The Clarion, Vol. 82, Issue #12 - Nov. 30, 2016 - Brevard College

2 downloads 264 Views 632KB Size Report
Nov 30, 2016 - For the first time in Brevard College history a climbing team will compete as a collegiate sport after re
The

Clarion

Volume 82, Issue 12 Web Edition

Look for a movie review on page 7!

clarion.brevard.edu

SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935

November 30, 2016

BC presents new Climbing Team

Members of the Climbing Team pose in front of the “Welcome to Tennessee” sign as they head to one of their competitions.

By Florian Peyssonneaux Staff Writer

For the first time in Brevard College history a climbing team will compete as a collegiate sport after recent approval from the Board of Trustees. The team was already competing in the Appalachian Division, but now raise to a higher level of acclaim by becoming the newest officially recognized NCAA team on campus. The climbing team will compete in the NCAA like many of the athletic sides at BC, and will following the normal athletics calendar. For the time being, nearly a dozen students are part of the team, and are looking forward to competitive competition. The Tornados climbing team will compete against other schools under three different categories such as sport, speed-climbing, and bouldering. In sport climbing the anchors are permanently on the rock, while bouldering is a more simple form of climbing without a rope, that requires short and strong moves. In

the speed category, the climber has to scale a 10-meter wall. Brevard College Vice President for Strategic Planning and Athletics Juan Mascaro commented on the new addition to the athletics department, saying “Rock climbing will be an exciting addition to our athletic program here at Brevard.” The climbing team follows the route that Brevard’s cycling team took few years ago when the team made the switch from a successful club to an officially recognized team. Similar to cycling, BC climbing team has the geographical advantage over other schools. Indeed, Brevard has an ideal location for rock climbing with spots like Looking Glass Rock located in Pisgah National Forest, or Brevard Rock Gym if the climbers want to practice inside. Travis Gray who is an alumni of Brevard College, and sponsor of the team, as of Monday, Nov. 21 assumes the role of head coach of the climbing team.

Photo courtesy of Audrey Ashburner

“This magnificent group of students are true champions on this campus, and the potential for each of them is endless. There is truly no height that each of them cannot reach on and off the wall. I am truly honored to help mentor them to many more accomplishments as their coach” said Gray. BC student Audrey Ashburner who is also the president of the climbing club contributed to make this transition from club to competitive team. “I have been working towards turning the climbing club into a competitive sports team for the past two years of my college career, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life,” she said. Ashburner also added, “I am so proud of what the club has accomplished, and overjoyed with all of the support I received from Brevard College and the Brevard community in order to make this possible.”

Page 2

Campus News

The Clarion

|

November 30, 2016

Students discuss action: What to do about Standing Rock By Jessica Wiegandt Arts & Life Editor

Students Lauren Fowler and Ben Saettel hosted an open meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 16 to discuss the course of action for the Standing Rock fundraiser. About 30 students, faculty and community members attended the meeting in MG 125. The week before, students at the SGA meeting had approved $1,000 to be donated to the Standing Rock protesters. “In order to get the entire campus community involved, we’re putting that money toward a fundraiser,” Fowler said at the meeting. One local in attendance, Harmony Blue, pushed the meeting forward calling students to action. A brief history on the movement for the Dakota Access Pipeline was given and Blue then went into what was happening as the students sat in the room. The pipeline was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, though protesters are blocking developments from continuing. According to Energy Transfer, the projected plan for the pipeline is a total of 1,172 miles of a 30-inch diameter pipeline starting in Bakken and Three Forks, N.D. and terminating in Patoka, Ill. “Our police, the law enforcement meant to protect citizens of the United States, are gassing protesters and shooting cold water on the crowds of people,” Blue said, “It’s time to take action and make a stand. We need to do this now.” Others felt the school would be able to do more if a meticulously- planned fundraiser occurred in the spring semester. Discussions of how to raise awareness on campus came to attention, as Dal Davis, President of Pride Club, mentioned the Climate Change Initiative press conference happening on campus the following morning. “Pride Club will be there with pamphlets and later we’re going to move on to the caf,” Davis said as he held up an example. The mentioning of the press conference sparked an idea within Fowler as she suggested a larger campaign than just that of Standing Rock. Lance Perl, SGA Speaker of the Clubs,

agreed. “There are a lot of issues we can focus on, Standing Rock isn’t the only one,” Perl said. “I think if we do this really well we could put on an entire event.” Associate professor of Environmental Science and Ecology Robert Cabin, Ph.D., had recently delivered a presentation on the realities of climate change and the intertwined relationship of politics. Student Audrey Ashburner suggested Cabin along with other knowledgeable speakers attend the fundraiser event and give various opinions. “This can turn into a keynote event and we can make a difference not only with Standing Rock but also be a voice for the environment as a whole,” Ashburner said. “We can be a voice for sustainability, which this college already focuses on but we can make it a reality with this event.” Fowler divided tasks among students and determined another meeting would be beneficial to give guidance on a direction for the fundraiser.

