Issue 11 - Randolph

The Yellow Jacket
Vol. C; Issue 11-May 15, 2015
The Official Student Newspaper and Student Voice of Randolph-Macon College
Honoring retiree Chaplain Darrell Headrick
by Yasmine Raychouni ‘16
Junior News Editor
If you have seen Chaplain Darrell
Headrick walking around campus, he greets
every student, staff, or faculty member with
a smile. Headrick, 64, is the longest serving chaplain in Randolph-Macon College
history and the longest serving college or
university chaplain in Virginia.
He has been a part of the R-MC faculty
since 1986 and has taught many religious
studies courses. He has also started and advised many diverse student organizations,
and has been responsible for the campus’
religious life programming. Headrick sees
retiring as the next phase of his life, and he
said he is looking forward to the opportunities he will have time for in the future.
Before coming to R-MC, Headrick
served at two university churches and
enjoyed the Parish ministry. When he was
offered the position to be chaplain of R-MC,
he said he thought it would be an enriching and broadening experience, but only
expected to stay for five years before going
back to a position in the ministry.
However, after his first year, he realized
that he had fallen in love with R-MC, the
students, and his colleagues, and he could You will be missed: Chaplain Headrick speaking at the Faculty and Staff Holiday Party. Headrick will retire as the longest serving chaplain of RMC.
not imagine working anywhere else. Thirty Photo Courtesy of RMC.edu
years later, he is still in love with R-MC the student population was almost all white different backgrounds others to connect
because he said he finds a strong sense of a and that there was very little diversity. As a with on campus for support.”
ginia for the protection of gays and lesbians.
caring community that he does not find in result, he got to know many of the AfricanHeadrick was also the first and, for many He is interested in more ministry work,
a lot of other colleges or universities.
American students on campus and realized years, the only gay R-MC faculty or staff and wants to help with interim pastorates
“When I look back,” Headrick said, “it they were all interested in starting the BSU. member. He said that when he came out, the and explore marketplace chaplains in many
has really been a wonderful experience.”
Headrick said the racial climate on R-MC’s population was not very accepting of sexual corporations.
As the chaplain, Headrick has developed campus used to be very different and quite minorities, and he felt that many of the stuHeadrick said he is going to travel more
a great relationship with the vast majority of intimidating for the African-American dents that would discuss their sexuality with and take cooking classes so he can have nice
faculty and staff on campus who, he said, are students.
him were struggling or scared. Headrick said dinners ready for his partner at the end of
very supportive of him. He is also known
There was also some controversy be- someone should stand up and say that it is the day. He plans on keeping in touch with
as the “Official Prayer” of the campus for tween the BSU and other organizations okay to be who you are because everyone all of his friends in the R-MC community,
all events and ceremonies, and he tries to on campus, which created some criticism has important things to contribute in society. and is going to try to volunteer some of his
ensure that the prayers are all-inclusive and from the administration. However, because
“I did it in a public group and I was time to assist the Office of International
takes into account what is going on around of Headrick’s efforts, the racial climate on scared, sweating, my heart rate was up,” Education, especially because he has much
campus.
campus improved, which created a less Headrick said. “I didn’t know how people respect and admiration for all of the internaHeadrick’s job has allowed for commu- intimidating environment for the African- would respond, but I felt like it was impor- tional students that are far away from their
nication with people who do not have their American students and resulted in a higher tant.”
home countries.
own pastor or priest to talk to about issues percentage of them on campus.
Chaplain Headrick’s position has been
As a result of his brave actions, he helped
in their lives. Many people consult Headrick
filled
for the upcoming year, and that perHeadrick also started the college’s first LGBT students become more comfortable
for counseling, which he said has been a LGBT student organization—the Orga- around campus and added sexual orienta- son’s name will be announced shortly.
gratifying part of his job.
“I think this person will be a very good fit
nization for Sexual Minorities and Allies tion to the non-discrimination policy that
“Beyond a keen intellect, my friend is (OSMA)—and helped to develop the Safe R-MC upholds.
at the college,” Headrick said, “as they are a
a gentle spirit with a genuine love for all Zone program, which focuses on support
As a teacher and chaplain, Headrick has really energetic, nice, fun person who’s very
people,” friend and colleague Dean Kathryn and education for LGBT issues. As a sup- taught the most international travel classes into service.”
Hull said. “I have often told Darrell that he porter of all other religions, he started Hillel, of any R-MC faculty member. He has taught
Many students, staff, and faculty memis like a ripple across the water that begins at which is an organization for Jewish students, the History of Christianity class in Italy ev- bers will miss Chaplain Headrick on the
one point and then spans out to other points, and gave the first Jewish Student of the Year ery other year for 30 years, and also service R-MC campus. A tree has been dedicated to
always influencing what it touched. Darrell’s Award.
learning classes in Guatemala and Brazil. him on campus from the annual tree plantinfluence of support, encouragement, and
Headrick brought many other organiza- He also has volunteered in human rights ing ceremony, and a bench outside of Old
validation for the past 30 years has left an tions to campus as well, including the Habi- and relief work in places of conflict, such as Chapel has been dedicated to him as well.
indelible mark on students, faculty, and staff tat for Humanity campus chapter, which was Palestine and Bosnia, and has worked with
“Whether it’s in the classroom or around
that will be lasting.”
campus,
I have recognized that Chaplain
the first student environmental group, the the education systems in China and Cuba.
