The Clarion, Vol. 83, Issue #18, Jan. 31, 2018 - Brevard College

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Jan 31, 2018 - If approved by the Board of Trustees, Brevard. College will obtain 59 acres of land from the. Pickelsimer
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Clarion

Volume 83, Issue 18

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January 31, 2018

Brevard College to obtain 59 acres of land from Pickelsimer estate Zach Dickerson

Campus News Editor If approved by the Board of Trustees, Brevard College will obtain 59 acres of land from the Pickelsimer estate to be used for academic purposes. Charlie Pickelsimer died in 2011 and in his will his estate went to multiple charities, a family friend and the land that was left over went to Brevard College. The family decided to contest the will in court, which ended up being the longest trial in Transylvania County history. The family lost in local court, they then sent it to the appeals court and also lost there, and then went to state supreme court which upheld the decision of the lower courts. The college then went into negotiations with the family directly. The two parties met on campus one day without lawyers to figure out

how to make everything work. With the deal, the college received the land and some money. There were multiple plots of land, but the main portion that the school is considering working with is a large open field that also has an airstrip and an airplane hangar. The land is not guaranteed to be used by the college though. Brevard College is owned by the Board of Trustees and as a result the school can’t buy and sell property on its own. The Board must discuss the value and best use of the land and decide whether the college needs the land and if they should sell it or keep it for college use. In a letter by Assistant Professor of Agriculture and Environmental Studies Gina Raicovich to the Board of Trustees, Raicovich talks about how having the land can benefit majors at the school,

Photo from the Asheville Citizen-Times

Map of Dupont State Forest show in brown, with the yellow signifing the land given to Brevard College by Charlie Pickelsimer after his death in 2011.

and how it will help build more of a connection with the community. For the Sustainable Agriculture major, because there is so much open land, students can learn to develop vegetable, horticultural, and animal production skills by providing a place for students to get hands-on experience. Also because of the land’s close proximity to other institutions, such as Brevard High School, Brevard Elementary School, and the Boys and Girls Club, the college can work to build garden and farming programs with them. For Environmental Science, Ecology, and Biology majors, the property provides opportunities for these majors to study riparian, floodplain, and aquatic ecosystems that are present on the property. The programs would also explore the process of restoring natural ecosystem functions on the property. The school can also work to engage the community in the sciences on the property. The Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education majors would also benefit from this land because the property offers access to the French Broad River. It would save the WLEE students significant time and resources when they need to practice with their boat and technical skills. Also, because the property provides a good amount of outdoor space away from campus, it gives the WLEE students a place to practice basic camp craft skills to prepare for when they go into Pisgah for immersion. For the Teacher Licensure/Teacher Education major, because of the property’s close proximity to Brevard High School, Brevard Elementary School, and the Boys and Girls Club it will give the students working on their teacher licensure opportunities to work with these institutions on their facilitation skills. In addition to this, they can expose the children to the community and to the projects that will be developed on the property. For the Astronomy department, because of See ‘Pickelsimer estate’ on page 6

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Brevard Faculty

Campus News

The Clarion

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January 31, 2018

Brevard College restructures its finance office By Calum McAndrew and Florian Peyssonneaux

After the finance office lost two of its members, a restructure is set to take place at Brevard College. Athletic Director Juan Mascaro, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Scott Sheffield and Dean for Students Debora D’Anna will all assume new positions. “Our chief financial officer for finance and business left and took the same job at Lagrange College in Georgia after 23 years here, and we are very excited for her,” BC President David Joyce said. “It opened up an opportunity for the college.” With the CFO and the controller of the college leaving at the same time, the finance office is due to undergo some big changes. Before hiring someone else to replace them however, Joyce wanted to think about other options. The next step for David Joyce was to bring consultants to see if a restructure would be beneficial for the College and the conclusion of that research was that the finance office had too many functions. “I looked at it [the research], and I agreed,” Joyce said.

Athletic director Juan Mascaro has been promoted to the position of vice president of operations. Mascaro will take his position on Wednesday Jan. 31. Even though he is no longer the athletic director, the athletic department will still report to him. In addition to this, from now on he will supervise the physical plants, the IT department, as well as the human resources department. This new structure will help the college business department focus on their field of expertise. “It is my opinion that it will function more efficiently in a different area than the finance office,” Joyce said. As vice president for student success, Debora D’Anna is currently in charge of campus life and strategic planning. Those responsibilities are in addition to her current supervision of the title IX for the college. With the restructure, she will become the chief of student retention. As a result of this, the bookstore and the post office now report to D’Anna. Both of these services used to report to the finance office. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Scott Sheffield will now be the

Security Report The most recent security reports for Brevard College have been released as of Monday, Jan. 29 at 12:38 p.m., according to Brevard College Campus Security. A bicycle was stolen from the Jones basement over the winter break. Excess amounts of alcohol were found in a student’s room. Unless you are over twentyone and living in a residence hall that allows the use of alcohol (such as the Villages and Green), this habit constitutes a clear infraction on both Brevard College policies and state laws. Such instances will be vigorously addressed by Campus Life and can result in sanctions up to and including suspension from the college. Residence hall doors have been found to be propped open regularly. Locking these doors is

vital to ensure the security of the residence halls and the safety of the students inside. If you are engaging in this practice, please discontinue immediately. It has been reported that issues of the Clarion that were left in the McLarty-Goodson building lobby were removed and discarded in a recycling bin. This may have been an error of someone wishing to tidy up the area. However, if you are involved in the activity, you are requested not to arbitrarily discard copies of the newspaper, but to take a single copy for personal use. Everyone is requested to contact Campus Security at (828)-577-9590 if wrongful or suspicious activity is observed on campus. — Zach Dickerson

representative for The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACS COC. This association, that accredits higher-education institutions in the South East of the U.S, used to be the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer. The main points of this restructure is to let the finance office focus strictly on finance and budget allocation. When Joyce presented his plan to the board, he wanted to keep this restructure as budget neutral as possible, and not spend any extra money. Because Juan Mascaro has been promoted to the position of vice president of operations, Jamie Atkinson will be the interim for the position of athletic director during the Spring semester. The new athletic director is set to be announced next week.

the Clarion Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Jordon Morgan Managing Editor . . . Calum McAndrew Copy Editor . . . . . . Jeni Welch Campus News . . . . Zach Dickerson Opinion . . . . . . . . Florian Peyssonneaux Arts & Life . . . . . . Lauren M. Fowler Sports . . . . . . . . Calum McAndrew Layout & Design . . . Jeni Welch Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett

Other Staff Carmen Boone Ivy Pope Kelly Kearnan Daniel Ramos Mary Lewe Madison Ramsey Emily Massing Morgan Shepard Matheus Masukawa

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 or those whose authorship cannot be verified.