The students hope to gain access to the Porter Center and have an event with multiple speakers and live music in the spring. “This can almost turn into a festival where the entire community can come together and learn about the realities of climate change, pipelines and what we can do to better the world we live in,” Fowler said. For now, students have put out bins for donations in the caf. These are collections for firefighters in the area who are dedicating a lot of time to minimizing the wildfires in Western N.C. and for those protesting in Standing Rock. “Anything helps,” Blue said in the meeting, “These people have gone all the way out to Standing Rock and are making a stand for something that matters. Not everyone has the time or ability to do so but we certainly can make our best effort to support them by donating what we can.”

The Climate Reality Project

Photo by Kaelyn Martin

BC students gather outside the bell tower in cooperation with The Climate Reality Project to state their intention to have Brevard College running on 100% renewable electricity by the year 2030.

Opinion

Homeless on Thanksgiving

November 30, 2016 | The Clarion

By Ariana Welsh Contributor

“Should I really be doing this?” I leaned against the kitchen table and watched my mom’s face. It was thanksgiving day; my sister and mother had decided to try their hand at cooking again this year, and the smell of cookie dough and cake was filling the air. Yet I wasn’t going to be a part of the festivities; at least, not for the morning. Instead, I had decided to visit a homeless shelter in Hendersonville and see what it was like. I spent most of the thirty-minute car ride with my dad, who was accompanying me, in silence. A million questions buzzed in my head: had I made the right decision? How safe would I be at the shelter? Do the majority of homeless people deserve a helping hand, or is the situation they may have placed themselves in sometimes justified? Moreover, how could I treat the people I spoke to in a manner that didn’t make them uncomfortable? We turned to a cobblestone road and passed a historic train depot, refurbished with pretty yellow paint and white trim. “That’s nice.” I commented as we drove past. Opposite its far end was the Hendersonville Rescue Mission. A number of people were milling around outside, wearing ragged clothing and blank expressions. Perhaps they would have been pitiable, but something about them gave off a questionable character that made me uncomfortable and nervous. The reverend greeted me warmly, despite the fact that my visit was slightly unexpected, and led me into the women’s dormitory to meet Anita. She sat on the couch in a bathrobe and slippers, toys scattered on the carpet below her and a TV playing in the background. When I introduced myself, she gave me a bright smile and willingly agreed to be interviewed. Yet on my first question, as Anita took a long moment to pause and look up in deep thought before responding, I could tell that the conversation was hard for her.

Anita admitted she’d had a problem with alcohol addiction. She’d been to other homeless shelters in the past, and was kicked out of her previous housing due to her addiction issue. Yet Anita had managed to turn herself around. She had made up with her landowner, was staying sober, and searched for a job everyday. “This facility is more humane than some of them,” Anita said, “and if you’re willing to help yourself, they’ll definitely help you.” Anita agreed with me that the experience of getting back on your feet is hard, but worth it. “I want to set an example of how you can get on the other side of addiction.” How do people who aren’t homeless deal with and help people who are? Anita offered a wise answer for that: look more at one’s character, than his or her situation. This philosophy extends to hiring—people like Anita need a worthy chance for a clean start. Depriving them of that chance only contributes to the problems of society. The next person I spoke to offered a different perspective on homeless shelters. I found myself in the room where the women of the shelter slept. Anna sat in one of the far end beds reading a book, while her daughter Tammy sat across from her in another bed. She was about middle school or late elementary school age; she was also reading a book, like her mother. Beside Tammy, a toddler grinned at me from inside a playpen. Anna invited me to sit on the edge of the bed; once again, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for Anita and Anna’s kindness when I felt I was encroaching into such a sensitive situation. This was Anna’s first time at a homeless shelter. Previously, she’d worked at a gas station, but lost her job due to certain circumstances. Anna’s story was one that causes others with a home to pay more attention to the problem of homelessness. She was hardworking, with a bank account that she struggled to put money into and a daughter that she did her best to take care of. Anna had