Throughout Headrick’s time at R-MC, he Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus
Headrick
invests a great deal of interest in
“It’s great to travel around and experience
has started many different student organiza- Ministries Council, YoungLife, Intervarsity, other people’s lives and cultures,” Headrick each student and the college community,”
tions on campus, such as the Black Student Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Big said. “I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot.”
senior Bobby Bradshaw said. “The support
Union (BSU) in 1986. It was the college’s Brother/Big Sister, Amnesty International,
After retirement, Headrick said he of his warm heart coupled with his inspiring
first African-American student organiza- and Hunger Task Force.
wishes to do more volunteer work with hu- faith makes him a person I have been truly
tion. He has also advocated for an improved
“I believe that it’s important to recognize man rights and refugee resettlements in the grateful to know.”
racial climate.
You will be missed Chaplain Headrick.
all minorities on campus,” Headrick said. USA, teach English as a second language,
When he arrived at R-MC, he realized “These organizations give students that have and advocate for more LGBT rights in Vir-
by the numbers:
3
days until Finals Week
15
days until
Graduation
Be sure to check
out the 20152016 YJ staff!
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
May 15, 2015
YJ News
The return of the Theta Chi fraternity house
Page Two
by Madison Guidry ‘16
Senior Features Editor
On Sept. 26, 2012, the Randolph-Macon
campus awoke to texts, Facebook posts,
and e-mails about a fire that had claimed
the Theta Chi fraternity house. Now, the
fire that took the house without warning
is forgotten and new memories are being
made. Three years later, Theta Chi finally
has a new home on College Avenue.
On the weekend of May 2, the Theta
Chi brothers opened their new 1.1 million
dollar home to alumni, family, and dates
during their annual pig roast. The pig roast
welcomed around 150 people and lasted
from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The pig roast
served as the open house for the new Theta
Chi home that will house 14 brothers in
eight rooms next year. President of Theta
Chi Andrew Schaefer is the only brother
to have lived in the original house who will
also be living in the new house next year.
“Even though I was only able to live in
the old house for approximately a month,
I am honored to be given the opportunity
to live in both houses,” Schaefer said. “I am
excited to bring back some of the old house
traditions to brothers who have never experienced having a house.”
May 2 was not only the first time the
current brothers got to go inside their new
house, but it was also the first time for
alumni as well. Alumni, including those
who were active members during the time
of the fire, were very happy to see the new
house and all of their new brothers.
“It’s very nostalgic; coming back to a
place that was your home for four years and
seeing the new generations making it their
home,” Class of 2013 alum Ryan Recchia
said. “It is a great sight to see. Standing in
the back lot makes all those memories come
Welcome Home: Theta Chi brothers celebrate the opening of their new home after a devastating fire took the original home in September of 2012.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Astruc
rushing back. Even though you’re looking at
a new house, [alumni] will always be able to
imagine the old house and the times we had
in it. It’s time to let the new members create
their own memories.”
The Theta Chi alumni, current students,
administration, and Theta Chi’s Nationals all
worked together to make this home a reality.
After about a year of construction, everyone
can now look forward to enjoying the newest
2015-2016 YJ Editors
Editor-in-Chief
Madison Guidry’16
Managing Editor
Mina Raychouni’16
Senior News Editor
Erin Roberts’16
Senior Features Editor
Dory Jackson’16
Junior Features Editor
Kayla Koslosky ‘18
Senior Politics/Opinion Editor
Austin Wash’16
Senior Sports Editor
Bar Hass’16
Junior Sports Editor
Blake Saathoff ‘18
home at R-MC.
“The new house is an incredible asset
to the College and to Theta Chi,” Assistant
Dean of Students James McGhee said. “Our
Theta Chi alumni and current students
worked diligently with the College to plan,
design, and build a great facility that will
serve the fraternity and Randolph-Macon
for many years to come,”
The brothers will start to move in and
make memories in August 2015. The brothers will then have an official spot to call
home, and the campus will have a beautiful
new asset.
“I am looking forward to having a common place for all of the brothers to gather
and just have a good time,” Schaefer said. “It
has been a struggle at times to all gather in
one place. I am thankful the new house gives
us an opportunity to do this again.”
Dear Randolph-Macon community,
We want to say how extremely excited we
are to be the Editor in Chief and Managing
Editor for the 2015-2016 school year.
We want to make this the best year yet
and we are going to do everything in our
power to keep you informed. With that
being said, always feel free to contact us at
[email protected] with any issues you
would like to write about or have covered.
We are the voice of the students, so we
take any and all comments, suggestions, and
critiques very seriously. We would love for
the paper to become a bigger part of campus.
If you have any suggestions on how to make
this happen, please let us know. We are eager
to hear from all of you.
We are currently still seeking a Junior
News Editor and a Junior Politics Editor.
The newspaper staff is a great way to get involved and express your journalistic abilities.
Along with the two positions that are
still open, we are always welcoming staff
writers. As a staff writer, you can work on
any piece that interests you. Opinion pieces
are always welcomed.
The experience that you gain from being on the newspaper not only looks good
to future employers, but it also showcases
your leadership abilities as well as your
writing skills.
-Madison Guidry and Mina Raychouni
Letter from the future
editors
Have a great and safe
summer!
Business/Advertising Manager
Braxton Carroll’16
Copy Editor
Emily Hewitt’16
Yellow Jacket Web Master
Nadhira Hill ‘16
Social Media Editor
Blake Saathoof ‘18
Congratulations to all of these individuals! The
Yellow Jacket Newspaper cannot wait to work with
you all in the fall!
Photo courtesy of: Crescentmag.com
Page Three
YJ
Features
May 15, 2015
YJ
est. 1915
The Yellow Jacket
Volume C
Issue 11
May 15, 2015
Naoko Branker ‘15
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
Katrina Zurasky ‘15
Managing Editor
Erin Roberts ‘16
Jessi Johnson Joins R-MC cast
for A Rasin in the Sun
by Naoko Branker ‘15
Editor in Chief
The domestic tragedy, A Raisin in the
Sun, has been gracing Broadway stages since
1959. The Randolph-Macon College Drama
Department recently had three showings
of the play as a senior directing project for
Jasmine Shepard ’15.
