Sep 13, 2017 - sustainability as other colleges have. âThe planet is .... in Tampa and Sarasota, as of Saturday evenin
The
Clarion clarion.brevard.edu
‘IT’ review
on page 8
Hurricane Irma Makes U.S. landfall Sunday as category 4 storm Volume 83, Issue 4 Web Edition
SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
September 13, 2017
before heading north into Georgia & Carolinas
“These hurricanes are breaking records in power, speed and resilience and it’s no coincidence this is happening.”
Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
See ‘[Un]natural disasters’ on page 3
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Campus News
The Clarion
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September 13, 2017
BC Greens kicks off a new semester By Lauren Fowler Staff Writer
BC Greens Club is back this year with plans to continue the work and activism of previous years with a new president and several new goals such as recycling, composting, and the installation of bat boxes to improve the environmental sustainability and impact of Brevard College. BC Greens is the sustainability and environmental awareness group on campus. The group focuses on student-led projects and initiatives to improve the environmental impact and sustainability of Brevard College. The club’s first meeting of the semester was Thursday, Sept. 7 to discuss what the year would look like and what students wished to see happen on campus. Amidst support for the recycling program, students added that they wished to see the college step up the fight for sustainability as other colleges have. “The planet is dying, and we can make a difference!” one student said. The new president of the club, Mcdara Folan, is a senior WLEE major with skills and experience in leadership and operations along with a bright outlook for the future of the club. This year, Folan is focused on making changes to improve the sustainability of the Brevard College campus that will persevere long after the current student body is gone. “I’m excited to help students to use their
strengths to create projects and build awareness for a sustainable future at BC,” Folan said. “Next to all our trash cans around campus, we will have recycling bins.” Folan’s call for more recycling bins expands on last year’s recycling program led by Kate Brandhuber, then BC Greens president and now a BC graduate and staff adviser for the club, to make bins available on the rest of campus. Already this year, the club is looking to team up with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) and their project to start a recycling program in the college’s gym and at athletic events. In previous years, BC Greens has been at the forefront of several major projects. One notable project, the Divestment in 2015, was an agreement signed by Brevard College stating that the campus would push to divest all resources from fossil fuels by the year 2018. The club collected signatures on a petition to present to the Board of Trustees and held a sit-in at the library to show their commitment to the cause. The movement was called by the Brevard College Investment Committee a “symbolic step to increase public awareness of climate change.” Further changes to address this commitment are still to be seen with very little time remaining for the campus to make the shift to 100% fossil fuel free. Another project and tradition developed by BC Greens includes the establishment of Earthfest, the Earth Day celebration held on campus
Dr. Mel Bringle’s hymns shared around the world
Brevard College’s own Dr. Mel Bringle will be sharing her created hymns with one of the biggest countries in the world, China, more specifically, a gentleman by the name of Yuhong Wu, a trained materials scientist. Bringle has been writing her own hymns for over 17 years, beginning her recreation in 2000 when a Brevard College graduate asked her to write them one for their wedding. She explained that writing and publishing hymns has been a highly enjoyed recreational hobby. Not only has she published some of her own books for circulation but she also has individually selected hymns available in larger works, one such being Glory to God: Presbyterian Hymnal. The wide circulation of the hymns is how they have been looked at to be translated from several languages. In fact in one instance during Pope Francis’ visit to Charlotte, one of Dr. Bringle’s
hymns was asked to be translated to Spanish, as the Pope’s home country is Argentina, a country in South America. In addition, the Brevard College chorus group will be performing some of them as well. Certainly this is not the first time that a Mel Bringle hymn has been translated, but this latest development is the first time someone from a different country has explicitly asked her if they could translate their hymns to the native language, and the first time China has been involved in the translation process. Bringle explains that the aforementioned Yuhong Wu emailed her with the request and that she was “blown away” by it. Relating the experience of seeing something she loves to do being enjoyed by so many other cultures, Bringle said, “It’s amazing, you write things and then they take on a whole new world.”
each spring. Originally established years ago by the college’s very own Beth Banks, the festival has grown to be more than just a celebration of the earth and has begun to include educational sessions throughout the week with several sessions with local environmentalists and documentaries to educate the community on climate change and sustainability. Recent projects by the group include the purchase last year of more than 30 recycling bins, to be used in a checkout system allowing students and faculty to recycle in their residence halls and offices, and the purchase of two bat boxes to be installed in the campus wetlands to provide a safe place for local bats to live and raise their young. The support of the local bat population will not only get the bats out of buildings where they don’t belong, but will also help to reduce the mosquito population on campus. The club is off to an energetic and inspired start to the year. Keep an eye out for the club’s achievements this year or even get involved by attending the next meeting Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the upstairs of Coltrane.
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 Adviser . . . . John B. Padgett
Other Staff Taffon Alexander Amber Blanton Lauren Fowler
Amanda Heskett Cody Manning
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.
