The Clarion, Vol. 83, Issue #24, March 21, 2018 - Brevard College

Volume 83, Issue 24

Web Edition

EditionSERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935

WALKOUT

Deadline is Friday to withdraw from classes with a ‘W’ March 21, 2018

Updated BC emergency response BC students and community members plan released stand together with a message of unity By Mary Lewe

Staff Writer Wednesday, March 14 may have begun as a typical school day, but at 10 a.m. schools across the nation came alive with the spirit of protest as students abandoned classrooms for 17 minutes to demand change in the wake of increased gun violence and mass shootings. The #Enough National School Walkout was conceived by the Youth EMPOWER sect of the Women’s March Network and had wide participation. The walkout was held one month after the Feb. 14 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School which claimed 17 lives in Parkland, Florida. Less than two weeks after the Parkland school shooting, Brevard College experienced a fearful hour-and-a- half when the campus was locked down after a parent reported a rumor of a possible shooter. Thankfully, this incident was benign, but it roused SGA President Lauren Fowler to action. As she waited in a locked and darkened classroom, she began to plan Brevard College’s own walkout. Although Wednesday morning was cold and windy, the Transylvania Times estimates that

100 students, faculty, and community members gathered at the Bell Tower to join thousands of others across the country in saying “enough.” “It is this kind of love and activism that changes a nation,” Fowler said as she welcomed and thanked participants. She then turned the mic over to campus minister Sharad Creasman who held a moment of silence for those lost to gun violence and a prayer giving thanks for the freedom and strength which made the event possible. “Hope—even in the midst of despair—comes because people believe and dare to stand,” Creasman said. “There are students who have the courage to stand, and show us that there’s still hope for a better future, a better tomorrow, and a better today.” Campus counselor Dee Dasburg also spoke, acknowledging the effect the campus lockdown had on Brevard College students saying “a little bit of our innocence was lost” that day. “Since 1999 there’s been about 25 fatal school shootings,” Dasburg said. She continued by sharing her memory of the horrific Columbine See ‘Walkout’ on page 6

Photo by Jeni Welch

Students and community members gather on Wednesday, March 14 in protest.

The college released an updated emergency response plan on Friday, removing language from the previous plan that instructed people on campus to exit buildings during an active shooter situation “if it is possible to do so safely.” The new plan removes that instruction to exit buildings. “When you become aware of an incident, if you are in a classroom or office,” the new plan recommends, “remain in the room you are in and initiate Shelter in Place procedures.” The policy defines those procedures as follows: “Shelter in Place means to stay in the room you are in, lock the door, go to a corner of the room that is not exposed to any window (including any window in a door), turn out the lights, do not make any noise.” The policy also says to call 911 and Campus Security at 5779590 “only if you feel it is safe to do so.” The new policy was announced to campus via an email sent Saturday morning by Stan Jacobsen, director of safety, security and risk management at Brevard College. The full policy can be downloaded from the college website at https://brevard.edu/campus-safety and on MyBC by visiting the Office of Campus Life page and selecting Campus Security. A front-page article in the March 14 issue of The Clarion highlighted what were at the time the college’s official emergency response procedures, based on the plan that had been updated as recently as Feb. 14, 2018. Thirteen days later, that plan was put to the test when the college received a credible threat of a possible shooter on campus and lockdown procedures were initiated across campus. The most recent update to the plan (on March 16, 2018) is an attempt to apply some of the lessons learned during the Feb. 27 lockdown. More changes to the college’s emergency response procedures may be forthcoming, and The Clarion will continue to report on them as they are implemented. —John Padgett