Page 3

already found a new job, and she was critical of those in similar situations who didn’t make the same effort to search for one. When asked what the hardest part about homelessness was, Anna was focused on her child. “I’m worried about the exposure to my daughter—the meth addicts, people with jail terms…” Anna didn’t feel safe at the homeless shelter. She worried over her daughter; she slept with her things and prayed they’d still be there whenever she needed to leave the room and come back. She was struggling to make do with her situation, living paycheck to paycheck. “No one pays enough to be stable,” she commented. What’s a typical day like at Hendersonville Rescue Mission? We wake up at 5:30 a.m., whether we want to or not. We get breakfast at 7:30 a.m., then we’re kicked out. Thanksgiving is a special day; we’re usually not allowed to stay.” When Tammy and Anna had nowhere to go during the day, they walked around town and through the parks. “The Joseph Center is incredibly unsafe. I went there twice and I’m never going there again.” Tammy goes to school on week-days, then to the Boys and Girls club after school, but Anna noted the struggle it was to find someone to watch Tammy when she had to work off-school days. When listening to Anna and her daughter’s story, the struggle of homelessness began to sink in. I wondered what it would be like to sleep in a bed next to ten other strangers, worrying that some of them might steal all of the few possessions left. I was only staying for an hour during a thanksgiving feast, with watchful volunteers and a friendly guide, and I was still very nervous. How did Anna and Tammy eat breakfast? How did they walk back and forth from the shelter? When would their life get better? I certainly felt the importance of the Hendersonville Rescue Mission, but also noticed its shortcomings. Why didn’t the shelter look at the See ‘Homeless on Thanksgiving’ page 4

Page 4

Opinion

The Clarion

|

November 30, 2016

on BC BORG professor Homeless Thanksgiving responds to Electoral College article Continued from Page 3

Scrapping the electoral college could lead to “tyranny of the majority” By Andrew Baker Contributor

I had a few thoughts after reading Dr. Padgett’s article about the electoral college in the Nov. 16 edition of The Clarion that I thought were worth sharing. Dr. Padgett correctly says that, with this system, “voters in less populated states actually have more of a say in presidential selection than voters do in more heavily populated states like California, Texas and New York.” He states this as a negative, but I think it’s important to note that this was put in place by design. To quote FactCheck.org, “James Madison worried about what he called “factions,” which he defined as groups of citizens who have a common interest in some proposal that would either violate the rights of other citizens or would harm the nation as a whole. Madison’s fear—which Alexis de Tocqueville later dubbed “the tyranny of the majority”—was that a faction could grow to encompass more than 50 percent of the population, at which point it could “sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” A simple look at the election results by county might both clarify Madison’s concerns and show the wisdom of the electoral college design. With this view, you can see that President-Elect Trump won more than five times as many counties as Secretary Clinton, whose support was concentrated on the coasts and in a small number of other urban centers. Do we really want a system where the interests of city dwellers can dominate those of their more rural countrymen? As an extreme, images of The Hunger Games—with the coal miners of District 12 being subjugated to support the lavish life-style of the Capitol—come to mind. More to our current situation, it certainly appears as if the results of this election reflect the

heartland’s rejection of a distant bureaucracy with priorities at odds with its own. Also, if we’re concerned about the will of the majority being suppressed, then should we not also do away with the Senate, where each state has equal representation? And should we correct the mathematically disproportionate number of representatives in the House? For example, California currently has 30 times the population of New Hampshire, but only has 26.5 times the number of representatives. Another overriding principle to consider is that the framers intentionally created a system that would limit the powers of the federal government in favor of the states and the people. Although it’s been trampled on for almost eighty years now, Article I Section 8 of the Constitution enumerates the powers reserved for the federal government, and the Tenth Amendment clearly states that “The powers not delegated to the United States [the federal government] by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The designs of both the electoral college and the Senate reflect this principle. One last point. The rules of the 2016 election were set well in advance of the first campaign dollar being spent. Given that the winner would be determined not by the popular vote but by the electoral college system, the candidates allocated their limited resources accordingly. For example, I don’t believe that the Trump campaign set foot in California, knowing it was an electoral lost cause. Had the winner been determined by the popular vote, resources would have been allocated differently. Accordingly, the fact that Secretary Clinton “won the popular vote” is as irrelevant as a baseball team claiming victory after nine innings because they had more hits, even though the other team scored more runs.