The play follows the Younger family as
they try and build themselves a better life
as a result of a $10,000 insurance policy
they receive from the death of patriarch
Walter Younger before the play begins. As
an African-American family in the 1950s in
Chicago, the Youngers show how to combat
discrimination and pave the way for future
generations of African-Americans.
Last year, actors at R-MC presented a
staged reading of the play. While Shepard
was not able to attend the staged reading, she
was able to present the play in a very realistic
and authentic representation, “Unfortunately, I was unable to see the live reading
of Raisin that was done last year because I
was traveling abroad. I heard that it was very
well done however, this play is very realistic
and I feel that you would not be able to grasp
the true themes and meanings behind the
lines of characters when the actors have a
script in their hands,” said Shepard. “It is
very similar to a comparison of reading the
play together as a class and viewing a film of
it afterwards. There are very different feelings being captured through the readers in
the class compared to the characters on the
screen for each rendition.”
Miss. YJ
Dear Fellow Yellow Jackets,
The time has come for us to part our ways
as the summer is upon us. Many of us are
leaving Randolph-Macon knowing that we
will not be returning in the fall. Whether that
means we are graduating, transferring, or
just moving on from college, the memories
we have made here will always stay with us.
To the graduating class, good luck! You
have the whole world in your hands now,
and your future is up to you. Go out into the
world, make a difference, and do something
incredible. Every single one of you has the
power to change the world. Believe in yourself and do not fear rejection. Sometimes the
best things in life are the things we have to
work the hardest to obtain. Trust that you
will find the right job for you, and that you
will figure out what you are called to do in
the work field.
To the rising seniors, prepare yourselves.
For this year’s production, the Drama department brought on a professional actress
to perform with students, Jessi Johnson. In
an email sent to R-MC students about the
production, Professor Foster Solomon said
he was very excited to have Johnson in the
production in the role as Mama, “Jessi’s a
wonderful actor who has played a wide variety of roles; most recently, she portrayed
Maggie Walker in The Maggie Walker Story
for Virginia Repertory Theatre. She’s a multitalented performer, who sings, write and
acts. We’re thrilled to have her join our cast,”
said Solomon.
Johnson herself has been singing since
she was five years old and took a special interest in theater when she started schooling,
“I study theatre performance at Longwood
University and began my professional career with Virginia Repertory Theatre,” said
Johnson. “I’ve been acting professionally
for about 5 years now, and I’m very blessed
to have had the opportunity to work with
such great theaters as Virginia Rep, Cadence
Theatre Company, and TheatreLAB.”
Johnson was very excited to work with
R-MC students and faculty on the production and had some words of advice for
students currently pursuing theater, “Other
my own college performances, this is my
first experience working with another college/university. It’s been a very exhilarating
experience that I’ve learned so much from,”
said Johnson.
“My favorite part of working on this
production has been my interaction with
the students. These individuals are truly
talented and it’s amazing to see the growth
and innovation put into every single performance! My advice for students currently
in theatre programs would be to keep your
head up! Dig deep, do good consistent work,
and your work ethic will speak volumes for
you,” said Johnson.
Shepard for her part enjoyed working
on the production, even during the stressful times, “working with A Raisin in the Sun
was challenging and exciting all wrapped up
together. It was my first experience directing a production as large as this and I feel
that I have grown and gained a great deal
of knowledge from the experience,” said
Shepard.
Shepard was also thrilled to work with
Johnson during the production, along with
the other actors, “Working with Jessi was
such an interesting experience! I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with
an individual that knew more about how
theatre works outside of the educational
setting. I feel that my actors really benefited
from her presence on the set and I believe
that we have become very close friends
through the process.”
Johnson also had a vision of what she
hopes viewers will take away from the production, “I’m hoping that people will take
away from this production the unending
message of hope. No matter what your circumstances are, who you are, or where you
come from, there is always hope to progress
and make a better tomorrow for yourself.”
Your last year at R-MC is nearing. Take advantage of all of the opportunities thrown in
your direction. Stay involved, stay dedicated,
and prepare yourself for life after college.
Work hard, but remember to have fun. Try
not to push away the friends you have made.
I know it can be easy to think, “Once we
leave here, we are all going in different directions,” and while that may be true, the best
friendships can withstand time and distance.
To the rising juniors, they say junior year
is the toughest year. If that is true, remind
yourselves that you once made it through
your junior year of high school, and you can
do it again in college. As a junior, be on the
lookout for internships, and stay dedicated
to your major(s). Start making lists of things
you want to get done before you are walking
across that stage in 2017. I know it seems like
it is a long time from now, but the truth is,
the time is going to fly by. Enjoy your time
here as a student. College is not only about
working hard, but it is also about the connections, memories, and lifelong friends you
make while you are here.
To the rising sophomores, congratulations on making it through your first year
of college. You may have finished your
freshman year, but remember that you are
still young and have a lot to learn. It is now
time to grow up. New students will be coming in next fall as freshmen, and some of
them may think it is best to look up to you.
If that is the case, you need to be setting a
good example for them as mature adults. As
first year college students, a lot of freshmen
tend to “goof off ” or go a little wild, but now
that you are a returning student, you have
more responsibility on your shoulders. Try
to be the bigger and better person in every
situation.
As we all prepare to leave R-MC for the
summer, remember to have fun, live life, and
enjoy every moment of every day. There is
a lot of negativity in this world, so try to be
a positive influence in it and you will not
regret it. I will see you all next year. Happy
summer!
