movements such as Black Lives Matter. It shows in so many graphic and heartbreaking interviews why there is such an outcry over police brutality and why it is a real problem that needs to be addressed. In so many words that have and have not been expressed in this review, you need, I repeat, need to see this film. Even if you have arguments against the aforementioned movements, it will hopefully lead you to at least understand their plight and how we all are brothers and sisters suffering through this. For the betterment of our nation, we need to come together, and this amazing, rightfully Academy Award nominated, film will show you exactly why.

By Asa Gray

Staff writer Ed Sheeran’s forthcoming album “Divide” is one that many fans of the English singersongwriter have been looking forward to for a while now. Although the complete album does not hit stores and online music charts until March 3, Sheeran has already released three singles off the highly-anticipated record. Many people have already preordered the album. After a yearlong social media hiatus, Sheeran posted on Twitter and Instagram back in January that a third album would be on its way soon. Fans were jubilantly surprised to hear the news that the worldwide phenomenon had been working hard creating music and would be releasing more in the near future. Ed Sheeran’s leading singles, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” were digitally released on Jan. 6. They became mainstream on hit music charts very quickly thanks to their rhythmic pop. “Castle on the Hill” offers a more acoustic sound, with very noticeable guitar strums throughout the song. According to Entertainment Weekly, Sheeran said in a statement that, “I really wanted to show two different sides to my music that I’m equally passionate about.” He decided that this single, along with comprising his album of several genres of music, would help fulfill this tough expectation he has for himself. “Shape of You” has a more typical “hit music” vibe to it. There is a dancy, fast-paced beat present that has the intention of attracting a more diverse audience. The song is repetitive which provides the ability to learn and memorize the lyrics quite a bit faster. By listening to the song just a couple of times, it can effortlessly become stuck in your head. The song provides a unique combination of traditional acoustic guitar and a catchy hip-hop beat. Last Friday, “How Would You Feel (Paean)” was released to the public. This single offers a beautiful fusing of guitar and piano along with Sheeran’s broad vocal range. The track immediately captures the characteristics of a romantic love song but with a distinct sound. The music video for the single quickly garnered over 10 million views on YouTube within the first 48 hours of release. These three songs provide only a taste of what is likely to be a very diverse, notable, and successful album. The collection will consist of an astounding 16 tracks and will follow in the footsteps of his last album, “X,” which was released almost three years ago.

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Democrat failures

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level advocate for these ideas, therein lies their main strategy: not backing down. No matter how damaging or inflammatory their comments during debates and interviews may be, they simply do not stop fighting to win. Beyond that however, the primary reason the Democratic Party has been such a massive failure is their complete and utter weakness, combined with a perception that they will do and say anything to appear as mainstream as possible, even more so than any other political party. A Huffington Post article by Linda Milazo summed it up perfectly by saying that “when the Republicans were the majority, their absolute dominance over you made you appear weak and them appear strong. And since your governance hasn’t altered that dynamic, you still appear weak and they still appear strong.” That is one thing that you must respect about the Republican Party, Donald Trump especially, is the fact that they do not relent nor show any outward display of weakness. That is what the American people gravitate towards. Bernie Sanders was a strong candidate with a record to back up his statements and was something different, a populist candidate who appealed to a large demographic, that being all progressives especially the millennial group. Likewise, Trump appealed to his base in a similar way, Americans who grew increasingly tired of establishment candidates simply perpetuating the system. One would think that if the Democrats wanted to win an election, they would back a candidate who had a chance of winning. All due respect to Mrs. Clinton, but she simply was not a viable candidate. In the words of Michael Moore on his website article “5 Reasons Trump will Win” back before the election, Clinton represented “the old way of politics, not really believing in anything other than what can get you elected. That’s why she fights against gays getting married one moment, and the next she’s officiating a gay marriage.” He also went on to say that no one was “waking up on November 8th excited to run out and vote for Hillary the way they did the day Obama became president or when Bernie was on the primary ballot. The enthusiasm just isn’t there.” With that in mind, the party should’ve pulled their heads out of their rear ends and at the very least should’ve let the election play out without meddling in it but instead they decided to engineer their own defeat, as they always do.

