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Volume 77, Issue 29
www.brevard.edu/clarion
Web EdiƟon
SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
Check us
out on
The
May 4, 2012
2012-13 SGA Presidential elections
By Park Baker
Editor in Chief
This past Tuesday SGA held Presidential elections for the upcoming 2012-2013
academic year. All positions except SGA
President were uncontested. An amendment
passed last year in the SGA Constitution
removed the requirement to have an election
for uncontested positions. Voting took place
via traditional ballot in Myers Dining Hall and
since the voting took place on Reading Day,
commuter students were given an electronic
ballot via email.
The announcement of elections was sent
out via campus email on Monday at 10:30
a.m. and students were given approximately
24 hours to make informed decisions on the
candidacy of Mark Moseley and Elise Labus.
Elections were held throughout the following
day, with Labus taking the win. Concerns
have been raised about the timeliness of the
elections and them falling on exam week, in
particular on Reading Day.
“I didn't even hear about the voting until
the day of the election through email,” senior Chelsea Freeman said. “Maybe if I had
known about it a week before then I could
have thought about it and then voted. Even if
it was only one day I would have at least had
time and been aware of the elections,”
Freeman is not the only student to have
raised their eyebrows this semester. Blake
Ellege is one of 21 commuter students to
have voted and says, “I personally would have
wanted to have more than 24 hours to get to
know my candidates and vote. I check my
email regularly, but there are a few instances
where I have gone over 48 hours without
checking it. If I had checked my email a few
hours too late Tuesday night, I wouldn't have
had the chance to vote.”
Senior Krisma Sellers expresses the same
sentiment but a different concern.“I would
have voted if it was on a day I was on campus,” she said. “Reading Day was a day for
me to get away before I had to start studying. I
did receive a text about it and wanted to vote,
but I wasn't able to be here.”
The election taking place on Reading Day
raises a question: Does SGA holding elections
on Reading Day violate the college policy
concerning this day? This is the text from the
BC Student Handbook:
All faculty, staff, and administration should
honor the spirit of Reading Day, which is devoted
to preparation and study for finals. Accordingly,
faculty, staff, and administration may not schedule
mandatory activities on Reading Day including:
due dates for assignments, formal presentations,
athletic events, meetings, testing, and/or administration of final examinations other than those
identified by the official, college-wide final exam
schedule. Acceptable activities, for example, include: review sessions and study groups, as long
as they are not required and/or graded as course
components. All instructors are expected to be
available to students on Reading Day.
Commuter students were sent a Google
Doc ballot in their campus email, which was
simple enough to use. However, there is an
issue concerning voter privacy and anonymity in the voting process. In order to prevent
multiple votes by commuter students, the
Google Document had to be set up to record
the voter’s log in information, which cannot
prevent tampering with ballots.
Clarion staff members attempted to report
to our readers the election results. SGA President Lucy Matthews said the numbers were
very close between Moseley and Labus, but
she declined to provide specific numbers.
It is unclear why the actual election result
numbers were withheld. “(They will be released)..If they're important facts. They’re
Lucy’s numbers to share or not,” said AssisSee ‘SGA’ page 12
Congratulations to Elise Labus,
your new SGA president
CƒÃÖçÝ N›óÝ
Page 2
The Clarion
n | May 4, 2012
By Josh Mower
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Staff Writerr
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Heidi Kaartinen first arrived in America from
Espoo (Espo-l) Finland in 2011, beginning
her Freshman year at Brevard College. Since
her arrival she has noticed many differences
between Finland and the United States, some
of the differences she mentioned were “How
people talk, their friendliness and the ‘Southern
Chivalry’ of guys opening doors for girls I just
wasn’t expecting that… But the food was also
a much bigger surprise…I’ve never seen so
much pizza and fries before!”
Both good and bad moments occurred
during Kaartinen’s time at Brevard College,
and reoccurring thoughts of transferring came
to mind. “I began listening to others around
me and heard their complaining and began to
likewise consider transferring… So I decided
it best to not get attached.” Kaartinen admitted
previous to Winter Break.
But something unprepared for and
unaccounted for occurred that changed her
perspective… and that groundbreaking
influence was getting involved with
Volunteerism and Service.
The passion began when she started working
with the Center for Multi-Cultural Service
Initiatives (CMSI) where: “I began helping
around campus and attending more events
until eventually I even signed up for student
leadership roles next school year.” Since
getting involved, he favorite event she has
been apart of would be the Special Olympics.
Kaartinen mentioned that: “Volunteering is
always an option; there is always so much of
something to do.”
Kaartinen is definitely an open person and
is ready and willing to talk about anything
and everything. Her favorite campus-wide
events range from the relaxing atmosphere of
Spring Fest, to the laughter she shared with
other Brevard College students at the Mr.
Brevard Pageant. When asked the question
of funniest moments of her freshmen year,
Kaartinen responded; “So many… I laughed
more here than anywhere before in my life…
events where people participate make me laugh
the most!”
As far as the funniest person goes, “One…
there are more than one, students Josh Smith
(Joshwayyy), Kody Hughes, all the Beam
RA’s, and impossible to not mention Madison
Hill.”