January 31, 2018 | The Clarion

Brevard’s Internationals

Campus News

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Hassan Kiprono- Taking opportunities By Calum McAndrew

CALUM’S COLUMN

Managing Editor Wherever he goes, Hassan Kiprono always wears a reminder of where he is from. On his wrist, Kiprono, a senior math major and track and field athlete, wears a bracelet with the black, red, green and white colors of his home country: Kenya. The east-African country has a population of 49 million, roughly 3 million of whom live in the capital city, Nairobi. In terms of population Kenya has roughly the same number of people as Spain, South Korea and Colombia. It is the seventh most populated nation in Africa. Despite having a land mass the size of China, India, the United States, and most of Europe combined, the number of African students studying in the United States remains relatively small. According to VOA News, in the Fall 2014 semester, approximately 40,000 African students were enrolled in American colleges and universities. Of these 40,000, it is estimated that 32,000 hail from five countries. These are Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon and South Africa. The opportunities to come here from African nations remain few and far between, largely for economic reasons. Because of that, Kiprono remains grateful for the opportunity that he received. The principles that Kiprono cherishes are taking risks, constantly challenging himself with bigger and better goals, taking all the opportunities that come his way, and above all, remaining humble. “I wanted to come here so bad, because I knew it was a life-changing opportunity,“ Kiprono said. “I just wanted to take the chances. “That’s how people back home in Kenya or in Africa, in third world countries, that’s the way they view America. It’s mind blowing, because people know America is one of the greatest countries. They know if you go there, your life changes.” One of the opportunities Kiprono is looking to take advantage of in the United States is pursuing his goal of becoming an engineer. He also aspires to go to graduate school. “For every international student that has come here, I believe, they come here and they take their chance, and they use their opportunity,“ Kiprono said. “I am studying mathematics here, and I have a double minor in physics and chemistry.” His goal is to become an engineer, either mechanical or chemical. “It’s so-far, so-good,” Kiprono said. “It’s been a precious opportunity to be able to do those courses here, and it has helped me. I am achieving and I am learning.” Like many international students, Kiprono had the difficulty of overcoming a language barrier when he first arrived in Brevard in August 2014. Though English is the second most common language in Kenya behind Swahili, Kiprono said, “that’s one of the challenges for me that I face, and some people from Africa especially, because we don’t speak English there every day. It’s like learning Spanish here—you don’t speak it every day practically. “There’s 42 tribes, with 42 different languages, and we have Swahili as the national language, and English as the second national language.“ With limited English, classroom and social interactions were initially challenging for Kiprono. After a lot of practice, and by “putting himself out there,” this challenge was soon bested. “When you come here and have that language barrier, it’s hard. In terms of communication, interacting with people, it is hard,” Kiprono said. “For me, I had to first listen.” Outside of the classroom, Kiprono has also been a leading member of the BC track and field team. His time on the team has included several memorable moments, but one memory seemed to stand above the rest.

“I remember one of my standouts was sophomore year, we, me and my other teammate Brent, were training together,” Kiprono said. “At that time we had not even broken 16 minutes in 5 kilometers. “The goal was to break 16 minutes, and we ended up running under 15.30. [I ran] 15.26. That is still my personal best.” Kiprono only began running in 2013, when he focused on his goal of receiving a scholarship to the United States. He joined a training camp in his native Kenya, and trained with many of the world’s best amateur athletes. Many professional long distance runners hail from Kiprono’s local tribe, the Kalenjin tribe. “The reason why I ran, was because I wanted to come to college. I couldn’t afford to go to college, so when the opportunity came, it was just life changing for me,” Kiprono said. “I think I didn’t know I had potential for running until I started running. In High School, I never ran.” This semester, despite an injury, Kiprono has set himself several goals for the track and field season, including breaking 15 minutes in the 5 kilometer race he surprised himself in two years ago. After the semester is done, Kiprono also does not intend on hanging up his running shoes. “I’m not gonna stop running,” Kiprono said. “I take my sport very seriously. You know, I call it my second job. I take it very seriously.” After seven semesters of the American student-athlete life, Kiprono is looking forward to graduating and beginning a new challenge. He afforded himself some time to look back however. “If you see the three and a half years I’ve been here, and the years prior, before, my life was completely different,” Kiprono said. “So, I can say my life has changed drastically.” This drastic change seems to be the case for very few from Africa as a whole. With only 40,000 students currently in the United States, Africa as a continent is underrepresented compared to Europe, Asia, and South America. Kiprono however remains hopeful that this number will soon increase, and that more aspiring student athletes like him will soon take the risk he did. “I’m always optimistic for the future, even though the world is not the way we expect it to be,“ Kiprono said. “We come from different countries, different backgrounds. If somebody is ready to face a new chapter of life and you want to challenge yourself, I would always advise somebody to come to this place. “I’m pleased I came here, it changed me. It changed me as a person. It’s just a matter of coming here and working hard. Just work and everything is going to be smooth. Maybe not smooth, but it’s gonna be better.”

Photo from BC Tornados

Kiprono started running in August 2013, just one year before starting an athletic scholarship at Brevard College.

