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QUAKER CAMPUS March 27, 2025

Volume 23 — Issue 11

The voice of Whittier College since 1914

Department Of Education Elimination

World Recap • On Wednesday, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on any cars and car parts imported into the U.S. Expected to take effect on April 3, these tariffs will impact almost half of all vehicles and 60 percent of the parts in vehicles sold in the U.S., according to The New York Times. U.S. trading partners, including Canada and Mexico, will also be heavily impacted.

Courtesy of AP News

The executive branch took its first steps toward dismantling the D.O.E. Sara Martínez CO-HEAD COPY EDITOR President Donald Trump recently signed Executive Order 14242, “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” which was part of his effort to dismantle the Department of Education (D.O.E.). Trump’s E.O. was not out of the blue. During his campaign, he stated, “One thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and ed-

ucation work and needs back to the states.” In a conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump said, “The U.S. had a horrible education ranking at the bottom of developed countries while spending the most.” Earlier this year, Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, reaffirmed, “Colleges and universities are not preparing students to succeed in the modern workforce. The costs of higher education are quickly outpacing the value of the degree students receive.” The U.S. was ranked “sixth in reading, 10th in science, and 26th in

math among 81 countries” in a National Center for Education Statistics report. Additionally, spending on elementary and secondary education was “38 percent higher than the average” out of 38 developed countries. Opponents further argue that higher education institutions are focused on promoting left-leaning agendas rather than preparing students for the workforce. According to Chalkbeat, “The department has also sided with more progressive approaches to education and to civil rights enforcement,” but there is little evidence that the U.S. education system is inherently left-leaning.

This is not the first time the D.O.E. has come under scrutiny. Since its conception in 1987 under President Johnson, “almost every Republican presidential candidate paid some lip-service to [the] idea” of dismantling the department, Time Magazine reported. During Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980, the former-president argued that the D.O.E. was a “crazy quilt of wasteful programs,” and tried to cut budget funding to its office. This article continues on pg. 2.

Big Poet Give Gets Even Bigger

Piper Guinn NEWS EDITOR Whittier College holds a day of giving each Spring, the Big Poet Give, with the goal of raising funds from alumni, parents, and friends of the College. While donors are able to give to the College year-round, the Big Poet Give is designed to bring in a large sum in just 24 hours. This year, the Big Poet Give will be taking place on April 9, with the theme “Ten years. Let’s rock,” a reference to the iconic rock located on lower campus. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Big Poet Give is on track to bring in its biggest donation total yet, partially due to the success of President Kristine Dillon’s administration. The President, who was inaugurated last Fall, has already made notable contributions to the College. These include several partnerships with local high schools and rising new student enrollment numbers, among other achievements. Donations raised from the Big Poet Give are primarily used for the Whittier Fund, which provides money for scholarships, clubs, academic programs, and athletics. Kelli Bronson, the current Director of Giving for the College, explains, “[Whittier Fund] scholarships are unrestricted. Our money that we

Index:

Courtesy of Whittier College Last year’s Big Poet Give was a success for the College. raise during the fiscal year, we im- are trending 129 percent ahead of mediately turn back out. So if we last year,” Bronson notes. bring in $5,000 for a certain scholSince 2020, a combination of arship fund, we immediately award low enrollment numbers followthat money back out to students.” ing the COVID-19 pandemic and This does not include recent poorly-received budget cuts under scholarships under the Whittier Works the previous administration led to a umbrella, a project that President Dil- period of lower-than-average donalon recently unveiled to improve stu- tions. However, in 2024, the Coldent success and opportunity. “That’s lege was able to bring in $100,000 completely separate,” Bronson clari- more than the year prior—doubling fies, “but [still] a great program.” its donor base—and Bronson is Donations to the Whittier confident that this year the College Fund are calculated at the end of will come back stronger than ever. each fiscal year, which runs annualBronson states, “We’re not really from July 1 to June 30. This year, ly doing anything differently from the overall fundraising goal set by what we have done in years past. the College is $7 million. What is different is that our donor Currently, donors have brought support pool is feeling very good in $4.7 million with two weeks to about the College.” In addition go before the Big Poet Give. “We to promising enrollment data and

confidence in President Dillon, the College’s recent athletic success is a “vote of confidence.” Although the prior administration made substantial cuts to athletics on campus, “the basketball teams this year did really well. That garners support from our alumni. The fact that our alumni raised money to reinstate Football and Men’s Lacrosse also shows promise, according to Bronson. By April 9, the College is hoping for at least 700 new donors. In addition to individual donations, numerous alumni and organizations pledged to match certain contributions. For instance, the SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union promised to match financial contributions from faculty and staff up to $5,000. While Bronson clarifies, “We do not solicit donations from students,” two events will be held on campus on April 9 to raise awareness for the Big Poet Give. The College will have a table set up outside the Campus Inn, providing information for faculty and staff. They also plan to host an alumni board Zoom party to increase donations. Students who would like to learn more about the Big Poet Give and the Whittier Fund can go to https://givingday.whittier.edu/, or find the College on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

• Israeli forces resumed militiary strikes on Gaza last week after nearly two months of a ceasefire agreement, prompting Islamic Jihad gunmen to return fire this week. In what the BBC deemed the “largest anti-Hamas protest in Gaza since the war with Israel began,” Palistinians took to the streets, voicing dissatisfaction with Hamas’ leadership. • Ukraine and Russia agreed on Tuesday to cease fighting in the Black Sea after three years of conflict in the region. President Volodymr Zelensky of Ukraine told The New York Times reporters that it is “too early to say that it will work,” and the truce contained substaintial caveats. Moscow insisted that restrictions imposed by Western nations be removed from agricultural exports, which is a complicated process. Both nations have since accused the other of breaching the truce. • Plans to launch military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen were leaked to Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief for the Atlantic, hours before the bombs went off on Monday. Top national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accidentally included Goldberg in a secure text chain, an occurance President Trump later downplayed. • Sent from the U.S. Agency for International Development to Congress on Monday, a spreadsheet detailed the Trump adminstrations plans for various foreign aid programs. Funding for Gavi, which adminsters vaccines to children in developing countries, would be terminated under these plans. According to The New York Times, 75 million children could lose access to vaccines, and the estimated death toll is more than 1.2 million.