For faculty, the most memorable characters
would be “Coach Shigeyoshi Shinohara,
being the first person I met when I arrived
and probably the best I could have, and Jack
Daniels.”
When asked who her favorite staff was,
Kaaratinen replied “Definitely Cameron Austin
as a teacher.”
If not for sports, Kaartinen mentioned that
her running career would have ended in high
school. “Finland universities do not offer
sports scholarships, that is also why I wanted
to come to America, to continue running
competitively.” Kaartinen however cannot be
considered a selfish athlete; in fact, she expects
more out of every BC athlete on campus than
what they see of themselves. “We are all
athletes and we are all great athletes, if we can
believe in ourselves then we can do what seems
impossible… but what we need is more mental
encouragement from ourselves.”
Kaartinen has just declared her major in
Business and Organizational Leadership and
next semester will be the Vice President of
the Business club, the Young Professionals
of Brevard College, the CMSI coordinator,
and a member of the 2012 Welcome week
committee. To say that Heidi Kaartinen is
involved would be an understatement. Overall,
among the little language barriers that present
themselves and the experiences she has
retained: “I’m glad I picked Brevard College
it’s perfect for a community, running, studying
and just about everything else.”
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May 4, 2012
| The Clarion
Page 3
Cassie Smatana
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on traveling far. With hopes of continuing to be active with the Brevard College
cheer squad, Metcalf hopes to assist her coach next year in any way she possibly
can. She also is the only member of the squad to have cheered all four of her years
at the college.
Having cheered since middle school, cheering has been a huge part of Metcalf’s
life. Next year with practically a whole new squad “People will have to start anew
and that way we can all see each other as equals, not to mention there won’t be any
old dogs to teach new tricks to!”
Although graduating means the end of seeing those be-eager-or-go-home smiles,
Metcalf plans on living in Asheville and continuing her job at Transylvania Regional
Hospital as an Emergency Room regulator and Central Scheduling until other
opportunities arise. Metcalf grinned at the mention of being hired by a soon-to-beestablished Brewery Company coming to Asheville. The company will be looking
for fresh-out-of-college business majors like herself to help jump-start their business
and establish careers for those hired. “I could do good at a Brewery Company …
I could relate.” Metcalf says with a smile.
Metcalf’s dreams are intertwined with her hopes to travel. After reading in a
fortune cookie that “The soles of your feet will touch the soils of many countries”
sparked her passion and fueled her imaginative desires to travel.
On a side note, as aggravating as it is to be interrupted, during our interview
that lasted no more than 23 minutes, our conversation was cut into by about ten
different people that came to hug or just speak to Amanda. All had positive things
to contribute such as her incredible spunk, award winning smile, and easy going
bubbliness for all situations “There’s not much for me to be sad or negative about,
I just don’t keep things bottled up!” said Metcalf.
By spreading her cheer and building confidence in others, Amanda Metcalf has
truly inspired us all who have been warmed by her smile. Metcalf follows her
”Facebook-official” quote of “There is no need to fear tears, for tears bear witness
that a man has the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer,” or even more simply
put, “The truth will set you free.”
As for cheerleading on this campus goes, there will certainly be a lot less of it
without Amanda Metcalf’s beaming excitement and sunny perspective from the top
of her squad’s set. Sadly, we once again wave off another senior whose only regrets
when leaving are for spirit: “I wish I could cheer for BC forever…”
By Josh Mower
Staff Writer
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Page 4
O֮ĮÊÄ
The Clarion
|
May 4, 2012
SGA election process
shows need for reform
Staff Editorial
Our view: The Student Government Association this year has in many ways not lived
up to its potential, but the new executive
board has a prime opportunity to re-make
SGA for next year.
We congratulate the new SGA executive
board for 2012-2013, including Elise Labus,
who was elected president on Tuesday, May
2.
SGA has done some important and valuable
things this year, including hosting a forum
last fall to discuss the layoffs and financial
constraints at the college, participating in the
interview and selection process for a new college president, and assisting in the process of
choosing a new food service on campus.
However, the problems exhibited by SGA in
this academic year have been noticeable and at
times detrimental to its charge to “represent all,
serve as a voice for all, and ensure the welfare
of all.” This is a noble charge, outlined in the
opening paragraph of the SGA constitution.
Unfortunately, SGA at times did not live up
to this charge.
A broken system
The year began with great promise, with a
“new” SGA that became independent of clubs
so that it could better focus on campus issues.
The idea at the time was that this leaner SGA
would work with CAB and BC Clubs to promote student interest and work more with the
students of Brevard College.
In the words of SGA President Lucy Matthews, as reported in a front-page article in
The Clarion, “Students who get involved, stay
involved and feel connected to the college.”
Matthews said this at the first meeting of the
year, on Aug. 30.
While her words are undoubtedly true, that
level of involvement did not last long for SGA
this year.
Attendance at SGA meetings quickly began
to deteriorate over the course of the fall and
spring semesters. A lot of students have specu-
lated on the reasons for this decline in interest,
ranging from SGA no longer being in charge of
funding for clubs to the more general problems
of a campus stuck in a lull in leadership, to the
simple effects of personality differences.