Senior News Editor
Yasmine Raychouni ‘16
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
Nadhira Hill ‘16
Yellow Jacket Web Master
Lindsey Harkins ‘15
Photo Editor
Jarrod Harrison ‘15
Social Media Editor
Kayla Koslosky ‘18
Staff Writer
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.
YJ Features
Page Four
May 15, 2015
Good Luck 2015 Yellow Jacket Seniors
Editor in Chief:
Managing Editor:
Naoko Branker
Katrina Zurasky
by Madison Guidry‘16
Senior Features Editor
Naoko Branker, the 2014-2015 Editorin-Chief, was a member of the Yellow Jacket
staff for all four of her years at Randolph-Macon. She served as a staff writer, the Senior
Ne w s E d itor,
and Editor-inChief. Looking
back on her
time as Editorin-Chief, she realized that one
of her favorite
memories actually occurred
when she was
t r an s it i on i n g
into her position.
“My favorite
memor y was
actually before
I became Editor-in-Chief,”
Branker said.
“When Lena
was the Editorin-Chief last year, I was helping her and
Katrina with the layout for the first issue
of the year, and we decided to do it during
freshman orientation week. On deadline
night, we were working in Student Life and
at about 12:30 a.m. the computer crashed
and wouldn’t work. Thankfully, we hadn’t
cleared out the old office in Andrews, so
we went over there and sent out the paper
at 5:00 a.m. It was really stressful, but we
were so glad when the issue came out and
looked gre at.”
As Editor-in-Chief, Naoko oversaw all of
the other editors and worked late nights to
ensure that the paper
was sent out on time.
As she moves on to
the next chapter of her
life, she thanks everyone who has helped
her, and she cannot
wait to see what the
paper will hold next
year.
“I just want to
thank the writers and
editors from this year
for all of their hard
work,” Branker said.
“You all made it so that
I wasn’t super stressed
about every issue. I
also want to thank
Katrina and our advisor, Gayla, for their
continued guidance
throughout the year.
Also, thank you to the R-MC community
for working with us to get everyone’s story
heard. Thank you all so much. I’m excited to
hear about what everyone does in the years
to come with the Yellow Jacket.”
We wish Naoko the best of luck at
American University and cannot wait to see
what she accomplishes.
by Madison Guidry‘16
Senior Features Editor
Most people who read the newspaper do
not realize all of the late nights and endless
hours that are put into the paper, but managing Editor, Katrina Zurasky, knows this
reality all too well. She spent much of her
time on The Yellow Jacket staff making sure
pictures were
edited, formatting was correct,
and fonts were
consistent. Although Katrina
did most of the
behind-thes cenes work,
her favorite part
of being on the
newspaper staff
was experiencing the process
as a whole.
“I think my
favorite part of
being on staff
was just experiencing the process,” Zurasky
s aid. “It’s an
amazing feeling to see a final product and
realize that not even two weeks ago, the
content was being brainstormed around a
table in Student Life. To see all of the effort
and time put into an eight-page spread is
pretty remarkable. It’s a system of amazing
people working together.”
Along with Naoko, Katrina’s favorite
memory from being on staff was the late
night they worked with previous editors
when the computers crashed. Aside from
the journalistic standpoint, Katrina’s favorite and most rewarding part of being
on the staff was creating relationships with
new people.
“I think
creating relationships
with people I never
w o u l d
have been
friends
with has
been one
of the most
rewarding
parts of being on staff,”
Zurasky
s a i d .
“ T h e r e ’s
something
magical
in a team
of p eople
working
together for the sake of one product or
goal, and I’ve gotten closer to many people
through the paper.”
We wish her the best of luck on her
endeavors at the University of Virginia.
We cannot wait to hear all about her adventures!
Bennie
Ashton
Heather
Ramey
Dionna
Cheatham
Lindsey
Harkins
“I’ll never stop writing and expressing my
opinion. Hopefully that
‘journalistic’ perspective
will come in use when I
am creating more of a
narrative structure or an
anecdotal introduction
for research papers in
political science.”
“Hopefully [I will
be] working for a
magazine or newspaper, but if that doesn’t
happen, there is no
end of careers where
a working knowledge
of writing will come
in handy.”
“I know my time on
staff both as a writer and
copy editor has strengthened my writing skills in
general, so I hope I can
put those skills to use
at UVA this fall in my
graduate program!”
“I plan to use the
skills I developed
as a photographer
to continue to take
pictures and help
others.”
Page Five
YJPolitics/Opinions
May 15, 2015
Huckabee, Carson, and Fiorina join crowded
race for Republican presidential nomination
by Austin Wash ‘16
Incoming Senior Politics/Opinions Editor
Earlier this month, candidates Mike
Huckabee, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina
formally announced that they would be
running for the Republican nomination for
president in 2016.
Former governor of Arkansas Mike
Huckabee is poised to jump back into the
American political spotlight after announcing on Tuesday, May 5 his intent to pursue
the Republican nomination in the upcoming
presidential campaign of 2016.
Huckabee, having made his last significant public appearance in his 2008 campaign
for the presidency, made his announcement
at the University of Arkansas Community
College in Hope, AR, which is the hometown
of both Huckabee and Bill Clinton.
This announcement came in the form
of a speech entitled “From Hope to Higher
Ground.” Huckabee remarked that Barack
Obama’s promises for hope and change were
“just talk.”
He also pledged to correct some of the
most poignant issues, such as veterans’
benefits, social security, and terrorism, all
of which are still drawing scrutiny to the
Obama administration.
