March 1, 2016 Vol. 52 No. 22 by Pacer Times

University of South Carolina Aiken

Mar.01.2016

Vol. 52| No. 22

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INDEX. Choice Classes

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Feature: Yan Nguyen

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Twelfth Night

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SC Lottery Player of the Month pg. 6

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Just Comedy

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Over The Fire Pit

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news Starting a fire: campus under construction

2 | March 1, 2016

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Pacer Times Editor-in-Chief Thomas Gardiner Copy Editor Caitlin Butler Creative Director Brooke Clark News Editor Lizzie Abshire Sports Editor Jordan Phillips Arts and Entertainment Editor Amanda Askins Opinions Editor James Paisley Staff Writers Angelika Davis Ashley Conklin Meredith Hawcroft Josh Recor Contributing Writers Jessica Sandifer Kelsie Blocker Benjamin Canady Business Manager Timothy Boerste Events Coordinator Jamacia Jimerson Adviser Peggy Elliott

ABOUT PACER TIMES Pacer Times is a weekly publication of the University of South Carolina Aiken. The opinions stated in this paper are those of Pacer Times and in no way reflect those of USCA. To purchase an advertisement, parties must contact the advertising manager at (803) 641-3517 or by email to pacertimes@usca.edu. Advertisements are subject to rejection by the staff.

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About our cover Design by Brooke Clark Photo by Thomas Gardiner

Photo courtesy of Student Government Association

The fire pit is the newest installation on campus and can be seen under construction on the north side of the Student Activities Center. This photo is the inspiration used by USC Aiken to design the facility here. Crews began work on the project with foundational concrete last week. Construction on the chimney and seating areas will becompleted soon. According to SGA President Ryan Rafanan, the project is scheduled to be completed by April 1.

Staff picks: classes that grab attention

he most recent addition to the English department, Dr. Hagstette, is teaching an interesting new class this semester, dramatically titled “The Dangerous South.” The South has always been far more “other” than any other region of the U.S., owing to its marbled past, geographical isolation and the general hot-blooded independence of its people. From the birth of colonization on the frontier to post-Restoration, literature of the South has been fraught with different kinds of violence. Dueling culture played a large part during Revolutionary times, eventually evolving into lower-class rough-and-tumble fighting and followed ultimately by racial violence up to and surrounding the Civil War. As a non-native of the South, I was interested to learn about the culture of violence below the Mason-Dixon Line and how these values translated into early American literature. So far, we’ve

f only all students were fortunate enough to take Islamic Philosophy with Professor Thom Burrus before they graduate. Burrus is an exceptional instructor who can boil down complex course material, such as the synthesis between Islamic and Aristotelian thought by philosophers such as Ibn Sina, and disseminate that information effortlessly. Lectures with Burrus are as thought provoking as they are entertaining.The course is fun and engaging, and the passion

bnormal Psychology is taught by Professor Todd Bain, a Psychological Therapist with an MSM Clinical Psychology degree who works at Aurora Pavilion. Professor Bain’s takes a unique approach to teaching by bringing his first-hand experience with psychological illness to the classroom. “I enjoy being able to share my experiences as a Psychological Therapist to give my students a more realistic ‘face’ to psychology,” said Bain. Psychological disorders are a real problem for the many people who suffer from them, and there is a general lack of understanding about these disorders and the people who have them. One thing that many fail to realize is that there is a scale of severity; not all who suffer psychological illnesses experience the same symptoms or to the same degree. “I hope to destigmatize some of the disorders in order to give people a true understanding of what having a mental disorder really means rather than something from a Hollywood movie or a TV show,” said Bain.