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Campus News
[Un]natural disasters hit the United States September 13, 2017 | The Clarion
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Hurricane Irma elevates voices of science By Jessica Wiegandt Arts & Life Editor
Hurricane season is upon us, and it is already one for the books. With Harvey’s wreckage still fresh, Irma’s outer bands began hitting the U.S. on Sept. 9, and close behind follows Hurricane Jose. These hurricanes are breaking records in power, speed and resilience and it’s no coincidence this is happening. According to Environmental Science and Ecology Professor Robert Cabin, Ph.D., there have always been natural disasters, so there isn’t grounded science in saying one specific storm can be contributed to human-related activity. However, Cabin said, “Harvey is an effective illustration of what’s going on here. The oceans are warming due to climate change.” Cabin said the Gulf of Mexico offshore of Houston, Texas was 4-7 degrees [Fahrenheit] warmer than it has ever been. The water temperature was above 87 degrees, which is unprecedented and the oceans are warming due to climate change, Cabin said. The additional heat within the water is fueling the hurricanes and tropical storms. More water is evaporating into the storms and contributes to severe rainfall and flooding. “The air temperatures are so much warmer as well,” Cabin said, “On top of that, the Gulf of Mexico is almost a foot higher than it is supposed to be.” Polar ice cap melting has caused an excess amount of water to raise the sea levels worldwide. This in turn creates a problem for lowelevation islands and states that are frequently in the path of natural disasters. “It’s a one-two punch of warmer temperatures and higher water and this equals stronger hurricanes and bigger rainfalls,” Cabin said. “The scientific consensus on how fast ocean levels will rise and temperatures will rise has consistently underestimated the speed we have actually warmed the planet. I find that fact really sobering.” Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9:10 a.m. as a Category 4 hurricane. The hurricane continued up the Gulf Coast of Florida and moved into Georgia and
Alabama soon after. Irma was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday. Prior to battering Florida, Irma swept over Cuba as a Category 5 hurricane and brought meteorologists to forecast storm surges of 10 feet in Tampa and Sarasota, as of Saturday evening. While Irma was downgraded to a Category 3 after leaving Cuba, many officials correctly predicted intensity would rebound with the warm Gulf of Mexico water. “If we don’t change our ways and we keep burning fossil fuels, fracking and sending toxins back into the atmosphere, we will end up with an uninhabitable planet,” Cabin said. “These ‘super storms’ are examples of what will continue to happen.” According to Cabin, the upper limit of how much the global temperature can be raised, and still have a habitable planet is two degrees Celsius. “This is scientific consensus and we’ve already raised the global temperature about a third of that,” Cabin said, “And what we’re seeing with all these storms in the South, the fires out west, the heat records and the global disruption, that’s a third of two degrees.” Cabin believes if the global temperature continues to rise at the same rate, the planet will reach the maximum temperature within 30-50 years.
The threat of severe weather from Hurricane Irma caused many parks, campgrounds and recreational areas to close ahead of the storm, including the Mt. Pisgah Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which posted fliers saying the campground would close at 4 p.m. Sunday (right). The Mountain State Fair in Arden closed on Monday out of an abundance of caution. Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed all its campgrounds, visitor facilities and roads starting Sept. 9. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests closed campgrounds and day use areas as well as numerous gravel Forest Service roads, and the Blue Ridge Parkway closed nearly the entire roadway from Virginia to the end of the parkway near Cherokee through yesterday, Sept. 12.
“We’re no longer talking about something that will happen centuries down the road,” Cabin said. “When this happens, coastal cities will be underwater. Where will all those billions of people go? The things we need to do to help our planet are things we should do anyway. Even if climate change is a hoax, which it isn’t, it would be a win-win.” What Cabin would like to implement is a support for sustainable living, with reliance upon renewable energy. “Our personal actions and decisions are not enough. If you and I do everything we can to minimize our carbon footprints, that’s not enough. We need massive change,” Cabin said. “We need to stop burning fossil fuels. Clean energy will create jobs, make our planet a cleaner place, and will provide for a future running on renewable energy.” Brevard began experiencing rain from Irma early Monday morning and the cloud coverage continued into Tuesday. The surrounding areas east and west of Irma’s direct path experienced similar weather as the storm moved inland. While Harvey and Irma have brought mass amounts of rainfall, the hurricane season has only just begun, and Jose is still churning in the Atlantic. Its path is uncertain, but there is at least the possibility that it could be the third tropical system to hit the U.S. this year.
Photo by John B. Padgett
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Campus News
The Clarion
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September 13, 2017
Campus Security Report SGA with action By Zach Dickerson Campus News Editor
The most recent security reports for Brevard College have been released as of Monday, Sept. 11 at 12:45 p.m., according to Stan Jacobsen, Head of Campus Security. A recent string of hubcaps being stolen on campus have been reported. Students are asked to be aware, stay vigilant, and if anyone sees anything report it to Campus Security as soon as possible. Along with hubcaps being stolen there has also been damage done to bicycles on campus and in one case the wheel was stolen. It is believed that this and the hubcaps may be related and it is also believed that the offenders are not students of the college. A student was caught smoking marijuana in a dorm room. Security found out about this because the student had disabled the fire alarm head in the room by removing it from the ceiling which signaled to the main panel that there was a problem with that specific alarm head. Students are reminded that these are two very serious infractions. One being the use of a controlled substance and the other being tampering with fire equipment (alarms). Security would like to remind everyone not to tamper with any of the fire equipment (including extinguishers). They are put in place to protect ALL of the students and messing with the equipment is in violation of the state fire code and puts everyone in jeopardy. If anyone is caught tampering with the fire equipment it will result in criminal charges in state court.