Huckabee’s speech is just one more in a
string of four similar announcements occurring in the last 10 days alone. Huckabee
joins the race for the Republican nomination alongside neurosurgeon Ben Carson,
who announced his candidacy on May 4,
and Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of the
A motley crew: candidates Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorna all formally announced
that they would be running for president in 2016 earlier this month. All three will seek the Republican
nomination in what is proving to be an increasingly crowded field. The candidates will look to early
primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire to get their campaigns started. Photo credit to Getty
Images.
Hewlett-Packard Corporation, who also
announced her participation on Monday.
These three are the latest to join an
already crowded race for the Republican
nomination, which will include a number
of familiar faces including Marco Rubio,
Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and possibly
Rick Perry.
While the results of the upcoming nominations are relatively transparent on the side
of the Democrats, given the Democratic Party’s widespread support of Hillary Clinton,
the Republican nomination is significantly
more difficult to guess at.
Huckabee’s campaign, for example, will
likely be troubled by his open opposition to
same-sex marriage on the basis of religious
convictions, an issue that has already put a
number of especially conservative Republicans in hot water.
Huckabee is quoted as contending in a
speech to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition that the issue is “not about the right
side or the wrong side of history, this is the
right side of the Bible,” and that the extension
of marriage equality to same-sex couples
would not figure into his platform “unless
God rewrites [the Bible], edits it, sends it
down with his signature on it.”
Given recent opposition to this approach
to the issue of same-sex marriage, Huckabee
might have a tough time proving the possibility of his candidacy in a nation now
openly considering the possibility of permitting same-sex marriage at the federal level.
Carson and Fiorina may face similar
problematic issues as they enter the race for
the nomination. Neither candidate has any
extensive participation in the political scene,
though both have built impressive careers
and potentially powerful constituencies.
Carson may be helped slightly by the
story of his personal journey from poverty
to neurosurgery, while Fiorina may have a
foot in thanks to her considerable experience with the inner-workings of corporate
America.
Neither, however, is predicted to be
among the front-runners. What exists of
Fiorina’s political history, including an
unsuccessful Senate campaign against
California incumbent Barbara Boxer in
2010, suggests that a rise to the Republican
nomination may be difficult.
As the list of Republican candidates
becomes increasingly crowded, the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential
election is currently anybody’s guess. What
is sure, however, is that Carson, Fiorina, and
Huckabee will be jumping into an especially
difficult race in the midst of an especially important campaign for the Republican Party.
Opinion: blinded by the times on marriage
by Henry Ashton ‘15
Politics/Opinions Editor
America’s culture is not an artifact preserved in a museum; it is very much alive.
As members of the Millennial generation, we have been catalysts for a seismic
cultural shift that has taken hold across
America.
For 54 percent of Americans, no longer is
it accepted that Americans can be discriminated against because the person they love
happens to be a member of the same sex.
According to the Pew Research Center,
Millennials are by far the most receptive to
allowing gays to marry, with an overwhelming 68 percent expressing support for samesex marriage.
All signs point to gay marriage disappearing as a cultural issue in the near future.
With Americans in agreement on the issue,
surely our political institutions now reflect
the new cultural consensus.
Unfortunately, however, some of the
more insidious and unfalsifiable arguments against gay marriage still have life in
America’s institution that is often the slowest
to change: the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, April 28, the Supreme Court
considered oral arguments for Obergefell v.
Hodges, the case that will either represent a
breakthrough for gays across America or a
return to the status quo that has oppressed
them for centuries.
For some conservative justices on the
Supreme Court, a refusal to “redefine”
marriage prevents them from considering
allowing marriage between two men or
two women.
Chief Justice John Roberts chastised gay
rights advocate, Mary Bonauto, at the Court,
saying, “You’re seeking to change what the
institution is. The fundamental core of the
institution is the opposite-sex relationship,
and you want to introduce into it a same-sex
Taking a stand for gay rights: Mary Bonauto (pictured on right) speaks in front of the Supreme
Court in support of gay marriage. Bonauto is the head counsel for the plaintiffs in Obergefell v.
Hodges. Pictured on the left is plantiff Jim Obergefell, a gay man who is challenging the refusal of the
state of Ohio to recognize his partner John Arthur as the surviving spouse on his death certificate.
Photo credit to Associated Press
relationship.”
Justice Anthony Kennedy stressed the
length of time that our definition of marriage
has remained stagnant.
“This definition has been with us for
millennia,” Kennedy said. “And it ­­ it’s very
difficult for the Court to say, oh, well, we ­­we
know better.”
In a sense, these Justices’ arguments all
boil down to stressing how it has always
been the same way with the “institution” of
marriage. However, I would propose that
marriage has not remained as stagnant as
they would like to think.
In fact, the definition of marriage has
changed many times already. The conception of marriage in the past has not only
centered on individuals of the opposite sex.
Previously, individuals of two different faiths
might not have been allowed to get married,
or individuals of different races would have
been prohibited by law from getting married.
To take a broad historical perspective,
until the eighteenth century, the most common marriages were arranged marriages.
These marriages took a very different perspective on the institution than what we
have today.
They could have been arranged based
on family clout, financial reasons, or to
represent favors between family patriarchs.
These marriages may or may not have
been carried out with the full endorsement
and consent of both parties getting married.
The case of arranged marriages brings
up another argument I would present to
counter conservatives like Roberts: isn’t love
the fundamental element of a modern mar-
riage, rather than selecting an individual of
the opposite sex?
By desperately clinging to this element
of marriage, Roberts’ argument becomes
absurd when it is taken to its logical conclusion. Indeed, if all it took was finding a
member of the opposite sex, we would have
never moved away from the eighteenth century’s system of arranged marriages.
