The Clarion, Vol. 83, Issue #8, Oct. 11, 2017 - Bitly

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The

Clarion

Volume 83, Issue 8

clarion.brevard.edu

Enjoy Fall Break!

Web Edition EditionSERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935

October 11, 2017

Procedures for fall break beginning on Oct. 14

Midterms are over and it’s time to enjoy a well deserved break. Brevard College students are half way through the fall semester of 2017, and with fall break approaching BC students need to be aware of all the procedures and requirements for the break. Before heading back home there are a few things that students must have completed before checking out. Once the formalities are done, all residents of BC are required to leave by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14. There is a limited shuttle schedule accessible for people who need a ride to the Asheville Airport. Reservation for the shuttles provided by the campus for the different breaks are available on my.brevard.edu under Offices, Campus Life, Housing and Residence Life, Break Closing and Airport Shuttle Request. Students with college-approved commitments (such as sports or other obligations) may be staying on campus. For example, student athletes will have to stay on campus. The gym will be closed except for scheduled team practice sessions. Myers Dining Hall will be closed until Thursday, Oct. 19, when it will re-open with limited hours. Coltrane will be closed until school starts again on Monday, Oct. 23. All students staying on campus during break are required to have a legitimate reason approved by the college, and more specifically, by Beth Abrams, Director of Housing. This is also worth noting for international students who can’t go home and will also be allowed to stay on campus. Procedures and instructions for check out will be given by RA’s the week before fall break. — Florian

Peyssonneaux

BC Paddling Club River clean-up and community involvement

By Jessica Wiegandt

Arts and Life Editor Before the rains hit Brevard for the week, BC Paddling Club members gathered at the French Broad River to clean up trash along the banks. With the help of USA Raft, based on Section 9 of the French Broad, 11 students rafted and kayaked down the 4-mile stretch on Saturday, Oct. 7. Senior McDara Folan works at USA Raft and helped provide rafts for the club to use. “It’s always great to see people wanting to get out and help clean up the river,” Folan said. “All the clubs help each other out here and it makes me glad to see so many people interested in serving the community.” Folan is the president of BC Greens, the environmental club on campus, and often finds himself involved with various clubs that share common interests. Isabel Edwards, a president of Paddling Club, felt the clean-up was successful and got a lot of people out on the water. “Having access to rafts is a game changer,” Edwards said. “We were able to bring so many more people along and it was a great time out on the water while we cleaned up litter.”

The majority of the group rafting had never seen whitewater before and many of the students had never run Section 9 of the French Broad either. Two of the four students in kayaks had a personal first descent of the section. “I was really impressed with how far I’ve come along in the past year kayaking,” Gabe Neckolaishen, a junior WLEE student and paddling club member, said. “I used to be afraid of doing a wet exit [a way to exit the kayak safely underwater] and today I was chasing down trash in the river and felt really comfortable.” Paddling Club is committed to providing a community where novice and advanced paddlers intermingle, teaching and learning from one another. The club frequently interacts with the Western North Carolina community of paddlers and has recently been co-planning collegiate meet-ups with surrounding universities and colleges. On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Clemson University Whitewater Club and BC’s Paddling Club joined together on the Lower Green River for a beginSee ‘Paddling Club’ on page 4

Photo by Jessica Wiegandt

Participants of the Paddling Club service project hold up some of the trash collected during the paddle.

Campus News

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October 11, 2017

Former BC student fatally shot near WCU campus

A former Brevard College student and soccer player was fatally shot Friday night in Cullowhee near Western Carolina University, where he had transferred and was a junior studying computer information systems. Jacob Alexander Ray, a 21-year-old WCU student from Hendersonville, was shot and seriously injured around midnight Friday on Old Cullowhee Road adjacent to the university campus, according to media reports. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville and died Monday after being removed from life support. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting: Aja Makalo, 19, and Zavion Southerland, 17, both of Charlotte. WLOS-TV is reporting that law enforcement search warrants indicate Ray knew Makalo, a female student at WCU, and that Ray may have been involved in drug activity.

Campus Security Report

The most recent security reports for Brevard College have been released as of Monday, Oct. 9, according to the Brevard College Campus Security. Fortunately, there was no substantial damage caused by the portion of the hurricane that the area received and that the campus was following the storm closely and were prepared to warn everyone in a timely manner if something were to happen. It was noticed that students were playing in the Kings Creek during the storm. It should be reminded that when there is high water it is a dangerous practice to swim in the creek and not permitted. Exercise extreme caution when the water is above the normal levels. It has also been noticed that over the past several weeks there have been several broken windows (both for buildings and vehicles) around campus. It is quite possible that the person or persons committing these acts of vandalism are not affiliated with the campus. If anyone is aware of people engaging in these activities, please call security so an officer can respond in a timely manner. Everyone is requested to contact Campus Security at (828)-577-9590 if wrongful or suspicious activity is observed on campus. — Zach Dickerson