By Florian Peyssonneaux
There have also been several incidents of objects being thrown through dorm windows. Not only is it expensive for the college to replace the windows, but it also results in serious injuries to people in the room or around the window. Students are reminded to not engage in acts of vandalism in any way for the reason stated above and more. In addition to the windows, the Brevard College sign at the entrance to the school has also been vandalized. It is understood that the acts were likely performed by people off campus who do not attend the college. An organic chemical was removed from the Moore Science Annex and it was found that there was a hole in one of the storage containers (see related article). A hit and run occurred outside of Green Hall in the parking lot. If you witness a hit and run, try to provide the officer on duty with as much detail as possible. Such as, car description, license plate number, or the state the car is registered in. An off-campus party occurred involving a significant amount of underage drinking. People returned to the campus intoxicated and one was in such as serious condition that an EMS had to be called. If students do drink they are reminded to please do it legally and responsibly. Fortunately, to date, there have been no car accidents involving intoxicated students returning to campus. Everyone is requested to contact Campus Security at (828)-577-9590 if wrongful or suspicious activity is observed on campus.
Opinion Editor SGA officially began for its first meeting of the semester on Tuesday, September. 5 in the Coltrane Student Center at 8.pm, an occasion to start the year with some new resolutions. One of the major discussions of the evening was the project of financing an app for the campus. After going over the common tasks, the first interest of the evening was on the recent issues with the hurricane and flooding in Texas and Louisiana. Members of SGA initiated a fundraiser to help victims of the hurricane Harvey that has devastated the South Eastern part of the U.S. “Donation boxes will be placed in different places around campus such as the cafeteria, the library, or the coffee shop” said Kate Stephens, committee head. Brevard College members are also encouraged to send donation to different associations. Michael Cohen explained Brevard College’s project to finance an application for the school which is an app that would be designed by SuperFanU, a company that specializes in designing apps for universities such as NCS or Furman University, colleges, and high schools. “SuperFanU is a robust loyalty and rewards platform, powered by SuperFan. We use custom and mobile technology to keep your brand and events top of mind, while boosting attendance and revenue” according to SuperFanU website. By implementing this app on campus the See ‘SGA,’ page 5
Chemical waste removed from MSX By Zach Dickerson Campus News Editor
The Brevard Fire Department arrived on the college campus on the evening of Friday, Sept. 1 to help with the removal of organic chemical waste inside of Moore Science Annex (MSX). Students either leaving or going into Myers Dining Hall probably noticed the fire truck parked outside of MS. There have been many rumors speculating what was really going on, but the truth is that it was just the college following proper safety procedures when it comes to the removal of chemical waste. “What we are doing is we are collecting the chemicals that are used in normal procedures during the course of chemistry laboratories and having them disposed of,” said Jennifer FrickRuppert, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science/Division Chair. “We’re trying to be
proactive, keep up with these materials, and dispose of them properly.” “As we were removing them we found that one of the cans was compromised with a little hole on the backside,” said Frick-Ruppert. “Being cautious we said that we don’t want to move anything if something were to go wrong with it and not know what would happen.” The fire department was then called in for standby in case anything wrong were to happen while moving the chemicals. The can was then carefully removed the compromised can from the chemistry fume hood where it was safely being stored and moved it to a proper location off campus. “It’s not hazardous material,” said FrickRuppert. “It’s just stuff that you’re normally using in chemistry labs. Whenever you pour a chemical out of the bottle that it’s contained in
to use it in an experiment, whatever you have left is considered waste because it cannot be used again and that is what is being removed from the campus.” It is unknown what caused the breach, but none of the organic chemical waste leaked out of the container and students were not near it or had contact of any kind with the container or its contents. The room that the containers were stored in are completely safe for people to go into and use. The college is in the process of getting a contract with a company to come and take away the other containers of waste. If a vehicle is seen with the words “Chemical Waste” on it, don’t be alarmed as it is just the college following the proper procedures to have the waste removed from the campus.
