THE HAMPDEN-SYDNEY TIGER October 20, 2017 The Homecoming Issue Volume XCVIII.3 Kirk Gives $4 Million Gift to Support Endowment, Challenges Others to Join towards different areas of the College. “I’ve realized you don’t get to Max Dash ’18 where you are in life by yourself,” Associate Editor Kirk said. “One of the reasons we’ve done this gift is it’s a challenge to oth- er folks and other athletes to say hey, On October 13th, the Col- let’s give back to the school because lege announced a $4 million gift of what it’s given to us over the years.” from John W. “Bill” Kirk III ’72 Kirk was a four-year defensive and his wife, Shireen, to sup- starter for the Tiger football team— port the athletic endowment. This earning all-state and all-conference comes as part of a campaign by the honors as a senior following the Ti- College to grow the endowment gers’ first ever 10-0 season—as well from $155 million to $200 mil- as a member of the College’s wres- lion by the 2020-21 school year. tling team, and was inducted into the “Among the ranks of Hampden- H-SC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. Sydney’s renowned brotherhood, few “I think the older you get, have given as much of their time, the more you recognize how good expertise, and financial resources to the time was and how it really did this institution as Bill Kirk,” Hamp- a good job in shaping how you do den-Sydney President Larry Stim- things going forward,” Kirk said. pert said in the College’s announce- Kirk is the chief executive officer ment. “We are truly grateful to Bill of Associated Asphalt, one of the larg- and Shireen for their commitment est providers of liquid asphalt to the to the Tiger athletic program and to paving industry in the United States, this College. Athletic competition is and was the major benefactor of the Kirk Athletic Center, which was a critical element of the Hampden- Photo: hscathletics.com Sydney experience, and Bill’s support completed and dedicated in the Fall for our athletic endowment strength- of 2008. He currently serves as vice staff who coach and mentor them.” ing the total expected fundraising about 4.5% of the $12 million—will chair of the College’s board of trust- ens the foundation of our program In addition to his gift, Kirk has associated with his gift $12 million. be put towards the athletics budget, and ensures a promising future for ees, and was on the search committees challenged the College to raise two Kirk’s gift is budget relieving, mean- allowing other sources of revenue (tu- that yielded President Stimpert and the young men who don the gar- dollars for each dollar pledged, mak- ing the annual revenue generated— ition and fees, annual gifts) to be put net and grey, as well as the talented Director of Athletics Chad Eisele. In this issue... Continued on page 7 Overapplication of aca- What It’s success means Etymology of forty part History of the bell Soccer and football demic theory; Escape for cinema; album and II, pg. 5 tower, pg. 6 bounce back from down Room adventure, pg. 3 movie reviews, pg. 4 seasons, pgs. 7 & 8 Page 2 The Hampden-Sydney Tiger October 20, 2017 INFO The Hampden-Sydney Tiger Founded 31 January 1920 by J. B. Wall ’19 Wes Kuegler Max Dash Throwback: 1893 Hampden- Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor Ryan Yost David Bushhouse Copy Editor News Editor Sydney College Football Team Ian O’Malley Shelby Hanna Sports Editor Opinion Editor Staff Writers John Pionzio Chad Pisano Business Manager Robert Morris Hank Hollingshead Arthur White Brad Murawski Steven Dvornick Advisor Dr. James Frusetta Requests for subscriptions may be mailed to: Tiger Subscriptions Brown Student Center, Box 1017 Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943 OR found online at: http://www.hsc.edu/News/Communications/ Request-Forms/Tiger-Subscriptions.html Contact The Tiger by e-mail, phone, fax, or social media: [email protected] facebook.com/HSCTiger1776 ph. (434) 547-9030 Twitter: @TheHSCTiger Instagram: @thehsctiger We accept submissions in the form of letters or guest columns. Brevity is Photo: wikipedia.org encouraged. Interested writers, cartoonists, and photographers can send us an e-mail at [email protected]. The Hampden-Sydney Tiger is a student newspaper serving the community of Hampden-Sydney and operating independently of the College. The Tiger is Correction: In the September 22 issue, the article “Apple’s New Wireless Charging” was printed, roughly, biweekly by The Farmville Herald. erroneously attributed to Opinion Editor Shelby Hanna. The author of the article in The views expressed in ‘Letters to the Editor’ do not reflect any offical question was actually Guest Contributor Trip Gilmore ’20. views or policies of The Hampden-Sydney