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Retirement Profile

Campus News

The Clarion

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March 21, 2018

Barbara Boerner bids adieu after 21 years By Kelly Kearnan

Staff Writer Business and Organizational Leadership Professor, Dr. Barbara Boerner, is retiring from Brevard College after 21 years. Boerner is also the Social Sciences Division Chair and Coordinator of the Business and Organizational Leadership Major. Boerner attended undergrad at University of North Carolina Greensboro. After taking a year off to travel to Europe, Boerner began her teaching career at a prep school in Massachusetts. “I taught biology and chemistry, which I only had one semester of in my undergraduate studies,” Boerner said. During her career in education, Dr. Boerner worked in different roles at many preparatory schools and colleges, including a Dean, a teacher and a professor. Boerner received her Doctorate in Business Administration from Argosy University, her Masters in Education from American University and a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola University. “I was very fortunate to be in places where my teaching style was encouraged,” Boerner said. Her first three years of teaching was a very affirming process after she did not get a job her first year. Boerner retired from a large position at a prep school in New England and began a passionate hobby of watercolor painting. Growing up in North Carolina, Boerner gradually found her way back and moved to Brevard in 1994. After discovering Brevard College through taking a dog obedience class as a series of community education courses offered by the school, Boerner came out of retirement and began her job as a professor of Business and Organizational Leadership. “Brevard College has provided a daily opportunity to exchange ideas and to learn from different viewpoints and be challenged,”

Financial aid! Every Friday until the end of the semester, the Financial Aid Office will be holding Financial Aid Friday’s in Myers Dining Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is for students who may need help filing their FAFSA, help with any complications or corrections with FAFSA, and anyone who has questions about their Financial Aid for the upcoming year. We in the Financial Aid Office are here to help!

Boerner said. Boerner liked teaching the Critical and Practical Reasoning course. “I enjoyed the opportunity of helping people discover their intellectual and creative strengths,” Boerner said. In each class that she has taught, she never used the same syllabus twice to keep her job new and interesting each year. After retirement, Boerner plans to travel. She will travel to Europe this coming summer. In October and September of 2018, Boerner plans to visit a small artistic city in the mountains of China, the deepest lake in the world in Siberia, and Mongolia. “I enjoy the realization of discovering how we are all one species, aside from all of our differences,” Boerner said. “I grew up in a household with a broader view than just the United States.” Dr. Boerner will also spend time working on her lifetime hobby of art with watercolors and oils. She plans to garden at her house and occasionally return to sit in and teach at Brevard College.

Security Report

The most recent security reports for Brevard College have been released as of Monday, March 19 at 1:10 p.m., according to Brevard College Campus Security. 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 engaged in this practice, please discontinue immediately. Students are reminded that dogs can not be kept in the residence halls unless certified service animals or emotional support pets that have been approved by Campus Life. There have been several incidents of students vaping in the residence halls and setting off the fire alarms. Students are advised that any type of smoking is not permitted in the residence halls. Everyone is requested to contact Campus Security at (828)-577-9590 if wrongful or suspicious activity is observed on campus. — Zach Dickerson

Barbara Boerner

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.

March 21, 2018 | The Clarion

Brevard’s Internationals

Campus News

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Tom talks tennis, transition, travel and talking By Calum McAndrew Managing Editor