Ray enrolled at Brevard College as a freshman in the fall of 2014. He had been recruited by then-new mens soccer coach Bradley Morrison and played one season on the Tornado team, but he transferred after one semester at BC. Several of his teammates from that 2014 season—Jesse Omezi, Daniel Taylor, Austin Wolfe and Ty and Andrew Stubbs—are now seniors and say they are distraught at the news about their former class- and teammate. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for tonight on the WCU campus. Chancellor David O. Belcher said in a statement, “The entire Western Carolina University community mourns the loss of such a promising young life. We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Jacob Ray during this unimaginably difficult time. Jacob Ray will always be a Catamount.” —Reporting by Jordon Morgan and Taffon Alexander

Photo from The Asheville Citizen Times

Western Carolina student Jacob Ray

What to do in case of an active shooter on BC campus Zach Dickerson

Campus News Editor Due to the recent events in Las Vegas, the Clarion Staff feels that it would be greatly helpful if the college population were made aware of the procedure for what to do if there were an active shooter on Brevard College campus. The following information is from the Brevard College Emergency Response Plan and is based on past experiences as these types of incidents are unpredictable. When you become aware of the situation, safely exit the building and move away from the immediate path of danger. Notify anyone you may encounter to exit the building, find a safe area, take protective cover, call 911 and Campus Security and stay in the safe area until assistance arrives. The information to give authorities would be your name, location of the incident (be specific), number of shooters (if known), identification or description of shooter(s), number of people who may be involved, your exact location and injuries to anyone (if known).

Everyone else not impacted by the situation, take protective cover and stay away from windows and doors until otherwise notified. If you are not able to leave the building where the incident is taking place then go to the nearest room or office, close and lock the door, turn off all the lights, seek protective cover, stay quiet and act like no one is in the room, don’t answer the door, call 911 and Campus Security and tell them the same information as stated before and wait for police or security to assist you. The Brevard College Campus Security maintains contact with the Brevard Police Department and the Transylvania County Sheriff Department to help with immediate response to the campus should they be needed. A more detailed procedure for this scenario and many others is available in the Brevard College Emergency Response Plan which can be accessed on the Brevard College website under Campus Safety in the Life At BC section.

October 11, 2017 | The Clarion

Campus News

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Senior Profile: Scarlett Rodgers A librarian in the making

By Jordon Morgan

Editor in Chief English major and Literary Criticism emphasis student Scarlett Rodgers, like many other commuter students here at Brevard College, sought a convenient but accommodating academic experience and found it at BC. Rodgers is studying to become a librarian. Rodgers chose BC because the customary tour that the college offers all prospective students impressed her and the campus is only 25 minutes away from her home near Hendersonville. When it came to her choice of major, her career aspirations were the primary factor. “I want to be a librarian and my mom helped me with that kind of stuff. I definitely didn’t want to do history,” Rodgers said. With this, she managed to avoid a common pitfall of indecisiveness that befalls many college students when it comes to choosing a major and career. Another factor was the time she would have had to spend in school. “I wanted to do the teaching thing, but that would have taken too long. The teaching licensure would have taken another year, and I didn’t want to do that,” Rodgers said, laughing. Among all of the classes she’s taken, Rodgers said that Dr. John Padgett’s Gothic Literature class was her favorite. “I really liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle and was looking forward to reading that,” Rodgers said. “I also really liked our discussions we’d have for everything we read and it was really fun.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, Scarlett considers World Religions to be her least favorite class, though that isn’t necessarily an indictment on the class or the instructor. “It wasn’t bad but it was just too much information. It didn’t really fit with my personal learning style,” she said. The big question, or at least one of many, for any college student is where they like to study. For Rodgers, it’s pretty simple, “[i]f I’m here [at BC] I go to the library, but I usually go home,” she said. Being an English major, writing papers is obviously a big component to her academic work, and Rodgers does so in a bit of an unorthodox way. She said, “I usually write it out all at once and edit as I go. My rough draft isn’t bad. I usually just do my intro, state what I’m doing, and then do it.” She also said that her favorite instructor is a

three-way tie between Dr. Ken Chamlee, Dr. Tina Holland, and Dr. John Padgett, with her saying that “it’s hard to decide” on a hands down favorite. All of the classes that they taught offered unique and interesting experiences of their own. Currently, her Senior Project idea is an analysis on the use of different types of comedy by various authors in literature. Citing authors such as Flannery O’Conner and William Faulkner, Rodgers said that she aims to look at different types of comedy (i.e. satiric or dark) and explain

the various processes and elements sthat go into creating them. When she graduates from BC this coming spring, Rodgers will seek to attain a Masters Degree in Library Science, though she isn’t sure which university she’ll attend. For now, she will continue to work at the Transylvania County Library part time and also continue her work study at the Jones Library here at BC, which will help hone her skills as a future librarian.