Campus News

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Flu Season

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January 31, 2018

Mid-flu season at Brevard College By Jeni Welch

Copy Editor The 2018 flu season, “is the worst flu I’ve seen in the past 17 years of working in the medical field,” said Donna Montgomery, Medical Technician (MT) at the Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care in Brevard. Brevard College Nurse, Pat Clackler, said that there have been several cases of the flu on campus. However, it is not as widespread as in the community. Clackler said, “I have masks, hand sanitizer and cough lozenges if needed.” Students can pick those up from her office. The Sisters of Mercy Clinic has seen 27 positive flu cases and Medical Associates has seen “eight to ten new cases this month,” said Teresa Bryson, Phlebotomist at Medical Associates in Brevard. The symptoms are the normal fever chills, body aches, running nose and cough. Some patients also report having nausea and vomiting with this season’s symptoms appearing to be coming quicker than usual. For that reason, if you think that you have symptoms of the flu seek medical assistance immediately. Tamiflu is the leading drug against the flu, but it is only effective in the first 48 hours of being sick. It can directly cut back the duration of sickness and the symptoms. Montgomery advises that hand washing, good hygiene and avoiding other people who may have the flu are the best ways to prevent obtaining it this season. Along with your standard method of getting a flu shot. While the shot is only 20 percent effective at

combating this year’s virus, Montgomery said, “[the flu shot is] guaranteed to cut down the side effects and duration.” There is no way to fool proof way to prevent the flu however, “Elderberry syrup helps build up your immune system,” said Bryson. “I swear by it and would recommend it as a supplement. “Wiping your areas down with Clorox wipes [is] another way to help stop the spread of germs,” said Clackler. “If you do have the flu it is important to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest,” said Bryson. The flu virus is in the air. Staying away from the public and wearing a mask when at doctor visits can help cut down on the virus being transmitted. There are two different strains going around this year. Montgomery said, “strain A is harsher than strain B.” Meaning that the side effects are worse and longer lasting. In the State of North Carolina, 1,100 of 2,500 tested cases have came back positive for Influenza A and Influenza B, which is less common. This year influenza A (H3N2) is the main strain, and according to Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, medical director of the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services, “H3N2 typically causes more severe outcomes: more hospitalizations and deaths for children and older adults.” The H3N2 strain dominated the 2016-17 flu season as well, 217 people died of flu related causes according to state health department statistics. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), North Carolina has

already seen 67 flu related deaths since the flu season began in October 2017. In the first week of January the flu death totals since October were at 716 for the United States and according to the Asheville Citizen Times, “Mission-affiliated hospitals and practices across the region saw 90 confirmed cases of the flu.” “Mission Health has implemented its visitor limitation policy and is asking parents, family members and friends to limit hospital visits, including at Transylvania Regional Hospital,” according to the Transylvania Times. This is an attempt to keep the local transmission of influenza-like illnesses down since the state has seen an increase. “We’re seeing increasing numbers of flu every week,” said William Hathaway, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Mission Health in an interview with WLOS. “We’re not sure if we’re at the peak yet.” said Hathaway. It appears that the peak of the flu season is approaching based on the number’s he has seen over the last few weeks.

Photo from the CDC.gov

Interactive map of the flu season as of Jan. 20, 2018. The red states have a high activity level, orange is moderate, yellow is low and green is a minimal level of activity.

BC post office, tax confusion By Jordon Morgan Editor in Chief



Ann Garren from the Brevard College post office sent an email out on Jan. 22, which may have confused some people, that read as follows: “Good afternoon all - Income tax filing time will soon be upon us. Many of you use BC as your mailing address, however using the school address for your tax return is NOT advised. If you are expecting a refund and the refund comes after classes are over in the spring you probably will not receive your refund check. Once classes are over we do not forward or hold student mail. Consider using your home address or a more permanent address for your taxes.” Parts of it are certainly self explanatory, but The Clarion felt the need to clarify it to make

certain that everyone understands why the email was sent out in the first place. Garren stresses about clarifying your address because, as we all know, depending on a multitude of circumstances, filing taxes can take anywhere from six weeks to two months to fully process. As such, by the time that process is complete, the semester may very well be over and subsequently the address given to you at Brevard College, which is only temporary, will be null and void. Garren said that it is “not my business to know your home address.” If that home address (or even just a permanent outside address) isn’t on the record, any important mail, like tax returns, will be sent back to the sender.

“I’ve actually sent back tax returns to the IRS before. We aren’t here over breaks, so it can’t stay,” said Garren. Though items such as standard, unimportant mail or junk mail can be ignored if one so desires, as they will be recycled if they aren’t claimed, tax returns or any other important mail (first class mail according to Garren) cannot be tossed and again will have to be sent back to its original source. So unless you are planning on filing your tax returns relatively soon, it is advisable to change your address (if you haven’t already) to an address that will outlast the semester. Tax returns, especially as a student, are incredibly helpful, so be sure not to lose it or have it delayed due to an avoidable error.

January 31, 2018 | The Clarion

Government Memo

Opinion

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The latest in Presidential obstruction

By Mary Lewe

Staff Writer As of yesterday, the American public is closer to being allowed to read a classified four-page memo alleging that the FBI overstepped legal boundaries during investigations carried out during the 2016 presidential campaigns. The allegations are made based on classified information which opponents claim that, if released, could damage or endanger ongoing FBI practices. The memo was compiled by the staff of Rep. Devin Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Committee Republicans voted on Monday to release the memo despite warnings from many who say the information within the memo is out of context and could endanger ongoing FBI practices. Currently, President Trump has five days to review the memo and ultimately decide whether or not to release it. Some who have reviewed the memo claim that the FBI defied articles of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King described the findings in the memo as “worse than Watergate.” On the other hand, some, like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., of the House Intelligence Committee, believe that the memo is simply another attempt to undermine the ongoing Russia investigation. “[The memo is a] profoundly misleading set of talking points drafted by Republican staff attacking the FBI and its handling of the investigation,” Schiff said. The news of the memo was followed just days later by the New York Times bombshell report that Trump had moved to fire special counsel Robert Mueller last June, but failed to follow through when White House lawyer Donald McGahn announced that he would resign in the event of the firing of Mueller. New York Times reporters Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman were able to corroborate the claims which were first aired by reporter Chris Ruddy on PBS NewsHour on June 12, 2017. The Trump administration denied Ruddy’s claims repeatedly following the NewsHour report, stating as recently as Dec. 17 that the President never even considered firing Mueller. Since the release of the Nunes memo to the House Intelligence Committee, few have had access to the document, including the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Department of Justice, and the FBI. Meanwhile, President Trump and many others have called for public release of the memo while thousands Tweeted “#releasethememo” following the news, but the ultimate decision to release the document (or