September 13, 2017 | The Clarion
Campus News
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New policies in BC weight room
By Florian Peyssonneaux
Opinion Editor Since Aug. 31, Brevard College’s weight room changed its policy, and from now on a student will be on duty to supervise practice during open lift times. The weight room is located in the Boshamer gymnasium and is open to all BC students and employees. A stricter schedule has been implemented since the beginning of the semester for open lifts. During the week, the opening times will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. However, the gym will not be open on Sundays because there won’t be any student on duty at the front desk to supervise the weight room. In order to use the facilities each person needs to present at the desk of the gym a valid Brevard College I.D. This check-in policy is an important change compared to the past years. According to the director of the weight room Caitlin Scruggs those new changes “are made to improve the overall quality of the gym”. She added, “We want to maintain the cleanness of the gym, but also make sure that users of the weight room are safe if anything had to happen”. “It was almost necessary to create a new policy, and monitor I.D’s” said Scruggs. The goal being to maintain the quality of the gym and make sure people from the college are using the weight room properly Most team practices take place in the mornings or evenings and when practice time comes, all athletic teams have priority on Brevard College students who are part of a team. According to the new policy, and in the eventuality that a team would occupy all the practice spots, people “may be asked to leave during a scheduled team workout”.
For the freshmen and for the people who are new to Brevard College and who “are unsure how a specific piece of equipment is to be used, ask the staff member on duty to demonstrate the machine for you” recommended Brevard College Athletics Department. The complete weight room schedule will be available on the door of the gym at the beginning of each week.
Photo by Florian Peyssonneaux
Lift racks in BC weight room
Constitution Day Quiz S G A
Continued from page 4
1. Why did the colonists fight the British? 2. When was the Constitution written? 3. What are the three branches of government? 4. What document did the Constitution replace? 5. Who was the first person to sign the Constitution? 6. What is the minimum age to run for President? 7. Where was the Constitutional Convention held? Answers at right!
Constitution Day quiz answers: 1. taxation without representation; 2. 1787; 3. judicial, legislative, executive; 4. The Articles of Confederation; 5. George Washington; 6. over 35; 7. Philadelphia.
Constitution Day is on Sunday, Sept. 17! Test your knowledge on our Constitution.
goals would be to limit the amount of email sent to the students, raise engagement, and attract students to be involved on campus. By attending events and checking in with the app, students will earn points and can win prizes offered by BC. The cost of installing and designing the entire process would cost Brevard College $2,500 dollar per year and the additional costs would be $2,000 for every year afterwards. After a vote on the first meeting, the council decided to for for the creating of the app, even though it will be financed by SGA for the amount of $500 for one year that can be reconducted by future members of SGA. To finance this application, SGA as well as other departments from the college will fund it. The meeting concluded by proposing that a committee be created to change the constitution. Every two years the SGA’s constitution must be amended by its members, and because last year no changes were made, it was decided to do so this year. “Amending the SGA constitution isn’t about making big changes” said Lauren Fowler president of SGA,“ it is a way for us to define who we are, what we strive for, and what we want to accomplish as a group”. SGA meetings are held on Tuesdays once every two weeks in the Coltrane student center at 8p.m, and are open to the whole student body. For the basic information about clubs, requirements, and duties SGA recommends students to consult sga.brevard.edu for more information.
Opinion
Trump ends DACA Page 6
The Clarion
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September 13, 2017
Another distasteful move on the Trump administration’s part By Jordon Morgan
Editor in Chief In what seems to be a concerted effort to place himself as the most unpopular president in U.S. history, President Donald J. Trump announced earlier this month that he would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, opening up potential for automatic deportation for over 800,000 people living in the country. Created in 2012 by former President Barack Obama, the DACA program allowed young people who were brought to this country illegally by their parents to be temporarily protected from deportation and to receive permission to work, study and obtain driver’s licenses. As reported on the National Public Radio website, DACA applicants had to be younger than 31 years old when the program began. They also had to prove that they had lived in the United States continuously since June 15, 2007, and that they had arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16. Those signing up for DACA must not have a criminal record, they have to be enrolled in high school or college or serve in the military. Their status is renewable every two years. In rescinding this program, President Trump is rescinding hope for gaining the American Dream for these 800,000 former recipients. Prior to this action, regardless of background or where one came from, there was an opportunity to receive an education, contribute to society, and be welcomed as Americans. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his personal page criticizing this act, aptly stating that, “It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government, and then punish them for it.” Now, you may be asking, if these Dreamers are doing everything right, then why don’t they just apply for citizenship? Well, contrary to what seems like popular belief, doing so isn’t as easy just filling out an application and then waiting a week or two to get a reply. According to a CBS Minnesota report by Heather Brown, immigrants need to be a legal permanent resident (green card holder) for at least five years and have been physically present in the U.S. for the past 30 months. To obtain said green card, the report continues, they also need to have “good moral character, be able to speak, read and write the English language, have knowledge of U.S. history and be willing to pledge the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States.” The issue is that the green card is incredibly difficult to obtain. The most common way is that a close family member seeks permission to bring someone in. However, the problem with that is that it is an arduous and time-consuming process. Heather Brown explains that, according to Executive Director of the Minnesota Immigrant Law Center John Keller, “[D]epending on how close that family member is, it can take anywhere from a year to a year and half on the fast track, to upwards of 25 years on the slowest end.” Further, Brown gave an example that the U.S. Department of State says only 25,620 people are legally allowed to immigrate from Mexico to the U.S. each year, but there are 1.3 million people from Mexico on the waitlist. Beyond the utter reprehensible nature of sweeping those high-end numbers under the rug, ending the DACA program is absolutely catastrophic for our economy. In an interview for CNBC, Cato Institute member Ike Brannon said, “[T]he cost to the federal government alone would be about $60 billion over the next 10 years and the overall economic impact would be a little over $200 billion.” Explaining further, Brannon said that removing protections from under
