Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange The Kenyon Collegian College Archives 11-3-2011 Kenyon Collegian - November 3, 2011 Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.kenyon.edu/collegian Recommended Citation "Kenyon Collegian - November 3, 2011" (2011). The Kenyon Collegian. 226. https://digital.kenyon.edu/collegian/226 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College Archives at Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Kenyon Collegian by an authorized administrator of Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thursday, November 3rd>WT]UM+@@@1@6W___SMVaWVKWTTMOQIVKWUXIOM[ Kenyonthe Collegian Serving Gambier, Ohio Since 1856 +IVLQLI\M;]XXWZ\[ A Presidential Reunion Religion in Schools MADELEINE THOMPSON ting their Christian values into their lessons despite the risk of Six Mount Vernon Board another expensive lawsuit like of Education candidates will Freshwater’s, which has now contest three seats in the local cost the schools almost $2 mil- election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. lion. !e candidates, Margie Ben- “As it stands today, with the nett (incumbent), Je"rey Cline, separation of church and state, Marie Curry, Cheryl Feasel, the law is that you can’t preach Jolene Goetzman (incumbent) religion from the classroom,” and Stephen Kelly, are all non- Cline said. “With that law, as partisan, but some of their cam- bogus as I think it is, we have paign promises have become to agree with it for now. But I controversial. think as people in our commu- Cline’s support for teaching nities we need to start challeng- CALEB BISSINGER religion and creationism in the ing that.” schools’ science curriculums Kelly, who has worked bal- Last weekend focused on the future as the trustees descended on Gambier to celebrate the inaugural exhibit and Kelly’s desire to let students ancing budgets for the Salva- at the Gund Gallery and the completion of “We Are Kenyon,” the College’s $240 million capital campaign. “decide for themselves which tion Army for 20 years, would !is week, the College has been looking back at three presidents who helped shape it. evidence seems more convinc- not con$rm his position on ing” have sparked a movement teaching creationism. “I $nd it of concerned Mount Vernon very interesting that this ques- For the full feature, see pages 8 and 9. parents and community mem- tion keeps coming up,” Kelly bers. said. “I have my own personal !e movement includes beliefs on the subject, but that’s ;KPWWT[.IKM4M^aIVL.]VLQVO1[[]M[ several members of the Kenyon not what I’m running on.” In community, including Kachen a recent email to Woodward- MARIKA GARLAND May, according to Mount Vernon City “I see the added hours and stress and Kimmel, wife of a Kenyon em- Ginther, Kelly stated that he School Superintendent Stephen Short. If the hard work that people are putting ployee; Professor of Political believes there is “considerable In the midst of recent spending cuts the City votes against the levy next week, in,” Helser, who works in the school sys- Science Michelle Mood, and scienti$c evidence that chal- for local schools, the upcoming Nov. 8 it could appear on the ballot again in May, tem and has two children in a Mount philanthropic advisor Kent lenges the assumptions of the election will include a renewal levy for but schools would lose the $rst half of this Vernon elementary school, said. “A lot Woodward-Ginther ’93. “It old earth/evolutionary model.” Mount Vernon school funding as part funding. “!at loss would be devastating to of the work is just getting divided up and feels like some kind of old- “Intelligent design is not of the ballot. If passed, this levy will not the school district,” Short said. “We would added onto everybody’s current jobs.” fashioned time to hear these science. It’s already been prov- add any new taxes for Mount Vernon see the cut of personnel. We would see the !e number of art, music and physical people and to experience their en and litigated, and we don’t citizens but will renew the $846,000 al- cut of programs and the opportunity that education teachers has been reduced as naïveté about these issues,” said need to spend any more of the located to schools from property taxes maybe a building would be closed.” well, resulting in the cancellation of this Kimmel, who is also running school’s money litigating that,” every year since 1981. “One of my con- In addition to lost state funding, year’s elementary school holiday music for Gambier’s Village Council. Knox County Democratic Par- cerns is that people will not understand Mount Vernon schools have also grappled program. “I’m a Christian of a certain