The Piety issue

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BUZZSAW December 2013 #blessed

News & Views

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Buzzsaw  presents...

EDITORS’ COMMENT

The Piety Issue

Pray to your gods and confess all your sins — the Piety issue is here. Piety, in layman’s terms, is reverence or religion, and these two concepts remain central to the lives of countless peo-­ ple across the globe. Through prayer, through services, through positive actions, many have different ways of deepening their relationship to the spiritual world. Though each religion has its own set of values, a common thread among them all is the cre-­ ated framework of understanding the intangible. Many choose to live pieous lives in search of answers to their existential questions. Piety may lead you to a church, mosque, temple or monastery seeking a higher power. Perhaps piety has led you to believe in no higher power at all (In Atheism We Trust, pg. 14) Whatever the case, piety is always present. Piety is simultane-­ RXVO\ D FDWDO\VW RI FRQĂ LFW $ 3OXUDOLW\ RI 3HUVSHFWLYHV SJ and a crucial advocate for peace (A Thread of Non-­Violence, pg. 16). The most devout beliefs can act as a springboard for pro-­ test and change, as in the case of Russian activist punk band Pussy Riot’s media-­rattling protests (Punk Prayers and Political Protest, pg. 30). Ithaca College students manifest their reverence in many forms, as the religious and non-­religious all have some-­ thing they believe in (Religion as a Spectrum, Seesaw). Regardless of the spiritual guidance you seek, piety in its PDQ\ IRUPV LQĂ€OWUDWHV VRFLHW\ VSRUWLQJ PDQ\ GLIIHUHQW IDFHV All we ask from the greater beings of the universe is one thing: Rock Me Sexy Jesus.

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

Production

Adviser Founders

David Andersen Meagan McGinnes Timothy Bidon Karen Muller Robert S. Hummel Rachel Maus Chelsea Hartman Evan Spitzer Kanoa Ichihara Kayla Reopelle Kaley Belval

Kellen Beck Faith Meckley Michael Tkaczvski Katelyn Harrop Taylor Berker Jeff Cohen Abby Bertumen Kelly Burdick Bryan Chambala Sam Costello Thom Denick Cole Louison James Sigman

<3 the edz Buzzsaw is published with support from Generation Progress / Center for American Progress (online at GenProgress.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: The Piety Issue

Buzzsaw uses student-generated art and photography and royalty-free images. 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 cover by Evan Spitzer & Albrecht DĂźrer Back cover and Center spread by Evan Spitzer Table of Contents, Upfront divider, Ministry of Cool divider, Prose & Cons divider, Sawdust divider by Robert S. Hummel

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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 Seesaw ..........................................................5 Print media is dead, check out multimedia on the web.

News & Views .................................................6 Current events, local news & quasi-­educated opinions.

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

N Bews UZZSAW & Views

Ministry.of.Cool ........................................28 Arts, entertainment and other things cooler than us.

Prose & Cons ............................................35 6KRUW ÀFWLRQ SHUVRQDO HVVD\ DQG RWKHU DVVRUWHG OLHV

Sawdust .......................................................43 Threatening the magazine’s credibility since 1856.

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buzzcuts

Got Faith? 1 i n 4 Americans between 18 & 2 9 say they are not GYVVIRXP] EJ½PMEXIH [MXL any particular religion. (pewforums.org)

An estimated

5 billion

Bibles have been sold around the world in

342

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

different languages. (guinessworldrecords.com)

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Between

2006 & 2010

Christians were the most discriminated against religious group. They experienced harassment by government and society in 168 countries. (dosomething.org)

77

percent of Americans identity as Christian. (gallop.com)

As of 2010 there are

488 million practicing Buddhists in the world. They represent

7 percent of the population. (pewforum.org)

In the United States

28 percent of adults have left the religion they were raised under. (pewforum.org)

MIDNIGHT LEAGUE

Almost every Friday night during the school year, a group of students meets outside of Hilliard around 10 pm. From there, they carpool to the parking lot FILMRH ;EPQEVX XS TPE] MR 1MHRMKLX 0IEKYI E [MJ¾I ball league. As an alternative to going out on Friday RMKLXW XLI WXYHIRXW ½RH JVMIRHW XLVSYKL LEZMRK JYR with their teammates.

FOLLOW THE PLATYPUS

A brief PSA produced to spread the word on the absolute majesty of a very special organism. A duck-billed, pseudo mammalian anomaly, this TEVXMGYPEV ERMQEP HI½IW EPP FSYRHEVMIW FMSPSKMGEP ERH otherwise. The platypus should be held as a model by all individualists for future innovation.

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lider.

SPECTRUM OF RELIGION

News & Views

Faith is something personal, and manifests itself in unique ways for every individual. This collection of interviews represents a slice of the religious diversity on campus exploring the spiritual lives of students at a secular college.

www.buzzsawmag.org/seesaw/

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The Lite Option The FDA moves to ban trans fats

By Stephen Adams

T

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

he Food and Drug Administra-­ tion’s decision to stop recog-­ nizing partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) as safe is a step in the right direction, but is far from a ban on trans fats. In early November, the FDA pro-­ posed removing PHOs, which are the primary source of industrially produced trans fats, from its list of food additives that are generally rec-­ ognized as safe (GRAS). Additives on the list are not subject to premarket review and approval by the FDA. The FDA holds that additives on the GRAS list are adequately proven to EH VDIH E\ TXDOLĂ€HG VFLHQWLĂ€F H[SHUWV But while an overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that even trace amounts of PHOs can be harmful to human health, the ingredients were still placed on the GRAS list. Com-­ panies were not even required to list trans fat on nutrition labels until The most recent step by the FDA WR FKDQJH WKH FODVVLĂ€FDWLRQ RI 3+2V is not necessarily a ban. Rather, it means the burden will now be on the food manufacturers to prove that their products are safe for consumption. If companies can succeed in proving to the FDA that their trans-­fat infused foods are safe, then those products will continue to be sold. “If the ban on trans fats succeeds and these fats are no longer GRAS, the onus will be on the manufacturers to prove the safety of trans fats to gain pre-­market approval from the FDA be-­

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fore they can become additives,â€? said Sheila Tucker, administrative dietitian and auxiliary services nutritionist of WKH RIĂ€FH RI KHDOWK SURPRWLRQ Receiving pre-­market approval for additives in products like microwave popcorn or frozen pizzas is not as challenging to as it may seem. In fact, there are currently more than 3,000 different food additives regulated by the FDA. While the loss of the GRAS FODVVLĂ€FDWLRQ ZRXOG EH D VSHHG EXPS for trans fats, it is not a roadblock. Researchers have spent decades ex-­ amining the effects of trans fat on the body. Trans fat raises “badâ€? choles-­ terol, while lowering “goodâ€? cholester-­ ol, which can lead to a greater risk of heart disease. Trans fat has also been shown to elevate triglyceride levels, ZKLFK DUH OLQNHG WR W\SH GLDEHWHV “Trans fats are fats that started out as a ‘good’ oil, but then are industri-­ ally altered to become harder at room temperature through a process called hydrogenation that can help the man-­ ufactured food have a longer shelf life or an altered texture that is desiredâ€? Tucker said. “As a result of these changes, the fat slips down a slippery slope and become a version that goes from ‘good’ to ‘bad.’â€? The FDA said that the current proposal could prevent as many as KHDUW DWWDFNV DQG GHDWKV IURP heart disease a year—assuming there LV D VLJQLĂ€FDQW GURS LQ WKH QXPEHU RI trans fats in the food supply. Nutri-­ tionists agree the risk of disease that trans fats pose is very real.

“A study published in the New Eng-­ land Journal of Medicine way back in ZDUQHG XV WKDW D WZR SHUFHQW increase in calories from trans fat WUDQVODWHG LQWR D SHUFHQW LQFUHDVH in the risk of coronary heart disease,â€? Tucker said. New York City partially banned WUDQV IDWV LQ E\ WHOOLQJ UHVWDX-­ UDQWV WR UHPRYH DUWLĂ€FLDO WUDQV IDWV IURP WKHLU IRRGV E\ VXPPHU However, foods there can still contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serv-­ ing. “If the amount of trans fats in a product is under 0.5 grams in a serv-­ ing, the manufacturer is permitted to list the amount present as zero— which is inaccurate for some foods,â€? Tucker said. “A few 0.5 gram servings easily add up.â€? Four commercial bakery cookies, which can legally be listed as hav-­ ing 0 grams of trans fat, would cause someone to reach the recommended limit for trans fat, said Tucker. Much like the FDA proposal, New York’s reduction in trans fats is the Ă€UVW VWHS LQ D ORQJ SURFHVV KRZHYHU The city has seen some success, fol-­ ORZLQJ WKH WUDQV IDW OHJLVODWLRQ $ VWXG\ E\ FLW\ KHDOWK RIĂ€FLDOV IRXQG that the average trans fat content in a FXVWRPHU¡V PHDO ZDV UHGXFHG E\ grams, following the new regulations. The FDA opened a 60-­day comment period to collect input on the decision to stop classifying trans fat as GRAS. Pending the review of those com-­ ments, partially hydrogenated oils

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“Trans fats are fats that started out as a ‘good’ oil, but then are industrially altered to become harder at room temperature through a process called hydrogenation that can help the manufactured food have a longer shelf life or an altered texture that is desired... As a result of these changes, the fat slips down a slippery slope and become a version that goes from ‘good’ to ‘bad.’â€? trans fat when the FDA started requir-­ ing more clear labeling more than 10 years ago. Closer to home, Wegmans has been removing trans fats from their prod-­ ucts since 1991—beginning with a shift from partially hydrogenated soy-­ bean oil to liquid soybean oil. ´:HJPDQV DJUHHV WKDW WKHVH DUWLĂ€-­ cially produced fats can increase the risk of heart disease,â€? the company said in a statement. “However, FDA must also consider unintended conse-­ quences. That is, they must be con-­ Ă€GHQW WKDW WKH IDWV FKRVHQ WR UHSODFH partially hydrogenated oils are no worse for health.â€? When the FDA started requiring food manufacturers to disclose trans fat on food labels, companies started switching oils. According to the Gro-­ cery Manufacturers Association, com-­ panies have reduced the amount of trans fat in their food products by PRUH WKDQ SHUFHQW VLQFH

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News & Views

ZLOO RIĂ€FLDOO\ EH UHPRYHG IURP WKH OLVW “We can’t give a timeline,â€? FDA spokesperson Shelly Burgess said. “The commentary is open; and, once the commentary closes, we will review the comments and make a determi-­ nation after that. But we can’t give a WLPHIUDPH IRU ZKHQ WKDW Ă€QDO GHWHU-­ mination would come.â€? Trans fats are present in some mar-­ garines, cake mixes, fried foods, fro-­ zen dinners and snacks. However, in-­ creasing consumer awareness has led some companies to reduce or replace trans fats in their products. “This idea is not a new one,â€? Tuck-­ er said. “Denmark banned trans fats and was ahead of the curve.â€? Iceland and Switzerland both banned trans fats as well. 3ULRU WR WKH )'$ WDNLQJ D Ă€UPHU VWDQFH RQ DUWLĂ€FLDO WUDQV IDWV PDQ\ companies took voluntary steps to reduce them. In fact, McDonald’s stopped cooking its French fries in

Some products, however, are easier to reformulate than others. Certain SURGXFWV OLNH Ă€VK VWLFNV RU SLHV DUH RI-­ ten infused with trans fat to increase their shelf life. The cost of replacing those PHOs with other ingredients is unknown. The FDA’s most recent determina-­ tion will not affect trans fat that oc-­ curs naturally in certain meats and GDLU\ SURGXFWV $ VWXG\ SXE-­ lished by PLOS ONE, a peer-­reviewed MRXUQDO IRXQG WKH HIIHFWV RI DUWLĂ€FLDO trans fats and natural trans fats on humans were about the same. To put the natural trans fat issue into perspective, information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that one pound of ground beef has more than 8 grams of trans fat. When asked if the FDA planned to take steps to target natural trans fats as well, Burgess said, “No, because it’s not a food ingredient in those foods.â€? The good news is that overall trans fat intake has declined among Ameri-­ can consumers. In fact, the average American consumes approximately one gram of trans fat per day, com-­ SDUHG ZLWK JUDPV LQ 2YHU-­ all, research by the Centers for Dis-­ ease Control and Prevention shows that blood levels of trans fatty acids declined 58-­percent among white DGXOWV IURP WR While the FDA still has a long way to go, any progress in reducing Amer-­ ican consumption of trans fat is good news. ____________________________________ Stephen Adams is a sophomore jour-­ nalism major who hopes Dunkin tastes as good without trans fat. Email him at sadams@ithaca.edu.

From Strange Roots We Flourish A Q&A with two of Buzzsaw’s founders

By Nate King & Samual Gest

S

am Costello and Abigail Ber-­ tumen are two of the founding editors of Buzzsaw magazine. Costello is currently a technology manager for the ad agency Digitas, and Bertumen is currently a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

NK/SG:

Where would you say the i dea f or B uzzsaw c ame from? Why did you want to get involved?

SC:

Buzzsaw was born out of frustration: frustration with the on-­campus media choices at that time; frustration that there was nothing in print at Ithaca College, or really even in the city of Ithaca, that matched the sensibilities of the founders. The Internet was still relatively young at that time, and the explosion of social media, blog-­ ging, and other kinds of publishing democratization was years away at that time. If it wasn’t in print, it was as if it didn’t exist. There wasn’t anything that we could read that sounded like us, that said things in the way we would, that talked about what we cared about.

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

AB:

A lot of us were current or former Ithacan members, so we knew what it was like to crank out a newspaper. I remember we start-­ ed an email chain about it and then decided to meet, and that’s when we really talked about putting it together. I think all of the editors had different reasons for wanting to start and be a part of Buzzsaw. For me, it was to be part of some-­ thing new and to provide students with some newspaper alternatives on campus when there weren’t any.

SC: Mr. James Sigman. The first

three issues were funded entirely by James. He’d graduated the year be-­ fore and so was making more money than probably all of us had combined at that time. And he’d had his own issues with The Ithacan, so it was a good match. Without James [and Our Press, the magazine’s longtime and current printer], Buzzsaw never would have happened.

NK/SG: What was the process like to take your initial idea and actually make it happen, actually produce a publication?

AB:

When the first issue was published and distributed, it was definitely a very exciting experience, although we produced it so quickly that it seemed pretty effortless. I remember after or around the first issue we were trying to get funding and other benefits on campus, and to do that we had to become a club recognized by the Student Govern-­ ment Association. I remember go-­ ing to the SGA meeting and talking about Buzzsaw. I think people were pretty skeptical at the time. The one thing they couldn’t seem to get over was the name; they didn’t re-­ ally think it was serious. But I think it was good to sort of break down people’s notions that good writing or good ideas or bringing people news had to be packaged with some sort of serious-­sounding name, or some-­ how incorporate “Ithaca” in it.

NK/SG: Sam, the early

editorial meetings of Buzzsaw took place in your room, correct? What was that process like?

The early ones, yes. Even-­ NK/SG: How was funding SC: tually, as Buzzsaw got more estab-­ secured for the first issues?

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lished and the number of people involved got larger, we had to move them into classrooms, but the ear-­ ly ones were in dorm rooms. We’d

call the meeting and ask everyone to come with ideas for what they wanted to write. We generally let people figure out what was inter -­ esting to them and pursue it.

NK/SG: What sort of response did you receive from students and faculty?

AB:

I would say that the re-­ sponse from students and faculty was very positive. We even had some high school students visiting the campus who picked it up and liked it. And I think the positive re-­ sponse was largely due to the fact that it was something new; it was something different, and finally there wasn’t one source of print media on campus. That’s definitely not how it works in the real world, so why should it have been that way then?

NK/SG: When you start-

ed Buzzsaw, what would you say was the spirit of the magazine?

SC: Angry. Funny. Acerbic. Im-­ mature. Sophisticated.

AB: I think it was a little re-­

bellious. We were definitely looking to have some fun since we were all friends, but we were pretty serious in our mission to provide an alter -­ native newspaper. For more on the history of Buzz-­ saw check out King’s and Gest’s in-­ depth article, coming this spring. _________________________________ Nate King and Samual Gest are se-­ nior journalism majors who wish they could be as alternative as this magazine. Email them at nking2@ ithaca.edu and sgest1@ithaca.edu.

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Leaping Forward

IC’s new transmedia studio breeds opportunity

By Emma Martin

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brilliant ideas that have been lying dormant. Then there’s the physical studio itself — an idyllic space on the base-­ ment level of Center Ithaca in the &RPPRQV :KHQ , Ă€UVW FDPH XSRQ it, I thought it was an old ballet stu-­ dio. Instead, it is a charming hub for Ă€OPLQJ VFUHHQLQJ DQG LQVWDOODWLRQV alike. I can only really describe the space as organic — crying for cre-­ ative use. Falling into this new organization was mere luck for me. I was nev-­ HU SUHYLRXVO\ LQYROYHG LQ Ă€OP QRU poised to work in a studio. I got this one life-­changing internship, and then I happened upon this — the re-­ sult of the ingenuity of alumni, the persistence of Carol Jennings and the enthusiasm of Dean Gayeski. The Transmedia Studio is a piece of Park, but moreso of Ithaca Col-­ lege as a whole, and somehow I was fortunate enough to get on board. I get to help build the blocks that will support the studio’s foundation for years to come. I get to continue working in publicity and marketing IRU Ă€OP HYHQ DIWHU UHWXUQLQJ IURP perma-­sunny L.A. to the frigid hills of Ithaca. I get to bask in the glory WKDW LV Ă€OP , JHW WR EH HQWKUDOOHG by transmedia projects that could change the entertainment industry altogether. And the crazy part is, whoever you are and whatever you do, you can too. This is a place for ideas — any ideas. We have the tools to make anything into a transmedia sto-­ ry. We have the resources to make your idea a reality. We are anxiously awaiting your pitch! __________________________________ Emma Martin is a senior IMC major who would marry transmedia if she could. Email her at emartin4@ithaca. edu.

