Issue 1 - Randolph

The Yellow Jacket
Vol. C; Issue 1 -September 12, 2014
The Official Student Newspaper and Student Voice of Randolph-Macon College
WELCOME RANDOLPH-MACON
CLASS OF 2018!
Welcome all!
As we celebrate our 185 th year at
Randolph-Macon College, it is my great
pleasure to welcome our returning students
back to Randolph-Macon College and to
convey a special greeting to our newcomers
comprising the Class of 2018. At 429
students strong, you are the largest freshman
class in R-MC history and represent 16 states
and 12 countries.
Joining you and equally welcome are
23 transfer students and 12 additional
international students, hailing from The
Philippines, Ethiopia, Northern Ireland,
France, Australia, The Netherlands,
Germany, Serbia, Nepal, Madagascar and
the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As new Yellow Jackets, each of you will
contribute your talents to a student body
you join at R-MC: academically talented,
diverse and full of student government
presidents, team captains, Presidential
Scholars, actors, debaters, musicians and
so many who are involved in community
service and social outreach. You will greatly
enrich this campus in many ways during
your time here, and I invite you to dive in
and get actively involved right away. R-MC
is a close-knit family, and we want you
to become participants, leaders and role
models in our vibrant community.
To our returning students – we have
missed you on campus this summer.
Speaking of campus, we have exciting news
on campus improvements made since you
left in May.
Construction is nearing completion on
the splendid Birdsong Hall, the new threestory residence hall and pavilion area, dining
room and classroom space at the south end
of Day Field. And look for some exciting
developments in Estes as well.
This beautiful building is the latest
construction or renovation project to be
completed on our campus, following the
renovations of Day Field, the new Banks
Tennis Center, the John B. Werner Pavilion
at McGraw-Page Library, a new Hugh
Stephens Field at Estes Park, Andrews Hall,
the Brock Commons and major renovations
to the Estes Dining Hall, Fox Hall, Haley
Hall, Smithey Hall and the Copley Science
Center. Alumni, parents and friends of this
College have committed over $100 Million
in these past several years as part of our
Building Extraordinary Campaign, with a
goal, quite simply, to improve your campus
and your educational experience such that
you will be even more proud to be a Yellow
Jacket.
I encourage you to work hard on your
studies this year – and know that we have
an extraordinarily talented faculty and
terrific staff poised to help you succeed. And
balance your academics and extracurricular
activities wisely, enjoy the life-long relations
you develop here and seek help whenever
you need it.
Our goal for each and every one of
you is for you to graduate on time and to
experience the Randolph-Macon EDGE
once you earn your R-MC degree. Don’t
hesitate to take advantage of our 100+ clubs
and organizations and other opportunities
that are available at R-MC along the way.
Randolph-Macon students are known to
be participants, not bystanders, and we
want all of you to be part of the life of the
College, sharing your interests and talents
with others.
Again, welcome new and returning
students. So seize the opportunity to take
full advantage of the great potential that lies
within you and within this special College.
Go Jackets!
Robert Lindgren, President
Randolph-Macon College
round, and while this was a voluntary commitment and a service to the college in order
to help the freshman class, it did take up a
large portion of the professors’ time. This
is not to say the FYEC was ineffective, but
more to show how the curriculum is ever
changing and the new RMCS 101 courses
will allow for different opportunities for the
freshman class.
The RMCS course is structured differently from the FYEC in that it is a one
semester, voluntary course that is taught
fall semester of a student’s freshman year.
According to Gowan, the course has a core
instructor that teaches based on a theme for
the year. This year’s theme is “Freedom and
Constraint.”
Along with the core instructor, six different instructors will come speak to students
as guest lecturers and explain how freedom
and constraint relates to their disciplines.
Some of the guest speakers can even be
alumni who can help current students see
what their options are for courses of study.
This helps students, especially those who are
undeclared for a major, look at seven different perspectives to see where they might like
to focus their studies.
The Curriculum Board went through a
long process of passing the change, including having the entire faculty sign off. Dean
of Academic Affairs Lauren Bell, who is also
a professor of Political Science and a Curriculum Board member, said this change was
an action of the entire faculty.
“Collegiate requirements can only be
changed this way,” Bell said. “Eight years
ago, there was a consensus that the FYE
wasn’t sustainable, and a special committee
was created. The faculty still had to vote and
have a majority vote.”
The faculty wanted to make sure the
course was one that focused more on the
skills students need in college. This is a
change from the FYEC where there was
more upperclassman-styled work involved
at the freshman level.
“The RMCS 101 courses start at the
most basic level,” Bell said, “but are still
substantive.”
Upperclassmen have voiced their opinions on the new course and some have stated
the course is too difficult for freshman, especially since it is no longer year round where
two requirements would be fulfilled. When
asked, both Bell and Gowan addressed those
concerns by saying that the course, while
very different from the FYEC, is still a course
that can be helpful to incoming freshmen.
Currently, about half of the freshman
class is enrolled in the RMCS sections,
and for students who are concerned about
managing study skills or who want to see
an advisor more often, this course is geared
towards them.
RMCS 101 course replaces FYEC program
by Naoko Branker ‘15
T
Editor-in-Chief
his fall, the changes to Randolph-Macon will not just include the addition of new
buildings and the largest freshman class on
record. In addition, the Curriculum Board
has approved the new Randolph-Macon
Colloquium/Seminar 101 (RMCS 101) to
take the place of the previously taught FirstYear Experience Colloquia (FYEC).
This course change was made, in large
part, by feedback from students and professors alike. Dr. Charles Gowan, P.H. Warner
Professor of Biology and part of the R-MC
Curriculum Board, said the structure was
a large component of why the change took
place.
“The FYEC was really challenging to run
and challenging to teach,” Gowan said.
