The QC, Vol. 86, No. 22 • March 30, 2000

              '■■:.
lown"
Candidates for City Council and
student supporters discuss
municipal issues.
■ Chris Ziegler on
Punk Planet
Following a long tradition of
senior profiles, Ziegler rocks the
Whittier College world.
■ Fiction Contest Winners Face Reality
Sure, they can make up fantastic
stories that dazzle the imagination, but nothing to rival The
Tempest. Yes, it all fits together.
J0i
TO        •:■■■.■:    y
■ Women's Tennis
Takes Third
Women's Tennis defeated
Redlands 5-4 for third place in
SCIAC Saturday, March 18.
March 30,2000
^—^ -* y^ maiui ou, zuuu
Quaker Campus
The Voice Of The Campus Since 1914 Aw^si-..1-iWit
http://www.wtiittier.edu/qc
"Franklin" Tree Vandalized; Must Be Removed
Society landmark desecrated by unknown assailants
M VANDALISM
=< by Amy Stice
* QC News Editor
o	
The "Franklin" tree, at the south end of Deihl Hall, will be cut
down within a week.
A tree dedicated by Franklin
nj Society was damaged by unknown
' vandals during the night of Thursday, March 23. According to the
So Maintenance Department, the
damage was so severe that the 17-
year-old pine tree, located at the
south end of Deihl Hall, will be
removed within a week.
"The whole Society feels like
they've been attacked," sophomore Franklin Society member
Erik Quintana said. "[The tree] is
a big part of our tradition, maybe
more than people understand."
The tree was planted by the
Maintenance Department in compliance with the Franklin Society
and is commonly known as the
"Franklin Tree," where the society frequently meets.
According to Assistant Chief
of Campus Safety lohn Lewis, the
Maintenance Department first
spotted the vandalism on the morning of Friday, March 24 at approximately 7 a.m. They contacted Campus Safety, which determined that the damage was probably done with either an axe or a
saw.
According to Grounds Supervisor John Gonzalez, the tree's
cambium layer, which funnels the
tree's nutrients, was so severely
damaged that it has no chance of
survival. Only about two inches
of the tree's diameter were left
intact—not enough to keep the
tree nourished.
"It's dying now. You wouldn't
be able to tell in a week, but in a
month it would be dead," Gonzalez said. Although the weakened
tree poses no immediate threat to
students, it will be removed and
the stump ground before it decays
enough to present a danger.
"Whoever did this did it maliciously with the intent to kill the
tree," Gonzalez asserted.
Students not affiliated with the
Society were appalled by the destruction and speculation regard
ing the offenders is rampant.
"I think it was some kind of
retaliation for something [the
Franklins] have done in the past,"
Gonzalez said.
This opinion is common. "It's
kind of disappointing that because
people feel that they need to get
back at another society they do it
in such a way that is disrespectful
to the school," junior Penn Society member Joe Cross said.
"This is another sign of disrespect for property that does not
rightfully belong to them," freshman Carrie Stone said. "[The perpetrators] shouldn't have taken
their cruel aggression out on the
tree."
The Maintenance Department
plans to plant another tree in the
pine's place, but is waiting for
College approval before proceeding.
The Franklin Society is "in
shock" about the incident, according to Quintana. "We've been attacked a lot this year," he claims.
"Maybe not betrayed, but taken
advantage of."
COR Completes "Symbolic" Office Renovations
■ COR OFFICE
by Christian Gregoire
QC Staff Writer
Whittier College students can
now meet with Council of Representatives (COR) staff members,
in the newly renovated COR office, located in the Student Union.
The office officially opened on
Thursday, March 22, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony qnd three-
hour reception.
Preparations for the renovation were underway one week prior to the end of Christmas Break.
For 11 weeks following the vacation, COR President junior
Jonathan Collard, Vice-President
junior Vince Nguyen and Secretary sophomore Vincent Vigil
were hard at work painting, measuring space allocations and considering various options regarding an effective layout for the new
office.
"Everything had to be strate
gically placed," Collard said.
Financing for the renovation
was provided through the combined services of the Office of
Student Activities, the Executive
Council, and the assistance of
COR Treasurer, junior Lina Katrova. A total of slightly over
$4,600 was spent. The money
was used to purchase furniture—
ranging from sofas to prints—at
Dcea.
Limited in space, the COR
office nevertheless provides a
practical working area to the
staff. "We needed to create an
environment to fit a lot of people,
which necessitates an effective use
of space," Nguyen said. Although
not optimal, the office space can
accommodate all the representatives of COR. According to the
COR constitution, all members
are required to hold two office
hours per week, but due to the
disintegrating condition of the
office, officers were not inspired
to do so. "No one wanted to do
their hours under these conditions," Collard said. The professional appearance of the workplace, he hopes, will further encourage COR members to complete their mandatory office hours.
See COR OFFICE, page 6
The Student Union lounge circa 1960. The COR office is
located towards the back.
The newly-renovated COR office.
ISSUE 22 • VOLUME 86