Reasonable people can disagree about why
interest in SGA went down this year. What is
undeniable, however, is that SGA this year
has not lived up to its potential to serve as a
passionate, professional, and accessible representative of the students at Brevard College.
One of the most persistent problems all year
has been clear communication of SGA operations. Announcing meetings via Email simply
is not enough. Students need to be told what
SGA does—what it has done, and will do, for
the benefit of everyone at Brevard College.
And if a student should have an issue to be
brought before SGA, by what process should
that occur? By contacting a senator? How does
one even go about determining who your SGA
representative is?
As of right now, the only information about
SGA on BC’s website is at least a year old,
and it does not include any information about
what SGA does, or who SGA is. The only SGA
members listed are the names of the president
and vice president at the end of the 2010-2011
academic year.
The problems with SGA were especially
notable as this semester began to wind down
and no clear plan for elections was forthcoming. Some of the anomalies about this year’s
election are as follows:
● The election took place on a single
day, rather than over several days, thus
reducing the opportunity for all students to vote who were not on campus
that day.
● The election was held on Reading
Day, a day on which many commuting
students—and even some residential
students—do not eat in the Cafeteria.
● Furthermore, official college policy
calls for Reading Day to be a day devoted primarily to preparation for final
exams. Teachers are told not to assign
anything required for this day.
● The application process took place in
a rush at the very end of the semester,
a time of great inconvenience for both
applicants and faculty/staff members.
● The hurried time constraints may have
reduced the number of students who
chose to run.
● The application and election process
took place so quickly that there was virtually no time for students to learn more
about the candidates—in the pages of
The Clarion, in a campus-wide forum
with candidates, in informal Q&A sessions with candidates, and so forth.
● At least some of the votes cast in this
year’s election were done electronically
in Google Docs via Email, a process
which does not guarantee secrecy of
voters’ selections.
● Efforts to encourage off-campus students to vote (such as Emails and text
messages), while laudable on face value, may inadvertently have overlooked
other potential voters, which may have
skewed the final results.
● Despite repeated requests, exact election results were not released, raising
questions about the validity of the
process.
Elections at Brevard College were not always this way. Just three or four years ago,
elections typically took place over several
days, with guarantees of secret ballots by candidates, preservation of voter integrity (i.e.,
making sure each student voted only once), and
ample opportunities for voters to learn more
about candidates, in The Clarion,in candidate
forums, and other informal meetings with
candidates.
And the number of students who voted then
regularly exceeded 60 percent of the student
body, according to Travis Wireback, who
served as both SGA vice president (2007-2008)
and president (2008-2009) as well as editor
in chief of The Clarion his senior year, 20092010. The number of students who voted in
SGA elections typically was more than 400,
and maybe as high as 450, Wireback said.
Compare that number to this year’s tally
of 242 votes over just Reading Day, which
includes, according to Matthews, only 21
commuting students. Assuming a conservative
See ‘SGA reform,’ page 5
May 4, 2012
| The Clarion
Brevard
to host
upcoming
music video
A young man's dream
come true? -- Or just a
dream?
By Joshua Smith and Josh Mower
Staff Writers
Downtown Brevard will be the location
of an upcoming music video produced by
rapper/ entertainer Soulja Boy featuring
select Brevard College students Willie “Will
Fresh” Jones and Joshua “Joshwayyy” Smith.
This event occurred Monday April 30, just
as Smith was wrapping up his Tornado Ally
segment. Around 8p.m., a black Nissan Z
pulled up at White Squirrel Radio Station and
Soulja Boy stepped out of the vehicle.
Smith was just exiting as the celebrity
stepped out of the Nissan and congratulated
Smith on his excellent selection of music
specifically the “Dougie” and the “Wop”.
Soulja Boy then asked Smith to demonstrate
his dance moves to both songs. Smith
feeling uncomfortable dancing alone called
up his suitemate/ RA Willie Jones to help
accompany him under the pressure.
Jones sprinted up the hill in breath taking
time dressed short shorts and carrying a
discus in hand ready to perform. As Smith
and Jones began to show their moves, Soulja
Boy decided to throw down some of his
saucy-swag-moves resulting in a furious
dance off that ended in a tie. Drenched in
sweat, Soulja Boy then requested that his two
competitors appear in his upcoming music
video “Swaggin in Boovard”.
Over the summer, Soulja Boy plans to
return during the White Squirrel Festival to
film his upcoming video which will feature
solo performances by Willie “Will Fresh”
Jones and Joshua “Joshwayyy” Smith. So be
prepared for the premier to hit MTV’s Special,
Summer Blast this June!
O֮ĮÊÄ
Page 5
Concerning the NC ALE sting.....
You'd think if an officer really wanted to blend in they wouldn't wear an Auburn
University hat. Go classy, at least wear the school colors of the college you're looking
to bust. Grow a few inches, being a good foot and a half taller than an officer only
makes me giggle which doesn't help the situation which in "short' is supposed to be a
serious one. Forget the meth labs, child abuse, and drugs right outside campus, I feel
like the State of North Carolina is in serious need of funding to be performing these
bust’s on college campuses.