Gowan also added there was a need
for one quarter of the faculty to teach year
by the numbers:
6
days until Family Weekend
27
days until Fall Break
Movie Mania @
Commons
September 12-14:
Occulus
September 1921: Maleficent
SEE RMCS 101,CONT’D ON PAGE 2
index:
Can you find Dean
McGhee in the
Yellow Jacket?
news, pp.1-2
features, pp. 3-4
politics/opinion, pp. 5-6
sports, pp.7-8
Page Two
YJ News
September 12, 2014
Congratulations to the new Greek women of
Randolph-Macon!
Kappa Alpha Theta
Daly McHugh, Olivia Bowling,
Tracy Moriconi, Amanda
Bengsten, Nicole Nicholson, Julia
Warren, Anna Hansard, Fraser
Mayberry, Madison Gilman,
Caroline Clary, Rachel Samuelson,
Aven Oliver, Genny Killian,
Bailey Bresee, Sierra Collins, Erin
Skevington, Lindsay Andrews,
Angelica Collins, Morgan Seal,
Kinsley Hall, Mary-Paige David,
Meghan Novotny, Carolyn
Proctor, Sarah-Grace Hines,
Taylor Vest, Samm Prugh
Delta Zeta
Alpha Gamma Delta
Eliza Adler, Alyssa Bradley, Casey Burns,
Julia Carson, Tyler Cianciotti, Tommie
Curtis, Antonia Douglas, Caroline
Eglseder, Megan Granger, Christy Hall,
Emma Houlgrave, Avery Hudson,
Aishwarya Lanka, Alex Lightfoot,
Melissa Mitchler, Hannah Moore,
Brittney Pacini, Alinia Pacione, Tattie
Petts, Hannah Pierce, Olivia Pyanoe,
Erin Quinn, Rebecca Reidy, Haley Russ,
Sam Sallade, Katie Zohab
Kylie Wash, Becca Ream, Lauren Keiser,
Emily Cornelissen, Tori Graham, Lydia
Baumbach, Sheridan Skurupey, Kelsey
Wooldridge, Maddie Farmer, Laura Ellis,
Manda Binion, Madi Rivers, Alicia Cash,
Davi Neagle, Callie Brown, Caroline Snell,
Adrianna Lazarte, Kaitlyn McKay, Breanna
Bowles, Hannah Starkey
Page Three
YJ Features
Advice for #RMC18
Hours to remember
Estes Dining Hall
Monday-Friday:
Breakfast 7:15am-11:00am
Lunch: 11:00am-2:00pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-7:30pm
Saturday-Sunday:
Brunch: 9:00am-1:30pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-7:30pm
Library
Monday-Thursday:
8:00am- Midnight
Friday:
8:00am-8:00pm
Saturday:
11:00am-6:00pm
RMCS 101, CONT’D FROM PAGE 1
As Gowan explained, the RMCS 101
courses are “focused on student exploration.” For those students who have previously taken dual enrollment courses and are
comfortable with the workload that comes
with college-level study, this course may not
be the right option. For those students who
are undeclared in their major and need more
help figuring out what they would like to
achieve in college, this course is very helpful.
Ultimately, it is up to the student to
choose regardless if they have advice from
upperclassmen, advisors or friends in the
freshman class.
“No other person can tell you what classes are good for you,” Bell said. Freshman
students can choose to take the course, or
not, and there have been differing opinions
from freshmen on whether or not to take
the course. Freshman Heidi Muller did not
take an RMCS course, but she wishes she
had, “I have a few friends who are in the
RMCS course “War against God,” and every
time they talk about it, it sounds interesting. I wish I had taken that class because
it sounds like something that would be of
interest to me.”
These courses are designed with student
interest in mind, and that helps to promote
the individualized attention that RandolphMacon prides itself in having.
“Also, I think all RMCS courses in general are a great opportunity to expand your
knowledge beyond what typical courses are
offered here,” Muller said. “I am sure that no
matter what RMCS course I take or anyone
takes something is learned beyond typical
classroom instruction.”
Interested in
placing an ad
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Jacket? Email
yjbusiness@
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information
on pricing!
Sunday:
11:00am- Midnight
Campus Safety
24 hours a day, seven days a week
The Brock Center
Monday-Thursday:
7:00am-11:00pm
Friday:
7:00am-8:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-8:00pm
Sunday:
1:00pm-11:00pm
Birdsong Cafe
Monday-Thursday:
11:00am-10:00pm
Friday-Saturday:
11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday:
11:00am-10:00pm
Greenberry’s
Monday-Thursday:
7:30am-1:00am
Friday:
7:30am-11:00pm
Saturday-Sunday:
8:30am-11:00pm
Student Health
Center
The Student Health Center is
open
Monday-Friday 8am-4pm.
Physical Plant
Monday-Friday:
7:30am-4:00pm
Call (804)752-4737 or Campus
Safety for any emergencies.
Campus Store
Monday-Friday:
8:30am-4:15pm
Saturday:
9:00am-3:00pm
Check the website for special
hours
Higgins Academic
Center
The HAC tutors all have different
schedules, which can be found online at http://www.rmc.edu/offices/
higgins-academic-center.aspx.
The Writing Center will be open
4-11 p.m. starting on September 15.
The speaking center is available
by appointment.
Information
Technology
Services (ITS)
The Helpline is available
Monday-Thursday, 7:30am-7:30
pm
Friday 7:30am-5pm
Counseling
Services
Appointments can be made
Monday-Friday:
8:30am-5:00pm
All meetings are confidential.
Book Buyback
10/9/14
9:00am-4:00pm
Brock Commons
Bring in your used textbooks for cash!
Letter from
the Editor:
As I enter my third year of
college, I envy every single thing
about you.
I envy the fact that you have
no idea how hard it is to carry a futon to the third floor of Moreland, I
envy the fact that you don’t desire
the old Macon Coffee, and most
importantly, I envy the fact that
you have no idea what it is like to
know you have less than two years
here.
Two years seems like such a
long time until I realize that two
years have already flown by. You
need to step back and take a deep
breath because life is about to hit
you full force.
One day you are going to be
in line for Fried Chicken Friday
and the next day you will be in line
waiting to receive your diploma.