Photo by Jordon Morgan

Senior Scarlett Rodgers

Campus news

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October 11, 2017

College Stress, Don’t Panic! Paddling By Jeni Welch

Copy Editor Stress levels of college students always seem to be higher during the test season but BC offers programs and ideas to help lower the stress levels. “Student stress levels will go up when they see their midterm grades,” Shirley Arnold, the Associate Dean for Student Success and Director of the Academic Enrichment, said. “It is a reality check for most students half way in the semester.” The main problem that students have is time management. Arnold said, “Students panic and convince themselves that they do not have enough time. So, do not panic, take steps and find ways to help alleviate the stress.” She suggests make a calendar and seeing where time is missing and how you can make more time to study or complete work. BC has the Experiential Learning Center located in the library with tutoring hours. The librarians are also available to help with finding books and assisting with research ideas. “Find a study partner or group of other students and come work in the ELC,” Arnold said. “Come and use the materials available to you.” Some faculty members offer study sessions to also help students to not overstress assignments and tests. Along with taking steps to assist in the knowledge of a subject it is also important that

Wednesday:

Pool Tournament @ 9 p.m. Coltrane

Thursday:

FCA meeting @8:15 p.m. Stanback Conference Room

students take care of themselves. An average of seven to nine hours of sleep a night is needed, according to the Sleep Foundation, for persons between the ages of 18-25. Students that are overstressed begin to chip away time from their sleep schedules. This could result in a downward spiral where the students then miss early classes. “Sleeping and eating habits are critical to students,” Arnold said. Along with preparing for tests, students also need to stop and take a couple deep breathes. Arnold said, “find a hobby or an activity of enjoyment and take a little time for yourself.” Use it to clear the mind and then get back to the studying or homework. Talking to Shirley Arnold, Davis Smith or Nacole Potts about academic counseling is also an option for students. Arnold’s last advice for students is to use the technology that you have. Setting alarms on cellphones or tablets can remind you of classes, tests or due dates for papers. If interested in the tutoring schedule it can be found on MyBrevard at, https://my.brevard. edu/ICS/Offices/Academic_Enrichment_Center/Free-form_Content.jnz. The schedule will be different during finals week but otherwise the times should not change.

Club

Continued from Page 1

ner’s trip. There were 15 paddlers between the two clubs and another collegiate paddling trip is being planned for the spring semester. “It’s important to make connections with other collegiate paddlers in the area,” Katie Jackson, Clemson’s club president, said. “A lot of students have no idea there are so many other paddlers their age around here. And it’s a lot of fun to get out on the river with multiple school clubs.” On the French Broad River clean up, a kayaker from UNC-Asheville joined to help pick up trash. Zax Milkereit, the paddler from UNCA, typically paddles with his school club but now is hoping to have his club join with BC’s in the future. The students from BC who paddled on Saturday expressed the day on the water was an enjoyable one and they look forward to future events. “I want to keep our club active. I want people to feel like this is a club worth joining,” Edwards said. “We want to see a lot of people come out to our events and we want people to feel like they’re welcome in this community, regardless of prior experience. Paddling is fun and this is a special community worth getting involved in.”

This week at BC: Friday:

Free Bowling @ 8 p.m. Rockin Bowl (bring student ID)

Mens Soccer vs LaGranga @ 4 p.m. Womens Soccer vs LaGranga @ 1 p.m.

Saturday:

BC Football vs Methodist @ 1 p.m. Mens Soccer vs Covenant @ 4:30 p.m. Womens Soccer vs Huntingdon @ 7 p.m. BC Volleyball vs Huntingdon @ 3 p.m.

October 11, 2017 | The Clarion

Campus news

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Presidential Historian Jon Meacham

“America Then & Now: What History Tells Us About Our Future” By Florian Peyssonneaux Opinion Editor

Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jon Meacham captured the crowd’s attention during his lecture at Brevard College’s Porter Center on Thursday, Sept. 28. Meacham’s presentation, “America Then & Now: What History Tells Us About Our Future” was part of the J.R. McDowell Speaker Series. A prominent scholar and writer, Jon Meacham grew up in Chattanooga, Tenn., and went to the Sewanee University of the South, a “combination of Downton Abbey and Deliverance” said Meacham. Talking about his passion for reading and spending time in libraries, Meacham said that he had the opportunity to meet with Donald Trump in 2016 during the presidential campaign. “That didn’t take long” said Meacham followed by the crowd’s laughter. During his interview with Trump, he said to Meacham that he never read his books, but he recognized him front TV shows. “I kind of appreciated the candor there. Trump was being authentic” said Meacham. The reality is, according to Meacham, that “we have the most unconventional president in American history.” Continuing, he said, “that’s not a partisan point; it’s not a clever point; it’s simply a historical fact. Every other occupant of the office has had significant military or political experience.” The two numbers that for Meacham are most responsible for the situation we are in now are that only 19 percent of Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing “some or most of the time.” This number has dropped steadily for the past 50 years. “I think that was kind of the gasoline on the garage floor of the 2016 election” said Meacham. “To torture the metaphor a little bit, the match is the number $130,000.” In reality the average household income is around $58,000 a year. The gap between those two numbers was one of the reasons why people had enough of the ‘normal’ candidates which led Trump to win the election. Meacham was very confident about Hillary Clinton winning the race, but that was without counting the image of the savior of the American people that Trump developed during the campaign. Meacham made many comparisons between Andrew Jackson and Trump. Talking about Trump’s lack of strategy during the 2016 campaign, he referred back to Andrew Jackson, saying that “Jackson was a chess player.” But “this president is more of an ‘Angry Birds’ kind of guy,” he reacts to what is in front of him, and doesn’t plan ahead,” according to Meacham. To represent the different styles of leadership that U.S presidents were representing, Meacham talked about the five traits that great leaders have had, and that people in general should have when facing critical situations. Those traits are curiosity, candor, humility, optimism and empathy. When writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote one of the most famous sentences in American history. “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Meacham commented that this precise phrase redefined human liberty in general. In this sentence, Jefferson changed the way Americans would pursue their dreams, and the way they live forever. “But he could not have written if he had not be a man of knowledge, of curiosity, of questioning,” said Meacham.

