The Numbers Issue

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Now at 17 Subscribers February 2013

BUZZSAW

News & Views

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Buzzsaw  presents...

EDITORS’ COMMENT

The Numbers Issue

The universal language, the heart of all advancement, the bane of many a high school student’s experience: math, statistics, numbers. Numbers connect, calculate, measure. Numbers have meaning. It is that meaning that we search for in this issue. In Jessica Corbett’s article on Ithaca College’s diver-­ sity — or lack thereof — the numbers the college uses for promotion are called into question by the students those numbers supposedly represent (Lost in the Num-­ bers, page 13). The clichĂŠ “age is just a numberâ€? does not DSSO\ LQ D FROOHJH WRZQ Ă€OOHG ZLWK XQGHUDJH GULQNHUV DQG fake IDs, and Wishful Drinking (page 16) shares some of those students’ experiences from one night on the town. Sometimes numbers are staggering yet unknown, like the population of refugees living in the United States. In fact, there are more than 100 refugees in Ithaca from Burma alone (Woman Without a Country, page 20). Numbers have even become a social fad, representing superstitions and changing trends in pop culture. Some RI WKHVH QXPEHUV PDNH DQ DSSHDUDQFH LQ D QRYHO RU Ă€OP only to develop a strong following that debates their larg-­ HU VLJQLĂ€FDQFH ,W )LJXUHV SJ 2WKHUV WDNH WKH IRUP RI statistics, and represent a trend and its exceptions, such as the equal split between men and women in one Sun-­ GDQFH FRPSHWLWLRQ LQ DQ RWKHUZLVH PDOH GRPLQDWHG Ă€OP industry (Through A Different Lens, page 29). The power of numbers and their implications are great. We can’t get through a day without numbers describing time, location, magnitude or even the importance of an issue. We can’t escape numbers, so we are choosing to embrace them.

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

<3 The Editorzzzzz

BUZZSAW News & Views Upfront Ministry of Cool Prose & Cons Sawdust Design Art Website Haircut Seesaw

David Andersen Meagan McGinnes Kacey Deamer Mariana Garces Karen Muller Robert S. Hummell &DWKHULQH )LVKHU Danielle West Chelsea Hartman Anika Steppe David Lurvey Jenni Zellner Emily Miles Carly Sitzer Rachael Lewis-­Krisky

Kaley Belval

Adviser )RXQGHUV

Jeff Cohen Abby Bertumen Kelly Burdick Bryan Chambala Sam Costello Thom Denick Cole Louison James Sigman

Buzzsaw is published with support from Campus Progress / Center for American Progress (online at CampusProgress.org). Buzzsaw is also funded by the Ithaca College Student Government Association and the Park School of Communications. Our Press is our press. (Binghamton, NY) Buzzsaw uses student-generated art and photography and royalty-free images.

ABOUT THE COVER... &YVMIH XIR XLSYWERH PIEKYIW HIIT MR SYV PMZIW PMIW E UYERHEV] XLEX HI½RIW our existence. On one hand we are built and connect through Numbers - they give us purpose, direction, and language. On the other, we have becomes slaves. Bound in the shackles of our currency, government, technology, and even morality - remains the animal fueled by instinct and lust. We are enlightened, and will never be emancipated, forgive us. Leo Oliva is a junior CMD major. Email him at leoaoliva@gmail.com.

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Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editorial staff or of Ithaca College. Feedback and contributions should be sent to buzzsawmag@gmail.com. Front & back cover by Leo Oliva Table of Contents image by Anika Steppe Center spread by Anika Steppe Upfront divider by Karissa Breuer Ministry of Cool divider by Erika Feldman Prose & Cons divider by Katherine McVeigh Sawdust divider by Leo Oliva

Write Us Our magazine exists to inspire thoughtful debate and open up the channels through which information is shared. Your comments and feedback are all a part of this process. Reach the editors by email at: buzzsawmag@gmail.com

Table of Contents News & Views .................................................4 Current events, local news & quasi-­educated opinions.

Seesaw .........................................................11 Print media is dead, check out multimedia on the web.

Upfront .......................................................12 Selected dis-­education of the month.

Ministry.of.Cool ........................................28 N Bews UZZSAW & Views

Arts, entertainment and other things cooler than us.

Prose & Cons ............................................37 6KRUW ÀFWLRQ SHUVRQDO HVVD\ DQG RWKHU DVVRUWHG OLHV

Sawdust .......................................................42 Threatening the magazine’s credibility since 1856.

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buzzcuts

STUDENT DEBT 38% Average debt of student borrowers in 2012:

of public college bachelors degree graduates leave with no debt.

$27,000 28% -ASA Student Loan Statistics 2012

Since 1978, the cost of college tuition in the United States has gone up by over 900 percent. - benzinga.com

Lowest Unemployment Rates by Major:

SJ TVMZEXI RSX JSV TVS½X college bachelors degree graduates leave with no debt. -Collegeboard

Among all bachelor’s degree recipients, median debt was about:

$7,960

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

at public four-year institutions

0% - Astrophysics/astronomy 0% - Geological and geophysics engineering 1.4% - Medical technology technician 2.2% - Nursing 2.5% - Physical science -CBS News

$17,040 EX TVMZEXI RSX JSV TVS½X four-year institutions

$31,190 EX JSV TVS½X MRWXMXYXMSRW - ASA Student Loan Stats

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Law and Internet The legacy of Aaron Swartz

By Daniel Scopelliti

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n early January of this year, while facing numerous federal piracy charges, Internet activist Aaron Swartz took his own life. He was 26. This event strengthened the newfound debate on transparency and freedom of information sparked by Julian As-­ sange and WikiLeaks. In an instant,

political action group Demand Prog-­ ress. Both websites were critical in WKH GHIHDW RI WKH 6WRS 2QOLQH 3LUDF\ $FW RU 623$ 6ZDUW] RSSRVHG 623$ on the grounds that it impeded free-­ dom of information. But his campaign for online justice would soon come to a halt. Between

It was clear that Swartz’s case represented more than just a private property offense. Rather, it became a highly contentious and politically charged legal debacle. 2010 and 2011, Swartz downloaded more than four million academic jour-­ QDO DUWLFOHV IURP -6725 D GLJLWDO DFD-­ demic archive, with intent to distrib-­ XWH WKHP WR WKH SXEOLF -6725 FDQQRW be accessed without an account, so Swartz used the guest account on the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-­ nology open campus computer net-­ work. He plugged his computer into the MIT system through a tiny un-­ locked wiring closet and ran a script that allowed him to download massive amounts of material at a high rate. Swartz believed that the information was created in the public domain and should be returned to that domain. Swartz was arrested on the cam-­ pus of Harvard University on Jan. 6, 2011. He was charged with violation RI D ODZ FDOOHG WKH &RPSXWHU )UDXG and Abuse Act, which dates back to the mid 1980s. Many critics cite the broad scope and language of the act in claiming that it allowed for dispropor-­ tionate charges to be leveled against Swartz. Those charges were 2 counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of fraud and invasion, all of which were justi-­ Ă€HG XQGHU WKH &RPSXWHU )UDXG DQG Abuse Act. He faced 35 years in pris-­ on followed by 3 years of supervised UHOHDVH DQG Ă€QHV RI XS WR PLOOLRQ Despite the violation of their terms DQG FRQGLWLRQV -6725 GLG QRW VHHN to press charges against Swartz. MIT also sought to wash its hands of the ordeal, and similarly refused to press charges. Still, Swartz’s actions were

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News & Views

Swartz burst into the public con-­ sciousness and ignited a debate over not just information, but also legality and ethics. Since then, he has become something of an Internet martyr — an exemplar of both the savvy, mischie-­ vous Internet activist and the bold Ă€JKWHU IRU WKH IUHH Ă RZ RI LQIRUPDWLRQ But Swartz is also the modern de-­ scendent of a long lineage of cyber rebels. In the late seventies, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple con-­ structed and sold “blue boxâ€? telephone devices. These gadgets allowed Jobs and Wozniak to make long-­distance calls for free. They decided to cash out of their illegal business plan with QHDUO\ 1RZ LPDJLQH LI -REV and Wozniak had been sentenced to 35 years in prison for their scheme. Unthinkable? This dilemma lies at the heart of the Aaron Swartz case. It is the story of a thorny ordeal where business, law, civil liberty and aca-­ demia all intersect. The Swartz case also forces us to consider the value we place on information and human life. Swartz was born in Chicago, Ill. on Nov. 8, 1986. He was something of a child prodigy, developing a deep understanding of computer program-­ ming at an early age and displaying a XQLTXH WDOHQW IRU KLV FUDIW $W DJH he co-­authored the RSS 1.0 system, which allows for the speedy uploading and distribution of blogs, videos and other media. Swartz was instrumental in the development of the social news website Reddit, and he founded the

deemed a federal offense and the prosecution pressed on. A plea deal was initially offered involving reduced prison time. Swartz’s attorneys also negotiated a deal that involved Swartz VHUYLQJ QR SULVRQ WLPH -6725 SXW their seal of approval on the bargain, but the MIT administration would not approve. 7KDW DOO FKDQJHG LQ DQ LQVWDQW 2Q Jan. 11, 2013, Swartz was found dead in his apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He had committed sui-­ cide by hanging himself. No suicide note was found. Many of Swartz’s contemporaries blamed his death on D EXUHDXFUDWLF ZLWFK KXQW 2WKHUV thought that Swartz was betrayed by MIT. In a statement delivered at the fu-­ neral, Swartz’s father said, “[Aaron] was killed by the government, and MIT betrayed all of its basic prin-­ ciples.â€? After Aaron’s death, the trial ZDV GURSSHG 2Q LWV RZQ ZHEVLWH -6-­ 725 VWDWHG ´7KH FDVH LV RQH WKDW ZH ourselves had regretted being drawn into from the outset‌ Aaron returned the data he had in his possession and -6725 VHWWOHG DQ\ FLYLO FODLPV ZH might have had against him in June 2011.â€? ,W VHHPHG -6725 ZDQWHG QRWKLQJ WR GR ZLWK WKH FDVH LQ WKH Ă€UVW SODFH In the days before Swartz’s death, JS-­ 725 WKHPVHOYHV UHOHDVHG PLOOLRQ articles to the public. It was clear that Swartz’s case represented more than just a private property offense. Rath-­ er, it became a highly contentious and politically charged legal debacle. MIT president Rafael Reif, who was criticized for his handling of the case, said, “I want to express very clearly that I and all of us at MIT are ex-­ tremely saddened by the death of this promising young man who touched the lives of so many. It pains me to think that MIT played any role in a series of events that have ended in tragedy.â€? _________________________________ Daniel Scopelliti is a sophomore phi-­ losophy and religion major. Email him at dscopel1@ithaca.edu.

Fighting for Equality Ban on women in combat lifted By Kaley Belval

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

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ast month, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta an-­ nounced that he would be lifting the ban on women in com-­ EDW UROHV D UXOH Ă€UVW UHFRJQL]HG E\ WKH 3HQWDJRQ LQ 7KH GHFLVLRQ doesn’t change much, since women have been in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the legal recognition of women’s service in combat opens up the possibility of better promotions and higher rec-­ ognition. Many people have hailed this de-­ cision as a large step towards gen-­ der equality in our military. Ben Seipel, a captain in the U.S. Army DQG DQ LQVWUXFWRU DW &RUQHOO 527& said that along with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,â€? this was one of the greatest announcements of his military career. “I think the Army and the Depart-­ ment of Defense in general took a look at what’s been happening in the recent two wars over the past decade, with the lines being really blurred between what’s a combat job and what’s not been a combat job,â€? Seipel said. “We’ve just had hundreds of examples of women performing in combat and doing everything that their male counter-­ parts are doing.â€? Seipel sees the decision as an opportunity for the military, espe-­ cially because he considers some of the women he served with as an DYLDWLRQ RIĂ€FHU KLV EHVW VROGLHUV +H thinks that the ban has limited the military’s resources by restricting military women, including many of his own soldiers. “We were actually limiting plenty of talented people that would actu-­ ally go into the infantry or go into these jobs and do a better job,â€? Sei-­ pel said. “And now we’re opening it up so it’s going to be more competi-­ tive and there’s going to be a larger pool for talent.â€? Military chiefs agreed that it was time to formally recognize women serving in combat in both the Iraq and Afghan wars, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin E. Dempsey sent a letter to Panetta on

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Jan. 9 relaying the thoughts of those chiefs. In response, Panetta reported his decision to lift the ban, but the mili-­ tary ultimately has until January 2016 WR Ă€QDOL]H WKHLU LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ Many female members of the military have been quoted as saying that this doesn’t change much for their mili-­ tary career. Shannon Roemer, a senior nursing student enrolled in Elmira Col-­ OHJH¡V 527& SURJUDP IHHOV WKH VDPH way. She explained that women have a large role in combat already, but since the ban has been lifted, there has been more media attention and recognition of the women who are serving. “It shouldn’t matter if you’re male or female,â€? Roemer said. “You’re wearing the uniform. And that’s the whole point of the uniform, is that it’s not gender VSHFLĂ€F Âľ Roemer also said that women have a large role in combat because cultur-­ ally, they are the only soldiers who can talk to Afghani women in order to gain intelligence and address their needs. She believes that the military is taking steps towards gender equality, which in her mind is fantastic. She believes that the biggest aspect of women being in the army is that they have the same job as their male counterparts. As long as that job gets accomplished, women should not be treated any differently. “That’s the most important thing, that we get the job done that we need to get done, and we do it in a professional way, and that everyone earns the re-­ spect that they deserve,â€? said Roemer. “And I hope that women, just because they take a more active role in combat, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re all RQH WHDP RQH Ă€JKW Âľ The ban was challenged in Novem-­ ber 2012 in a federal lawsuit because women who served in combat were not recognized and could not receive lead-­ HUVKLS SRVLWLRQV 2QH RI WKH IXQFWLRQV of the lawsuit is to create greater pro-­ motional opportunity for the women al-­ ready serving, as well as those who will join soon. Dr. Zillah Eisenstein, a retired Ithaca College professor who has written mul-­ tiple books on women in the Afghan War, recently posted an opinion piece RQ $O -D]HHUD FDOOHG ´)HPDOH 0LOLWD-­

rism: Band of Sisters?â€? “To equate opening combat to wom-­ en that already was having women in these roles is a far cry from equality,â€? said Dr. Eisenstein. “Until you start talking about the sexual violation of women and violence towards women, this whole idea of equality and treat-­ ing women the same, that’d be great, let’s treat women the same.â€? Because there are such high rates of sexual assault in the military, and because the women who report it are often reprimanded or not taken seri-­ ously, Dr. Eisenstein considers this decision to be less substantial than many people believe. “Something has changed. And I do think that the little bit that has changed matters,â€? she said. “But then to try to say, what is a kind of danger is thinking it’s more than a little bit DQG DOVR WKDW LW¡V VXIĂ€FLHQW Âľ The decision to keep women out of combat, or at least for women in com-­ EDW WR QRW EH RIĂ€FLDOO\ UHFRJQL]HG KDV been an implicit theme in the military since long before it was explicitly stat-­ HG LQ 'U (LVHQVWHLQ VDLG WKDW DOWKRXJK ZRPHQ DUH QRZ RIĂ€FLDOO\ unable to be denied a combat posi-­ tion, it doesn’t change their role in the PLOLWDU\ RU ZK\ WKH\ MRLQHG LQ WKH Ă€UVW place. “That’s the part to me that really is a violation here—it’s the idea that so often the realm of the military and women in it is seen as liberatory,â€? she said. “And so many of the women are there because that’s the only job they could get.â€? The ban on women in combat de-­ nied many women the recognition they deserved, especially in terms of promotions based on experience. The decision to repeal the ban shows an awareness of gender inequality with-­ LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV¡ $UPHG )RUFHV but ultimately does not ensure equal treatment for the women who serve. ____________________________________ Kaley Belval sophomore documentary production major who is starting a band of sisters and rocking out on the banjo. Email her at kbelval1@ithaca. edu

Fostering Entrepreneurship Calling for a cohesive independent study curriculum By Emma Markham

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KH Ă€UVW RI ,WKDFD &ROOHJH¡V Ă€YH bullet points regarding the IC 20/20 mission is to “En-­ FRXUDJH LQWHJUDWLRQ DFURVV ,&¡V Ă€YH schools,â€? according to the college ZHEVLWH¡V ´2IĂ€FH RI WKH 3URYRVWÂľ SDJH I can think of no better way to achieve this than through an increase of in-­ dependent studies that are equally encouraged and supported across the Ă€YH VFKRROV As a second semester junior in the school of music, I have completed three independent studies so far at IC. My sophomore year I worked on a study through the Spanish depart-­ ment that involved looking at the Spanish folk-­music tradition known DV Ă DPHQFR WKURXJK WKH OHQV RI WKH ZRUN RI WKH 6SDQLVK SRHW )HGHULFR

DV D PXVLF VFKRRO JUDGXDWH 2Q WKH Ă€UVW GD\ RXU SURIHVVRU -DPHV 8Q-­ GHUFRĂ HU VKRZHG XV D VOLGH ZLWK D GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI HQWUHSUHQHXUVKLS RQ LW The quote stated, “we understand en-­ trepreneurship to mean the transfor-­ mation of an idea into an enterprise that creates value — economic, social, cultural or intellectual.â€? Ironically enough, in a school full of students yearning to learn how to succeed at this exact goal, one of the tools most suited to learning how to do this is discouraged and underappreciated. The same school that is teaching us to value creative, innovative ways of forming enterprises ought to be pay-­ ing more attention to an educational opportunity that inspires these di-­ verse forms of thinking: independent

4VSJIWWSVW HS RSX KIX GSQTIRWEXIH WTIGM½GEPP] JSV advising independent studies, which begs the question: what does that say about how IC values independent studies? studies. Doing independent research re-­ quires you to identify a problem and use every resource at your disposal — including personal creativity — to come up with solutions or answers to \RXU TXHVWLRQV ,Q WKH FRQĂ€QHV RI D class room, where we learn the indi-­ vidual tools that make up our toolbox of knowledge, we are rarely faced with the challenge of taking an idea and turning it into a reality; a process that results in this entrepreneurial spirit. I have come across a number of bu-­ reaucratic methods and excuses that work to keep students from being able to facilitate the process of acquiring an independent study. I have been told by professors as well as admin-­ istrators that professors do not get FRPSHQVDWHG VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ IRU DGYLVLQJ independent studies, which begs the question: what does that say about how IC values independent studies? This response shows a student that the faculty and administration do not value independent studies, and it un-­

News & Views

GarcĂ­a Lorca. Not only was the in-­ depth research process stimulating, but this study also presented an op-­ portunity for me to go into Spanish classes and give a presentation on my Ă€QGLQJV , ZDV DEOH WR FRPELQH D PX-­ sical performance with Lorca’s poetry and the basic geography and history of these peoples, all while presenting P\ RZQ FRQFOXVLRQV RQ KRZ Ă DPHQFR FXOWXUH FDQ LQĂ XHQFH PXVLF DFURVV social boundaries. This experience was valuable to me in a way that no classroom experience has ever been. It gave me the opportunity to delve GHHSO\ LQWR D VFKRODUO\ Ă€HOG WKDW LQ-­ terested me, to learn how to put to-­ gether a 50-­minute presentation and to expose non-­music students to what goes on inside Whalen’s walls. I am currently enrolled in a course called Entrepreneurship in Music and the Arts, which is held in the school of music. The room is sweaty and FUDPSHG Ă€OOHG ZLWK XQGHUJUDGV DQG graduate students hoping to learn about how to make it in the real world

dermines the incredible amount of work that students put into them. I have also had to struggle with petty GHWDLOV DQG HUURUV VXFK DV Ă€OOLQJ RXW a few too many hours on my applica-­ tion in the space intended for meeting time with my advisor. In the School of Music, advising time is discouraged because studies are intended to be as independent as possible, whereas in the School of the Humanities and Sciences advising time must consti-­ tute a substantial part of your work hours, since collaboration and dis-­ cussion are more highly valued. These nuances have resulted in my not be-­ ing able to receive three credits for a study that ended up taking at least the same, if not more time and energy than any three-­credit class I have yet to take at IC. Not only is the work load for these studies substantial, but having cre-­ ated, completed, and cared for a per-­ sonal learning objective helps to build WKH FRQĂ€GHQFH DQG VNLOOV QHFHVVDU\ to tackle entrepreneurial as well as intellectual challenges. If these are goals that IC is serious about working towards, then each and every school should be searching for these oppor-­ tunities for students, and working to-­ gether to ensure that every student, regardless of school, is getting the same message. ________________________________ Emma Markham is a junior perfor-­ PDQFH DQG JXLWDU PDMRU ZKR OLNHV Ă D-­ menco music and cheetos. Email her at emarkha1@ithaca.edu.