No, love is fundamental to America’s conception of marriage, and the consideration
of love wipes out traditionalist arguments.
We should not discriminate against individuals by prohibiting them from marrying
who they love just because, in the words of
Ms. Bonauto, the “times can blind.”
As unfair as it is to rely on these nonsensical historical arguments, it is equally as
unfair to try and punt the question of marriage to the states by ignoring the obvious
protections for gay Americans present in the
fourteenth amendment of the Constitution.
“Waiting is not neutral,” Bonauto told the
Court, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Harming individuals who seek to get
married by subjecting them to unconstitutional laws that are products of the tyranny
of the majority is not how America should
operate.
As Justice Stephen Breyer argued, “Marriage is fundamental… But there is one
group of people whom they won’t open
marriage to. So they have no possibility to
participate in that fundamental liberty. That
is people of the same sex who wish to marry.
And so we ask, why? And the answer we get
is, well, people have always done it.”
“We’ve always done it that way” is a
fundamentally unsatisfying non-argument,
and it reveals how little ground opponents of
gay marriage have to convincingly stand on.
America needs to change, and hopefully
the Supreme Court will take a principled
stand for this defining cultural issue of our
times.
Page Six
YJ Politics/Opinions
May 15, 2015
Congress considers TPP despite criticism
by Dionna Cheatham ‘15
Junior Politics/Opinions Editor
President Obama visited Nike’s headquarters in Oregon on April 8 to speak about
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The
speech represents one of his most expansive
defenses of the trade deal.
Obama has faced opposition from within his own party over TPP, and his speech at
Nike addressed fellow Democrats about its
potential benefits.
“I’ve run my last election,” Obama told
reporters. “The only reason I do something
is because I think it’s good for American
workers and the American people and the
American economy…on this issue, on trade,
I actually think some of my dearest friends
are wrong. They’re just wrong.”
If approved, the TPP would affect dozens
of industries, products, and services, including the internet. According to The Toronto
Star and The Huffington Post, the proposed
agreement is between 12 countries with
Pacific coasts, which together make up 40
percent of the global economic production.
The TPP is often compared to the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),
which is between the U.S., Mexico, and
Canada.
The Peterson Institute for International
Economics predicts a 0.4 percent increase
in U.S. economic output in 10 years if TPP
goes into action.
This increase is considered “significant,”
but it is not enough to cause a dramatic,
noticeable change.
In the past, trade agreements have been
Yep... she’s pissed: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has spoken out repeatedly against the TransPacific Partnership, a deal endorsed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Warren has criticized
the secrecy apparent in the deal, as the deal remains readable only by members of Congress and those
with appropriate credentials. She has repeatedly called for the deal to be released for the American
public to read. Photo credit to Getty Images
formed to eliminate taxes on imported
goods, which are known as “tariffs” or “duties.”
The TPP will not be revealed in its
entirety until it is signed, and the secrecy
surrounding it has been a frequent target of
criticism, particularly from Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D-Mass).
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) also criticized TPP when she told The Huffington Post
that she wondered if the President was “the
same guy” who was skeptical of NAFTA in
2008. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said of
Obama’s remarks towards fellow Democrats,
“It may be a freebie, a throwaway line…Well,
presidents can do that. But the bulk of the
information buttresses everything that we
have been saying, and that’s the ground on
which we stand.”
Nike’s headquarters is widely considered
a strange choice of venue to use to push
TPP. Nike has long attracted criticism for
its reliance on underpaid workers in Asia,
particularly in Vietnam, which is one of the
nations involved in TPP. Obama said TPP
would force places like Vietnam to raise both
wages and labor standards.
According to The Toronto Star, Nike has
also promised to create as many as 10,000
jobs in the U.S. if TPP is approved.
Nike claims these jobs would be skilled
positions in the engineering and manufacturing fields.
The president said TPP would “…open
the doors to the higher-skill, higher-wage
jobs of the future.”
The American Federation of Labor and
Congress of International Organizations
(AFL-CIO) expressed its skepticism on Twitter by saying, “Before NAFTA, major U.S.
firms also promised to create jobs…Instead,
they sent thousands offshore.”
Officials involved hint that the 12 nations
are close to making a deal, but there have
been “hints” like these since 2013.
Congress has not granted the president
“fast-track authority,” which would allow
him to make a permanent deal without
their input.
Some nations involved say they will not
agree to concessions if they know Congress
can alter them later.
In addition, as reported by The Toronto
Star, the United States and Japan, the two
largest economies involved, still disagree
over the American duty on auto parts and
Japan’s “fortifications” around its rice market.
R-MC students make early stands in
support of 2016 presidential hopefuls
by Henry Ashton ‘15
Politics/Opinions Editor
It’s very early in the 2016 presidential
primary season, but many candidates have
already made their presence known and
have started to make the case for why they
should be elected president in 2016.
Hilllary Clinton will now face challenger
Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary,
and a host of Republicans have emerged to
compete for the GOP’s nomination.
This reporter sat down with a few R-MC
students from several different classes with
diverse perspectives on politics and asked
their opinion on the 2016 hopefuls.
Jacob Stech ’18
Who are you thinking about supporting
for president in 2016?
“I’m thinking about supporting Rand
Paul for president.
I feel like he is advocating for liberty
and maintaining certain freedoms from the
government.
I think we don’t need the government to
get into every part of our lives and I believe
that is the way he feels also.”
When would you say that you decided to
support Mr. Paul’s campaign?
“Back in 2012 I liked Ron Paul, and I really supported him until Mitt Romney won
the [Republican] nomination.
When I heard Rand Paul might be running I thought that he is a lot like his father,
and that made me want to support him.