Then, Meacham defined candor as the frankness of American duties in the homeland and abroad. For Meacham, the third trait is humility. To prove his point, he used the example of President John F. Kennedy who had the courage to admit a mistake as a president of the U.S which was crucial, but finding a way to fix it was even more important. To solve the problem of the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy called “the one person on the planet to whom he least wished to appear mistaken: Dwight Eisenhower” he said. With Russia deploying nuclear missiles close to major American cities, the threat was huge. In fear of a nuclear war between Russia and the U.S, Kennedy remembered what Eisenhower had told him, so Kennedy brought all his military advisors and the government agencies in one room for 13 days in order to make a common decision and resolve the conflict peacefully. Nevertheless, Meacham also acknowledge that being President of the U.S is very challenging because of the humility it requires. Presidents are surrounded and supported by people who approve their decisions, and they see pictures of themselves doing great thing everywhere on the walls of the White House. “Your entire universe, if you’re in that culture, is one of reinforcement, not of challenge” said Meacham. Meacham said the fourth character trait is optimism, regardless of the facts and situation. “If we believe in our better angels, then we are more willing to make that sacrifice,” said Meacham. This is also true for the Americans who need to have hope and faith for a better future. Meacham added that the final characteristic of great leaders is empathy. Even though it is not often used to describe politicians, Meacham referred to George H.W. Bush to explain it. He gave the example of George H.W Bush who was great in obstacle races in high school and helped a student who was doing poorly even though this would mean losing the race for the first time. In 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, Bush contradicted all his counselors and refused to go to Berlin. He feared that his presence would place Gorbachev in a bad situation with the Russians. “He had his eye on the long view when everyone else was thinking about that news cycle” said Meacham. In the world we are living in today the solution to solve problem is through critical thinking. “You can’t think in 140 characters” said Meacham criticizing social medias. “That’s not a shot at the president, it’s all of us.” Meacham also embodies the fact that people should be talking face to face with an open mind when it comes to debate. People shouldn’t write online what they wouldn’t say to someone in person. Meacham closed with reading part of a letter President George H.W. Bush wrote to his mother after his daughter died from leukemia, and the need for a daughter to balance the boys in the house. This speech was the only piece of note that Meacham had written down on paper, so he could read it to the audience just like he asked Bush to read it when Meacham was working on his biography. Bush collapsed just by reading it, and the reason why he made him read the letter was for a single reason. “If you want to know someone’s heart, you have to know what breaks it.”

Opinion

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October 11, 2017

Vegas: [currently] largest mass murder in U.S. When is it a good time to talk gun control? By Jordon Morgan Editor in Chief



As reported by the New York Times on Oct. 1, “[a] gunman [Stephen Paddock, 64, from Mesquite, Nev.] on a high floor of a Las Vegas hotel rained a rapid-fire barrage on an outdoor concert festival on Sunday night, leaving at least 59 people dead, injuring 527 others, and sending thousands of terrified survivors fleeing for cover, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.” Admittedly, this is a common question asked when something like this happened, but it bears repeating, when is it enough? At what point do we ask ourselves, all of us, when we should do something, anything, about our gun problem? Does it not seem a little ridiculous that a person can somehow acquire, according to the Times report, “at least 23 firearms, including a handgun?” Given that information, is it possible to ask of ourselves, “maybe America has a major problem and obsession with guns?” Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive enough to believe that if we somehow manage to pass sensible (the key word here) gun control, it will magically fix the problem, but it would be a good first step. Granted, the Times report indicated that, “Christopher Sullivan, general manager of Guns & Guitars, a gun shop in Mesquite, Nev., confirmed that Mr. Paddock had bought three guns at his shop — a handgun and two rifles — within the last year. All the purchases were legal and cleared routine federal screening, Mr. Sullivan said.” And perhaps, even with tighter gun control, something like this would have happened, but would it have been as disastrous? If Paddock had no access to firearms, yes, maybe he could have had some other means of causing destruction, but again, it’s doubtful it would have been as catastrophic. When 20 school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School were killed in 2012, it seemed obvious that something should have been done, but nothing was. To put it in perspective, following a tragic mass shooting in Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia in April 1996, when a man used two semiautomatic rifles to kill 35 people, and wound a further 19, the government responded quickly - less than three months after the event, Australia completely banned all rapid-fire long guns, including those that were already privately owned, and introduced strict punishments for anyone caught in possession of the weapons - including jail time, per a report by Science Alert. According to MSN News, over 11,000 people in the US were killed by a gun in 2016 — representing more than two-thirds of all homicides, which include murder and manslaughter. MSN also cites a report by Mother Jones that details the fact that since 1982, there have been over 90 mass shootings, “mass shootings” being defined as four or more people being killed in a single incident, though the overall number of people killed in mass shootings each year represents only a tiny percentage of the total number. There is a significant difference in overall culture of course, but is it not at least a little bit of evidence that something like this could work, especially if our government gave financial incentive and bought guns back from citizens, as Australia did? Going further, the MSN report explains that “The White House said now is not the time to be debating gun control.” Well when is it a good time? What does it take for us, as Americans, to look at ourselves and decide to do something? Anyone out there who considers themselves gun advocates, I ask, with no irony, sarcasm, or cynicism, what is to be done? It is understandable that Americans want to feel safe and have protection, but that is ironically part of the problem. Too often we allow ourselves to