There are several different ways students can get involved in the Transmedia Studio. You could‌ Pitch an idea! To pitch an idea for a short, JIEXYVI ½PQ SV ER] SXLIV X]TI of project, contact David Lillienstein, director of creative HIZIPSTQIRX XS ½RH SYX LS[ XS make your project happen. Once it’s been greenlit, the studio will work with you throughout all aspects of production. Participate on Production Crews! You don’t need to have an idea to be involved on other people’s productions. Since students run the Transmedia Studio, all production crews are open for students to participate in. Contact Karen Rich, director of production, for more information. Join the Marketing Team! Think you’re more into the marketing and social media aspect of Transmedia? There’s a place for you here as well. You can contact Emma Martin for more information on that! Apply for an executive staff position! There are a bunch of other great opportunities to be a leader in the Transmedia Studio. Make sure you check them out on Facebook at www.facebook. com/IthacaCollegeTheStudio or email them at transmediastudio@ithaca.edu.

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News & Views

ast semester, I was granted an internship at NBC’s art Ă€OP VWXGLR )RFXV )HDWXUHV working in the publicity depart-­ PHQW , KDG DOZD\V HQMR\HG Ă€OPV even greatly appreciated them — but this experience turned mere leisurely enjoyment into a source of passion. And of course, living in Los Angeles during Oscars season is impetus enough to transform the typical moviegoer into an over-­night fanatic. When I received an email detailing the Park School’s latest venture in industry innovation, The Transme-­ dia Studio, I felt as if I’d stumbled XSRQ WKH ORWWHU\ , ZDV Ă€QDOO\ UHFHLY-­ ing some sort of positive karma for my strange attentiveness to lengthy emails and Intercom updates. A FRPSOHWHO\ VWXGHQW UXQ Ă€OP VWXGLR looking at a new model of storytell-­ ing — could it have come at a bet-­ ter time? I immediately expressed interest in taking a position in the marketing department, long before Carol Jennings, the organization’s advisor, sought applications for the executive staff. Transmedia is the perfect IMC project, and as an integrated mar-­ keting communications major my-­ self — it just made sense. It en-­ compasses multiple platforms in an interactive manner, each building upon the other, creating an immer-­ sive world for the audience. This is not to be confused with multimedia plans, which take one story to sever-­ al different outlets. Rather it is a ho-­ listic, continuing storyline that uses each media in a unique manner. With a studio like this, all majors and interests are encouraged to join. The process of transmedia storytell-­ ing invites all talents. The studio’s projects will be completely student generated, developed and produced. Workshops and alumni involvement will allow for studio growth, and give students of all disciplines a chance to get their feet wet in a new and different area, while building a pro-­ fessional network. We’ve begun to hear pitches — and students have

How can YOU get involved with The Transmedia Studio?

Stretching the Limits

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'SVRIPP 9RMZIVWMX] QEOMRK EHZERGIQIRXW MR ½FIV XIGLRSPSK] By Kyle Robertson & Sara Webb

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department, said she is conducting re-­ search into making this process more HIĂ€FLHQW Frey said that when properly en-­ JLQHHUHG FHUWDLQ Ă€EHUV LQ WKH PDVNV could be used to capture bacteria for sampling and make diagnosis easier for doctors and patients. “Instead of having a swab rammed down your throat, they could just ana-­ lyze the mask to see what illness you have,â€? she said. “Then it makes your time sitting in the waiting room actually useful, and you can avoid any personal discomfort.â€? Thermochromic pigments or poly-­ mers can be applied to a fabric and change color with temperature. This ef-­ fect is being applied to activewear and being used to gauge the body’s tem-­ perature change. This feature may be very useful for tracking athletes who may be exercising to a point of physical exhaustion. Sophomore Eric Beaudette said he is focusing on this topic for a project team, along with sophomore Sarah Meyers and junior Ariana Levitt for the upcoming fashion show. “The fabric with thermochromic pig-­ ment will undergo color changes at VSHFLĂ€F WHPSHUDWXUH OHYHOV Âľ %HDXGHWWH said. “We are experimenting to have the highest level signify physical exhaus-­ tion, where one should stop exercising, and our biggest challenge of changing patterns of two anatomical designs in earlier levels, which we are still experi-­ menting with.â€? Cornell is not the only school inter-­ HVWHG LQ WKLV Ă€HOG RI UHVHDUFK 1RUWK

Carolina State University was founded DV D VFKRRO RI WH[WLOHV LQ DQG WR-­ day its College of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science is still one of the OHDGHUV LQ WKH Ă€HOG RI Ă€EHU VFLHQFH But the textile industry also has a dark side. Each year, Cornell students are taken to India to see conditions in manufacturing centers and production facilities, as well as pollution caused by WKH Ă€EHU LQGXVWU\ Hinestroza said that remaining envi-­ ronmentally conscious is important to the department as well. “There are some places [in India and China] where you can guess what color is in fashion in the U.S. or in France just by the color of the river — this is the river people drink from,â€? he said. 7KH GHSDUWPHQW LV ZRUNLQJ RQ Ă€-­ bers that can mitigate these issues by straining toxins out of liquids, Hin-­ estroza said. This could even be done by re-­engineering denim products with certain chemical treatments. “I’d like to see a cycle in this,â€? Hin-­ estroza said. “You contaminate while making the jeans, and now you can use your old jeans to clean up the water.â€? *Originally published on the Multimedia Journalism Workshop’s Website. ____________________________________ Kyle Robertson and Sara Webb are se-­ nior journalism majors who will be rock-­ ing smart-­fabric Gucci overalls 20 years from now. Email them at krobert4@itha-­ ca.edu and swebb2@ithaca.edu.

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Q WKH Ă€OP %DFN WR WKH )X-­ ture Part II, Marty McFly arrives LQ WKH \HDU WR Ă€QG VHOI ODFLQJ sneakers and jackets featuring built-­in computers, auto-­adjusting sleeves and jet-­drying functions that eliminate the need for towels. While the present day may not have caught up with Marty just yet, faculty and students at the Textiles Nanotech-­ nology Laboratory at Cornell University are working hard to make fantasies like these into realities. Every spring, the Cornell Fashion Collective puts on a professional run-­ way exhibition to showcase student ZRUN 7KH $SULO VKRZ ZLOO PDUN the 30th straight year of student com-­ petition, including those who work on fashion design and others who re-­ VHDUFKLQJ VFLHQWLĂ€F DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU their pieces. Due to the proximity of facilities in the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, students in both are able to work with together to apply their inventions in real-­world situations. Juan Hinestroza, assistant professor of Ă€EHU VFLHQFH VDLG KH KDV D FRPELQD-­ tion of undergraduate students work-­ ing on fashion design and graduate students working on the theory ele-­ ments of clothing. In many hospitals, patients who are not critically ill may have to sit in wait-­ ing rooms before a doctor can see them. They may also be instructed to put on a disposable mask if they are coughing to prevent the spread of germs. Marga-­ ret Frey, an associate professor in the

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Photo by Kyle Robertson

A Q&A with Jim Miller The executive producer of Brave New Films sits down with Buzzsaw By Timothy Bidon

J

im Miller is the executive pro-­ ducer of Brave New Films, a new media company that produces feature-­length docu-­ mentaries and investigative vid-­ eos.

TB: And would you say the

TB: What goes into deciding

I think that it goes be-­ yond misinformation; I think that they’re not just informed at all. I think it’s a subject that hasn’t been, until the last couple of weeks with the Amnesty and UN and Human Rights Watch reports, and now our film, one that people really thought about. Certainly the US government hasn’t been broad-­ casting the fact that so many in-­ nocent people have been killed by these weaponized drones flying RYHU DQRWKHU FRXQWU\ 6R , think that with the film and these reports people are starting to get informed about the usage out-­ side of the United States of these drones and how harmful they are, how they’re creating more ene-­ mies.

the issues you’re going to cover at Brave New Films?

JM: 7KHUH DUH RI XV DQG WKH subjects that we cover require an enormous amount of passion, so we always talk with staff. We have weekly staff meetings and talk about what’s going on with cur -­ rent events, what things we may be able to talk about or add to the conversation with our videos. Be-­ cause we don’t just do full length, we also do short videos around a number of videos and it’s almost always staff-­driven.

TB: What do you think has

changed in our culture so that now we’re willing to chase whistleblowers down and punish them?

American public is misinformed on drone usage? What should we know that perhaps we don’t?

JM:

TB: Why is it problematic that we view whistleblowers as criminals in your view?

I think it’s un-­American to JM: Good question. It’s funny JM: view whistleblowers, people who are bringing grievances to the at-­ tention of their superiors, and then beyond when the superiors don’t listen, as criminals. I think it’s un-­American. I think if there’s something that is unlawful that is hurting people or costing taxpayer dollars, it should be brought to light.

TB: What’s next for you and for Brave New Films?

JM:

Usually we have a year -­ end retreat and we talk about the year that passed and what people would like to see going forward. So that’s going to be happening in a couple of weeks. In addition to that, we always have ongoing projects. One touches on Latino issues and is right now dealing very specifically with immigration before and health and safety is-­ sues affecting low-­wage workers. The other one deals with mass in-­ carceration, and the issue they’re dealing with right now is private prisons, which really is a catastro-­ phe across the country. _________________________________ Timothy Bidon is a senior journal-­ ism major who loves stealing the Q&As. Email him at tbidon1@itha-­ ca.edu.

News & Views

because we always see those signs: “If you see something, say some-­ thing.â€? And the government wants people to protect other people, yet when it comes to the govern-­ ment and somebody pointing out something they’ve done a little bit incorrectly, the government takes great offense. The War on Whistle-­ blowers film shows an example of four real heroes who sacrifice lit-­ erally everything to point out some wrongdoings. And they were pun-­ ished for it. Why? You know, the self-­preservation of certain people goes beyond, I guess, their moral obligations.

or two with a feeling of helpless-­ ness or just being depressed about the issue. What we do is encour -­ age people to have screenings with friends and family in their homes or to watch online and download our actions guides. So whenev-­ er we do a project, whether it’s a long-­form documentary or a short, we always add “action asks.â€? If you go to [Americasdronewars.com], you can download the action guide and see what other organizations have said people should try to do.

TB: Do you envision that there’s something the general public can do about it, more specifically students?

JM: Yes, and that’s a big part

of what we do. We specifically don’t produce documentaries so that they can go into movie theatres and people can leave after an hour

11

Turning Platforms into Progress What to expect from New York City’s new mayor By Alexa Salvato

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

O

Q WKH Ă€UVW GD\ RI WKH 1HZ Year, New York City will have a new mayor. Bill de Blasio, WKH Ă€UVW 'HPRFUDW WR KROG WKH SRVL-­ WLRQ LQ \HDUV ZLOO EH WDNLQJ RIĂ€FH after defeating opponent Joe Lhota by a margin of 49 percent on Election 'D\ $V WKH %%& VWDWHG LQ LWV SURĂ€OH of the mayor-­elect, he “campaigned on a promise to reverse the city’s ris-­ ing income inequality, combined with sharp attacks on a city police policy that critics say violates the civil rights of minorities.â€? His background has involved advo-­ cacy for these issues. He worked on the 1989 mayoral campaign for the Ă€UVW EODFN 1<& PD\RU DV ZHOO DV IRU Hillary Clinton’s New York state sen-­ ate campaign, one often associated with liberal social causes. He was also a regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton adminis-­ tration. He was also associated with activist movements as a young adult, most notably as an advocate for the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua. Statements of his radical past were often used by his opponents in order to diminish his credibility. Luck-­ ily for de Blasio, an opponent’s lack of credibility has much to do with how KH ZDV DEOH WR ZLQ WKH YRWH LQ WKH Ă€UVW place. The infamous Anthony Weiner of the two rounds of sexting scandals RQH LQ DQG RQH LQ -XO\ in the midst of his mayoral campaign) was the primary other Democrat in the running until this sent him out of the race. Meanwhile, Republican candidate Lhota’s position was best summed up by the NY Daily News: “In a city where Democrats outnum-­ ber Republicans 6 to 1, Lhota faced an uphill climb from the moment he entered the race.â€? There was an im-­ mediate prejudice against Lhota from many constituents, which is assumed to be due to partisan lines. As the New York Times reported in Septem-­ EHU ´$QG LQ D VWLQJLQJ EORZ IRU Mr. Lhota, a former city budget direc-­ tor, only 35 percent of voters said he would be a better manager of munici-­ SDO Ă€QDQFHV FRPSDUHG ZLWK SHU-­

12

cent for Mr. de Blasio.â€? This relates to KRZ UHJDUGOHVV RI VSHFLĂ€F TXDOLĂ€FD-­ tions, there was a bias towards Lhota from the start. Despite his experience in City Hall under former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, after two decades of Republican mayors, it appears that NYC residents are ready for a change. So, how will this change be execut-­ ed? One major campaign point for de Blasio was proposing increased regu-­ lation of the stop-­and-­frisk New York City Police Department procedures. The mayor-­elect even created an ad using his biracial son in regard to the FRQWURYHUV\ RYHU SURĂ€OLQJ RI \RXQJ men of color for this procedure. De Blasio’s family is one of the many ways that he garnered support. His kids are adolescents with public school educations. His wife, Chir-­ lane McCray, is a black poet, writer and activist who before her marriage LGHQWLĂ€HG DV D OHVELDQÂłDOO WKLQJV that helped de Blasio get votes from groups that are underrepresented in government today. Prioritizing the rights of people of color, as he did with the stop-­and-­frisk ad, and overtly rec-­ ognizing the prejudice that many oth-­ er candidates ignore is an extremely YDOXDEOH WUDLW WR KDYH LQ RIĂ€FH HVSH-­ cially in New York City. Education was also important. His opponent Lhota wanted to create more charter schools, but de Blasio proposes funneling more time and energy into improving struggling pub-­ lic schools, as well as universal pre-­ school in the city. As in every race, taxes were also a highly contested issue. In a policy associated with many liberal candi-­ dates, the NY Daily News reports that de Blasio wants to increase the tax on the wealthy: “De Blasio wants to hike the income tax on New Yorkers earning $500,000 or more to 4.3 per-­ cent from 3.8 percent, and has vowed property tax reform.â€? But promises like increasing the tax on the wealthy, reducing home-­ lessness and reprioritizing education aren’t exactly new to many voters. As )RUEHV FRQWULEXWRU &DUULH 6KHIĂ€HOG noted post-­election, “De Blasio’s ‘pub-­ lic advocate’ role is strikingly similar

to Barack Obama’s ‘community or-­ ganizer’ gig: neither offered substan-­ tive executive experience managing massive, complex organizations. This came back to bite Obama—and mil-­ lions of Americans—during the bun-­ gled rollout of ObamaCare.â€? NYC is obviously smaller in scale than the ZKROH 86 EXW LW LV VWLOO RI JUHDW VLJQLĂ€-­ cance. Now that he has been elected, those in NYC are wondering whether his campaign promises will amount to any action. There are quite a few reasons why some of his goals might become a re-­ ality. It starts with de Blasio’s sup-­ port system of constituents. As stated above, Democrats to Republicans in the city are proportioned six to one — very unlike the nearly 50-­50 partisan split in the country. There is the sim-­ ple fact that New York is one city, not laced with all the layers of bureau-­ cracy that the President of the United States has to work through in order to pass legislative action. The smaller scope of the position also allows de Blasio to put more focus into the is-­ sues that he has pledged to defend. De Blasio is still just mayor-­elect, and we don’t have much of his past experience to look to as we speculate about what will occur in the near fu-­ ture. During his victory speech he said, “Let me be clear, our work, all of our work, is really just beginning. We have no illusions about the task that lies ahead.â€? Recognition of the size and scope of the issues he and NYC will have to face in the next four years is a very good start to making prom-­ ises that aren’t so empty after all. ____________________________________ Alexa Salvato is a freshman journal-­ ism major who is running for mayor of Buzzsaw. Email her at asalvat1@ ithaca.edu.

Upfront

UPFRONT. UPFRONT. UPFRONT

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In Atheism We Trust

The shift from traditional religions to atheism on college campuses By Sabrina Dorronsoro

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

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thaca College juniors Chad Conners and Jared Amory are not only roommates, but fellow atheists. Growing up in Catholic households, Conners and Amory made the decision to stray from their family’s religion and pursue atheism. Both cited either books from philosophers or independent research on the Internet as their reasoning for their change of beliefs. “People are starting to think for themselves,” said Conners. “With access to the Internet and billions of articles to read, people are starting to believe what they chose to believe rather than having it told to them.” A recent study done by Brookings and the Public Religion Research Institute suggests that there might be a direct correlation between atheism and education. In their study they found that participants with no more than a high school education were more willing to view the Bible DV D OLWHUDO DQG GHÀQLWLYH ZRUG RI WKH Lord. This statistic fell to 14 percent when it came to participants with a postgraduate education or beyond. The study also suggests that perhaps age has something to do with this new acceptance of atheism. More than half (56 percent) of youth participants approved of atheism as opposed to a measly 34 percent in elderly participants. While the researchers responsible for this study do not imply that there are no academics whom associate with a formal religion the numbers do suggest that the academics of today recognize the validity of atheism as a belief system in and of itself. Professor John A. Mueller, author of Understanding the Atheist College Student: A Qualitative Examination, found a similar correlation among the 16 atheist graduate/undergraduate students he interviewed for his research. “What I learned from interviews with atheist college students was that they were intellectually curious and always had been,” said Mueller. “They immersed themselves in learning more about how the world operates from various disciplines — science, history, philosophy, etc. — and found

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the answers much more satisfying and reasonable than those offered by religion and belief in a god or gods.” With colleges being the academic hubs for the youth of America, it is no coincidence that this shift to atheism has resulted in a growing presence

different perspectives” Mueller went on to discuss how this pool of instant information combined with well-­known celebrities associating with atheism and best-­selling books on atheism has essentially exposed the atheism movement.