not) resides in the power of Congress. According to CNN, more than 1,000 new Twitter accounts were created between the Thursday the memo was announced and the following Sunday that tweeted the hashtag. Almost half of those accounts were “egg accounts” or accounts which do not have a profile picture. It was also noted that around 200 of those new accounts had fewer than four total tweets by Sunday night including their #releasethememo tweets. In addition to these new accounts, many other more established ones also shared the hashtag, fueling its trending on the site. Twitter stated that many of the new accounts do not seem to be operating outside of the website’s terms of service. Twitter also told CNN that it specifically tries to reduce “lower-quality content, like duplicate Tweets or content that appears to be automated.” Assistant Attorney General Steven Boyd sent a letter to Nunes stating that it “would be extraordinarily reckless” to publicly release the document. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March, leaving Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (confirmed in April 2017 following the dismissal of former acting Attorney General Sally Yates) as the ranking official from the Department of Justice for the case. Rosenstein appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller shortly after his confirmation and continues to

oversee the Russia investigation. There’s no longer any question of whether or not Russia meddled in the 2016 election (they did, according to the CIA), but what the public is still waiting to find out is the answer to the Watergate-era question of “what did the

See ‘Memo,’ page 9

Photo from Wikipedia

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller (pictured above) as the Special Counsel for the Department of Justice’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s involvement in Russia’s tampering of the 2016 presidential election.

Olympic Sexual Abuse

175 Years, a sentence too short?

Larry Nassar, once a physician for the olympic women’s gymnastic team, is being sentenced to 175 years in prison, for decades of sexual abuse against the women of the team. In a video that began trending on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, tossed aside a letter that Nassar had written to her describing how hard it was for him to hear the testimonies of these girls. In most cases of sexual assault, the victims are looked at as just that, victims. Judge Aquilina noted that these women should not be viewed as victims but as survivors. Seeing a case with such high media coverage being treated like this is very empowering. The judge tossing aside the note makes me so happy and hearing her tell people to view these women and girls

as survivors, makes it seem like we are not advancing the patriarchy. Seeing a man being prosecuted for his actions, while trying to make excuses and being shut down for such ideas, is breathtaking. The women and girls coming to step forward have had to do something troubling and unsettling. Having to go in front of your offender and talk about what he did to you, is something unimaginable, yet so brave. Nassar deserves whatever is coming to him, preying on girls while knowing you are in a position of authority and they will be scared to tell in fear of getting in trouble, is one of the most despicable acts of cowardice a person could ever commit.

—Morgan Shepard

Opinion

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The Clarion

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January 31, 2018

BC dorm temperatures Pickelsimer By Florian Peyssonneaux Opinion Editor

As the East Coast of the United States is facing waves of cold air and snow storms, Brevard College campus dorms are not ready to face the cold weather. Most housing facilities such as Green, Jones, and The Villages have had issues with the temperature of the rooms since the spring semester started. In some dorms the heat is controlled externally for the whole building and students have no control over it. For example, when the temperatures were freezing outside, some rooms in Jones had cold air coming out from the vents. “In West Jones we still have the same room temperature as in the summer, even though we can adjust the temperature partially. For example my room has cold air coming out all the time when its on 70 degrees” said Thibault Tranchant. Students that are staying in Green have the opposite problem. In the middle of a winter storm, Green residents have had to open the windows in order to have a normal temperature in their room. The Villages have a new thermostat that can be set by the students to the temperature that they want for each floor. This year, “We moved them (the thermostats) out for the students at a place where they can see them with a limited access” said the Director of Facilities, Burke Ulrey. This system is not the case in older buildings like Beam or Green Hall which only have one source of heat provided by a boiler. There are several reasons why the boilers in the older dorms of the campus have started to be obsolete. For instance, Green’s boiler is older then Beam’s

so “a lot of controls have aged and need to be changed” said Ulrey. During that time period, the temperature isn’t going to be controlled and goes up and down randomly. Because students are not allowed to cover the vent of the ventilation for safety reasons, the only solution when the heater is set to high is to open the window when the temperatures are freezing. “In one South Village we need to leave the window open during the snowstorm, in another village, we need to sleep with a jacket on not to freeze. It is difficult to work with” said Calum McAndrew. Furthermore, the RA of The Villages recommended the residents who can adjust the temperature of their room to “keep the temperature in between 69 and 70 degrees.” In an email to the residents of the South Villages, the RA also added “setting the AC too high could damage the system and leave the village without heat during winter”. Burke Ulrey, the Director of Facilities for Brevard College wants to remind the students that if there is a problem with their room, they should submit a maintenance ticket for the problem to be fixed in the shortest delay possible. Another way for students to report any problems is to directly call maintenance at (828) 884-8279. In order to preserve the facilities and the equipement, students should respect the guidelines for recommended temperatures.