You will change so much
throughout your four years here.
You will grow up and you will
grow into a new person. You will
get over your high school sweetheart, you will learn to do laundry,
you will learn how to make cookies in a microwave, and you will
learn that Estes should be avoided
at 9:10, 12:30, and 1:40.
Randolph Macon is something
bigger than you, it is something
bigger than me, it is something bigger than all of us.
It is more than an education,
more than four years, more than a
good time. It is an experience, a
once in a lifetime experience.
Randolph Macon gives more
than any school could ever give.
Take the chance to study abroad
and take internships.
Sample classes, pick a major
you love, and maybe even throw
on a minor. Find a club that you
love or maybe even go Greek.
Tailgate with your friends,
cheer on all the teams, and congratulate them in class. You’re in
an extremely small school with
extremely big opportunities.
Life is funny that way; it gives
you the best things in the smallest
packages.
So for now embrace Estes
breakfasts, tell your parents thank
you often, and never forget to stop
and take a breath.
I promise that this is just the
beginning and you are about to
have the best four years of your
life.
With great love and envy,
Madison Guidry
Senior Features Editor
September 12, 2014
YJ
est. 1915
The Yellow Jacket
Volume C
Issue 1
September 12, 2014
Naoko Branker ‘15
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
Katrina Zurasky ‘15
Managing Editor
Madison Eaton ‘15
Junior News Editor
Madison Guidry ‘16
Senior Features Editor
May McNeil ‘16
Junior Features Editor
Henry Ashton ‘15
Senior Politics/Opinion Editor
Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinion Editor
Rebecca Ream ‘16
Senior Sports Editor
Jordon Lee ‘16
Junior Sports Editor
Deborah Martin ‘15
Business/Advertising Manager
[email protected]
Heather Ramey ‘15
Copy Editor
Amanda Hicks ‘15
Copy Editor
Nadhira Hill ‘16
Yellow Jacket Web Master
Lindsey Harkins ‘15
Photo Editor
Jarrod Harrison ‘15
Social Media Editor
Prof. Gayla Mills
Faculty Advisor
Printed at the Progress-Index
in Petersburg, Va.
The Yellow Jacket is published bi-weekly.
Written materials or
letters can be submitted to the staff
through the R-MC Office of Student Life,
P.O.Box 5005, Ashland, VA, 23005 or at
[email protected].
Opinions expressed herein are exclusively
those of the writer/editorial board and do
not reflect the views of the R-MC
administration, faculty, staff or the college
itself.
Page Four
YJ Features
September 12, 2014
Meet your Features 10 tips for healthy
eating in college
editors:
by May McNeil ‘16
Junior Features Editor
1. Drink water.
LOTS of water. I have a cute pink water
bottle that goes everywhere with me- I try
to drink at least one whole water bottle full
during each class.
A lot of the time, we think we’re hungry
when we may just be slightly dehydrated. If
you start to feel hungry, chug some water,
wait a while, and see if you still have an
urge to eat.
2. Start off your day with
some breakfast.
Madison Guidry
May McNeil
Senior Features Editor
Junior Features Editor
Year: Junior
Major: Communications
Minor: Journalism/Film
Studies
Year: Junior
Major: Communications/
Political Science
Minor: Journalism
Fun Fact: We are roommates!
Freshmen 15: Myth
or legend?
by Madison Guidry ‘16
Senior Features Editor
What is the freshmen 15? To answer
your question, it is the fifteen or twenty or
thirty pounds you gain during your first year
as a college student. Why do you gain it?
That is simple. You are away from home,
you can eat whatever you want and most of
you stopped playing sports and exercising on
a regular basis now that you are in college.
Talking about weight gain with a girl is
similar to a death sentence. Lucky for all of
you reading this, I don’t really care what anyone else thinks of me. I am comfortable with
my body and that is all that matters to me.
I am here to tell you and warn you, that
the Freshman 15 is not a myth, it is a legend,
and it will come for you.
The Freshman 15 will take you by surprise and it will take you over. It seems like it
happens in the blink of an eye, but in reality,
it happens when you go out to eat too often
and you have a bowl of Estes macaroni and
cheese every Friday.
One day you will realize that you might
have to squeeze into your favorite jeans
or maybe a medium would fit you a little
better than a small. I gained the freshman
15 pounds and went up one pant size. It is
something that happens and it is something
we all deal with.
No one stays a size two for the rest of
their life except Jennifer Aniston. I hate to
break it to you, but none of you are Jennifer
Aniston. Don’t worry, I thought I was Britney Spears for the first 18 years of my life.
Don’t panic when you realize you are in
fact not Jennifer Aniston; it will be okay. We
will all love you just the same.
Now why do I say don’t worry about
gaining a few extra pounds? The reasons
are endless.
One, you most likely need to fill out
anyways and a few extra pounds make you
look older.
Two, you know that saying “Dogs like
bones, real men like curves?” Yeah, that’s
true and it was probably made up by some
girl, but who cares, I like it.
And three, guys will soon trade in their
six packs for dad bods. Oh, and gaining
a little weight gives you an excuse to go
shopping.
If I really freaked you out and you are
super worried about putting a little meat on
your bones, I also have advice on how to not
to gain the Freshman 15.
Do not go to Chick-Fil-A multiple times
a week, don’t go to Sheetz after 10 pm, and
go for the baked chicken on Fried Chicken
Friday.
Drink lots of water and do a Macon Mile
every now and then.
This is your first time away from your
parents and it is a little weird not having
a schedule and being able to eat whatever
and whenever.
Your parents are no longer here to tell
you that you cannot have ice cream before
dinner and they are no longer here to hear
you sneak into the pantry late at night.
Life is not about being skinny, it is about
being healthy. We often forget that we need
to take care of ourselves.
Late nights, long weekends, and unhealthy food can take a toll on us. Being
healthy leads to being happy.
Whether you gain a million pounds or
zero pounds, you are beautiful. It is so cliché
to say, but there is something beautiful about
every single person.