the program, many of whom were children when they were brought, would cut more out of the economy than it would add. Brannon explained that without protections afforded to them by DACA, productive workers who otherwise are doing everything right would be forced into working illegally to make ends meet, ultimately contributing less to the U.S. system. “These workers, most of whom are in their 20’s and hitting their peak earnings years, would end up not finishing college and taking jobs in the underground economy, earning much less and probably not paying any taxes at all,” Brannon said. The Center for American Progress conducted a survey of a sample size of 3,063 DACA recipients as respondents in 46 states as well as the District of Columbia. In this survey they found that the hundreds of thousands under this program are making significant, positive contributions to our overall economy. Dreamers, as the recipients are called, are earning higher wages, which translates into higher tax revenue and economic growth that benefits all Americans. In addition the Center for American Progress says, DACA recipients are buying cars, purchasing their first homes and creating new businesses. The survey’s results also show that at least 72 percent of the top 25 Fortune 500 companies employ DACA recipients. Also, 97 percent of respondents are currently employed or enrolled in school. Given all that information, this is the group of people that our President is targeting? People who are pretty much fulfilling the typical mold for a productive citizen that many in our government and the public have for immigrants? Working meaningful jobs? Check. Paying into the economy with taxes? Check. Serving our country by enlisting in the military? Check. It really is hard to imagine what else they could possibly do to earn the approval of our government. Well, they could all magically turn into caucasians I suppose. What is the reason for all of this? U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, according to an NBC News report, that DACA is unconstitutional and criticized it as “unilateral executive amnesty.” He said it “yielded terrible humanitarian consequences,” and had “denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same jobs to go to illegal aliens.” Now the irony and hypocrisy of this statement is so simultaneously hilarious and infuriating at the same time. First of all, DACA exists due to an executive order by Barack Obama, something that is within the constitutional power of the President. Second of all, just earlier this year President Trump issues two executive orders banning Muslims from seven different countries that were both struck down as unconstitutional. This coming from a President that, per Business Insider, has issued 42 executive orders in 200 days, when the per year average for executive orders tends to be 35 per year. Said executive orders have all been getting rid of or scaling back Obama era policies. In eight months, President Trump has had absolutely no legislative victories and has only issued executive orders. The only silver lining to this debacle is that, according to NPR, DACA will officially end in six months and supposedly Congress will act to reinstate a similar program. Given what tends to be Republican policies, it’s difficult to maintain hope. Lord knows you couldn’t have just made DACA legal by legislature. No, you had to rip it out of people’s hands and then come up with a plan. But Republican Congress members also had seven years to come up with plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and they screwed that up in the most laughable way possible, so pardon us if we aren’t holding our breath.
September 13, 2017 | The Clarion
Opinion
International Students
Is the American Dream gone for foreigners?
By Florian Peyssonneaux Opinion Editor
More than 200 days have passed since Donald Trump took office, and the effects of his presidency are starting to change people’s lives in some aspects some one likely couldn’t even imagine. International students who are coming to study in the U.S have already been impacted by Trump’s policies. Trump administration tries its best to keep foreigners far from the U.S, but more recently the issue of international students was brought up on the table. Trump could block access to education and work for students that decide to come to the U.S to pursue post high school studies in many ways. According to officials those changes in regulation for international students are necessary due to immigration problems. Monitoring and controlling who comes in needs to be done, unfortunately there are many ways for the U.S government to stop foreign students to come study in the U.S. In the first place, the ridiculous amount of paperwork required to come study in America could increase, and become almost impossible to fill. Additionally, meeting all the requirements to come into the U.S is not granted for many applicants. Trump also targeted H-1B visas because he thinks that companies which hire international graduates students that switched to a working visa would take jobs from American workers. In opposition, Trump tries to dissuade companies from hire them, giving the impression that he actively wants to go against those students. Indeed, people with this kind of visa tend to be hired for technological jobs, and are often paid less than typical Americans. Maybe the H-1B is too scary for Trump because it is one of the best way for foreigners to have a green card? Nowadays, the process of applying for an F-1 visa, and going to an American university will remain as difficult as it was in the past, but the chances of them being hired by an American company are dramatically reduced, which makes it seem less attractive for an interna-
tional student to come to America. For Trump, the companies are taking advantage of the H-1B visas and offer foreign graduate students lower wages to them instead of hiring americans, the process can be confusing and unclear for some. Those measures could also have a negative impact for universities that use international students for their intellectual or athletic skills which affect American schools’ own success. Furthermore, foreign students usually pay more than American students to attend college, and most of them have private scholarship and on top of that, they don’t benefit from governmental aids. On the financial aspect, foreign students usually have to transfer money from their foreign bank account to the university or college. Since Trump has been elected, this is almost impossible to do. A transfer usually took a couple days to process, but now the United States want a list of credentials that are almost impossible to meet before they allow the transfer to go through. After observing the reckless decisions that Trump has been taking since he took office such as the travel ban, many students are scared of coming to the U.S, so they don’t depend on the random acts of the white house. In the future, foreigners will fear even more the instability of the president who can contradict his press secretary in a tweet sent at 3.am from Mar a Lago. Instead students might have to turn to other destinations such as Canada, Australia or China that now offer many scholarships to bring successful students into their country. America depends on the talent of young and motivated foreign students who bring their knowledge to the U.S. So, instead of making the immigration process complicated it should embrace the diversity and talent of those people. The United States is a country where young people full of dreams and vigor want to go, study, and contribute to the society’s wellbeing. With that in mind, why are you trying to dissuade them from coming Mr. President? Isolation isn’t the answer to keep America safe, and keeping international students out of the U.S won’t make America great again.