homeless on a more case-by-case basis? Why weren’t there lock boxes for people to store their possessions or more separated quarters for women and children? For a week after my visit to the homeless shelter, I felt unsettled by what I’d seen. None of the questions I felt before the trip had been answered. Seeing a homeless shelter didn’t allow me to pack my thoughts or overall feelings about it into a tidy box in the back of my mind. Perhaps, I thought, it might even be easier to fix such problems in a third world country than here. Homeless shelters, deplorable conditions, and struggling lives don’t exactly fit with the rest of the successful, paved streets of America, where the country’s system—governmental, economic—is already mainly set in stone. As my dad and I drove away, I leaned out to look down on the town of Hendersonville. The brick buildings I’d seen during the apple festival had turned to white, tin roofs, chain link fences and shoddy structures, crowding together to end at the railroad.

the Clarion Senior Staff Editor in Chief . . . . Calum McAndrew Managing Editor . . . Kaelyn Martin Copy Editor . . . . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . Michael Heiskell Arts & Life . . . . . . Jessica Wiegandt Sports . . . . . . . . Campus News . . . . Layout & Design . . . Emma Moore Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett Tucker Fry Jordon Morgan

Other Staff Alex Perri Jeni Welch Bryant Baucom

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

All correspondence should be mailed to: The Clarion, Brevard College, One Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712, or send E-mail to [email protected] clarion.brevard.edu

 Letters Policy: The Clarion welcomes

letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for length or content. We do not publish anonymous letters orw those whose authorship cannot be verified.

November 30, 2016 | The Clarion

Arts & Life

Page 5

BC Theatre performs ‘The Laramie Project’ By Alex Perri Staff Writer

The Laramie Project opened to the Brevard College community Nov. 17- Nov. 20, and proved to be a poignant and moving performance of the uniquely told story of the murder of a gay college student. The show consisted entirely of excerpts taken from interviews conducted by the play’s writers, Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project. Eight actors portrayed over 80 characters in the performance that took place on the simply designed stage that went on to represent multiple scenes with just modest rearrangements of props. Each actor had a track of 11-13 characters that they switched between constantly throughout the play, sometimes changing something small about their appearance like a shirt or a hat, but sometimes not. While the production of the play itself is a creative feat of the Tectonic Theatre Project, the content is rather heavy. The script is a puzzle of excerpts from transcripts put together from over 200 interviews from the Laramie, Wyoming community as the townspeople reacted to the aftermath of one of the most brutal and incendiary gay hate crimes in the nation. Matthew Shepard was murdered in the fall of 1998 after being brutally beaten by two men he met in a bar near the University of Wyoming.

The play however, does not include Matthew Shepard as a character. It is simply a compilation of the various reactions from countless townspeople ranging from ranchers, to limo drivers, to gay professors. It is an echo of a community. The voices in the play are familiar. You see yourself in a character; feel the same way they feel. You see your parents or maybe an uncle in other characters. The similarities between voices acted on stage and ones you see throughout your day to day life are striking. It is not a well-conceived picture of society; it is a reflection of towns like yours and mine. A mirror, not a painting. The portrayal of the media’s sensationalism is especially poignant given the current climate of the news. The Laramie Project was directed by adjunct theatre faculty and guest artist, Catherine Barricklow, and she also lead the panel discussion that followed Friday night’s show. Due to the numerous character changes the play provided, BC actors were given a challenging task for this show. While most performances were adequate, a few actors stood out delivering especially moving performances. Among Brady Andrews’s characters, his performances of a Laramie detective, a hospital CEO, and a Catholic priest were emotional and nuanced, even drawing tears from the audience’s eyes in his speech as the hospital CEO

announcing the death of Matthew Shepard. Junior Lily Bartleson, also gave emotional performances across all of her characters, especially as a first responder who exposed herself to aids while attempting to save Matthew Shepard. Freshman Anthony Zuniga had perhaps the most varying range of characters from a bartender, to a thug prisoner, to a student actor at the university. His changes from character to character were almost acrobatic in differing voice inflection and personality, but he executed the different roles with an earnest believability and surprising humor in the midst of a tragic storyline. During a particularly sinking moment of the play, Lily Bartleson’s character Zubaida Ula braces the table in front of her and repeats, “We are like this!” three times. She is responding to the common sentiment members of a community feel after a terrible crime happens that this couldn’t have happened here. This isn’t us. What the Laramie Project succeeds in though is asking the audience, is this how we, as a society, are? Can something this brutal happen in my town, too? The Laramie Project was written almost two decades ago, but remains one of the most performed plays across the nation. If anything, the questions it asks of its audiences today are only more relevant than ever.