“I think that we are a part of a generation that will always be increasingly creative, question traditional rules of authority and question traditional schools of thought in order to discover and spread the ultimate truth about humanity and life itself.” - Jared Amory of atheist voices on campuses. The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) website lists over 360 college groups nationwide, over four times as many than existed in 2004. Mueller, like The Friendly Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta, suggests that this growth of atheism on college campuses has a lot to do with the Internet. “In the pre-­Internet days, when young people, including myself, had questions about god and religion, we were in the bubble of our families and the church. All the answers to our questions echoed within the bubble,” said Mueller. “The Internet now provides people access to all sorts of information that offer a range of

Conners echoes a similar sentiment as Mueller. “Christianity spread like ZLOGÀUH DIWHU WKH LQYHQWLRQ RI WKH Guttenburg press, so why would there not be a shift of consciousness after we start really understanding what is going on in the world with the Internet?” said Conners. “Now that we access valid information you can start to collect facts for yourself you can start to think ‘logically.’ I don’t think it’s just college campuses, but rather the whole Western world.” However, the Internet is not the sole factor contributing to college students turning to atheism. As mentioned earlier by Mueller intellectual curiosity plays a big role in this shift of belief system, Amory thinks this desire for

s such a negative connotation. The shift to atheism on college campuses is clear, so moving forward the real question will be how to deal with this stigma. Mueller cites this need for a change in thinking about atheists as the main reason for why he writes. “Acknowledging that there are atheist college students is something fairly novel to colleges and universities,â€? said Mueller. “Part of the reason I write and speak on this topic is to get it on the radar of my higher education colleagues and to challenge some assumptions and myths about atheist college students. For example: they’re evil, lost, wounded, without purpose, etc.â€? Atheism is a new strand of thinking, not a “corruptâ€? way of being. Nor does it mean the end of traditional religions. Stenger cited an American 5HOLJLRXV ,GHQWLĂ€FDWLRQ 6XUYH\ ZKLFK found that traditional religions are still prevalent on college campuses across the U.S. Perhaps Mueller best sums up the actual mindset of atheists: “As more atheists are open and not afraid to challenge the myths and assumptions, I think the stereotypes will fade, probably never go way though. [Atheists] prefer to challenge ideas and beliefs, not attack the person.â€? ____________________________________ Sabrina Dorronsoro is a junior journalism major who is accepting of all religious experiences and beliefs. Email her at sdorron1@ithaca.edu.

Upfront

knowledge has everything to do with this change. “I think that we are a part of a generation that will always be increasingly creative, question traditional rules of authority and question traditional schools of thought in order to discover and spread the ultimate truth about humanity and life itself,â€? Amory said. Students are now seeing atheism as a more accessible option than ever before and as more students make the shift the stigma around atheism is slowly shifting as evidenced by the growing factions of the SSA. Most of these SSA clubs work the same way as a Christian or Jewish student group would, getting together to talk about their beliefs in a friendly and safe forum. However, some campus sections have tried to tackle the challenge of awareness about atheism. Students at University of Illinois exemplify this type of atheism-­ awareness in a very vocal form. This year, students of the campus planned a bunch of activities surrounding and dealing with atheism in college life such as Hug An Atheist Day as well as a celebration of Darwin Day. However, Vic Stenger, author of New York Times bestseller: God: The Failed Hypothesis, knows that this increased presence of college atheists does not mean there is not still a strong negative connotation surrounding atheism. When asked about whether or not there was still a deep prejudice against atheism, Stenger was quick to point out a 2010 article by Douglas L. Keene and Rita R. Handrich entitled Panic Over the Unknown: America Hates Atheists. The article cited a study done by the American Mosaic Project, which found that Americans really did hate atheists. They did not want their kids marrying atheists, WKH\ GLG QRW WKLQN DWKHLVWV Ă€W LQWR WKH fabric of America and some went as far as to call atheists “evil and immoral.â€? This is the stigma that college students identifying with atheism face. Amory said he did not necessarily like the term atheism because it has

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A Common Thread of Nonviolence Promoting peace across religions By Taylor Barker

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

S

ara Pines joined the Ithaca Catholic Worker (ICW) because the organization has the same beliefs that she does. “In other words, everything having to do with peace and justice and equality,â€? she said. “And for one person to do it is not as effective as joining with a group, and that’s why I joined the Catholic Work-­ er.â€? The ICW is part of a national re-­ ligious organization, the Catholic Worker, that is advocating for peace and nonviolence. Its current focus is drone activity by the United States’ government that is killing innocent people. To expose what they view as illegal activities, the organization is writing letters, visiting legislators lo-­ cally and in Washington D.C. and demonstrating at the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, Pines said. The ICW is only one of many reli-­ gious organizations that are trying to promote peace and nonviolence throughout the country. Currently the actions against war and promo-­ tion of peace are centered within the communities, but the hope is for the ideas to make a lasting impact and cause as much change as possible, whether it is on a national or interna-­ tional scale. On Earth Peace is a 39-­year-­old or-­ ganization that is sponsoring a newer organization, Living Peace Churches, after the organization Every Church a Peace Church approached it for support. The vision for Living Peace Churches is to “Live and teach as Jesus taught,â€? executive director of On Earth Peace, Bill Scheurer said. All of the peace churches will up-­ hold the idea that Jesus advo-­ cated for nonviolence. Living Peace Churches evolved from the ideas promoted by Every Church a Peace Church, he said. On Earth Peace is conduct-­ ing a pilot program this year for Living Peace Churches with 12 churches. On Earth Peace will guide the members, but there is not a list dictat-­ ing what the congregations can and cannot do, Scheu-­

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rer said. “The goal for the Living Peace Churches is to help all of the church-­ es in the Jesus movement reclaim their biblical roots of peace because we come from a belief that the gospel of Jesus is in fact the gospel of peace,â€? Scheurer said. There will be the expectation that every church will conduct a service outreach ministry. The service out-­ reach ministries will be the main way the churches can spread their ideas about peace and nonviolence. Another group that focuses on an-­ tiwar protest and the promotion of peace and nonviolence is the Agape Community based in Ware, M.A. The main idea that the community is grounded in revolves around prayer, faith and sustainable living. Suzanne and Brayton Shanley co-­founded the group in 1982. “You should kind of live your faith, in this case it would be living Chris-­ tian faith,â€? Brayton said. “And that would mean following a Jesus that is nonviolent and rejects war, and re-­ jects all violence, actually.â€? Actions against war and the focus on nonviolence and peace play an in-­ tegral role in the community. Part of the action is outside of the commu-­ nity, protesting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, b u t another main part in-­ volves focus on the in-­ dividual trying to prevent vi-­ olence. “ N o n v i o -­ lence is an inside job, so you are con-­ stantly

w o r k i n g against sort of Image by Lizzie Cox

anger and frustration that can lead to violence and the worst kind of vio-­ lence, you can say, is war,â€? Brayton said. When the community and its vol-­ unteers take action outside of the community, they try to mobilize other churches and go to the town square to hold up banners in response to spe-­ FLĂ€F HYHQWV %UD\WRQ VDLG $ FXUUHQW aspect of war that the community has protested against is the use of drones in the Middle East. They also teach throughout the community and go to universities to spread their messages about peace and nonviolence. Anoth-­ er action the Shanleys take is refusing to pay taxes that support war. Bray-­ ton said he and his wife live under the taxable income level, so they do not have to pay federal income tax that would support any wars. The Agape Community is making its message of peace and violence na-­ tional. Brayton recently wrote a book, “The Many Sides of Peace,â€? which is a summary of the main ideas the com-­ munity promotes. There are three central ideas integrated throughout the book: Christian nonviolence, con-­ templative life and sustainable living. Shanley said his hope is to spread the ideas of the community to more peo-­ ple, he said. To promote his book and to share his ideas, he is currently do-­ ing a book tour throughout the coun-­ try; which included a stop in Ithaca earlier this semester. There is variation among the or-­ ganizations in how they advocate for peace and nonviolence, but in the end they are all reaching for the same goal and promoting similar ideas because of religious beliefs. “Every religion has in it thou shall not kill,â€? Pines said. “And the govern-­ ment is killing, so we are protesting the government as human beings and as people of different religions.â€? ____________________________________ Taylor Barker is a sophomore journal-­ ism major who is all about peace, love and the occasional cookie. Email her at tbarker1@ithaca.edu.

F

Finding Personal Peace

% ½VWX LERH I\TPSVEXMSR SJ QIHMXEXMSR TVEGXMGIW

By Kellen Beck

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ollege life is stressful. I sleep enough, relax enough, move around enough; eat enough. Stress still manages to stick around. I have never meditated before, and

ing the mind.â€? According to project-­meditation. org, meditation can be dated back thousands of years to India, in a form known as Tantra. Tantra has migrat-­ ed to the West and is based in Zen

“You can’t shut off your mind but you can turn down the volume.â€? - Michael Faber to be completely honest I did not know much about it, but I decided to give it a shot. At worst it would be a few min-­ utes wasted with my eyes closed, at best I would transcend into a higher understanding of life and self, and stop wearing jeans or something. I searched “how to meditateâ€? on Google. I skipped all the research and went with WikiHow’s step-­by-­step instructions. After a few minutes of reading, I turned everything off and meditated to the best of my limited knowledge. Focusing on breathing is easy, and I found that just thinking about that PDGH LW GLIĂ€FXOW WR WKLQN WRR GHHSO\ about anything else. Lights off, legs crossed, focus on my breathing. That is really all there was to it. Did it work? I guess to know that one has to understand what medita-­ tion is.

What is meditation?

Uses of meditation The practice of meditation in the West has split off into different cate-­ gories, and its applications are found in religion, spirit, relaxation and even medicine. The NCCAM said that meditation

In practice As I have been meditating over the past few weeks, I feel like I have been more relaxed. If I am particularly stressed, having a quick med-­sesh helps out. Turning off all the noise in your KHDG FDQ EH GLIĂ€FXOW DQG LQ WKH EHJLQ-­ ning it is very easy to stray from what-­ ever you are trying to focus on. Over time it becomes easier, and practicing mindfulness in everyday life can be a PDMRU EHQHĂ€W WR UHDFKLQJ WKDW SHDFH ____________________________________ Kellen Beck is a sophomore journalism major who Ohmmmmmm Ohmmmm-­ mmmmmmm. Email him at kbeck1@ ithaca.edu.

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Upfront

Meditation is whatever you want it to be. “Generally, a person who is medi-­ tating uses certain techniques, such DV D VSHFLĂ€F SRVWXUH IRFXVHG DWWHQ-­ tion, and an open attitude toward dis-­ tractions,â€? stated the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Michael Faber, a meditation lec-­ turer at Ithaca College and meditator for 35 years, described meditation as “learning the art and science of train-­

Buddhist beliefs. It only started to rise in popularity here in the last 50 years. Different forms of meditation can be the basic breathing practice, walking meditation, guided meditation, yoga, prayer or exercise. It seems that there are no limits when it comes to how you want to meditate. “Understood correctly, anything can be used for meditation,â€? Faber said. At its core, meditation is focusing on an object or idea and letting all other thoughts and judgements fall away so that the only things in your consciousness are you and what you are focusing on. This is called absorp-­ tion, the state in which you and your focus become one. In the Zen practice, the practice is used to clear the mind and then reach a state of enlightenment. Rachel Hogancamp is the manag-­ ing partner at the Rasa Spa in Ithaca which holds meditation sessions that offer a quiet place to meditate with a little guidance from instructors. They GR QRW SXVK DQ\ VSHFLĂ€F IRUP RU UH-­ ligion. “It’s different for everybody,â€? she said.

can be used to increase calmness and relaxation, improve mental balance, cope with illness or generally enhance your well-­being. These are all very enticing effects for the typical college student. “You can’t shut off your mind but you can turn down the volume,â€? Faber said. In Zen Buddhist practices, medita-­ tion is a means to be mindful, accept-­ ing and appreciative, as well as reach enlightenment. This does not just mean looking at a sunset and think-­ ing that it looks nice, it means experi-­ encing and perceiving life at a deeper level. “None of this is instantaneous,â€? Faber pointed out. “The progress is measured in decades.â€? For many beginners, the fact prog-­ ress takes years may be dishearten-­ ing. After years of dedication, one may reach non-­duality. “The everyday thinking mind is a duality — me and not me,â€? he said. This is the notion that people think in two categories — themselves and everything else around them — and to reach non-­duality is to bring those two aspects together and be accept-­ ing.

Beyond Stereotypes: Demystifying Wicca 8LI VEQM½GEXMSRW SJ ;MGGE´W FEH VITYXEXMSR By Faith Meckley

“

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Anything outside of Christian-­ ity is an abomination.” These were the words my high school science teacher said in front of the whole class, and four years later I still remember the look on her face as she said them. She was looking right at me with a stony, cold gaze. When I looked to my classmates for support, they all pretended to be absorbed with work. “You’re wrong,” I said, as I walked out of the room on the verge of tears. An adult figure I had once held so much respect for had just called me an abomination in front of my friends and peers. While I had witnessed it before, that was the first time I experienced religious discrimination personally. Since I was a child, I’ve never been able to understand the animosity between different religions. I think at the core all religions have the same goal: to guide us through life and to help us live it in the most ful-­ filling way possible. Religion helps put meaning and context to all parts of our existence: the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. Un-­ fortunately, the religion that helps me feel whole is perhaps one of the most misunderstood.

Misconceptions of Wicca Admit it; when you think of a witch, you envision a haggard old woman riding a broom with a warty nose, a pointy hat and a black cloak. Those of us who practice Wicca are called witches, including men, and I believe it’s safe to say that very few of us fit the previous description. Similar stereotypes arise with the

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use of magic in Wiccan practice. We do not say magical words like Harry Potter, nor do we attempt to turn anyone into frogs. Wiccan magic is the practice of feeling the natural energies around you and within you

nature. Similar to Karma, Wiccans recognize the threefold rule: what-­ ever you do unto others will be re-­ turned to you threefold, whether these deeds be good or bad. So, even if a Wiccan were to summon demons to wreak havoc, their hor -­ rible deeds would eventually come back to them with more force. As a Wiccan, I strive to use positive light energy in my practices to reduce the negativity and stress in my life and the lives of others. Sophomore Ol-­ ivia Powers said she uses her prac-­ tices similarly, and they help her feel at peace with herself. When Powers first became Wic-­ can, her mother cautioned her against becoming involved with a cult. Pagan religions are often false-­ ly associated with cult-­life, which gives the faith a less-­than desir-­ able reputation. The reality is that most witches are solitary in their practice, largely because it is diffi-­ Photos by Alexis Lanza cult to find other Wiccans. However, and then bending or guiding those when witches do gather together, energies to bring a desired outcome the group is called a coven. Coven into motion. To help someone find meetings are no more a cause for love, a witch might make a pouch of alarm than a Sunday church mass. herbs that are associated with ro-­ mance and therefore have romantic What i t m eans to be Wiccan energies. The pouch is then charged with the witch’s energy and the en-­ When I was young, my aunt in-­ ergies of the elements in a ritual, troduced me to Christianity. She all while envisioning the desired enrolled me in Sunday school and outcome. Charms and trinkets like I attended church with her a few this are stowed away in pockets times. When I stayed for dinner at or tucked into pillowcases as they her house, she would sometimes work their magic. ask me to say grace. I didn’t know Despite the harmless — and often exactly what that meant, but I knew helpful — nature of such magical I was supposed to list things I was practices, I often have to address thankful for. After my brief brush the idea that witches take part in with Christianity as a child, I be-­ Devil-­worshipping and demon sum-­ came Atheist. Nature had always moning. The Devil and the idea been a huge part of my life; I was of Hell are Christian constructs; exploring the outdoors and climbing therefore it would be nonsensical trees not long after learning how to for someone who isn’t Christian to walk. When my dad told me about acknowledge these concepts. These Wicca in my early teens –– he’d been assumptions make even less sense practicing all these years without when considering the peaceful na-­ my knowledge –– I was enthralled ture of Wicca. Wiccan practice fo-­ with the idea of a nature-­based reli-­ cuses on the balance of light and gion. Although I was Atheist, a part dark energies, recognizing that both of me desired to have a belief sys-­ are important to the functioning of tem that fit me better than Christi-­

a

suited her and her moral values. “The more I read about it, the more it just seemed logical to me. I’m a scientific person and I enjoy logic,” Powers said. “So, I started exploring it and … I started trying to perform rituals. When I was do-­ ing Wiccan things it felt good [and] right; it helped me stay calm and de-­stress.” Becoming Wiccan had a similar effect on me. My favorite aspect of Wicca is the deep connection with nature and the interaction with the four elements. When I am meditat-­ ing or working with energies in ritu-­ alized settings, I feel at peace and aware of myself in a way that I’m not in my everyday life. In a fast-­ paced world, practicing Wicca al-­ lows me to slow down and be re-­ minded of how I am connected with the universe. I am happiest when I pursue my religious studies either outside, at night with the energy of the moon, or both. It’s amazing

19

Upfront

anity and gave me balance. It didn’t take much convincing for me to be-­ come Wiccan. Powers said she converted after questioning and re-­evaluating her Catholic upbringing. “I was about 16 and it was Christmas time and all the religious Christian stuff was happening, and for the first time in a while I said ‘you know, I’ve really never been comfortable with this stuff, but why?’” Powers said. “So I started questioning myself; do I re-­ ally want to believe in a higher pow-­ er? If I do, do I really want it to be the Catholic belief that my parents raised me up into? I realized that no, I didn’t like that idea.” However, Powers still liked the idea of believing in a higher en-­ tity. She began to research other religions, and eventually she came across neo-­paganism. At first, she thought the idea of magic was silly, but as she looked into it further she found that the religion as a whole

how when I stop and take a moment to breathe, I can feel the energy of the Goddess — who is, essentially, Mother Nature — all around me. Wicca can be personalized to each individual worshipper. Wiccans do not have a uniting text like the Bi-­ ble or any rules; even the threefold rule is just a suggestion. There are neo-­pagans who combine Paganism and Christianity to forge a combina-­ tion that feels right to them. For me, I know I don’t need to practice ritu-­ als regularly to be a “good Wiccan.” Just going hiking and interacting with nature is a spiritual experience for me. I hope that as neo-­paganism con-­ tinues to grow within the United States, the general public will be-­ come more understanding of Wic-­ ca, as well as all non-­Christian religions in general. The concept of Wicca is often alien to people in a society where Christianity and Atheism are the norms, and we tend to reject what we don’t know. With this in mind, I think there’s more Ithaca College could do to accom-­ modate its neo-­pagan students; Powers and I both struggle to find an appropriate worship space on campus. Just as God brings com-­ fort to Christians, the Wiccan dei-­ ties help Powers and I to relax and understand ourselves. Our way of practice deserves the same religious accommodations and understand-­ ing that Christianity does. “I do have trouble viewing myself in a positive aspect,” Powers said. “My faith just helps me remind my-­ self that I’m not by myself, that the God and Goddess are by my side and that I don’t have to struggle through things alone even if there’s no one I can really talk to.” __________________________________ Faith Meckley is a freshman journal-­ ism major who does not have a caul-­ don and broomstick, so stop asking. Email her at fmeckle1@ithaca.edu.