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‘Racially charged’ gerrymandering in North Carolina goes before U.S. Supreme Court By Jordon Morgan
Editor in Chief In four weeks time the United States Supreme Court is set to hear a case to determine whether or not recent re-drawings of N.C. district maps by Republican lawmakers are unconstitutional. According to a report on NPR, this upcoming hearing is predicated on the fact that the Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling that Republicans had relied too heavily on race to draw district lines in 2011. The court found that 28 districts—19 for state House seats and nine in the Senate—were drawn in a way that diluted the power of black voters. During public hearings several weeks ago, hundreds of people swarmed multiple sites across the state to offer criticism of the plans, arguing they are designed to rig elections in favor of the Republican majority, NPR continued. One such person was Mitchell Cook, a 23-year-old resident of Raleigh who described himself as a politically unaffiliated voter. NPR explained that he suggested district drawing should be done by an independent, nonpartisan committee to insure “that the districts are truly representative of the voice and the views of the people.” From every angle this seems like a sensible solution and one that, at the very least, should be considered. However, Republican state Sen. Ralph Hise, who chairs the state Senate’s redistricting committee, offered a response that is both childish and condescending. According to NPR, Hise said he neither believed in unicorns nor a “mythical” nonpartisan redistricting commission. Mythical? What is it about the idea of an independent committee to handle a critical task to ensure partisan bias isn’t an issue that is mythical to you. Mr. Hise? First of all, you may be wondering what gerrymandering even is or why it’s such an issue. Per the website “No Labels,” gerrymandering occurs when parties draw state or district maps in such a way that it divides said districts in a way that is intended to benefit a certain political party. “No Labels” goes on by saying that “gerSee ‘Gerrymandering,’ page 10
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Arts & Life
The Clarion
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September 13, 2017
Movie Review: ‘IT’ They all kinda float down here By Jordon Morgan Editor in Chief
The first theatrical adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most famous novels has finally arrived, and it is a significant let down in many respects. Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine in 1989, “It” follows the escapades of a group of young adolescents as each one of them are terrorized by a mysterious entity who takes the form of Pennywise the Clown. The clown has been abducting and killing many of the inhabitants of Derry, so the gang of misfits, dubbing themselves as “The Losers Club,” band together to piece the mystery together and stop Pennywise once and for all. Starting on a positive note, what the film definitely succeeds in is making Pennywise legitimately terrifying. In stark contrast to Tim Curry’s performance in the 1990 TV miniseries, Bill Skarsgard simultaneously gives an over the top and yet somehow restrained take on the infamous clown that surprisingly works. Taking on sort of a Freddy Krueger-style approach to the character, Skarsgard’s Pennywise is a being who clearly revels in his torment of the young teens and comes up with imaginative ways to do so. The nightmarish forms he takes on are legitimately frightening and will likely make you instinctively scuttle back in your seat trying to get away. What also helps is that the film, in true Stephen King fashion, never really gives too much away to ruin the mystique of Pennywise, offering vague hints as to what he may be, but doesn’t take it too far. This kind of antagonist is one who thrives in an environment of ambiguity, and it works to his advantage. Where “It” falters is in pretty much every other aspect. The story in particular has no real sense of narrative cohesion. It isn’t incomprehensible per se, but the majority of the film feels like a sequence of one shot scenes that don’t segue properly into the next scene. Further, while the acting of all involved are quite good for the material they are given, not much depth is presented. In fact, some characters just come across as wholly pointless. Henry Bowers and Mike Hansln for instance, though key characters in the original story, could have been cut out of the film completely, and absolutely nothing would have changed, and they aren’t the only pointless elements of
Bill Skarsgard plays Pennywise in the new adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
the film either. “It” tries to include as much from the book as possible and as a result a lot of it gets lost in the shuffle. It’s an admirable goal to remain as faithful as possible to a source material, especially when it comes to Stephen King, but when you include something, you have to go all the way and make sure it works in relation to the whole of the film, and “It’ just doesn’t do that. Another irritance is the jarring shifts in tone that happen at an almost alarming rate. One minute there is a disturbing sequence involving Pennywise stalking or killing someone, and literally two or three minutes after, a lighthearted scene with upbeat rock music springs in front of you. It isn’t impossible to handle sudden shifts like this. Films such as “Shaun of the Dead” or “Zombieland” have upbeat or comedic scenes mixed in with horror. But whereas those films are able to pull it off due to the comedic tone being kept throughout the entirety of the proceedings, “It” will have scenes of pure, undistilled terror, taken with the utmost seriousness, and then will suddenly cut to the Losers ribbing and throwing
playful insults at each other. There is no gradual transition into these scenes, which makes for a jarring experience. Overall, “It” possesses an excellent grasp on what makes the titular antagonist so menacing, and subsequently Pennywise’s scenes are legitimately creepy and even outright scary, but everything else in the film just never connects. With pointless and two-dimensional characters, a lack of any real narrative flow, and an annoying habit of rapid tonal shifts, “It” is a big disappointment, and one that perhaps you should wait to come out on video.
