Wednesday nights at the Block Party Benefit hosted by F& and M’s Coalition for Peace and Justice, The Ratskis perform at Steinman College Center.
On a gloomy Wednesday evening, Franklin &, Marshall College kids were invited to group.
A controversial lecture by former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlan was delivered during Trans Day of Visibility last weekend, and several campus organizations joined together to celebrate ( and educate ).
Students united to offer other options for comfort, from an inside block celebration fundraiser to designated secure spaces. The very first campus event organized by F&’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF ) chapter was unofficially counteracted by these scheduling changes.
All kids received a message via email on February 29th with the striking subject line Men Does Not Compete in Women’s Sports. The message came from Makoa Niebel,’ 25, Chair of F&, M’s YAF, and announced an approaching event featuring Scanlon in Stahr Auditorium.
In an email to TCR, Niebel wrote,” I believe that sex worldview is deeply ingrained on the school at F&, M. Although there has been a lot of reaction, I think it is worthwhile if just one individual feels more brave to express their opinions, whatever they may be. I believe we have succeeded in that.
According to the internet, Scanlan was scheduled to” share her evidence” through a presentation about her encounter with diver Lia Thomas at the University of Pennsylvania on March 27th. Scanlan is active on social media advocating for” solitary- intercourse” athletics and acts as a part of the Independent Women’s Forum, chaired by Heather Higgins, a liberal journalist and woman.
As of January 2024, Lia Thomas has filed a lawsuit against the interdiction of transgender athletes from some children’s events. She became the first transgender swimmer to get an NCAA Division I name in 2022.
Teach-In
An afternoon before Scanlan’s presentation, the FPS Queer and Trans Alliance, WGSS, and SAGA hosted” Educate- In: Gender- Asserting and Equitable Meetings about Athletics” in Shadek- Fackenthal Library. The goal, according to its development, was to provide” trans- affirming terminology with which to explore inclusion in athletics” and clinical proof for said discussions.
Some F&, M faculty helped lead the teach- in, including Meredith Bashaw, Department Chair of Psychology, Meagan Tripp, Assistant Professor of German, and Jamie Blair, Professor of Biology and Program Chair of WGSS.
Also hosting were Erin Hollenback, Project Manager for F&, M’s Global Barometers, and Nadia Mann, F&, M’s English for Speakers of Other Languages ( ESOL ) Specialist.
What did the research basically reveal, according to the informational sheets that were distributed to attendees under the heading “FACT- Reviewing TRANSPHOBIA: What does the research really show”? Research was used to refute misconceptions about transgender people, including the claim that trans people are more likely to persecute sexual assault or always be physically dominant at all sporting events.
Jada Freeman, a top who attended the event in planning for the Scanlan presentation, said,” The teach-in was an equitable and useful space. More activities like this should be held, regardless of whether Paula is invited back or not.
Many student attendees reported to TCR that after attending the lecture, they were denied access because the Scanlan lecture was at its busiest capacity. Community members who had permission to attend the discuss were given bands, and while personal safety patrolled the area, F&, M Public Safety was in charge of letting attendees in.
Many SAGA people confirmed via email that they had been “picking and choosing” who to let in by asking” What clubs are you all on”?
Stephanie Kessler, director of the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership, responded to a TCR email about the situation by stating that DPS had been informed of some women’s groups who were unable to attend and wanted at least one staff delegate to attend a lesson.
” I do n’t think that there was any malicious intent”, said Kessler. ” I’m not sure how well or if the trade operated with bands.”
Safe Space Party
” Want a tattoo”? asked Sarah Betts,’ 25, Vice President of SAGA, gesturing to a pile of rainbows operands strewn across the coffee tables. Michaela Badey,’ 25, and Hope Clarke,’ 27, the team’s leader and native artiste, nodded.
Entering the Alice Drum Women’s Center ( ADWC ) Wednesday night, attendees were met with glitter, stickers, Oreos and dozens of crafty students. People of SAGA, Sweet Ophelia, the ADWC and users of the F&, M group were manifest to avoid the loud song feeling in Steinman College Center’s hall. Individuals strung beaded jewelry, painted, and intertwined beautiful pipe cleaners.
” A big reaction]to the Scanlan event ] we saw was fear, anger, and a lot of hard emotions to deal with”, said Betts. And everyone can experience those emotions and become validated in the Safe Space.
The event was coordinated by SAGA with assistance from Alpha Xi Delta ( AXiD ), Sweet Ophelia, and Phi Sigma Pi ( PSP). A few Special Ophelia members performed sound renditions of popular songs as pairings with Harmony Clark, ’25, on the piano about halfway through the night.