The 2016 presidential election is also a perfect example of this as the DNC violated 5 Section 4 of their own Charter, which demands neutrality from DNC staff. They violated this rule, once again as reported by the Observer, through several ways. First, former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz rescinded a ban on donations from lobbyists and PACs. This allowed organizations such as the Hillary Victory Fund, which Politico broke the news that it was laundering money to the Clinton campaign under the false pretenses of fundraising for Democratic Parties. If this change had not happened, Bernie Sanders’ fundraising efforts would’ve outpaced that of Clinton’s. Second, an email linked from the Clinton campaign chair John Podesta confirmed their suspicion that the debate schedule was rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. Finally, the super delegate system was designed to make it appear that the establishment had more power and subsequently, the mainstream media inflated Clinton’s lead using this system to tell Democratic supporters who to vote for. I don’t mean to be so incredibly partisan by saying this, but there is a mountain of evidence to support the fact that America does substantially better under the leadership of Democrats than under Republicans. A U.S. News article looked at median income for instance and outlined that between 1989 and 2015, “it fell under President George H.W. Bush, rose steadily under President Bill Clinton, flatlined and then dropped under the second Bush, then declined as a result of the Great Recession and is now steadily rising again under President Barack Obama.” That is only a small piece of evidence yes but what this highlights is the fact that the Democrats should, in theory, have plenty of ammo to keep their momentum, but their stupidity and boneheaded decisions continually cost them elections and in some cases, that extends to the American people losing, their living conditions worsening, and America making no progress. I truly believe that a Republican President can be needed in certain scenarios, but one that truly is conservative economically, makes informed decisions, and isn’t a person who advocates for horrendous things that we as a nation have worked so hard to undo. To that end, Democrats, please, start putting some hard-left progressives out onto the campaign trail. What do you have to lose at this point?

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February 22, 2017

Tornados erupt for 13 runs on 20 hits in midweek victory By Bryant Baucom Staff Writer

A 13 run, 20-hit day for the Tornados offense helped Brevard College (3-6) defeat the Young Harris Mountain Lions (2-5) 13-2 on Tuesday in a nonconference matchup at Gil Coan Field. The Brevard offense was led by four different Tornados who tallied three hits apiece. Senior Tyler Konzen (Orlando, Fla.) powered the Tornados’ bats, going 3-for-3 at the plate while driving in three runs. Senior Kyle Morrison (Greensboro, N.C.) added in three hits of his own with 2 RBI while Schuyler Martire (Pine Brush, N.Y.) tallied three base knocks and one RBI. Senior Brayden Morris (Pulaski, Va.) recorded three base hits on the afternoon in five plate appearances. Freshmen Matt Lynch (Hartsville, S.C.) and Brian Kahn (Durham, N.C.) both drive in three runs while Lynch notched two base hits and Kahn one hit on the afternoon. The Tornados erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, claiming the lead and never looking back. Morrison collected his second RBI in the afternoon on a single down the right field line that drove in Martire. Two batters later, Konzen notched two of his RBI with a single to right field, giving Brevard a 4-2. lead. Brevard used three more singles to drive in three more runs and end the fifth with a 7-2 lead. Young Harris opened up the scoring on the afternoon in the top of the third when two doubles brought home the lone runs of the ballgame for the Mountain Lions. Brevard wasted no time answering the call in the bottom of the third as Morrison collected his first RBI of the game in the bottom of the third on a single up the middle. After increasing their lead to 8-2, the Tornados kept the storm brewing with another solid inning at the plate during the bottom of the sixth. They added four insurance runs as Konzen, Lynch, and Kahn added to their impressive performances with RBI of their own. The Tornados would cap off the scoring with a RBI single by Martire in the eighth that brought the game to the final score of 13-2. See ‘Tornado victory’ page 11