“Civilization is a youth with a molotov cocktail in his hand. Culture is the Soviet
tank or L.A. cop that guns him down…”
-Edward Abbey.
By Hughes McGlone
Contributing Writer
SGA reform
From page 4
estimate of 600 eligible voters, that is a voter
turnout of 40 percent.
We on The Clarion staff accept partial
responsibility for the breakdown in communication between SGA and the larger
BC community. Though Clarion reporters
attended many SGA meetings, we generally
did not write articles about what happened—
or didn’t happen—during these meetings, in
part because we were not sure what to say
about meetings in which we felt nothing had
happened. Multiple Clarion staff writers have
indicated frustration in writing such articles,
stating that it seemed to them as though there
was little to report.
In hindsight, we should have done more. We
should have reported on each SGA meeting,
regardless of our frustrations.
And on our opinion page, we should have
spoken out sooner about these frustrations,
in effect holding SGA accountable for their
actions ... or lack thereof.
None of us are blameless for the problems
that took place this year. SGA can and should
be a vital campus resource for all Brevard
College students.
A golden opportunity
We bring up these matters not simply to
point fingers or assess blame, but rather
to suggest a direction for SGA in the next
year.
Now is an excellent time to change direction: We have a new college president who
has expressed great interest in listening to
the concerns of all Brevard College students,
staff, faculty, and alumni. We will also have a
new Vice President and Dean of Student Life
starting next month.
Among our suggestions for next year’s SGA
are the following:
● greater transparency about SGA operations, including published and easily
found names of senators and club representatives, as well as meeting times
and places
● an up-to-date copy of the SGA charter
or constitution and any other documents accessible online to the Brevard
College student body
● published minutes of all SGA meetings
● a greater attention to professionalism
at all levels
These are just a starting point, of course, and
we call upon all Brevard College students to
weigh in with their own ideas of what SGA
should do to make itself a stronger, more viable, and respected voice for the students of
Brevard College.
For our part, we, the staff of The Clarion,
resolve to work more closely with SGA
next year to report on their activities and accomplishments. We promise to be fair in our
coverage of SGA, as we always have, but we
will hold them accountable if they do not live
up to their own expectations.
And together, all of us—SGA, The Clarion,
the entire student body—should strive to
use this opportunity to live up to the college
motto, to “learn in order to serve.”
AÙãÝ Ι L®¥›
Page 6
The Clarion
|
May 4, 2012
HOROSCOPES
Aries:
You may find yourself
feeling especially loved and
receiving more attention
than normal. This should make you
feel especially good and boost your
morale significantly. Keep this positivity
in mind if you start to wander around
negative thoughts. Don’t allow others
who might try to bring you down to ruin
your mood.
Taurus:
Focus on your personal
well-being this week. Although
you may be stressed with the
extra work load, try not to lose too much
sleep! Your health is important; it might
be a good idea to consider replacing
parts of your diet with a healthier
choice. Getting enough sleep and
eating the right food will do wonders
for your energy levels.
Gemini:
You might be feeling a little
lonely but this could be a good
thing! You may find you need
this time to keep yourself focused as
well as keeping your personal matters
personal. It’s not a bad idea to socialize
with others and meet new people, just
be aware that this could hinder your
privacy. You might need to put in a little
extra effort into controlling your temper
if someone is too invasive.
Cancer:
Try to keep things as simple
as possible. It is easy to
make a relatively simple task
much harder than it actually is. You
might need to take a little break to help
regain focus in particular situations.
However, make sure to recollect your
deadlines and not get too distracted or
comfortable while you are taking this
break!
Leo:
Remember to be honest
when dealing with people this
week. You don’t really need
to sugarcoat any advice or opinion
someone may ask for. If they are asking
you for your input they are probably
looking for an honest answer to help
them, so speak your mind! This will
also enhance your credibility for future
situations.
Virgo:
Your intuition will play a
significant role in your
decisions this week so
remember to listen to your instincts.
Do not to let others opinions stop you
from doing what you want to do, this
may require some extra self-control to
keep your cool. This could also lead
you in a new direction; don’t be afraid
of your new role! Shed your old skin
and let the newest addition to your
personality be an asset.
Libra:
Although it may take some
additional courage to do
what you want to do, try not
to simply go with the same flow that
others are going. Stay focused on your
own life and take steps to achieve your
dreams and goals, even if it requires
you to take a step onto a different path.
Be as flexible as possible if others don’t
see eye to eye with your decisions, but
remember it is your life. Keep your eye
on your destination!
Scorpio:
Yo u m a y b e f e e l i n g
overwhelmed this week
but try to remain calm and
collected. Your schedule will become
less complicated soon and you will
have a little extra free time to put
towards other goals and interests you
would like to pursue. If you have any
some spare time you might consider
reevaluating and modifying your list of
goals. Sometimes a change is good.