covered dueling tales and the Code of Honor involved, slave narratives like the fantastic escape of Ellen and William Craft, stories of bloody brawls in Augustus Baldwin Longstreet’s Georgia Scenes, haunting songs and poetry about lynching, and William Gilmore Simms’s account of the sacking of Columbia in 1865. The class is largely discussion-based; through these various texts we’ve been able to have a dialogue about the danger and violence that so often permeates the Southern experience, as well as incorporate in our own experiences with the literature and culture we see today. Later in the semester, we’ll be covering Cold Mountain, Deliverance, and The Free Flag of Cuba to lead discussions about wartime, the Gothic and imperialism in the South. -Ashton Hendricks Burrus brings to the classroom is intellectual and infectious. The primary reason students should take this class is because learning about the genesis of a religion so often and so hotly debated in the news media facilitates the opportunity for them to form their own opinions. That is, educated opinions free of dogmatic bias or sensationalism about Islam that will inform their personal and professional lives. -Josh Recor Abnormal Psychology covers what most people view as the more interesting portions of psychology. This includes personality disorders (Professor Bain’s favorite), anxiety disorders, eating disorders and more. Bain’s favorite part of teaching the class is watching students apply the knowledge to their personal lives. “It’s always interesting to see how they take this new-found knowledge and use it on themselves,” said Bain. “Every year quite a few people go through the class and you can see how they analyze each unit. They are trying to self-diagnose themselves or people they know with things they obviously don’t have.” Bain said that his favorite lesson is when he teaches mood and anxiety disorder at the beginning of each semester. “The first lesson... helps lay out the groundwork for the class and helps them better understand disorders as a whole,” said Bain. -Benjamin Canady

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news

March 1, 2016

Marcus Lattimore shares inspiration with church

he Gamecock’s Mr. Football, Marcus Lattimore, visited Aiken last Sunday to share his testimony. Lattimore spoke at St. John’s United Methodist Church downtown during their 9 a.m. service on Sunday morning. Lattimore was accompanied by his wife, Miranda Bailey, and his mom and step dad. Lattimore began his speech by cracking a joke about: “I

record for career touchdowns with his 33rd when USC played against East Carolina in 2012. During Lattimore’s freshman year at Carolina, he meet a young girl on an elementary school visit in Columbia who he said, would change his life forever. “Everybody’s asking how does it feel to be a football player, and the last question I get was from a little girl sitting in the back and she said, ‘Marcus,

“At that moment, after all I went through, I

realized it wasn’t about me playing in the NFL.”

-Marcus Lattimore

love traveling all over our state because we have so much history and beauty. You go to the upstate and you have mountains, you go to the midlands and you have history, and then you come to Aiken. There’s a lot of horses here. I’ve got to try to get on a horse now.” Lattimore grew up in Duncan, and began playing football at seven years old. A football star was born. His middle school football team went undefeated and un-scored one year. Once Lattimore finished his middle school year, he played for Byrnes High School in his home town. Lattimore was the running back for the Fighting Gamecocks for three years until he was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Lattimore earned honorable mention All-SEC from the Associated Press, four times during his career he earned the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, and he tied the university’s

how do you balance your school, sport, playing football and being a Christian?’ I gave her a bullcrap answer because I wasn’t a Christian. I was saying I was a Christian. I was putting it on social media, Facebook, Instagram; I’d throw a Bible verse up there, but I wasn’t living the way I was brought up and the way I was supposed to,” said Lattimore. That night, Lattimore went home and realized what an impact he has on people, and the following Sunday he decided to truly become a Christian because he “had to do it right.” The year after his encounter with the young girl, Lattimore’s life was turned upside down. He tore his ACL during the Mississippi State game in 2011 and missed the remainder of the season. Four months after his injury, his grandfather passed away, and two months later, his grandmother passed away. Five months after his grandmother’s

death, Lattimore’s knee was torn during the Tennessee game which stunned the whole Carolina stadium. Lattimore thought his life was over at this point, because he believed he would not be able to play football again. Once Lattimore’s therapy was complete and he was eligible to play again, he had an encounter with a seventy-year-old woman in a restaurant in downtown Columbia. “She said, ‘Thank you for your witness. I’m not a football fan, but I see all the things you do for others.’ At that moment, after all I went through, I realized it wasn’t about me playing in the NFL,” he said. Lattimore went on to say that his goals had been to play in the Super Bowl and to be in the Hall of Fame one day, but after that elderly woman confronted him and thanked him for his service and kindness towards others, Lattimore realized “It was never about me, it was about God’s kingdom, and bringing others to his kingdom and it’s the best feeling in the world and nothing can top it.” “The coaches, the teachers, the people that I’ve had in my life, is all for this right here. [God]’s strategically placed people in my life and he’s used me for his glory and that’s why I’m here. All the pain I endured was worth it. I wouldn’t change one thing that happened, because I found my purpose through it all,” said Lattimore. “When you pray to God,” Lattimore said, “he gives you three answers. He’s either going