be consumed with fear, whether that be fear of immigrants, Muslims, or in this case what a stranger with a gun will do, to the point that it prevents us from having any rational discussion about what to do. “Don’t politicize events like these,” it is often said, mostly coming from people who politicize events and happenings constantly (climate change or evolution anyone?). Yes, the Second Amendment, just like the other 27, is important, but it also has, or at least should have, reasonable restrictions. Freedom of the press and freedom of speech for instance are vital, nay essential, parts of any functioning democracy (in this humble writer’s opinion more so than making sure you have a tool specifically designed to kill another human being). However, they have reasonable restrictions. One can’t incite violence by calling for violent action against a group or person. As a journalist, one also can’t simply fabricate information to suit their desires, as that could damage innocent people’s reputations and even destroy their lives. Firearms are far, far more dangerous because they can literally kill someone, accidentally or otherwise, in the span of a second. At the risk of sounding philosophical, human beings are volatile, emotional creatures, and letting everyone have such dangerous weapons without caution is a recipe for disaster. Simply put, the United States has an unhealthy, bordering on sick, obsession with firearms. As mentioned before, restricting gun access certainly won’t fix the issue overnight, but it would be a positive first step.

BC students speak about Las Vegas mass shooting

“My cousin was there. I think people are taking away from it things they shouldn’t. Instead of grieving, people jump on gun control and other things first.” —Sarah Stamper, Senior Business Major “Sadly, I’m not really surprised anymore when I hear about gun attacks. They seem to be happening a lot in recent years. However, I was surprised and saddened that so many people were hurt and killed in this attack. It’s horrible that this has happened, and I hope that steps are taken to prevent something like this from happening again.” —Scarlett Rodgers, Senior English Major “The attack certainly made me feel sad and angry for those who fell victim—a couple of years ago I stayed at a hotel less than a mile from there, so it’s strange to recognize the area and to realize that it could have just as easily happened then. It made me feel dispirited—as these attacks become more common, I acknowledge that each one sets a precedent for another. Just look at how many school shootings happened after Columbine. Mental health needs to become one of this country’s primary concerns rather than conveniently ignored/downplayed by the masses. More and more I acknowledge the importance to stay informed, and unfortunately, to a certain degree—to stay on edge.” —Shane Sentelle, Junior Psychology Major “I was terrified when I first heard about the shooting, and the fear doesn’t go away. I don’t understand why someone would randomly kill so many people, and why the target was a crowd enjoying a concert. It makes me afraid to go out and enjoy myself with a group of people I can relate to. No one should have to worry about risking their life just by being in public.” —Caroline Vargas, Freshman WLEE Major

October 11, 2017 | The Clarion

Arts & Life

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BC Pride Club attends Asheville Pride Festival

By Alexis Henley

Contributor On Sept. 30, 2017, several members of BC’s Diversity and Pride Club traveled to the Asheville Blue Ridge Pride Festival that took place in Downtown Asheville in Pack Square Park from 11a.m. to 7 p.m. The festival contained about 150 different booths to feed, clothe, accessorize, entertain and educate the festival goers. Upon arrival, BC students split into groups to explore all it had to offer. Immediately, students obtained a plethora of free goodies that various banks, such as Suntrust, Wells Fargo and TD Bank, were giving away through spinning a prize wheel or a disk drop game. Some of the various goodies includes chargers, lanyards, stickers, little pride flags and even a tiny piggy bank. There was also memorabilia for purchase such as three-by-five feet pride flags with a variety of different colored stripes representing the different sexual orientations. Many of the attendees tied the flags around their necks like capes and some booths offered face paint where one could get a flag painted on their cheek if they so wished. The festival was intended to be a joyful and inclusive celebrations but there were protest groups targeting the event and those in attendance. Members of BCDPC who attended the festival last year reported that there were a significant less amount of protesters this year than the previous. The members of the BCDPC who attended pride were advised by club president, Dal Davis, and vice-president, Daniel Ethridge, during