The Temptation of Toyland 8LI MR½PXVEXMSR SJ GSRWYQIVMWQ MR 'LVMWXQEW

By Kimberly Capehart

H

e’s making his list. He’s check-­ ing it twice. Santa is on his way and we are expecting more from him this year than ever before. With just a few weeks left until what many consider the biggest holiday of the year, the pressure is on for all those who are participating in gift-­giving this holiday season. Whether it is the new Xbox One, toys for kids or the Bills tickets bought IRU WKH VLJQLĂ€FDQW RWKHU WKH DYHU-­ age American is estimated to spend about $704.18 each holiday season, according to an info-­ graphic

pub-­ lished by Out-­ right.com, a website that KHOSV EXVLQHVVHV PDQDJH WKHLU Ă€-­ nances. This Black Friday alone, stores opened earlier than ever, some as ear-­ ly as 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. TIME Magazine reported in an online article that only one person had died and only 15 people had been injured in the wake of the shopping chaos, calling it a “calm Black Friday.â€? When did Christmas, originally cel-­ ebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, become all about giving and receiving presents? Father Carsten Martensen, the Catholic chaplain at Ithaca College offers an explanation for this rise in consumerism. “With the growth of international corporations, it seems that there is much more commercialism attached to the celebration of Christmas,â€? said

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Image by Jessica Bruehert

20

Martensen. “The emphasis on gift-­ giving and sharing with others is cer-­ tainly good — but the overemphasis on gift-­giving, and therefore purchas-­ ing, has diminished the reason for and the purpose of this holiday,â€? he said. Curtis Brown, founder of Veritas Expressions, an organization dedi-­ cated to expressing the truth of the Christian holidays, said, “gift giving is a part of Christmas‌ but it can easily become the focus of Christmas.â€? He DGGHG ´WKH VLJQLĂ€FDQW FRQVXPHULVP of gift giving ‌ draws one away from what Christmas is all about: celebrat-­ LQJ DQG UHĂ HFWLQJ RQ WKH JUHDWHVW JLIW to mankind.â€? Veritas Expressions runs a cam-­ paign called Keeping Christ in Christ-­ mas, a project that encourages those ZKR FHOHEUDWH WKH KROLGD\ WR UHĂ HFW RQ its religious roots. Their website of-­ fers historical facts about Christmas and other Christian holidays, and products that can be bought (ironi-­ cally enough) to show commitment to focusing on the religious roots of the holiday. However, Brown is not the only one rejecting the consumerism of the holi-­ day. Aiden Enns founded a similar orga-­ nization, called Buy Nothing Christ-­ mas, in 2001 when he began to ques-­ tion his own “zealousâ€? Mennonite faith. Raised as an evangelical Chris-­ tian, Enns said it dawned on him in his mid-­20s that there were many so-­ cial issues in the church. Frustrated, Enns took to rereading the Bible and found that he started interpreting the gospel through a perspective of social justice. ´, EHJDQ WR VHH WKH &KULVW Ă€JXUH DV a resister,â€? said Enns “ and if I want WR EH IDLWKIXO WR WKLV Ă€JXUH , UHDOL]HG that I should adopt an ethic of resis-­ tance.â€? Though born out of Enns’ renewed faith and sentiment to resist, Buy Nothing Christmas, unlike Keep Christ in Christmas, is not religious in nature. Enns said; “the audience for Buy Nothing Christmas is anyone who’s frustrated with the level of con-­ sumerism in our society in general.â€?

Enns hopes that his campaign will make people realize the problems with “American over-­consumption.â€? The campaign’s website offers alter-­ native suggestions for gift-­giving and thoughtful, non-­commercial gift ideas. “That’s the genius of Buy Nothing Christmas: it gives people other op-­ tions,â€? Enns said. Enns’ message is reiterated, though more musically, by Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, a radical performance group based in New York City. Reverend Billy and his wife, Savitri, lead a post-­religious “congregationâ€? of 50 people who tour the country preaching the gospel of anti-­consumerism. The group holds “servicesâ€? wherev-­ er they can and have appeared on a number of news programs, television shows, and even in their own docu-­ mentary, titled What Would Jesus Buy, produced by Morgan Spurlock. Though entertaining and comedic, Reverend Billy’s services deliver a hard message and serve to snap con-­ sumers out of their mindless buying habits. Much like Enns, Reverend Bil-­ ly preaches against the consumerism that makes up and simultaneously engulfs American capitalist society. “I get two kinds of reactions to what I’m doing,â€? Enns said. “The majority of people are very grateful for this type of thing, that someone has given them permission to rein in all the spend-­ ing and needless commercial extrava-­ gance. The other response is deeper and it’s critical and it’s challenging. It’s people who are saying, ‘Well, if you don’t want consumer capitalism then what do you want?’â€? )RU WKRVH Ă€UP EHOLHYHUV LQ $PHULFDQ capitalism who challenge his cam-­ paign, Enns doesn’t have an economic model to propose. But his insistence on changing the current model re-­ mains. “We can reorient our patterns of giving or affection around non-­com-­ mercialization. We can use thought-­ fulness, kindness, and generosity,â€? he said. ____________________________________ Kimberly Capehart is a sophomore documentary studies & production ma-­ jor who made it out of Target alive on Black Friday. Email her at kcapeha1@ ithaca.edu.

Governing Through God 8LI I\TPSVEXMSR SJ VIPMKMSYW VSSXW MR 9 7 PE[

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people who feel like they are getting coerced to practice a faith they don’t believe in and people who feel they should be able to participate in a reli-­ gious tradition they all believe in. The problem with bringing this case to court is that the tricky decision is

religious beliefs.â€? McLeroy, like many religious con-­ servatives, is worried that the inten-­ tion of the Founders will be forgotten and that Americans are encouraged to use their “free exerciseâ€? of religion only behind closed doors. Pastor Robert Vincent Sr. of Grace Presbyterian in Louisi-­ ana has written articles and blog posts which contain echoes of McLeroys sentiment as well as ideas about what the founders meant when they created the Constitution. “While they did not want a state church, they, nevertheless, as-­ sumed that Christian principles regarding liberty of conscience, checks and balances in govern-­ ment, punishments not being excessively harsh or unjust, and, most importantly, a Christian understanding of the Ten Com-­ mandments would help guide the republic in framing its laws,â€? Vin-­ cent said. It is this belief in a “Moral Law Image by Evan Spitzer of Godâ€? that causes most of the not based on who matters more, but FRQIXVLRQ ZKHQ WU\LQJ WR Ă€JXUH RXW rather, what. Theology and U.S. laws whether or not the Founders wanted have a funny way of mixing their vi-­ religion practiced within U.S. laws. brant colors into a fascinating shade Vincent’s past studies have led him to of grey. conclude that even though the major-­ Don McLeroy, who became a house-­ ity of them were Christians and did hold name in 2012 when he openly not believe in religious coercion, they challenged the evidence behind evolu-­ GLG WKLQN WKDW D MXVW VRFLHW\ UHĂ HFWV tion in high school textbooks, sat on Moral Law. the Texas State Board of Education McLeroy and Vincent’s statements for 13 years. As a religious conser-­ bring up an interesting debate. When vative in the public eye, he provided the Supreme Court decides cases that a voice for some of the 28 percent of borderline on endorsement of religion, Americans who identify themselves it will almost always end up looking as religious conservatives (Public Re-­ at the degree of which the topic might ligion Research Institute). McLeroy cause uproar. For Galloway and Ste-­ acknowledges that “no establishment phens, they had to face the fact that of religionâ€? and “free exerciseâ€? in the they were the only ones to legally con-­ First Amendment includes all beliefs. test prayer in Greece council meetings However, his concern about lawsuits since the tradition began. That was like Greece v. Galloway is that Mod-­ good enough for the judges. ern Liberals are trying to end the No offense. practices of any religion in public for ____________________________________ fear of offending people. .ULVWHQ 0DQVĂ€HOG LV D MXQLRU MRXUQDO-­ “Modern Liberalism is now being de ism major who thinks God and Govern-­ facto established as our state religion ment have become a little too friendly. and this poses a great threat to our (PDLO KHU DW NPDQVĂ€ #LWKDFD HGX religious liberty,â€? McLeroy said. “This is because the Modern Liberal state is denying people’s free exercise of their

21

Upfront

ou can practice Christianity. You can practice Buddhism. You can even make up your own religion if you really want to. In the United States, you legally have the freedom to choose whether or not to participate in religious practices in every aspect of your life. But when it comes to the elements of Christian-­ ity in certain aspects of American law and tradition, just try not to complain too loudly‌ No offense. Take the 2012 U.S. Su-­ preme Court case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, for example. Orig-­ inating in the nearby city of 5RFKHVWHU WKH VXLW ZKLFK ZDV Ă€OHG E\ townspeople Susan Galloway and Lin-­ da Stephens, claims that the prayers conducted in town meetings are in violation of the First Amendment’s ban on the establishment of religion. Simply put, Galloway and Stephen ar-­ gue that they don’t want to walk into a town council meeting and be coerced to participate in prayer. Rather, they preferred an environment that is tol-­ erant of opening prayers but does not cause offense if the practice is not participated in. The Supreme Court thought differ-­ ently. Judges typically weigh lawsuits DERXW SUD\HU LQ SROLWLFDO RU RIĂ€FLDO VHW-­ tings on whether or not the prayer is an endorsement of the faith — known as the Establishment Clause. In this case, they thought the council lead-­ ers were simply conducting a reli-­ gious practice and weren’t trying to impose their faith on anyone else. Without eliminating legislative prayer DOWRJHWKHU WKH MXVWLFHV FRXOGQ¡W Ă€QG D reason to stop the town leaders’ ac-­ tions that wouldn’t infringe on their own First Amendment rights. This leaves two groups of people:

The Plurality of Perspectives

The politcal is personal on the IC campus when it comes to Israel and Palestine By John Jacobson

D

iscussion surrounding the issue of Israel and Pales-­ tine has countless faces on the IC campus. The opinions are as numerous as the people that the issue affects. A group that advocates for Israel education on IC’s campus is Hil-­ lel, run by the newly appointed Igor

take students on Birthright, a trip for students of Jewish heritage to see Israel. “You get there...and it’s just mind-­blowing. Students are connected to the country. They’re connected to Israel,” said Khokhlov. “It’s easy for us to live in upstate New York and discuss what’s best for the country that’s being at-­

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

“In reality, criticizing the policies of Israel has nothing to do with hostility toward any group of people. It has everything to do with the love of equality. For Jews, it has to do with the realizaXMSR XLEX [I RIIH XS ½KLX JSV NYWXMGI JSV EPP TISTPI RSX NYWX SYV S[R TISTPI ² - Beth Harris Khokhlov. “We adhere to certain standards for Israel. And frankly, we are very open to have a dialogue with any interested student group, as long as those students say that, ‘We are pro-­peace, we believe Israel has a right to exist, we believe that it has a right to exist within secure borders, and there is a right for a Jewish state.” Khokhlov follows the organization’s focus of provid-­ ing students with ways to experi-­ ence Jewish culture. “If there is a student group that says Israel does not have a right to exist, we will not work with them.” Hillel’s policies are based around the idea that students can be criti-­ cal about Israel as a state so long as they are in agreement with Hil-­ lel’s particular guidelines about Is-­ rael. The organization also helps

22

tacked every day. Imagine some-­ one firing rockets from Cortland to Ithaca. That is the difference,” said Khokhlov, regarding the under-­ standing of the state of Israel and its actions. The connectivity of Birthright and other Hillel actions do not have their roots in political neutrality in the eyes of other political minds. Beth Harris, an Associate Professor of Politics at IC, is frequently involved in discussing Israel and Palestine on campus. “They won’t be going into the West Bank or really learning about the impact of Israel’s policies on the non-­Jewish population.” For Harris, trips such as Birthright do not help to present alternate sides of Israel. “For people who are con-­ cerned with human rights, no less the Palestinians, who want to visit

the West Bank and Gaza, there’s no trip or staff person. In fact, the in-­ stitution would discourage students for going on that. They would say it’s too dangerous.” Harris has her own connection to the issue of Israel and Palestine. “My professor who came in, he was also Jewish, came in quite upset,” she said. “There had been an at-­ tack on Heberon, a mosque, and while the Palestinians were knelt in prayer, he gunned them down... he was a Jewish settler, came from Brooklyn...I was pretty upset that somebody that was a doctor from the United States would think that was okay.” Along with the issue of human rights, Harris also found herself looking at her faith because of the event. “The other thing was, he justified his attack on Jewish teachings.” Harris regards this mo-­ ment as a formative experience. The policy of Hillel and the criti-­ cism of it are only two ideas of how to approach the Israel and Pales-­ tine issue at IC. Samantha Weil, the Chair of Israel Awareness-­Elect for the Hillel Board of 2014, has her own views on Hillel’s perspective on Israel. “Because it’s such a complex issue, there are so many different opinions you can have about the is-­ sue around Israel that most people have conflicting opinions,” she said. “There are so many different beliefs about Israel that it would not make sense to endorse one of them, but to open up a forum that allows people to explore and learn about all differ-­ ent beliefs surrounding the state of Israel and its policies.” Weil supports the state of Israel, but questions some of their poli-­ cies. “Personally, I support the ex-­ istence of Israel, but that does not mean that I support every policy Israel has. Just as I am a citizen of the US and am critical of its poli-­ cies, I’m critical of policies of the Is-­ raeli government,” she said. Weil’s personal opinion is one example of the many that pervade the sphere of complications surrounding the conflict. Involvement in the issue goes far

Some Background SR XLI 'SRžMGX

Jewish values.â€? “It’s common for criticism of Is-­ raeli politics to be labeled as anti-­ Semitism by Zionists. Many people have tried to dismantle non-­Zionist arguments by saying ‘well, if you don’t stand unconditionally with Is-­ rael then you must just hate Jews. I feel victimized,’â€? said Andersson. “In reality, criticizing the policies of Israel has nothing to do with hos-­ tility toward any group of people. It has everything to do with the love of equality. For Jews, it has to do with the realization that we need to fight for justice for all people, not just our own people.â€? The voices on IC’s campus, both faculty and student, showcase a variety of opinions about the Israel and Palestine issue that do not be-­ gin to cover the differentiations and subtleties of the issue’s politics. It’s a complex issue of identity, of poli-­ tics, of human rights. The IC view on Israel and Palestine is one that hopes to reach the point of respect-­ ful dialogue in order to allow each of the many opinions to be voiced. __________________________________ John Jacobson is a freshman IMC major who lives off a diet of crackers and meaningful dialogue. Email him at jjacobs1@ithaca.edu.

1947: A UN committee is established tasked with separating the territory into Palestinian and Jewish WXEXIW 8LIMV TPER [EW VINIGXIH F] XLI Arab Higher Committee (the Palestinian representation) and approved of by the Jewish Agency. 56.47% of Palestine was set aside for the Jewish state and 43.53% was set aside for the Palestinian state. 1948: The state of Israel is proGPEMQIH ERH ½KLXW FVIEO SYX FItween Israel and neighboring Arab countries. This is known as the Israeli War of Independence to the Israelis and the al-Nakba (“the CatasXVSTLI² XS XLI 4EPIWXMRMERW Palestinians disperse from the country at this time. 1987: Israeli and Palestinian relations continue to be tumultuous. A 4EPIWXMRMER -RXMJEHE ÂąYTVMWMRK² SGcurs in the West Bank because of the continued Israeli occupation. While Israel tries to oppress the uprising, it is considered to be one of the reasons that Israeli public opinion changed in favor of peace negotiations 1993: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel began secret negotiations that lead to PLO’s limited autonomy in Gaza and the West Bank. Since then, attempted peace talks have been circling the media. Many aim for what MW ORS[R EW E ÂąX[S WXEXI² WSPYXMSR Palestine has also seen the rise of violent groups including the Hamas and Fatah, which have made their voices known alongside Palestinians desiring non-violent negotiation.