Lizzie Abshire

Marcus Lattimore speaking about his experiences at St. John’s United Methodist Church. to give you the answer yes, not yet, or I have something better in mind. I think he’s had something better in mind for me, and he can do the same for you, if you just stay faithful.” Lattimore also offered advice for college students trying to survive life on campus: “There’s a lot of temptation in college. There’s parties, drinking and drugs. If you just give God 30 minutes a day, your life will be better. All he needs is 30 minutes a day.”

Lattimore is giving back to his community in Columbia through the Marcus Lattimore Foundation/DREAMS. This foundation is for youth programs that emphasize Christian values, development in life-skills, character, education and health and wellness. The goal is to create young citizens who can be role models for others, and to equip them with the ability to be leaders. -Lizzie Abshire

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opinion

4 | March 1, 2016

Kesha files lawsuit against producer Lukasz Gottwald I n October 2014, Kesha Rose Serbert, better known as the singer Kesha, filed a lawsuit against Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, better known as Dr. Luke. Kesha alleged that over the course of her ten-year work relationship with Gottwald, he sexually assaulted and physically, verbally, mentally and emotionally abused her. According to her claim, Gottwald isolated her from her family and friends by convincing her to drop out of high school and move to California to pursue a career in music, then began to abuse her in order to maintain control over her after her move. According to her claim, Kesha was afraid to speak out against her alleged abuser because he threatened not only to ruin her career but also to harm her and her family. Believing he had the power and the connections to do so, she remained quiet. She was so afraid for her life and the safety of her family that, in a previous lawsuit filed against both Kesha and Gottwald in 2011, she swore under oath that he had never made sexual advances towards her. Gottwald filed a counterclaim against Kesha, her mother and her management, suing for defamation and a breach of contract. He claimed that he never assaulted Kesha, that she was like his little sister, calling at shameful that she would use false accusation as a way to renegotiate her contract. This counterclaim was dismissed earlier this year. While all of this was being hashed out in courts, Kesha filed for an injunction so that she could continue to make music without having to work with solely Gottwald, as per her contract. On Friday, February 19, a New York judge denied Kesha’s injunction. Gottwald’s attorney, Christine Lepera, said after the ruling that “The New York County Supreme Court ... found that Kesha is already ‘free’ to record and release music without working with Gottwald as a producer if

she doesn’t want to. Any claim that she isn’t ‘free’ is a myth.” The #FreeKesha movement, however, came before Kesha filed the lawsuit and has been ongoing for a few years. Fans started the movement in late 2013 because they felt that Kesha was being controlled and manipulated by Gottwald and that he was

one of those problems. This logic is completely false and not even within the realm of truth but people believe it, both subconsciously and consciously. Some scholars would say Americans now live in a rape culture, and that victim blaming is a side effect. People say things like “she was asking

“Kesha was afraid to speak out

against her alleged abuser because he threatened not only ruin her career, but also to harm her and her family.”

