The QC, Vol. 94, No. 08 • October 25, 2007

              The Voice of Whittier College Since 1914
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Issue 8 - Volume 94
QC@WHITT1ER.EDU
Raging fires affect Whittier students
Yasmin Khorram
and Josh Wood
QC News Co-Editors
"It was pretty surreal, telling
my mom what to save out of my
room, knowing that there was
a possibility that I would never
even see my room again." Even
being halfway around the world in
Egypt, junior Azaam Samad feels
the pain of the fires raging across
Southern California. "It's weird
because everyone had assumed that
I was the one going to a dangerous
place."
Samad is one of many students
who have been affected by the
uncontrollable fires between Santa
Barbara and San Diego. Separate
flames broke out on Sunday, Oct.
21 in Malibu and San Diego,
causing immediate evacuation of
residents in dangerzones. Extreme
Santa Ana winds have caused fires
to rapidly spread, creating more
than a dozen outbreaks across the
region.
As of Wednesday night, more
than 500,000 people have been
evacuated from their homes, while
437,000 acres and 1,300 homes
have been reduced to ash. While
many blazes are still not under
control, ocean winds have started
moving overthe area raising the humidity, which is a positive sign.
California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger has declared a
federal state of emergency and has
directed 1,500 National Guardsmen to be deployed for relief
efforts. For Whittier junior Sean
Summerall, who serves with the
National Guard through the ROTC
program, this means possibly facing the danger first-hand. "I was
told to expect a WARNO (warning
order) this weekend for a possible
activation of my unit," Summerall
said. "If this happens I too will be
in San Diego county next week
alongside my peers. I would very
much like to be in a situation where I
could do anything to help any of the
displaced Californians. I am glad to
have the opportunity to volunteer
for the CALFIRE mission."
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders
issued a plea for doctors and nurses
to volunteer by helping evacuees
who have been injured. "Just today I found out that my boyfriend
who's a doctor was deployed to the
affected areas to help injured burn
victims," sophomore Jannelle An-
drade said. "So far, I've been okay
here in Whittier, but my family and
I have been really worried and are
praying a lot."
Other students have, decided
to return to their homes that may
soon be evacuated. Sophomore
Stephanie Hilmes drove home to
San Diego on Monday in case her
family is ordered to move. "We're
hoping we don't have to move, but
we don't know yet," Hilmes said.
"All my professors are being supportive and showing concern."
Still, the fires are causing more
than just physical damage; students
at Whittier are facing emotional
distress from worrying and feeling
see FIRE, page 5
Above right: Afire burns the dry brush of a Southern California
hillside on Wednesday, Oct. 24. Right: Smoke fills the air over the
Los Angeles area, turning the sun into a deep shade of orange.
PHOTO BY JOSH WOOD / QC NEWS CO-EDITOR
Sheldon gives "Mr. Whittier" a new meaning
Yasmin Khorram
QC News Co-Editor
For this year's Homecoming,
senior Alex Sheldon is breaking
new ground: she is running for the
title of Mr. Whittier. In the 2nd annual Mr. and Ms. Whittier competition, Sheldon will compete against
seniors Eric Rivera, Raye Thomas
and Adam Steinbaugh for the coveted title on Thursday, Oct. 25.
Although she is aware that her
announcement may stir up controversy, she is willing to remain in the
race. "The majority of my friends
think it's hilarious and endorse my
candidacy," Sheldon said. "There
will undoubtedly be negativity but
I really don't care about anyone's
reaction. If I did, then I wouldn't
be who I am." Sheldon believes
that a male would also be expected
to bend the gender lines if they
ran for the female title. "Just like
they expect me to relate to males
more," Sheldon said. "If anything,
I may possibly be met with more
opposition."
Sheldon has been an active
student in numerous clubs and
organizations. These include:
COR Off-Campus Representative,
President of BGLAD, President of
Rebirth and the Vice President of
the Activists Coalition.
Her original intentions in running for Mr. Whittier was to challenge the gender paradigm. "If you
learn anything at Whittier College,
it's that gender is a social construction," she said. "The whole contest
to me is very funny."
This idea was initially brought
up as a joke to Program Board
President senior Carlos Salazar.
However, after reviewing the rules
and regulations, Program Board
encouraged Sheldon to follow up
see SHELDON, page 4
HOMECOMING DANCE
Students celebrate spirit in style.
Campus Life, Page 9
WATER POLO
Poets triumph in two game series.
Sports, Page 16