March 2014 Nailed It
BUZZSAW
News & Views
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Buzzsaw  presents...
EDITORS’ COMMENT
The Sex Issue
BDSM= Buzzsaw Does Sex Magazine So let’s talk about sex, baby! Though this is a theme that Buzzsaw already covered in its early beginnings, sex will never go out of style or become less important in our daily lives. Sex affects us in so many ways: individually, emotionally, socially, physically, even legally. Sexuality is a crucial part of identity, but people who identify as asexual tend to be misunderstood by society (All Kinds of Love, pg. 18).
BUZZSAW News & Views Upfront
Taylor Barker Meagan McGinnes Timothy Bidon Ministry of Cool Karen Muller Prose & Cons Robert S. Hummel Sawdust Rachel Maus Design Chelsea Hartman Art Evan Spitzer Website Kanoa Ichihara Seesaw Kayla Reopelle Kaley Belval Rachel Lewis-ÂKrisky Production
Misconceptions and misunderstandings about sex stem from a lack of sex education, as well as abstinence only sex education programs, offered while teens are in school (An Educational Ex- SHULHQFH SJ (YHQ ZLWK LQVXIĂ€FLHQW VH[ HGXFDWLRQ VH[ DQG hook up culture, especially among young adults, is on the rise (Let’s Go Back to My Place, pg. 16). Expectations of what sex should look like and mean are shaped by the media’s representation, but in many cases, those expe- riences are portrayed in a romanticized, overly choreographed light. Though shows like HBO’s “Girlsâ€? provide a realistic look at less glamorous and even awkward sexual encounters, backlash against the show represents a discomfort with candid discus- sion about a normal part of life (Doin’ It For A Reason, pg. 30). Combining the environmental and feminist movements, Sus- tainable Passion uses women-Âcentric sex toys to support per- sonal pleasure and sexual freedom (Products Empowering Plea- sure, Seesaw). This issue is more than just the birds and the bees, so get ready to talk dirty.
Adviser Founders
Kellen Beck Jessica Corbett Katelyn Harrop John Jacobson Lizzie Cox Taylor Ford Sabina Leybold Jeff Cohen Abby Bertumen Kelly Burdick Bryan Chambala Sam Costello Thom Denick Cole Louison James Sigman
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 uses student-generated art and photography and royalty-free images.
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
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 Lizzie Cox and Evan Spitzer Back cover, center spread, Upfront divider, Ministry of Cool, Table of Contents by Evan Spitzer Prose & Cons divider and 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-Âeducated opinions.
Upfront .......................................................13 Selected dis-Âeducation of the month.
N Bews UZZSAW & Views
Ministry.of.Cool ........................................28 Arts, entertainment and other things cooler than us.
Prose & Cons ............................................36 6KRUW ÀFWLRQ SHUVRQDO HVVD\ DQG RWKHU DVVRUWHG OLHV
Sawdust .......................................................41 Threatening the magazine’s credibility since 1856.
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BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
buzzcuts
Top 10 Weirdest Aphrodisiacs:
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Sea cucumber, available for purchase in China*
Turtle Eggs, believed to be an inspiration for desire*
Skink Skin, delicacy in North Africa*
Cobra Blood, available in Vietnam and China for superior male potency*
Spanish Fly Juice, apparently used since the days of Julius Caesar and is still used in Europe*
Tiger Penis, apparently increases male libido and stamina (Thrillist)
Malunggay Tea, allegedly as effective as Viagra*
Leaf Cutter Ants, used in South America since the mid-15th century*
Oysters, amino acids give a libido jumpstart (Maxim)
Rhino Horn, sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars in China (Thrillist)
* Cosmopolitan
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PRODUCTS EMPOWERING PLEASURE ALONE IN AN INTIMATE MOMENT Personal pleasure and sexual freedom: two themes of Ithaca’s Sustainable Passion shop. Meet the owner, Christine Barksdale, who believes in sex as a form of empowerment. This photo series shows the variety of products and political value of the woman-centric “sex toy” shop.
The phrase “hook-up culture” is outrageously thrown around in viral articles about the millennial generation. But what does it actually mean? Or rather, does it even exist? Seesaw presents a WTSOIR [SVH ½PQ HMWGYWWMRK XLIWI MWWYIW [MXLMR LSSO YT GYPXYVI Photo by LyndaSanchez
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 c ollege.
ONE BILLION RISING DEEP SPLENDOR, VOL. 1 SEX RE-EDUCATION One Billion Rising has repurposed ValAt last... a collection of the most What do you really know about sex?
entines Day to call attention to violence against women across the globe. Ithaca College danced with OBR when they hosted their own event on Feb. 14 in the Fitness Center.
sensual instrumental classics to enrich your love-making experience. This is music for those very SPECIAL nights. This is: Deep Splendor, Vol. 1
Who is learning about sex anyway? These projects are designed to debunk popular myths about college sex practices and to teach State-by-State Sex Education laws. Test your sex literacy today!