Remember that you are you and no
physical feature could ever change that.
Try to eat something within an hour after
you wake up. I love having eggs and toast
in the mornings, but you could just grab a
banana or make some easy instant oatmeal
if you aren’t into the dining hall.
With breakfast, the idea is to keep your
body full and energized for a while…leading
me to my next point -
3. Swap out carbs for
protein. Read ingredient labels on what you buy,
and make a conscious decision to purchase
food items that are higher in protein and
lower in carbohydrates.
Protein will provide your body with lasting energy and help curb snack cravings. If
you work out a lot, protein will also rebuild
your muscles.
say, ten ingredients listed
on the back, don’t eat it.
I recently compared the ingredients on
whole grain Tostitos chips to the ingredients
on a bag of Doritos while proving to my
boyfriend that the Tostitos were an okay
snack choice (obvi, I was right).
7. INDULGE.
Eat some ice cream! Go to Starbucks!
— Just don’t make it a habit. …This is my
biggest downfall. I have a ridiculous sweet
tooth. Especially for chocolate chip cookies.
8. Have more meals composed of smaller servings,
if that makes sense.
I try to think of my eating habits as more
of several mid-sized healthy snacks than
three huge meals. It helps kick up your metabolism (kinda like eating breakfast does!).
Helpful hint: keep in mind that one serving
of meat (protein source!) should be about
the size of a card deck.
9. Stop drinking soda.
Now. Just do it. I’m guilty of occasionally using soda as a mixer (see #10), but
otherwise it has been totally cut out of my
diet. I don’t think this really needs a lot of
explanation…
10. Cut down on the
drinking (you know what
4. Add fruit or vegeta- I mean), or use soda wables to every meal, and ter instead of soda as a
try to substitute veggies mixer.
in college, this one can be hard if
or fruit for your snacks youBeing
love to go out and be social. If you cut
throughout the day.
down on your drinking habits by just one
An apple with peanut butter or even
sliced cheddar cheese is a delicious and super
filling snack (my fave!!).
5. If you can’t pronounce
the ingredients on something, it might be a bad
idea. What the heck is that stuff, anyway?
Kinda scary to put something in your body
that you can’t even say.
6. If there are more than,
night a week, you will start to see a difference
in your energy levels and feel less bloated
the next day.
Stay in and go to bed early, or go out and
limit how much you have. Get someone to
stay in with you (sisterhood event, perhaps?)
So there’s your new 10-step eating plan!
It works pretty well for me, but I definitely have my cheat days (Chik-fil-a milkshakes, anyone??).
We’re all human, right? If you have any
specific questions about meal ideas or foods,
I would love to answer them!
Good luck and stay healthy!
Randolph-Macon College
Fun Facts
We are the oldest Methodist affiliated college still in use
Washington-Franklin Hall was the first brick building to be built in Ashland
We were the first college below the Mason-Dixon line to ever require a physical
education course, and the first college in the South to build a gym on campus (used
to be located by the fountain)
Freshmen Village was once housing for military veterans, and called “Veteran
Village”
We were founded in Boydton, Virginia and moved to Ashland in 1868
We were originally an all men’s school, and became co-ed in 1971
We are part of the oldest small-school rivalry in the South
We were the first college to move away from Latin/Greek based curriculum to an
English based curriculum
Page Five
YJPolitics/Opinions
September 12, 2014
Status of Israel travel course in jeopardy
by Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinions Editor
O
n Sept. 15, R-MC professors Dr. Don
Polaski and Dr. Shoshanna Shechter-Shaffin
are set to meet with the Provost’s Office and
Office of International Education to decide
the fate of RELS 246 and 247.
The J-term class, Jewish/Christian Identity Today, would take students to Jerusalem,
Tel Aviv, Bethlehem and other locations in
Israel. However, in light of the recent armed
conflict between Israel and Gaza, R-MC may
decide to cancel the class.
Should that happen, those still enrolled
in the class could choose to accept a full
refund or transfer their money to another
J-term travel course.
If the trip does go on, payments are due
at the normal times, Polaski and SchechterShaffin said in their letter to RELS 246 and
247 participants.
Polaski and Schecter-Shaffin also said
that, “[E]ven during high points of violence
this summer, tours from the United States
have gone forward without incident.” On
Aug. 26, the Israeli government and Hamas,
the organization that controls Gaza Strip,
reached a ceasefire after talks mediated by
Egyptian officials, CBS News reported.
Senior sociology major Jake Palyo decided to drop the course after speaking with
his family who advised him to withdraw for
safety reasons.
“Although I was nervous about my safety,
I know that R-MC would not allow students
to travel to an area if there was any threat to
their safety,” Palyo said. “Having traveled to
Israel before, I know that both the govern-
Calm after the storm: Soldiers from the Givati brigade embrace after returning from Gaza to
Israel on August 4. On August 26, the Israeli government reached a ceasefire with the Hamas
organization after talks mediated by Egyptian officials. Unfortunately due to the conflict, the status
of the R-MC travel course to Israel may be in jeopardy. Photo credit to Reuters
ment and the travel providers make sure that
both citizens of Israel and its visitors are as
safe as possible, so for me, it was more of the
overall situation that was my concern rather
than my personal safety.”
This past summer, three Israeli teenagers
were abducted and later found dead with
Hamas claiming responsibility; a Palestinian boy was murdered shortly after, likely
in revenge.
Seven weeks of fighting between Israel
and Gaza followed, New York Times and
Washington Post reported.
Sixty-nine Israelis and over 2,000 Palestinians lost their lives, more than half of the
latter group were civilians. It is estimated
that 18,000 homes were destroyed or made
uninhabitable, meaning that 108,000 people
lost their homes, the UN’s Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian affairs said.
Both Israel and Hamas declared the Aug.
26 ceasefire a “victory” for their respective
sides.
The deal was brokered by Egypt and
required Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza,
allowing the import of humanitarian aid
and reconstruction materials, CBS News
reported.