‘It’ is now showing at the Co-ed Cinema on Main Street
September 13, 2017 | The Clarion
Arts & Life
Cat Gap Trail Review By Jeni Welch
Copy Editor The Cat Gap Loop Trail is a less populated trail that can connect to the popular John’s Rock trail in Pisgah National Forest. It is a fun trail for relaxing in the forest without the constant bombardment of other hikers and offers different environments from start to finish. The trail is a rough four-mile loop without adding the John’s Rock trail. The trail is pet friendly and parts are available for biking. The hike peaks at an elevation of around 800 feet, but the workout is still noticeable. It’s easy to moderate depending on which path you take. There are a couple different trails connected to the loop for different hikes depending on level of difficulty and time. Adding in John’s Rock makes the trail longer and more difficult but does also add an amazing over look. The Cat Gap trail does not have an over look on its own, but it does have plenty of foliage and a large campsite nestled beside a waterfall with a small wading area. The trail offers forests of cove and mixed hardwoods along with white pine plantations. At the intersection of Butter Gap trail there are Picklesimer Fields on the right and the trail finishes next to the Davidson River. The path is covered with fallen leaves and has a fair amount of old bridges to pass over. There is also a creek to cross over that only has rocks for stepping stones, but otherwise the trail is user friendly. With current weather complications, this trail would be better enjoyed after the water
levels in Transylvania County have leveled back out to normal. The trail is located at the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in Pisgah Forest. First, turn left onto US-276 N and head into Pisgah National Forest. After 5.3 miles turn left onto National Forest 475 Rd just before Looking Glass Waterfall on the right. The Fish Hatchery will be on the left, approximately 0.1 miles. The trail head can be found to the left of the Fish Hatchery building past a gate.
Photo by Jeni Welch
The Cat Gap Loop Trail has cascading water and beautiful green flora.
Spotify & Hulu now offering bundle discount for students!
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student deal, so the inclusion of Hulu is a bonus that comes with no additional charge. The deal can only be purchased through Spotify. If students already hold a Hulu account, Spotify and Hulu can be linked for this deal. So give up that $5 Footlong once a month and get ready to listen to endless tunes and binge as many Hulu shows possible. Sign up at www.spotify.com/us/student/
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Mountain Song
BC Students light up the stage By Amanda Heskett
Staff writer “Brevard College played a vital role in providing the stage lighting for the 12th Annual Mountain Song Festival,” Brevard College Theatre student Henry Crowder said. Mountain Song is known for bringing the community of Brevard together. According to the website, the Mountain Song Festival was created to bring the best of several genres of music together into one venue, for one event. Crowder further explained, “Mountain Song provides BC Theatre students with professional connections and experience outside of the realm of theatre that is experiential in nature and crucial for those who want a career in technical theatre.” There were several amazing bands that made appearances for the weekend event. The host band was the Grammy Award-Winning Steep Canyon Rangers. As many know, Steve Martin always makes an appearance at Mountain Song, as well, collaborating with The Steep Canyon Rangers. It was through Mountain Song that Brevard College Alumni, Logan Taylor, first met the band, and got the opportunity to work for them as their Lighting Designer. Other students are also beginning to receive similar chances through simply working hard to make Mountain Song a success. Brevard College Theatre Student, Teila Vochatzer said “This is my favorite event to work in Brevard. I’ve made a lot of great connections through Mountain Song, plus I get to work with some amazing bands.” This event presents many opportunities for Brevard College’s Theatre Students. They are encouraged to volunteer to work, no matter their past experience with lighting, or concerts. All of the students can benefit from the opportunity, regardless of skill level. The students in the Theatre Department worked tirelessly over the week leading up to the weekend of Mountain Song, and they have benefitted greatly. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working Mountain Song the past three years, as it has lead to many connections to possible employment after graduation,” Crowder further explained. His name is being brought up at two separate Theatre Programs because of his hard work with Mountain Song. The Brevard College Theatre Department collaborated vigorously and enthusiastically with Logan Taylor in order to create a show that few would forget.