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estate

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the wide-open space provided it allows ample opportunity to view the night sky, and because of the decommissioned airplane hangar this provides for a place to store the telescopes and other astronomy equipment. The department also sees man opportunities to host educational events for the entire Brevard community here as well. There are even some clubs that see some potential with the property as well. One club that has some interest in the land is the BC Agriculture Club. The BC Agriculture Club is a club for majors and non majors who are interested in sustainability, the agriculture industry, and those who want to work on personal development through the industry. Their focus is on helping other students to grow and explore agricultural ideas and opportunities. “The land will be a really cool opportunity for the college,” McKayla Robinette, President of BC Agriculture Club, said. “It’s close to campus and it already has a facility on site if and when we need to hire a farm hand. We don’t know a lot about what we can do on it yet because it’s on a floodplain, but a lot of flat land in Transylvania County is on a floodplain. Hopefully a committee in the club can explore what to do with it and we can work closely with the college to figure out what we can grow on it and if we can put animals on it as well.” “We also want to allow equal opportunity for other clubs and other groups to have access to the land,” Vice President of BC Agriculture Club Solomon Turner said. “Since it is technically farmland, obviously our club has a lot of interest in it and we can form many committees to help with the improvement to the land. “Personally, I would rather have the college sell the land and use the money they get from it towards the improvement of college facilities, or possibly buying a piece of land outside of the floodplains so we can build structures and we won’t have to run the risk of losing sediments when plowing or animals drowning when it floods. But, if the college does keep the land, it’s not going to be a burden, it will be an opportunity either way and I would like to see a lot of programs grow with it.” The Board of Trustees has not yet made a decision on whether to keep the property or to sell it.

January 31, 2018 | The Clarion

Netflix Review

Arts & Life

Page 7

‘The Punisher:’ The greatest Marvel tv show to date By Jordon Morgan Editor in Chief



Despite the principle driven excellence of “Daredevil,” the outstanding noir crime thriller that was “Jessica Jones,” and the heartfelt community protecting “Luke Cage,” Marvel’s “The Punisher” manages to do the unthinkable which is shatter its competition as one of the most intense, emotional, and well told stories in the Netflix MCU library. After finding and killing the people directly responsible for the deaths of his family, Frank Castle has driven himself into solitude, plagued with nightmares about his guilt over not saving his family along with the actions he committed as part of the Marine Corps. When a man named Micro contacts Frank about an illegal operation (and its subsequent cover up) conducted on the part of his special forces unit and the Central Intelligence Agency, Frank is pulled back into a war that he thought he was done with. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Agent Dinah Madani is back in the states after an investigation in Afghanistan led to the death of her partner Ahmad Zubair. Finding evidence that Frank Castle and his unit may be involved, she and her partner Sam Stein set themselves on the path to uncovering the truth, leading to a crossing of paths with Castle that has violent repercussions. One of the many reasons why “The Punisher” is such an amazing show is in part due to its excellent pacing. “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” possessed that same quality as well, but in this case, there is no mid-season lull, no wasted moment, and no point in the show that makes it feel too slow or too fast. Every slow burn is paid off, every action scene is brutal and perfectly choreographed, and every character feels real and is intriguing in their own unique way. Having to balance so many characters in any sort of drama like this is no easy feat, and “The Punisher” should be commended for it. Speaking of which, the characters in this show, even the ones that could be boiled down to cliches or onenote sort of types, feel real. In addition, characters such as Lewis Wilson, an Army veteran who is unable to cope with civilian life, provide fascinating and even tragic subplots that do a great job of mirroring Frank’s own struggles within himself (even if admittedly

that particular one isn’t handled quite as well as it could have been). The relationship between Frank and Micro, a former NSA analyst now in hiding, is also a major highlight. Though it starts off very much on the wrong foot, they eventually form a begrudging respect and even a genuine friendship by the season’s end, showing that despite their differences in personality and opinions, they have abilities that the other needs to make the fight easier. Micro gives Frank the rational and careful voice he needs to hear, and likewise Frank gives him the conviction and drive to see the mission through. Micro’s family forms a relationship with Frank as well, providing the latter with almost a second opportunity to be the father (or father figure rather) and emotional support component to a family that is vulnerable, as Micro is believed to be dead. Absolutely stealing the show however is Jon Bernthal as the titular anti-hero. Always a great actor, Bernthal hasn’t really had a major role he can sink his teeth into ever since his stint as Shane Walsh on “The Walking Dead” concluded in 2011, and he knocks it out of the park here. In Bernthal’s own words, he plays a man who “ain’t got a f***ing cape. He ain’t got any superpowers. He’s a f***ing tortured, angry father and husband who’s living in this unbelievable world of darkness and loss and torment,” according to GQ. No truer words have been spoken as his portrayal of the Punisher is sold with the utmost conviction.

There are certain performances every once in a while that can blow one away, and this is one of those. At no point does Bernthal’s conviction and passion for playing Frank Castle waver, leading to a performance that is incredibly powerful and raw. Jon Bernthal, like Thomas Jane before him, is The Punisher, one of the most perfect castings in recent memory. As mentioned before, the action scenes are spot on in this show. Lacking the martial arts prowess of the likes of Daredevil or Iron Fist, Frank relies on his former experience and intuition as a soldier to get out of any given skirmish. That aforementioned conviction comes through here too, as Frank dispatches his enemy with an almost animal like ruthlessness. In particular, the last action scene in the season finale (without giving too much away) is emotional and keeps you glued to the screen for every second. All of the pain, torment, and anguish that Frank has had to suffer is released in a conflict that is both satisfying, and hard to watch. Whether or not you’ve seen any of the previous MCU TV shows, it is imperative that you watch “The Punisher.” Every one of the 13 episodes is worth the watch, and will have you contemplating its relationships and story threads even after you conclude watching (it should be noted that the introduction theme is also one of the best, if not the best, of the shows so far) so do yourself a favor, and watch Marvel’s “The Punisher.”