the meeting before the festival on how to “deal with the haters.” The premise of the lesson was to ignore the taunting and enjoy the time spent at the festival. Among the many booths a white sign was placed with the question “What is pride to you?” written on it. Attendees were invited to write what they thought on the sign. Some of the answers were pride is “community,” “acceptance,” “beautiful” and “being yourself.” Many of the booths provided the opportunity to learn about great organizations in the community and country dedicated to social justice some specific to the LGBTQ+ community and some not. A few of the organizations include Tranzmission, Center for Spiritual Living, Homeward Bound, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Youth OUTright WNC. Tranzmission is an entirely volunteer run organization with a mission to help make the lives of non binary and transgender people safer, healthier and happier through education, advocacy, and support. Center for Spiritual Living is a center that supports the LGBTQ+ community, performs marriage ceremonies and hosts a Rainbow Circle to provide support, discussion, sharing and service. Homeward Bound is an organization focused on ending homelessness in Asheville and Buncombe County. The organization offers permanent housing, stability and support. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the nation’s largest non-profit dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.

Youth OUTright is an youth advocacy and leadership organization that provides affirmation, information, support and resources to LGBT youth from the ages of 14-23 across 18 counties in Western North Carolina. The BCDPC met up at the main stage at 3:00 p.m to watch the Pride Drag Show featuring several previous winners of Miss Blue Ridge Pride, such as Coco Couture and Ginger Von Snap, along with the new Miss Blue Ridge Pride Anna Tomical. They performed to popular songs like “Shatter Me” by Lindsey Stirling and “Zero to Hero” from the Disney movie Hercules. After the Pride Drag Show ended the group watched another Drag Show put on by members of Youth OUTright. Some danced and performed songs like “Born this Way” by Lady Gaga and “The Man” by The Killers, while others talked about their experiences going to Youth OUTright.

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 . . . . . . Jessica Wiegandt Sports . . . . . . . . Calum McAndrew Layout & Design . . . Jeni Welch Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett

Other Staff Amber Blanton Carmen Boone Amanda Heskett

Lauren Fowler Cody Manning Taffon Alexander

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 Photo by Heather Kirkland

(From left to right) Lilyan Lund, Chloe McGee, Luna Rockhill, Savannah Crump, Alexis Henley and Daniel Ethridge pose for a club photo in Asheville.

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.

Page 8

Netflix Review:

Arts & Life

Netflix Original: ‘Sahara’ an absolute disaster By Jordon Morgan

[zero stars]

Editor in Chief Let’s not beat around the bush, the Netflix Original (and I use that word loosely) “Sahara” is one of the worst, most creatively bankrupt, laziest pieces of garbage that truly makes one wonder what Netflix is thinking when it comes to some of their projects. “Sahara” does boast one somewhat unique idea and that is its setting. Set in the Sahara desert (duh), the film follows a snake named Ajar and his “scorpion best friend” as the description calls him because let’s face it, you’re not gonna remember his name, seeking to rescue another snake that Ajar is smitten with from an evil snake charmer. That’s pretty much where any sense of creativity ends, because you can guess the entire plot the second you get the basic gist of it and it does not deviate from it in anyway. All of the characters are either completely flat with no discernable personality, total cliches, or ungodly annoying. The film’s biggest idea of character development is having a snake called Gary, who constantly gets high or inebriated (because there’s really no other way to put it) off the scent of pollen from a particular flower, suddenly decide, with no prior characterization or motivation, to say, “eh, I don’t need it.” I would say it’s laughable, but nothing about this movie will make you laugh. Everything about this film just screams

“LAZY,” from its awkward and unimaginative animation style, to its baffling character designs that either are so generic to the point of being forgettable, or are just so bizarre you’re left scratching your head in confusion. For instance, the “villain” of the story, the snake charmer, might as well be wearing a shirt that says “I am evil,” and he honestly makes Jafar from Aladdin look subtle. From his elongated Shang Tsung style facial hair to his snake tattoos that for some reason are kept a mystery for a few scenes it genuinely feels like the makers of this movie put about five minutes of effort into this guy’s design. Of course, that can also be said for everything else, as the overall plot of the movie is filled with so many holes you could drive a semi truck through. In addition, despite it being slightly under 90 minutes, the movie’s sheer boredom makes it feel twice as long. Nothing about this movie feels real, genuine, or heartfelt. Even in duds such as “Trolls,” there is a sense that the creators had a genuine desire to make something memorable or relatable, even if it didn’t work. With “Sahara,” there isn’t even that, it all feels so soulless, and that is a point that I’ve hammered one too many times sure, but it’s important to make clear. The creators of this movie clearly didn’t give a damn about making a good movie, so you shouldn’t care and give it the time of day.