He [Rand Paul] is a lot more like a Republican than a Libertarian, and I feel like
because of that he might have a better chance
to win the nomination.”
What will be the biggest challenge for Mr.
Paul should he win the nomination?
“Right now the media is a big problem.
The day after he announced [for president]
he was on the Today Show with Savannah
Guthrie and she asked him a question that
R-MC political diversity: Randolph-Macon students have already begun to scrutinize the 2016 field
for president, and students have come to a variety of conclusions regarding which candidate to
support. Students contributing interviews to The Yellow Jacket expressed their support for Rand Paul,
Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz. Photo credit to Vox Efx
wasn’t good and he got really mad about it.
I feel like he shouldn’t have yelled [at
her] but he had a point.
He didn’t think that Iran was a danger at
the time because it wasn’t.”
Bailey Troia ‘15
Who are you thinking about supporting
for president in 2016?
“There’s a lot of research I still need to
do, but I’m definitely leaning towards Hillary [Clinton].”
What makes Ms. Clinton stand out for
you from the other candidates?
“I line up with the way she feels about
women’s rights, reproductive rights, gay
rights.”
What will be the biggest challenge for Ms.
Clinton should she win the nomination?
“I’m really interested to hear Clinton’s
stances on women of color and how to
handle the welfare system and poverty.
I haven’t heard a lot about what she has
to say about that and she’s actually been getting a lot of flak about how her feminism is
‘white feminism.’
I think she’s going to have to prove that
she’s dedicated to gender equality not just
among white women but for people of color.
I don’t think she’s done a good job at that so
that might be an issue for her.”
Olivia Latham ‘17
Who are you thinking about supporting
for president in 2016?
“I’m supporting Bernie Sanders, but I
would support Hillary Clinton if she wins
the Democratic primary.”
What about Sanders made you decide to
support him?
“I like that he has a more socialist view.
He believes in a more universal healthcare
than what Obamacare already offers and that
appeals to me.
He’s been very consistent in what he
believes in the past and I believe he would
be consistent if he was elected as well.”
Do you think Sanders might have a
chance to beat Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary?
“No, not at all. I think it would be very
unwise [for the Democratic Party] for him
to become the[ir] candidate in the general
election, because most of the Democratic
Party isn’t as far to the left as he is.
Candidates need to reach out to the
middle in order to win, and he would not
do that I think.”
Kirby Struhar ‘18
Who are you thinking about supporting
for president in 2016?
“One person I am interested in for a
couple of different reasons is Senator Ted
Cruz from Texas.”
What about Sanders made you decide to
support him?
“I love his background, I love that he was
the solicitor general from Texas, I love the
fact that he went to both Harvard and Yale,
and I love the fact that he was a clerk in the
United States Supreme Court: It’s obvious
that he’s qualified.
He’s big on defending constitutional
rights and I know that some of the ways he’s
gone about that have been seen as controversial but I see him as a guy that sticks up for
what’s right, sticks up for what he believes in
and I think he’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Do you think Cruz can win the Republican nomination?
“Yes, I think so. He talks a lot about
building a coalition, reaching out to different segments of the Republican Party and
bringing them all together.
I think his big tagline is “courageous
conservatives” and I think he’s passionate about doing so [bringing Republicans
together].”
Page Seven
YJ Sports
May 15, 2015
Merkel appointed head coach of R-MC Men’s
Basketball
by Blake Saathlff ‘17
Staff Writer
“No pressure”. This is what was left on
the desk of the new Yellow Jackets basketball
coach Josh Merkel and the first thing he saw
when he first arrived at Randolph-Macon.
The note, along with the net from the 2015
ODAC title game was left by none other than
former head coach Nathan Davis.
Coach Davis resigned from the helm
of the R-MC basketball program on April
19th to accept the head coaching job at
Bucknell, where he was an assistant at from
2003-2008. He has led the Yellow Jackets to
its most successful six year stretch in school
history, including a Final Four appearance
and a 70-11 record at home. Leaving behind
a legacy, the spotlight is now turning to Josh
Merkel. Barely moved into his office, Coach
Markel opened up about his thoughts on the
present, past and future.
Merkel is one of the bright young minds
of the sport, and it is not going unnoticed.
He was an assistant under Davis in 20102011, only to return to lead his alma mater,
Salisbury, the following season. After a
decade of mediocrity, Merkel took the program in a completely different direction. In
his second season, he led the Sea Gulls to a
19-8 record with big wins over programs
such as Virginia Wesleyan College. In his
fourth and final season, he led Salisbury
to its fifth best record in program history
at 21-8 and their first championship in the
Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) since
1997. They even advanced into the second
round of the NCAA DIII tournament.
“It was special,” Coach Merkel said, “it
No pressure: As former head coach Nathan Davis leaves for Bucknell, the campus and men’s
basketball team welcomes Coach Josh Merkel.
Photo courtesy of: RMC Athletics
was great to have that group of guys cut
down the nets and for the fans to rush the
court, it will always be a special memory
for me”.
When asked how he turned around a
program that was a consistent .500 or below
team, Merkel said “We lifted the expectations. For workouts, practices, behavior, we
lifted their expectations in everything.” He
continued, saying he was very specific on
who he brought in, made sure that they were
there for the team and that they were going
to do it the Salisbury way. Merkel was also a
part in recruiting 7 of the 8 seniors that the
Randolph-Macon team will be graduating
in the spring.
With that in mind, everyone that was
here during Merkel’s stint with the Yellow
Jackets in 2010-2011 will be gone next season. When asked about having a core group
of guys to help him transition into his new
job, Merkel didn’t believe in that.