CALUM’S COLUMN

Germany these days has a lot going for it—it is a leading nation in the EU, it has the strongest economy in Europe, and it has become a global leader on humanitarian issues. Americans, for their part, have traditionally loved German exports to the U.S., which include cars, beers, and for the past few years at least, tennis players at BC. Tom Mittring, a tennis player and psychology major at Brevard College, is one of these students. Germany has nearly 400 universities across the country, and after a 1,000-euro (approximately $1,300) tuition fee was briefly implemented over the last decade, all universities across the country are now free. About 4,600 American students studied in Germany in 2015, according to the BBC. One year later NBC reported 10,000 U.S. students were enrolled in higher education programs in Germany. Despite this sharp rise in American students making the trip east across the Atlantic, German students continue to make the reverse trip. Despite NBC also reporting a lower overall cost of living, more affordable health care for students, zero tuition fees, more than 10,000 German students currently study in the United States. Germany and the U.S. share approximately the same number of students in the others country, and both numbers have risen steadily over the past few years. While Germany offers so much for American students, what is it that has attracted the likes of Mittring, and thousands of other Germans his age, more than 4,000 miles away from home? Mittring said his reason for coming, was a combination of learning a new language and being able to play tennis while studying. “I chose it to learn the language, because it’s important that you can communicate with people, that’s no secret,” Mittring said. “It’s something that will help me for the rest of my life, if you have a good experience learning a language.” Though he said the challenge of learning English while studying in it was overwhelming, Mittring said that anyone who wishes to try it must first learn to accept making errors. “I think in your native language, usually you don’t make many mistakes. You just speak it,” Mittring said. “You feel comfortable, confident. If you don’t know the language, then you’re not as confident as in your native tongue, obviously. You’re gonna make mistakes. “I don’t think it’s the language you learn, it’s more that you learn to make mistakes, then go for it anyway.” In addition to the value of speaking a second language, Mittring was also attracted to the ability to play tennis while simultaneously earning a degree. The ‘student-athlete’ life is not as apparent in Germany. “If you do both [study and play a sport in Germany], you have to use your spare time, whereas here it’s combined,” Mittring explained. “I love the sport. If I can combine that with the school, then let’s do it.” Competitive tennis has been a big part of Mittring’s life for over ten years, and he jumped on the chance to keep it going through college, as he sees the sport as a constant challenge, and a fitting parallel of life itself. “I like to compete. It’s a good thing. Tennis is quite competitive. It’s emotional. One match can be so emotional that you can cry,” Mittring said. “On the other hand, you can cheer for your life. It’s like a rollercoaster, an emotional rollercoaster. “If you do it for many years, and get into that habit of going through that all the time, I think it helps you in life. Everybody has bad moments in their life, and if you know you’re going to come back out of it, it

helps you.” Mittring has played in the first spot for the tennis team for most of his Brevard career, and was part of the final class to receive athletic scholarship before the college transitioned to NCAA Division III. “We were division two, now we’re division three. I think that was a good thing for the sports, but it’s a bad thing for athletics,” Mittring said. “We [tennis] were the last team of the conference, and we should have been there because we were not good enough to be better. “We were just the worst team in the conference, and that’s OK, but if you do it for years and you’re always last, that’s not good for your head.” While Mittring believes this was a good thing for BC’s teams and their ability to compete in their conference, he feels it could have a negative impact on international attendance at BC. “Money is a big thing. It [Division III] makes it tougher for international students to pay their fees,” Mittring said. “That’s why I think in the long run it will harm the international attendance of the school.” In the end however, Mittring said he would still choose a division three institution, were they able to beat the offers from colleges in NCAA Division II. “If I got academic scholarship, then I wouldn’t care,” Mittring said. “I need to be able to pay my fees and tuition, and if I can do that, I don’t care if it’s division two or division three.” With one year left until he graduates, Mittring is excited about what is still ahead of him, and also about the experience he will have gained and the challenges he will have faced at the end of it all. “I don’t think you should always choose the easy way for you,” Mittring said. “Sometimes you just have to handle tough situations and get through. “In the end, it’s the only life you have, and you should make choices for yourself, because it’s good for you.”

Photo courtesy of Tom Mittring

Tom Mittring, a Junior from Germany, has played in the number one spot for the tennis team for much of his BC career.

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Campus News

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March 21, 2018

Board of Trustees decides to sell Pickelsimer’s estate property By Calum McAndrew Managing Editor

The Board of Trustees at Brevard College has decided to sell the land left to the college as part of the late Charles Pickelsimer’s estate. The decision, according to BC’s Office of Communications, has been taken so that the college can focus on education, rather than property management. “The college’s Board of Trustees decided to sell all the properties acquired through the estate as we have no immediate need for any of these properties,” BC President David Joyce said. According to Joyce, the college will use the proceeds from the sale “to strengthen the financial position of the college, expand programs, and enhance facilities.” At a joint faculty/staff meeting on March 1, Joyce expanded upon what the college wishes to strengthen with the money made from the estate sale. The first category, “to strengthen the financial position of the college,” will focus on working to increase admission and retention efforts. In addition to this, the college will also seek

to improve the salaries and benefits of its employees. “Expanding programs,” will in part be to increase the amount of intensive learning opportunities that the college can provide to its students. This goal is in adherence with the college’s philosophy of providing students with an experiential education. It is also the goal of the college to add new majors to its catalogue, and eventually to introduce graduate level programs. Finally, the college is looking to enhance facilities, by deferred maintenance. The money for these initiatives will come from the five parcels of land that were included in the property left to Brevard College. All of the estate left by Pickelsimer to Brevard College is to be sold. The first of these properties, and the closest to the College, is located on North Broad Street. Next Venture, a shop for outdoor supplies is currently located on this plot. This parcel is for sale at $2 million. Also in Brevard, on East Main St. is a second property. This property is for sale at $550,000. The third piece of property includes 55 acres