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Voicing Concerns

A personal account from the Forward on Climate Rally

By Rebecca Billings

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BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

%DUDFN 2EDPD \HV ZH FDQ 6WRS WKLV GLUW\ SLSHOLQH SODQ Âľ 7KH YRLFHV RI RYHU RWK-­ ers as passionate and purposeful as myself fed into the positive energy WKDW Ă RZHG GRZQ &RQVWLWXWLRQ $Y-­ enue to the President’s front door. 2Q 6XQGD\ )HE , MRLQHG WHQV of thousands in Washington, D.C. DW WKH )RUZDUG RQ &OLPDWH 5DOO\ Âł the largest of its kind in U.S. his-­ WRU\ Âł WR WHOO 3UHVLGHQW 2EDPD WR stop the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline. After a sleepy six-­hour bus ride, I reached the national mall alongside hundreds of other Ithacans, and we were met with an indescribable scene. Beside the massive crowd, the Washington monument seemed VPDOO DQG LQVLJQLĂ€FDQW 3RODU bears, musicians with giant drums, a 20-­foot-­tall dancing statue of lib-­ erty and folks of all ages wielding cardboard signs and megaphones gathered to listen to politicians, ac-­ tivists and indigenous people speak before taking to the streets. We chanted and marched to the White House, where the crowd’s immen-­ sity was meant to indicate to Presi-­

GHQW 2EDPD WKDW KH FRXOG QR ORQJHU ignore what the people know is right. )RU $O\FH 'DXEHQVSHFN D MXQLRU HQ-­ vironmental studies major, participa-­ WLRQ LQ WKH )RUZDUG RQ &OLPDWH UDOO\ was based on an urgent need to act. “I’m not a person who’s historically gotten involved in more radical things, or ever taken a stance on something,â€? she said at a gathering of students making signs before the rally. “But you reach a point where you have to decide, am I going to accept this, or am I going to try to do something about it? This is, I think, a great way to make our voices heard.â€? Daubenspeck was a passenger on one of the six student busses (in ad-­ dition to the four Ithaca community busses) that arrived in DC earlier that weekend. Her motivation to take ac-­ tion and be heard stems from her knowledge of the widespread political, economic, and social harms that will inevitably come from the Keystone XL pipeline’s construction. The KXL pipe-­ OLQH LV D SURSRVHG DSSUR[LPDWHO\ mile pipeline, to be built by Trans-­ Canada, that will stretch from Alberta, &DQDGD WR RLO UHĂ€QHULHV RQ WKH FRDVW of Texas. It would be an extension of

the original Keystone Pipeline, which has been operation since 2010. The .;/ SURMHFW FDOOV IRU WKLV PLOHV of pipeline (an addition to the exist-­ ing pipeline) to be put in the ground, connecting from Alberta to the exist-­ ing pipeline in Nebraska, and from an DOUHDG\ SODFHG SLSHOLQH LQ 2NODKRPD down to Texas. 3UHVLGHQW 2EDPD SOD\V D XQLTXH roll in the potential construction and ultimate fate of the KXL: he has the power to either approve or deny TransCanada’s project. Speakers at the start of the rally, as well as many participants’ signs and chants, di-­ UHFWO\ DGGUHVVHG 2EDPD $OOLVRQ &XU-­ rier, a junior environmental studies student, saw the rally as a chance to VD\ ´2EDPD ZH ZDQW WR KROG \RX WR your commitment to mitigating cli-­ mate change in this country, so we would like you to stop the Keystone XL pipeline once and for all and help us create a future that we would like to be a part of.â€? During the rally, how-­ HYHU 3UHVLGHQW 2EDPD ZDVQ¡W WKHUH WR hear the message. In fact, he was in Texas, playing golf with Tiger Woods and Jim Crane, a Texas businessman with strong ties to big oil.

Photos by Jacob Wise

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out consent or compensation. Two thousand miles of land cannot be dug up without disturbing or completely destroying homes and entire com-­ munities, and people recognize these impending catastrophic results. The irreversible environmental and com-­ munity impacts, along with a resis-­ tance to the transnational economic dominance of the fossil fuel industry, KDYH IXHOHG WKH Ă€UH RI RSSRVLWLRQ WR the KXL. Kelsey Erikson, a senior natural re-­ sources student and member of Kyo-­ WR12: DW &RUQHOO EHOLHYHV WKH .;/ is awful no matter which way you look at it. “It’s going to cost us a lot of money, and most of that oil is being shipped abroad, it’s not even going to help us to be energy independent,â€? she said. “[The KXL] is not only going to con-­ tribute egregiously large sums of car-­ bon dioxide, since tar sands is such DQ LQHIĂ€FLHQW SURFHVV EXW LW¡V DOVR just a horrible investment.â€? (ULNVRQ SOD\HG D VLJQLĂ€FDQW UROH in gathering student support for the )RUZDUG RQ &OLPDWH UDOO\ E\ RUJD-­ nizing busses and working on re-­ cruitment through social media and other outlets, along with Currier and other IC students. The rally was not RQO\ QDWLRQDOO\ VLJQLĂ€FDQW IRU WKH sheer number of people who travelled to Washington, D.C.; it was almost PRUH VLJQLĂ€FDQW ORFDOO\ LQ WKDW WKH many compartmentalized communi-­

ties around Ithaca united in solidar-­ ity. Students from TC3, local high schools, Cornell and Ithaca College, as well as community members from Ithaca and beyond, took the trip in ten busses and countless packed cars. “It’s this unifying moment where we’re passionate and we’re excited amped up and we’re ready to create change and show our direct democ-­ racy,â€? Currier said. The masses of students that took part in the rally, and that consciously and effectively worked together, shows that we are ready to step up and stop those in generations above us from further degrading our planet. ´,W¡V RXU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ WR Ă€JKW IRU RXU ULJKWV DQG Ă€JKW IRU RXU SODFH LQ this world,â€? Erikson said of her role as a student organizer and activist, “because it’s our planet, the older generation is not going to be experi-­ encing the same world that we will be in 50 years. This is our future, we QHHG WR Ă€JKW IRU LW Âľ ____________________________________ Rebecca Billings is a junior politics major who is a fan of olive oil. Email her at rbillin1@ithaca.edu.

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News & Views

Despite his ignorance of a SHUVRQ UDOO\ GLUHFWHG DW KLP many of us in the U.S. and Canada KRSH WKDW 3UHVLGHQW 2EDPD ZLOO QRW ignore the facts. TransCanada in-­ tends for the KXL to be up and run-­ QLQJ E\ SXPSLQJ RYHU barrels per day of tar sands oil. Tar sands oil is a thick, tar-­like fossil fuel, WKH H[WUDFWLRQ DQG UHĂ€QLQJ RI ZKLFK requires more labor, energy, and wa-­ ter, destroys more natural land, emits more carbon dioxide and in the end produces even less fuel than the ex-­ WUDFWLRQ DQG UHĂ€QLQJ RI UHJXODU FUXGH oil. TransCanada boasts on its web-­ site that the corporation “is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure,â€? assuring the reader that the KXL will be the saf-­ est pipeline yet to go into the ground. They say nothing of the unique quali-­ ties of tar sands oil that will cause false pressure alarms indicating nonexistent leaks and a probable in-­ crease of real leaks that will be un-­ XVXDOO\ GLIĂ€FXOW WR GHWHFW RU FOHDQ XS There is widespread national and international resistance to the KXL pipeline based not only on the envi-­ ronmental dangers of air, water, and land pollution, but also on the human rights violations and economic follies that will likely occur. Many indige-­ nous people have taken to the move-­ ment against the KXL, as their land has been seized and poisoned with-­

Mediating in Mali Should the US intervene? By Max Rankin

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HUURU :KHQ $PHULFDQV DUH confronted with this word, WKH Ă€UVW WKRXJKW WKDW FRPHV WR PLQG PD\ EH 2VDPD ELQ /DGHQ The word elicits visions of the World Trade Center, or possibly the war in Afghanistan. But the image of a Tu-­ DUHJ QRPDG Ă€JKWLQJ WKH JRYHUQPHQW¡V WURRSV ZKR DUH DOVR Ă€JKWLQJ 0XVOLP groups for control of the Sahara des-­ ert, is at least the two hundred and eighty-­fourth thing that the average

the United States has seemed to calm down when all that is at risk in Mali LV WKH XQLĂ€FDWLRQ RI D FRXQWU\ DQG WKH destruction of a hotbed of terror activ-­ ity. There are no oil reserves or highly strategic locations, like in Libya or Iraq. If anything, direct US involvement in Mali would be a boost to the mili-­ WDU\¡V FRQĂ€GHQFH $IWHU DOPRVW HOHYHQ years of war in Afghanistan, the US has little to show for its efforts be-­ sides 2,000 dead American soldiers and massive defense expenditures leaving trillions of dollars in debt. The US needs to produce some re-­ sults from its adventures across the world. It would not be starting a war over “possibleâ€? weapons of mass de-­ struction but for a tangible goal: the XQLĂ€FDWLRQ RI 0DOL 0RUH LPSRUWDQWO\ for the War on Terror, it would facili-­ tate the expulsion of terrorists from its borders. It would not be like the current war in Afghanistan, simply not totally resolved. The United States has been notori-­ because of its topography. There are ous for combating terrorism across not that many places to hide in the the world in the 21st century. Prompt-­ desert and the several cities that exist ed by the 9/11 attacks, its efforts in the north. Many of these cities, like at counterterrorism have dragged Timbuktu, are small, not much larger Americans across two hemispheres than the population of Ithaca NY. The and into two wars. The US was like experiences gained in Afghanistan in a high school graduate who had just counterterrorism would be extremely received Dr. Suess’s Oh the Places productive in empty deserts and cities You’ll Go and actually did something with a population of only 30,000 and ZLWK LWV DGYLFH 2K WKH SODFHV ZH not 3.2 million as in Kabul Afghani-­ ZHQW Afghanistan, Yemen, Colombia, stan. Despite our ability to completely Iraq, Haiti, Somalia and Libya, just to name a few in the past decade alone. dominate the crisis in Mali, the peo-­ It’s only reasonable for the US to be ple of the United States (not to men-­ involved with Mali, since Northern tion the economy of the United States) Mali has become a staging area for ZRXOG QRW EHQHĂ€W IURP GLUHFW $PHUL-­ terrorism across western Africa and can involvement. We have learned our lesson from our travels around southern Europe. And that’s exactly what the US Mili-­ the world. As previous incursions have taught us, things don’t always tary is trying to prevent (or is it?). Mali seems ripe for US intervention. go as planned, (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq, The country was an African model Chile, etc.). We could easily end up for democracy that is experiencing a IRVWHULQJ WHUURULVP LQVWHDG RI Ă€JKWLQJ rough patch. This used to be all the it. But give us a few years and we may US needed to sweep in and “saveâ€? make it to Timbuktu, too. previous governments such as Gua-­ ____________________________________ temala, Chile or Iran. But as of yet all Max Rankin is a freshman exploratory the US has done is give intelligence, major who does not like green eggs transport and mid-­air refueling to and ham. Email him at mrankin1@ )UDQFH )RU VXFK D VWLFNOHU RQ WHUURU ithaca.edu. ment radical Islamic law across all of Mali and create a haven for terrorist activity. Last month, Islamist forces were within a nine-­hour drive of the capi-­ tal of Bamako as the president of Mali called in for military assistance IURP )UDQFH ZKR UHVSRQGHG ZLWK DLU VWULNHV DQG WURRSV Despite a ODFN RI KHOS WKH )UHQFK KDYH VXFFHHG-­ ed in reclaiming much of the govern-­ ment’s land, although the situation is

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

The US was like a high school graduate who had just received Dr. Suess’s Oh the Places You’ll Go and actually did something with its advice. American thinks of upon hearing the word terror. However, the latest de-­ velopment in the global war on terror, which the United States has irratio-­ nally devoted itself to since the 9/11 attacks, comes in the form of the country of Mali. The VTXDUH PLOH QDWLRQ state of Mali is located in western Af-­ rica. The northern section is a largely barren part of the Sahara desert that is home to approximately 1.3 million people, while the southern section has four major rivers and supports another 13.2 million people. The di-­ chotomy of the land and resources created tensions between the people of the north and south for decades. Those tensions boiled over last April as Tuaregs ousted control of the north of Mali from the Malian government in an attempt to form the state of Aza-­ wad. The success of the Tuaregs, how-­ HYHU GLG QRW JR XQQRWLFHG 2WKHU groups took advantage of the ensu-­ ing chaos to try and seize control of not just the north, but also the rest of Mali. In May, the Saharan branch of Al-­Qaeda, Ansar Dine and Ansar al-­ 6KDULDK VXFFHHGHG LQ Ă€JKWLQJ RII WKH Tuareg rebels in an attempt to imple-­

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By line

News & Views

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BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

PFRONT. UPFRONT. UPFRO

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Lost in the Numbers

Students share frustrations with IC “diversity� By Jessica Corbett

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/DQNDQ DQG P\ Ă€UVW ODQJXDJH PLJKW not be English, but I’ve been educated in English my entire life, while learn-­ ing other languages. I’ve also learned Latin. I’ve done Japanese and French, and I’m a German minor right now, so I’m pretty sure that language isn’t a barrier for me.â€? Perera-­Somasinghe won his election, and despite situations like these, he said he felt welcomed to Ithaca Col-­ lege as member of the HOME Program, a residential housing program in Ter-­ race 3 for international and domestic students seeking a more diverse living HQYLURQPHQW 5HVLGHQWV HQJDJH LQ IUH-­ quent workshops and discuss global issues. However, not all residence halls and classrooms across campus are as diverse as this specialty housing com-­ munity. 7KH 2IĂ€FH RI ,QVWLWXWLRQDO 5HVHDUFK generates reports documenting racial and ethnic diversity at Ithaca College based on the federal government’s race/ethnicity categories: White, His-­ panic/Latino, Black or African Ameri-­ can, American Indian or Alaskan Na-­ tive, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other 3DFLĂ€F ,VODQGHU DQG WZR RU PRUH UDFHV On the report, the “Whiteâ€? category is directly under total enrollment and is separated from the other races and ethnicities, which are placed under a section titled “Minoritiesâ€?. Each cat-­ egory also indicates the number of males and females who identify with each race. There is a gender gap at ,WKDFD &ROOHJH EXW LW GRHV QRW UHĂ HFW the historical exclusion of women at higher education institutions. Accord-­ LQJ WR WKH 2IĂ€FH RI ,QVWLWXWLRQDO 5H-­ search Fall 2012 report, female under-­ graduate students outnumber males 3,518 to 2,763. As of Fall 2012, of the 6,281 under-­ graduate students on campus, 1,034 LQGLYLGXDOV LGHQWLĂ€HG ZLWK RQH RI WKH minority race categories. The most rep-­ resented categories are Hispanic/Lati-­ no with 385 students, Black or African American with 257 students and Asian with 198 students. One-­hundred-­sev-­ HQW\ Ă€YH VWXGHQWV LGHQWLI\ ZLWK WZR RU more of the racial categories, meaning over 70 percent of the undergraduate student body, 4,412 students on cam-­ pus identify as white. Based on national statistics, Ithaca College’s racial diversity does not mea-­

sure up to the national average for fall enrollment in degree-­granting institu-­ tions. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, as of 2010 white students made up 61.6 percent of enrolled students, compared to the over 70 percent at Ithaca College. All the students of minority races com-­ bined only make 16.5 percent of the undergraduate student body at Ithaca College, compared to 36.1 percent at the national level. However, the numbers in the college’s report aren’t even fully representative of the entire campus. It actually cap-­ tures less than 90 percent of the un-­ dergraduate racial composition. There are 709 students, or 11.3 percent of the entire undergraduate population, ZKRVH UDFH RU HWKQLFLW\ LV FODVVLĂ€HG DV unknown. There is also a section in the report for international students. At the na-­ tional level, full-­time international stu-­ dents made up 4.3 percent, compared to the college’s 2 percent. Claire Borch, Assistant Director of WKH 2IĂ€FH RI ,QVWLWXWLRQDO 5HVHDUFK VDLG LQWHUQDWLRQDO VWXGHQWV RIĂ€FLDOO\ recognized by the college are called “Nonresident Aliens,â€? in compliance with the federal government’s race and ethnicity reporting guidelines, but the RIĂ€FH SODQV WR LQFOXGH WKH WHUP ´,QWHU-­ nationalâ€? on future reports. Some students who personally iden-­ tify as international students are not LGHQWLĂ€HG DV VXFK E\ WKH FROOHJH $V RI )DOO ,WKDFD &ROOHJH RIĂ€FLDOO\ recognized 126 individuals as “Non-­ UHVLGHQW $OLHQV Âľ ZKLOH WKH 2IĂ€FH RI International Programs says there are about 200 students from 55 countries studying at the college. “When you look at the international students that the college reports, it’s WKH QDUURZHVW GHĂ€QLWLRQ ,W¡V WKH IRUHLJQ nationals,â€? Diana Dimitrova, director of international student services said. The “Nonresident Aliensâ€? are only one part of the international student community. Students coming to Ithaca College from other countries hold vari-­ ous types of visas depending on many factors, so the term international stu-­ dent is very subjective and often de-­ pends on a student’s personal back-­ ground, Dimitrova said. Some students are American passport holders who are foreign born, or grew up and were edu-­

Upfront

hen junior Yukino Kondo talks about growing up in the Netherlands, people often respond with puzzled looks. Though she was born in Japan, Kon-­ do spent most of her childhood in the 1HWKHUODQGV 6KH IUHTXHQWO\ Ă€QGV KHU-­ self explaining her entire backstory when meeting new people due to their confusion. And as an international student, Kondo has had some other frustrating encounters on campus. Various members of the Ithaca Col-­ lege community have expressed con-­ cern about discriminatory comments made in classrooms and across a cam-­ pus that, in its diversity statement, claims to “commit ourselves to change, growth, and action that embrace diver-­ sity as an integral part of the educa-­ tional experience and of the commu-­ nity we create.â€? In one of her past classes, Kondo was grouped with three American students IRU D SURMHFW ZRUNLQJ ZLWK QRQSURĂ€WV LQ Asia. During group meetings, the other students made comments like, “Aw, Asian babies are so cute.â€? “I was there and they were saying this as if I didn’t even exist, and I mean you can clearly tell that I’m Asian,â€? she said. “I guess I understand what they’re trying to say, but I’m just not sure how Asian babies are any differ-­ ent from any other babies.â€? While she did not confront the stu-­ dents at the time, Kondo said, “It made PH UHDOO\ UHDOL]H WKDW WKHUH LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ a lack of understanding and a lack of knowledge of different cultures.â€? Isuru Perera-­Somasinghe is a soph-­ omore international student from Co-­ lombo, Sri Lanka, located in Southern Asia. When he was running for SGA Vice President of Academics, like any other student campaigning for of-­ Ă€FH, he faced criticism. However, one critique was unrelated to his political platform. Some students questioned his ability to communicate. In a personal conversation before the election, he was asked: “What is an in-­ ternational student who’s not exactly acclimated to the American society go-­ ing to do to communicate to students who are American in a college that is American?â€? He was frustrated and offended, but said he understood why the question was asked. He responded, “I may be Sri