Hamas and Israel have other demands,
however. Hamas wants a sea and airport for
Gaza, and for Egypt to reopen its Rafah border crossing. Israel wants Hamas to disarm
itself. These will be addressed this month in
Cairo at another round of talks.
On Aug. 31, the Israeli government
announced plans to appropriate nearly
1,000 acres of West Bank land for Jewish
settlements. The area is in a cluster of Israeli
settlements called Gush Etzion by Israelis,
and is not far from where the three Israeli
teenagers were kidnapped.
A Gush Etzion council leader told reporters that the appropriation is in preparation for the building of a city to be called
Gvaot. Those who oppose the appropriation
were given 45 days from Aug. 31 to tell the
Israeli government. Palestinians who want
a sovereign state in Gaza and the West Bank
say the appropriation would only make this
more difficult, Washington Post reported.
The U.S. officially disapproves of the appropriation. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “We are deeply concerned
about the declaration of a large area as ‘state
land’ to be used for expanded settlement
building…We call upon the government of
Israel to reverse this decision,”The Washington Post reported.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
called Israeli settlements “…illegal under
international law.”
Hammond also said that settlement
makes a two-state solution more unlikely,
The Guardian reported. U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry is set to speak with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on
Tuesday and is expected to bring up the
appropriation.
Opinion: On the death
Defining ISIS: a
complex organization of Michael Brown
by Henry Ashton ‘15
W
Politics/Opinions Editor
estern states have been scrambling
recently to respond to the perceived threat
of the Sunni militant group, the Islamic State
of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also translated
as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL).
The group currently has an estimated
30,000 militants in Iraq and 50,000 in
Syria, and has claimed sovereignty over a
vast amount of territory in Iraq, Al Jazeera
reported.
Historically, ISIS has links to Islamic
fundamentalist group Al Qaeda, the Los
Angeles Times reported.
Dr. Thomas Badey, Professor of Political
Science at Randolph-Macon College and an
expert on international terrorism, said he
believes the designation of the ISIS group is
ambiguous at this point.
“What we’re talking about really is where
does a terrorist group stop and a militia begin?” Badey said. “Estimated membership so
far is 80-100,000: that’s huge. They do have a
territorial identity, they are occupying certain cities and areas, which is normally not
what happens with terrorists. Terrorists tend
not to have that identity or take over certain
cities: they tend to strike and disappear.”
“The bad news is they’re pretty large;
the good news is any time somebody has a
territorial identity, that makes them vulnerable,” Badey continued.
He noted that ISIS was able to establish
itself in Iraq more readily because of governmental disarray and a relative lack of
competing groups.
In Syria, however, over a dozen other
militias are currently engaged in a struggle
with the Assad regime.
The intense struggles against existing
governments have provided fertile ground
for organizers of a massive militia.
“There are something like 50,000 member of ISIS currently in Iraq,” Badey said.
“Who trained the Iraqi military? Us.
Chances are that some of the people that are
in ISIS are trained by us or the Iraqi military
or the Syrian military and abandoned one
or the other.”
Badey stated that while the physical presence of the ISIS group makes them more
vulnerable militarily, state actors will have
other problems as a result of the influx of
willing participants in the militia group’s
activities.
“On the ground militarily ISIS can be
contained and destroyed, but many of the
people moving to the conflict from Europe
and other places, they seem to be attracted
to ISIS,” Badey said.
“That could cause a problem later on and
force countries to restrict movement back
into their borders.”
Dr. Michael Fischbach, Professor of History at R-MC and an expert on the history
of the modern Middle East, argued that
the perspective of ISIS by Western states
as simply a barbaric group of terrorists was
overly simplistic.
“Various groups and various countries
commit terrorist acts,” Fischbach said, “but
can any group or any country that deliberately attacks civilians for a political purpose,
can they solely be dismissed as a terrorist
group?”
Fischbach noted that ISIS goals were
more complex than simply to intimidate
those around them with violence.
“I think of it [ISIS] as a revolutionary
movement. It is trying to reshape, in SEE ISIS ON PAGE 5
A hopeless battle against injustice?: A woman in Ferguson, Missouri holds a sign that connotes the solidarity residents of Ferguson feel with Michael Brown. Photo credit UPI
by Jarrod Harrison ‘15
I
Social Media Editor
n the case of Michael Brown, as well
as the cases of countless other innocent
black men and women in America, there is
the question of what to do after the initial
backlash in Ferguson, Missouri.
Initially, I was saddened and angered by
Brown’s murder; I could not talk to anyone
about it while I sat back and listened to what
everyone had to say.
As it happens, I was in New York when
Eric Garner was murdered and Brown soon
after. The rallying response of the citizens
of New York was very comforting in my
angered and saddened state, but as I drove
back to Randolph-Macon, I was left wondering, “What now?”
Since then, in all of my conversations
with friends, in person and on social media, there has been a single thought, idea,
justification which I cannot allow to run
rampant anymore.
At some point in each conversation, it
turns into, “But what about black on black
crime?” or “But blacks, you know, they kill
each other all of the time.”
Do you not see that you are justifying
violence against black people with violence
among black people?
I was tired of explaining the ignorance
behind this justification, but now I understand that I cannot leave it to someone else to
inform people of what I know to be the truth.
Whatever may have happened before
Officer Darren Wilson encountered Brown
does not matter and is a distraction when
referenced. Do not be fooled! To be black
in America has always meant your life does
not matter. The rationalization behind these
excuses for the murder of innocent blacks is
really screaming, “They’re all still as ‘savage’
as the first Africans enslaved and brought to
the Americas.”
You are so blinded by your privilege that
you do not have to acknowledge the reality
of my life.
SEE FERGUSON, PAGE 6
Page Six
YJ Politics/Opinions
September 12, 2014
Page Seven
R-MC students engage with campaigns of
professors David Brat and Jack Trammell
by Henry Ashton ‘15
T
Politics/Opinions Editor
his fall, students at Randolph-Macon
College have found themselves under a political spotlight of an unprecedented scope.