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October 11, 2017

Video game review: ‘Max Gentlemen’

By Amanda Heskett

Staff writer The first thing the game asks is if you are of legal drinking age, then tells you that “Gentlemen never drink and drive”. It’s a positive start, but it sets up the premise of the game rather poorly. This game is about stacking as many hats as possible. It’s a game that requires concentration and coordination, in order stack more hats. The controls are fairly easy to get used to, and the concept is pretty straightforward. There is one hat that can jump at a time (it can be switched), and this hat will avoid oncoming obstacles and collect more hats. There are multiple modes, both competitive and single player. In the competitive modes, the player wins by stacking more hats than the opponent. In the single player modes, the environment gets more intense the more hats collected, and it’s much harder to keep the hats on the character’s head. There is also a local multiplayer mode, with which one can play with friends. There are also two different environments the player can stack hats, in a car, in a bar. These environments have different obstacles and means of collecting hats. Each have their own challenges. “Max Gentlemen” also has a plethora of unlockables. For instance, the player can unlock new characters and hats, and some of the characters are very interesting and tantalizing. The artwork of the game is nice and fits the feeling the game gives off, seeming very reminiscent of Victorian England. The game is definitely a challenge, and once the player gets into it, it demands attention. It requires an immense amount of concentration to do well, and the competitive modes demand even more attention than the single player modes. Not to mention, the longer you play, the more you unlock. This is a game one can easily shrug off as ridiculous, but it’s more interesting than the first impression might give off. The name of the game is interesting, but the concept may be a deterrent. This is simply a game a person has to experience for themselves in order to truly understand it.

October 11, 2017 | The Clarion

Mens Soccer beat William Peace 4-2 After William Peace was shut out in the second half By Stan Smith

Media Relations Assistant A day after losing to Greensboro, Brevard men’s soccer gets back on track by beating William Peace 4-2 Sunday afternoon. The first half saw offensive fireworks from both teams, as the two teams combined for five goals in the first 45 minutes. However, Brevard played a solid defensive performance in the second half to shut out William Peace and seal the victory. Brock Tuttle was the biggest scorer with two goals on the match, with Jesse Omezi and Jorge Jiminez each scoring a goal to contribute to the scoring for the Tornados. Omezi began the scoring at the 12 minute mark, as he drove up the right side of the field and buried the shot from inside the box to score his fifth goal of the season. At the 16 minute mark, Jorge Jimenez scored scored off a deflected ball from a Pacer defender inside the box to make the score 2-0. William Peace answered at the 20 minute mark, as Chris Deleon scored his tenth goal of the season to cut the deficit in half. Two minutes later, the Pacers tied the match as Kevin Amaya found the back of the net for his first goal of the year. At 28 minutes in, Tuttle broke the tie when he drilled a shot from inside the box off another deflected ball. Both teams improved their defensive play in the second half, as Brevard and Williams Peace combined for just eight shots in the final 45 minutes of the match. The last goal of the match came at the 86 minute mark, as Tuttle scored off an assist from Xavier Mariduena for his fourth goal of the season. Brevard goalkeeper Eric Lenhart recorded his first victory of the season, as he tallied five saves while only allowing two goals on the match. The Tornados will return to action October 13th on the road against LaGrange.

Sports BC Cycling Team comes out strong in SECCC

Page 9

By Jon Cole

Sports Information Director The Brevard cycling team closed out a solid weekend of competition at the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Championship (SECCC), hosted by King University. Teammates Carson Beckett and Walker Shaw were recognized for their performances throughout the season as they brought home first and second place, respectively, in the conference individual championships. Beckett and Shaw received the honor based off an accumulation of points from race results through the entire conference schedule. Brevard wrapped up the King University event with eight top five finishes, including a first place in the Dual Slalom by Shaw. Beckett reached the podium with second place finishes in the cross country and short track events. Janelle Cole highlighted the women’s team,

crossing the line in third in the cross country event, while teammate Elijah Hyatt closed out his collegiate career with a third place (dual slalom) and fifth place (short track). “King College was the perfect way to close the loop of my SECCC mountain biking experience,” said Cole. “My first mountain bike race ever here ended three laps early in a fit of absolute rage. I’m happy to say today went much better, personally and for the team, because we had impressive finishes across the board. After today, I have no doubt that the Tornados are ready to absolutely dominate at Collegiate Mountain Biking Nationals.” Brevard closes out the season at the Collegiate Mountain Biking Nationals, which are set for Oct. 20-22 in Missoula, Montana.