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cated abroad because their parents were involved with business, mission-­ ary or military work around the world. The issue of determining who is and is not an international student was raised when SGA elections took place for the newly established position In-­ ternational Student Senator, currently held by Steven Kobby Lartey, a Legal Studies major from Accra, Ghana. As a leader in SGA, Perera-­Somas-­ inghe said compiling a list of students WR YRWH ZDV GLIĂ€FXOW EHFDXVH QRW HYHU\-­ one in the international student com-­ PXQLW\ LV RIĂ€FLDOO\ UHFRJQL]HG E\ WKH school’s documents, but, “you can’t deny that student the right to be inter-­ national students because that’s their identity.â€? Even though the international stu-­ dent community has now been given a voice in the student government in an effort to encourage fair representation and integration, the attempts made to FRPSLOH DQ RIĂ€FLDO OLVW RU D QXPEHU RI international students highlight the frustration that students of various de-­ mographics often feel when the college starts using the numbers in marketing

dents who identify as Asian, Latino, Native American or African American, asking them to participate in a photo shoot for the college’s marketing ma-­ terials. The cover photo on the Ithaca College Facebook page, which features students of various races, was taken as part of the shoot. Burton did not participate. “I’m not gonna show up for that just so they can have a couple pictures and say, ‘look we have students of color on campus,’â€? she said. “Taking a picture of all of us isn’t an accurate represen-­ tation of the campus.â€? When sophomore HelĂŠna Murphy UHFHLYHG WKH Ă€UVW IHZ PHVVDJHV DERXW the photo shoot she was apprehensive, but ultimately she decided to partici-­ pate because she knew some of the people in admissions who sent the emails, and the MLK Program Coor-­ dinator encouraged her to participate. She said about 15 students of vari-­ ous races showed up at the academic quad to meet the photographer, who instructed them to walk around as if they were heading to class. Murphy said the photos used do

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BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

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material and recruitment. While Kondo said she understands that the school needs some statistical information about diversity on campus in its marketing material, when she encounters it she said she feels like a number. “I don’t want to just be some-­ RQH WR Ă€OO \RXU TXRWD Âľ .RQGR VDLG In regards to the college’s efforts to promote and increase diversity, sopho-­ more MLK Scholar Candace Burton, ZKR LGHQWLĂ€HV DV $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ said the school concentrates heavily on increasing numbers, rather than mak-­ ing sure students are comfortable on campus. “I don’t think they’re going about it the right way just because it seems like they’re very numbers focused. It needs to be more about making sure people feel welcome,â€? she said. “I would rather them just say, ‘we’re committed to in-­ creasing our ALANA population, our LGBTQ population.’â€? Last spring emails were sent out to all ALANA students on campus, or stu-­

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not appear staged, but the process of constantly emailing ALANA students for marketing purposes raised ethical concerns for her. She looked at the numerical break-­ downs of races when she was applying to colleges, but said that just because there is a certain amount of people who identify with a certain group doesn’t mean that there isn’t social segrega-­ tion on a campus. “Marketing it as everyone gets along, everyone is integrated and there are no problems, I have an issue with that,â€? Murphy said. “It’s like they emphasize the numerical diversity but they don’t try to keep students.â€? Murphy is not the only student frus-­ trated by “Ithaca’s constant use of the ZRUG GLYHUVLW\ Âľ VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ LQ PDU-­ keting strategies. “It has no meaning now,â€? she said. While some students criticize the college’s frequent use of the term, Paula Ioanide, an asistant professor in the Center for the Study of Culture,

5DFH (WKQLFLW\ DQG FR FKDLU RI WKH Diversity Awareness Committee, said, “The word diversity and the way that it began to get used in higher education KDV WR GR ZLWK D VKLIW IURP DIĂ€UPDWLYH action to what is now called diversity.â€? ´$IĂ€UPDWLYH DFWLRQ SURJUDPV LQ higher education were originally intro-­ duced to provide pathways to recruit and retain students who hadn’t been historically included in predominantly white higher education institutions,â€? Ioanide said. 7KH PHQWDOLW\ EHKLQG DIĂ€UPDWLYH DF-­ tion policies was that higher education institutions should be proactive in re-­ cruiting women, students of color and other people who had historically been excluded on the basis of factors like race or gender. Ioanide said that the race or gender was only one compo-­ nent in admissions decisions that fac-­ WRUHG LQ DIĂ€UPDWLYH DFWLRQ SROLFLHV DQG WKDW VWXGHQWV VWLOO KDG WR EH TXDOLĂ€HG Since 1978, many Supreme Court FDVHV KDYH DGGUHVVHG DIĂ€UPDWLYH DF-­ tion policies in university admission practices. The Court has gone back and forth about whether or not race or gender can be considered in admission decisions. In 2003, the Court ruled that universities had an interest in working to make their campuses more diverse, and that race or gender could play a limited role in admissions deci-­ sions. However, because of former Court rulings, Ioanide said the language and focus has shifted away from making up for historically excluding people based on their race, gender, sexuality and ability, to simply creating a more diverse environment on campus. “It took the power out of questions of inclusion, so now inclusion was just about a celebration of peoples’ differ-­ ences, as opposed to redressing these past exclusions,â€? she said. In 2005, the University of Texas at Austin created a policy in which they automatically accepted the top 10 per-­ cent of each high school’s graduating class — a policy partially modeled after the University of Michigan Law School DIĂ€UPDWLYH DFWLRQ SROLFLHV XSKHOG LQ the Grutter v. Bollinger case in 2003. Fisher v. University of Texas is cur-­ rently before the Court. If they decides WR RYHUWXUQ WKH UXOLQJ DIĂ€UPD-­ tive action policies could end at U.S. public universities. As a private institution, Ithaca Col-­ lege has an entire section of its website devoted to diversity, which includes tabs to explain the President’s Adviso-­ ry Committee on Diversity, IC 20/20’s Diversity Strategic Plan Goals, and the school’s diversity statement.

statement, Simmons said he thinks the college does a good job of high-­ lighting the diversity that does exist on campus, and noted the many initia-­ tives students, professors and the col-­ lege are creating to encourage conver-­ sations about racial, social and other types of diversity. “I think students groups are doing great things. I wish there was a way to highlight their efforts more,â€? Sim-­ mons said. “This has to be a sustained effort.â€? Simmons is the former president of Created Equal, a political activist group on campus that encourages crit-­ ical thoughts and discussions about inequality. As a Created Equal E-­Team member, Burton said, “It’s really a club about diversity intersectionality with an LG-­ BTQ focus, so we talk about issues WKDW VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ DIIHFW WKH /*%74 FRP-­ munity, but bring it back so people can understand how that issue also affects them.â€? Created Equal is one of many organi-­ ]DWLRQV DQG RIĂ€FHV RQ FDPSXV WKDW HQ-­ courage discussions about what diver-­ sity means and seek to make students of different genders, as well as cultur-­ al, social and racial backgrounds, feel welcomed and accepted. Because international students come from all over the world, making them feel welcomed and adjusted to FDPSXV LV D PDLQ IRFXV IRU WKH 2IĂ€FH of International Programs. Dimitrova

To read this article in its entirety, visit buzzsawmag.org. _____________________________________ Jessica Corbett is a sophomore journal-­ ism major who thinks real diversity is pretty rad. Email her at jcorbet2@itha-­ ca.edu.

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Upfront

Perera-­Somasinghe said that in ad-­ dition to the small city and interesting politics courses, the diversity state-­ ment was a pull factor for him, because he wanted to go somewhere accepting. “I have to say that I’m a little disap-­ pointed,â€? Perera-­Somasinghe said. “I feel like what appears on paper, what appears on the website isn’t always what comes into play here.â€? What attracted Kondo to Ithaca was the theater program, as well as KHU Ă€-­ nancial aid award, rather than market-­ ing strategies around diversity. While she was unfamiliar with the diversity statement until recently, she said, “It even looks like it was copy and pasted from a dictionary. It’s so perfect and ‌ trying to be really politically correct.â€? She said that she doesn’t believe the school is completely living up to its di-­ versity statement, but it’s going in a good direction. However, whether or not the college lives up to its published and self-­proclaimed standards is only one element of the discussion. Cedrick-­Michael Simmons, a junior 0/. 6FKRODU ZKR LGHQWLĂ€HV DV $IULFDQ American, said, “I think that the diver-­ sity statement is incredibly inclusive... which makes it mean nothing.â€? He said he understands from a mar-­ keting standpoint why the college has its current diversity statement, but that he does not think it is useful for discussions about diversity because of its inclusivity. While he is critical of the diversity

said the OIP concentrates on helping students adjust to campus, rather WKDQ GHYHORSLQJ KDUG DQG IDVW GHĂ€QL-­ tions for how to recognize an interna-­ tional student or even diversity itself. ´2XU JRDO DW WKH 2,3 LV QRW WR GHĂ€QH Âľ Dimitrova said. “We want to be the ones that say welcome, come in.â€? The OIP reaches out to students who GHĂ€QLWHO\ RU PD\ LGHQWLI\ DV LQWHUQD-­ tional, through emails and brochures, and provides programs to help the stu-­ dents adjust. There are orientations at the start of every semester and a buddy program in place, so international stu-­ dents can direct questions and make friends with students who are already familiar with the college. One of the challenges with all of these initiatives to promote and under-­ stand diversity is what Simmons called “preaching to the choir.â€? Many of the students involved in organizations like Created Equal already understand the GLIĂ€FXOWLHV RI GHĂ€QLQJ GLYHUVLW\ HV-­ tablishing a diverse environment on campus, and making students from all EDFNJURXQGV IHHO ZHOFRPHG 5HDFKLQJ out to students and community mem-­ bers unaware or unfamiliar with these issues is a challenge. Dimitrova said opening up the buddy program to American students this year was educational for both the American and international students, and while it was challenging at times for the American buddies to relate to their international counterparts, stu-­ dents learned a lot from the experi-­ ence. While every person has a different GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI GLYHUVLW\ WKHUH DUH PDQ\ opportunities on campus for students and faculty to develop their personal GHĂ€QLWLRQV ,RDQLGH GHĂ€QHV GLYHUVLW\ DV ´D FRGH word that conceals what are actual power relations in higher education, on the basis of wealth, on the basis of race, on the basis of gender, on the basis of sexuality, on the basis of able-­ ism.â€? For Perera-­Somasinghe, “It’s about gender, it’s about sexuality, it’s about how you look at yourself as a person,â€? he said. “It’s all about how you can bring these different people together, people of different opinion and differ-­ ent thoughts come together and live in one unit.â€?

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The rise of fake IDs in a college town

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

Glowing neon signs for Yuengling DQG *XLQQHVV Ă DVK WKURXJK OHDG paned glass windows, as college stu-­ dents hurry into the small, dark pub already crammed with tipsy co-­eds. It’s a typical Thursday night in the small town of Ithaca, voted “the best college town in America,â€? and Thurs-­ day nights for the students at Ithaca College and Cornell University mean karaoke and $3 well drinks at Kil-­ patrick’s Publick house, or “Kil-­ pat’sâ€? as its loyal college student clientele calls it. At the pub’s door, a cynical and burly bouncer skeptically examines a pretty brunette’s driver’s license. “That’s not your nose,â€? he says with a snort before tossing the ID back to her. The girl, tossing back her long hair, affects an air of mixed injury and offense. “What do you mean that’s not my nose? Of course it’s me!â€? Her friends, their hands already marked with the bleeding green four-­ leaf clover stamp that declare their legal entrance to the bar, turn to see what the commotion was about; one of them, tall and rangy, comes to the door to chastise the bouncer for dar-­ ing to question the validity of the ID. “Of course it’s her ID! She just cel-­ ebrated her birthday – see?â€? The girl says forcefully, jabbing a manicured LQGH[ Ă€QJHU DW WKH ODPLQDWHG FDUG “You should be giving her a free shot! It’s still her birthday week!â€? The bouncer sighs and with more than a little annoyance, stamps the brunette’s hand. “Why do I feel like I’m being hustled right now?â€? he says, shaking his head as the two girls sashay to the bar for Jagerbombs before belting out an off-­ key rendition of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name.â€? This scenario is far from surprising. According to the The Center on Alco-­ hol Marketing and Youth, 48 percent of alcohol use reported by college and university is done by those who are underage. Additionally, the U.S. Na-­ tional Library of Medicine reported that 12.5 percent of students own fake IDs pre-­college, which increases to 32.2 percent in their second year at college.

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-QEKI F] &Y^^WXEJJ

By Cady Lang

After a few more rousing rounds of karaoke, the pretty brunette, who LGHQWLĂ€HV KHUVHOI DV .D\OHH D MXQLRU at Ithaca College, is in search of a place to dance with her friends. They ponder between going to Collegetown or staying on the Commons. Conve-­ nience being a main issue, the girls then debate between bars on the Commons. “Moonie’s isn’t letting anyone in anymore,â€? says one of Kaylee’s friends matter-­of-­factly. “Yeah, let’s just go to 2nd Floor. They let everyone in there,â€? says an-­ other just as pragmatically. It’s true – 2nd Floor is notorious for letting everyone into the bar, espe-­ cially when competitors have cracked down on examining IDs more close-­ ly. In fact, one of Kaylee’s friends, a ODQN\ EHDQ SROH RI D ER\ QDPHG 1HG FRQĂ€GHV ERWK LQFUHGXORXVO\ DQG ZLWK slight contempt for the dive bar, that he’s given them his real ID with his true underage birthdate at least twice before and been given entrance. The two bars, Moonie’s – short for the Moonshadow Tavern – and 2nd Floor, face each other on the Com-­ mons, a block away from Kilpatrick’s, parallel venues of dubstep and top 40 hits, with a healthy dose of strobe lights and grinding, sweaty bodies. From 2nd Floor’s steamy windows,

you can see “Third Floor,â€? the el-­ evated bar that runs along the perim-­ eter of the bar, and is notorious for the gyrating girls that dance on top of it, their silhouettes looming out on the Commons through the windows. At Moonies, where there are always at least three or four bouncers to han-­ dle the crowd control outside of the EDU WKH LGHQWLĂ€FDWLRQ YHULĂ€FDWLRQ SUR-­ cess proves more intense than that of Kilpatrick’s. Ellis Williams, a bouncer at Moonie’s, smiles when talking about WKH VXUHĂ€UH ZD\V WR VSRW D IDNH ,' “Air pockets, that’s for sure,â€? Wil-­ liams said. “And the details and colors of different states for driver’s licenses. There are always at least 20 to 25 people who are turned away, but we screen so many people that it’s easi-­ er to just let them take back their ID than to cause a fuss.â€? ´<RX¡UH QRW +LODU\ +RZDUG , NQRZ her,â€? says one of his fellow bouncers to the fresh-­faced girl handing him her ID. She shrugs and leaves for Sec-­ ond Floor, ID in hand. About half a mile away, about 10 minutes walking distance, is Loco’s Cantina, a bar that Kaylee used her ID at before heading to Kilpatrick’s. For Paige Beriont, a senior at Ithaca College and a bartender at Loco’s, the night is still in full swing because of

the bar’s Thursday night half-­off “La-­ dies’ Nightâ€? specials. Beriont is hardly surprised when told that Kaylee entered with a fake ID, but feels compelled to defend her bar’s checking process. “They’ve been getting strict lately,â€? says Beriont. “There’s this camera by where the bouncer stands that shows we have proof that we’ve checked IDs. They scan at the door always and use blacklight.â€? She gestures to the door, where a physically intimidating bouncer stands with the scanner, the black light casting an eerie glow over his arm. Beriont starts muddling mint and sugar for a mojito, then adds a Ă€QDO WKRXJKW “I think they’ve gotten stricter with that [New York Times] article about the bars, with all those bars closing EHFDXVH RI WKH Ă€QHV WKDW WKH\ FRXOGQ¡W pay for, Moonie’s had that scare where that girl got in an accident and

body-­con skirts and towering heels, guys in snapbacks and polo shirts. The glowing red digital clock reads that it is 12:03 am; in about half an hour, half of the students will leave for Pixel, a lounge and bar that is col-­ loquially known as the Collegetown haunt where students come to “hook-­ upâ€? before the end of a night out. At Pixel, before the hordes of sauced students come, general manager Eric Turner and assistant manager Chris Shortsleeve are standing outside for fresh air. The glow of the blacklight behind them is a testament to their ULJLG LGHQWLĂ€FDWLRQ YHULĂ€FDWLRQ SROL-­ cies. “Pixel has been open for 7 years and we’ve never had a liquor under-­ age offense,â€? says Turner with a hint of pride. “Johnnie O’s [a fellow Col-­ legetown bar] shut down because I heard that they had 8 offenses on their license and when they tried to

%GGSVHMRK XS XLI 8LI 'IRXIV SR %PGSLSP 1EVOIXMRK ERH =SYXL TIVGIRX SJ EPGSLSP YWI VITSVXIH F] GSPPIKI ERH YRMZIVWMX] MW HSRI F] XLSWI [LS EVI YRHIVEKI %HHMXMSREPP] XLI 9 7 2EXMSREP 0MFVEV] SJ 1IHMGMRI VITSVXIH XLEX TIVGIRX SJ WXYHIRXW S[R JEOI -(W TVI GSPPIKI [LMGL MRGVIEWIW XS TIVGIRX MR XLIMV WIGSRH ]IEV EX GSPPIKI said that she had come from there,â€? Beriont said. “I wouldn’t even blame the bars because there are some re-­ ally good IDs out there. I don’t think the bars should have to take the full fall for that.â€? Loco’s, known for its wickedly strong margaritas and Latin dancing nights, is still packed with girls in bandage,

renew, the liquor authority wouldn’t do it.� Shortsleeve nods, then shakes his head. “We just don’t take people under 21,� Shortsleeve says emphatically. “We turn away at least 30 in a night. Since Dino’s and Johnnie O’s closed, this has become a Collegetown spot to go to and a lot of underage people are

trying to get in. We’re really careful — we use a UV light, since almost every fake ID will scan.â€? Turner’s face darkens and his ex-­ pression gains seriousness as he thinks of the bars come and gone from underage drinking offenses. “It’s always a danger to a bar. It’s a YHU\ VWHHS Ă€QH ZKHQ \RX JHW FDXJKW serving [alcohol] to someone under ,¡YH KHDUG RI Ă€QHV RI WR $10,000 for a single offense.â€? A gaggle of stiletto wearing girls walks by, gig-­ gling and inebriated, a sure sign that the night is soon to begin at Pixel. An hour later, back on the Com-­ mons, sitting outside of Sammy’s Piz-­ za after closing time — 1 a.m. for the Ithaca bars, early by convention but necessary if students want to catch the last bus up to campus at 1:30 — over a slice of a cheese pie, Kaylee FRQĂ€GHV WKDW WKH ,' VKH XVHG WRQLJKW was indeed, not her own. “It was the old ID of a friend’s and I had already used it at Loco’s tonight,â€? she says with a grin and a hint of em-­ EDUUDVVPHQW ´7KLV LV WKH Ă€UVW VHPHV-­ ter that most of my friends are able to go to bars because they’re 21 or have really successful IDs, and I want to be able to go with them.â€? Finishing her slice and leaning against her friend, Kaylee watches the throngs of drunk not-­yet adults stag-­ ger by before she responds again. “There’s a certain thrill to getting into bars with a fake ID,â€? she says. “I don’t need to drink when I go out, but I just want to be a part of the social scene. I think it’s sad when people can’t socialize without an ID.â€? 1DPHV FKDQJHG WR SURWHFW WKH identities of the sources. ____________________________________ Cady Lang is a junior journalism major who didn’t even sip alcohol until her 21st birthday. Email her at clang1@ ithaca.edu.

17

Upfront

Campus Progress works to help young people — advocates, activists, journalists, artists — make their voices heard on issues that matter. Learn more at CampusProgress.org.