Photo courtesy of 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.

of land. According to the Transylvania Times, it is located, “behind the Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, and with frontage on the French Broad River and U.S. 276.” This property is comprised of four parcels, and though the assessed value of the property stands at $1.46 million dollars, it has an asking price of $500,000. The largest piece of property for sale in terms of acres lies in the Cascade Lake region near DuPont State Recreational Forest. The 59 acres in this property are for sale at $500,000. The final piece of property up for sale is a house on Rice Street in Brevard. The asking price for this house is $275,000. Charles Pickelsimer died in 2011. As well as donating part of his estate to Brevard College, Pickelsimer also left land to several charities and a family friend.

Campus Life conducts RA interviews

Campus Life conducted interviews of RA candidates on Tuesday evening from 7:30 p.m. until around 9:00 p.m. in Stanback Hall. Each candidate spent about 15 minutes answering questions regarding their leadership skills and work experience, as well as inquiries regarding their preferences for dorm placement. The interviews, although brief, covered a lot of ground. Due to the nature of the interviews and the large number of candidates, interviewers relied on a rubric in order to rate and standardize responses during the interviews. Interviewers included Michael Cohen, Beth Abrams, Le Tavoloni and some of the more experienced current RA’s. Candidates will hear back about decisions around April 1 according to Michael Cohen. Those who are chosen to be RA’s for the Fall 2018 semester will move in during the first week of August and will begin an intense week of training for the position in order to build leadership skills and camaraderie among the RA community. — Mary Lewe


Opinion

Denuclearization in the works? Please don’t Trump it up

By Jeni Welch Copy Editor

President Trump agreed last week to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after an invitation was received at the White House by South Korean President Moon Jae-in. With the topic of denuclearization at the center, Kim has already agreed to suspend nuclear and missile tests for the moment, although to be fair he may no longer need to the tests. The announcement came as a shock considering Trump has been referring to Kim as the “Little Rocket Man” in recent tweets. But as Wendy R. Sherman, former diplomat and part of the historic American delegation in Pyongyang said, “You have two leaders who believe fundamentally that they are the only people who matter.” Despite the rational fear of the meeting, perhaps an agreement can be reached. “He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. “We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.” Since the original agreement, the meeting has been finalized to take place in Finland, with North and South Korean officials and American representatives who are not government officials present, said Kimmo Lahdevirta who is an official at the Finland foreign ministry. The U.S. does not have a diplomatic presence in North Korea. CNN reported that Finland’s Foreign Ministry said that they were only facilitating the meeting and would not be participating. Petra Sarias, Ministry spokesperson, declined to confirm a date, time, location or the participants for the meeting.

While the hope of denuclearization is on the table, there is still the past knowledge that Kim’s father and grandfather both failed to honor agreements with former Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Perhaps it runs in the family? There are high stakes with the meeting between the irrational leaders. The ideal outcome of the agreement to denuclearize seem to be a distant hope. However, the beginning of conversation is a positive step if the name-calling and fingerpointing remains at a low. If the meeting goes badly, nothing changes. Hopefully. And life can continue with Kim testing more missiles until another president attempts another conversation. That is the bestcase scenario if things don’t work out. Interestingly, there may be other alternatives to answer why Trump and Kim are looking to meet. Kim could be playing everyone and only agreeing to meet so the U.S. can be persuaded to withdraw forces from the Korean Peninsula. That movement would allow Kim to overtake South Korea and unify Korea under Pyongyang rule. Conspiracy or not, the possibility is there. This meeting will make Trump the first sitting president to agree to meet with a North Korean leader. We all know that Trump loves China, and since Beijing has recently started to take steps away from North Korea. Beijing is Pyongyang’s top trading partner and the increasing pressure could be pushing Kim towards negotiating. Beijing welcomed Trump’s decision to meet Kim and is looking towards the de-escalation of military to come out of the meeting according to the South China Morning Post. Other countries are very aware of how a war would directly affect their citizens, especially the countries that are so close in relation to North Korea