Photo by Kaeyln Martin

A collection of works from the senior art show of Katy Grace MacEachern.

Arts & Life

Page 6

A fascinating look at Rome that never gels

By Jordon Morgan Staff writer



“Roman Empire: Reign of Blood” is a lavishly produced, detailed exploration of one of Rome’s most infamous emperors, but one that also doesn’t quite seem to mesh between the two styles it presents. Chronicling the reign of Commodus, who was emperor of Rome from 180-192 AD, “Reign of Blood” follows the last days of the previous emperor, Marcus Aurelius, the subsequent ascension by Commodus, and the major turning points of his 12-year reign. Although the pacing is a bit rushed with only six episodes, the show overall does an excellent job showing the transformation of Commodus from a reluctant young man with no interest in governing, to a narcissistic dictator bent on earning the respect of the Roman people. The show presents itself in a unique format, as it goes back and forth between interviews with professors and Roman historians, to dramatic scenes depicting Commodus and the people around him. All of this is interspersed with narration by Sean Bean (Ned Stark of “Game of Thrones”) who adds a significant feeling of importance to whatever he is talking about with his deep, commanding voice that accurately makes it appear as though every step in the emperor’s reign is one that could shake the foundation of Rome itself. Interviews by the various professors and historians, such as authors Tom Holland and Anthony Everitt, give great context to the circumstances under which the dramatic scenes play out. They also give the viewer insight into the minds of the various players at the time, such as Commodus himself, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus’ sister Lucilla, and even Aurelius’ wife Faustina, which makes the proceeding events easier to follow as well as give these characters who otherwise may not have had their important roles shown, a chance to be shown why they were so significant.

The dramatic scenes are also fantastic, as every actor (mostly ones who had never been seen before by mainstream audiences) plays their part perfectly, and the atmosphere of Rome is captured effectively, with realistic recreations of senate halls, imperial palaces, and the Colosseum, with seemingly very little computer images to enhance them other than a few large-scale backgrounds. And that is one of the best aspects about this show, as it manages to tell a story about one of the most important figures in the ancient world, though one that might not be quite as known as many others, without changing history to such an erroneous degree that you often see in big budget Hollywood movies. History is already fascinating by its very nature and there is frankly no real justification for essentially rewriting history just for narrative convenience (i.e. what Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” does with Commodus as it makes him an evil tyrant out of the gate and paints him as the murderer of his father, when he actually died at the age of 53 of disease). The only issue “Reign of Blood” really has is that sometimes the shift between the professor/ historian interviews and the dramatic scenes is a bit jarring. While you get sucked into the drama, it shifts to the interviews almost at the turn of a dime, going back and forth throughout each episode. If you’re interested in ancient history, especially that of ancient Rome, then this mini-series is an absolute must watch. Even if ancient history isn’t your top choice, it’s still worth your time. The respect it pays to being accurate to the history of its subject combined with the well-acted, elaborately and historically accurate set designs, and insights from various historical experts make “Roman Empire: Reign of Blood” an excellent outing from Netflix, and one that hopefully spawns more like it in the future.