4YRMXMZI 4VIWWYVI SR XLI 4W]GLI Has jail time become a death sentence? By Megan Devlin

I

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

n 2010, approximately 12 per 100,000 people in the United States committed suicide. That same year, the suicide rate in coun-­ ty jails across the nation was three times greater than the general popu-­ lation. In New York state prisons, the inmate suicide rate was nearly double the national average. Historically, the prison was created as a place of refuge for those who so-­ ciety deemed as “deviant.â€? However, with the elimination of insane asylums during the 1970s and 1980s, incar-­ ceration of the mentally ill increased VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ $V D UHVXOW SULVRQV EH-­ came warehouses for marginalized groups and suicide — and according to Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,â€? there are more African American men in prison and jail today than there were slaves at the onset of the Civil War. Auburn Correctional Facility was RQH RI WKH Ă€UVW SULVRQV WR LQVWLWXWLRQ-­ DOL]H WKH XVH RI VROLWDU\ FRQĂ€QHPHQW According to Jack Beck, the director of the Prison Visiting Project for the Correctional Association of New York, state prisons and jails still heavily rely on this discipline, more than most other institutions in the country. “It’s a tool for dealing with miscon-­ duct or a control mechanism,â€? Beck said. “This use of discipline results in greater acts of self-­harm.â€? Also contributing to the rising rates are the stressors already embedded

-QEKI F] /EVIR 6MGL

18

within the system. Inmates are daily presented with negative stimuli, such as bells, uniforms and scheduled ac-­ tivities, which serve to instill strict obedience in them. Prisons continue to use the same backward looking and disciplinary forms of punishment that exacerbate the mentally unstable conditions as-­ sociated with self-­harm and suicide. Jon Laskowitz, an Ithaca College pro-­ fessor who a focuses on criminal so-­ ciology, believes that inmates, who are torn from routine and lose famil-­ iar social supports, are vulnerable to unstable mental conditions similar to PTSD. “I’d call it TSD — it’s traumatic stress every day,â€? Laskowitz said. A 2006 study by the Bureau of Jus-­ tice Statistics found that over half of all jail and prison inmates in the U.S., approximately 1.25 million people, have mental health issues. Typically, inmates who are locked up for minor crimes yet required to serve long and harsh sentences are the ones most OLNHO\ WR LQĂ LFW VHOI KDUP RU FRPPLW suicide. Despite some prisons having in-­ house services for the mentally ill, these alleged “supportâ€? structures usually fail to treat the inmate. Pris-­ ons with residential crisis treatment SURJUDPV 5&73 DUH GHVLJQHG WR KHOS inmates thinking about self-­harm. The problem, according to Beck, is that staff view prisoners who seek help as manipulative and gaming the system to “get outâ€? of unfavorable sit-­ uations. For some inmates, they are

punished or assaulted for seeking as-­ sistance from these units. “The mechanism for getting help is discouraged,â€? Beck said. “If that’s the case, this is a deterrent.â€? State regulation of these programs is minimal. As a result, prisoners are usually given inadequate treatment. Laskowitz believes one of the reasons for the poor care of mentally ill pris-­ oners is the societal perception of in-­ mates having lesser eligibility. “We think of them as less eligible for our concerns and care because they’ve done ‘bad things’,â€? he said. Even for inmates who manage to leave the prison system and reenter society, many cannot access adequate mental health treatment. According to Deborah Dietrich, director of Oppor-­ WXQLWLHV $OWHUQDWLYHV DQG 5HVRXUFHV of Tompkins County, former inmates often have co-­occurring substance abuse and mental health issue. How-­ ever, society doesn’t have integrated treatment programs to address the needs of the inmate population. Di-­ HWULFK VDLG WKH GLIĂ€FXOW\ RI UHFHLY-­ ing mental health services results in many mentally ill or substance abus-­ ing inmates that are non-­compliant with these either-­or treatment op-­ tions. Unfortunately, the costs of creat-­ ing a truly holistic mental health and substance abuse system would be high — too high for government to take economic “risksâ€? with more reha-­ bilitative measures. According to Dietrich, it costs near-­ ly $90 per day, per inmate at the Tompkins County jail. Given the po-­ tential to divert these funds toward integrated treatment options, society could grant former inmates access to truly supportive mental health and substance abuse help. Not only would this likely decrease the chances of in-­ mates attempting or committing sui-­ cide, it would also decrease recidivism rates. “Until community health services are available for everyone, we’re just plugging holes, not solving the prob-­ lem,â€? Dietrich said. ____________________________________ Megan Devlin is a junior CMD major who is questioning an age of incarcer-­ ation without rehabilitation. Email her at mdevlin2@ithaca.edu.

)QTX] 4SGOIXW

The student debt “crisis� from one student’s perspective

By Lucy Walker

E

Bureau of Labor’s most recent data IURP 0D\ WKDW¡V QRW D VPDOO Ă€HOG -­-­ taking on student debt seems to be worth it, a fair investment. Of course, QXUVLQJ DW WKH OHYHO RI DQ 51 LV D UHOL-­ able, steady form of employment that does not require an incredibly long time in educational institutions. Compare, for example, a lawyer or a

QHUV VHHPV WLQ\ 7KRVH WZR Ă€HOGV GXH to all the prestige and money and years of stressful studying, are competitive, and accordingly, small. At least in our modern capitalist society, the debt in-­ curred by the future lawyers, doctors, and even nurses of the United States is, for them, “worth it.â€? So where does all the panic come

-X´W VITSVXIH XLEX TIVGIRX SJ PE[ WXYHIRXW ERH TIVGIRX SJ QIHMGEP WXYHIRXW KVEHYEXI [MXL WM\ ½KYVI HIFX doctor. Just to compete at entry-­level, a lawyer requires at least six years of schooling and a doctor at least seven. It’s reported that 36 percent of law stu-­ dents and 49 percent of medical stu-­ GHQWV JUDGXDWH ZLWK VL[ Ă€JXUH GHEW But assuming they get a job, which is DGPLWWHGO\ OHVV UHOLDEOH LQ WKHVH Ă€HOGV than nursing, the road ahead looks pretty smooth. The average annual wage for the lawyers employed in the United States at the time of the Bu-­ reau of Labor’s survey was $130,490. For 50 percent more time spent in in-­ stitutions of higher learning, lawyers make almost double the money. And it gets even better for doctors. Not even considering specialists or surgeons who will receive higher salaries, family practitioners make, on average, about D \HDU 7KDW¡V VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ more than double what nurses make for not even twice the amount of years spent in education. And it’s worth looking at how many WKHUH DUH RI HDFK RI WKHVH JURXSV 5H-­ member the registered nurses, a pres-­ ence of over two and a half million in the United States? (And that’s not even counting nurse practitioners or any of the other careers in nursing that UHVXOW IURP HDUQLQJ GHJUHHV $FFRUG-­ ing to the Bureau’s May 2011 survey, there were nearly 600,00 lawyers and about 100,000 family practitioners. Compared to over two and a half mil-­ lion nurses, and especially in a country of 315 million and growing, the num-­ bers of lawyers and family practitio-­

from? All the angry editorials, pie charts with large percentages, posters in protest at Occupy Wall Street? Most likely, from the liberal arts stu-­ dents. Since some of us came to college to study something we enjoy, rather than pursue a career path, our path once we graduate can be a bit bumpy. We don’t slide right into another level RI KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ RU MRE LQ WKH Ă€HOG of our choosing. In that sense, some of XV PD\ QRW KDYH DV PXFK FRQĂ€GHQFH in paying back our student debt. While we are in college, expanding our minds through the humanities, student debt seems far off and futuristic. However, when we graduate and the grace period for interest on our loans ends, the pan-­ ic sets in and we wonder if all this stu-­ dent debt was worth the hours of ar-­ guing theory in classrooms in Friends Hall. If what you want out of your educa-­ WLRQDO H[SHULHQFH LV D MRE SXUVXH D Ă€HOG that pays well, soon after graduation. If \RX ZDQW WR VWXG\ D Ă€HOG WKDW LQWHUHVWV you, even if it may not automatically lead to a job following graduation, go for it. It’s your choice. Decide what you want out of your college education, whether it’s a career or a passion or both, and stick with it. The truth is, you will have student debt either way. ____________________________________ Lucy Walker is a junior drama major who realizes this article may make some readers nervous about their fu-­ ture life plans. Email her at lwalker2@ ithaca.edu.

19

Upfront

verywhere I go, it seems student debt is all the rage to yell about. And oh, do students yell about it. What do they yell about? How more students than ever before will graduate with debt, how the debt — in dollars — is more per individual student than we could have ever imagined, and how questionable loaning practices, unag-­ gressive legislation and sketchy indi-­ viduals brought this horrible situation to be. Somehow, it never seems to come back to the actions of the individual. Higher education, unlike K-­12, is not mandatory. No one forces a high school senior to take out huge loans to attend a college they can’t afford. So why do we act as if the “student debt crisisâ€? is part of the recession our country has suffered for the past several years? Perhaps the recession aggravated cer-­ tain factors, the economy isn’t entirely at fault. It’s the student’s choice. My mother is a nurse practitioner 51 6KH DOVR WHDFKHV QXUVLQJ 6KH has discussed the very real and scary prospect of paying off student debt with her nursing students, a group drastically mixed in age and socio-­eco-­ nomic status, pursuing either second bachelor’s degrees in nursing or ad-­ vanced degrees in specialized areas of nursing. When she graduated with her BSN in the 1970s, the amount of stu-­ dent debt she owed was just about the same as the salary for an entry-­level job as a registered nurse, meaning a nurse without any advanced degrees. Today, in the year 2013, both numbers are obviously higher, but once again, nearly the same. The average annual ZDJH IRU D 51 LV ZKLFK GRHV not look shabby at all to a new gradu-­ ate. If her students can get a job once they graduate — and since there is constantly a shortage of nurses, they probably will -­-­ they will make just about the dollar amount of their debt LQ WKHLU Ă€UVW \HDU RXW LQ WKH UHDO ZRUOG Of course, they will have living expens-­ es, so not all of their money can im-­ mediately go to that cause. But it’s not an unbearable amount, and, at least in WKLV FDUHHU Ă€HOG DQG ZLWK RYHU WZR and a half million registered nurses employed in the U.S., according to the

;SQER;MXLSYX % 'SYRXV]

Ithaca’s population of Burmese and Karen refugees on the rise

&] /VMWXMR 0IJžIV

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

F

or 15 years, Nobel Htoo lived sur-­ rounded by limits: privileges due to her parents’ strictness, limited rations of rice, oil, salt and pepper each month, and the limiting fences that surrounded each Thai refugee camp VKH OLYHG LQ 6KH ZDV FRQĂ€QHG E\ UXOHV DQG ERXQGDULHV EXW KHU Ă€JKWLQJ VSLULW ran alongside her as she snuck out of the camp to cut wood in the jungle and teased her mind with thoughts of one day becoming a doctor. “I spent my whole life in refugee camps,â€? Htoo said. “You’re in a refu-­ gee camp inside fences. You have no rights, and inside the house you’re still guarded. We don’t see anyone who be-­ comes a doctor or anything like that. We don’t have a feeling we can become someone bigger because we don’t have high education or a job.â€? Now at 22-­years-­old, Htoo enters in a cafĂŠ at Tompkins Cortland Commu-­ nity College in Dryden, N.Y., dropping her backpack before sitting down, the WKXPS RI LW DJDLQVW WKH Ă RRU VLJQDOLQJ the end of a long day of classes. “I believe I’m good at math and biol-­ ogy,â€? she said. “I struggle. I study a lot, but I barely pass. I want to go to medi-­ cal school.â€? Only three years after she left the FRQĂ€QHV RI WKH UHIXJHH FDPSV LQ 7KDL-­ land to come to the United States, her life — although not without challenges — seems almost limitless. Htoo was born in Burma, but when VKH ZDV \HDUV ROG KHU IDPLO\ Ă HG WR 7KDLODQG DV WKH HWKQLF FRQĂ LFW EHWZHHQ the Karen ethnic group and the Bur-­ PHVH JRYHUQPHQW LQWHQVLĂ€HG 7KH FRQ-­ Ă LFW KDV FRQWLQXHG IRU RYHU D FHQWXU\ displacing over 800,000 people. There are currently around 150,000 Bur-­ mese and Karen refugees living in Thai refugee camps. In 2006, the U.S. State Depart-­ ment designated Burmese refugees a “population of special humanitarian concern,â€? marking the beginning of a steady stream of Burmese refugees into the U.S.. In recent years, Burmese people have made up one of the largest group of refugees in the U.S.. Accord-­ ing to the Burmese American Commu-­ nity Institute, between 2001 and July 2012, nearly 100,000 Burmese refu-­ gees resettled in the U.S., 100 of which live in Ithaca, N.Y. As more Burmese refugees resettled

20

in Ithaca, an informal network of vol-­ unteers stepped up to help “sponsorâ€? the families. The state agencies that originally placed the refugees were only obligated to help them for 90 days. “A lot of these agencies do depend on volunteer networks,â€? Margaret Myers, a retired librarian and long-­term Bur-­ mese refugee sponsor, said. “If some-­ one told me in 2006 that we’d still be at it six years later, I’d be surprised. It has been a lot more of a time com-­ mitment than I envisioned. In some cases it’s like they’re friends instead of people you’re helping.â€? $OWKRXJK WKHUH LV QR OHJDO RU Ă€QDQ-­ cial responsibility, sponsor’s tasks range from helping the families with paperwork for housing and social ser-­ vices, driving them to medical appoint-­ ments, and tutoring the children in reading. In many ways, they become advocates for the refugees. When Htoo and her family came to the United States in 2009, a large net-­ work of people supported them, check-­ ing to make sure their family felt safe. “They treat refugee families just like their families,â€? Htoo said. Although Htoo had a strong sup-­ port system, she learned to advocate for herself. Three days after arriving in New York, she started classes at Itha-­ ca High School and was told she only had three and a half years to complete the credits. “It was a struggle for me. In refugee camps you don’t learn things regularly so when I got here I felt so lost,â€? she said. “I thought I could understand English, but when people talked I just couldn’t understand anything.â€? She pushed through classes, speak-­ ing out when she felt like she should be challenged more or when she was KDYLQJ GLIĂ€FXOWLHV 1RW RQO\ GLG VKH graduate, but she also won several academic achievement awards and a scholarship. Now at community col-­ lege, she is working toward her goal of becoming a doctor. While living in refugee camps, she saw how inad-­ equate the medical treatment was. Her youngest sister fell ill in a camp in 2008. Medical personnel did not run any tests and her sister died 10 days later. “I experienced a lot of death and I feel like I’m used to it now,â€? she said.

“I’m sad, but I try to move on. I would say I’m strong. I don’t whine and I don’t cry and I don’t let other people feel bad. I stay quiet and I handle my situation.â€? Htoo often felt like she had to hide who she was while living in the refugee camp, knowing that she could not dis-­ obey her parents or cultural standards without consequences. She is not a citizen of any country, but will be ap-­ plying for U.S. citizenship soon. “I don’t know who to say I am. I don’t follow all the Karen rules and I don’t IROORZ DOO WKH $PHULFDQ UXOHV , GRQ¡W Ă€W into Karen because they treat the girls like housekeepers,â€? she said. “The only thing I have is I don’t forget my peo-­ ple. I used to be in a refugee camp so I know how they struggle.â€? She continues to help lessen the struggles that many older refugees en-­ dure in the U.S. She acts as a transla-­ tor for her mother and other adults in the Burmese and Karen communities who struggle with English. She began work within two months of arriving to the U.S., now she works at Shortstop making sandwiches to bring in some income. “I train myself just to be independent and not burden the family,â€? Htoo said. Although Htoo’s free-­spirit and risk-­ taking nature causes a bit of tension between her and her traditional moth-­ er, she is grateful for all her mother has done and acknowledges the hard-­ ship she had to endure. In high school, Htoo began making a documentary about the lives of her fellow Burmese and Karen Ithaca resi-­ dents. “When I asked the [adults] why they came here, they usually have one thing to say, they just came here for their kids,â€? she said. +WRR LV QR ORQJHU FRQĂ€QHG E\ FDPS boundaries or food rations, but her life in the U.S. hasn’t erased her past. “I don’t forget who I am and I prom-­ ised myself if I became someone here, I might go back and volunteer both in Burma and Thailand,â€? Htoo said. ____________________________________ .ULVWLQ /HIĂ HU LV D MXQLRU MRXUQDOLVP PD-­ jor who was inspired writing this story RI SHUVHYHUDQFH (PDLO KHU DW NOHIĂ H # ithaca.edu

Four For Fighting

Forgotten Fans in Financial Fiasco By Brittany Romano

F

said. Overall, the lockout was just a disagreement over what part of the league should get the majority of rev-­ enue: players or owners. But those who support this billion-­dollar indus-­ try experienced the true suffering: the fans. During this dispute, the fans were completely ignored. They were expected to wait patiently as the representatives of each side met for just minutes each week or sometimes re-­ fused to meet for weeks at a time. Fans were robbed of 510 games, includ-­ ing the N e w Y e a r s Day tra-­ dition of the Winter C l a s -­ sic, a c o v -­ e t e d game in the hockey w o r l d that is look forwarded to taff uzzs by B by fans all year e g Ima long. “Fans are a little frustrated,â€? said Ben Syer, Cornell University’s men’s hockey coach. “But more than anything they are just excited that the NHL is back and playing.â€? Why couldn’t that 11 percent of SURĂ€WV WKDW ZDV GLVSXWHG RYHU MXVW have gone to lowering ticket prices? The hockey community is known to have the most loyal fans out of any professional sport. The league counts RQ WKHVH GHGLFDWHG IDQV WR Ă€OO VHDWV WR HYHU\ JDPH WR Ă€OO WKHLU ZDOOHWV \HW when there is no NHL hockey being played they are ignored entirely.

Team and arena employees have also suffered in this lockout. They de-­ pend on the NHL season to get an av-­ erage salary. Their hard work is what makes it possible for the players and owners to make millions of dollars a year. Were the impending pay cuts and layoffs factored into the lockout? Not even a little. Think of the Los Angeles Kings, a WHDP WKDW ZRQ WKHLU Ă€UVW 6WDQOH\ &XS in 45 years just last season. What about all those new fans gained from the win? They are back to watching college football or a sport with less politics. The main issue with the 2012-­2013 lockout is the absence of thought given to the people that make the NHL what it is. Their allegiance was H[SHFWHG DQG WKHLU VDFULĂ€FHV WR WKH league completely ignored. After the agreement to end the lockout was made, the league made attempts at making amends to loyal fans. A full-­page apology was print-­ ed in major newspapers, discounted concessions and team apparel was of-­ fered, and open practices were made available. To Pittsburgh sports columnist, James Conley, these apology efforts were the bare minimum that the league could have done. “It seemed like something that was thrown out in a PR boardroom on a Friday after-­ noon. It was just a gimmick and not by any measure enough,â€? Conley said. This attempt at restitution is as su-­ SHUĂ€FLDO DV WKH WUHDW\ VLJQHG WR HQG the lockout: both are too little too late and are weak attempts at mending the even bigger problem of the players and the owners focusing too much on their bank accounts and not enough on the sport itself. ____________________________________ Brittney Romano is a junior journalism major who is always down to watch D JRRG KRFNH\ Ă€JKW (PDLO KHU DW EUR-­ PDQR #LWKDFD HGX

21

Upfront

or those of you who are not fa-­ miliar with the National Hock-­ ey League lockout, here is a quick overview of what went on this season: The NHL cancelled 510 games of the 2012-­2013 season because the owners and the players couldn’t agree on how to share the $3.3 billion in revenue earned every year. The lockout lasted from Sept. 15, 2012 to Jan. 12 of this year — lockout just being a fan-­ cy word for the players refus-­ ing to play any games until they reach an agree-­ ment with the NHL. The lockout lasted four months, meaning it took four whole months for the players and the own-­ ers to agree upon the share of rev-­ enue within the league. In the end, a 10-­year agreement was made with a cap on salaries per team of $64.3 million, down from the previous $67 million. New rules were put in place for contracts; a player’s salary may not drop more than 35 percent year-­to-­ year or more than 50 percent from their original salary. The terms on contracts went from a four year limit to a seven year limit. To Junior Ithaca College Student and hockey writer Geoffrey “Yasâ€? Guthe, this lockout was a sign of progress in the sport of hockey. “There has been a lot of growth with media coverage, hockey’s popularity and it has been growing in more un-­ traditional markets, so there is more [revenue] at stake to divvy up,â€? Guthe

Lettuce or Lamb?