-Angelika Davis

stifling her creativity. One fan even started a GoFundMe campaign to buy Kesha out of her contract. In 2014, Kesha checked herself into rehab because of an eating disorder she had developed because of the alleged abuse she had endured from Gottwald. Later that year, she dropped the dollar sign from her name and filed a lawsuit against him. What does Sony have to do with any of this? Although Kesha has signed on with Gottwald’s label, Kemosabe Records, Sony owns his label. Regardless of who is involved, this issue raises serious questions about American culture and how we treat one another, but especially how Americans treat women. People who are against the ruling say it’s not fair. Protestors say Kesha deserves to not have to work with her alleged abuser. There is always a select few who see nothing wrong, but they are seriously in the minority on this topic. Americans have been going through what some might call a reevaluation period. People are starting to realize that there are still major problems within American society that have yet to be fixed. Victim blaming, wherein a victim is devalued and held wholly or partially responsible for the wrongful conduct against them, is

for it” and “boys will be boys,” but when did we start excusing this kind of behavior? Why do we teach our girls to cover up because their shoulders and legs are distractions, but we don’t teach our boys to control themselves? Why do people not take rape allegations seriously and continue to teach our young girls to avoid getting raped, but women are taught to not be so sensitive and to tolerate sexual harassment and sexually explicit jokes? Why is this okay? The truth is that it was never okay. Somewhere along the way, Americans forgot to teach girls how to be respectful women and just started teaching them to deal with it. Isn’t a woman supposed to be patient, completely understanding, selfless and extremely forgiving? Women are those things, but they are so much more. Women are intelligent, beautiful, funny, responsible, respectable, admired, conquerors, achievers, dreamers and believers. Women deserve more than what society would like to give us, and women around the world will continue to fight for what’s right. Kesha is doing something that a lot of victims are scared to do, which is to speak out. Celebrities, including Adele, Lady Gaga, Anne Hathaway

and more have spoken out in support of Kesha. Even Taylor Swift has given money to Kesha to help her in her time of need. As a woman, I hope the support that these people are showing towards Kesha, celebrities and fans alike, are encouraging to that girl whose too afraid to speak. Please speak up… we’re listening.

-Angelika Davis

Creative Commons

“Dr. Luke” Gottwald is accused of sexual and verbal abuse as part of a control scheme in Kesha’s music career.

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Arts and Entertainment

March 1, 2016

Twelfth Night is coming soon Pokemon unveiled

Brett Rosseau

Dakota Sabados and Sam McNeely rehearse lines for the modernized version of “Twelfth Night.”

he University Theatre Players will be performing a modern version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night April 13-16 at 7:30 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m. The 15-person cast will be performing on the main stage in the Etherredge Center under the care of their director, Associate

Interested in theatre? What about music, movies or literature? Pacer Times is looking for writers to join the Arts and Entertainment team. Keep up to date with local events, meet local artists and bring new and relevant content to your audience. Please send a letter of interest to pacertimes@usca. edu or stop by the Student Media Office Mondays at 4:30 p.m.

Theatre Professor Dewey ScottWiley. Carlee McClary, who is playing leading-lady Viola says, “Dewey gave us the option to make the dialogue more conversational, and it’s a lot easier to understand that way. All the advice she gives is like magic - she makes it seem

realistic and organic.” Scott-Wiley has decided to bypass the classic iambic pentameter which gave fame to Shakespeare’s work in order to modernize the show and increase audience interest. However, McClary worries that some students will not be interested simply because it was written many centuries ago. “Whenever you see it done on the stage, it’s a lot more fun than reading it in English class. It’s a comedy, so more people can find amusement in it,” McClary said. “It’s set on a beach in Florida in the 1980s [rather than Illyria in the Balkan Peninsula during the 1600s]. That also helps the comedy and conversational flow of dialogue.” Scott-Wiley has experience in The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C., and is a company member of Trustus Theatre in Columbia. She is also Vice President of the South Carolina Theatre Association and has been recognized twice by the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival for her achievements in directing. -Jessica Sandifer

Students express their excitement for the series’ newest games

ith the twentieth anniversary of Pokémon being February 25, Nintendo announced the release of a new game. On February 26, an online press announced Sun and Moon will be released during the holidays of 2016. Their live stream was viewed in the Student Activities Center that night. “The best part of the live stream was when they first showed the logos for the new games. I originally saw them leaked and it was awesome when they confirmed them,” freshman industrial engineering major Justin Acker said. The game will be released worldwide at the same time and is made in nine different languages, including two versions of Chinese. Fans can preorder online at the websites for Amazon, Best Buy and Game Stop. Pokémon Go! was also announced for iOS and