Sagittarius:
It might be necessary to
put some extra effort into your word
choice. Try to not let your emotions get
the best of you or take out frustration
on your loved ones. This could lead
to some surprising news that will offer
relief in certain areas. In addition to
your new found self-control, you may
learn important lessons that will last
you a lifetime.
Capricorn:
Although you may be
tempted to abandon all
responsibilities to embark on
a more exciting adventure,
be sure to finish any unsettled business
first. Summer is almost here, you only
need to stay focused a little while
longer. It may not seem like a lot of fun
but the end result is promising. You
don’t want all your hard work to go to
waste.
Aquarius:
You may be eager to
jumpstart your life and
get a head start on your
personal journey. This motivation is
good! It could take longer than you
anticipate but don’t be discouraged.
Good things come in time and as
long as you can stay focused you will
achieve success.
Pisces:
As positive energy
encompasses your life, you
will find a new source of
determination. Focus your
willpower on the primary goals you wish
to achieve. Some situations might call
for more time then you had originally
planned on dedicating, don’t let this
minor setback be a distraction to your
long-term plan. Take a few minutes
to resolve little problems before they
become an ongoing nuisance.
By Alisha VanderSyde
Staff Writer
May 4, 2012
| The Clarion
AÙãÝ Ι L®¥›
Page 7
As crunch time hits, some students
turn to dangerous study drug
By Quinn D. Hatoff
via uWire
In preparation for finals, some students stock
up on Red Bull. Others reload their Starbucks
cards in anticipation of coffee-fueled nights.
But for some students who sneak under the
radar at Harvard, reading period entails a
trip to the pharmacy or their entryway’s drug
dealer.
Jessica, who asked that her named be
changed for this article, takes an Adderall
extended-release pill when she feels pressure
to meet a deadline.
“I think of it as an escape route,” says the
freshman. “If I get really desperate I have
something that can save me.”
Jessica, who has not been diagnosed with an
attention deficit disorder—the condition that
Adderall is officially prescribed to treat—only
uses the pills when she has a paper due the next
day or a big exam to study for. Since she does
not have a prescription, Jessica buys Adderall
XR—usually at a cost of $5 per 20-milligram
pill—from her peers.
Adderall XR came onto the market in 2001
and quickly passed Ritalin to become the most
popular “study drug,” according to a 2006
study by Northeastern University professor
Christian Teter.
As an amphetamine, the drug is classified
alongside cocaine and opium as a Schedule II
controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement
Agency. But for harried students seeking
improved concentration, alertness, and even
a sense of euphoria, the threat of the law
serves as little deterrent to taking the little
orange pill.
A DARKER SHADE OF ORANGE
Bianca, another freshman whose name has
been changed, reflects on her first experience
taking Adderall soon after she started high
school.
“It just felt so, so good,” she says. “Even
though I couldn’t sleep, it felt awesome. After
that I started taking it a lot. During the next two
months, I took it every day.”
Bianca started using the drug to help her
with her schoolwork, then came to rely on it
more when she realized it doubled as a weight
loss method. But she soon learned first-hand
why Schedule II drugs including Adderall
are considered to have a high potential for
abuse.
She found herself hospitalized in ninth grade.
Two months of daily use had taken their toll:
her weight had plummeted from 130 to 94
pounds, and she had not had a full night of
sleep in weeks.
“By the time I was actually hospitalized,
I was kind of fucked up,” she admits with a
slight laugh. “I wanted more weight loss—that
was one reason for taking it—but I also had
become psychologically dependent on it. I
really loved it.”
Though she obtained her Adderall legally—
she was diagnosed with attention deficit
disorder after her parents divorced when she
was ten—Bianca had saved her first bottle of
pills, only turning to the drug in high school
on the eve of a big paper deadline.
Before Bianca’s hospitalization, her
concerned mother scheduled regular meetings
for her daughter at an eating disorder clinic, but
Bianca found ways to trick her doctors.
“I would stop taking the medicine two days
before a meeting so that I would not have the
amphetamine in my blood,” she recalls.
Bianca was able to quit Adderall after
her stay in the hospital, but when college
applications hit during her senior year she felt
it was “really urgent” to finish everything in
time. She returned to her doctor for a refill and
was surprised by how easy it was to get the
pills, given her history of abuse.
See ‘adderall abuse,’ page 12
Page 8
AÙãÝ Ι L®¥›
The Clarion
|
May 4, 2012
Before I ramble on about how great
this movie is to the rest of you, I’d
like to talk about what this is all about
for me. It’s about its director, Joss
Whedon. Whedon is an auteur that has
wallowed in mainstream obscurity for
far too long. For those not in the know,
he has been the mastermind behind
several visionary television series but
has scraped against the glass ceiling of
Hollywood’s directorial Parthenon for
what seems to be his entire career.
Everything was riding on this for
him, the past four marvel movies
loaded the bases, and he hit the ball
out of the park. The Avengers is a
grand slam like you wouldn’t believe.
It shouldn’t hold together, Iron man,
Thor, Captain America, the Hulk. It
should be a mess, a conspiracy wall of
good ideas betrayed by the arrogance
and good intentions of its crew. But it
works, it slowly stirs to life, spreads
it’s wings, and smacks it’s naysayers
clear across their faces.