Diet choices in a more sustainable food system By Ysabel Mullarky

M

ore than 16 billion animals are killed each year in the U.S., according to PETA. They’re used to feed and clothe Ameri-­ ca, but at the detriment of the animals and of the environment. The average meat-­eating American’s diet contrib-­ utes greenhouse gas emissions that are 85 percent produced by the rais-­ ing and killing of animals. A major-­ ity of the meat raised in the U.S. are from concentrated animal feeding op-­ erations. Doug Gurian-­Sherman, an executive at the Union of Concerned Scientists, published an investigation of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feed-­ ing Operations) that found the opera-­ tions perpetuate animal and human rights abuses. Even more upsetting, CAFOs are largely subsidized by the government and are therefore less-­ expensive for producers and consum-­ ers. So, what are the alternatives?

No animals, no thank you

Got milk?

Vegetarianism is a diet that ex-­ FOXGHV DQ\ DQLPDO ÁHVK EXW LQFOXGHV animal byproducts. This form of meat-­avoidance does prevent some of

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

Veganism is the most radical form of meat abstention and involves not eat-­ ing any animal byproducts. This diet falls within a pretty broad spectrum in the vegan community, as some even refuse to eat anything processed by a company that also sells meat. Farm Sanctuary is a local organiza-­ tion that promotes farm animal pro-­ tection and vegan living. They rescue

animals who have been abused by their owners or who had been previ-­ ously harmed in the farming process. Nick Cooney works as the compas-­ sionate communities campaign man-­ ager for Farm Sanctuary and said: “The goal is to have animals act as ambassadors for education and out-­ reach,” allowing people to see the real beings that go into their food. The farm rescues animals from meat and dairy production. “We’re usually called when there’s an abuse situa-­ tion or some other violation,” Cooney said. At Farm Sanctuary, animals are provided a home where they are free to live until they die naturally. Cooney said this allows the animals to be seen by the larger community, which spreads awareness. “The goal is most-­ ly education … using these animals to spread awareness and letting people make their own change,” he said. In this respect, Farm Sanctuary allows people to make informed choices about their own diets, more so than encouraging all farms to end their use of animals for food.

22

Photos by Rachel Orlow

the harmful environmental impacts of eating animals and their byproducts. Most of the methane released by large farms is produced by cows and pigs cultivated for their meat. Further-­ more, this is where some of the most cruel treatment of animals occurs. While veganism requires a shift to a mostly legume-­based diet — and usu-­ ally the addition of vitamin supple-­ ments, since there are very few natu-­ ral sources of Vitamin B12 or Fatty Acids in a vegan diet — in a vegetar-­ ian diet there are still sources of pro-­ tein like cheese and eggs. Carol Adams wrote in her book The Sexual Politics Of Meat that eating meat is a symbolic way of accepting traditional patriarchal structures. She points to several commercials and ad-­ vertisements that have drawn almost direct comparisons between women and meat. By refusing to eat animals and instead sustaining themselves with grains and greens, Adams said women can take a stand against the structures that seek to oppress them. Since this stand is entirely symbolic, WKHUH LV QR VSHFLÀF GLHWDU\ VWUXFWXUH that needs to be associated with it ex-­ cept abstaining from meat.

Fish are friends, and food

Pescatarians are much like vegetar-­ ians in that they don’t eat most meats, EXW WKH\ GR HDW ÀVK 7KLV LV RIWHQ FDW-­ egorized as a type of vegetarianism. The diet avoids many of the obvious cruelties of the meat industry, like the farming and killing of cows, pigs and chickens, but it does not avoid some of the cruelties perpetrated in the name RI ÀVKLQJ /DUJH VKULPS QHWV KDYH been known to catch endangered sea turtles and other underwater mam-­ mals in their wake. Senior Rachel Orlow has been a pescatarian for two and a half years. She started the diet her freshman year after eating at the dining halls. “My stomach has always been sensi-­ tive and the food just used to make me feel sick,” Orlow said. “So I cut out meat and I just tried to not eat dairy and that helped.” She gradually VWDUWHG HDWLQJ GDLU\ DQG ÀVK DJDLQ EXW has stayed away from other meats.

Shopping for Sustainable Foods in Ithaca Looking for local, sustainable and all-around delicious dining and buying options in the Ithaca foodie scene, then look no further than this handy-dandy list of the best locales in our favorite college town.

As a food photographer, Orlow said she was really interested in knowing where her food came from and how it was made. “That’s one of the nicest things about being in an apartment, being able to control what’s in my food, how it’s made,� Orlow said.

Clean, fresh and local

Ithaca Farmer’s Market This Ithaca staple is a must for all residents, and McDonald farm happens to have a stand. Visit between Jan. 12 and March 30 at The Space@Greenstar on Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and in April, you can go to the landmark Steamboat Landing for the traditional market experience, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Greenstar Cooperative Market A cool grocery store alternative, this market is owned by members of the cooperative and offers local, sustainable and organic foods. The main location is at 701 W. Buffalo St. and is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Moosewood Restaurant Ithaca’s world-famous natural foods restaurant has been in business since 1973 and has produced a dozen cookbooks. Located at 215 N Cayuga St., visit the eatery Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

23

Upfront

One dietary option not meat-­free is to eat only meat from small, sus-­ tainable farms. Unlike CAFOs, these farms do not contribute to environ-­ mental destruction and animal cru-­ elty. They are generally small in size and self-­sustaining, like the McDon-­ ald Family Farm located in Romulus, N.Y. Peter McDonald said he has three criteria for sustainable eating: clean, fresh and local. Though he said these three do not always come together. “It’s become clear now that grass fed meat is actually very healthy for the human body,â€? McDonald said, em-­ phasizing that cows and pigs’ natu-­ ral grazing and growing patterns are better for the animals and the people who eat them. McDonald Farm is unique in that the farm does not alter the diets or lifestyles of the animals in any way. “That’s one thing people get confused about,â€? McDonald said. “It’s the grain WKDW¡V PRGLĂ€HG QRW WKH DQLPDO Âľ 8Q-­ fortunately, some foods labeled or-­ ganic can be from animals fed geneti-­ FDOO\ PRGLĂ€HG FRUQ ´7KDW¡V PLVVLQJ two of the criteria; clean and fresh,â€? McDonald said. “It’s not sustainable.â€? Farms run like McDonald’s, though still resulting in the slaughter of ani-­ mals, do develop a relationship be-­ tween the farmer, the animals and the

land itself. Unfortunately, it can be hard to de-­ termine which farms are really sus-­ tainable and it can often be expensive, but with a little research and time, places like McDonald Farm can be found. 5RXJKO\ Ă€YH SHUFHQW RI $PHULFDQV identify as vegetarian, according to a 2012 Gallup poll. Only two per-­ FHQW LGHQWLĂ€HG DV VWULFW YHJDQV 7KHVH numbers have not dramatically in-­ creased since similar polls taken in the early and mid-­nineties, nor do WKH\ UHĂ HFW DQ LQFUHDVH LQ SHRSOH ZKR LGHQWLI\ WKHPVHOYHV DV ´à H[LWDULDQVÂľ — people who eat some dairy and meat products but not regularly, and largely from sustainable sources. In a nationwide survey by the Vegetarian Research Group, 22.8 million people reported a “vegetarian-­inclinedâ€? diet — indicating that they either often ate vegetarian meals or took care to use sustainable sources for their meat products — as opposed to the 7.3 mil-­ OLRQ ZKR LGHQWLĂ€HG DV VWULFWO\ YHJHWDU-­ ian. Responses like these show that U.S. consumers are becoming more conscious of where their food comes from, and what kinds of farming prac-­ tices they want to support. While a nationwide shift to veganism is not in the country’s immediate future, the U.S. has seen a growth in small, sus-­ tainable farms and consumers who support them. ____________________________________ <VDEHO 0XOODUN\ LV D IUHVKPDQ DSSOLHG SV\FKRORJ\ PDMRU ZKR WKLQNV SODQWV KDYH IHHOLQJV WRR (PDLO KHU DW \PXO-­ ODU #LWKDFD HGX

24

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

SAFE-ty First? Local implications for N.Y.’s gun control legislation By Pat Feeney

M

25

Upfront

MGLEIP /IIKER´W ½VIEVQW FYWMRIWW LEW WIIR a massive increase in patronage since midJanuary of this year. Keegan’ store, MounXEMRXST *MVIEVQW ERH +YRWQMXLMRK [LMGL STIRIH ½ZI years ago in Spencer, N.Y. has seen its business inGVIEWI XLVIIJSPH ERH MXW MRZIRXSV] SJ ½VIEVQW WIPP SYX completely. However, Keegan said he does not plan to restock the store in the immediate future — not until state legislature makes up its mind on recent gun laws.

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

With the passing of the NY SAFE Act on Jan. 15, several new restric-­ tions and policies have been pressed on gun ownership and sales that have been controversial among both sides of the second amendment de-­ bate. According to a survey by the Washington Post, for every 100 U.S. citizens, there are nearly 90 indi-­ YLGXDO Ă€UHDUPV RZQHG ² VRPH million guns amongst the nation’s population. The Post also reported WKDW WKHUH DUH RQ DYHUDJH WKUHH Ă€UH-­ arm-­caused homicides per 100,000 people in the U.S. In recent months, the conversa-­ tion on gun ownership has been brought back into the national spot-­ light after a number of violent inci-­ dents. On July 20 of last year, 12 people were killed and 58 injured in a mass shooting at a Century movie theater in Aurora, Col. On Dec.14, Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 chil-­ dren and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in New-­ town, Conn. These shootings, as well as several others, have reignited the debate on the extent of Second Amendment protections, the factor of mental health and whether to respond legis-­ latively to the incidents. 1HZ <RUN ZDV WKH Ă€UVW VWDWH WR JHQ-­ erate a legislative response to recent violence. The NY SAFE Act grows on SUHYLRXV Ă€UHDUP UHVWULFWLRQV E\ H[-­ SDQGLQJ RQ WKH GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI ´DVVDXOW weapons.â€? The law reduces the per-­ missible size of gun magazines from ten rounds to seven and requires gun owners to recertify their permits HYHU\ Ă€YH \HDUV ,W DOVR UHTXLUHV XQL-­ versal background checks. The act creates a system for mental health professionals to crosscheck patient information with the gun registra-­ tion database in an attempt to curb Ă€UHDUPV XVH E\ PHQWDOO\ LOO SDWLHQWV $VVDXOW ZHDSRQV ZHUH Ă€UVW EDQQHG in N.Y. in 1994, with most state poli-­ cies following the Federal Assault Weapons Ban pushed into law that year. The AWB, a subsection of the Violent Crime Control and Law En-­ IRUFHPHQW $FW GHĂ€QHG DVVDXOW ZHDS-­ RQV DV VHPL DXWRPDWLF Ă€UHDUPV WKDW possess features akin to fully-­au-­ WRPDWLF DVVDXOW ULĂ HV 7ZR RU PRUH features such as folding/telescoping VWRFNV Ă DVK VXSSUHVVRUV ED\RQHW mounts, and others, as well as com-­ patibility with detachable magazines, lended to the designation of “assault

26

weapon.â€? 8QGHU 1< 6$)( Ă€UHDUPV ZLWK RQH military-­style feature and detachable magazines are considered assault weapons and therefore banned. One PXVW QRW FRQIXVH ´DVVDXOW ULĂ HV Âľ standard issue for modern armies, DQG ´DVVDXOW ZHDSRQV Âľ ZKRVH GHĂ€-­ nition is legal in basis. However, the term “assault weaponsâ€? is controver-­ sial because of claims that the fea-­ tures banned by NY SAFE have been called cosmetic by gun rights advo-­ FDWHV 2QH ZHDSRQ WKH $5 ULĂ H comes in both consumer and military-­ grade models. Adam Lanza, who com-­ mitted the murders at Newtown, was reported to have used a Bushmaster XM15-­E2s, a variant of the AR-­15. The gun’s high magazine capacity, as well as the resemblance in appear-­ ance and features to its military-­grade UHODWLYH WKH 0 KDV SXW WKLV VSHFLĂ€F model in the middle of the recent de-­ bate. NY SAFE also requires therapists, who believe their mental health pa-­ tients pose a credible threat of vio-­ lence, report to a mental health direc-­ tor, who could potentially report the patient to the Department of Criminal -XVWLFH /DZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIĂ€FLDOV DUH DOORZHG WR SUHHPSWLYHO\ VHL]H Ă€UHDUPV if they have probable cause to believe the owner may be mentally unstable. These provisions arose from both the cases of Lanza, who showed signs of autism, and James Eagan Holmes, the shooter in Aurora, Col., who his attorneys claimed was a “psychiatric patient.â€? Since the act’s passing last month, voters and local governments with-­ in the state have been quick to de-­ nounce it. Most recently, Oswego county’s Government Courts and Consumer Affairs committee unani-­ mously passed a resolution to call for NY SAFE’s repeal. Nearly two dozen counties, including Ontario, Jeffer-­ son, and Niagara, are among those considering similar resolutions. To make matters worse, a recent poll by Quinnipiac University showed N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s approval rating dropped 15 percent after the passing of the act. Thirty-­four percent of respondents said the act creates too much restriction in gun ownership. Cuomo said on Jan. 16, when sign-­ ing the act into the law, that it would combat gun violence through com-­ mon sense. “When society confronts serious is-­ sues, it is the function of government

to do something,â€? Cuomo said. “The NY SAFE Act will now give New York State the toughest, strongest protec-­ tions against gun violence in the na-­ tion.â€? /RFDO RIĂ€FLDOV KDYH QRW GLVFXVVHG the issue in immense detail since the Newtown shooting. Tom Reed, repre-­ sentative of the 22nd district, has not made a statement regarding gun leg-­ islation, although he has said in the past that the second amendment is a fundamental right. Richard Han-­ na, representative of the 21st district, voiced his concerns regarding mental health and gun control during a visit to Cazenovia high school in Madison County. “It is the idea that the people com-­ mitting these crimes are also mani-­ acs,â€? Hanna said. “How do you keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them or use them ir-­ responsibly?â€? On the national level, activism JURXSV OLNH WKH 1DWLRQDO 5LĂ H $VVR-­ ciation have been vehement in their protests against these legislations. In an editorial published in USA Today, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice presi-­ dent of the NRA, complained that sys-­ tems such as universal background checks would fail to stop criminals and the mentally ill from obtaining Ă€UHDUPV “For the past 20 years, government has failed to include records even for those who have been judged mentally ill by a court,â€? LaPierre said. “Imagine the outcry over privacy rights! Those records will never be part of the ‘uni-­ verse.’â€? Keegan said that many of his cus-­ tomers believe these laws are against their constitutional rights. “I don’t think I’ve met any custom-­ ers who’ve come in that agree that WKH\¡OO UHJLVWHU WKHLU Ă€UHDUPV Âľ .HHJDQ said. “They feel that its’ taken away their ability to protect their families. This is not only from avid gun people but also those that have guns exclu-­ sively for protection.â€? The bans on certain features have caused some of the most uproar from gun owners and second amendment advocates, such as the magazine round limits to seven shots, down from 10 in New York. After Lanza used weapons with 30-­round magazines in Newtown, legislators and anti-­gun advocates quickly called for the new provision. Since the passing of the NY SAFE act, however, sales of semiautomatic

residents for pickup early Jnuary. In the middle of the debate is the GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI WKH 6HFRQG $PHQGPHQW which states: “a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be in-­ fringed.â€? The limits of its applicability are up to constant personal and legal reinterpretation, and varying personal interpretations can even be seen on our very own campus and city. Politics lecturer Simon Gilhooley said he interprets the Second Amend-­ ment through the Supreme Court’s decision in 8QLWHG 6WDWHV Y 0LOOHU (1939), in which the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms within the scope of organized militias. “In terms of contemporary policy, I would take that to mean that the gov-­ ernment has the power to regulate gun ownership in terms of restricting certain types of weapons in the realm of non-­military use,â€? Gilhooley said. Keegan does not agree with in-­ creased restriction. He said the only way to prevent violence is a combi-­ nation of criminal law and Second Amendment protection so citizens may protect themselves. “Guns don’t kill people. It’s the people using guns,â€? Keegan said. “We need to protect ourselves from these people with both legislation and per-­ sonal protection.â€? ____________________________________ Pat Feeney is a junior journalism major ZKR EHOLHYHV LQ WKH ULJKWV IRU EHDUV WR KDYH DUPVÂŤRU VRPHWKLQJ OLNH WKDW (PDLO KLP DW SIHHQH\ #LWKDFD HGX

The John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, N.Y. and a project of the Center For Crime Prevention and Control has been working for 15 years to reduce violence and eliminate drug markets. Recently, they’ve targeted gun violence through the program Safer Communities. - More than 50 U.S. cities are involved in the Center’s project to reduce violent crime. - The group violence reduction WXVEXIK] 'IEWI½VI [EW ½VWX developed in Boston, Mass. According to The National Network For Safe 'SQQYRMXMIW XLI 'IEWI½VI strategy has three key elements to be implemented in order for the program to succeed. 1) It communicates to groups the community’s strong desire that violence stop and that the offenders are valued to the community and wanted to succeed. 2) It offers help to group members who want help. 3) It creates certain and credible consequences for homicide and shootings that are directed at the group as a whole. Research shows the program MW LEZMRK E HI½RMXI MQTEGX SR cities enacting this strategy. 8LI X]TMGEP MQTEGX SJ 'IEWI½VI ½KYVIW MW E XS TIVGIRX reduction in homicides. - In High Point, N.C., this approach has reduced violent crime by 53 percent. - An evaluation of Boston showed a 50% drop in homicides citywide and a two-thirds reduction in homicide among men aged 24 and younger. -John Jay College of Criminal Justice

27

Upfront

Ă€UHDUPV VXFK DV WKH $5 DQG LWV variants has risen off the charts. Ac-­ cording to the New York Times, stores DUH QRZ FKDUJLQJ GRXEOH IRU WKH Ă€UH-­ arm — if it isn’t sold out. The reasoning behind this rise in sales and interest in the weapons, Keegan said, is because these limi-­ tations under the new act don’t just limit what features guns are legally al-­ lowed to have — it rather makes cer-­ WDLQ OLQHV RI Ă€UHDUPV HQWLUHO\ LOOHJDO For example, the AR-­15 and its vari-­ ants, as sold in New York, only violate the new law due to their pistol grips. However, since all AR-­15s are built with pistol grips, they can no longer be legally sold or owned in the state. Keegan said the semi-­automatic AR-­ 15 available to consumers couldn’t be compared to the fully-­automatic, military-­grade alternative. “The civilian AR-­15 is only a look-­ alike of the military AR-­15. It’s a hunting weapon,â€? Keegan said. “You don’t need ten rounds in the woods. If you do, then you need to practice a lot more.â€? Advocates have also taken issue with what affects the legislation could KDYH RQ ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIĂ€FLDOV 7KH standard-­issue pistol used by police RIĂ€FHUV VWDWHZLGH WKH *ORFN XVHV magazines no smaller than 10 rounds. Although no changes have been made to the law yet to accommodate this problem, Cuomo’s spokesman Mat-­ thew Wing said the new act will not affect law enforcement. ´1R SROLFH RIĂ€FHU SRVVHVVLQJ >DQ@ ammunition clip with more than sev-­ en bullets is in violation of the law or guilty of any crime, period,â€? Wing said. The City of Ithaca had a number of LQLWLDWLYHV WR SURPRWH VDIHU Ă€UHDUPV usage, outside of recent events. On Jan. 5, the police department, in con-­ junction with the Tompkins County Sheriff’s department, hosted a long-­ planned program to allow people own-­ ing illegal or unsecured guns to sur-­ render them without consequence. 1HDUO\ LQGLYLGXDO Ă€UHDUPV ZHUH collected. Gun rights protestors were SUHVHQW DW WKH HYHQW EXW ORFDO RIĂ€FLDOV said they believed the buy back was a success. “This program was designed to help get guns off the street, and this pro-­ gram did just that,â€? Ken Lansing, Tompkins County sheriff, said about the event. The two departments also provided free gun locks to Tompkins County