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Robert Ballard to speak at BC

You are invited to attend two special events on Thursday, April 12, 2018 in the Porter Center. Best known for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard will be the Spring 2018 J. R. McDowell Speaker, sponsored by the Transylvania County Library Foundation in partnership with Brevard College. 1. Special Discussion and Question Session with Dr. Robert Ballard just for BC Faculty, Staff and Students: Thursday, April 12, 2018 4:00 p.m. in Scott Commons in the Porter Center for Performing Arts (No ticket is necessary) 2. Community Presentation by Dr. Robert Ballard: “Deep Sea Exploration” Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6:30 p.m. Scott Concert Hall of the Porter Center for Performing Arts Tickets are available now and are free for all BC faculty/spouse, staff/spouse, and students.

Housing Selections

DATES April 2 - Super Seniors & Rising Seniors April 3 - Rising Juniors April 5 - Rising Sophomores TIME / LOCATION 11 AM - 2 PM, each day Myers Dining Hall - Institute Room (behind the salad bar) Who Must Participate? All students (unless approved to live offcampus; applications due by April 1st) Requirements to Participate You must be pre-registered for Fall 2018 classes Disability Housing Accommodations To Make a Request: If you require housing accommodations due to disability, please contact Davis Smith, Disability Specialist (smithrd@ brevard.edu), for documentation procedures and general information. Deadline: Please submit all required paperwork by Monday, April 16, 2018.

Photo Courtesy of ABC News

A meeting has been scheduled between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Reapplication Required: You must reapply for Fall 2018 if your existing accommodation was approved prior to August 1, 2017.

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Fine Arts Gala auction set to begin

On Saturday, March 24, Brevard College’s Fine Arts Gala will commence at 6 p.m. It will begin with gala festivities such as a live auction, dinner and dancing. Tickets are $100 for general admission, and are only $50 for alumni and staff. On Sunday, March 25, at 3 p.m. there is a concert performed by the UNC School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra and VIP tickets are $20. The Gala benefits Brevard students studying in the Fine Arts, and as such, all of the proceeds go to the Fine Arts Division. “Ticket holders have a chance to view and purchase art, hear performances and talk with students and faculty about their work together. They also enjoy terrific food, wine and live music,” said Kathryn Gresham, who is the associate professor of music and coordinator of the music major. “As for the students, they run the event, providing entertainment, art for purchase, participate in an iron pour across the grass at the back of SIMS Art Building… Students do almost every role in the production of this event,” assistant professor of theatre Andrea Boccanfuso said. — Ivy Pope

Arts & Life

‘Walkout’

The Clarion

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March 21, 2018

Continued from page 1

High School massacre. “It was probably my first real awareness of how vulnerable students can be in a place of learning. “It perhaps has become the new normal,” Dasburg said. “Having to grieve the death of a peer through an act of violence is not normal, and you know that. That’s why so many students across the country today are walking out to say ‘Enough.’” Dasburg urged students to continue to use their voices to speak out about issues that matter to them, saying that conversations are how change actually comes about. “We’re not here to talk about the specifics of gun control or how to solve the problem. We’re here to say there is a problem and our country needs to stand up and do things differently,” Dasburg said. Dasburg urged listeners not to get caught up in differences of opinion. “Please remember to continue to love,” she said. “Love is greater than fear, and at the end of the day, we want to love.” Lastly, SGA President Lauren Fowler addressed the crowd. “I helped organize this meeting today because students came to me calling for action, for a response to a desperate time of unrest and of hatred in this country,” Fowler said. “By showing up here today you are not only honoring those seventeen that were killed during the Parkland shooting, but have shown that we are a generation and a people of passion and of