But what is it all about? I’m hesitant
to explain it. It’s really the kind of thing
you have to see for yourself. There’s a
villain. He wants to destroy the world.
Only a rag tag outfit of geniuses,
soldiers, spys, a monster, and a god
stand a chance against him. It’s pretty
rote stuff on paper isn’t it? Don’t worry
about it. The Avengers doesn’t give a
damn if you think it’s contrived or not.
It knows it’s contrived, and it’s gonna
let its freak flag fly right over your
suspended disbelief.
There are no stars. Or hold on, let me
put it this way, there are no standouts.
Every single character shines at an
almost equal level. All their unique
stories and situations blend together
into a wholly unique celluloid cocktail.
The ensemble cast is built of individual
flavors that taste great and taste even
better together
This is movie magic concentrated
and bottled by a master filmmaker
too coy to let it all go to his head. He
doesn’t dwell on past scars (Firefly)
and has made something with the
wide-eyed imaginative energy of a
rookie and the practiced restraint of
a veteran.
You need to see this movie weather
you want to or not, this is pop art of
Warhol proportions, except much
much funnier.
By Alex McCracken
Staff Writer
May 4, 2012
| The Clarion
AÙãÝ Ι L®¥›
Page 9
Page 10
SÖÊÙãÝ
The Clarion
|
May 4, 2012
BC climbing culture is
By Carolina Anderson
Staff Writer
Imagine yourself pressed up against a cold
hard rock face, holding on by your finger tips.
You’re about 100 feet off the ground.
You glance down to confirm your suspicions
that if you let go or slip, it wont be good. Your
arms begin to shake.
You start looking around for another hold.
There it is, just above your right arm.
Just barely out of reach.
It’s not or never.
Slowly you straighten up and reach your arm
out, just then your left leg begins to shake. You
lose your grip.
Now you’re falling…
Rock climbing is a sport unlike any
other—a sport fraught with danger and
excitement, challenging for both body and
mind, and as variable as the rock surfaces
upon which it takes place.
“It is such a unique sport that can only truly
be understood by doing it.” says Travis Gray,
junior Wilderness Leadership and Experiential
Education major from Greensboro. For Gray,
who has been competing in competitions for
six years now, understands the simple basics
of climbing that have helped him to excel
in many competitions across the Southeast.
There are seven main different types of
climbing; traditional, or “trad”, sport, free
solo, indoor, ice and bouldering. The main
styles that are focused on by the Brevard
climbers are trad, indoor and bouldering.
Gray, who began climbing when he was
fourteen, along with many other Brevard
College climbers, feel as though Brevard
North Carolina is an amazingly unique
place to begin and continue any style of
climbing. The geography of this area and the
mountainous terrain provide ample locations
for the different styles of climbing. Especially
popular in this area are traditional climbing,
sport climbing, and bouldering.
Traditional rock climbing is is typically
shown in movies and in nature documentaries.
When climbing trad, the climber is connected
by a rope, wearing harnesses as he/she scales
a rock face carrying racks of specialized
equipment, with another climber below,
known as the belayer. The rope is used as
protection so that, if a climber falls, the rope
catches them.
Indoor Climbing is similar to sport climbing,
suggest that a varsity rock climbing team
which is performed with no rope or harness,
should be formed. “I think a competitive
except that the structures are made of plywood
climbing team would perform well at
and climbers hold onto artificial handholds/
competitions and would bring a group of
footholds bolted onto the structure. The fact
people to Brevard College who would be
that it is indoors means the height of the climb
more than excited to be here” says David
is limited by the height of the room. However,
Lackey, junior Wilderness Leadership
there are no weather problems and it is easy to
and Experiential Education major from
reconfigure the wall by moving the handholds
Durham who has been climbing for 3 years.
and footholds.
Christina Furr, a senior Psychology major
Bouldering (shown below) is the favorite
from Virginia, who has also been climbing
amongst Brevard College climbers. This style
for 3 years, said that “Climbing may not be
is similar to indoor, but instead of taking place
a NCAA sport but we’re athlete’s too. And
indoors or on the side on cliffs, the climbing
we’re just as good.”
is done on boulders. The maximum height
Aside from brining in new perspective
of a boulder is typically ten feet or so, and
students, having a collegiate varsity climbing
bouldering is often done without ropes.
Regardless of
style, however, rock
climbing is both an
individualistic and
a social sport. In
the rock climbing
community, climbers
have developed into
a culture in which
individual members
literally, in some
cases, have one
another’s back. The
laid back, friendly
and extraordinarily
diverse culture of
climbers even
resonates to the
climbers here on
the Brevard College
campus. “everyone’s
willing to help out,
whether its solving
a problem in the
gym or taking you
out to climb if you
don’t have a crash
pad.” says Caitlin
Hubbard, senior
Exercise Science
major who has been
climbing for 3.5
years now.
While rock
climbing is not an
official NCAA sport
here at Brevard
College, the amount
Carolina Anderson
of talent that this David Lackey, BC student and climbing advocate, using physical
college has, would strength and mental stability to achieve his goal.