28

OL. MINISTRYofCOOL. MI

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

Through A New Lens

*IQEPI ½PQQEOIVW VITVIWIRXIH EX 7YRHERGI +RZHYHU WKLV \HDU¡V Sundance statistics are not representative of the IHPDOH SUHVHQFH LQ Ă€OP industry as a whole, which has a history of being particularly male-­ dominated. Actresses aside, the number of ZRPHQ ZRUNLQJ LQ Ă€OP is still disappointing; it’s still considered a rarity for a woman to work behind the camera as a screenwriter, c i n e m a t o g r a p h e r, or director. Women RQO\ FRPSULVHG percent of directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the WRS GRPHVWLF JURVVLQJ Ă€OPV LQ DFFRUGLQJ WR D UHFHQW UHSRUW from The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film. Silverstein noted that in order to act as role models for younger girls DVSLULQJ WR EHFRPH LQYROYHG LQ Ă€OP it’s important for women to move up LQ WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ WR WKHVH SRVLWLRQV “The more female role models we have, not just as actresses, but as producers, and directors and stuff like that, young girls go, ‘oh, maybe that’s a job I can have.’ That’s why we need to have more women visible and more women at all levels.â€? The equal number of male and female directors in the U.S. Dramatic Competition this year does mark a small step forward for women in certain corners of the independent Ă€OPPDNLQJ ZRUOG “I think what this says is that women are making great strides LQ WKH LQGHSHQGHQW Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ Âľ said Silverstein. “With this new digital world, women are taking up the cameras as much as their male counterparts.â€? Still, WKLV SDWWHUQ LV QRW \HW UHĂ HFWHG E\ WKH UHVW RI WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ “You have to look at the statistics,â€? Silverstein pointed out. “Why is there no woman director nominated for best director here at the Oscars? These are

not good signs.â€? ´&RQVLGHULQJ WKH QXPEHU RI Ă€OPV directed by women is relatively low, , ZRXOG VD\ WKHUH UHPDLQV D GHĂ€QLWH bias against female directors.â€? Tropiano agrees. Silverstein argues that as a culture, we need to be active in seeking out SRVLWLRQV IRU ZRPHQ LQ Ă€OP DQG WKH statistics from Women in Film and 7KH 6XQGDQFH ,QVWLWXWH DJUHH percent of people said that one of the best ways to “change the status quoâ€? RI ZRPHQ LQ Ă€OP LV WR PHQWRU DQG encourage young women early on. ´8SRQ RFFDVLRQ WKHUH LV D Ă€OP directed by a woman, written by a woman, starring a woman, that is playing at the multiplex.â€? Silverstein said. “What I am encouraging people to do is to stand up and say, ‘why don’t we see this movie this week’? Really empowering women with information so that they go into the movies knowing what’s out there and just embracing the diversity of choices.â€? ____________________________________ Samantha Guter is freshman journalism major who will be the next female Tommy Wiseau. Email her at sguter1@ithaca.edu

Ministry of Cool

Finally, an equal split. Eight out of the 16 directors in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category of the Sundance Festival this year were women. This is a rare occurrence in any industry in our country (or world) today, especially when it is in Ă€OP ZRPHQ RQO\ Ă€OO SHUFHQW RI DOO MREV LQ WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ DFFRUGLQJ to a recently released report by the Sundance Institute and Women in Film. While the U.S. is still far from having equal representation of men DQG ZRPHQ LQ PDQ\ Ă€HOGV WKH HTXDO split between men and women in WKLV FRPSHWLWLRQ PDUNV D Ă€UVW LQ DQ industry where women have long been a minority. “I think the feminist movement affects everything,â€? Melissa Silverstein said. Silverstein is the founder and editor of Indiewire’s blog Women and Hollywood. “It’s an industry, it’s a business, it’s about commerce, but it’s also about dreams and aspirations and role models and stories.â€? The Sundance Festival was created E\ 5REHUW 5HGIRUG LQ +LV organization, The Sundance Institute, IXQFWLRQV DV D QRQSURĂ€W RUJDQL]DWLRQ “that actively advances the work of risk-­taking storytellers worldwide,â€? according to Sundance.org. The festival aims to give stories a chance to make it to the screen and is held every winter. “As the work of many female directors is independently made (not Ă€QDQFHG E\ D VWXGLR 6XQGDQFH DQG other festivals provide the perfect venue to screen their work. Sundance has changed over the years — it has become so much more commercial,â€? said Stephen Tropiano, director of the Pendleton Center in Los Angeles. Each of the female directors in the U.S. Dramatic Competition also ZURWH RU FR ZURWH WKHLU Ă€OPV DQG many acted as producers, editors, DQG DFWUHVVHV 7KH Ă€OP In a World‌ is a particularly notable example of RQH ZRPDQ Ă€OOLQJ LQ PDQ\ UROHV LQ D work’s creation. Lake Bell is writer, director, producer and star of the Ă€OP 6HYHUDO RWKHU IHPDOH GLUHFWRUV DOVR PDGH WKHLU Ă€OP GHEXW DW WKLV year’s festival.

Image by Karissa Breuer

By Samantha Guter

29

It Figures

8LI MRžYIRGI SJ RYQFIVW MR TSTYPEV GYPXYVI By Kyle Robertson

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

H

uman civilization has always been dependent on numerical systems to promote order, uniformity and stability. From Sumerians and Egyptians to Greeks and Arabs, the most advanced early cultures were the ones founded on consistent mathematical principles that represented the rule of logic over FKDRV DQG WKH VFLHQWLĂ€F LGHD WKDW WKHUH is a pattern to the events we witness. %H\RQG WKH VFLHQWLĂ€F XVHV RI numbers, however, we move into the realm of conspiracy theories and superstition that are imbedded deep within our popular culture. Certain numbers have become staples of our mentalities simply because a single person used them as a theme in a wider work. Others have attracted attention for unusual, sometimes seemingly connected occurrences in daily life or historical events. A prime example of this phenomenon LV WKH QXPEHU 3RSXODUL]HG E\ -LP &DUUH\¡V SV\FKRORJLFDO WKULOOHU Ă€OP The Number 23, the origin of the ´ HQLJPDÂľ FDQ EH WUDFHG EDFN WR WKH V DQG Ă€FWLRQ ZULWHU :LOOLDP S. Burroughs. After observing several events directly or indirectly tied to the QXPEHU VXFK DV WKH SLORW RI WKH FUDVKHG )OLJKW DQG WKH FDSWDLQ RI D wrecked sailing ship, who had sailed \HDUV ZLWKRXW LQFLGHQW KDYLQJ the same name, Burroughs focused intensely on the number and its possible hidden meanings. Robert Goldberg, professor of American history at the University of Utah and author of the book Enemies Within: the Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America, said that the development of such conspiracy theories in the U.S. is due to several KLVWRULFDO IDFWRUV VXVSLFLRQ RI D strong centralized government, the belief that the essential good America supposedly represents inevitably attracts evil to destroy it, and a fear that the country’s unity may make it vulnerable to enemies from within. Goldberg said part of the reason such theories have staying power is not only the conspiracy buffs themselves, but their portrayal by the media. ´+ROO\ZRRG HQWHUWDLQV XV ZLWK D steady diet of conspiracy thinking;

30

that conspiracies are real, that they have power and that they seek to do us harm,â€? Goldberg said. “In that kind of environment a person can come to believe in their power a lot easier.â€? Goldberg also said conspiracy obsession can arise out of a person’s own subconscious desires. “For some people, conspiracies give order to the random, and clarity out of ambiguity; that they are privy to some secret knowledge and that they can use it to change things,â€? Goldberg said. “Conspiracies assure people that for whatever they think is going wrong WKHUH DUH GHĂ€QLWH FXOSULWV RXW WKHUH ZKR KDYH EHHQ LGHQWLĂ€HG DQG ZKR FDQ be stopped. That kind of idea provides a great deal of security and emotional stability.â€? Another example involves the VLJQLĂ€FDQFH RI WKH QXPEHU appearing in the works of English satirist and author Douglas Adams. :KHQ SHQQLQJ WKH VFL Ă€ FXOW FODVVLF series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, at one point Adams postulates that the answer to the ultimate question of “life, the universe and everythingâ€? is best interpreted as the QXPEHU :KHQ WKH FKDUDFWHUV LQ the story express dissatisfaction with the answer, they learn that it doesn’t make sense to them because they also don’t understand the question. As Adams wrote more additions to the Guide VHULHV WKH QXPEHU began to appear everywhere, from the number of chapters in one of his books WR WKH VWUHHW DGGUHVV RI D Ă€FWLRQDO EDU Adams even created a special puzzle, FDOOHG WKH 3X]]OH IRU IDQV ZKR were obsessed with discovering the VLJQLĂ€FDQFH RI WKH QXPEHU $GDPV himself received no end of amusement from craze he had started, though WKHUH LV QR GHĂ€QLWH DQVZHU WR ZKDW caused him to choose the number :KLOH VRPH HQWKXVLDVWV VSHFXODWH that he was inspired by the works of fellow British writer Lewis Carroll, ZKR DOVR XVHG WKH QXPEHU DV D recurring motif in stories such as Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-­Glass, others believe that it was originally a stand-­alone joke and chosen completely at random. In terms of current media, fewer

numbers have a more zealous following WKDQ WKH VHTXHQFH DQG WKDW DSSHDUHG DV D UHFXUULQJ enigma on the television series Lost. The numbers, which added together HTXDO DQRWKHU P\VWHULRXV reoccurring number in the show), were seen in nearly every aspect of the show. Overwhelmingly considered as a special sign in the show’s context, the numbers have inspired legions of fans to enter them on lottery tickets in hopes that they really do contain power. -R\ 6SHUOLQJ D SURIHVVRU RI DUW history at Denison University and president of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, said she believes numbers serve as markers of place in popular culture to tie people or characters to Ă€[HG FRQFHSWV OLNH VRFLDO VWDWXV Sperling said the anchoring power of numbers in our minds makes us feel secure, and that advertisers often use this knowledge to their advantage. “A magazine title that offers a reader œÀYH ZD\V WR UHPRYH EHOO\ IDW¡ ZLOO GUDZ many more customers than one that simply gives ‘strategies to remove belly fat’,â€? Sperling said. “It’s not open-­ended, and as a marker of place \RX FDQ JHW D TXLFN Ă€[ ZKHQ XVLQJ concrete terms like numbers.â€? Sperling also said that like many other people, she became obsessed with the hype surrounding Lost’s numbers and felt very let down when their meaning was left unexplained. “We want stories to explain the mysteries of life to us in a simple manner that we can understand,â€? Sperling said. “A lot of times we consider numbers to have some kind of mystical charge so that we still get a sense of excitement and wonder out of a supposedly cut-­and-­dry rational system like math. In high culture LW¡V XVXDOO\ Ă€QH WR OHDYH VRPHWKLQJ open-­ended so people can ponder it philosophically, but in popular culture we want the comfort and solidity of answers to these questions.â€? ____________________________________ Kyle Robertson is a junior journalism major who doesn’t care about your Lost theories. Email him at krobert4@ithaca. edu.

An Added Focus

1EXL SYXVIEGL MR %QIVMGER QMHHPI ERH LMKL WGLSSPW By Amanda Hutchinson

I

elementary school said. Grossman said that parents, The IC Math Club started working teachers, and anyone interested in with Belle Sherman because the math help provide “very basic math in school, which is large and has many a very fun way to the whole school.â€? students from low-­income families, Even the more advanced kids will still reached out to the club to provide learn something from the activities free activities for the kids. Many of they do, which include card games, these activities, such as marshmallow spatial activities, and even a little g e o m e t r y , bit of game theory. tangrams and Teachers also try fruit snack to incorporate graphs, were other departments inspired by the into the activities, “math magic including physical tricksâ€? of retired education, and the SURIHVVRU -RKQ IC Math Club held Maceli. games in the library “From that, during study halls. we got the idea “The whole idea is to do things that to get a lot of math were fun and things that are not engaging for kids what you would but also stemmed think are math from using things,â€? Grossman mathematics,â€? VDLG ´+RSHIXOO\ Borcyk said. “We they will be less try to keep it afraid of math later really hands on.â€? on.â€? The goal at Like any program, Belle Sherman is these outreach to provide each events aren’t perfect. Image by Kennis Ku student with one-­ Once a year isn’t on-­one learning opportunities to give very much time to engage kids and them a feeling of satisfaction and foster inspire an interest in math, especially a positive feeling from completing their in those who don’t already like it. activities. The evening times enable “The middle school is harder because parents to engage in the activities kids are more worried about being with their kids cool, especially during the school At Boynton Middle, the approach GD\ Âľ %RUF\N VDLG +RZHYHU WKH is more group-­based, and the school programming within the district has sponsors a yearly math day to inspire ODUJHO\ EHHQ D VXFFHVV DQG (QĂ€HOG interest in kids who don’t have much Elementary expressed interest in existing appreciation for math. Yuval starting a program similar to that of Grossman, a physics professor Boynton. at Cornell, became involved with Though necessary for the success of the Boynton program through his the country, math education reform children’s participation in the middle won’t happen overnight, but outreach school’s math club. work such as the Belle Sherman and “There are two levels [of Boynton programming is a small step extracurricular math programming] in the direction toward preparing the at Boynton,â€? Grossman said. “One next generation for success. level is for the kids who are really into ____________________________________ math, and they have the math club, Amanda Hutchinson is a sophomore which is much more advanced topics. journalism major who can solve a In Math Day, the idea is to actually Rubik’s Cube... eventually. Email her reach for those kids who are not DW DKXWFKL #LWKDFD HGX excited about math.â€?

Ministry of Cool

n an increasingly competitive academic environment, students no longer merely compete against one another for higher test scores. Today, in addition to the dreaded standardized state testing, middle and high school students are periodically tested by the federal Department of Education, which measures and compares their academic performance to that of students in other countries. The Program for International Student Assessment, for example, FRPSDUHV \HDU ROG VWXGHQWV LQ WKH United States to their international SHHUV LQ PDWKHPDWLF OLWHUDF\ ,Q SHUFHQW RI VWXGHQWV VFRUHG DW D SURĂ€FLHQF\ OHYHO RI RU KLJKHU RQ D scale of 1-­6, whereas the international DYHUDJH ZDV SHUFHQW RI VWXGHQWV scoring at this level. Overall scores in PISA as well as other studies conducted by the Department of Education have increased over the SDVW IHZ GHFDGHV +RZHYHU WKH JDSV in both domestic and international student mathematic achievements have garnered the attention of education boards on both local and national levels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employers plan WR KLUH PLOOLRQ HPSOR\HHV LQ 67(0 (Science, Technology, Engineering, DQG 0DWK RFFXSDWLRQV E\ but these studies suggest that U.S. students simply aren’t prepared for STEM work. Education departments are seeking ways to mitigate these gaps, and outreach programming is one that is being implemented within the Ithaca City School District. The Ithaca College Math Club, run by senior math major Taylor Borcyk, works with students at Belle Sherman Elementary and Boynton Middle to provide positive and fun math experiences to younger kids in the community. The partnership involves family nights as well as in-­school math days for the students. For two years running, the PTA at Belle Sherman put on an evening math night for Belle Sherman families. “The Math Club came out in full force with hands-­on education games and activities,â€? Leia Raphaelidis, parent and PTA member at the

31

The Number of the Beast

,MWXSV] FILMRH XLI QEVOMRKW SJ XLI ERXMGLVMWX By Sydney Fusto

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

W

hether you’re a devil worshipper or a religious skeptic, you’ve probably encountered the number “666â€? and some of the superstitions that follow. The connotations of this number in popular culture are so VWURQJ WKHUH LV HYHQ D VSHFLĂ€F ZRUG IRU WKH IHDU RI WKH QXPEHU +H[DNRVLRLKH[HNRQWDKH[DSKRELD Still, surprisingly enough, many people are unaware of its Biblical RULJLQV 7KH VSHFLĂ€F QXPEHU LV mentioned in the Book of Revelation, as a mark for the sinister beast who is controlled by Satan himself. Though the beast and the number 666 are related to Satan, it appears that the number itself is currently viewed as more of a modern cultural superstition than a Biblical prophecy. The recently cancelled ABC show “666 Park Avenueâ€? became the subject of controversy after being protested by the group One Million Moms, for having the feared number in its title. Another cause of alarm for some is the logo of Monster energy drink, which most think is the claw mark of the “Monsterâ€? the drink is referencing, but others believe is actually a secret salute to Satan. 7KH PDUNV DUH VLPLODU WR WKH +HEUHZ number and letter Vav, which is the numerical equivalent to six. The three marks in a row on the logo would then translate to 666. I suppose it doesn’t help that at the bottom of the can is VD\V ´8QOHDVK WKH %HDVW Âľ +RZHYHU I highly doubt the Antichrist would recruit his evil minions through an obnoxious energy drink. But aside from the occasional paranoia over 666, it’s easy to overlook its Biblical roots. The Book of Revelation is one of the last books of the New Testament and the only book in the Bible that references the number 666 in relation to the Beast. The beast is described as a hodgepodge of monstrous spare parts. It has seven heads and ten horns, and the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear and a mouth of a lion. 7KH Ă€QDO SDVVDJH RI 5HYHODWLRQ HQGV with the sentence, “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is

32

the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.â€? +RZHYHU DOWHUQDWLYH DQG OHVV OLWHUDO interpretations of the beast exist as well. One theory, which originated in the Lutheran church, was that the beast actually represents the Catholic Church. Pastor Robert Foote of Trinity Lutheran Church in Ithaca says that most modern Lutherans do not believe that the Catholic Church itself or the SRSH DUH WKH $QWLFKULVW +H H[SODLQV WKDW the reasoning behind this sentiment was that the papacy during Martin Luther’s time was behaving in an anti-­Christ way, according to Luther’s beliefs. “The history behind that is technically the papacy sees itself as‌ the vicar of Christ; that they are Christ on earth. And Luther had problems with that,â€? Foote explained, because calling oneself God is considered blasphemy. Foote says that the nature of “666â€? as revealed by Christian scripture’s numeric symbolism—where the number seven represents an ideal—further demonstrates the relationship between God and Satan. “The symbol 666 represents a shortcoming‌ Satan is always something less than God, although he tried to make himself out to be God,â€? Foote said. “Six would be one short of seven‌ so it doesn’t represent a perfect relationship with God and man. And so traditionally most scholars have said that the repeating of six is emphasizing the inadequacy of Satan and his kingdom as it relates to mankind.â€? According to other scholars, the “beastâ€? mentioned in Revelation may actually have been the Roman Emperor Nero, who was known to have persecuted Christians during his reign. A further cause of concern for some is that when Nero’s name is translated LQWR +HEUHZ WKH QXPHULFDO YDOXHV RI the resulting letters add up to a total of 666. Numbers whose individual digits add up to 666 in this fashion are known as “evilâ€? numbers and as a result their appearances are feared E\ VRPH +RZHYHU WKRVH ZKR IHDU WKLV combination are destined to run into it with surprising frequency, given the mathematical properties of 666. “It happens with many, many

numbers,â€? said David Brown, a professor of mathematics at Ithaca College. “It turns out that if you do the PDWKHPDWLFDO DQDO\VLV D OLWWOH RYHU percent of all numbers should have this property.â€? In other words, even for all the superstition and controversy, many of the number’s appearances are likely entirely coincidental. Still, not everyone sees it that way. The very small, very religious town of Reeves, Louisiana, fought to change its 666 area code with four failed attempts RYHU \HDUV EHIRUH Ă€QDOO\ EHLQJ DEOH WR VZLWFK WKH SUHĂ€[ WR LQ 2WKHUV IHDUHG WKDW -XQH ÂłD GDWH ZULWWHQ RXW DV ÂłZRXOG EH the day of the apocalypse. Reverand 7LP /D+D\H DXWKRU RI WKH &KULVWLDQ rapture series Left Behind, said in an interview with the Associated Press that this seemingly satanic date ZDV QRW DFWXDOO\ WKH VSHFLĂ€F GDWH RI the “End of Daysâ€? but it marked the beginning of the true apocalypse. On DQ LQWHUHVWLQJ QRWH WKH Ă€QDO ERRN LQ his series, “Rapture,â€? came out on -XQH DQG ZDV VROG IRU Whether or not 666 represents Nero’s kingdom, the hypocrisy of the papacy, or a blasphemous leopard monster, it just goes to show how a number that began in scripture evolved into a symbol of pure evil. Now it’s shrouded in myth in our movies, television, and RQ WKH FDQV RI \RXU HQHUJ\ Ă€[ :LWK VR many explanations of the number, it’s hard to know which one to believe. The best we can do is to avoid all things WKDW HQG LQ -XVW WR EH VDIH _____________________________________ Sydney Fusto is a sophomore journalism major whose last three digits of her phone number are really 666. Email her at sfusto1@ithaca.edu.