action,” Fowler said. “And people are afraid of that. We call for action and for change, they shrink back in fear. They resort to name calling and attempt to belittle us at every turn.” She urged the crowd to see past the polarization of the issues, and to instead value differing opinions. “If we want to see a change in our nation we have to first remember what it is we’re fighting for,” Fowler said. Like the other speakers, Fowler reiterated that the work of the protest would not be completed in the span of the 17 minutes spent on the quad. “Each of us must do our part, no matter where we stand, to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of our situation,” Fowler said. “A brave person acknowledges the strength of others,” Fowler said, quoting author Veronica Roth. “We all hope and fight for a better tomorrow for ourselves and our families and our communities,” Fowler said. “This is a call to each and every one of you to come together for civil communication with a heart of compassion, an open mind, and a passionate spirit.”

BC Wind Ensemble

On Thursday, March 15, the Brevard College Wind Ensemble performed alongside the Upstate Winds Concert Band in the Porter Center, with Brevard College senior Chris Center being a guest conductor for a particular piece. The concert opened with selections from Camille Saint-Sean’s “The Carnival of the Animals”, including “Introduction,” “Royal March of the Lion,” “The Elephant,” “Fossils” and “Finale,” with Dr. Eric Peterson conducting. Chris Center conducted the performance for the next piece, “Radiant Moonbeams,” which

was commissioned by Durham Middle School Bands in Lewisville, Texas, in memory of a student there who passed away. Brevard College student Riley Sullivan and Dr. Katherine Palmer joined the ensembles in performing the first half of the folk tune “Sheep Shearing Song,” with Sullivan singing and Dr. Palmer playing the piano. They also performed in the finale, which was “A Simple Song,” from Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” Both pieces were conducted by guest conductor Bobby Powell.

—Madison Ramsey

Photo by Jeni Welch

The Brevard College Wind Ensemble performing on Thursday, March 15.

Photo by Florian Peyssonneaux

A community member shows her support by holding a sign that reads, “Thank you students for your activism in memory of fellow studetns killed due to gun violence.”


Netflix Review

Arts & Life

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‘Benji’: a cute dog, not a good movie

A simple premise that unfortunately goes off the rails

By Jordon Morgan

Editor in Chief Unless you absolutely love dogs and want to see the titular canine pull off some impressive tricks while pulling on your heartstrings, it’s recommended you give “Benji” a pass. It is a basic, standard story that loses whatever good will it conjures by the halfway point. Benji, a stray mixed-breed dog living in New Orleans, has been on his own as a puppy after his family was taken away from him. He then finds a kindred spirit in Carter (Gabriel Bateman), a young man trying to help his younger sister and mother deal with life after the death of their father. Initially rejected by Carter’s mother, Benji sees his friends get kidnapped by pawn store robbers and sets out to rescue them. That last sentence represents one of the glaring flaws with the movie: it’s as if it doesn’t really know what it’s trying to be. Although the first 20 to 30 minutes has a decent albeit familiar set up, it completely veers off the rails into a kidnapping story that feels out of place. If it had just kept its initial idea of two lost souls coming together to teach each other a valuable lesson, it could have

at least been a decent film from start to finish. What doesn’t help is that all of the characters, although very well acted, are barely given any development. And any development that does happen comes from clunky dialogue transparently acting as exposition for someone’s backstory. Another feeling that permeates is the one of the filmmakers’ desire to get the dog playing Benji to do as many impressive tricks as possible. Sure, it is an interesting sight to say the least, but it doesn’t make for good storytelling. At the same time, it’s worth pointing out that the titular canine is awfully cute, and his loyalty for his surrogate family does come across rather well. He lost his family before, and he isn’t going to lose them again, that much is clear. As stated before, the story of “Benji” is pretty standard (despite the off the walls nature of the kidnapping angle) and you’ll be able to predict it from the offset. Its brisk running of time of an hour and 27 minutes does save it however from being too boring or painful to sit through. If Netflix viewers love dogs and love seeing dogs on screen, then it’s possible you can enjoy this film. Otherwise, it’s not really worth spending your time on.