23

Upfront

beyond the Jewish community on campus. Kayla Streeter, a student involved with IC’s Protestant com-­ munity, has gotten involved with the Israel and Palestine issue. “The first time I really heard something about it was in my youth group, where some of my friends were talk-­ ing about their support for Israel. Through them I learned the Chris-­ tian connection to Israel Biblically, and how that translated into a po-­ litical support.â€? Streeter’s involvement with her Christian faith and community gives her a unique perspective on the issue and how people form opin-­ ions on it. “I would have to say that what most people don’t really put into consideration is the sense of faith and how one’s faith or religion can be the leading influential drive in this conflict. What I found from my presentation and interviews is that people of the same faith can have different interpretations and focus points of their faith, which di-­ rectly influence their relationship to an issue in that particular way.â€? Even Katarina Andersson, an IC senior currently in Rochester, is heavily involved with the issue and its interpretation on campus. An-­ dersson is involved with Jewish Voice for Peace and was involved with Students for Justice in Pal-­ estine during her time at IC. An-­ dersson is a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign on Israeli products and trade. The idea for the BDS campaign comes from Palestinians and is inspired by the movement against South African apartheid. Groups associated with Palestin-­ ian issues are directly involved with Andersson’s Jewish identity. “I do not oppose the state of Israel’s right to exist or believe that its Jewish inhabitants should leave. However, I believe strongly that in order for peace to be achieved, Palestinians need to be granted full and equal human rights in living alongside Jewish Israelis. I am proud to be a Jew, which is why I’m ashamed of how the policies of Israel betray

Historically, the issue at present is traced back to an awakening of a Zionist desire to return to the Middle East and establish a Jewish state in the land that was formerly Judea before it was incorporated into the province of Palestine that was itself a part of Rome.

24

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Keeping Faith THE

Less religion does not necessarily mean less faith By Michael Tkaczevski

J

Upfront

unior Jeremy Li, a native of southern China, remembers his mother would go to late-night meetings with professors at Jinan University. One night, when he was 11 years old, his mother nonchalantly invited him to accompany her. Li discovered that these were small, secret meetings of Christians and people interested in Christianity.

25

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

“Hearing a bunch of university profes-­ sors saying that we’re created by God ‌ was the most astounding thing to me,â€? Li said. ,W ZDV WKH Ă€UVW WLPH /L KDG HYHU KHDUG DQ\RQH GLVFXVV D GRFWULQH WKDW FRQĂ LFW-­ ed with Communist doctrine. “Growing up in China, I was being taught [Chinese Communist] Revo-­ lutionary theory that we evolved from monkeys,â€? Li said. Li and his mother converted to Chris-­ tianity in 2004 and his father in 2006. Li considers himself a non-­denominational Protestant. “I was so compelled to say yes ‌ I felt I was chosen by God,â€? Li said. Li said his parents’ marriage was fall-­ ing apart before they converted, but the spiritual growth that ensued strength-­ ened his family’s bond. When Li was about to move to the United States to study at Ithaca College for four years, he was excited to explore a society that he assumed was primar-­ ily Christian. But his expectations did not match up with the un-­Christian be-­ havior he witnessed on campus.Li was discovering the disconnect between re-­ ligious values and personal lifestyles in United States culture. The Pew Research Center reported in 2012 that 20 percent of all Americans and a third of Americans under the age of 30 do not identify with a particular re-­ ligion. However, not all young people who do not identify with a religion are atheist; 14 percent of Americans said they simply do not want to associate with a single de-­ nomination but still believe in God. According to a 2011 Gallup poll, 80 to 90 percent of Americans across all demo-­ graphics believe in God, though about 10 percent of participants said they believe in a universal spirit, not necessarily the Abrahamic God, when given the option. From this data, one can infer that there is an emerging movement of young people in the United States who are questioning the purpose of religious in-­ stitutions, but there is still much diver-­ sity in whether they reject or embrace spirituality. /L ZDV KDSS\ WR Ă€QG WKH ,& 3URWHVWDQW &RPPXQLW\ ZLWKLQ ZKLFK KH Ă€QGV VROL-­ darity. “When you are in this community, you realize you are not alone, you are not the only one feeling this helplessness and frustration,â€? he said. Reverend James Touchton, the chap-­ lain for the IC Protestant Community, said he enjoys his job, in which he meets many Christians from all sorts of up-­

26

bringings who come to him with ques-­ tions about religion, faith and the nature of God. “Spiritual development is a part of edu-­ cation and growing up,â€? Touchton said. “Many times, churches discourage people from actually being willing to question [their beliefs] and college is a time when people are more inclined to do so.â€? Listening to the existential crises and the hard questions of students taught

Though denominations face a decrease in enthusiasm by young believers, Touch-­ ton maintains that they also provide ben-­ HĂ€WV “I don’t think that many people quite re-­ alize the advantages that denominations can have in terms of providing a healthy and encouraging atmosphere, providing identity, family, support and accountabil-­ ity for pastors,â€? Touchton said. Perhaps to combat the perception of

“Spiritual development is a part of education and growing up... Many times, churches discourage people from actually being willing to question [their beliefs] and college is a time when people are more MRGPMRIH XS HS WS ² .EQIW 8SYGLXSR KLP Ă€UVWKDQG DERXW KRZ \RXQJ $PHUL-­ cans grow spiritually. “I try not to [just give answers]. I try to match questions as much as possible,â€? Touchton said. One of the most common questions students bring to him regards sexuality, such as how to treat homosexuality, he said. ´0D\EH WKLV LV Ă€UVW WLPH WKHVH VWXGHQWV are making friendships with people who are LGBTQ and so all of sudden it’s a little bit more personal for them,â€? Touch-­ ton said. “And their beliefs start to bother them – and sometimes they don’t.â€? Touchton grew up in mostly homog-­ enous Baptist communities in Louisiana and Texas. He recounted that after leav-­ ing seminary and coming from Atlanta, Georgia, to IC in 2010, he became more aware of the interplay between Christian denominations. “I’ve tried to build a few bridges, ‌ but despite that, we have the hardest time getting people sometimes to support our ministry – from both sides,â€? he said. Churches may think the IC Protestant Community is either too liberal or too conservative, and will not attend services RU VXSSRUW WKH FRPPXQLW\ Ă€QDQFLDOO\ Touchton explained. He added that many of the students he has met with have expressed frustration with how politically polarized Christian denominations have become. “[Students] have grown up with the ELFNHULQJ DQG WKH Ă€JKWLQJ DQG WKH VSOLW-­ ting,â€? Touchton said. “They view denomi-­ nations as an example of how Christians are not together.â€?

Christians being gridlocked in hyper-­ pluralism, young Christians tend to follow their own interpretations of the Bible and the doctrines of each denomination. Junior Amber Thibault also grew up Catholic, but she had a change of heart when she began to pursue spiritual growth more seriously in college and now LGHQWLĂ€HV DV D QRQ GHQRPLQDWLRQDO 3URW-­ estant Christian. Thibault said that when she was young, she regarded her religion as a set of tradi-­ tions for the sake of having tradition, but not a commitment. “Until college, I didn’t even feel like I was lacking anything in my life,â€? Thibault said. 'XULQJ IUHVKPDQ \HDU DQG WKH Ă€UVW VH-­ mester of her sophomore year, her per-­ sonal and academic struggles caused her to realize the importance of God in her life. “I felt so broken and convicted in that my own efforts and my own humanity were just not enough,â€? Thibault said. “I accepted that Christ died for me and that +H LV PRUH WKDQ HQRXJK WR Ă€OO LQ ZKHUH , lack.â€? Freshman Nolan Hurst had a similar deepening in his understanding of God’s presence. When he was young, Hurst used to think of God as being limited to the inside of a church. But later in life, when he was on a religious retreat in New Mexico, a thunderstorm suddenly began, forcing everyone to spread out. It was the Ă€UVW WLPH +XUVW ZDV DIUDLG IRU KLV OLIH “For a few minutes, I felt really alone inside because there was nobody around me; and then something changed inside of my thinking and what I was believing, and I realized that I wasn’t alone. I felt that

ing, Li did not believe in other religions in China, primarily Buddhism, which he believed had become too institutionalized. The more institutionalized a religion was, the less real the religion seemed to him. “If you go to a temple, they have dona-­ tion boxes and they tell you, ‘if you donate this much money, the Buddha will listen you and will make your wishes come true and bless your family, you just gotta pay,’â€? Li said. Christianity is experiencing a rebirth in the atheist country ever since the party began loosening prohibitions on religion and economics in the 1970s. However, Li said he is nervous about the institutional-­ ization of Christianity throughout China. “I see pastors who are unwilling to take a pay cut because they’re getting obsessed with money,â€? Li said. “The church itself is becoming more like a corporation. People DUH Ă€JKWLQJ HDFK RWKHU EHFDXVH RI SHU-­ sonal pride, instead of what’s best for the community and what God wants.â€? But Li said that he maintains faith in Christianity because he sees that there are good Christians, both laypeople and clergy, around the country and the world who act in God-­pleasing ways. “I was pretty discouraged [by the situ-­ ation in China], but on the other hand I also see a lot of people and pastors who are true followers of God, who devote their time and their energies to helping other people, helping the less fortunate,â€? he said. Christians face the accusation that they DUH DOORZLQJ WKH LQĂ X[ RI :HVWHUQ FXOWXUH into China, but Li said that his devotion to Christianity does not intersect with his view towards the West and the United States. Indeed, Li is opposed to the in-­ vasion of capitalistic values into China, which he believes Christianity opposes. “[Chinese] people are getting more ab-­ sorbed in this self-­made man notion; they are being so encapsulated into capitalistic societal norms,â€? Li said. “Jesus, when He came to Earth, He didn’t hang around the wealthy people. He went to look for the lowest of the low and He spent time with them.â€? Despite his criticism for more insti-­ tutionalized Chinese Buddhism, Li ac-­ knowledges that cultural perception and role of Buddhism in the United States is VLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ GLIIHUHQW WKDQ LQ &KLQD “After I came to the U.S., I took some re-­ ligion classes and I realized [the monetary aspect] is not what Buddhism is about at all, that the people in China just twisted the meaning,â€? Li said. Given the personalization of faith in the United States, the lack of institutional-­ ization does not prevent Americans from

seeking religions other than large Chris-­ tian denominations. Buddhism is the IRXUWK PRVW SRSXODU UHOLJLRXV DIĂ€OLDWLRQ in the United States, behind Christianity, -XGDLVP DQG ´QR DIĂ€OLDWLRQ Âľ Senior Kevin Walker has been practic-­ ing Theravada Buddhism for three years. He began to study religions after he felt that there was something in life that he was missing. “I wouldn’t say [it was] like depression,â€? Walker said. “It felt like I was just walking around and I didn’t have any purpose in life other than just being there and that made me feel very uncomfortable.â€? Since his childhood, his parents took a “hands-­off approachâ€? to religion with him and his sister. Walker said his sister became Christian, but he felt that Bud-­ dhism was more compatible with what he believed and wanted to achieve spiritually. “I’m not a big fan of external beings in-­ Ă XHQFLQJ P\ OLIH , KDYH D YHU\ LQWHUQDO locus of power, to use the psychological term.â€? Walker said. “It’s not the path for everyone, but ‌ I’m pretty certain that the path that the Buddha pointed out is the path that I would eventually go on [any-­ way].â€? Walker dedicates himself to studying Buddhism, especially on holidays, so that he can answer any questions students bring to the services on Tuesdays. While Walker extols the importance of Ă€QGLQJ RQH¡V RZQ SDWK KH EHOLHYHV WKDW the importance of tradition is lost on many newcomers. Practitioners tend to have only a general understanding of Buddhist tenets, he said. “Buddhism’s role in the West is still very young, especially in America,â€? Walk-­ er said. “It is popular, but people like to combine it with other faiths. ‌ Buddhist beliefs become just supplementary.â€? The growth of Buddhism and the per-­ sonalization of Christian faith is signatory of young Americans’ changing attitudes towards religion. Even among Christians, skepticism of the strictness of religion en-­ genders a desire to grow spiritually on a personal level. Though not all people have abandoned tradition, the spirit of the mil-­ lennial generation in the United States is that faith should arise from within in-­ dividuals, not that religious authorities should impose faith upon them. _______________________________________ Michael Tkaczevski is a sophomore jour-­ nalism major who lost his faith in Santa Claus at a tragically young age. He can be contacted at mtkacze1@ithaca.edu.

Upfront

God was with me,â€? Hurst said. “From that day on, I started to be able to see God in everything and everyone.â€? Hurst was raised Catholic and he ex-­ plained that while his parents gave him room to explore religions, though they wanted him to at least believe in some higher power. Hurst decided of his own volition to continue to practice Catholi-­ cism. Before coming to IC, Hurst attended Catholic schools, where he had theology classes that taught about other religions, not just Catholicism. Studying other reli-­ gions led Hurst to believe that there are multiple paths to God, even if someone does not identify as Christian. “You can’t fully understand your own beliefs until you learn a little bit more about someone else’s, so you can chal-­ lenge your own beliefs to be able to strengthen your faith,â€? Hurst said. One of the most important aspects of religion to Hurst is the communal spirit LW IRVWHUV +XUVW Ă€QGV VXSSRUW LQ WKH ,& Catholic Community as well as the Inter-­ faith Council. “I don’t feel isolated at all,â€? he said. “And what’s cool about it is that we’re not all one certain belief ‌ we span the spec-­ trum.â€? That community extends beyond the campus. The structure of the Catholic church enriches Hurst’s faith. Hurst said he does not base his philosophical beliefs solely on the word of the Pope, but he KROGV 3RSH )UDQFLV DV DQ LQVSLULQJ Ă€JXUH in his life. “You can tell just by the way he looks out into a crowd, or when he goes to shake somebody’s hand, he genuinely wants to know them,â€? Hurst said. “I can learn some things from what he does and says, but he doesn’t dictate ‌ what I per-­ sonally believe.â€? Throughout his life, Hurst has strength-­ ened his connection to the Christian faith by not only learning more about Christian theology, but also by contributing to char-­ ity and doing volunteer service. “Service is what makes faith real,â€? Hurst said. Thibault, Li and Hurst all gain support among fellow Christians even though they are not the majority on campus. Because Christianity is not mainstream in China, Li feels Christianity in China is more sin-­ cere. “Learning and talking about Christian-­ ity is this free gift,â€? he said. “You just went to somebody’s house. ‌ It was very infor-­ mal, and I didn’t see a lot of the worldly formalities that we see so often in other social occasions.â€? Before attending the Christian meet-­

27 Image by Francesca Toscano

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

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What’s The Deal With Festivus?

Understanding a misunderstood inclusive holiday By Rachel Konkler

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hearted, in line with the Festivus sprit of silliness and sarcasm. An-­ other popular tradition is the Feats of Strength, a wrestling match where family members must pin the head of household to the ground. Though observers tend to adapt the holiday to their own tastes, the spirit of the celebration remains the same. Ironically, in spite of the holiday’s anti-­commercialist origins, the holi-­ day’s growing popularity has led to WKH FUHDWLRQ RI RIĂ€FLDO )HVWLYXV SROHV available through some specialty retailers. The Wagner Companies, which sells Festivus poles, reports having sold about 1,000 of the stark, aluminum anti-­decorations in their best year. Tony Leto, owner of the company and the brains behind Festivus pole sales, said that while his company mainly sells aluminum handrails and guardrails, they decided to start offering Festivus poles on a whim. “We are not going to make a lot of money off it, but we can have a lot of fun,â€? said Leto. He says the customer base for Festivus poles, and thus Festivus observers, reaches across a broad spectrum. “Through our Facebook page, at one point I was able to see what the most popular Festivus city was-­ Oslo, Norway, then New York, and Chicago.â€? He says that along with selling to a lot of families, his company also sells to a lot of law-­ yers, doctors, and major corporate RIĂ€FHV )HVWLYXV SROHV DUH DOVR SRSX-­ lar with college students; according to Leto, Connecticut College has its very own campus-­wide Festivus cel-­ ebration every year. :KHWKHU DQ ´RIĂ€FLDOÂľ LI LURQLFDO-­ ly commercial) aluminum pole or a homemade cardboard or plastic one, the Festivus pole is an essen-­ tial tradition. As Nelson describes it, it’s very “anti-­Christmas tree,â€? but a more conventional holiday spirit sometimes sneaks in in the form of lights or decorations. The spirit of the holiday seems to be in not taking its own rules too seriously. “That’s the one thing about Fes-­ tivus,â€? said Nelson. “You kind of do what you want. As long as you didn’t pay a lot of money for it, that’s the spirit of Festivus right there.â€? Though Seinfeld’s Festivus epi-­

VRGH Ă€UVW DLUHG VL[WHHQ \HDUV DJR the real-­life celebration remains rel-­ evant despite changing pop culture trends. Leto believes that though the holiday itself is lighthearted, the purpose it serves runs deeper, because Festivus gives people “the ability to have a party so that ev-­ erybody can come and celebrate a relatively neutral holiday without antagonizing anybody.â€? The holiday is “a lot of laughsâ€?, and Nelson says that “the number one thing people should know about Festivus is that it’s fun.â€? Nelson shares a similar mindset, and while he realizes that the holi-­ day is often misunderstood, he aims to further the true meaning of Festi-­ vus through his website. “People have a notion that Festi-­ vus is this anti-­Christian holiday but it has a lighter tone than just bashing religion,â€? said Nelson. “The spirit of Festivus is it is an anti-­ Christmas holiday, but it is meant to be a fun anti-­Christmas holiday. It only means fun to us and it’s some-­ thing we look forward to.â€? __________________________________ Rachel Konkler is a senior sociology major who no longer participates in the “Feats of Strengthâ€? because she has won too many times. Email her at rkonkle1@ithaca.edu

