NEWS
J^term. predicted to be a success due to enrollment rates
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
BY ALLISON DEBUSK
STAPfWWTtR
This year, Guilford is trying something new: January term.
J-term offers students the opportunity to study away,
study abroad or domestically, take an on-campus seminar,
launch an independent project, or intern for a company.
The enrollment deadline for J-term was extended from
Nov. 2 to Nov. 19, and some speculated that low enrollment
was behind the extension.
Professor of Theater and Director of Study Abroad Jack
Zerbe and Assistant to the President for Planning and
Management Jeff Favolise debunked this rumor.
"The deadline was extended to avoid the confusion of
having two deadlines for the close of registration, one for
January and one for spring," said Zerbe in an email interview.
"We wanted to give students every opportunity possible
to consider enrollment, to discuss opportunities with their
advisors and to register," said Favolise in an email interview.
According to Favolise, 174 students are participating in
J-term. Forty-eight will study abroad, eight will study away
domestically, 79 enrolled in on-campus seminars, 25 chose
independent studies and 14 are interning.
These students are participating in 58 different J-term
projects, consisting of nine on-campus seminars, 14 study
away courses, 10 of which are abroad, 21 independent
projects and 14 internships.
"This particular set of numbers far exceeds our original
goals," said Zerbe. "However, it is fair to say we'd hoped
overall to do a bit better, especially on campus and with
internships."
The Cold Case Evaluations class, an on-campus seminar
led by Assistant Professor of Biology Bryan Brendley, boasts
full enrollment.
Students will learn strategies used to crack a cold case;
something that Brendley believes speaks to the core Quaker
value of justice. Brendley credits the program's success to
several factors.
"I kept it simple," said.Brendley. "Kept the cost down, the
time down, the credits down."
Students also show enthusiasm for the upcoming course.
"I saw the J-term Cold Case class and was thrilled at ^e
opportunity to earn needed credits and work on an exciting
topic," said CCE student Laura Sammon via email. "I'm
very excited about the J-term's fast pace and focused study.
This course is just one of the successes of this year's J-term.
"It amazes me that the college has managed to develop
this new programmatic dimension in less than a year," said
Zerbe. "That alone is a great success. Perhaps our second
greatest success is the range of exciting offerings that have
materialized as part of the term. However, access to students
has clearly been a problem."
Many students cannot participate in J-term because
they cannot afford it on top of normal tuition. Zerbe sees a
possible solution.
"I hope to see us one day embrace the mode used by other
schools with successful January terms, embedding the cost
in annual tuition," said Zerbe. "In a sense, it then becomes
'free' to students, and gives them the opportunity to learn
and grow from the unique experience of an immersive
project."
This leads to another common rumor: Guilford will
require J-term in the future.
Zerbe says that is not currently planned for the program
but planning for next year.'s J-term has already begun,
especially in regards to programs abroad.
Faculty have proposed trips studying things including
international business in Shanghai, arts and religion
in Bali and Java, a cultural pilgrimage in Spain, a choir
tour in Europe, a history project in Italy, and a biology or
environmental studies project in the Galapagos Islands.
Important p^term Pates;
January 3rd - 24th, 2012
J-term’s duration
5:00 p.m., January 4th, 2012
Last day to drop a J-term course ,
without a grade, last day for refunds
for class projects
5:00 p.m., January 10th, 2012
Last day to drop a j-term course
with a “W” grade
January 21st, 2012
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
. (School closed)
Senate Update
Pizza party! Good luck on finals!
Next Week's ♦
Plans *
Have a great winter break! If you have an Idea
for improvements at Guilford please email us,
we will still be hard at work over the January
term.
We need to hear your voice! Got an idea?
Concern? Great recipe? It’s important to us.
Questions? Email: senate@gullford.edu
Compiled by Tim Leisman, Community Senate President
Forum on Greek life disproves campus rumors
BY L.A. LOGAN
Staff Wwm
"No frats or sororities now, no frats or sororities ever
as long as I'm president," said President and Professor
of Political Science Kent Chabotar. "I was at Bowdoin
College before we ended frats after 150 years. I have
no intentions of letting that happen here and having
another battle royale."
On Nov. 30, Campus Activities Board held its second
official debate of the semester, titled "Should Guilford
Go Greek," to seek input and address speculation
regarding the possibility of Greek life coming to
Guilford College.
"I don't know how these rumors started, said
Chabotar. "There is no truth to the rumor that the
college is contemplating, has contemplated or will
contemplate Greek life on campus.
CAB organizes major events such as Serendipity and
the Guilford Formal, but few other smaller events have
drawn as much attention as this debate.
"I basically think it's funny that so many people
are freaking out about the discussion," said senior
Amy McMirm. "When people get upset about having
a discussion that shows they're being closed-minded."
Chabotar reinforced the fact that this debate will not
extend past the event.
"If CAB had debated germ warfare would people
now accuse Guilford of having engaging in germ
warfare?" said Chabotar. "It's a debate."
Nevertheless, high emotions surfaced during the
debate. ^ •. u .. j
Four qualified students in teams of two debated
if Guilford should or should not consider Greek life.
The anti-Greek debaters included Community Senate
President senior Tim Leisman and sophomore Patrick
Withrow. The pro-Greek pair included senior Eamon
Deely-Wood and sophomore Alex Morales.
"I'm not going to name names," said Withrow. "At
least one of my opponents was very informal in how he
treated the debate, slamming the table. We stuck to our
guns, and we didn't dodge the argument like the other
team attempted to."
The pro-Greek team noted the benefits fraternities
can bring to campus.
Costume Designer/Costume Shop Supervisor
Mahealani Jones said that she pledged when she was
in college to benefit from the positive aspects of Greek
life.
"I remember going trick or treating for canned goods
with my Alpha Phi Omega brothers," said Jones about
the co-ed service fraternity. "We dropped it off at local
food banks to donate. Greek life is not all about getting
drunk and partying. It's about changing the world."
The anti-Greek duo argued that fraternities and
sororities would increase illicit behavior and foster a
culture of drugs, drinking and misogyny.
"I don't think (Greek Life) possible at Guilford,"
said Leisman. "The administration and the Board
of Trustees are strongly against it. They are the ones
who make the decisions from 22,000 feet away for
the college. They're the ones who control millions of
dollars of endowment."
Debaters in favor of Greek life countered that it
would be an opportunity to expand Guilford's club
system and to have someone takes responsibility for
parties on campus.
They also claimed it would provide an increased
opportunity to network.
"You get an automatic circle of like-minded people
(and) that expands beyond college," said Deely. "I
know people that received internships because of their
connection with a Greek system."
Chabotar agrees with Leisman, even in light of his
positive Greek experience. j ,
"I was a fraternity member in college, said Chabotar.
"I had a great time, but times are different. Fraternities
or sororities will not work at Guilford.