Sports
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Jorge Jimenez hat-trick opens mens soccer season with a 4-1 Tornados win In a Sept. 9 game against Huntington College, the BC mens soccer team captured a 4-1 victory to sit at table top for the season. The atmosphere was exciting as fans and teammates were on edge as unfinished plays by both sides and great saves from the visitor’s goalkeepers had fingers crossed and edgy teeth on what was a 90-minute thriller. BC men opened the scoring with a six minute push pass into the back of the nets of Huntington after splitting their defenders. When the visitors came back in the 31st minute, the intensity picked up. It was after stern words from head coach Bob Winch at the end of the first half that sent his men back out with vigor as Jimenez sent another one in on the mark of the 59 minute mark. Despite countless countering attempts by the opponents, BC didn’t stop there as Jimenez once again hit the ground bounded curler in the 81 minute that had Huntington’s goalie
stretching out to reach the ball unsuccessfully. Ty Stubb’s finisher one minute later sealed the deal for the Tornados’ first three pointer of the season.
By Stan Smith
the 81st minute of the match to pull away late from the Tornados. Stuart’s first goal came in the 22nd minute to open up the scoring in the match. Later in the first half, Brevard’s Megan Shina scored in the 36th minute to tie the game. Brevard (2-1-0) returns home to take on Pfeiffer today.
Jorge Jimenez
Womens soccer lose to Panthers 2-1
Media Relations Assistant The Brevard womens soccer team dropped their first match of the season 2-1 at the hands of the Ferrum Panthers. Ferrum’s Payton Stuart scored both goals for the Panthers, with the second goal coming in
Gerrymandering Continued from page 7
rymandering is a way of cheating the system by creating an artificially positive balance of house seats for one party.” They point out one example during the 2012 election cycle in Pennsylvania. In this case, 51 percent of the votes cast in the U.S. House elections were for Democrats, yet the Democratic Party only won five out of 18 seats. Basically, the skewed maps make it so that certain districts are locked into voting for only one or maybe a handful of candidates that fall under that districts political party affiliation. Going back to the beginning, it makes sense that Sen. Hise is so staunchly against anything that might give away the tremendous political advantage the Republicans in the House and Senate have. NPR explained that Republicans hold vetoproof majorities in the legislature, giving them a significant political advantage over the Democratic governor, Roy Cooper. To hold onto this
advantage, Republicans must win a minimum of 72 seats in the 120-seat House and at least 30 of the 50 Senate seats. The GOP currently holds 74 seats in the House and 35 in the Senate. Sen. Hise further said according to NPR about the Democrats that “it’s easy to understand why gerrymandering has been the boogeyman since they were swept out of power in 2010. It’s easier to blame the maps, blame a process, blame anything, really, than it is to take responsibility for losing touch with the politics of voters in 75 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.” Perhaps Democrats in North Carolina have lost touch, but that isn’t the point. If Senator Hise is so confident that his party’s message is the better one, then why go through such efforts to draw district maps that the courts have struck down multiple times as unconstitutional? In December of last year, the Charlotte Observer wrote that the legislative body moved to make the then incoming governor’s Cabinet appointments subject to approval by the state
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September 13, 2017
BC Football falls 48-13 to Emory & Henry’s stinging Wasps
A sea of blue and white Tornados fans filled Brevard Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9 to show support for the Brevard College football team at their home opener. The sun was bright and spirits were high as the Tornados prepared for a thunderous victory against the Emory and Henry Wasps. Soon into the first quarter, the Wasps battled hard for a field goal. But the Tornados were quick to respond. Joseph Calhoun’s 41-yard field goal was a success, and brought the score to an even 3-3. The Wasps drove the ball deep into Brevard territory and scored the first touchdown of the game. But Brevard rebounded when O’Shay Carter’s successful pass to Xavier Brown resulted in a touchdown for the Tornados. Emory and Henry also managed to score another field goal and touchdown. But with seconds left in the first half, Calhoun converted a 40-yard field goal. After halftime, with the score 20-13, Brevard jumped back into the game with the support of their still cheering fans. But despite their best efforts, victory was not meant to be. The game ended with a final score of 48-13, leaving Brevard at 0-2 for the season. Despite the loss, Brevard is ready to soon take on Greensboro College and bring home the first win of the season. Senate and cut his ability to appoint members to UNC schools’ boards of trustees. Another move made was to equally divide election boards between the two major political parties, ending control by the governor’s party. So it would be wise of you, Sen. Hise, to stop being a complete hypocrite in talking about Democrats’ supposed efforts to hamper Republicans’ abilities to have elections or make laws when you have been doing the same thing for years.
Due to Irma, Tuesday’s mens soccer game at Piedmont was cancelled.