Ministry of Cool

s the holiday season ap-­ proaches, for many people getting in the spirit entails colorful lights, wrapped gifts and religious sentiment. However, for others around the world, the al-­ ternative holiday of Festivus strips the conventions of gift-­giving and religion away from the festivities. In 1997, the writers of Seinfeld in-­ troduced the concept of this inclu-­ sive, anti-­commercial holiday in the now-­famous “Festivusâ€? episode, and since then it has been embraced as a true holiday, celebrated each year on December 23rd by fans around the world. The holiday’s minimalist spirit is perhaps best represented by the day’s only real decoration: a bare aluminum Festivus pole. This stark dĂŠcor makes an ironic statement in contrast to December’s usual sea-­ sonal glitz and religious symbolism, which in turn makes the holiday it-­ self more special and inclusive to ob-­ servers of all backgrounds. “It’s not just for people who are agnostic and atheist. It is not nec-­ essarily meant to replace religious celebrations,â€? said Mark Nelson, who operates www.festivusweb.com and celebrates Festivus with his own family every year. Nelson’s involvement with the hol-­ iday began several years ago when his family was going through a dif-­ Ă€FXOW WLPH DQG WKH KRVSLWDOL]DWLRQ RI his mother forced Christmas cele-­ brations to be postponed. Since they were all fans of Seinfeld and wanted something light to take their minds off of things, they adopted Festivus as a stand-­in holiday and have be-­ come involved in promoting the day ever since. While Festivus celebrations vary from household to household, the Seinfeld episode itself established several basic traditions that remain among the holiday’s most widespread practices today. This holiday season, Festivus fans around the globe get ready to set up their Festivus poles, prepare for a meatloaf or spaghetti feast, and brace themselves for the “Airing of Grievancesâ€?, where fam-­ ily members confess the ways that they have been disappointed and annoyed by each other throughout the year. The confessions are light-­

29

Punk Prayers and Political Protest

Effects of Western response to activist band Pussy Riot By Katelyn Harrop

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

U

nified by a passion for women’s rights and con-­ tempt for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, five members of the Russian activist-­performance group and all-­female punk band Pussy Riot took to the altar of Mos-­ FRZ¡V 5XVVLDQ 2UWKRGR[ &DWKHGUDO of Christ the Savior. The women danced and sang out against the 2011 re-­election of Pu-­ tin, pleading for the Virgin Mary to drive him out of power and to “become a feminist.â€? The song also alluded to ties between the KGB 5XVVLD¡V &RPPLWWHH IRU 6WDWH 6H-­ FXULW\ DQG WKH 5XVVLDQ 2UWKRGR[ church as well as touching on oth-­ er social subjects. The 2012 performance lasted less than a minute before Russian officials took three of the five per -­ formers into custody, while two fled into hiding. The short perfor -­ mance was combined with footage shot at an alternative church and PL[HG ZLWK SUHYLRXVO\ UHFRUGHG YR-­ cals to create a two-­minute music video entitled: “Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away.â€? Since the video’s release, the three detained band members, 0DULD 0DVKD $O\RNKLQD 1DGH-­ ]KGD 1DG\D 7RORNRQQLNRYD DQG <HNDWHULQD .DW\D 6DPXWVHYLFK have been convicted of “hooligan-­ ism motivated by religious hatredâ€?, with Alyokhina and Tolokonnikoya serving two-­year sentences in pe-­ nal labor colonies. Samutsevich’s sentence was suspended after spending seven months in prison. 3XVV\ 5LRW FRQWDLQV DSSUR[L-­ mately 11 members associated with differing social and political movements. The group is unified on the principles of anti-­authori-­ tarianism, feminism, and disdain for the Putin administration. The group has also been associated with support for other social prin-­ ciples including LGBT rights. The group has staged mul-­ tiple unauthorized demonstra-­ tions, which have included mul-­ tiple short-­term arrests within the group, along with a variety of oth-­ er acts of politically charged civil disobedience. The arrest of three

30

young activists, has sent shock waves throughout the media, pop-­ ular culture and charity communi-­ ties worldwide with unprecedented results. The way in which this case has

have used the media to represent WKHPVHOYHV DV VWURQJ DQG VH[\ while still using all sorts of social and political imagery.� The group’s name and image as an activist coalition have been key

“The members of Pussy Riot are extraordinarily savvy, masters of their own representation. They have used the media to represent themselves as strong and sexy while still using all sorts of social and political imagery.â€? - Kevin Platt, University of Pennsylvania Professor of Slovak Languages and Literatures captured the minds of Western charities such as Amnesty Interna-­ tional and celebrities of such cali-­ ber as Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel is as unique as it is sur -­ prising. The multifaceted concept sur -­ rounding the reason for the case’s popularity can be connected to the band’s unique physical inter -­ pretation and liberal ideologies. The members of Pussy Riot have branded themselves in a unique and unified way. They leverage the press attention through public performance protest pieces to in-­ crease their profile while donning multicolored balaclavas to add an air of mystery and unified anonym-­ ity. The group has also taken to the web and social media to convey their messages to a wider, interna-­ tional audience. According to Kevin Platt, Uni-­ versity of Pennsylvania professor of Slovak languages and litera-­ tures, “The members of Pussy Riot DUH H[WUDRUGLQDULO\ VDYY\ PDVWHUV of their own representation. They

aspects of both Western and Rus-­ sian media coverage. Dr. Whales Browne, a professor of linguistics at Cornell University with a re-­ search focus on Slovak languages and the treasurer of local Amnesty International chapter 73, believes that the group’s strong messages of feminism and anti-­authoritari-­ anism can be largely credited to the band’s impact and reach. Browne also credits the group’s unified, bold presence for catching the eye of the global community, making their impact difficult for the Rus-­ sian government to control. ´,W ZDV D PRUH RU OHVV RUJD-­ nized group with a name, the whole group is called ‘Pussy Riot’, some of the more striking cases lately have been individual whistle-­blow-­ ers,â€? said Browne. “Now, individu-­ al whistle blowers can get a lot of publicity, but it can also be easier to sweep them under the rug after a while than to sweep a whole group under the rug.â€? In addition to their bold and public presence, the name of the

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cus on the part of Western entities, some believe that the core values presented in the “Virgin Mary, Put Putin Awayâ€? performance have be-­ come abstract concepts. “I think the overall trajectory is perhaps more important,â€? said Platt. “These are activists who, for reason of political commitment, were willing to be subjected to per -­ secution in order to bring world and Russian attention to specific issues and causes.â€? The Kremlin’s imprisonment of Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova can be viewed as Putin defeating the opposition, but the viral nature of the “Punk Prayerâ€? video has en-­ sured that Pussy Riot’s message is not silenced during the members’ incarceration. “I think the Kremlin scored some points, but on the other hand, the opposition scored some huge points, too, in the way that this brought the attention of the West WR TXHVWLRQV RI IUHH H[SUHVVLRQ DQG the general failures of the politi-­ cal system in Russia,â€? said Platt. “That’s not necessarily what the Kremlin wants. They don’t want to EH EUDQGHG DV WKH EDUEDULF JOREDO outlier.â€? There is no way to be sure that the Western outcry of support has affected the well-­being of the jailed members of Pussy Riot, or affected the Russian attitudes toward the case. Professor Browne had the op-­ portunity to attend a Skype meet-­ ing with freed member Katya Sam-­ utsevich at a recent Slavic linguis-­ tics conference in Boston, Mass, and said that Samutsevich is hope-­

ful that the continuation of West-­ ern support will eventually have a visible impact. “When asked, she said; ‘I don’t know for sure, but probably. But maybe you’d be even more useful if you could bring in more celebrities and important politicians’â€? Browne said. On Dec. 4, Putin announced that he is backing a proposal drafted by Amnesty International which would grant amnesty to thousands of non-­violent prisoners, which, Putin has confirmed to journalists, could likely include both jailed mem-­ bers of Pussy Riot. The proposal is now in the hands of Russia’s lower house of parliament, which is set WR H[DPLQH LW E\ WKH HQG RI WKH \HDU __________________________________ Katelyn Harrop is a sophomore jour-­ nalism major who also sports a ski mask while sticking it to the man. Email her at kharrop1@ithaca.edu.

Ministry of Cool

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group itself is an outlet to connect Western media to the band’s activ-­ ity. “Pussy Riotâ€? is intended to be spoken in English and is written as such on all associated social media, press, and web profiles regardless RI WKH VXUURXQGLQJ WH[W¡V ODQJXDJH Equal interest can be found in the way that the band members iden-­ tify themselves as “feminists,â€? a term, which, according to Browne, many Russian activists have avoid-­ ed, believing it connotates differing ideologies held solely by European and American entities. Pussy Riot’s strong support for LGBT rights, a clear contrast from Russia’s less-­ WKDQ LQFOXVLYH YLHZ RI VH[XDO UHS-­ resentation, has also appealed to members of left-­leaning Western pop culture. Just as the reasons for support have differed greatly, so have the forms and depths of Western re-­ sponse. Some celebrities, such as 0DGRQQD KDYH H[SUHVVHG RXWUDJH DW WKH VWLIOLQJ RI DUWLVWLF H[SUHV-­ sion, while Amnesty International and other high-­profile support-­ ers such as Peter Gabriel have H[SUHVVHG RXWUDJH DW WKH EODWDQW disregard for large portions of the United Nation’s Universal Declara-­ tion of Human Rights. Clauses of concern have included; Article 19, “the right to freedom of opinion and H[SUHVVLRQÂľ $UWLFOH ´WKH ULJKW to freely participate in the cultural life of the communityâ€? and Article 29, “duties to the community in which alone the free and full devel-­ opment of his personality is pos-­ sible.â€? With such diverse scopes of fo-­

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Album Review

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

32

Lady Gaga’s fourth studio album, ARTPOP, is the product of a hyperactive pop princess whose music is often as adventurous and FRQWURYHUVLDO DV KHU RXWĂ€WV :KLOH The Fame was all about the goal of celebrity and The Fame Monster was about the price she paid to get there, ARTPOP pulls back the curtain, revealing that the scars Gaga gained in her early career haven’t gone away. ARTPOP sounds like the pop music of the future; it’s the stuff that will be played on spaceship raves with aliens and space captains doing coke in the bedrooms. Songs like “G.U.Y.â€? show Gaga’s strength in crafting songs with a solid bass line and a catchy FKRUXV ´* 8 < Âľ H[SORUHV WKH LGHD RI UHYHUVLQJ VH[ DQG JHQGHU UROHV GXULQJ VH[ 7KH O\ULFV ´, wanna wear the tie/Want the power to leave you./I’m aiming for full control of this loveâ€? make Gaga’s intentions pretty clear: she may want to be “The Girl Under You,â€? but she also wants to be the “G.U.Y.â€? Gaga’s strongest songs on the album take her pop genius and use it to question what it actually means to listen to a song that GLVFXVVHV VH[ DQG JHQGHU UROHV ,W¡V RQH WKLQJ to listen to a song that discusses lust, but with Gaga that song takes a step further and questions what it means to “want the powerâ€? in a relationship. “Donatellaâ€? does something similar with body image: “Cause she walks so bad/Like it feels so good./Listen to her radiate her magic./Even though she knows/ She’s misunderstoodâ€? creates an image of a girl walking a runway but internally falling apart.

The attempt to address controversial issues OLNH WKHVH VRPHWLPHV EDFNĂ€UHV RU JHWV ORVW DQG Gaga is not immune to such artistic missteps. While her song “Gypsyâ€? is brilliantly crafted to play on the radio and act as the anthem of the empowered single individual, it uses the term “gypsyâ€? in both its title and its lyrics to describe Gaga’s emotions.: “I don’t wanna be alone forever/But I can be tonight./I don’t wanna be alone forever/But I love gypsy life.â€? The intention is meant to empower, yet the word gypsy is considered to be a slur by sone. The romantic connotations of the word seem to have overwhelmed the possible backlash it could cause, and it doesn’t feel like Gaga makes a case for the word’s usage in her song, catchy or not. ARTPOP LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ D SURGXFW RI /DG\ Gaga’s unique mind, but a few collaborative tracks feel out of place. “Jewels and Drugs,â€? featuring T.I., Too $hort and Twista, and “Do What U Wantâ€? featuring R. Kelly both seem like musical carcasses from an unearthed demo CD done by an artist that hasn’t found their voice. They both focus more on the featured artist and feel disjointed compared to the rest of ARTPOP; the featured artists seem to deaden the subversive nature of Gaga’s lyrics and take them at face value. ARTPOP’s sound is a big artistic step for Gaga-­-­ and it’s fucked up in a good way. Its beats have an alien quality. While it may not be Gaga’s safest artistic choice, it showcases KHU DELOLW\ WR H[SHULPHQW ZLWK SRS PXVLF LQ intelligent ways. -­ John Jacobson

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

ARTPOP

FROM THE

Flaming Lips

RAW SAW

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Movie Review

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Concert Review

As lead singer of The Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne takes to the stage on Nov. 10 and ascends his throne for the night—a robotic podium constructed from metal globes DQG FRLOV RI Ă€EHU RSWLF OLJKWVÂłUDSWXURXV applause erupts throughout Cornell University’s Barton Hall. Then, suddenly, the distorted electric riff to “The W.A.N.Dâ€? echoes throughout the venue, and the audience is set in commotion. Hidden from the audience’s sight, The Flaming Lips—currently on tour for their latest studio album, The Terror— cut straight away into their new material, bridging the VFL Ă€ SLDQR VFXIĂ H RI ´/RRNÂŤ7KH 6XQ ,V Risingâ€? with the record’s title track, where haunting tones give way to erratic strumming DQG PXIĂ HG YRFDOV 7KH VRQJ GLHV GRZQ DQG smoke disperses, revealing a distressed Coyne, baby doll in hand, trembling in the darkness. Coyne surveys the audience from atop his perch. Grinning, he leans into the microphone and says: “I can smell a lot of marijuana being smoked. Is that legal here?â€? Coyne’s eccentric stage presence serves as a mere forewarning to the freakish chaos that ZRXOG Ă€OO WKH )ODPLQJ /LSV¡ SHUIRUPDQFHÂłD PLQXWH SV\FKHGHOLF H[SHULPHQW LQWR WKH darkness and sheer madness that drives “The Terrorâ€?. The performance’s theatrics and set list complemented the menacing and foreboding nature of The Terror. Even the EDQG¡V FODVVLFV ZHUH DGDSWHG WR Ă€W WKH new, ominous mood, like the slowed-­down

PLQXWHV DV WKH Ă€OP SXVKHG WKH OLPLWV RI LWV 3* UDWLQJ +RZHYHU WKH Ă€OPPDNHUV GLGQ¡W FRPSOHWHO\ DEDQGRQ DOO TXDOLWLHV RI WKH Ă€UVW Ă€OP WKLV PRYLH DOVR VKRZHG WKH EHKLQG WKH scenes inner workings of the Gamemaker’s FRQWURO URRP ZKLFK EULQJV D FRPSOH[LW\ WKDW could not be achieved in the books. 7KH FDVW H[FHOV ERWK LQ TXDOLW\ RI DFWLQJ DQG quantity of famous faces. America’s sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence continues to carry the Ă€OP ZLWK VWUHQJWK DQG JUDFH FKDQQHOLQJ the abrasive subtlety of heroine Katniss Everdeen, and Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta Mellark remains unassuming and charming. Even Liam Hemsworth, whose good looks couldn’t make up for his lack of ability in the Ă€UVW Ă€OP KDG D EHWWHU JUDVS RQ WKH FKDUDFWHU of Gale Hawthorne. Philip Seymour Hoffman joins the cast as Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee, and it comes as no shock this established actor nails the nuanced role as he teeters the line of enemy and ally. $OWKRXJK P\ ODFNOXVWHU H[SHULHQFH DW WKH “midnightâ€? premiere didn’t live up to my IDQJLUO H[SHFWDWLRQV 7KH +XQJHU *DPHV Catching Fire not only does the book justice, EXW LPSURYHV XSRQ LW WKURXJK WKH H[FHOOHQW performances. The second movie surpassed WKH DOUHDG\ LPSUHVVLYH Ă€UVW Ă€OP ZKLFK JLYHV PH IDLWK WKDW WKH Ă€QDO LQVWDOOPHQW ZLOO KRQRU this amazing trilogy. -­ Fran Toscano and mid-­set performance of “Race For The Prizeâ€?. The song, driven by electro-­rhythms and a pounding bass line, produces one of the most moving moments of the nights, as Coyne sung out: “Theirs is to win/ if it kills them/ they’re just humans/ with wives and childrenâ€?. Taking full advantage of his elevated position, Coyne guided the receptive crowd WKURXJK DQ HQGOHVV DQG XQLĂ€HG VZD\LQJ DQG head-­bopping party. It created an interesting contrast in energy to the rest of the band, which sat nonchalantly plinking away at their instruments. The night concluded with a two-­song encore, which was kicked off by the synth-­ smeared ballad, “Do You Realize??â€?, widely considered to be the Lips’ most popular VRQJ 7KH KRQRU RI WKH Ă€QDO VRQJ ZDV JLYHQ to “The Terror’sâ€? slow-­roiling, percussion heavy closing track, “Always There‌In Our Heartsâ€?, which fades into a voiceless chorus of clambering drums and guitar distortions. The frenzy of noise was matched with an onslaught of confetti and strobe lights, leaving the crowd in a dazed stupor. The show may have been lacking the dream-­pop tunes of the band’s early days, but it was a Flaming Lips performance just the same—energetic and lively. A light show of epic proportions, the night’s performance proved that even in their 30th year, the Lips are still blazing ahead on the journey to pioneer new sounds and visions. -­ Marissa Framarini

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Ministry of Cool

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Flaming Lips

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To an objective observer, I am the epitome of a Hunger Games hipster. I read the books long before the hype and was peeved when people suddenly became obsessed with the series when a movie deal was in the works. However, unlike pretentious book worms ZKR VFRII DW WKH LGHD RI D Ă€OP DGDSWDWLRQ , look forward to movie versions of my favorite books. When I bought my midnight premiere tickets to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire I ZDV KRSHIXO WKDW WKH Ă€OP ZRXOG GR MXVWLFH WR my favorite novel in the trilogy. 0\ PRYLH YLHZLQJ H[SHULHQFH ZDV RII WR a rocky start; upon printing my tickets, I discovered my “midnight premiereâ€? was actually at 10:30 p.m. Although I usually relish any opportunity to sleep, I was immediately angered; the anticipation and H[FLWHPHQW VXUURXQGLQJ D PLGQLJKW SUHPLHUH was squandered by this bizarre time change. 7KH IHHOLQJ LQVLGH WKH WKHDWHU UHĂ HFWHG WKLV instead of an audience of adrenalized Hunger *DPHV QHUGV WKH WKHDWHU ZDV Ă€OOHG ZLWK pseudo-­fans who lacked the enthusiasm that is usually present at premieres. 3RRU DPELDQFH DVLGH WKH Ă€OP ZDV DQ H[FHOOHQW UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI WKH RULJLQDO ZRUN :KHUHDV WKH Ă€UVW Ă€OP WRRN DUWLVWLF IUHHGRP through pauses and grand landscape shots, which led to a few awkward moments, the VHFRQG Ă€OP PDWFKHG WKH HQHUJHWLF WHPSR RI the book itself. My heart raced nonstop for

O.M.G.