The Clarion

|

November 30, 2016

Senior Profile

Anita Maryskova By Florian Peyssonneaux

Staff Writer Brevard College senior Anita Maryskova will graduate in December with a Business major in December. Maryskova has been very involved during her career at BC, as she is part of the women's soccer and tennis team. As a Czech Republic native she is also the president of the Internationals Club. Anita Maryskova first came to the U.S to accomplish her dream of playing soccer at a collegiate level. She originally went to a Division I college in California, but decided to transfer from CSUB to Brevard for the rest of her collegiate career. Maryskova started playing soccer at a young age, because when she was in Czech Republic she had to find the motivation to keep playing as she was practicing with most of the players who are now in the current Men’s Czech Under 21s National Soccer team. “It was very tough playing soccer with boys, because I had to face a lot of prejudice, swearing, and misjudgment from opposing teams and parents. Those comments never stopped me from playing the game I love” said Maryskova. Concerning her athletics accomplishments, Maryskova has won many titles and recognitions with BC. As soccer player, she became team’s offensive player of the year and led the team with most points, goals, and shots during her junior year. Meanwhile “as a tennis player, I became MVP of the team the same year” said Maryskova. Brevard College is a place where Maryskova met “some very inspirational people,” whom she considers mentors. “Cameron Austin, Alessandra Tavoloni and Capri Savage are some people who guided me throughout my career” said Maryskova. When Maryskova talks about the individuals who inspired, guided, and motivated her she immediately said, “all of these people have a special place in my heart and have helped me to become who I am today”. After she graduates from Brevard College Maryskova wants to pursue her ideal professional life, and go to a preparatory school to prepare a Masters degree in Business, while playing soccer as she has one more year of eligibility. “I would like to become a professional soccer player or start a company helping athletes to come to the USA and play at a collegiate level. Ultimately, I would like to stay permanently in U.S, and settle down in California” said Maryskova.

Arts & Life The Christmas Movie Review: November 30, 2016 | The Clarion

Page 7

Festival: Time for the annual Twilight Tour By Jeni Welch

Staff writer Saturday, Dec. 3, is the annual Twilight Tour in Downtown Brevard. The Mountain Holiday Festival is a free family event. The 45th annual Christmas parade starts at 3 p.m. and marks the beginning of the festival. The parade marches through Main Street and ends its train at Brevard College. After the parade, at 4 p.m., the downtown Twilight Tour official begins. There will be ballet performances along with musical performances, an elf workshop with crafts, outdoor holiday movies and pictures with Santa. Pony rides and a holiday train will be offered for kids and bonfires with s’mores will be set up on main street. All the different events lead up to the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of the Transylvania County courthouse. There will also be food and craft vendors with many of the downtown stores and restaurants staying open late. No pets are allowed at the festival. At 7:30 p.m. lessons and carols will be performed at Brevard College by the Brevard College Concert Choir and Chamber Singers at the Porter Center. The event is free and open to the public. The Twilight Tour event is sponsored by many local businesses, including Theophilus, D. D. Bullwinkel’s, Oskar Blues, Brevard Brewing Co., Brevard Music Center, WSQL Q102, Brevard College and many more. Last year, there were three different stages all showcasing the local talent from the Transylvania County Schools. The stages were simultaneously playing a variety of song and dance. The Brevard High School Band, Jazz Band and Chorus all performed along with Brevard Academy’s Chorus and Band and Rosman High School’s Jazz Band and Chorus. The Taiko Drum Ensemble from Davidson River also took stage. Local non-profit organizations were showcased last year. The Sharing House and Saint Nicholas Tag Shoe Drive were both accepting donations for families during the holiday season. Visit www.brevardnc.org or facebook.com/ twilighttourbrevard for more information on events and organizations.

Beautiful. Haunting. Thought Provoking. ‘Arrival’. By Michael Heiskell Opinion Editor

‘Arrival’

Directed by Denis Villeneuve Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker Sci-Fi, 116 min, PG-13

“Arrival” isn’t only a smartly written, emotionally engaging entry into the science-fiction genre. It’s one of the best sci-fi movies in years. “Arrival” takes place in a post invasion Earth. Twelve alien ships have landed on earth, and everyone is baffled by what it is exactly that they want. The U.S. government hires linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to try and understand the language of the aliens and what they are doing on earth. Amy Adams turns gives yet another fantastic performance. Her portrayal is full of small nuance and charisma. She plays a character that has lost so much, and she wears it on her countenance throughout the film. As an audience member, the celebrity of Amy Adams disappears and the character of Louise Banks

is the only thing left. Adams can do more with a single look than a lot of actors can do with an entire monologue. This is one of the best performances in a sci-fi movie that I’ve ever seen. It’s not usually a genre that lends itself to strong performances. One of the finer points of this film is that it doesn’t speak down to its audience. The screenwriter, Eric Heisserer, actually assumes the audience can keep up with the scientific jargon. The film leaves little room for people to catch up, and a lot of audience members have complained that the film can lose someone fast. I, however, see this is as a refreshing tactic. It’s more rewarding to follow a film that doesn’t assume the audience didn’t graduate middle school. The overarching theme of the film is that language is the cornerstone of any society. Understanding and appreciating another language and culture is the key to creating empathy in place of differences. In that way, “Arrival” is one of the more important films of 2016. Especially given the somewhat turbulent political season that we’ve found ourselves. Overall, “Arrival is an incredibly smart and emotional spectacle. Along with “Hacksaw Ridge.” This film represents the very best of 2016.