Exit Stage Left

8LI VMWI ERH JEPP SJ XLI QYWMGEP QSZMI Miranda Materazzo

L

the musical? The Devil’s music, rock and roll! Once the American musical landscape expanded to include Elvis, The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, people found they could get their satisfaction from somewhere other WKDQ %URDGZD\ ,Q ZKHQ URFN and roll was beginning to take over, the PRVW SRSXODU VRQJ ZDV (OYLV¡V ´+RXQG Dogâ€? which spent 11 weeks at #1. But musicals fought for popularity too. The original recording of West Side Story’s VRXQGWUDFN UHOHDVHG LQ VSHQG ZHHNV DW RQ WKH %LOOERDUG FKDUWV Music, in all its forms, has always been a way for people to express WKHLU IHHOLQJV EH LW $QQH +DWKDZD\¡V Fantine singing about the dreams she GUHDPHG RU 0LFKDHO -DFNVRQ VWDUWLQJ with the man in the mirror. That emotion is another driving force, along with story, behind the popularity of musicals. Les Miserables is still doing well at awards shows and has earned PLOOLRQ LQ $PHULFD DORQH %XW ELJ ER[ RIĂ€FH KLWV OLNH Les Mis (that really only come around every few years; think RENT, Chicago, Mama Mia) often falsely lead people to think musicals are on the rise. Regardless of what the musical is about, it has the power to move people. And music, both Broadway and pop, has always been a way for a nation WR UHĂ HFW 0RYLH JRLQJ RI DOO VRUWV KDV served as a kind of escapism too, so anything that combines the two like a musical can double that effect. ´+ROO\ZRRG KDV KLVWRULFDOO\ EHHQ described as a ‘Dream Factory’ because it mass produces fantasies and dreams and fuels our desire for escapism, a desire which is even more pronounced in the toughest times,â€? Andrew Utterson, assistant professor of cinema and photography at Ithaca College, said. ,Q DW WKH KHLJKW RI WKH *UHDW Depression, one of the most popular movies was King Kong, about traveling WR H[RWLF 6NXOO ,VODQG DQG Ă€JKWLQJ IDQWDVWLF EHDVWV ,Q WKH \HDU WKH Axis powers had made their farthest advance into Russia, the sixth-­highest JURVVLQJ Ă€OP ZDV D PXVLFDO FRPHG\ called Springtime in the Rockies. In ZKHQ WKH 9LHWQDP :DU ZDV LQ full swing and the Altamont Festival

brought the hippie era to a bloody end, the American public was infatuated with the Wild West, -DPHV %RQG DQG URDG PRYLHV The musical Hello, Dolly! was also released this year, which did not HDUQ PXFK LQ WKH ER[ RIĂ€FH RQO\ PLOOLRQ IURP D PLOOLRQ budget) but it was also the fourth ELJJHVW JURVVLQJ Ă€OP WKDW \HDU Thom Warren says that musicals are about escapism too. “The successful musicals...that were born out of the aftermath RI IRFXVHG RQ RSWLPLVP humor, and the American dream.â€? Musicals also allow society to see itself, to take a step back and ODXJK RU HYHQ UHĂ HFW This is really no surprise, though, that movies of any sort serve as escapist vehicles. If we want to visit another time or world, it’s only a ticket or push of a button away. The release of Avatar LQ PDGH D ZKRSSLQJ PLOOLRQ GROODUV DW WKH ER[ RIĂ€FH DQG VXUSULVHG HYHU\RQH E\ surpassing even Titanic, which had held the record for highest JURVVLQJ Ă€OP RI DOO WLPH 7KRXJK the movie industry is evolving and H[SDQGLQJ WR '9'V %OX 5D\V and On-­Demand, it will continue to grow alongside with musicals. “At the end of a tough day, immersing oneself in a movie, removing ourselves from one world and inhabiting the world of the movie for an hour and a half or so, is very pleasurable as a form of escape,â€? Utterson said. For some of us, that sanctuary world is one where people burst into song, for others it’s Middle-­ (DUWK +RJZDUWV RU D JDOD[\ IDU far away. As long as people are looking for an escape in music and movies, they will look to musicals to sing from the rooftops what they can’t quite say. _________________________________ Miranda Materazzo is a freshman journalism major who is changing her ID number to 24601. Email her at mmatera1@ithaca.edu.

33

Ministry of Cool

ove them or hate them, there’s no escaping musicals. Every year D Ă€OP YHUVLRQ RI RQH XVXDOO\ a rehashed version of a stage play, comes out (and somehow gets put in the same category as the comedies during awards season). But what causes musicals to divide people so much? Their inherently fantastical and unrealistic nature makes some people VLQJ DQG RWKHUV ZDYH WKH ZKLWH Ă DJ 6R what is it, in the age of The Expendables 2 and Movie 43 that makes people still laud musicals? Seasoned Broadway actor and New York Film Academy musical theater history professor Thom Christopher Warren says it all comes down to storytelling. Sure, you can be entertained for two hours while Liam Neeson tries to get his family back for the eighth time, or you can agonize ZLWK 7RP +DQNV DV KH GHFLGHV LI KH really can execute the innocent Michael Clarke Duncan. Warren believes the UHVXUJHQW SRSXODULW\ RI PXVLFDO Ă€OPV is due to a recent rise in cultural demand. ´7KH VXFFHVV RI WKH Ă€OPV KDV UHOLHG more on the creative genius behind the camera... America wants to see good musicals,â€? Warren said. A new age of pop culture has emerged as well, one where both the music we hear on the radio and on stage serves as America’s musical voice. But Warren says that the popularity of musical theater probably will never reach the pinnacle it did during the V DQG V 3HRSOH ZHUH HDJHU WR EH GLVWUDFWHG LQ WKH V HVSHFLDOO\ during wartime, with musicals like Carousel, Oklahoma! and 6RXWK 3DFLĂ€F. 6RXWK 3DFLĂ€F ZDV UHOHDVHG LQ WR record popularity, gained the Pulitzer 3UL]H IRU 'UDPD LQ ZRQ WHQ 7RQ\ $ZDUGV DQG JURVVHG RYHU PLOOLRQ Many musicals from this period comforted viewers with themes of the American Dream and heroes to root for. “Our tastes are far too varied and polarized now to make musicals as famous as they were during the Golden Age,â€? Warren said. But if some believe the Golden Age of musicals has come and gone, who is to blame for the decline of

RAW SAW

Movie Review

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

Promised Land

FROM THE

34

Sixteen years after the release of “Good :LOO +XQWLQJ Âľ FULWLFDOO\ DFFODLPHG $PHULFDQ Ă€OP GLUHFWRU *XV 9DQ 6DQW DQG *ROGHQ *OREH award-­winning actor Matt Damon have unexpectedly reunited for Focus Feature’s new contemporary drama, Promised Land. The story starts in a rustic farm town in upstate Pennsylvania, where businessman Steve Butler (Matt Damon) is on a mission to get signatures to allow his natural gas company to hydro-­frack on local farmland. While there is mixed feedback from the community, seemingly good-­natured and openhearted 'XVWLQ 1RELOH -RKQ .UDVLQVNL HPHUJHV on a quest to prevent hydraulic fracking. It’s almost impossible to not to fall in love with Krasinski’s character as he butchers Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Darkâ€? at the local karaoke bar or as he teaches elementary school children about the dangers of fracking. :H ODWHU Ă€QG RXW WKDW .UDVLQVNL DFWXDOO\ KDV D dark secret of his own, which ends up leading to Damon unexpectedly becoming Promised Land’s Mr. Desirable. 9DQ 6DQW¡V DQG /LQXV 6DQGJUHQ¡V composition and lighting choices were GHĂ€QLWHO\ WKH Ă€OP¡V ELJJHVW VWUHQJWK 6DQGJUHQ insisted on only using warm and natural OLJKW DQG QHJDWLYH Ă€OO IRU FRQWUDVW WR JLYH RII an extra organic vibe. The lighting choices along with the bird’s-­eye-­view wide-­angle shots of green farmland, and cozy scenes of EDFNFRXQWU\ FRWWDJHV GHĂ€QLWHO\ HYRNHG WKH

intended “crunchy-­granolaâ€? feel. While I did feel as though I was learning a lot about the science of fracking, Promised Land was very preachy and one-­sided. The writer, Dave Eggers, cast an extremely greedy and ignorant light upon anyone that is pro-­fracking. The pro-­fracking characters in the movie either only solely focused on making money, or were blatantly unaware and ignorant of any of fracking’s negative affects. Promised Land also failed to give any insight into the possible EHQHĂ€WV RI REWDLQLQJ QDWXUDO JDV ORFDOO\ 7KRXJK LW ZDV PD\EH DQ HQWHUWDLQLQJ Ă LFN to some viewers, Promised Land’s bias kept it from being as informative as it could have been. Parts of the movie were also very slow; DERXW PLQXWHV RI 'DPRQ¡V EURRGLQJ FRXOG GHĂ€QLWHO\ KDYH EHHQ FXW RII WR FUHDWH D PRUH FRQFLVH KRXU DQG D KDOI Ă€OP While there were very pretty shots and HQGHDULQJ VFHQHV EHWZHHQ WKH Ă€OP¡V EHORYHG stars, Promised Land was not a movie worth SD\LQJ WR ZDWFK $OWKRXJK YLHZHUV shouldn’t be completely molding their views on obtaining energy resources from this movie, it can appropriately be enjoyed for viewing lovely scenery, and for taking lengthy journeys into the teal irises of Matt Damon’s eyes. -­ Lizzy Rosenberg

Lincoln Double Feature

Americans. The same man that played +DZNH\H Last of the Mohicans), Bill the Butcher (Gangs of New York) and Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood) has once again brought their faint memory and mysticism to life. Day-­Lewis’ even-­tempered VHYHULW\ JDYH /LQFROQ D VDJH OLNH WHPSHU +LV initially tangential anecdotes punctuated themselves with the wise pithiness of a Chinese proverb. Benjamin Walker was not so cool, calm and collected in his portrayal. Opening with an infant Abe witnessing the murder of his mother, he swears vengeance, and some years later is lucky to be getting drunk VWDQGLQJ DW D EDU QH[W WR +HQU\ 6WXUJHVV (Dominic Cooper). The fervency for justice carried through in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as well as Lincoln’s thoughtful consideration, but this Lincoln battles the dehumanized enemies of war with an axe to grind. Rather than passing a bill to end slavery, Lincoln and his supporters charge into battle like gangbusters and split heads like rail-­tracks. Given the illogical (but awesome) circumstances of the plot, Walker’s performance is earnest and sincere. Even Rufus Sewell’s portrayal of Adam, the leader RI WKH 9DPSLUH 1DWLRQ VSLWV DQG VQDUOV RQO\ every now and then. All while battling atop a speeding locomotive that is bolting towards a blazing wooden bridge. Preposterous, yet exciting; somehow Walker and his co-­stars deemed FRQYLQFLQJ LQ WKH JRRĂ€QHVV RI WKH SORWOLQH Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter holds no historical weight. One blink and you could PLVV WKH GHWDLO UHYHDOLQJ +DUULHW 7XEPDQ¡V Underground Railroad winning the war for the North. 6R ZKLFK Ă€OP ZDV EHWWHU" &RPSDULQJ WKH essence of these movies is like comparing -DFN 'DQLHOV EDFRQ GRQXWV ZLWK \RXU *UDQGPRWKHU¡V Ă€QHVW &KULVWPDV KDP ERWK DUH LQĂ€QLWHO\ GHFDGHQW DQG ULIH ZLWK patriotism, yet satisfy completely different cravings. Both of these cinematic adventures will change your perceptions of Abraham Lincoln, and reignite the dwindling love for the most kick-­ass president in the history of the United States. America! Fuck Yeah! -­ Mimi Reynolds

35

Ministry of Cool

Four score and seven months ago, moviegoers stood proud in their jorts and cheered ‘Murca!’ as they watched an epic battle for justice unfold in Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Based on Seth Grahame-­Smith’s FRPLF QRYHO WKH Ă€OP JUDEV SDWULRWLVP E\ WKH cojones as the 16th president goes all Buffy on a confederate vampire army. Now, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is a historical depiction of a president just trying to get a bill passed. Beneath its modest IHDWXUHV WKLV Ă€OP H[FHHGV WKH FRPPRQ representation of fruitless American politics. Lincoln With a Golden Globe-­winning performance by Daniel-­Day Lewis, Lincoln breathes life into our brittle history books. 7ZR Ă€OPV WZR VWRULHV RQH EHDUG *LYHQ the straight-­forward nature of the storylines, both of these movies seem to transcend the ERXQGV RI JHQUH LGHQWLĂ€FDWLRQ SHUKDSV visually-­striking optimistic biography? Or +LVWDIDQWDFWLRQGURPHG\" %DVHG RQ WKH WLWOH alone, I expected Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to contain the saturated absurdity on par with The Room, Titanic 2 or Cool as Ice VWDUULQJ 9DQLOOD ,FH FDXJKW LQ D West Side Story-­esque feud with his star-­crossed lover). The seemingly accurate nature of the costumes, setting and vernacular gave Abraham Lincoln: WKH Ă€OP D MDUULQJ VHULRXVQHVV )ROORZLQJ Vampire Hunter our president’s righteous Kung-­Fu training montage as a young grasshopper, adult Abe’s strife with presidency seemed almost historically accurate. But the moment young Abe revealed to Mary Todd on a picnic, “I cannot tell a lie; I hunt vampires,â€? you had to wonder how serious the movie was supposed to be taken. Conversely, Lincoln crammed a myriad of emotional sub-­plots into its congressional plotline. The stone-­faced Thaddeus Stevens, SOD\HG 7RPP\ /HH -RQHV JDYH D WUHPHQGRXV SHUIRUPDQFH Ă€JKWLQJ IRU WKH (PDQFLSDWLRQ 3URFODPDWLRQ +LV IHUYHQW VWUXJJOH WR SURKLELW slavery stems from a heart-­warming secret revealed in the denouement. Sally Field’s XQĂ€OWHUHG HPRWLRQDO KRQHVW\ DV VKH GHDOW with the death of her son added powerful depth to the spectrum of her own strength as well as her husband’s. Though also quick-­witted, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s portrayal of Mary Todd was sweet, but forgettable. If only they had given WKH JHQWOH Ă RZHU D SDLU RI QXQFKXFNVÂŤ It is a marvel that Daniel Day-­Lewis has become our leading portrayer of antiquated

Fifth Time’s a Charm By Anonymous

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

T

here seems to be a very common misconception among the virgin population that losing one’s virginity is a magical and spiritual experience between two adolescents who are overcome by natural and sensual desires. Sadly, this “natural graceâ€? that is expected to coincide with the de-­virginization process is quite rare. Physical pain, sometimes nerves, clumsiness, WHFKQLFDO GLIĂ€FXOWLHV DQG GLVWUDFWLRQV often get in the way. The thing that no one talks about is actually a very UHODWDEOH \HW XQVSHDNDEOH GLIĂ€FXOW\ that everybody endures during his RU KHU Ă€UVW WLPHÂŤ ´JHWWLQJ LW LQ Âľ DQG “sealing the deal.â€? According to my emotional calculations at the time, my devirginization took approximately LQĂ€QLWH DWWHPSWV $FWXDOO\ WKRXJK according to realistic calculations, LW WRRN Ă€YH DWWHPSWV IRU D VXFFHVVIXO climax. Five. $WWHPSW QXPEHU RQH 7KH ER\ DQG I were outside on his trampoline. It seemed like an exciting and unusual idea, and it was a lovely spring day in May. We were equipped with a blanket and a condom, however we weren’t prepared for his older brother to come home. While he didn’t see anything after pulling into the driveway in his 689 KH WKRXJKW LW ZRXOG EH IXQQ\ to snap some very low-­resolution photographs on his mobile phone of two people awkwardly wrapped on a blanket on a trampoline. Who wouldn’t take the photo opportunity, I suppose? Needless to say, my sex

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partner and I ventured inside to his bedroom. $WWHPSW QXPEHU WZR ZH UHORFDWHG to his bed inside (a slightly more conventional and private location). $IWHU WKH Ă€UVW DWWHPSW ZH KDG DOUHDG\ wasted one condom. Unfortunately, ZH KDG VRPH ´WHFKQLFDO GLIĂ€FXOWLHVÂľ with getting a new condom on after about two minutes of foreplay, thus another attempt was failed. I wish I could say we were feeling strong and immediately tried again, but we actually decided on taking a break after so much failure. For about Ă€YH PLQXWHV ZH SOD\HG ZLWK KLV FDW LQ the backyard and talked about The Beach Boys. $WWHPSW QXPEHU WKUHH $IWHU D ELW of our mental and physical stamina was regained, we returned to the bedroom with high hopes. After some impatient and slightly rushed, handsy foreplay, he dove right in. Literally. While my cookie had hardly seen the light of day (nevertheless large foreign objects), I winced in pain and let out a few loud profanities and whines. In his words, he didn’t want my Ă€UVW WLPH WR ´VRXQG OLNH , ZDV EHLQJ attacked,â€? and he backed off for a bit. Yet another condom was thrown in with the rubbish. $WWHPSW QXPEHU IRXU $ODV WKLV failure couldn’t be blamed on me. Intense lubrication initially seemed like a good idea, but we couldn’t get the little guy to stay in. $WWHPSW QXPEHU Ă€YH 7KLV ZDV WKH Ă€QDO DQG PRVW SHUIHFWO\ H[HFXWHG attempt of the day; lucky number

Ă€YH :KLOH LW ZDV PLOGO\ H[FUXFLDWLQJ DQG DV , HQGXUHG DSSUR[LPDWHO\ minutes of pain, the time was ticking and I was trying to count exactly how many seconds of pain and thrusts were being taken in by my kitty cage. +RZHYHU DIWHU WZHOYH VZHDW\ JD]HV eleven primate-­like moans, ten lip nibbles, nine trying-­to-­be-­sexy smiles, eight pained blanket grabs, seven hair tugs to stay entertained, six shoulder squeezes in hopes for a PDVVDJH ODWHU Ă€YH VPDOO SDLQ VWLĂ LQJ grunts, four eyebrow wrinkles, three heart-­rate regulating breaths, two times wondering what I would be having for dinner later, and ONE climactic orgasm (on his end, because D JLUO KDYLQJ DQ RUJDVP KHU Ă€UVW WLPH LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ D P\WK WKH FKHUU\ ZDV popped and I was DEFLOWERED. I wish I could say that I stayed to cuddle afterwards, but as this was mid-­end of my junior year of high school, and I had to meet with my SAT Math tutor (Yay, more numbers!), I left the house as he was making ZDIĂ HV DQG DV Ă€YH XVHG FRQGRPV VDW in the trash. I gave him an affectionate goodbye kiss and waddled to my car. Although simultaneously feeling VDWLVĂ€HG \HW VOLJKWO\ SDUDO\]HG IURP the waist down, that sort of felt like the longest afternoon of my life.

Prose & Cons

&CONS. PROSE&CONS. PROSE

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Survive By Alec Kaden

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

I looked around as my vision re-focused. My wrists felt relieved in the absence of the shackles that previously contained them. I looked down and remembered the knife. I picked it up slowly, examining the blade. It was sharp. Suddenly I remembered where I was. I peered around the enclosure; it was a large, makeshift arena lined with large sharpened sticks. Upon closer inspection of my surroundings, I was certain that there was no way out. The dirt that lined the ground was loose, and as wind blew through the ring, dust ascended, stinging my eyes. The soft dirt squished between my toes like sand. As I shut my eyes, I began to dream of a beach with slow waves gently crashing on the smooth surface. 7EZEKI REXMZIW WYVVSYRHIH XLI VMRK 8LI] [IVI ½IVGI MR their appearance. Many of the natives had eagle feathers in their long black hair; their bodies were slathered head to toe in war paint. They had dark beady eyes, and yelled in my direction. They screamed for battle, they cheered for death. As I stood there in my torn clothing with nothing but a knife, they stared at me, the main attraction. After I was captured, a tall man made me a deal; he said if I “passed his test” I could go free. I wasn’t scared I was going to fail; I was scared I was going to die.