By Anonymous

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

W

hen I was younger, I had a slight obsession with the “bad boy� type, the Marlon Brando type, the kind of boy who could melt my heart and break it at the same time. Perhaps ironically, I met the boy who became my biggest weakness through my town’s church. Let’s call him Sebastian. We grew up together, going to the same potlucks and weekly masses since our elementary school years. I didn’t really take notice of him until he came in to the service one week noticeably taller and sporting a newly squared jaw. It was then that we began hanging out more often, getting to know each other in more ways than one. After a few months of fooling around, Sebastian’s aloof demeanor and womanizing mentality began to take a toll on me, leaving me questioning more and more if this “bad boy� persona was worth all the drama and stress. I decided to cut him off completely, ignoring his advances and efforts to hold my hand while we sang the hymn of the week. It was hard to ignore him “accidentally� brushing his hand against my thigh during the service. Something about those small touches and the possibility of being seen made the whole thing even more fun even harder to leave behind. I managed to keep my cool mostly because of the stained glass murals of Jesus and his disciples giving me a weird look with their lifeless eyes.

34

Regardless of my determination, Sebastian eventually managed to convince me to sneak out during the service, leading me into one of the FKXUFK¡V RIĂ€FHV LQ WKH XSVWDLUV DUHD to “talkâ€? about our relationship. Once in the room, I began to tell him how much of a douchebag he’d been, but fell silent as he stepped closer and held me in his arms, murmuring apologies into my neck. Something inside me told me not to trust his words, but the idea of running my Ă€QJHUV WKURXJK KLV GDUN ZDY\ KDLU overpowered my suspicions. Still, I was ready to turn him down— until he gave me “the look.â€? It lured me into his trap and told me to forget about everything else. 7KH QH[W WKLQJ , NQHZ KLV OLSV ZHUH moving ferociously against mine. We were both deprived of each other, and the familiarity of that kiss made us hungry for more. I felt a little uneasy DW Ă€UVW ZKDW ZLWK DOO WKH FUXFLĂ€[HV and Christian memorabilia dangling from the walls, but Sebastian had a way with his hands that made me forget about the fact that God was probably watching us—and judging us hardcore—from up above. We found the nearest desk chair and continued our rendezvous. I was surprised at how much I had missed KLV Ă€UP JUDVS ZKLFK RQO\ PDGH WKH whole thing even hotter. He seemed to miss me too, as he practically ripped off my blouse and threw it across the room. $OO ZDV Ă RZLQJ VPRRWKO\ XQWLO WKH

door sprang open. I whipped my head around, and to my utter humiliation , ORRNHG GLUHFWO\ LQWR WKH KRUULĂ€HG eyes of my pastor. I scrambled up from straddling Sebastian and WULHG WR Ă€QG P\ VKLUW DV RXU SDVWRU ORXGO\ FKDVWLVHG XV IRU RXU XQJRGO\ behavior. To make matters worse, my IDPLO\ DQG KLV IDPLO\ LQ DGGLWLRQ WR some of the other churchgoers) were standing right behind the pastor with WKHLU IDFHV FRQWRUWHG LQWR D PL[ RI embarrassment and complete rage. I fell numb and couldn’t focus on DQ\WKLQJ H[FHSW IRU WKH IDFW WKDW KDOI of our tightly knit church community had just caught us mid-­rendezvous. My face burned red and Sebastian’s H\HV ZHUH JOXHG WR WKH Ă RRU , WULHG WR VNLS FKXUFK WKH QH[W ZHHN but as part of my punishment my mother made me go and sit through the entire service with the judging eyes of the other church members burning a hole through the back of my head. Eventually, the scandal blew over, especially after Sebastian and I both went off to college. Everyone seemed to forget, or at least pretend to forget, about our shocking little tryst. It would be months until I could look my pastor in the eye without turning as red. Thankfully he was fond of the whole idea of forgiveness. As for the big guy upstairs, I don’t think any number of Hail Marys could ever make the guilt of hooking up—and getting caught—in His house of worship go away for good.

Prose & Cons

E&CONS. PROSE&CONS. PROSE&

35

The Boy with Cloven Feet

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

&] 2MGLSPEW %^^STEVHM

A fresh miasma under Little Lake; A green spirit riding a drake, Follow me, follow me, Cries the beast. A golden light seen beneath – A forest pilfered with slimy leaves; Follow me, follow me Through these trees. He stood before me, As I fell into the deep. Small impish and green His voice is velvet And He stands on cloven feet. His head is crowned In antler, ivory suckled with beat Gold, and pissing madly, He stands on cloven feet, He stands on the drake’s back. Come ride with me He seems to say; He tries to say; He says too little then says too much But none of it is heard anyway. Cold yet green He slides Down the sink hole, Down into the wonderland Of deepness, without a seat. He asks, Would you like a star To hold in your heart: +SPHIR SVERKI ½VI FYVRMRK In passions, in pantomime, And lasting till it Burns your heart, Burning, till ash meets ash.

36

No? You don’t want that? How ‘bout a kiss from A boy with cloven feet? Such sweet kisses he gives, Just ask your parents and friends And priests and murderers And beasts. They all know, but won’t it, Repeat that heat they feel. The kiss from the Boy with cloven Feet is tricky, It’s dangerous to those who Read the Word, the old and new, Because they’re ignorant, They don’t know what to fear, ,S[ XS ½KLX XS VIGSKRM^I When hell has burst From the virgin’s womb In a bloody, steaming mess And left us, all the rest, In the footholds of a painful death. He pushes—he wants to prod. He speaks of white faces, red soldiers, black priests, And grey, grey horses And says they don’t exist. Child’s warble, he says, With velvet dripping callous. His lips are parted—he holds me Down, He wants to taste The root, and all that’s base; Come, come ride, he laughs, Dancing on his cloven feet, Green and clicking and swelling Like a tree—into a man, into a beast. Come, Come, the baritone beckons. His lips are saccharine and law, I cannot resist, this Man with cloven feet.

s,

The Ten Commandments By Sabrina Dorronsoro I) Never say “I love you” if you really mean it. Words are an outdated currency. II) Hurt yourself, not others. Take their twisted words and trace pretty little patterns along your veins. Hide them from the world, hoard them for yourself — they are yours to keep. III) Break things. Break hearts, break promises, break bones, break glass, break every goddamn thing and keep it that way. -: 2IZIV WE] WSVV] (SR´X ETSPSKM^I JSV XLI RSSWI EVSYRH ]SYV RIGO PIX XLIQ ETSPSKM^I JSV QEOMRK ]SY KS SYX ERH FY] XLI VSTI V) Fall to the ground. Stay there for a while. It can be just as pretty as the sky if you look long enough. VI) Avoid cliched compliments. Your eyes don’t shine like the stars. They shine like a freshly polished bullet, like my mother’s eyes when she watched the twin towers fall. VII) Let it go. VIII) Take it back.

< ,SPH SRXS XLI WXEVW PMOI E PMJI PMRI 8EOI MR IZIV] SRI 1IQSVM^I XLI way they shine, pretend they’re shining just for you. Pick one, name it after yourself. Then remember that all stars are dead. They’ve been that way for ages.

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Prose & Cons

IX) Be reckless but not in the cute way. Stand in the middle of a train track with your eyes closed. Only open them when you can taste the metal of the train on your tongue. Laugh at the way your bones shake. Take a bottle of whiskey and drive until the yellow lines start mocking you, listen to them closely, drown out the warning beeps of passing cars.

Enslaved.

By Samantha Brodsky I feel as though I have a cough, A whooping cough, )]IW WXMRKMRK MR XLI JVS^IR GLMPP % TIVWMWXIRX FVII^I JEV JVSQ WXMPP My mind screeches with the disorder Of thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, % HM^^]MRK QSRWXVSYW KYWX Distorts the clear, the sane, the just. Like beady-eyed bats, These thoughts loom over my quivering soul, .EKKIH [MRKW ½IVGI [MXL EXXEGO They turn everything a treacherous black. Struggling to breathe from beneath Life’s suppressing palm, My lungs let out a gasp, All truth snatched away with an icy clasp. I am a puppet whose strings Are strung deathly tight, Limbs outstretched and sore from use, Forced to endure this cruel abuse.

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Puppeteers with their devilish cackles Choke me with their devilish hands, And so I cough, cough, cough until Silently surrendering, I fall ill.

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DIGITAL WORLD By Alec Kaden

Power up. Day after day, hour after hour, we sit in front of our screens. On trackpads and touch-screens we scroll and scroll aimlessly for inspiration and excitement. 8LI QYRHERMX] SJ XLI HE] MW ½PPIH [MXL WXEXYW YTHEXIW ERH WIP½IW Sharing videos, sharing music. Cats, Bieber, sex advice, and tech reviews. In this digital age, we upload out of bed and download back into the covers, day after day, with mere megabytes of substance in between. In this digital age, life is instantaneous. Instantaneously, we are able to locate the complete biography of anyone in our school. We can instantly discover what their favorite band is or which shadow of a political party they loosely follow. My elders said “back in the good old days,” yet this is the golden age. Of TV, media and video games, our experience has never been more rich. We sit idly, absorbing hundreds of ads, instantly craving whatever the media tells us we need. 7REGOW IRIVK] HVMROW [M½ LSSO YTW LSQI[SVO 7XEVFYGOW GSJJII WLMXX] GSJJII bagels, bongs, lines, j’s, hits, sips, sploofs, shots, shotgunning, hangovers, religion, philosophy, hypocrisy, adultery, condoms.

Delete browser history. Power down.

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Prose & Cons

8LSYKLXW ¾S[ XLVSYKL Q] LIEH PMOI E WTIIHMRK GYVVIRX EW - WYVJ XLI [IF ERH ½WL JSV MRWTMVEXMSR - EQ E XLMROIV MR XLI EKI SJ HSIVW - EQ E VIEPMWX MR ER EKI SJ XLSWI [LS GSYPHR´X GEVI PIWW - EQ NYHKQIRXEP MR XLI EKI SJ EVXM½GMEPMX] - EQ an intellectual in the age of Instagram. I am a reader in the age of SkyMall and &Y^^*IIH ERH E [VMXIV MR XLI EKI SJ +SSKPI (SGW ERH 8[MXXIV

everything; maybe nothing By Alexa Salvato

we are so lucky that (someone something everything maybe nothing) put us here and we’re here right now

(i often cannot fathom it)

for i don’t believe in god and i don’t believe in magic (though there was a time that i believed in both) i believe in the beauty that we create and we experience and there are words like serendipity and fate that get close to what i mean but it is not something i must solve.

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

i am beginning to learn

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that the beauty may lie in the mystery itself.

- ;ERX XS FI E &YXXIV¾] ERH 0ERH on an Earth that Loves Me By Gabriella Jorio

41

Prose & Cons

On the night of a full moon I tiptoed down the brick driveway where he sat parked in the darkness across the street so that the engine would not wake my parents. I quietly crept inside still wearing my tattered nightgown and a pair of sneakers in case we needed to run. We did not speak. The silence was heavy as was the faint sound of crickets that escaped into XLI WQEPP GVEGO SJ XLI [MRHS[ - OITX MX STIR XS JIIP XLI WSJX FVII^I SJ XLI RMKLX EMV 8LI VSEHW were desolate, empty of people but crowded with desire. As they were all sound asleep, XLI] HVIEQX SJ ¾]MRK SYX SJ XLI KEXIW SJ 'EWE (I 'EQTS 8LI] HVIEQX SJ E HMJJIVIRX VMZIV a different ocean, a different life that did not end after marriage. Instead of marrying money, they dreamt of marrying the world around them, the world they were so guarded from. They VIQEMR YRWYVVSYRHIH F] XLI WYVVSYRHMRK [SVPH %W [I IWGETIH XLI GSR½RIW SJ XLI VIWSVX I felt unsafe. The doors of the car might as well have been unattached to the piece of heavy machinery. I felt as if at any moment, the air would pick me up and carry me to the house of an Abuela in town. We slowed down in front of a wrinkly man, crouched down over a [SSHIR XEFPI XLEX WTEVOIH [MXL ½VI ,I [EW QEOMRK JVIWL IQTEREHEW EX E Q ;I XYVRIH SJJ XLI IRKMRI ERH [I FIGEQI E TEVX SJ XLI RMKLX ;I KVEFFIH X[S GLIIWI IQTEREHEW JSV ½JX] pesos and we walked further into the darkness. As we approached the skinny street, I could see a line of people hiding their black faces. I looked down, not wanting to grab attention to my white skin. Greg didn’t mind. He walked to the front of the line and whispered to the man who was handing out small bags of surprises. They exchanged hands, which looked like a confused handshake to my inexperienced eyes. He grabbed my hand that contained the small surprise. I wanted to hold it and feel the weight of real danger. I wondered what it would feel like to hold what is held by those who were once desirous of everything and now desirous SJ RSXLMRK - ½RKIVIH XLI TEGOEKMRK XV]MRK XS JIIP JSV XLI KVEMRW SJ XLI WTIGMEP [LMXI TS[HIV - WXSTTIH JVS^IR ,I WXSTTIH XSS ,I XYVRIH XS PSSO HS[R EX QI [MXL LMW GYVMSYW FPYI I]IW “Quiero probar,” I told him quietly, surprised by my own words. He told me no. He did not [ERX QI XS XV] [LEX LEW VYMRIH LMQ ±(EQIPS ² ,I ^MTTIH MX MRXS LMW TSGOIX GSRGIVRIH I]IW turning away so that I could not see his expression. He grabbed my hand, which now held no surprises. I felt the moist familiarity I do each summer when we hold hands to the beach, to the movies, when we are stumbling in the nightclub. But I have never held his hand like this. It felt more secure than before. We drove back to the cage of lost people who remained XYGOIH E[E] MR XLIMV QERWMSRW ERH OMRK WM^IH FIHW ,I HVSTTIH QI SJJ [LIVI LI TMGOIH QI up, and I walked alone into my half-open window. As I crept underneath cold sheets, I drifted SJJ MRXS E HIIT WPIIT [LIVI - HVIEQX SJ ]IPPS[ ¾S[IVW

Woolen Bark &] +MPPMER ;IR^IP

Call to me – The river of your youth Tell me the tales 3J XLI XIRHVMPW XLEX LEZI TIXVM½IH Of summers and winters, Of eclipses in winter wine… Fondling these bright dead woods – Deep in the turquoise caress Everything startled like death in this design Yet the red hickory bark elongated Arching its spring wings to the sky… Penetrating roots cling to earth, The Gods that have called you Home. Damn cells in distress! I breathe with the black spindles: My hibernation is here. Meeting me in solemn ways Born into the cold and affectionate I feel a joy pulse through The icy hearth that holds the foundation – Red roots pushing through the dead earth Resisting the yearly exorcism of life – Fiery stones of this ancient orbit I dance when the breath stings – Beaming in the sky and the holding of fall. Tell me of your nakedness – The shedding of all prevention So the air may love you –

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

Chlorophyll the mascaras Falling Seasons… Summers and winters and autumns Passing before my birth Before my virgin walls fell Before the cold caressed my cheek Or hit it? Tell me your ways Lead me through your Xylem And into your nocturnal soul. GZRW November 08, 2013

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Sawdust

AWDUST. SAWDUST. SAWDUST

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What Should We Buy Me? Or, you know, not.

T

C

B

By Jodi Silberstein

T

he most wonderful time of the year is upon us again. There’s a beautiful layer of snow on the ground and a painfully bitter wind in the air. But you wouldn’t know about this because you’ve spent the past eight hours in the library wishing the school offered a class on priorities LQVWHDG RI RQH WKDW FDOOV IRU D Ă€IWHHQ SDJH Ă€QDO SDSHU :K\ GRQ¡W WKH\ let you see the syllabus before you register?) You’ll be home in less than ten days and that is the one thing pushing you along: Christmas. The tree, the lights, the music, the food, the family time DQG RI FRXUVH WKH SUHVHQWV :KDW ZLOO be wrapped up under that tree this \HDU" :HOO \RXU SDUHQWV PD\ KDYH taken up CBS and US News on their gift ideas for college students... 1. “Anki DRIVE. This new toy should be a huge hit with college guys. Anki Drive is a $200 racing game with a track and cars that players control with their iPhones or iPads. Players use their devices as steering wheels and brakes.â€? $200. Oh all the things $200 could buy besides some techy new video game. Why not just give us $200 in cash? We’ll do with it as we please and you won’t ask questions. Deal?

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

2. “Fitness tracker. The Fitbit Orb LV D QHZ ORZHU SULFHG Ă€WQHVV WUDFNHU from the makers of the FitBit Flex that tracks steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. The Orb can be clipped to clothes or worn on the wrist ($97).â€? Did you just call me fat? 3. “Colorful socks. Solmate Socks knits colorful, mismatched socks out of recycled cotton in Vermont that should make just about any co-­ed smile ($20 and up). For guys, there is Happy Socks, a Swedish company that sells men’s colorful socks ($10 and up).â€? What are we, eight years old? Happy Socks!? You’re going to buy your 19-­year-­old son Happy Socks? Are you going to buy your husband a matching pair? Are these two

44

grown men both going to wear their Happy Socks on the same day together? I mean, recycled cotton is a nice idea; I’m all for sustainable living, but at this point in our lives, I think a nice pair of business socks would be more appropriate. Argyle? 4. “Xbox One. Video gamers have been eagerly waiting for Xbox One, Microsoft’s new, more powerful gaming console ($500).� $500. Oh holy night! Oh Santa baby! Forget the Xbox. Forget the $200. We want $500. Give us $500 and we’ll call it a holly jolly, very Merry Christmas and a happy new year! 5. “Tea maker. Yes, you can just dunk a tea bag into a cup of hot water, but Teavana’s tea maker promises to make the perfect cup using loose tea leaves ($19.95).� Yes, you CAN just dunk a tea bag into a cup of hot water. How about a nice assortment of teas? Wegman’s literally has an entire aisle designated to teas, all kinds of teas. And while you’re at it, go over to Green Star and buy some good honey. Support the local businesses of the number one college town in America!

