The QC, Vol. 93, No. 21 • March 22, 2007

              The Voice of Whittier College Since 1914
Quaker Campus
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Issue 21 -volume 93
QC@WHITTIER.EDU
Franklin Society to return in fall
Justin Velasco
QC News Editor
The Franklin Society will return
to campus in the fall and could possibly have their first pledge class two
years after being put on a four-year
suspension after reports of hazing
were made during the 2006 pledge
class [see Quaker Campus Issue 5,
Vol. 92].
Dean of Students Jeanne Ortiz
said it is the administration's goal to
get the Franklins to have a pledge
class in January 2008. "The concept
is to allow the Franklins to come back
in a way that would permit them to
begin the Rush process along with the
other societies and have a pledge class
in January 2008," Ortiz said.
If given the chance, the last remaining active member of the society
in fall 2007, junior Ryan Foresta,
will lead the new pledge class along
with 10 alumni. The current President of the Franklin Society, senior
Levi Leon, will graduate this year,
but plans to help usher in the new
Franklins. "I'm still trying to figure
out how we are going to be able to
come back and not come back as a
struggling society," Leon said. "Because by losing two pledge classes
we won't be able to recover in theory
in six or eight years."
Ortiz said that if the Franklins
continue to follow all the rules currently set up by their suspension
and all other college policies, the
Franklins will have a pledge class.
"As with any organization if they're
not abiding by college policy or by
any special provisions that are set up
and agreed upon that would influence
their ability to have a pledge class,"
Ortiz said.
After the society was suspended
for hazing, part of getting back on
campus was to do extensive research
on hazing. Leon decided to write his
Literature Review, which is a requirement for his Psychology major, on
hazing. His findings influenced him
as he created the next Franklin pledging program. "You don't really need
sleep deprivation, you don't really
need to be yelling at them and you
don't reallv need to make it hell for
them to have that bonding," Leon
said. "People are under the illusion
that that's the way to connect with
people during that small amount
of time, but in reality you are going to bond with them more after
pledging."
Along with researching hazing,
Leon had to rewrite their Purpose
and Values Statement that, according
to Leon, is about 20 pages single-
spaced. "I have been very impressed
by the work of the Franklins and
see FRANKLINS, page 4
Community Garden to
be planted on hillside
MASON FELDMAN / QC PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore Ben Brown (31) of the Men's Lacrosse team played against Colorado College in
one of two games held on Friday, March 16 and Monday, March 19. Men's Lacrosse came out
1-1, winning 17-6 against Colorado College and losing 9-8 in overtime to McDaniel College.
Kelly Muscolo
QC Sports Co-Editor
Throughout the history of
Whittier College, the hillside between Wanberg and Harris has been
barren and non-productive. Now,
however, the Greens of Whittier (or
the Community Garden Club), an
organization of roughly 10 students
headed by junior Nicole Schmidt, is
working with Groundskeeper John
Gonzalez to transform the hillside
into a community garden.
Schmidt and the Greens are
hoping that, after proving the
garden's beauty and productivity,
the Whittier College administration will take note of the beneficial
qualities of the project and award
the garden a larger plot of land,
where an even greater amount
of students can participate. "We
would really like to be able to
hold events and master gardening
classes," Schmidt said. "Maybe
one day [we'll] be able to join the
ACGA (American Community
Garden Association) and be able
to go to conferences. For now
though we are just here to garden
and bring- awareness to students
regarding food and environmental
issues."
Why all the work? What's so
special about a community garden?
"It gives us an opportunity to take
part in what we eat and definitely
allows for a great understanding
of where our food comes from
and just how much effort goes
into producing the things that we
eat," Schmidt said. "And I mean
gardens are beautiful if they are
maintained and way more useful
then grass or a barren hillside. So,
why not?"
Sophomore Juliette Donatelli
decided to be a part of this program
because, "I felt it was an important
investment for Whittier's student
see GARDEN, page 6
First-year Transition Seminar approved to help build retention
Julia Kitlinski-Hong
QC News Asst. Editor
A proposal for the First-Year
Transition Seminar (FYTS) was
passed on Tuesday, March 13, by
the Student Affairs Committee and
will apply to the next incoming
freshman class. The idea of the
seminar is to further connect the
Freshman Writing Seminar (FWS)
and the Living-Learning Communities in a collaboration of both
academic and social resources.
The proposal is based on the
principle that the current FWS
helps provide a strong foundation
for academic success; but does not
focus on the social component
of transitioning to college. The
Living-Learning Communities
and Orientation Week Leader programs help with issues that come
up for first-year students in terms
of transitioning to college, but
are not completely incorporated
within the FWS.
The seminar will require first-
year students to take an additional
one-hour session that will be
taught by a peer mentor who would
help assist students with the social
aspects of transitioning and a peer
tutor who would provide writing
guidance. According toAssistant
Dean for First-Year Programs Lisa
Bortman, the tutor and the mentor
would be sophomores, because
of their recent past experience as
first-year students.
"I believe it would be ex
tremely beneficial for an upper-
classman to mentor freshmen in
both academic and non-academic
issues," first-year student Calvin
Wong said. "Whittier provides
that to a certain extent with the
OWL program, but I believe a
more personalized version would
definitely be more effective."
A variety of subjects, such as
academic integrity to how to deal
with homesickness will be taught
during the seminar. During the
hour the peer tutor will also be
available to help students with
academic needs.
Bortman said, "One qualification for these students to obtain
these roles would require them
to be good Whittier College citizens, along with being mature and
responsible."
According to Bortman, one
of the main benefits of this new
program is cited to be that the
incoming students will have peers
see FIRST-YEARS, page 5
STUDENT MOMS
Going above and beyond in the
classroom and at home.
Campus Life, Page 8
ARTISTS UNITE
Music, dance, art, poetry and fun
hair.
A&E, Page 11