Several students have thrown their hats into
the political arena to gain valuable experience helping the candidate of their choice.
Two R-MC professors, Dr. David Brat,
Professor of Economics, and Dr. Jack Trammell, Professor of Sociology, will face off
Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The election will encompass both a special election to fill the immediate vacancy
left by the resignation of incumbent Eric
Cantor and in the general election for the
seat.
Seniors J.D. Rackey and Connor Kish
both joined the Trammell campaign this
summer after Trammell’s last-minute nomination to the Democratic ticket.
“[JD and I] actually reached out to them
through Young Democrats,” Kish said. “We
offered assistance to the campaign, whatever
they needed, and they brought us on and
gave us a position.”
Kish noted that he has been responsible for a variety of tasks since he initially
reached out to the Trammell campaign.
“I’ve sort of been the catch-all: taking
ISIS, FROM PAGE 5
a fundamental way, political, social, and
economic realities in a certain part of the
world,” Fischbach said.
Fischbach mentioned that the emergence
of ISIS could be linked to specific externalities in Iraq and Syria.
The group would not have emerged in
another setting, he said.
The civil wars and violence in both
countries and the sense of disenfranchisement that Sunni Muslims felt under the Shi’a
Maliki regime in Iraq both heavily shaped
the emergence of ISIS.
“Despite some things that seem chillingly familiar to us about ISIS,” Fischbach
said, “it’s the result of some very specific
circumstances.”
Even though the West seems to react the
strongest to manifestation of conservative
Islam in non-state actors, Fischbach pointed
out that the same violent practices manifest
themselves in modern nation-states.
“It’s obvious that there are differences
between ISIS and the Saudi government,”
Fischbach said.
“I think it is instructive for Americans to
begin asking themselves: why is it then that
we seem very much at ease with maintaining
relations with a country like Saudi Arabia
and very uneasy with ISIS?”
Heavyweight championship... of R-MC politics: Randolph-Macon seniors J.D. Rackey,
Connor Kish, and Pierce Colley all accepted positions with either Dr. Brat’s or Dr. Trammell’s campaign. The two R-MC professors will face off twice this November, once in a special election and
again in the general election, both on the same ballot. Photo credit to Brat and Trammell campaigns
Jack to events, helping in the office, doing
policy research, sort of a jack-of-all-trades,”
Kish said.
Kish said that for him, the most interesting aspect was to see the campaign develop
from the inside.
“Getting to experience the behind the
scenes operation of a campaign that was
forming was really interesting,” Kish said,
“as well as seeing it come to fruition from
very small to increasingly larger.”
Rackey also told The Yellow Jacket that
he had helped Trammell in many different
ways.
“Most of what I did was research, finding
names and phone numbers that Jack could
fundraise with, staffing Jack at events (being his body man) and responding to the
campaign email,” Rackey said.
“Probably the most fun part was being
Fischbach noted that although pressure
has been mounting on the Obama administration to act against ISIS militarily, the
Obama team has largely been undergoing
a process of deep thinking about where to
move next.
The foreign actions of the U.S. so far
were largely to protect domestic interests,
he claimed.
“Why did Obama act when he did when
they’ve been around in Syria for a while and
they didn’t bomb Syria?” Fischbach said.
“They were getting close to a Kurdish city
called Erbil, and American oil companies
have office in Erbil. There were some very
strategic reasons that had nothing to do with
protecting the Yazidis that prompted him to
start airstrikes.”
Fischbach stated that if one is to consider
a holistic solution to peace in the Middle
East, the method of border creation has to
be taken into account.
“In the longer term, the world has to recognize that whether you’re talking about the
Middle East or Africa, a lot of the countries
in the developing world today were created
by fiat, by western powers,” Fischbach said.
“Their borders don’t necessarily make
sense, and that is itself destabilizing. How
do you stabilize a system that is innately
destabilizing?”
FERGUSON, FROM PAGE 5
Terror has a new(ish) face: Militants from the ISIS group have laid territorial claims to large
areas of Iraq and Syria, creating a crisis situation for many nation-states in the Middle East and
abroad. For the U.S., dealing with the group could be complex, as the governments of traditional
enemies such as Iran and Syria also want to attack ISIS. Photo credit to Getty Images
What real hope do I have of convincing
you or anyone else that my people are not
less than human?
Thankfully I know I do not have to
convince anyone of anything, but I will
educate you.
History provides the evidence; the murder of innocent black men and women has
no end in sight.
Something must be done; but what, and
what kind of change do we need?
Activism is great in concept, but it
means nothing if it has no definitive endgame.
It is when education and activism are in
agreement that we will see the appropriate
change needed to humanize black people
and begin to undo the vicious thought
processes that try to justify the murders
F
Junior Politics/Opinions Editor
ormer Governor and First Lady of
Virginia Bob and Maureen McDonnell were
convicted Thursday of multiple counts of
fraud, bribery and corruption in connection
with Star Scientific CEO Jonnie R. Williams,
Sr. Williams is set to vacate his position in
December.
McDonnell was convicted of 12 of the
14 charges laid against him and his wife was
convicted of nine, NBC News and WJLA
reported.
The verdict means McDonnell is the first
governor of Virginia to be charged with and
convicted of a crime, The Washington Post
reported.
The McDonnells were convicted of accepting nearly $170,000 in gifts and loans
from Williams in exchange for state promotion of his company’s anti-inflammatory,
Anatabloc. Williams testified under immunity to this effect.
The McDonnells appeared at promotional functions for Anatabloc, hosted the
product’s launch and allowed Williams into
a reception for leaders in Virginia healthcare. McDonnell also arranged meetings
Sports
September 12, 2014
the body man because you basically get to
shadow the candidate and be their righthand person,” Rackey said.
“People give you business cards and
expect you to keep up with everything, and
if the candidate says he’s going to do something for a person, it’s your job to make sure
it gets done.”
Senior Pierce Colley decided to join
Brat’s campaign as an intern because he
was interested in an opportunity to further
his major area of study with a real-world
experience.