Page 8

Sports

The Clarion

|

November 30, 2016

Womens Basketball Athlete of move to 3-0 for season the week Stevie Williams By Bryant Baucom Staff Writer

The Brevard College women’s basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season on Saturday as they defeated Warren Wilson College (4-5) by a final of 79-63. Madison Lenox and AnnLee Bolinger put the Tornados up 6-0 early in the contest and held their opponents to a single-digit first quarter once again as they led 16-9 after one. Brevard extended their lead to 17 in the second quarter off of a Kyley Clark assist to Cienna Bryant for a three point shot. The Tornados took a 37-24 lead into the half after shooting 50 percent from the field. Offensively, the Tornados had four players record double digit points. Lenox led the way as she recorded her second double-double on the season with 26 points in addition to a season high of 15 rebounds. Bolinger added in 20 points for the Tornados, while shooting 4-of-6 from behind the arc.

Lynsey Crisp tallied 12 points while Kyley Clark recorded 10 points in the contest, helping lead the Tornados to their best start since the 2010-2011 season. Brevard shot 50% from the field while going 15-of-20 from the line. The Owls were led by Danasia Dumes who contributed 20 points while playing for the entire 40 minutes of the contest. Jade McCrimmon added eight points while leading Warren Wilson in rebounds with 10. Ten points was be the closest Warren Wilson got in the second half before Bolinger sunk two three pointers to extend the Tornado lead to 16. Freshman guard D’Naya Wilson recorded her first career point as a Tornado on a free throw with over a minute and a half to play. Brevard will return to the hardwood tonight, Nov. 30, as they host Division I opponent Winston-Salem State in the Boshamer Gym at 6:00 p.m.

Cycling posts three in top-10 at Furman

Stevie Williams, a junior basketball guard from High Point, N.C., has proven himself to be the number one option on offense for the Tornados this season. Williams is averaging 20.4 points per game on the season while shooting 57 percent from the field. He is currently second in the South Atlantic Conference in scoring and eighth in field goal percentage. He’s currently tied for seventh in assists at 132 in Brevard history while ranked sixth in steals with 79. Prior to Thanksgiving break, Williams destroyed the North Greenville and Tusculum defense players as he scored a combined 55 points in the two ballgames. He posted a careerhigh 31 points on the road at North Greenville while going 12-of-16 from the field and 4-for-4 from three. Stevie Williams’ impressive performances earn him the first ever Athlete of the Week honors. Williams will look to continue his hot streak tonight, Nov. 30, as the Tornados play host to Warren Wilson College at 8:00 p.m.

By Joseph Swanson

Athletic Media Relations Director The Brevard College cycling team competed at Furman University this past Sunday in their first Cyclocross event of the season. The Tornados did not skip a beat from their successful mountain biking season, as the Tornados placed three cyclists inside the events top-10. Senior Zach Valdez (Hemet, Calif) took home a fifth-place finish in the Men’s A race. As the California native has had an impressive four years at Brevard, competing on two Cyclocross Division II National Championship teams. “For my first cross race this season, I was pleased with what I had under the hood,” stated Valdez. “It hurt, a lot. However, I blew some cobwebs out of the pipes, so in that sense it was a successful day. The entire team rode very well, and we all had a blast together at our first collegiate cross race of the season. It’s looking to be a very promising season for Brevard.” Freshman Carson Beckett (Benton, Ky.) had

a solid start to his collegiate cyclocross career, as he finished in seventh-place in the Men’s A race. Beckett is coming off of an impressive Mountain Bike season in which the Benton, Ky. native finished in fourth-place overall at nationals. He was also a member of the relay team that captured Brevard’s first Division I team relay national championship. Samantha Miranda (Valley City, Ohio) was the Tornados lone female rider to compete over the weekend. As the Valley City, Ohio native finished in the top 10 of the women’s A cyclocross race. “It was a super fun start to the cross season,” said Miranda, “The challenging course made for a nice transition to the cross bikes, but I still missed racing with my fellow Brevard girls.” The cyclocross team will have a few weeks off to prepare for the conference championship. Which will be hosted by Brevard in Hendersonville, N.C. on December 10.

Photo Courtesy of BC Athletic Media Relations

Junior guard Stevie Williams in action against NGU.