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Living Planet

Arts & Life

The Clarion

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January 31, 2018

Hibernation in Southern Appalachia By Lauren M. Fowler Arts & Life Editor

As the temperatures drop, days grow shorter, the world seems to slow its pace and the light shifts from vibrant oranges and reds of fall to the grey-blues of the frost and ice of winter. This change begins a season of hibernation for many woodland creatures who take this cue to begin to settle down for the long nap. Animals in the Southern Appalachians begin to feel the pressures of winter’s onset during the fall months as the days grow shorter, nights grow longer, and food sources begin to diminish. Many, such as squirrels, will begin gathering food stores to last through the winter months and will not hibernate but remain active all throughout. Some will pack up their feathers and join the family for a holiday further south where food and warmth is still to be found. Other less mobile creatures will eat and gain large amounts of weight to create fat stores that will last them through the winter when they burrow down to hibernate. Hibernation is when medium sized, non-migratory animals settle down to sleep through the cold and brutal winter months when food is scarce and survival hardest. As it begins hibernation, incredible changes begin to occur in the animal’s body that will help it survive an entire season without eating, drinking, or waking. The animal’s breathing becomes alarmly infrequent and its heart rate

down to sleep, the groundhog will grow to 12 -15 pounds as its fat stores increase. The groundhog famous for predicting the return of spring on Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil, is kept in a lit enclosure so he never hibernates which has caused him to grow to immense proportions since he never settles down to use those fat stores. Tradition dictates that if the groundhog emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow to clear skies of winter weather, he will get scared and return to his burrow - indicating another 4-6 weeks of winter. The tradition of using groundhogs to predict the season was probably brought to America by the Dutch that settled down in Pennsylvania. In early Dutch and Germanic tradition the European badger was used as an indicator as they would emerge from their dens in mid to late March depending on the day length. The European hedgehog was also said to be used in the same way by those in the British Isles. Other local animals in the area so become less active and have several other methods of battling the cold months. Reptiles, who depend on their environment to regulate their temperature, will enter a stage of inactivity much like hibernation. Often referred to as brumation, the animal’s metabolism drops significantly like it would for hibernating animals, but they do not lose the need to drink water during this stage and may venture out during the warmer days of winter. Most turtles will burrow down at the bottom of their lake for the season which is possible due to glycogen in their blood which allows them to survive in low oxygenated environments for longer. Fish will enter a stage of torpor - not true hibernation, where their metabolism drops with the temperature of the pond but they are not actually sleeping. Bears also do not truly hibernate, but enter a period of torpor called denning in which the bear does not come out of the den for the entire season to eat, drink, or relieve itself. The mother bear will give birth during this denning period. Soon, the days will begin to grow longer and warmer and hibernating animals will receive it as the cue to wake up as the first signs of spring begin to show. Spring officially starts on Mar. 20 - a little before and after which, hibernating animals will begin to appear awake and active again throughout the Southern Appalachians.

Photo by the Library of Congress

In 1897, a groundhog burrow was uncovered by a tractor while building a road and the groundhog did not wake up from hibernation!

slows to a whisper - nearly undetectable. The temperature of the animal drops drastically matching that of its surrounding environment and hovering at the closest possible limit between life and death in an effort to drastically reduce metabolism and properly ration stores to survive the entire season. Animals hibernating will actually feel cold to the touch and be virtually non-responsive to any outside efforts to wake them. In the Southern Appalachians, there is only one mammal that truly hibernates throughout the winter months - the groundhog. Also known as a woodchuck, this odd looking creature is a ground squirrel known for standing on the edge of the highways watching cars go by and in tradition predicting the seasons as it comes out of hibernation to see its shadow or not at the end of winter. Groundhogs create underground burrows with several tunnels and multiple entrances to house the whole family overwinter. Before settling

Photo by the mainepublic.org

Being woken from hibernation too soon can be fatal for our local little brown bat as its metabolism will start up too soon and burn all the stores reserved for winter. This is the main reason white nose syndrome (a fungus that grows in their nose and respiratory systems as shown in the picture) is such a problem as it hinders their breathing and causes them to wake too soon from hibernation.

Arts & Life

January 31, 2018 | The Clarion

Memo

Photo by Ivy Pope

Painting by Scott McBriar titled “Couple Looking into the Galaxy.”

Valentine’s Day painting class

A guided painting class was led by Scott McBriar, at 2:30 p.m. in Tornado Alley in which canvases, paint brushes and paints were provided to those who attended, all concluding a successful afternoon of painting. The theme of this particular class was “Valentine’s Day”, and the students were being guided on how to create a galaxy painting, with a couple gazing out at the stars. McBriar said to his students that “painting is all about experimentation,” and reassures them that their painting does not need to look like his, and that he is there to guide them in creating a similar image. The paints used are acrylic, which create very vibrant colors depending upon the amount of water that is applied to the pigments. Khapresha Small was among those who attended the painting class, and when asked what made her want to take a painting class, she replied: “I’ve always enjoyed painting, but it can be expensive—so I don’t get to do it often.” When asked about whether she had attempted the silhouettes in the painting, she said that “I did attempt the people, but I ended up covering them up. I did not like how they looked in my painting.” Khapresha’s favorite part about this painting was the stars— “I’ve always liked the stars, and it brought everything together. I really think that this class was presented in a creative way, that anyone could paint this painting.”

—Ivy Pope

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Continued from page 5

President know and when did he know it?” Nunes’ hometown newspaper accused him of doing the President’s “dirty work” in crafting and releasing his memo, and many would agree that this is simply another attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. It would certainly not be the first time the Trump administration has been accused of alleged obstruction. On Jan. 26, 2018 CNN aired a segment titled “Appetite for Obstruction?” during Anderson Cooper 360 in which Cooper gave a timeline of instances which could be considered acts of obstruction of justice by the Trump administration over the past year. Many believed that President Trump’s actions and statements surrounding the eventual firing of former FBI Director James Comey constituted obstruction of justice. On Jan. 27, 2017, just after his inauguration, President Trump reportedly told Comey “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,” during a private dinner. On Feb. 14, after President Trump asked all others to leave the room, he spoke directly to Comey regarding the investigation of Michael Flynn. “I hope you can let this go,” Trump said to Comey. Flynn was eventually found guilty of lying to the FBI regarding interactions with Russian officials. On May 9, Trump fired Comey for his handling of the Clinton email scandal, or so he claimed. In a meeting with Russian officials the next day he seemed to allude to an ulterior motive. “I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia, that’s taken off. I’m not under investigation,” Trump said. President Trump continued a streak of confusing takes on his motive for firing Comey on May 11 during an interview with Lester Holt for NBC News in which the President