“I became interested in working for the
Dave Brat campaign mainly because I am a
political science major and I believe in what
he stands for,” Colley said.
“Also, I thought it would be a great experience to be a part of and help continue making history and sending a message to D.C.”
Colley noted that he enjoyed and appreciated when Brat took the interns to lunch
one day on the campaign.
“It was a lot of fun because it really
showed me how personal Brat is and how
at the end of the day, he is just a regular guy
who is standing up for his beliefs and wants
to create change to the current mess that is
D.C.,” Colley said.
“To me, D.C. needs some more genuine
people like Dave Brat in Congress.”
of Brown and all of those murdered before
and those that will come after him.
It is great that we can accept the similarities we see in each other, but can we
acknowledge and live with each other’s
differences?
The truth is readily available, so I pray
you seek to do away with your ignorance.
“It’s an old story and there’s been too
much blood to excite you...‘He was shot for
a simple mistake of judgment and he bled
and his blood dried and shortly the crowd
trampled out the stains.
It was a normal mistake of which many
are guilty: He thought he was a man and
that men are not meant to be pushed
around. But it was hot downtown and he
forgot his history, he forgot the time and
place. He lost his hold on reality.’”
-Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
McDonnells convicted
by Dionna Cheatham ‘15
YJ
between Williams and state health officials
as he sought credibility and funding for
Anatabloc, WJLA reported.
McDonnell testified that he did not give
Williams anything more than standard “political courtesy,” NBC News reported. The
McDonnells’ defense team argued that the
favors they received from Williams, including jewelry, vacations, the use of Williams’s
Ferrari, and designer clothing, were not
bribes because McDonnell did not think
there was anything extraordinary about
them, WJLA reported.
Another defense strategy of the McDonnells’ was to argue that their marriage was
failing so miserably that they could not
have conspired to commit the crimes they
were charged with. This strategy led to an
email from McDonnell from his wife to be
entered into evidence, and to McDonnell’s
defense attorney saying that she was infatuated with Williams, NBC News and WJLA
reported.
Robin Trujillo, one of the jurors that convicted them, was unhappy when the verdict
was revealed.
“We all feel bad,” Trujillo told WJLA. “It
wasn’t easy at all, but we have to follow the
law, and the law and the facts fit together.”
Photo credit to RMC Athletics
Football: Winning the day on, off the field
by Jordon Lee ‘16
E
Junior Sports Editor
very Randolph-Macon football player
is familiar with the long practices, the heat,
the sweat drenched uniforms, and the rewarding feeling at the end of the day that
makes it all worth it.
With a team of 126 players, each player is
ready to accept the challenge of being a part
of this fraternity of hard workers.
Pedro Arruza, in his tenth year as head
coach, and his staff are prepared to face the
challenge of each game head on. Every year
offers a new set of tests and this year is no
different.
The transition of upperclassmen to leadership positions and training former high
school players into college players is never
easy, but the Yellow Jackets have never shied
away from a challenge.
Prepared to bounce back after a loss
against John Hopkins University, the team’s
mindset has become stronger.
When asked what game Arruza is most
excited about, he said, “The game in front of
you is the most exciting.”
By taking advantage of the opportunities
that lie in front of the team, they are equipping themselves every day to face every task
head on, whether this is in the classroom or
on the field. A band of players can always be
seen walking out of Copley or Fox Hall any
part of the day leaving from their study halls.
Arruza believes that much of what happens on the field is because of what happens
off of the field. At R-MC, academics and
football go “hand and hand” and this motto
will constantly build the football program.
The mentor program for the underclassmen has also been beneficial for the new
36 member class of freshmen on the team.
Arruza said every year has been exciting, and this year offers the opportunity
to improve their 7-3 record from last year.
Every day, the team works harder to make
this come true.
This summer the Yellow Jackets were
chosen as the second pick in ODAC football
preseason poll but this has not deterred the
team from accepting the challenge.
Starting the season with a good atmosphere on the campus has helped the team
and this continuing support will only help
better the team.
The first home game this year is going
to be exciting for our fellow Yellow Jackets
as they go head to head with Averett on
September 13.
Come out to support our fellow Yellow
Jackets as they will go head to head with
Averett University on September 13.
Let’s go Yellow Jackets!
starters: seniors Chris Hamilton, Joe Hassell,
and Marcus Badger along with Assistant
Coach Joe
Meehan
t r av e l e d
to Europe.
While
traveling
with eight
o t h e r
American
players,
Hamilton,
Hass ell,
and Badger played
against
B e l g i an ,
E n g lish, and
Dutch players.
The experience benefitted the players and
Coach Davis believes that this “experience
of new challenges and competition” overseas
will add to their individual game and the
team’s successes this season.
Eight seniors will help lead the team this
year as “they all want to leave R-MC with a season to remember”, Hamilton said. The team
hopes to
continue
to build
on their
fortunes
from last
season led
by Coach
Davis and
Assistant
C o aches
Jarrell
Christian
a n d Jo e
Meehan.
M y
predicPhoto credit to RMC Athletics tions for
the first
game on November 16 against Mary
Washington will be Yellow Jacket domination: guaranteed leg breakings by vicious
crossovers, electrifying three pointers, and
dominating defense.
Mark your calendars ladies and gentle-
mens for November 30, because it’ll be a sad
day for Frostburg State as the Yellow Jackets
go head to head with the Bobcats.
As the first home game, it is promised to
be full of excitement. I have a feeling that Joe
Hassell will be doing a 360 dunk in the first
game and Chris Hamilton will hit so many
three pointers that he’ll make Dirk Nowitzki
want to retire.
There are very few things on this campus
that can compare to the atmosphere when
the bleachers are full of R-MC students
showing support for the Yellow Jackets.
The team of eight seniors, one junior,
four sophomores, and six freshmen offers a
mix of experience and a fresh set of talent
that will continue dominating courts.