ty Chair Meg Galipault said. that a renewal levy is not an increase, be- with missing tax money. “Traditionally, all High school students now must pay sort, and I’m o"ended that I “!at’s our biggest fear. If one cause there has been a trend of not sup- of our school funding from the community $200 to participate in sports, music and can’t have my own understand- of those individuals gets voted porting increases in the tax base,” Knox is from property taxes, and then there are other extracurricular activities, an in- ing of Christianity.” onto the board, we’re going to County Democratic Party Chair Meg people who don’t pay their property taxes,” crease in the former $25 fee. “!at’s hard Many citizens who remem- end up sinking more money Galipault said. Helser said. on kids, especially if you’re in more than ber the 2008 John Freshwater into something that’s already Mount Vernon has voted to renew “All of those things create this kind of one activity, which a lot of them are,” incident especially object to cre- been decided.” Knox County this levy every $ve years since it began perfect storm,” Galipault said. “Either we’re Helser said. ationism entering school curric- Republican Party Chair Chip and must continue to do so for it to re- going to survive or we’re going to let it take “A lot of people are concerned that ulums. Freshwater taught sci- McConnville declined to give main in place. !is year, however, the the schools under.” money isn’t being managed well, but … ence at Mount Vernon Middle his opinion on teaching cre- levy has taken on new signi$cance. Due Even if the levy passes, several cuts will our spending is lower than it’s been in School until it came out that he ationism in schools. to the recent end of stimulus money, remain in place. !e City has already had the last three years, and that’s amazing burnt a cross into the arm of a Woodward-Ginther, a Mount Vernon schools have lost $2.5 to cut high school busing. “Truancy is a because usually there’s a 3 percent in- student during a science experi- Mount Vernon parent and Ke- million in state funding. “!ere have problem anyway, and I’m sure that hasn’t crease in spending for things like heat- ment and gave extra credit as- nyon employee, strongly dis- been a lot of cuts already, so we really helped the truancy problem,” Helser said. ing and things that you can’t control,” signments like watching pro-in- agrees with the platforms of any need this funding to continue, and even- “I certainly have heard from many a parent, Helser said. “I think the school has done telligent design documentaries. candidates who do not speak tually we’re probably going to have to go just word of mouth, that it’s a hardship on a great job in trying to compensate for He was o#cially $red in out against teaching creation- back and ask for more help too,” Chair a lot of people.” that as well as all the other cuts.” Mount January of this year, though his ism in schools. “In my opinion, of the Committee to Support Our Local Several school employees have lost their Vernon citizens pay a lower percentage of case is still in court. there is no scienti$c evidence Schools Moreen Helser said. jobs, and the teachers and administrators their income (2 percent) toward schools At a “Meet the Candidate” of creationism or so-called in- Every year, Mount Vernon schools who remain have had to take over their du- than 13 of the 14 surrounding school event in Mount Vernon on telligent design,” he said. “[!e receive money from the levy in two ties. “You’re going to see our administra- Oct. 27, Cline addressed the halves, one in November and one in tors, our principals doing more,” Short said. see LEVY, page 2 importance of teachers put- see BOARD, page 2 IN THIS ISSUE Pages 5, 6 & 7 Page 10 Page 12 An alumnus recounts It’s a Hard Knox Life Responses to “Between the his experience with brings Broadway Sheets, Communication is a Two- the Peace Corps in favorites to the Black Way Street.” Mongolia. Box !eater. Life on the hill as it happens: thekenyonthrill.wordpress.com 2 THE KENYON COLLEGIAN NEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011 Kenyon Celebrates the Opening of New Apartments Construction on two more North inside and out, like “real houses” — nothing like a Campus Apartment units ended in typical college dorm, Leslie time for this fall’s trustees’ meeting. said. Instead of small apart- ments located within the REBECCA DANN audience why the addition of houses, large rooms are avail- the new and improved houses able, along with common Members of the Board of would bene!t Kenyon’s rank- rooms, utilities and a kitch- Trustees, professors, deans, ing in comparison to other en.