May 4, 2012
SÖÊÙãÝ
| The Clarion
Page 11
growing steadily
team would help to high light some of the
talent that is already here. Just recently Travis
Gray competed in a climbing competition
in Boston. “I have been climbing for seven
years now, and I have been competing in
competitions for about six. Gray feels that
there are many strong competetors within the
college and encourages everyone to not only
join the Brevard College Outing Club but to
venture out to the Brevard Rock Gym for free
college climb nights. [Every Tuesday night
during the academic year]
There are many different experience
ranges among the Brevard College climbers.
There are those who have been climbing for
thirteen years, well before they set foot on
Brevard College campus, and others who
have just reached their year and a half mark,
who had their first taste of climbing in our
schools rock climbing class. But don’t let
the years of experience fool you. Bennett
Anderson, junior Art major from Georgia,
has been climbing for two years now and is
already well on his way. “I have competed in
two competitions so far. I wish that Brevard
College would support climbing more so
Carolina Anderson
Jacob Parker climbs at Brevard Rock gym.
I can compete at other schools in the
Southeast” Anderson says “I like all styles
of climbing, but my favorite is multipitch
trad climbing because it puts you in
amazing and unique places and challenges
you mentally and physically.”
Jonathan Hyde, a senior Wilderness
Leadership and Experiential Education
major from Texas, has taken what his
instructors have taught him, both in
the classroom and outside and wants to
continue his climbing career by finding
a way to use climbing to teach science
experientially. “Climbing provides
good social interaction in beautiful
locations. Teachers self-discipline and
confidence.” Hyde has also recently
finish his Wilderness Leadership and
Experiential Education Leadership and
Experiential Education term paper on
whether Brevard College can sustain,
support or even benefit from having a
varsity level competition climbing team.
Many of the Brevard College climbers
are in agreement, a varsity level climbing
Carolina Anderson
team would certainly strength our school,
Caitlyn
Hubbard,
BC
senior
and 3.5 year
Hubbard says, “Having a competitive
climbing team would give students climbing veteran.
something to cheer about; I know our
energy-wasting movement. The opposite is
team would kick-ass for sure!”
true as well; if you can calm the mind your
For the faculty members here at Brevard
movements will be fluid, powerful, and
College, climbing is more than just another
precise." Says Ryan Donovan, Operations
course to be taught. It is an opportunity
Manager and Adjunct for the Wilderness
to educate students on how to respect the
Leadership and Experiential Education
land and the beauty of the nature on which
program at Brevard College.
the are climbing. There is something very
This laid back lifestyle has, however;
intimate about rock climbing, whether
created
some interesting stereotypes. “It really
it’s just you and the rock or if people
bothers
me that some people think we’re all
surround you. For many new generations
just a bunch of uneducated adrenaline junkie
of climbers, see this only as a sport and
stoners.” Says Penn Bloxsom, senior English
not a relationship with nature. “I love that
major from South Carolina. When asked
it’s just you and the wall. You climb as
about her least favorite stereotype, Chelsea
hard as your skill and determination will
Freeman, senior English major from North
let you and you don’t have to worry about
Carolina, says, “That we [climbers] don’t
anyone else holding you back.” Says Jake
feel pain. Everyone feels pain, we just push
Parker, sophomore Wilderness Leadership
through it!”
and Experiential Education Leadership and
Experiential Education major from Florida.
…Now you’re sitting on your crash pad,
For the faculty members here at Brevard
staring up at the towering boulder.
College that also double as climbers
Your friends come help you up, and you start
themselves, they continually stress to their
the assent again. You’ll get it this time…
students how important it is to respect the
Twenty minutes later. You’re there. There it
land. "There is certainly a mind-body
is, the top of the ledge. You completed the climb
connection at play in rock climbing. If
you’ve spent weeks on. And now, it’s just another
the mind is tense and chaotic the body will
V5 under your belt.
reflect that in tense, lurching, ineffective,
Page 12
THE BACK PAGE
from page 7
adderall abuse
“He didn’t verify anything,” she says. “He
gave me a ton of Adderall—over 90 capsules
at a time. It was a really ridiculous amount,
and I saved them all up.”
Soon Bianca found herself in a dangerous
cycle: a pill in the morning would prevent
her from sleeping at night, and she found the
only way to avoid being tired the day after
was to take more Adderall. When she came
to Harvard, she brought a stash of more than
100 pills with her.
She stopped taking them after her boyfriend
threatened to end their relationship if she
continued.
“There are days when taking Adderall would
be a smart choice for that day, when it really
would make me so much more productive,
but I think for me it has been a really good
decision not to take it,” she says now.
Bianca sold her remaining pills for $250 to
a fellow freshman—Jessica.
“It’s not something I use all the time, but it’s
there for me to fall back on,” Jessica says.
SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE
“There is a prevailing notion that since
doctors prescribe medications such as
Adderall, that they must be safe,” University
Health Services spokesperson Nanci Martin
writes in an e-mailed statement. But despite
this perception, Martin writes that stimulants
like Adderall can cause cardiac problems.