This season is guaranteed to be exciting
for the men’s basketball team, so be sure to
come out to come support our fellow Yellow Jackets.
Preparation guarantees success and the
Yellow Jackets are ready for any competition. My last suggestion for the teams that
the basketball team will be playing this year
is from the mouth of the wise philosopher
Ludacris: “Move...get out of the way”.
Basketball team prepared for victory
by Jordon Lee ‘16
S
Junior Sports Editor
uccess has never strayed far from RMC’s basketball team and this season will
not be any different.
Preparation guarantees success is the
motto of this year’s team coming back from
a 20-7 overall season and going 14-2 in the
ODACS. Coach Nathan Davis, starting his
sixth year as head coach of the team has high
expectations for his team this season.
The team’s schedule is going to be jampacked since they will be playing ten games
against competitors who have appeared in
the previous two NCAA tournaments and
that’s just for 2014.
In 2015, all fourteen games will be conference contests.
This type of season isn’t new for the
Yellow Jackets, since the past two seasons
have been some of the toughest schedules in
the country. Even though facing a difficult
schedule, this has never deterred the men’s
basketball team’s fortune.
Along with the players’ personal conditioning and preparation, this summer three
YJSPORTS
Page Eight
September 12, 2014
Vol. C; Issue 1
R-MC women’s soccer receives new head coach
by Becca Ream ‘16
Senior Sports Editor
J
ust weeks prior to preseason, the
Randolph-Macon Women’s Soccer Team
received word that they would be coached
by a new face in the upcoming 2014 season.
Jim Woods, the former head coach of the
women’s soccer team, accepted the position
as the Assistant Director of Admissions here
at Randolph-Macon. So with little time to
spare as the season quickly approached, the
Athletic Department went in search for a
new person to head the program.
Within no time at all, Randolph-Macon
found their man. On Aug. 12, 2014, Randolph-Macon put out a statement that said
Jay Howell had been named the as the head
women’s soccer coach at Randolph-Macon.
However, coaching at Randolph-Macon
is only part of Howell’s soccer involvement.
Earlier this year, he accepted the position of Executive Director and Director of
Soccer of the Richmond Strikers. He will
continue with this position while coaching
the women’s soccer team.
Howell has coaching experience at
many different levels of the game including
colligate experience at his alma mater, the
University of Richmond, as well as high
school and club level programs.
One of his most notable positions was
at the University of North Carolina where
he held the position of assistant coach for
the men’s soccer team and helped to build
the program into a nationally recognized
program.
Even with the highly impressive qualifications that Howell brought to the table,
there was still certainty still some doubt in
some of the player’s minds.
What changes would Howell bring to
the program? How differently would the
program be run with a new coach?
Overall, Howell is receiving raving
reviews from his players; they cannot say
enough positive things about him and the
things he has done for the women’s soccer
program. Sophomore Morgan Gray noted
how excited he was to come into the program and get started.
She stated that, “he has a fresh and relatable coaching style.” She continued to note
how great he fit into their, for the most part,
established program, and that “you wouldn’t
even know he’s only known [the team] for
a short time.”
Junior, Lindsey Hall also had nothing
but great things to say about Howell. She
noted how well he brought the girls together
and made her and the team believe that this
was the beginning of a “new era” in women’s
soccer at Randolph-Macon.
She continued: “Coach Howell teaches
[the team] new things each day at practice.”
Hall also mentioned all of the “talented
volunteers” that Howell has brought to the
team that added additional success to the
program. “I am honored that he is our
coach,” she said.
The Randolph-Macon women’s soccer
team is off to a fast start to begin their fall
2014 season. They are currently 3-0, coming
off a hot victory against Neumann where
they convincingly won 7-0, with six of their
7 goals coming in the first half. The women
take the field again September 13 at Guilford.
Yellow Jacket 2014 Fall sport recap and preview
Football
The football team fell to 0-1 after a tough loss at John Hopkins,
but is back in action this week at
home.
Sep 13, 2014 vs. Averett,
1:00 PM
Sep 20, 2014 vs. Sewanee, 12:00
PM
Field Hockey
Sep 14, 2014
vs. Rhodes @ Baltimore, Md.,
12:00 PM
Sep 23, 2014
vs. St. Mary’s (Md.), 4:00 PM
Sep 25, 2014
at Wilson, 5:00 PM
Sep 27, 2014
at Roanoke *, 1:00 PM
Women’s Volleyball
Women’s volleyball is off to a good start
with a 4-4 record thus far this season,
playing some very highly ranked
teams.
Women’s Golf
Sep 13, 2014 at NYU, Day 1, Round 1
Sep 14, 2014 at NYU, Day 2, Round 2
Sep 20, 2014 at Navy, Day 1, Rounds 1 & 2
Sep 21, 2014 at Navy, Day
2, Round 3
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team is 1-3 this
season, but is looking forward with
some conference games coming up in
the next two weeks.
Sep 13, 2014 at Bridgewater (Va.) *, 4:00
PM
Sep 19, 2014 vs. Guilford *, 4:00 PM
Sep 23, 2014 at St. Mary’s (Md.), 4:00
PM
Sep 26, 2014 at Roanoke *, 7:00 PM
Sep 12, 2014
vs. Wis.-Whitewater @ Atlanta, Ga., 2:00
PM vs. Birmingham-Southern @ Atlanta,
Ga., 4:30 PM
Sep 13, 2014
vs. Transylvania @ Atlanta, Ga., 12:00 PM
at Emory, 2:00 PM (Emory Classic)
Sep 17, 2014
Roanoke *, 7:00 PM
Sep 20, 2014
vs. Guilford @ Emory, Va. *, 11:00 AM
at Emory & Henry *, 2:00 PM
Sep 24, 2014
at Lynchburg *, 7:00 PM
Art credits to (from top right clockwise): Dreamstime, Dreamstime, Amazon, High Point Club, Dreamstime, YAY
Men’s Golf
Sep 13, 2014
at Bridgewater, Day 1
Sep 14, 2014 at Bridgewater, Day 2