Sports

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The Clarion

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March 21, 2018

BC Women’s BC Men’s Lacrosse wins Tennis Falls to against William Peace Agnes Scott

On Saturday, March 17, the women’s tennis team traveled to Decatur, Georgia for a match against Agnes Scott. It being hot and humid made it an interesting change in weather for the BC women. The match began at 2:30 p.m. after the courts dried from the rain. Kelsey Kushner and Jen Cox played at number one doubles, battling through a tough match, losing to Agnes Scott with a close score of 7-9. At number two doubles Agnes Scott took the win with a score of 8-2 against Margaret Correll and Kenzie Bowman. Completing doubles with another win, Agnes Scott won 8-1 against Carmen Boone and Christiana Beltran. At the number one seed, Kelsey Kushner took a loss in singles to Agnes Scott with a score of 6-4 and 6-0. The number two player, Jen Cox, finished with another loss, scoring 6-4 and 6-0 in singles as well. Margaret Correll played number three, losing with a score of 6-0, 6-1 to Agnes Scott. At number four singles, Kenzie Bowman played the longest match of the afternoon, but Agnes Scott claimed the win with a 6-3, 6-3 score. At number five singles, the Scotties claimed another victory, beating Carmen Boone with a score of 6-0, 6-1. Finishing the afternoon with a score of 9-0, Agnes Scott took their last win of 6-1, 6-1 against Christiana Beltran. Lasting from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the women battled the Scotties, playing their hardest until the end. The BC women played some tough double and singles matches but are ready to take on the team again and hopefully claim a victory. Agnes Scott will travel to Brevard to face the tornados again on Tuesday, March 20, at 2:30 p.m.

—Carmen Boone

Photo Courtesy of the Brevard College website

Kelsey Kushner sets up a killer serve against Agnes Scott.

After a victory against Piedmont in the last game, BC Men’s Lacrosse beat Willian Peace in a score by 16-9 in a home game. BC Tornados won all the quarters but the last, losing it by one goal. They had Jackson McKaig in a good game scoring seven goals in 12 shots and two assists in the game, helping the team to get the win. Also, Sam Duffie was a major factor in the victory as he scored four goals and giving three

assists, with a further two goals from Hewitt Farr and Kyle Hunziker to Brevard. It’s worth mentioning that BC Men’s Lacrosse are in a four game winning streak and a further impressive dominant record of 6-0 in home games, with an overall record of 7-2 this season. BC Tornados will return to action on Wednesday, March 21 in an away game at Wofford College.

— Matheus Masukawa

Photo by Emily Massing

Jackson McKaig avoiding defense against William Peace on Saturday afternoon.

Women’s golf concludes fourth tournament By Jon Cole Sports Information Director

Represented by two individuals, Taylor Scovel and Kelsie Rhyne, the Brevard women’s golf team concluded its fourth tournament of the spring on Tuesday afternoon. The Tornados, who took part in the Wingate Challenge in Monroe, N.C., played on the par 72 course at the Rolling Hills Country Club which is 5,968 yards in distance. Scovel was the top finisher for Brevard, placing 54th in the event after shooting 37-over-par (181) in two rounds of play. Scovel’s scores included a 91 in the first and a 90 in the second as she was 18-over-par on Tuesday afternoon. After recording two pars on the front nine, Scovel came through with three on the back nine at the 10th, 11th and 13th holes to shave two strokes from her front

nine score. Rhyne carded a 189 for the Tornados, finishing 45-over par with rounds of 95 and 94, as she finished in 56th. The senior posted four pars on the final day and three on the front nine, which took place at the second, fifth and ninth holes. The top individual finish belonged to Ainee O’Connor (Lenoir-Rhyne), who completed a win on the first playoff against Nicola Robertson (King), who finished with a bogey. The Bears also earned first place in the team rankings with a score of 615 (312-303), edging host Wingate (311-314—625), which finished in second. Brevard concludes its 2018 women’s golf schedule next week when the Tornados travel to North Greenville to play March 26-27.