Harvard Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors
outline further risks of stimulants like Adderall
on their website—including addiction, stroke,
psychosis, and schizophrenia.
But labels and doctor warnings fail to
prevent some students from popping pills.
Though statistics on Adderall misuse vary
widely, studies show that prescription
drug abuse occurs on campuses across the
country.
The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health found that 6.4 percent of fulltime college students age 18 to 22 misused
Adderall that year. The number did not
include students diagnosed with an attention
deficit disorder, even though experts claim
that some students fake symptoms in order
to get study pills.
Closer to home, a 2011 survey by the
Boston Globe found that among an “informal
sampling” of students at four Boston-area
colleges, 15 percent admitted to taking
prescription drugs, most frequently Adderall,
for stress relief, increased focus, and other
unintended purposes.
Peter, a junior whose name has been
changed, worries that doctors might discover
long-term effects in the future, even though
his occasional use of Adderall has not
The Clarion
|
May 4, 2012
From page 1
produced any immediate side effects.
“There is no way you can take a drug to
make your brain work at twice the speed and
intensity as normal without having some
consequences,” he says.
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON
ADDERALL
Despite concerns about Adderall abuse,
Stanford law professor Henry Greely argues
that using prescription drugs to boost studying
should be as commonly accepted as drinking
caffeine.
Greely and his six co-authors said in a
2008 article in Nature that study pills like
Adderall have “much to offer individuals
and society.”
The article counters critics of study pills
who charge that they are “unnatural” by
pointing out that nearly every aspect of
modern life—food, shelter, clothing, medical
care—bears “little relation to our species’
‘natural’ state.”
These drugs “should be viewed in the same
general category as education, good health
habits, and information technology—ways
that our uniquely innovative species tries to
improve itself,” says the article.
Peter disagrees. Even though he uses study
pills to increase concentration, he admits that
their use on college campuses gives students
unfair advantages.
“Adderall is absolutely cheating,” he says.
“Coffee and other natural stimulants keep
you awake, but Adderall keeps you focused.
I read an entire course’s assigned reading in
a five-hour period. That is not natural. That
was cheating.”
Jessica has a different take. “I don’t think
it’s cheating to take study drugs,” she says.
“But I do admit that I sometimes get annoyed
with people who fake a prescription. They get
extra time on tests, and I think a lot of people
get prescribed Adderall knowing full well
they do not have ADD.”
As Jessica knows from first-hand experience,
Adderall’s power to increase focus comes at
a mental as well as physical cost. The drug is
known to impair creativity and alter thought
patterns.
“The papers I write on Adderall are nowhere
near the same quality as the ones I write not
on Adderall,” she says. “They are wordy and
convoluted. It’s like I can’t step back and see
the big picture, but at the time it feels like I’m
writing smart stuff.”
Yet time-crunched students juggling
competitive classes, leadership positions,
job and graduate school applications, and
social lives turn to study pills for an extra
edge anyway.
As Jessica puts it, “desperate times call for
desperate measures.”
SGA
tant Dean of Students Megan Walters, who
helped facilitate the election process, ensuring
the voting went smoothly and helped in the
final counting of ballots.
Elections at Brevard College were not
always this way. Just three or four years ago,
elections typically took place over several
days, with guarantees of secret ballots by
candidates, preservation of voter integrity
(i.e., making sure each student voted only
once), and ample opportunities for voters to
learn more about candidates in The Clarion,
in candidate forums, and other informal meetings with candidates.
And the number of students who voted then
regularly exceeded 400 students, 60 percent
or more of the student body, according to Travis Wireback, SGA president 2008-2009 and
editor in chief of The Clarion in 2009-2010.
Compare that number to this year’s tally
of 242 votes in a single day, which includes,
according to Matthews, only 21 commuting
students. Assuming a conservative estimate
of 600 eligible voters, that is a voter turnout
of only 40 percent.
C
THE
LARION
THE C
LARION
SENIOR STAFF
Editor in Chief . . . . Park Baker
Managing Editor . . . Patrick Veilleux
Business
Manager
PatrickFawcett
Veilleux
Copy
Editor.
. . . . . Olivia
Olivia Fawcett
Copy Editor. . . . . . Melissa
Sullebarger
Campus News . . . . Cassie Smatana
Opinion . . . . . . . . Position Open
Carolina
Andersen
Arts & Life . . . . . . Alex
McCracken
PositionAzevedo
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Position
Open
Photography . . . . . Thea
Dunn
Layout & Design . . . Thea Dunn
Faculty Advisor . . . . John B. Padgett
OTHER STAFF
Alex McCracken
Carolina Anderson
Elena
Reynolds
KaramCallahan
Boeshaar
JoshSmith
Smith
Carly
Josh
SarahCrotts
Bowers
Olivia VanderSyde
Fawcett
Tyler
Alisha
Melissa
Sullebarger
Skip Allsopp
Julia
Glass
Caleb
Welborn
Josh
Mower is a student-run college newspaper
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the collective opinion of the staff of The Clarion.
Clarion.
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Other opinions
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