The Majestic Theater hosted sold-out events during the Gettysburg Film Festival in April (Photo by Jason Minick).
From hosting a one-of-kind film festival focused on the work of documentarian Ken Burns to expert opinions by staff and faculty on policies and approaches in higher education, Gettysburg College maintained a strong presence in the media throughout the spring semester.
Gettysburg racked up more than 100 mentions in media outlets from February through May, with more than 20 spots in national publications such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, ESPN, and USA Today. Attention was garnered by alumni, current students, faculty, and staff as they looked to be difference makers in the world.
Explore some of our top media mentions during the spring semester:
Washington Post: It’s no Cannes or Venice, but Gettysburg just had a sold out film festival
The Gettysburg Film Festival: The Art of Ken Burns was the subject of a feature article by Washington Post writer Michael Ruane in mid-April. The festival, which took place on April 5-7, featured screenings of some of Burns’ films at the historic Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg. Burns was on hand to discuss the impact of those films on society and was joined by actors Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston along with an array of project collaborators from the many works he’s produced. Sheen played Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the 1993 film “Gettysburg,” while Waterson served as the voice of President Abraham Lincoln in Burns’ highly successful 1990 documentary “The Civil War.”
The event showcased American history and identity on screen—from documentaries and features films to emerging media. Inspired by Burns and his award-winning filmography, the festival explored the stories that have come to define our nation.
“There doesn’t appear to be another American history film festival in the United States,” said Andrew Dalton ’19, festival producer and executive director of the Adams County Historical Society, in the Post article. “It’s a large opportunity for Gettysburg to become a place that’s known, not just for a battlefield and a speech, but also for a film festival.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education: Your College's Top Lawyer Has Never Been More Powerful
Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano lent his expertise as a former legal counsel and current College president to The Chronicle’s feature about the impact of general counsels at institutions of higher learning. Iuliano, who started working in Harvard University’s general counsel office in 1994 and was vice president and general counsel at the Ivy League school from 2003 to 2019 before coming to Gettysburg, noted the increasing impact of societal change and advances in technology that have made higher education “so much more complicated than when I started.”
With increasing attention on higher education, many colleges and universities have expanded their legal counsels to deal with potential legal risks. In many cases, those legal representatives sit atop organizational charts, reporting directly to college and university presidents.
However, Iuliano points out the importance of legal counsel aligning their judgements with the institution’s values and mission. The advice, he says, shouldn’t overwhelm the institution.
“You don’t want to be captured by your lawyers,” said Iuliano. “You need to recognize there’s a limit to their advice.”
Additionally, Iuliano was interviewed for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) for their series Higher Edification. Iuliano discussed the value of a liberal arts education and how to help people understand that value. In April, Iuliano was one of 61 college presidents from across the country to join College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, convened by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars.
ESPN SportsCenter: Top 10 Plays
Women’s lacrosse student-athlete Jordan Basso ’24 cracked ESPN’s daily list of highlights with an incredible no-look goal behind her head in a win over Catholic University on March 6. With the nationally-ranked Bullets leading 16-5 in the fourth quarter, Caroline Sullivan ’24 fired a pass in front of the opposing team’s goal to Basso who quickly flipped it behind her ponytail past the Cardinals’ goalkeeper. It was the seventh goal of the day for Basso and earned the No. 8 position on SportsCenter’s daily highlights.
A business, organizations, and management major, Basso went on to set Gettysburg’s career scoring record with 360 points and was selected as a first-team All-American and Centennial Conference Attacker of the Year for the third time in her career this past season. She helped Gettysburg post a record of 60-14, make three appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, and claim a conference title during her time on the field.
Baltimore Sun: How the NFL ‘No Fun League’ embraced the art of performance
Philosophy Prof. Steven Gimbel discussed how American football players are finding opportunities for creative self-expression through their touchdown celebrations in an opinion piece for the Baltimore Sun. For an example of this display, Gimbel pointed to the end-zone celebration of Ravens’ wide receiver Zay Flowers, who reenacted a scene from “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” following a touchdown against San Francisco last December. The act and similar post-touchdown celebrations like it, are “playful, thoughtful, and clever self-aggrandizing micro-plays without props or sound.”
While some might argue the theatrics are a form of bad sportsmanship or showboating, Gimbel argues that the sport of football is a form of entertainment and fans love the creative ways players choose to celebrate that moment of accomplishment. Today, players get 10 seconds to collaborate with teammates and initiate staged performances for their fans. In Gimbel’s view, it’s “art arising in an unlikely place” that brings people together and we should embrace it.
7 more stories to explore:
- In an interview with BioTech TV, former biology major Amanda Finck ’17 discussed her internship experiences as an undergraduate at Gettysburg and how it led to her current work as a Ph.D. student in the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Lance Parthemore ’23 started Triton Sensors with his brother and friend four years ago as a way to combat the issue of vaping in their high school. The Wall Street Journal interviewed Parthemore, who majored in economics, as part of their coverage of how schools are dealing with e-cigarette usage by teens.
- Susan Eisenhower, expert-in-residence at the Eisenhower Institute and granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was the keynote speaker at Salve Regina University’s Commencement Ceremony on May 19. Eisenhower, who also received an honorary degree, urged the graduates to “embrace the unexpected” as she described her grandfather’s rise to Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II and president of the United States.
- In a segment for Good Day PA on ABC27, Gleaning Assistant Coordinator Natalie Sinclair ’23 talked about the important work of the Gleaning Project in gathering fresh produce for underserved parts of the community. A sociology major at Gettysburg, Sinclair was on the show to promote the Empty Bowls fundraiser, which took place on April 26 in Plank Gym and featured handcrafted bowls and homecooked meals prepared by artists and business within the community.
- Tracie Potts, executive director of the Eisenhower Institute, went on the podcast “Livin’ the Bream” on Fox News Radio to explain how the nonprofit organization Learning Heroes she chairs is helping parents see beyond grades and test scores to evaluate children’s learning experiences and determine where gaps in their education exist.
- Incoming first-year student Maxwell Stone ’28 received the Captain John Joslin Jr., Daughters of the American Revolution’s Good Citizen Award, according to The Gardner News. Stone, who intends to major in history at Gettysburg, was a member of the National Honor Society and chaired the group’s food drive during his senior year at Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburn, Massachusetts.
- Gettysburg was named one of the most enchanting small towns in the Northeast according to USA Today’s 10 Best. The article mentioned that along with the area’s well-known historical ties to the Civil War, the town features plenty of shops, eateries, and scenic venues for visitors to explore.
Come back in October for more media mentions from the summer!
By Corey Jewart
Photos by Jason Minick, David Sinclair Photography, Doug Huber ’06, Abbey Frisco
Posted: 06/13/24