Sports

February 22, 2017 | The Clarion

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Tornado Tornados drop SAC victory contest to Catawba Continued from Page 10

While the Tornados offense shined in the dominating victory, the pitching staff matched them every step of the way. The four arms out of the Brevard bullpen allowed just one hit apiece, holding Young Harris scoreless for the final six innings of the contest. Freshman Kristofer Yarbrough improved to 2-0 on the young season as he threw three innings of scoreless baseball while allowing just one hit and striking out one. Matt King (Hartsville, S.C.) and Drake Black (Williamston, S.C.) both threw an inning of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out the side. Tyler Timms (Williamston, S.C.) shut the door on the Mountain Lions offense in the third inning and went for 1 ⅓ innings, yielding one hit. The Tornados will return to the diamond on Saturday, February 18 as they travel to future USA South conference opponent, William Peace, for a four game series with first pitch slated for noon.

Gender Studies Continued from Page 5

Senior Christina Bailey noted parallels: “What was so striking from the exhibit and last fall's performance of ‘The Laramie Project’ is that when a minority group makes progress, there is a push back from those in the majority.” Still, progress does occur. In testimony to this, the class also viewed an exhibit running in tandem with the Holocaust display at UNC-A: “Pioneering Voices, Portraits of Transgender Persons.” This exhibit includes photographs and interviews with people of all ages who are transgender, along with some of their partners and children. Said senior Marlowe Macklin, “It was amazing for some of the individuals to speak on their transformation, and the support they received from people in their lives.” Sophomore Hayleigh Mann summed up the array of experiences made possible for the Gender Studies class through funding from the Brevard College Pedagogies program: “What the ‘Laramie Project’ performance and the UNC-A exhibits fastened in place was that as individuals we need to be present, listen, believe, advocate, and speak loudly for one another.”

By Bryant Baucom Staff Writer

On Senior Day, the final home game of the season, the Brevard College Tornados women’s basketball team (6-18, 2-18 SAC) dropped a South Atlantic Conference contest to the Catawba Indians 80-61. In their final minutes of action at Boshamer Gymnasium, the Tornados seniors impressed as they account for 39 of the team's 61 points. Senior Lynsey Crisp anchored the Brevard offense as she dropped in 24 points while hauling in eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. Fellow senior and the Tornados all-time leading scorer, Madison Lenox, added in 15 points and eight rebounds of her own. Freshman Cienna Bryant bolstered the attack of the Tornados by scoring a career-high 12 points as she shot 4-of-8 from behind the arc. The Catawba offense was led by Terri Rogers, who finished with a double-double as she poured in 22 points and brought down a gamehigh 12 rebounds. Bri Johnson and Serena Brown aided the Indians offense as Johnson tallied 17 points and Brown score 14 points of her own while recording seven assists. Brevard would use their senior duo to take the lead in the opening minutes as Madison Lenox blocked a Catawba shot and recorded the steal which led to a three pointer from Lynsey Crisp. The Tornados would jump out to a 6-2

lead following another three pointer, this time from Cienna Bryant. A free throw from Crisp extended the Brevard lead to five before Catawba fought back to tie the game at 21 at the end of the first quarter. Opening up the second quarter of play, the Indians ran out to a six point lead. AnnaLee Bollinger and the Tornados would have something say about that as she stopped the run with a three point basket. Cienna Bryant would knot things up on the following Tornados possession with a shot from the behind the arc. Catawba would charge ahead as they close out the half on a 10-0 run to take a 42-32 lead into the break. Bryant knocked in another one of her three pointers to halt the 9-0 run the Indians had to begin the second half. The Indians took control as they grew their lead to 24 midway through the third quarter. In the final quarter of play, Brevard would outscore Catawba 14-10 which brought the game to its final score of 80-61. The Tornados made 11 free throws compared to just six four Catawba and they blocked four shots on the afternoon. Brevard will return to the hardwood on Wednesday as they travel to the Volunteer State to take on the Carson-Newman Eagles at 6:00pm.

