From profiles, features, and expert opinions by faculty, staff, and alumni to important announcements of change on campus, Gettysburg College made numerous headlines as winter changed into spring in 2023. The College received more than 70 media hits in the season, including 11 national news outlets.
Explore some of the top media mentions from the last month:
The Washington Post: Ken Burns gets taste of battle at immersive new museum in Gettysburg
The new Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum opened its doors to visitors this spring and Executive Director of the Adams County Historical Society Andrew Dalton ’19 talked about the new learning experiences available to visitors in articles by The Washington Post and HistoryNet.
Dalton, who was recently featured in the winter issue of the GETTYSBURG College Magazine as well, was quoted by the Washington Post describing the museum’s unique and visceral experience, which was keenly felt by renowned documentarian Ken Burns during his visit to Gettysburg as part of the Ken Burns Film Festival held at the Majestic Theater. HistoryNet provided additional insight into the expansion of the Adams County Historical Society’s space and the new museum.
“Beyond the Battle will push the boundaries of a traditional museum experience to deliver a new perspective of the fight,” Dalton told HistoryNet. “What was it like to live through the battle? To hear Abraham Lincoln’s immortal words? These questions and more will be answered and help visitors expand their knowledge of this remarkable town and its people.”
“Beyond the Battle will push the boundaries of a traditional museum experience to deliver a new perspective of the fight.”
– Andrew Dalton ’19, HistoryNet
Moment Magazine: Rage Against the Rube Goldberg Machine
In a piece for Moment Magazine, Philosophy Prof. Steve Gimbel explored the historical background and cultural impact of Rube Goldberg Machines in an article he co-authored alongside journalist and playwright Gwydion Suilebhan. “America’s first Jewish comedy superstar” according to the article, Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who created “The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts,” a daily comic strip in which the professor created an extravagant and complex creation used to complete daily tasks but with no real-world basis for their usability. In a case of life imitates art, variations of these mechanisms were created by adventurous problem solvers and have served as inspiration for childhood games and activities like Mousetrap and viral videos of trick-shot machines and squirrel mazes on YouTube. The pair also teamed for a profile about TV star and comedian Richard Belzer, best known for playing John Munch in the hit police drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and who passed away in February. The article explored Belzer’s life and beliefs—that the world could be better if people acknowledged and rebelled against corrupt authority.
Yahoo Lifestyle: New research highlights parent perception gap on student academic achievement
Between February and April, Eisenhower Institute Executive Director Tracie Potts was featured in eight different media outlets across the country. Most notably, Potts was interviewed by outlets in Boston, Texas, Ohio, and New York about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on learning skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. Potts, who serves as the advisory board chair for Learning Heroes, explained that a child’s success in class goes beyond grades and includes things such as participation, attitude, and true comprehension and retention. As part of this campaign to increase parent awareness, Learning Heroes is launching a #GoBeyondGrades campaign to tell parents what they need to ask their child’s teachers. “We don’t necessarily know the education system inside out. We don’t always know what the assessments are, what the standards are for our child in a particular grade, so we don’t know what questions to ask,” said Potts. “So, part of what we’re doing here is educating parents specifically: this is the information you need to ask.”
PGA of America: How a Former College Golfer is Changing the Status Quo of Women's Golf Apparel
Katie McCarthy ’20 and her women’s golf apparel line Kilo Tango were recently featured by PGA of America. An organization and management studies major with an education minor, she was a two-time captain of the women’s golf team and helped lead the team to three conference titles and three appearances at the national championships. She was initially inspired to create her new apparel line when some of her friends began to play the sport, but they all had trouble finding clothing that could be worn both on and off the course. McCarthy spent countless hours researching and planning to launch her brand, which made its debut in 2022 at the PGA Show. “I’m glad I went for it when I did,” said McCarthy. “Now, I’m most excited to be a part of Kilo Tango’s growth and the future of women’s golf—I hope our clothing makes more women feel comfortable to go out and pick up golf.”
Five more stories worth reading:
- Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano ranked among the Power 100 list for City & State Pennsylvania, a list of the top presidents in higher education who help their institutions thrive. The article emphasized his focus on intimate class sizes and a variety of experiential learning opportunities.
- After two decades of service as the executive director of the Majestic Theater and nearly 40 years in the entertainment business, Jeffrey Gabel announced his retirement in February. Gabel sat down with The Spark podcast to talk about his impactful career and his plans for retirement.
- President of U.S. Network Distribution for Paramount Global Ray Hopkins ’87 was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame in May. Next TV previewed the organization’s 31st Hall of Fame class which included several impactful network personalities and executives, including talk show host Rachel Ray, former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien, “Today Show” host Al Roker, and chief revenue officer and president of sales at NBCUniversal Frank Comerford.
- Local TV outlets visited sporting events on campus this spring with ABC27 covering head women’s lacrosse coach Charlotte Cunningham’s first year at the helm after taking over for Hall of Famer Carol Cantele ’83. Baseball also found its way in front of the camera as Fox43 featured the 131-year rivalry between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall College.
- In the Qualitative Sociology Review, Alecea Standlee demonstrated through her research the extent to which new communication technologies have contributed to a breadth of new sexual and romantic relationships among young adults in the United States, paying special attention to the consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns and using interviews with college students.
Check back in August for more media mentions from the summer!
By Corey Jewart and Katie Lauriello ’25
Photos courtesy of Abbey Frisco
Posted: 05/24/23