Sam Correa,’ 24, and Harmony Clark,’ 25, perform an sound song on Wednesday evening in the ADWC.
” The purpose of us joining the Safe Space Party was to work in cooperation with the transgender area and be part of something that brings love and joy into the atmosphere”, said Stephanie Martinez,’ 25, PSP’s President, via internet. In a time when there is becoming increasingly cruel and insulting language toward our loved people, to be in a place with such friendly folks was so energizing and a breath of fresh air.
Pins combining the F&, M logo and the transgender flag were distributed as well, which many students wore on Wednesday on campus and continued to wear afterward. While attending the Scanlan talk, some silently pinned the tokens to their clothing.
” We also thought it was really important to make this a big party that everyone in the community and at F&, M knew about,” Betts said in response to the violence that is currently occurring in Lancaster and especially against trans people.
Betts mentions the recent suicide of Lancaster County resident and activist Ash Clatterbuck as well as the county commissioners ‘ pushback against Lancaster Public Library’s Drag Story Hour that was halted by a suspicious package on May 23rd.
Block Party
A Block Party Benefit, supporting Trans Lifeline and the Rape, Abuse &, Incest National Network (RAINN), featured food, bake sales, and live performances by Novella, The Ratskis and Ben Fryer in the Steinman College Center Atrium.
The recently established Coalition for Peace and Justice ( CPJ) took charge of organizing the event. A table for studying was set up in the back of the room for peer health educators. The CROWN Act’s support was the subject of a petition that was circulated. According to a recent email from Vice President Gretchel Hathaway,” the Crown Act prohibits discrimination based on hair, hairstyle and cultural/religious hair coverings”. Pennsylvania Human Relations Act amendment bills are currently being considered by the state senate.
During the Block Party and Scanlan’s lecture, Lyzette ( Lisa ) Wanzer, F&, M alum and author of Trauma, Tresses and Truths: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narratives, signed copies of her book in Roschel Theatre.
Nearly a dozen student groups co- sponsored the Block Party, including It’s on Us, Chi Omega, Kappa Delta, Skulls, SAGA, First- Year Class Cabinet, Sweet Ophelia, K&, K, Peer- Health Educators, BSU and AAA.
When TCR asked about his thoughts regarding the co-sponsors being primarily ciswomen-led groups, Niebel responded,” I am indifferent to those groups of women who cosponsor those events, and they have a right to cosponsor those events.” The Block Party’s sponsoring organizations are run by cisgender women.
” I do n’t subscribe to using the term’ ciswomen ‘ which is common in modern gender ideology. I would encourage readers to learn about the origins of terms like these and the creators of them, Niebel continued.
According to Merriam- Webster Dictionary, the term cisgender was popularized in the 1990s, its Latin prefix meaning “on this side”.
Niebel confirmed that there is at least one woman on YAF’s Executive Board when asked. Niebel responded when asked if a list of the board members ‘ leadership positions could be made publicly available.
Lily Andrey,’ 27, Drake De- Jute Erickson,’ 26, Joey Gossick,’ 26, Jaeyun An,’ 26, and Thanos Danilidis,’ 27, perform in CC.
In a statement sent to TCR, representatives of CPJ stated that they are holding a block party to promote community and promote goodwill events while possible events on campus that could be harmful to others. The best way to do it was to bring people together with live music and food and raise money for two significant charities.
The Block Party Benefit was not intended to be a protest or counter-event, according to CPJ leadership, which would allow for” a broader base of support” on campus.
Betts ‘ views on the Safe Space Party were similar.
Betts and Badey and Clarke both agreed that” we were not allowed to frame it as a protest or an alternative event.” Interviewees were unable to confirm when asked who in the college had mandated this rule. Since Trans Day of Visibility is on the 30th, we have chosen to concentrate on that.
Kessler confirmed that she had no idea of “any prohibitions of the words “protest” or” counter-event”.” As a member of the Events Management team, sixteen faculty and staff members met twice daily regarding the Scanlan lecture in order to “ensure great programs and appropriate safety measures.”
Participation in any attempt to prevent or disrupt a class or other college event is listed as a violation of F&, M’s protest policy, though it’s not clear what level of disruption is prohibited. The College is working on modifying the Public Demonstrations and Protests Policy, according to Kissler’s email confirmation.
The College Reporter employs senior Sarah Nicell as a writer. Their email is snicell@fandm .edu.