Photo Courtesy of BC Athletic Media Relations

Lynsey Crisp, Kyley Clark and Madison Lenox during Senior Day for Womens Basketball.

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The Clarion

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February 22, 2017

BC Mens Golf Team win Athletes of the week: at Bruin Invitational Harry Singh, Omar By Florian Peyssonneaux Staff Writer

Brevard College Men’s golf team won its first tournament of the season on Saturday Feb. 18, in Green Valley Country Club, SC. The A team lead the Tornados with a score of 303 followed by BC’s B team posting 316. This one day event was the first tournament for the men’s golf team, and despite the small field of 33 players, the Tornados team successfully won that first event. “ I've never seen a school win 1st & 2nd Place at any tournament during my 14 years here” said head Coach David Nelson. Senior Basti Strehl, won the individual medalist with a score of 73 (+1). In those difficult conditions it was the first time that Strehl won a tournament in his college career. BC player Paul Calac also performed well with a three over par score placing him runner up. It was the first edition of the Bruin Invitational, “I'm especially proud of the fact that

we put up some pretty good scores on a very difficult golf course,” said head golf coach David Nelson. “Green Valley Country Club hosts a Web.Com tournament every year. It played over 7000 yards as well. I always tell my players that you don't play against the competition, but rather the course. It was a great showing for the first tournament of the year for us”. In addition, Tornados placed three other players in the top 5 as, freshman Austin Fisher lead the B team with 77 five over par. Craig Stephen, and Steffen Heckele, brought some trophies home with scores of 77 at five over par. Bob Jones and Piedmont University will both be in Division III next season, and the team made a strong impression for the time competing against them. “We have the experience and talent to challenge for the conference championship” said Nelson. The next event for the BC Men’s golf team will be in Salisbury where Catawba will be hosting the tournament, a very important event for the season as the SAC conference will be hosted there from April 23-25.

Photo Courtesy of BC Athletic Media Relations

BC Mens Golf team took home both the first and second place team awards, with five individuals also making it into the All-Tourament team.

El Diraoui, Madison Lenox, Lynsey Crisp, and Kyley Clark

Normally, a standout athlete from the previous week of sports is named the Athlete of the Week. This week it’s a little different. The five seniors from both the men and women’s basketball team are the Athletes of the week. For the men’s basketball team Harry Singh and Omar El Diraoui are the lone seniors on the roster. They have both been a part of the program for two seasons now. Singh has tallied 70 points, 28 steals and 84 rebounds on the season while El Diraoui has dropped in 201 points, tallied 28 blocks and hauled in 133 rebounds on the season. Singh is a native of Hanover Park, IL. and joined the program prior to the 2015-2016 season. He transferred from Robert Morris in Illinois. El Diraoui is a native of Lebanon and joined the program prior to the 2015-2016 season after transferring from Malcolm X College. The Brevard College women’s basketball team is led by a trio of seniors. Madison Lenox is from Raleigh, N.C. and will exit from Brevard College as the school’s all-time leading scorer. This season, she leads the South Atlantic Conference in points per game with 20.3 while also averaging 9.1 rebounds per contest. She’s top ten in school history in five different career categories. Lynsey Crisp is a senior from Robbinsville, N.C. and she is averaging 11.1 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per contest. She set her career high in points with 32 this season against Coker. Crisp is one of three Tornados to average double digit points per game. Chapel Hill, N.C. native, Kyley Clark, transferred to Brevard from Winston Salem State. In limited action this season due to injury, she’s averaging 3.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. She’s appeared in ten games this season, starting in six of them. These seniors have represented Brevard in a positive way and we’re thankful for their contributions to the college on the court and in the classroom. We wish you the best of luck in your future careers and we appreciate all you’ve done for Brevard College!