Android phones. The app allows users to fight Pokémon and fellow trainers in their area. This is Nintendo’s next step in making the game more interactive for users. “I’m stoked about Pokémon Go! because I will now be able to play one of my favorite games without having to carry extra devices around with me,” sophomore biology major Dillon Erwin said. Pokémon Tournament is a new fighting game. There are three different modes users can play in: single, local, and online. Two wii-U’s can also be hooked together to play sideby-side on two televisions. “I can’t decide which I’m most excited for,” said Erwin. “Pokémon Go! is exciting because it’s free. Tournament is a fighting game, which is my favorite.” -Ashley Conklin

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Sports

6 | March 1, 2016

Women’s basketball fall to the Jaguars T

he Lady Pacers fell to Augusta University for the second time this season, with a final score of 81-69. The ladies put up a hard fight, as they usually do, even going into overtime with the Jaguars, but could not pull through for a win in their final game of the season. This leaves the women with a season of 9-19. Our top scorers of the game were Carly Gilreath with 19 points, Alexis Ware with 16 points and Mariah Durian with 12 points. The women had a rough start trailing the Jaguars 6-16, but redeemed themselves in the second quarter by bringing the score back up and scoring 28 points to the Jaguars’ 14 points.

Junior guard Carly Gilreath signals for a play during Wednesday’s matchup with Augusta University.

The team went back and forth with the Jaguars for the entirety of the first half, eventually leading them by

7 points, but the Jaguars caught back up. Coming back in the third quarter, the Lady Pacers

trailed the Jaguars 19-14. In the fourth quarter, neither team scored significantly until Carly

Gilreath scored a 3, putting the score at 62-58. Augusta was in the lead until Stephanie Ball went to the free throw line, sending the game into overtime. During overtime, the Jaguars outscored the Pacers 14-2, ending the game with a score of 81-69. The women missed the Peach Belt Conference tournament, ending postseason hopes for the team. Their last game was a bittersweet event for the team as it was also senior night, featuring a ceremony for graduating students during halftime at the men’s game. -Mikaela Ransom

A disappointing end to a disappointing season T

he Pacer Men’s basketball team ended its season as it began: with a loss. The men battled hard against the heavily favored Augusta State Jaguars, but eventually fell short in overtime 90-86. The starting five for the men battled hard, earning the entirety of the points for the Pacers. The bench struggled to get much of anything done, accounting for only two steals and two rebounds, as well as two additional turnovers. The most glaring issue of the game was Augusta University’s bench scoring a total of 25 points to contribute to their starters, with the Pacers bench scoring none. Leading the charge were senior forward Tavares Sledge, who tallied 24 points as well as accounting for a team-leading six assists, and junior guard Jevon Patton, who had 23 points and three rebounds. Senior forward Hendrix Emu was able to pull down nine boards as well as nine points. Seniors Kyle Belfield and Arbry Butler each totaled 15 points, with Butler also tallying three rejections. 4 of the 5 starters for the Pacers are seniors and will be graduating after the season. Sadly, senior center Arbry Butler’s season came to a premature end on Wednesday after fouling out late

in the second half. In addition, guard Jordan Foster had his season cut short due to injury earlier in the season. The game was a close affair the entire way, with the Pacers trailing by only 4 at the halfway point, and both teams having a 7-point difference being the largest lead. As the second half came to a close, the Pacers trailed by 2 and Keith Belfield launched a 3-point shot to attempt to win the game. Despite his miss, Emu grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a jumper to send the game into OT. The Jaguars managed to free throw the Pacers to death in the overtime period, with 10 of their 12 points coming from the charity stripe. This was the final nail in the coffin, and the Pacers fell in their last game of the season. Finishing the season with an underwhelming 6-20 record, the Pacers will definitely hope to improve on the shortcomings of this season. The absence of Tavares Sledge in the first half of the season, and the loss of Jordan Foster to injury certainly affected the Pacers this season, and we will be left to wonder what might have been if those two had been available the entirety of the year. -Jordan Phillips

Upcoming games Baseball: 3/2 vs. Paine, 6:00 P.M. 3/4 vs. Georgia SW, 6:00 P.M. 3/5 vs. Georgia SW, 1:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.