“We will be relying on everyone, not just
one or a few individuals to lead this team.
the championship game. Bagley has struck
out 22 and walked 7 throughout the entirety
of the tournament and has earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Alongside Bagley’s MOP award, Gilman,
Woody, Sopko, Jones, and Toth were all on
the All-Tournament team.
The team also had a marked showing on the All-ODAC teams. Bagley was
named the ODAC Rookie of the Year and
was voted on the all-ODAC Second Team.
Senior shortstop Sharese Jarvis and junior
catcher Madison Gilman earned All-ODAC
First Team. Senior utility player Amanda
Sopko was voted All-ODAC Second Team
and junior outfielder Sierra Ford received
All-ODAC Third Team honors.
Senior member Sharese Jarvis spoke on
their outstanding achievements.
“Winning our Program’s first ever ODAC
Championship title is a pretty indescribable
feeling’ Jarvis said ‘It’s no miracle that we
won, but it’s just a priceless emotion when
you can be a part of such an amazing and
successful program,” said Jarvis.
Jarvis also summed up the year’s ac-
Everyone will be pulling on everyone. We
want to be a team of one heartbeat, not one
leader”.
The team will really need to buy into
that motto in this upcoming season. With
only one rising senior on the roster, guard
Lamont Moore, the team will look to rely
on the leadership of many of the younger
returners such as Boris Ngundji, Mike Silverthorn, and Rip Engel. Jamie Wilson will
also be returning after sitting out the 20142015 season with an ACL injury.
There is no question that the talent on
the roster is there, and Coach Merkel is well
aware of it. When asked about his expectations for his first season, Merkel said he is
more focused on the day to day of the season
rather than looking at it as a whole.
“My expectation is for the guys to compete. Not only with each other, but with
yesterday’s version of themselves.”
After his press conference, the campus is
excited for basketball season to roll around
again, and Merkel is ready.
“It took a great institution and an excellent program to get me to leave [Salisbury].
I left [West Virginia] to come here in 2010
because of how people talked about the
family attitude and the loyalty people show
to this school”.
Although his office may not show it,
Coach Merkel is ready and eager to lead
Randolph-Macon into the 2015-2016 season, and I think everyone can join me in
saying –
Good Luck, Coach Merkel and go Jackets!
R-MC softball team finishes strong in
ODAC Tournament
by Bar Hass ‘16
Staff Writer
To say the Randolph Macon Women’s
Softball team did well would be an understatement. The softball team entered the
ODAC tournament with a 22-10 record,
placing them in the 4th seed.
During the ODAC Tournament, the
Jackets faced the 5th seed, Guilford College.
With the hit by Katie Woody, resulting in
two runs by Amanda Sopko ‘15 and Madison
Gilman ‘16, RMC gained the the lead and
the eventual win, 2-0.
They moved to the next round to face
the number one seed, Virginia Wesleyan
and with an early run by Skylar Toth ‘18,
they improved to a 1-0 lead. With a triple
by Gilman at the top of the 6th and the hit by
K. Woody, Gilman scored and RMC sealed
the game with a 2-0 victory.
The team went to face 2nd seed Lynchburg College on the 25th and after a 0-1
score after the 3rd inning, a double by S
Ford led to a 2-1 score with runs by Toth
‘18 and Hayden Fontenot ’18, The team then
followed up with a phenomenal ending at
the top of the 7th inning, scoring four runs
against Lynchburg’s single run at the bottom
7th. The final score was 6-2.
Randolph-Macon then faced Lynchburg
college once again in the championship
game. RMC quickly gained the lead at the
top of the 1st with runs by Sopko, Jarvis,
and a home run by Harley Jones ’18. With a
3-0 lead, the team continued to overpower
Lynchburg to a final score of 7-1. The win
marked the team’s first ever ODAC Championship.
Freshman Nelda Bagley, who has pitched
phenomenally at all tournaments, has allowed 10 hits, 1 run, and 6 strikeouts during
complishments.
“Since this this is my last year, it was the
perfect way to end my career! This group of
girls has dedicated their time, energy, and
skills to contribute to one of the best seasons
here at RMC! I’m just really glad and, most
importantly, blessed to have been able to
experience this all!” said Jarvis.
Ending the season with such high marks
leaves both a sweet and bitter taste, as seniors
Jarvis, Sopko, and Carly Alford leave the
team in the hands of a young and proven
group of women.
ODAC Champions: The women’s softball team proudly holds a NCAA softball banner at the 2015 softball ODAC championship.
Photo courtesy of RMC Athletics
Page Eight
YJ
Sports
May 15, 2015
Saying goodbye to R-MC senior athletes:
softball, basketball, lacrosse, and tennis
Angelina Sportelli - Women’s Tennis
Sarah Parsons - Women’s Basketball
Carly Alford - Softball
Caroline Young - Women’s Basketball
Sharese Jarvis - Softball
Allie Franklin - Women’s Lacrosse
Amanda Sopko - Softball
Betsy Hebert - Women’s Lacrosse
Ryan Byrd - Men’s Tennis
Connor Hoerr - Men’s Tennis
Corin Sandford - Men’s Tennis
Ira Usry - Men’s Tennis
Nolan Clark - Men’s Lacrosse
Dan Gallucci - Men’s Lacrosse
Philip Goss - Men’s Lacrosse
Alex Jesmer - Men’s Lacrosse
Marcus Badger - Men’s Basketball
Hunter Fromang - Men’s Basketball
Chris Hamilton - Men’s Basketball
Joe Hassell - Men’s Basketball
Akeem Holmes - Men’s Basketball
Evan Jackson - Men’s Basketball
Connor Sullivan - Men’s Basketball
Trent Walker - Men’s Basketball