Tiger. October 20, 2017 The Hampden-Sydney Tiger Page 3 EDITORIALS Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything You Read troublesome effects on the minds of tion is less troubling for society when Party’s current devotion to identity willed it to be and not because some- readers. He states in his influential applied towards defining the basic politics to see the applications and thing is morally, culturally, or even Chad Pisano ’19 work “How to Recognize a Poem and ever-present question, “What failures of academic ideas in practical legally prohibited. The rule of the Staff Writer When You See One” that we humans exactly is a poem?” but, when the life. Although one’s identity is insep- superior man over the inferior man is are “readers whose consciousnesses same kind of elimination is applied arable from his economic conditions a concept that was adopted not just are constituted by a set of conven- to life, it has worrisome implications. and social challenges, the Democrat- by these two misguided students, but The complexity of literature and tional notions . as members of a Although the more knowledge- ic Party has faced serious challenges also by terrible nations such as Nazi language is perhaps the only thing in literary community.” In other words, able members of the English academ- in appealing beyond the identities of Germany or the various apartheid re- the world which rivals the complex- their target. As a result of this failure, gimes that existed in the 20th century ity of life. Literature and language the Democrats lost the support of The intent of this opinion piece reflect life so well that it seems fit- “intersectionality...has cursed poor, white Americans in large num- is not to suggest that academia is use- ting to apply the theories of language bers during the most recent election, less in real life or inherently danger- and literature in order to understand us with divisive identity poli- despite the fact that this demographic ous in the wrong hands. It is, how- the confusing society which we hu- is historically most likely to benefit ever, an acknowledgment that many mans inhabit. Unfortunately, the from the policies of the Democrats. aspects of life appear similar to those world and literary theory have greatly tics and an unnatural focus on This overextension of academic described in academic theories while harmed each other with the mingling theory does not stop with English remaining infinitely more complex of these separate realms, a mingling scientism in literature...at the critical theory. Arguably the most and diverse than those theories can that tends to happen when academic notable example of this sort of per- hope to encapsulate. When a human theories become accepted as truths expense of the humanities” version of brilliant ideas is the mur- is simplified into a character for the about real human life. Two exam- Fish merges any given reader and ic community might be led to explain der of a young Chicago boy by two ease of examination, we risk neglect- ples are of this are intersectionality, work into one cultural relationship Fish’s ideas as being best applied to young, wealthy University of Chi- ing other major aspects of personality which has cursed us with divisive in which all of this reader’s reactions the world of literature, there is an ob- cago students in 1924. After reading or life that may have inspired the de- identity politics, and an unnatural fo- and interpretations of literature are vious spillage of these theories into the theories of Friedrich Nietzsche, velopment of certain defining char- cus on scientism in literature, which defined and dictated by their culture. common life. This causes a problem the two young men conceived of a acter traits. In other words: critical has led our culture to have an un- While this is an interesting theory, it wherein these theories are not well “perfect crime.” To them, the mur- theory and philosophy may be useful healthy obsession with the sciences also removes a vital component of hu- understood by the laymen or politi- der would prove that, for intellectu- when applied to life, but it is important – at the expense of the humanities. man existence from the act of reading: cians who employ them. One has to ally gifted humans, the general rule to reserve the right kind of criticism Critic Stanley Fish’s theories the element of agency. This elimina- look no further than the Democratic of law is whatever they believed and for the appropriate place and time. represent some of those that may have The Escape Room: A Tiger News Team Adventure truth. The Room’s creator, the bril- of the room’s puzzles and details. sible to the whole community.” As room entails and what type of chal- liant and conniving Dr.