GPE[W JSV XLI ½VWX XMQI %W JVEMP EW MX [EW - HMHR´X YRHIVIWXMQEXI it for second. It was probably just as lethal as a healthy tiger, maybe just not as quick. Or so I hoped. As it circled, I mirrored. We began.

The beast gave me a look that I will never forget. Something about the stare disturbed me. Perhaps it was the fact that deep down there wasn’t a human conscience considering sparing me: a complete lack of humanity. Just nothing: nothing but proven instinct and hunger. I tried to formulate a plan as [I SVFMXIH IEGL SXLIV -X [EW ZIV] HMJ½GYPX XS JSGYW - [SYPH look away for the slightest instant, and a vicious native’s glance would thrust me back into reality. “Just focus on the tiger” I thought, “just focus on the fucking tiger.” I decided that my best shot would be to wait until the beast strikes and attempt to counter. It slowed to a crawl. Its shoulders remained facing the outer edge of the ring, but its face was glued to me. Our eyes were locked. The look in the creature’s eye still struck me. I felt like I was looking into a statue, but instead of welcoming marble, I stared into eyes not so different from my own. An organ. Life. I thought about how many other animals had been looking at the same tiger before it killed them. It placed all four paws on the dirt and stopped. I did the WEQI 8LI GVS[H [EW WMPIRX 8LMW [EW VIJVIWLMRK - GSYPH ½REPP] My daydream ended with a harsh clank. The door to a hear myself think. My heartbeat was noticeable as I struggled rusty cage was opened, revealing a scrawny Bengal tiger. The to maintain control of my body. I shook involuntarily. The knife tiger glared at me from across the cage. I was sure that it was seemed as though it was possessed, randomly jabbing and hungry because its ribs were blatantly exposed. It looked as though it hadn’t had a good serving of deer in almost a month. shaking in my grasp. Finally it was time. The tiger turned and positioned all of its “Such a cruel game,” I thought. “What man has any chance mass in my direction. Without breaking eye contact, it lowered against a tiger?” More importantly, who would believe that its back legs, preparing to pounce. I knew my time on earth someone does? was about to come to a conclusion. I begged in my head for Suddenly some sort of gong rang throughout the arena and more time. “An hour, a minute, seconds. Please!” the hairs on my neck became erect. The irony sickened me as The tiger took a few bounding steps before leaping high into I remembered a boxing match I had seen as a kid. “This is just the air. The population surrounding the ring cheered for the their entertainment,” I thought. “Well, so be it. If it’s a show EXXEGO *MREPP] MX [EW XMQI XS WII XLI MRRSGIRX WEGVM½GMEP TE[R they want, it’s a show they’re going to get.” My grip tightened on the small metal hilt. The roar of the na- meet his fate. The large arrangement of orange and black fur was above me for what felt like minutes. I stuck to the plan as tives blurred with the beating of my own heart. As I stared at the beast, an unmatched feeling of terror swept my conscience. adrenaline started to control my body. Its claws came down My own fear was as detectable as the dirt in my eyes. I tried to and I sidestepped. In a rush of desperation and rage, I swung maintain focus as the urine ran down my right leg and into the my arm into the side of the monster. Its roar was something legendary. Again and again I struck. The natives recoiled with dusty earth below. The tiger snarled as it started to walk towards me. It lifted its heavy paws with each step, presenting its each successive blow. Blood sprayed as I continued, drenching my clothing, the tiger’s fur and the dirt below. The crowd’s

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enthusiasm quickly vanished, as a sense of disaster swept over them. The tiger continued to roar bloody murder. They howls rang through my eardrums like gunshots. I threw my arm into XLI WXVMTIW SRI PEWX XMQI ERH LIPH Q] ½WX EKEMRWX XLI FIEWX 8LI [EVQ FPSSH VYWLIH SZIV XLI LMPX ERH HS[R Q] ½RKIVW 8LI natives began quietly whispering to one another.

VMZEPMRK XLEX SJ Q] JSI 8LI REXMZIW ¾MRGLIH FEGO MR JIEV - JIPX powerful. It was now evident that their stupid little show had gone terribly wrong. No one knew what to say, I should be dead. As I approached a side of the arena, the natives standing there retreated in terror. The tables were turned. I was no longer the hostage, the prey. I was the killer; I was the unpredictable danger that had just ruined a historical tradition As I stepped back I was speechless. I let the weapon drop SJ WEGVM½GI 8LI JIEV WYVVSYRHMRK XLI IRGPSWYVI [EW TEPTEFPI from my hand, as I drew my palms up to my face. They were I thrived off it. My memory was sparked, and I walked back covered in the thick blood of a full-grown Bengal tiger. The over to where the defeated brute was slowly breathing on the conquered beast swayed like a tree in a storm. With one last roar of fury, it crashed to the ground. The shockwave of the fall ground. Biding its last moments. I grasped its head with both hands and starred into its eyes. My heart beat ravenously. The traveled through the ground and ran up my legs and through my body. I felt a chill; the most surreal of feelings overwhelmed tiger’s eyes were different. I saw something that I had never seen in it before. me. I shook now of empowered pride instead of fear. I was I saw fear. I saw sorrow. I saw humanity. changed. Adrenaline still intoxicating my senses, I let out a yell

Monday, October 18, 1922

The Broadway Revue Scourge of Broadway Strikes Again! “Showstopper” Criminal Linked to Malicious Series of Production Accidents By Trevor Goodwin, Staff Reporter “I heard the man has a wooden leg and a brass hook for a hand,” she said. “He lost them in a stage accident when he was a child and now he has a vendetta against playhouses for life. Isn’t that just the most romantic tragedy you’ve ever heard?” 1MWW (ERMIPPI 6SYWWIEY SJ 1ERLEXXER WEMH WLI ½RHW XLI HERKIV and enigma surrounding the criminal intriguing. “I’ve heard he can slip in and out of shadows like a phantom,” she said. “It’s some kind of ancient art they teach in the Orient; that’s how he gets in without anyone seeing him. I just wish I could meet him; he’s so daring and mysterious. I’ve fallen in love with him, so I have!” Mr. Joseph Thompson of Queens had a decidedly less romantic opinion. “The man’s a fool, and a damn reckless one at that,” he said. “Putting innocent men and women at risk who are just trying to make honest money is the most despicable thing I can think of, and he doesn’t even have the guts to show his face. Yellowbellied slime.” 1V 'PMJJSVH ,MGOW EPWS SJ 5YIIRW HIQSRWXVEXIH ½VWXLERH NYWX how many wild rumors exist surrounding the Showstopper.

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Prose & Cons

The Showstopper: it is a name every actor on Broadway fears and despises; a name that directors scarcely dare to whisper in opening night prayers, hoping against hope that their production will not be the evening’s offering of target practice; a name that unleashes inner terrors and grants wings to fanciful imaginations. Following his career debut in the Main Line Theater’s disasterridden July production of The Wedding Guests, this unseen ½IRH LEW [VIEOIH LEZSG SR TPE]LSYWIW YT ERH HS[R &VSEHway Row, transitioning from an amusing nuisance to a frighteningly enigmatic threat to public safety in a few short months. Several prominent companies are now deep in debt from refunded ticket sales and destroyed property, and hundreds of promising young actors and actresses now wander the streets without work, their dreams of stardom cruelly smashed. Who is this masked menace, and why has he begun a seemingly one-man crusade to bring down Broadway? Speculation among the citizenry abounds while facts remain elusive. Mrs. Susan Lepree of Brooklyn said she believes the Showstopper has an unhappy history with theaters.

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

“I’ve heard tell the Showstopper’s got wings of a bat and sucks XLI FPSSH SJ MRRSGIRXW LI GER ½RH EPSRI MR XLI WXVIIXW EX RMKLX ² he said. “Of course, I make it a habit never to put much stock into tall tales and womanly gossip. But that’s the word on the street.” Mr. Terrance Banks, owner of the Regal Playhouse that was attacked last month, said he is concerned that his ability to put bread and water on the table for himself and his family may be compromised. “That maniac is out to ruin my business and my livelihood,” he said. “Thanks to the blasted Showstopper, actors won’t sign onto my payroll, my productions are being cancelled and my company is losing money in buckets every day. He must be stopped.” Even among overwhelmingly negative opinions there are still WSQI XLEX QEREKI XS ½RH HMEQSRHW MR XLI VSYKL 7MV 6IKMREPH Coxley, manager of a modest theater chain including the MajesXMG 8LIEXIV SR &VSEH[E]´W ;IWX )RH WEMH XLEX LMW TVS½XW LEZI actually increased thanks to the Showstopper. “More gentlemen and ladies from outside the city are paying to see my productions now, hoping not only for quality entertainment but also to catch a glimpse of the notorious criminal in action,” he said. “Quite an interesting study of human behavior, VIEPP] ERH E WEZZ] QEREKIV [MPP GSRXMRYI XS VIET XLI FIRI½XW ² When asked if he feared his productions might be next on the Showstopper’s hit parade, Sir Coxley simply laughed and declined comment. One question on the mind of every New Yorker during this time of crisis is where the police are in the meantime. Broadway’s law enforcement community has thus far outright refused to assign more men to the Showstopper case despite increasing public outcry. Even more shocking is that high-ranking members of the New York City Police Department appear not to take the Showstopper or the threat he poses seriously. Chief Inspector William Calvin, head of Broadway’s 43rd Precinct, said that in his opinion, the Showstopper case is not even worth his time. “The man’s just another one of your standard kooks; they pop up, give the people some cheap thrills for a while and disappear [LIR XLIMV EYHMIRGI PSWIW MRXIVIWX ² LI WEMH ±1] SJ½GIVW ERH - already have our hands full keeping real thugs and murderers off the streets; we can’t afford to run around on a wild goose chase after every nut in a cape and cowl. I’ve got hangnails that are more pressing to me than the Showstopper.” Despite law enforcement’s dismissive attitude, there are other individuals who feel the threat is greater than many may realize. Mr. Hamilton Saxby, a Bronx-born set designer, former prop

master and expert on theatrical technology claims to have studied the Showstopper’s methods of disrupting and deWXVS]MRK TVSHYGXMSRW ,I WE]W LMW ½RHMRKW EVI XS WE] XLI PIEWX alarming. “This is not just some two-bit prankster looking for thirty seconds of fame,” he said. “Thus far, not one of the Showstopper’s attacks has been a stereotypical hack-and-slash job. The level of ability demonstrated here indicates that each crime is carefully planned down to the slightest detail, and the sheer complexity of means and timing in incidents so far are representative of a brilliant, if perhaps deranged, intellect.” The set designer also expressed concern regarding the means the Showstopper uses to perpetrate his crimes. “My examination of the few gadgets and devices recovered intact from crime scenes has confounded me,” he said. “The engineering comprehension involved in their creation must be at least 30 years ahead of our time. What’s more, their specialization of their function further indicates a mind that can foresee every possible situation and build a device tailored to tackle any challenge.” Mr. Saxby concluded with a warning to police. “They are tragically underestimating what is happening here,” he said. “All the evidence indicates the Showstopper is very real and very dangerous. I fear that if action is not taken soon, this man, mad or not, may become unstoppable.” As protests against law enforcement’s stubborn inaction grow stronger every day, seems contrary to logic and the laws of common decency that the sole line of defense against the city’s scum and villainy continue to look the other way on the Showstopper case. If the citizens of New York cannot expect aid from those who have sworn to serve and protect them, where are they to turn? Even in this dark time, hope still exists for Broadway and its population. Sources inside City Hall say that as recently as last week, several councilmen proposed the passing of an executive order to force the police to mobilize against the Showstopper threat. The result of these valiant efforts by trusted elected representatives remains to be seen. -The preceding chapter was an excerpt from a longer novel in progress, titled The Showstopper! To read more of the story and learn the truth behind the legend, visit the author’s writing blog at www.divinelycomic.wordpress.com. Hope you enjoyed it, and any comments or feedback on either would be greatly appreciated. - Written by Kyle Robertson

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Platypus By Sam Kamenetz

And on the eighth day, God entered his workshop Coffee in his hand, scratching his stubble. He took his almighty hand And fumbled for the light switch, And he peered into the spare parts bin. And the lord saw The tail of a beaver, The feet of an otter, The bill of a duck, And the venom of a snake. Unsure of what to do With the detritus of creation He cobbled them together And created the platypus, Prose & Cons

And he saw that it was good.

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42

DUST. SAWDUST. SAWDU

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

Junior Reporter Searches for10th out of 10 Dentists Reportedly went to Aruba and Novocaine back By Samuel Kamenetz The following is a direct transcript from a junior reporter who was sent to the National Dentist Association to simply cover the convention’s keynote speaker. This is what we got. Sunday afternoon, in the Marriott hotel. The National Dentist Association was having its annual convention. In addition to the orthodontists and other dental hygienists brushing up on their technique, the ten fabled dentists were reviewing a new form of Crest. As per usual the product was granted a recommendation by 9 out of 10 dentists. But what about the tenth? There was a plaque on the table by the 10th dentist’s empty spot that simply read, “Orin Scrivello, M.D.� How could they have hosted the conference when they were missing such a crucial

He was nervous and didn’t respond to my inquires. Instead, he pulled out a mask and took a long drag of laughing gas. Then he settled down. “It all started when he (Scrivello) didn’t give his

Image by Anika Steppe

recommendation to Oral-­B. We were all shocked. We always given our seal of approval to all toothpastes, and we’re rewarded handsomely in return. I mean, does it really matter? Toothpaste is toothpaste. They’re all the same anyways. I think that got under the sales reps’ gums. For a while WKH\ ZHUH UHDOO\ JLYLQJ KLP WKH Ă RVV Âľ Bender said, “They even stopped sending him free toothbrushes. The last time I saw Scrivello was at the conference we had in Aruba. The Oral-­B sales rep tried to make amends and buy drinks as a sort of peace offering. I left after the third mojito and never saw him again.â€?

Sawdust

member of the board? , Ă DJJHG GRZQ WKH th dentist, Dr. Bender, as the conference broke up. A short, stubby man with thick black-­ rimmed glasses and an immaculate lab coat. I chewed him out about what he knew of the missing M.D. He cautiously handed me his business card, and told me WR PHHW KLP DW KLV RIĂ€FH EHIRUH KH RSHQHG I entered the waiting room, under the guise of needing a checkup. A muzak version of “Shiny Teeth and Meâ€? played softly through the speakers. I marked it down‌just in case. Finally at 2:30, he JUHHWHG PH DQG ZH VDW GRZQ LQ KLV RIĂ€FH

When asked why he didn’t attempt to discover what became of Scrivello, he VLPSO\ VDLG ´\RX ZRQ¡W Ă€QG DQ\ FDYLWLHV you don’t look for.â€? Bender declined to comment on any other questions. Was it possible that Scrivello was threatened by the Oral-­B organization? In the spirit of investigative journalism, I met with Mrs. Scrivello, the missing dentist’s mother. Time had not been kind to her, and cold and feeble as she was, she still remembered the day she found out her son had gone missing. We had tea, and she had little to say that I hadn’t already heard. She showed me a picture of him still in mint condition. He was a dashing young man wearing a head mirror and had his arm around his tawdry blonde girlfriend. After perusing through some of his possessions, I happened upon several threatening letters from the weeks before his disappearance, warning him to “watch his tongueâ€?. All of them were signed by Bender and the other dentists. Was it possible that Scrivello’s disappearance was an inside job, an attempt to silence a whistle blower, and keep their good standing with the oral K\JLHQH EXVLQHVV" :KDW GLG KH Ă€QG RXW about that brand of toothpaste he wasn’t meant to? Unfortunately my musings were cut short when Mrs. Scrivello found me rooting through her missing son’s personal affects, and kicked me out – saying she had an doctors appointment at tooth-­hurtie. I walked by the building where his RIĂ€FH XVHG WR EH QRZ DQ H[WHQVLRQ RI WKH UDWW\ ROG Ă RULVW VKRS QH[W GRRU ,I , KDGQ¡W known before, I would have never assume this overgrown mess of a shop was once D GHQWLVW¡V RIĂ€FH :KDW KDSSHQHG WR \RX Orin Scrivello? __________________________________ Samuel Kamenetz is a freshman exploratory major who wants the tooth and nothing but the tooth. Email him at skamene1@ithaca.edu

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Jay-Z Spits his 99 Problems Barely hits double digits By Sam Colleran

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3 BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

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I forgot what my real name is. For real though, if you know, FRPH ÀQG PH LPPH-­ GLDWHO\ , FDQ·W DFFHVV P\ EDQN DF-­ counts anymore. $OULJKW , EHHQ KHUH IRU D ZKLOH QRZ DQG ,·P GUDZLQJ D EODQN RQ WKRVH RWKHU SUREOHPV 1R PDWWHU ,·OO MXVW Á\ RYHU WR (XURSH WR GURS RII %OXH ,Y\ DW GD\FDUH PD\EH PDNH P\VHOI VRPH +RUFKDWD WR JHW P\ EUDLQ MXLFHV ÁRZ-­ LQJ WKHQ FRPH EDFN WR ÀQLVK RII WKH UHVW <·DOO KROG WLJKW DQG +RYD ZLOO EH EDFN EHIRUH \RX FDQ VD\ ´ QXPEHU RQH DOEXPV µ 3HDFH ____________________________________ Sam Colleran is a freshman TVR major who doesn’t give a shit whether or not you’re having girl problems, son. Email him at scoller1@ithaca.edu.

An Open Letter to the Girl with Newfound ‘Insomnia’ Kindly Shut the Fuck Up. By Robyn Schmitz

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Professional Bobsled Lockout Still Gets No Attention By Chris Thomas

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45

Notorious Fresco Refurbisher Apologizes...Sort Of By Lizzy Rosenberg

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BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

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46

Nation’s Education System Gets on Top of ‘69’

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Buzzsaw Asks Why...

are the Ithaca deer so aggressive?

By Jared Corwin

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47

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Have you ever walked home from campus after 11pm on a weeknight? If you have, you know there’s a change that takes place. The winds shift and there’s a light layer of fog on the ground. That’s when you know that they have awoken from their daytime slumber, ready to terrorize the students of South Hill like the bloodthirsty gang they are. Who am I referring to you ask? THE DEER MAFIA. Don’t laugh. This isn’t a fucking joke. The deer on this campus are out of control and it’s time we joined together to show them that their scare tactics won’t work on us. Let me tell you a story. Last semester a friend and I were walking XLVSYKL XLI ½IPH FILMRH XS E TEVX] [LIR we accidentally encountered a mob of deer hiding in the darkness. By the time we saw them it was too late. We were too close. You see, deer don’t care if it was “an honest mistake.â€? Deer don’t accept apologies. When nighttime rolls around, Ithaca turns into DEER MAN’S LAND. If you’re in their territory, they’re going to fuck up your shit. We stop in our tracks and the leader of this deer version of the Crips gives us a death glare, his eyes turning a blood red. He dug his hooves (perfect for bashing in heads) into the dirt and fucking charged. We screamed in bloody terror, sprinting as fast we could, our panicked minds realizing that our obituaries would say we were “KILLED BY A CHARGING DEER.â€? Another time I was walking home from campus after midnight and found myself [MXLMR ½ZI JIIX SJ E LYKI EWW FYGO VMKLX SYXside Park, looking me up and down. I kept my nose down that time, eyes pointed forward and never stopped moving. I exhaled a sigh of relief that I had gotten away, but it was premature because a doe was waiting for me in the shadows by the Hudson Heights apartments. You don’t think they’re not all working together? You’re wrong. Here’s the thing about deer: THEY’RE ALWAYS WATCHING. They’re keeping tabs on us until they decide the time is right to rise up, conquer us, and establish DEER WORLD. If you’re not ready to start a militia and take these bitches down, then you’re on their side and I don’t trust you. In the meantime, sleep with one eye open and DEER GOD, pray that they show you some mercy. -Brennin Cummings

48

BUZZSAW: The Numbers Issue

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