Softball: 3/3 @Claflin, 3:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. 3/5 vs. Carson-Newman, 1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. 3/9 @Flagler, 5:00 P.M. amd 7:00 P.M. Men’s Tennis 3/3 @Flagler 4:00 P.M.

Women’s Tennis 3/3 @Flagler 4:00 P.M.

Interested in being a sports writer? Come by the Student Media Office or email us at pacertimes@usca.edu or phillij@email. usca.

Golf 3/7 Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate 3/8 Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate

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Sports

March 1, 2016

Damiani named athlete of the month

niversity of South Carolina Aiken men’s tennis standout Ettore Damiani has been named the South Carolina Education Lottery USC Aiken Athletic Department Student-Athlete of the Month for his efforts in the month of February. Damiani is a 6-4 senior from Genoa, Italy. Damiani is off to a fast start for head coach Steve Dahm’s team. He has helped guide the Pacers to a 6-2 overall record, including a 2-1 record against Peach Belt Conference competition. Damiani is 7-1 at the No. 2 singles position for USC Aiken, including a 7-0 record against Division II schools. He has teamed up with Julien

Tan for a 7-1 doubles mark at the No. 1 slot. On Feb. 23, Damiani was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week, marking the first time a Pacer has garnered that award since the 2009 campaign. The South Carolina Education Lottery USC Aiken Athletic Department Student-Athlete of the Month award honors one student-athlete each month from an in-season sport for their hard work and effort. Each month during the 201516 athletic year one winner will be chosen from an in-season sport.

-Pacersports.com

Pacersports

Ettore Damiani returning a volley during a matchup earlier this season.

Holliday honored as player of the week U

Pacersports

Sophomore Johnson Holliday is the Bronze Body nominee for athlete of the week.

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niversity of South Carolina Aiken golf standout Johnson Holliday has been named the Bronze Body Tanning Salon USC Aiken Athletic Department StudentAthlete of the Week for the 2015-16 athletic year ending February 28, 2016. Holliday, a 6-1 redshirtsophomore from Galivants Ferry, S.C., turned in one of the most impressive performances in recent history at the Wexford Invitational last week. Holliday helped guide the Pacers to a third-place finish while recording the silver medal in the 90-person field. Holliday opened the tournament with a three-under

par, 69. He posted a twounder par, 70, over the next 18 holes before wrapping up the tournament with a career-low 66, which was good enough for six-under par. For the 54-hole event, Holliday finished with an 11-under par, 205. It marked his first top-five finish of the season while helping him be named PBC Golfer of the Week for his effort. The Bronze Body Tanning Salon USC Aiken Athletic Department Student-Athlete of the Week honors one studentathlete each week from an in-season sport for their hard work and effort. -Pacersports.com

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Editorials

March 1, 2016 8

Southern pride promotes prejudice

very morning, I ride down Jefferson Davis Highway to reach my classes at the university. As an AfricanAmerican, I notice a few things that deeply disturb me. Obviously, traveling a major highway that serves as homage to a man that fought for people like me to be brutalized is not a great start to the day, but there are those who would argue that South Carolina has the right to name its roads whatever it wishes. What is more striking to me is the abundance of Confederate flags decorating the highway. There is a cluster of flags sitting directly next to highway for all to see, directly to the left of Lakeside Baptist Church in Clearwater, SC. Being that the flags are not technically in front of the building, one might wonder if they are in fact intended to be associated with the church. Make no mistake the Confederate flag stands