Womens Tennis takes lead By Carmen Boone

Staff Writer Brevard College womens tennis had a match on Wednesday, Oct. 4. It was held at 2 p.m. against Montreat College. The match began with doubles, and then transitioned into singles. BC coach Evan Schreiner said,“make your mountain so big that they can’t climb it,” prior to the match and the Tornados took the lead. Number one doubles team, Kelsey Kushner and Jennifer Cox, had a close match but came out with a win and a score of 8-6. The number two doubles team consisted of Margaret Correll and Mekenzie Bowman, crushing Montreat College with a score of 8-3. Number three doubles, Katie Hatter and Carmen Boone, had a tough loss of 5-8. In singles, Kushner held seed one, seed two was filled by Cox. Seed three was Correll,

seed four Bowman, seed five Hatter and seed six Boone. Kushner played a tough match but lost 4-6, 1-6 to Montreat. Cox finished with a win of 6-3, 6-4. Next was Correll, who won 6-4, 6-2. Bowman battled Montreat but came out with a loss of 3-6, 5-7. Hatter was last to finish and lost with a score of 4-6, and finished the second set with tiebreaker for a score of 6-7. Boone came out with a win of 6-2, 6-1. Brevard College women’s tennis ultimately won the match against Montreat College with five wins and four losses. Finishing the first match of the season with a win, the women’s tennis team will go into the spring season with an undefeated record of 1-0, a very positive start for BC women’s tennis.

Photo by Carmen Boone

Kelsey Kushner hits a winner on Wednesday Oct. 4 against Montreat College.

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Sports

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October 11, 2017

Homecoming victory for Tornados

BC football victorious over Virginia-Lynchburg 21-14 By Jon Cole

Sports Information Director Brevard running back Nazayah Brown found daylight as he scampered 31 yards for a touchdown, following a pass from O’Shay Carter, to help Brevard earn a 21-14 victory over Virginia Lynchburg on Homecoming Weekend. The Tornados’ offense, which sputtered for a majority of contest, put together a pair a fourth quarter drives that were instrumental in the second victory this season. A 92-yard kickoff return by Tomas Newman to open the second half provided Virginia Lynchburg with a 14-7 advantage heading into the final quarter as Brevard’s offense looked to get back on track. The Tornados managed to do exactly that as they began their opening drive of the fourth quarter at the 33-yard line. Carter opened with a 20-yard completion to Bubba Craven to move into Virginia Lynchburg territory. Two plays later Carter again hit Craven, this time for a 14-yard gain, as Brevard moved to the 16, following a personal foul by Marvin Grunshie. The rhythm between the junior quarterback and his leading receiver continued on the following play as he hit Craven in stride for the gametying 16-yard touchdown. Brevard’s defense stepped up in a clutch moment on Virginia Lynchburg’s first possession of the fourth, allowing one first down as it forced a 34-yard punt to set up the offense on its own 20-yard line with a little over ten minutes remaining. Carter opened the drive with a 14-yard pass to Craven before finding Tyler Gregory down the middle for a 37-yard gain that moved the Tornados to the Dragon 31-yard line. Two plays later, Nazayah Brown broke free of three Virginia Lynchburg defenders as he gave Brevard a 21-14 lead on the 31-yard touchdown. Brevard’s defense helped complete the victory, allowing just three first downs in the final 10 plays of the contest. Carter capped off another solid outing for the Tornados, finishing

with three touchdowns and 273 yards passing by virtue of a 25-for-36 performance. He becomes the third Brevard quarterback, since the team moved to the NCAA ranks in 2007, to have at least two multi-TD passing performances in the same season. The others were Kye Hamilton in 2008 and Aaron Reese in 2011. Craven was also instrumental in the Brevard offense, tallying 271 total yards on the afternoon, as he hauled in eight catches for 112 yards and a pair of scores. Craven becomes the first receiver since 2007 to have two games in which he caught at least two touchdowns. Defensively, the combination of Jinsly Jhon and Jason Nieradka caused havoc for the Tornados, who came away with 61 total tackles, including 13 tackles for losses totaling 49 yards. Virginia Lynchburg’s offense was also slowed by 17 penalties for 149 yards. The Tornado offense got off to a quick start, taking over at their own 40-yard line after a 31-yard return by Xavier Brown. Carter surgically picked apart the Dragon defense, hitting Nazayah Brown, Gregory and Xavier Brown in succession to move to the Virginia Lynchburg 33. Two plays later, with the Tornados at the Virginia Lynchburg 22, Carter hit an open Craven who scored the first points of the contest. Brevard cross over midfield in its second drive of the game, but the Dragon defense kept the Tornados out of the endzone as they forced a Tyler Beam punt. The third Tornado possession of the opening half ended on a Hopkins fumble at the Brevard 39, recovered by Derwin Whitt. That miscue resulted in the first Virginia Lynchburg score as the Dragons put together an eight-play, 39-yard drive that resulted in a Thomas Jones 14-yard pass to Kevin McBride that pulled the Dragons within one point. Virginia Lynchburg capped off the opening half with 220 yards on 34 plays, including 150 through the air, while Brevard countered with 117 yards of total offense that was keyed by 88 yards passing. Brevard’s season continues next Saturday, Oct. 14 when the Tornados head to Methodist University for a 1 p.m. contest with the Monarchs.

Photo Courtesy: Tommy Moss

BC football players celebrate victory over Virginia Lynchburg at the Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 7.