7. “Custom stainless steel water bottle. Customize a water bottle for your favorite runner or athlete ($18).â€? Cute, Mom. Why not just put a picture of my damn face on it while you’re at it? 8. “Emergency Kit-­ Most college students don’t have things like Band-­ $LGV DQG Ă€UVW DLG FUHDPV RQ KDQG when they live on campus, but they inevitably end up needing them.â€? Honestly, this probably should’ve been done back in August. There’s GHĂ€QLWHO\ D FKHFNOLVW RI WKLQJV WR JHW IRU D GRUP URRP DQG WKLV LV Ă€UVW on the list. Plus, I think by now even the most clueless of freshman KDYH Ă€JXUHG RXW KRZ WR JHW D %DQG Aid...but thanks. 9. “%LNH $FFHVVRULHV-­ If your student bikes on campus, consider gifting some bike accessories that are both functional and fun, such as baskets, bells, and beads.â€? Again with the age confusion. %HOOV DQG EHDGV" +RZ DERXW D SDLU of training wheels too? Oy vey...

10. “%RRN $ERXW <RXU 6WXGHQW¡V School-­ Your student picked—and stayed at—his or her school for a reason. Check the campus bookstore for a history of your student’s college for a gift he or she will cherish for 6. “Fun jewelry. 8UEDQ 2XWĂ€WWHUV years.â€? has rolled out some cute necklaces No. for the holidays, including a spiked ____________________________________ big necklace ($34) and a snowdrop Jodi Silberstein is a junior journalism necklace ($28).â€? major who doesn’t subscribe to the Instead, go to the “Saleâ€? section consumerist ideals of “Christmas.â€? of Urban and buy sweaters, big Instead, please join her in celebrating sweaters, sweaters with buttons, the 12 Days of Bryan Roberts. Email sweaters with stripes, it doesn’t her at jsilber1@ithaca.edu. really matter. When we go back to school for spring semester, there is a chance we could come home for summer wearing just as many layers as when we left. I’ll tell you right now, “fun jewelryâ€? won’t be keeping us warm. And do you want your poor little babies catching a cold? I don’t think so.

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Toddlers & Testaments

Christmas pageant r udely interrupted by second coming of Jesus

By Lizzy Rosenberg

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5($.,1* 1(:6 'HF 2013): Noodle, Texas-­ Hundreds of pint-­sized, bratty pageant children and their obnoxious parents have been relentlessly protesting outside of the Vatican for the last week, after a radically evangelical incident at The $QQXDO $PHULFD 86$ &KLOGUHQ¡V :LQWHU :RQGHUODQG %HDXW\ 3DJHDQW Upon mistaking the event for a Christmas pageant, the all-­famous Jesus Christ made a special trek back to Earth to make a surprise guest appearance for who he thought would be an audience of eager, righteous believers. To his dismay, however, the only spectators of his impromptu debut were an abundance of child pre-­Madonna’s and their glitzy mothers. ´,¡PPD OHW \RX Ă€QLVK EXW SUDLVH WKH lord,â€? Christ uttered mid-­dissension. Though Christ anticipated expressions of recognition, worship and awe, he ZDV XQSOHDVDQWO\ GLVDSSRLQWHG WR Ă€QG PRWKHUV IXULRXV DQG Ă DEEHUJDVWHG DIWHU he unknowingly stole their daughters’ spotlights. Longtime pageant-­winning Destiny Crystal-­Light and her mother, +RSH GHĂ€QLWHO\ KDG WKH ELJJHVW DQG PRVW unfriendly reactions of ferocity.

“The guy with the beard and bed sheets interrupted me; some of my audience looked away from me for a second!â€? Destiny said. Since her time as a fetus, Destiny has been competing in pageants for three years straight. Though she still won the prize of $200 and the biggest crown, she was extremely disappointed by her audience’s momentary divergence of attention towards Christ’s unplanned appearance. Despite her bruised ego, however, Destiny’s Texan fans strongly encourage her to continue following her dreams of vanity and child-­glamour. Destiny’s mother, Hope Crystal-­Light also vehemently protested the incident. She believes that Christ’s interruption during Destiny’s performance was a malicious act of ageism, and plans to convert to a more serious religion within the week. “Just because this guy is over 2000 years old, does not mean he can disrespect my little beauty queen‌she is a superstar and was totally embarrassed to get stood up on stage like that. I once was lost, but now am found‌ because I am now starting to practice Pastafarianism,â€? Crystal-­Light said through tears.

Unfortunately, reporters missed their FKDQFHV WR JHW D Ă€QDO ZRUG IURP &KULVW prior to his humiliated ascension back into the heavens. He did, however, leave each contestant and their families with a very dense fruitcake, accompanied with a note which sarcastically read, “Happy Birthday to Me.â€? Despite Christ’s evident rage, contestants have since done very little to regain his forgiveness, as they have been too busy protesting. In addition to countless bottles of no-­tears children’s beauty products being strewn throughout Vatican City, a number of distressed pageant mothers are currently focused on implementing a ´&KLOG 3DJHDQW 6WDU :HHNÂľ WR FRPSHQVDWH for the attention that their daughters lost on the fateful day of 2013’s Annual $PHULFD 86$ &KLOGUHQ¡V :LQWHU :RQGHUODQG %HDXW\ 3DJHDQW 8SGDWHV on these occupying mothers and on Jesus’ future earthly interruptions will be continuously posted. ________________________________________ Lizzy Rosenberg is a sophomore IMC major who is hosting her own Christmas pageant, all messiahs welcome. Email her to RSVP at erosenb3@ithaca.edu.

Bound2 His Holiness

+SH HIWGIRHW JVSQ ,IEZIR XS GSR½VQ /ER]I ;IWX EW WIGSRH GSQMRK By Caitlin Vetere

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Pope Francis has been unavailable for comment, but it has been reported that he was seen in a Target near the Vatican dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and shaded sunglasses, picking up several RI :HVW¡V DOEXPV DQG SRVWHUV RI RXU QHZ Messiah. “I told you all already, Kanye is a God,â€? Creator of Heaven and Earth, God, said. ´:HOO KH¡V SDUW RI PH )DWKHU VRQ RWKHU son and Holy Spirit. It’s all right there on the album. Ever hear the track ‘I Am A God (Feat. God)’? Yeah I was actually featured on the track. It was me. For some reason nobody listened [...] He and Jesus are really close. JC and the boys (the apostles) actually helped record that track.â€? Yeezus Christ is reportedly in the process RI Ă€QGLQJ KLV RZQ DSRVWOHV “I want it to be more exclusive than what Jesus had. I don’t want to be too ostentatious having a huge crew following me around. Maybe like two or three of my

homies and then Kim and North.â€? Kris Jenner has reportedly been trying to worm her way into apostleship. “I just feel like I deserve it,â€? Jenner said. “I’ve been so close with Kanye for such a long time. I’d almost go as far as to call us best friends.â€? “Nah,â€? Yeezus responded when asked for comment on Jenner’s proclamation. :KLOH LW LV VWLOO XQFOHDU ZK\ D SRSXODU rap artist was chosen by God to be the next messiah, rap enthusiasts are reveling in the reveal. The Church of Yeezus Christ of Modern Day Homies is currently in the SURFHVV RI EXLOGLQJ WKHLU Ă€UVW RIĂ€FLDO FKDSHO at the Kardashian’s third summer home. _________________________________________ Caitlin Vetere is a sophomore TVR major who is waiting for Kanye’s next Christmas album “Merry Me-­mas, Bitchez.â€? Email her at cvetere1@ithaca.edu.

Sawdust

onfusion, happiness, exalted praise, and jubilant rapping erupted across the world after the creator of heaven and Earth, God, descended from the clouds of Heaven and declared popular UDS VHQVDWLRQ .DQ\H :HVW WKH QHZ PHVVLDK and second coming of Christ. <HH]XV &KULVW IRUPHUO\ .DQ\H :HVW interrupted God’s booming voice from the sky during the middle of the speech, just as he did to young pop sensation, Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, saying things like “Yo, God, I know you’re the creator of heaven and Earth and all, and I’m really happy for \RX DQG ,¡P JRQQD OHW \RX Ă€QLVK EXW , DP the greatest coming of our savior of all time. OF ALL TIME!â€? After the initial proclamation of his holiness, Yeezus then announced the new 11th and 12th commandments, which are: “Thou shalt buy my latest self-­titled album, Yeezus,â€? and “All paparazzi shall immediately be smote.â€?

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Give Me Chicken, Give Me Sinners 'EQTYW FIPMIZIVW ½RH JEMXL MR XLI Q]XLMGEP -XLEGEX

By Chris Thomas

E

BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

nthusiasts of fun and exhilarating new religions such as Jediism will be in for a treat after attending Ithaca College. Students have put all of their faith into an adorable, plump cat, dubbed the Ithacat, who sits in the bushes EHORZ WKH OLEUDU\ :KLOH UHOLJLRQV DUH FHUWDLQO\ NQRZQ IRU FRQĂ LFW and struggle, they are nowhere close to what Ithacatholicism has brought to South Hill. The student behind it all is none other than sophomore Jeffrey 0LFKDHO D Ă€OP VWXGHQW ZKR Ă€UVW QRWLFHG WKH FDW RQ KLV way to the library for some late studies of tripods. He walked by the bushes and out of nowhere a “meowâ€? rocked his world. He spent the last couple PRQWKV Ă€OPLQJ WKH cat to try and create a documentary creatively titled Cat. During his studies of the Ithacat, he decided to see where the cat went to sleep; for surely in this weather, not even the Ithacat could survive RXWVLGH :KDW KH saw changed his life forever. For the sake of privacy for the cat, Michael was mum to the actual

many students quickly banded together to create a religion for their sacred feline. Since then, students have wrapped themselves to the religion like catnip. Students often gather at the bushes under the library waiting for their leader to emerge. Many give offerings such as tuna cans, and ask for good grades, m o r e P a n d a Paws ice cream at the dining halls, and “that girl from 4E to say hello to them on their way to class.� Students e v e n started a holiday for the cat on Nov. 31. On it, students dress up as cats and wear minimal clothing to represent

location Image by Lizzie Cox of the Ithacat’s home. the cold The only description about its true home was “where Elvis and the Ithacat must suffer through while waiting in the bushes to hear Amelia Earhart live.� Only one other person knows the students’ requests. Not everyone is praising this new undisclosed location. Michael’s girlfriend Natalie Ratti urged him to cat on the block. Ithaca’s leader show her the whereabouts of the cat. Tom Rochon sent a band of explorers :KHQ TXHVWLRQHG DERXW WKH ORFDWLRQ nicknamed the Mousekateers to her only response was, “I can’t say conduct a nonstop search for the where it is, but I looked into the heart home of the cat. These explorers of Ithaca College, and what I saw was are actually students pursuing the Exploratory Major at Ithaca College beautiful.� Due to the mystery of the mouser, looking for ways to intern while still

46

attending classes on campus. Many Ithacatholics have claimed that they are going to get rid of the cat when found, but the Mousekateers claim that this group is simply are trying to earn some money to be able to afford books at the bookstore. Ithaca College clubs Seeing-­Eye Dogs for Life and Dogs > Cats stand by the Mousekateers. Leader of Pet-­a-­ 3XSS\ 0LOGUHG :DJQRU VDLG ´:H must remove the Ithacat, because, like rabies and stuff.â€? Kidnappings of the cat have already been attempted many times, forcing the cat to retreat further into the bushes. Lack of space has pressured the Mousekateers to start packing. Recently, however news has spread that the TC Lounge, home of the Tiger Brownie, was to be shut down to require space for “new RIĂ€FHV Âľ :RUG IURP ,WKDFDWKROLFV LV that the space is really to be used for storage of the equipment used by the Mousekateers, who never actually stopped searching. Since then, small protests have RFFXUUHG ZLWKLQ WKH FRQĂ€QHV RI WKH college. Petitions are being propelled across the Internet faster than the T-­Cat on a Saturday night. Other neighboring cities such as Cortland have protested and rioted after news of the kidnappings of the Ithacat was spread to Ithaca College’s rival school during Cortaca. 0RUH FRQĂ LFWV DUH OLNHO\ WR HQVXH ZKLOH WKLV :DU RI WKH ,WKDFDW SURFHHGV Perhaps one will never know the true location of the Ithacat, remaining as mysterious as the contents of the Pulp Fiction briefcase. Or perhaps there is no “Heart of Ithaca Collegeâ€? at all, and perhaps this is all a giant ploy by Michael to create a new documentary Katnap :KDWHYHU WKH FRQVHTXHQFH we can only pray that the Ithacat has mercy on us all. ____________________________________ Chris Thomas is a sophomore TVR major who just wants Grumpy Cat apparel for Christmas. Email him at cthomas5@ithaca.edu

Trading Bibles for Brunch More people skipping mass for Sunday mid-morning meals By Francesca Toscano

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Tom Rochon won’t let us have nice things by Rachel Maus

make religion hip again. “In my last service, I twerked through the Shacharit,â€? said Cohen. “It currently has seven PLOOLRQ YLHZV RQ <RX7XEH :H¡UH trying to make religion viral; next week, I’m going to publish D %X]])HHG DUWLFOH RQ :D\V WR DIY a Yarmulke.â€? Despite Cohen’s best efforts, brunch continues to reign omelette supreme in the area. In a survey of 500 Cornell undergraduate students, 98% said they have eaten brunch in the past week, whereas only 4% confessed to attending a religious service. “If religious places were as fun to chill at as cool brunch spots, I’d totally go there with my friends,â€? explains Cornell sophomore Caroline Nichols. “Instead of all that talking and chanting and stuff, there should be couches so we can hang out. And maybe an espresso machine.â€? Despite the adversity, Cohen is confident that religious devotion can be revived in the area. Until then, he will continue trying to make faith mainstream. “If anyone reading this can help me make .gifs of Kosher #foodporn, please contact me!â€? Cohen urges. ________________________________ Francesca Toscano is a senior IMC major who never even thought to miss mass for brunch, because DeWitt CafĂŠ is her temple. Email her at ftoscan1@ithaca.edu.

In a time of national crisis, we college students have few things to look forward to. There’s the looming national debt, few promising job opportunities and the potential for new war around every corner, just XS REQI E JI[ -X MW MR XLIWI HMJ½GYPX times we must turn to each other for comfort, which prompts the question‌what’s the deal with closing TC Lounge, Tom? It’s like you’re begging us to hate you. What are we going to do without a place to go at 11 pm on weeknights when all we want is to eat a Tiger Brownie and wash it down with an Italian Soda? ;LIVI EVI TSWX ½REP I\EQ *MPQ % % students going to go as they break HS[R ERH GV] SZIV XLIMV VYMRIH ½PQ careers? Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything‌ But come on man. TC Lounge is awesome, and I know I’m speaking for many of my fellow students when I say it’s a total buzzkill for you to GPSWI MX JSV QSVI SJ½GIW - ORS[ XLEX ½RHMRK WTEGI JSV XLMRKW MW ER MWWYI at this school, considering we can’t even supply real dorm rooms for all incoming students, but is there really RS[LIVI IPWI XLIWI RI[ SJ½GIW GER ½X# ,S[ EFSYX 7QMHH]# (S [I VIEPP] need those classrooms? No one has the time to walk there for a freshman seminar anyway. Can I get an “Amenâ€?? Besides that, you have to admit that view is clutch. Open mic night overlooking the entire city of Ithaca (including our colorful college disco stick in all it’s erectile glory) is pretty sweet. Anyway, we know you’re super pumped to screw over all those PT majors, but do you have to take away one of the best places they can go on campus to cry about wasting two years worth of tuition?

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Sawdust

he Ithaca religious community is fearing an end to local spirituality as Ithacans replace weekend piety with weekend brunch. “Since the brunch trend has assimilated into Ithacan culture, even our most devout of churchgoers are choosing frittatas over Our Father and Bloody Marys over Hail Mary,â€? said local pastor Thomas Connelly. “The other day, a woman asked if she could have eggs on the side of her Communion host!â€? However, some locals fail to see the difference between spending Sundays at church or at their favorite brunch spot. For many, brunch is a deeply religious practice. “I would definitely consider brunch a holy experience,â€? said Ithaca College senior Meredith Michaels. Michaels, once the president of the Ithaca College’s Jewish community Hillel, has abandoned the group in favor of a new club she affectionately calls the Brunch Bunch. ´:KHQ , DWWHQGHG WHPSOH , IHOW deeply connected to a higher power. I get the same feeling when I take a bite out of Carriage House’s Brie-­Stuffed French Toast,â€? Michaels explains. “Plus, you can’t drizzle maple syrup on the torah.â€? This controversy is not only plaguing the Ithaca community but similar cities that thrive on the commerce of privileged twenty-­somethings. State College, Pennsylvania is reportedly canceling Christmas this year in favor of a citywide brunch buffet. A Brooklyn mosque recently replaced the traditional Islamic minbar with a mimosa bar. In an effort to halt similar measures, the Ithaca religious community is joining together to put an end to the brunch takeover. Spearheaded by Rabbi Adam Cohen, the coalition is currently strategizing a plan to

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Buzzsaw Asks Why...

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BUZZSAW: The Piety Issue

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