alluded to the Russia probe as cause for Comey’s firing. The next day Trump tweeted, “James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Some said the Tweet could be considered intimidating a witness, which former Press Secretary Sean Spicer argued against staying the tweet was simply a “statement of fact,” although there were in fact no such tapes. All these events, while not necessarily proving a connection between Russia and the Trump campaign and administration, seem to reveal that the President is desperate to undermine the Russia investigation. The Huffington Post released an article over one year ago titled “Me Thinks the Donald Doth Protest Too Much” whose headline seems perhaps more relevant this January than last. If the President and his administration are not guilty of colluding with Russia during their interference of last year’s election, would they not want to be proven innocent by an honest and unimpeded investigation? The President and his cabinet have lied to the American people, but this is old news. They will continue to lie and people will continue to believe their lies as long as President Trump and his cabinet can continue to discredit the media, Congress, and even those currently investigating their actions and statements. The bombshell of the New York Times report was not so important for its content, as suspicion has surrounded Trump’s motives around the investigation since last spring. The real news is that he got away with it by calling the media liars while his cronies—White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Counselor Kellyanne Conway, legislative affairs director Marc Short, and a thousand new Twitter users—stood by him and lied too.

Photo by the Russian Foreign Ministry

President Donald J. Trump and Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hands at a meeting in the Oval Office on May 10.

Page 10

Downtown Brevard

Arts & Life

The Clarion

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January 31, 2018

Gallery Spotlight: Number 7 By Mary Lewe

Staff Writer Although most of the galleries in downtown Brevard opted not to stay open late for the fourth Friday of January, one gallery overcame the chilly evening to create a warm atmosphere for this year’s first Gallery Walk. Number 7 has only occupied the bright, airy building on the corner of French Broad and Main for little over a year, but it’s been right at home in downtown Brevard since 2000. A co-op of around 35 artists, the gallery houses works of collage, sculpture, photography, and more – all with a local flair. All the artists work together to keep the gallery in perfect working order, and many of them were on the scene Friday night, ready to greet guests and share stories about their art. Carpenter and sculpture artist Holland Van Gores has been turning found wood into beautiful vases and other interesting pieces for fifteen years, although he’s worked as a carpenter all his life. “I do this to take my mind off work, it’s like reading a good book,” Van Gores said of his work. Some of the most colorful, eye-catching pieces in the gallery are not made of the typical clay or metal, but papier-mâché. Marcia Brennan’s work ranges from a large crow with beady eyes to a kitschy white squirrel, running across bright

green turf with one stiff arm and an acorn tucked in the other arm – perfect for the Super Bowl season in Brevard. Brennan also has several watercolor collages displayed in addition to her sculptures and ornaments. Another artist, Peter Chumbley, also has several surreal and brightly colored pieces. Mostly acrylic on wood, Chumbley’s eclectic style calls to mind a bucolic fever dream, featuring dancing cows, spinning dogs, and bright colors. One piece, “Randy and Henry,” shows a man with his dog, who spins and jumps in a time lapse shown in a single moment with a caption that hangs below which reads, “As Another Day Passes Randy Continues Throwing Henry Continues Jumping.” The next Gallery Walk will be on Friday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Mary Lewe

Above: One piece by Marcia Brennan features a papier-mâché globe on a rocky uphill path, captioned “TOGETHER.’ Below: Four of the artists who share in the Number 7 gallery co-op smile together during Friday’s Gallery Walk. From left to right, Jack Christfield, Peter Chumbley, Nancy Rosenthal, Donna Huyett and Holland Van Gores.

BC Struggles

— Emily Massing

Photo by Mary Lewe

New clubs at BC in 2018

Three new clubs, BC Agriculture, Diverse Women of BC and Tight Knit have been approved by the Student Government Association. BC Agriculture aims to “provide a platform for Brevard College students interested in agriculture to network with one another” while improving and expanding the agriculture opportunities on campus. The president of the club is McKayla Robinette and the vice president is Solomon Turner. Meetings are the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Moore Science Building Commons. Diverse Women of BC’s goal is to bring

together women to “form a sisterhood in which will allow them to learn about each other’s cultural beliefs” and to put into action ideas that will make the college more women-friendly. The president of the club is Caitlyn Cloud-Morton and the vice presidents are Nia Davis and Jurnee Bennett. The club meets every Thursday starting at 8:30 p.m. in Tornado Alley. Tight Knit, a club for students to gather together and bond while learning about crocheting and knitting, was also approved by SGA. The president of Tight Knit is Abigail Fuesler, and the club will meet once a month in the basement of Stanback.

—Madison Ramsey

January 31, 2018 | The Clarion

BC MLAX ready for new conference By Daniel Ramos

Staff Writer After a rough 2-14 season last year consisting of six losses of two points or less and the emergence of Eric McKinney as Head Coach, Brevard Men’s lacrosse is ready to make a statement in the USA South Conference. With a roster of fewer than 20 players, the Tornados will have to make sure there are no weak points in their game to make up for the lack of numbers. Head coach Eric Mckinney said, “This years team is comprised of a group of young men whose strengths are anchored in their commitment to each other and to the game itself.” On the defensive side, McKinney said, “We have adopted a fast, aggressive brand of lacrosse that I think has the potential to hold opposing offenses to a lower points-per-game average than any defense has ever achieved here at Brevard.” The defense will be led by senior team captains, Austin Sweat and Cole Hansen. “This is the hardest working defense I’ve seen throughout my 4 years here,” Sweat said. Offensively, the Tornados attack will consist of the experienced Jackson Mckaig and Kyle Hunziker, as well as freshman Sam Duffie. McKinney said, “If they can find their rhythm early, I have no doubt they can impose their will on opposing defenses throughout our schedule.” The Tornados have high expectations for what they can accomplish together this season. “In the end, I expect we’re going to make ourselves known in this new conference,” McKinney said. They begin their season away at Mars Hill on Feb. 3 and will then host Montreat on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. for their home opener.

Photo by Catherine Head

Whitney DeMoss posting up against LaGrange.