proudly next to both the the only qualifier for entry the hearts and minds of many Christian flag and the South and acceptance, is blatantly South Carolinians like me, Carolina state flag, dispelling alienating people of color but it also presents a kind of any doubts of the church’s before they even step through cognitive dissonance that is affiliation with the prothe door. They’ve taken the particularly puzzling. Confederate ideology and ideology to the streets. The Civil War was their idea of South Carolinian I have been party to many absolutely, unequivocally a values. failure on the As I part of the Not only does the Confederate flag stir discomfort continue my South. The and even anger in the hearts and minds of many daily morning majority of South Carolinians like me, but it also presents a kind the South’s ride, I encounter yet of cognitive dissonance that is particularly puzzling.” wealth another set of -Kelsie Blocker was lost, Confederate the cost in flags near the Midland Valley Internet arguments and realhuman capital was immense, Country Club, again directly and there was widespread life debates in which South next to the road. Country Carolinians defend their destruction throughout the clubs have never been known reverence of the Confederate former Confederacy. to value diversity, but one still flag and fend off some Roughly 620,000 lives were has to wonder what message is imagined threat to their right lost in the war on the southern being projected by these sets to free speech. side. Many hasten to mention of flags. I don’t wish to inspire that a large percentage of The church, supposedly the same tired, delusional Confederate soldiers were a divine house of worship, argument on whether or not poor and did not own slaves, where all are to be counted but does that mean that they the flag is constitutional. I equal due to their faith, were unaware of the cause they merely wish to present some is heralding a symbol of facts. were defending? Does this lack oppression and degradation. Not only does the of slaves render them indirect The country club, where Confederate flag stir abolitionists? Were they not economic status is to be discomfort and even anger in still working to maintain the

“

status of Black people as less than human? Sure, their pain was real, and “war is hell” no matter who’s fighting, but those who would argue that the Civil War was not primarily centered on the maintenance of a plantation economy are following an ahistorical line of thinking. Rather than viewing the Confederate legacy as some bizarre source of pride, southern states should be ashamed of the era in which they dehumanized an entire subset of the population, and be critical of the ways in which this racist legacy continues today. I don’t argue that all Confederate flags should be burned or eradicated. Rather, I would posit that they should symbolize the failure of human empathy and compassion that characterized the early American period and that still scars racial relations today. -Kelsie Blocker

Seriously, folks, this shit is just comedy

omething most comedians already know is that when they are on college campuses they should avoid joking about things that make students uncomfortable. Mentioning taboo topics such as religion, race, sexual orientation or even gender in a lighthearted way can quickly lead to explosive debates with show-goers, hecklers or online activists (digital warriors). Because of this, comics are forced to either sanitize their acts or avoid college gigs altogether. In either case, both the comic and audience lose. This is disheartening because college campuses are supposed to be a marketplace of ideas. As students we are supposed to be coming into contact with both ideas that make us feel empowered and ideas that challenge us and push us out of our comfort zones. It is not wrong that college students feel the need to protect their fellow person from what they perceive as insensitivity or hurtful jokes, but that kind of sanctification

Criticwire

of what we can or cannot talk about is really just censorship by another name. If a topic is hurtful or uncomfortable, we shouldn’t be coddling each other, we should be having a dialogue about it. Comedy, like all art, makes it possible to start those

dialogues. Consider George Carlin, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Carlin once famously said, “I believe you can joke about anything. It all depends on what the exaggeration is.”

To Carlin, nothing was off limits, and, because of that, he was able to stand on the front lines in terms of creating this progressive culture we now live in. He did this by lambasting everything from politics and consumerism to feminism. Carlin even made light

of rape and murder, not because he was unaware of the heinousness of these crimes, but because he wanted to use humor to shine a light on the routine barbarism and ignorance in modern society. Now, not every comic will be as good a comic as Carlin, but in order to get comedians who are, we have to understand that comedy at its core is about more than just entertainment. It is also about pushing serious boundaries and tackling the material we don’t talk about in polite society because we aren’t equipped to do so. That is not to say every risqué joke is enlightening; some jokes are cringe-worthy and unsettling, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be said, or that the comedian should be vilified for having said it, because ultimately in America, controversy should be welcome and we need to have places where art allows people to express themselves, even if we don’t agree with what they are saying. -Josh Recor