Sports

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#NowMatters. 2018 Women’s Lacrosse season preview By Kelly Kearnan

Staff Writer In her third year as the women’s lacrosse coach, Kristin Rosato is looking forward to entering the 2018 season with a lot of energy and excitement. “In the first season playing in the Division III USA South conference, we will have a chance to compete every game,” Rosato said. “Overall, the new conference will be more enjoyable for all athletes.” Brevard returns with 13 players from the 2017 unit. The team will graduate five seniors in May that have made a positive impact in past seasons. “Overall, our senior class is very important to us,” Rosato said. “Senior captains Kelly Kearnan and Nina Fungalei will be critical in leading the team and bringing the energy we need, with the help of Sophomore captain, Micaiah Vacchiano.” Shelby Arsenault is entering her fourth season as the team’s goalie. In the 2017 season, Arsenault finished off the season with 182 saves and stopped 45.4 percent of the shots that were fired at her. Senior Nina Siu had an impactful 2017 season scoring 37 goals and 41 assists. She earned Second Team All-Conference and scored an average of one goal per game. Helping Siu on attack is Senior Victoria Hayes,

who scored 33 goals and was right behind Siu in points with 69. “We have a great opportunity for us to get back on track and have a successful season, and hopefully send our seniors out on a high note,” Rosato said. “In order to grow more, I have been pulling positive memories and coaching methods from past seasons and incorporating them into our plans for this upcoming season,” Rosato explains. Tempestt Smith was named Assistant Coach for the program in May 2017, after serving as a student assistant during the 2017 campaign. Smith graduated from Brevard in May 2017, playing two seasons for the program as a solid defender. “I am looking forward to a good season,” Smith said. “Whichever way the season goes, I want us to look for the positive in everything.” “I also hope to further my knowledge as a coach because even though I played the game for many years, it is a very different experience transitioning into the coaching role,” Smith went on. The 2018 season begins Saturday, Feb. 10 when Brevard travels to Mars Hill University. Fans will have their first chance of seeing the Tornados at home Saturday, Feb. 23 when they host Greensboro at 2:00 p.m.

Mens, Womens Basketball against LaGrange The men and women’s basketball teams each played this past Saturday against LaGrange. The women played at home while the men’s team play at LaGrange with women’s team coming up successful winning 80 to 62, while the men fell short, losing 82 to 84 in overtime. The women got off to a strong start against LaGrange, ending the first quarter 26 to 6. The Tornados gave some slack in the second quarter ending it 18 to 15 but finishing the half 44 to 21. The ladies ending the third quarter with both teams scoring 21 to 21 and Brevard fell short in the fourth 15 to 21 but overall winning the game. Leaders for Brevard were Annalee Bollinger with 22 points and 3 assists and Whitney DeMoss with 8 rebounds. LaGrange leaders were Lauren Johnson with 18 points, Jaelynn James with four rebounds, and Riley

Chlupacek with three assists. The men’s team pushed themselves in a hard game against LaGrange, even going into overtime. In the first quarter the men got themselves up by one, 39 to 38. In the second half the Tornados are the ones that are down by one, 34 to 35, tying the game with an overall 73 to 73. Going in to over time the men sadly fell short, finishing overtime down by two points, ending 82 to 84 in LaGrange’s favor. Leader’s for Brevard this game consisted of JaMarquis Johnson scoring 22 points, and Cannon Lamb with six rebounds and five assists. LaGrange’s leaders consisted of Travis Thompson who also had 22 points, Michael McCauley with four rebounds, and Stephen Wagner with two assists.

—Emily Massing

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Sports

Brevard College Tennis team prepares for the spring 2018 season By Carmen Boone

Staff writer On Monday, Jan. 22, the mens and womens tennis teams started practicing for the spring season and Coach Evan Schreiner looks forward to the new season as well as the new competition. Schreiner says the competition this year will be interesting. Having never seen the other teams play, he is interested to see how challenging the competition is. He predicts some tough matches but also thinks the team will have better results than last season. In addition, he is expecting more wins and a more successful season overall as the team keeps improving and growing. Some goals Schreiner has for the team include just seeing improvements with each player. He also looks to recruit more and more players for the coming years by working with the team and showing recruits how he does things. The team as a whole works together to improve, coming to practice every day ready to work hard. “We push each other to get better,” says Schreiner. Goals for himself as a coach are to be there for the players, to improve on time management, and to work on strong practice plans for the

season; he just wants everyone to keep getting better as a whole. Moving to division three has changed the game in a couple of ways for the tennis team. Schreiner says that the way he recruits has changed. He still looks for people passionate about tennis but that also might have a large interest in something other than tennis that might take up more time, such as other sports, photography, music, and things of that nature. With four new players for the women and three new players for the men, the team will have a total of eight women and six men. The team is very diverse as there are players from France, Spain, and Germany as well as players that range from freshmen to seniors. The schedule for the upcoming season has changed significantly from the former years. There will be significantly more travel and because some of the other opposing teams are a distance away, sometimes the teams will be staying in a hotel overnight. The competition will be new but overall, the schedule promises some interesting matches. The first match will be at home against Southern Wesleyan on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m.

The BC mens and womens tennis teams are ready to take on the spring season.

The Clarion

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January 31, 2018

Baseball season building up

The Baseball season is finally beginning and the Brevard College Tornados are subsequently getting ready to play their first game against Toccoa Falls on February 6, with a great season in the works with Sean Walsh as a head coach. Last season the Brevard College Tornados had an overall 10 victories and 37 losses with an additional three victories and 21 losses in Conference games. The upcoming roster includes 24 Freshman out of 41 players in their roster this season. Freshman Ben Melton, when asked about what his expectations about this season are, he said that “the Tornados have the potential to be good team, even though they have a lot of young players, but the old guys will contribute a lot with their experience and that should make it a good year” He talked about the overall friendship and camaraderie of the team as well as the fact that the development that they’ve had along the Fall and into the Spring might be a contribution to team to have a great season. This season the Tornados will have 19 home games and 21 away. The first game will be against Toccoa Falls from North Georgia, in the last season they had a record of 15 victories and 32 losses. All the players and staff are expecting a great season this Spring and a victory against Toccoa Falls to have a great beginning of that season.

— Matheus Masukawa