www.buzzsawmag.org/seesaw/ www.buzzsawmag.org/seesaw/
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Take A Scoop Out of Cornell Cornell Dairy Bar is back after 3 years
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By Amanda Hutchinson
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
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thaca College’s neighbor on East Hill has a lot of iconic imagery to brag about. Some of the gorges that give Ithaca its famous tagline of “Ithaca is Gorgesâ€? run through Cor- nell’s campus, and the clock tower that graces most of the university’s merchandise can be seen from a good portion of the city and surrounding area. Within the Cornell community, a trip to the Dairy Bar is part of the obligatory student checklist, and with the Dairy Bar reopening after a three- year hiatus for revamping the food science facility in Stocking Hall, stu- GHQWV FDQ Ă€QDOO\ FKHFN RII &RUQHOO LFH cream from their to-Âdo list. While the Dairy Bar itself has bounced around the Cornell campus, the dairy program has been part of the university since 1850, with the food science department in Stocking Hall since 1923. Plans to redesign the building started in 2007, and the de- partment moved back this past July after three years of construction. Ja- son Huck, general manager of dairy operations, said the new facility helps promote the mission to support cut- ting-Âedge teaching, research and out- reach. “We built this plant to support re- search,â€? Huck said. “We obviously can support very applied, cutting-Âedge research in the facility from safety, milk quality, processing technolo- gies, and then the biggest piece that we support, and it’s important in our mission as a land grant university, is outreach.â€? The majority of the products that go through the Stocking Hall processing facility begin and end on the Cornell campus. According to Huck, 1.5 mil- lion pounds of raw milk come from the campus dairy farm every year for processing into products includ- ing yogurt, pudding and ice cream. Milk is bottled once a week, and juice from the Cornell orchards and orange farms in Florida is bottled once every two weeks. About 50 percent of the ice cream goes to the Dairy Bar, which is open to the public, but the rest of Cornell’s dairy products are brought to the campus dining facilities. The new Dairy Bar, which opened
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in August, features campus dairy products in addition to coffee and deli sandwiches, and with the new store came a new logo for Cornell Dairy. While the old logo had a cow jumping over the moon on campus, the clock tower was added to the image to make it more iconic. “ W e adapted to put more red in it for Cornell,â€? Huck said. “With our impact in the dairy industry, we want- ed something that was professional but also fun.â€? In addition to the campus eatery, Stocking Hall also features a gallery for students to hang out, a conference center for training with industry pro- fessionals and an auditorium for food science classes. Construction also UHFRQĂ€JXUHG WKH SDUNLQJ ORW DQG WKH renovations on the other side of the building, Stocking Hall Tower, will be completed in 2015. Ice cream is the top seller at the Dairy Bar, but the inventory for their WR EDVH Ă DYRUV KDG WR EH DW around 10,000 gallons before they could start selling due to the high de- mand. ´:H GHĂ€QLWHO\ KDG D ORW RI H[FLWHPHQW ZKHQ ZH Ă€QDOO\ DQQRXQFHG WKH GD\ we were going to release ice cream,â€? Huck said. “I would say during the fall semester we had on some weeks as many as a dozen emails or phone calls asking when the ice cream was going to be ready.â€? 5HTXHVWV IRU QHZ LFH FUHDP Ă DYRUV come from a multitude of sources, LQFOXGLQJ GDLU\ LQWHUQV FUHDWLQJ Ă€QDO formulations for testing, graduating classes seeking their specialized “Class RIÂľ Ă DYRU DQG IRRG VFLHQFH FRXUVHV working on projects. In December,
students in the introductory food VFLHQFH FRXUVH KDG WR FUHDWH D Ă DYRU that captured the essence of Stocking Hall. The winner, Cookie Dough Re- modeled, fea- tures a dark chocolate ice cream with white choco- late chunks and sugar cookie dough bits. Cornell claims the unofficial title of “Best College Ice Cream in the Eastâ€? over the dairy Photo by Alexis Lanza program at Penn State University, but manag- ers on both sides deny any actual ri- valry. Tom Palchak, manager of Penn State’s Berkey Creamery, said he has known Huck for 10 years through an- nual meet-Âups of the University Dairy Managers Association, and while he’s willing to put Penn State’s vanilla against any other ice cream, he can attest to the quality of Cornell’s prod- ucts. “We didn’t know that this even ex- isted until I read that article,â€? Palchak said. “I know that Cornell makes de- licious ice cream, and I’m sure that their students and staff and alums feel strongly about it as well, but we never had any competitive test.â€? Instead, the two programs discuss processing, equipment and other as- pects of dairy management. Palchak said it’s nice to have a partner at Cor- nell. Rivalry or no, Cornell Dairy’s ice cream is a source of pride for the uni- versity and students, including new- comers like freshman Corey Ng. “I go there, like, three times a week,â€? Ng said. “It’s great.â€? ____________________________________ Amanda Hutchinson is a junior jour- nalism major who has already eaten all the ice cream. Sorry. Email her at ahutchi2@ithaca.edu.
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Legislators vote against one-year moratorium
By Tylor Colby
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f you build it, will they come? This is the question still being asked by both the Tompkins County Legis-Â lature and much of the community in regards to the recent vote to expand the county jail. Last September, the county legis-Â lature approved a roughly $900,000 county jail expansion project, which included the addition of seven more beds in a newly renovated room. This project was to alleviate the issue of overcrowding in the county jail, which currently houses a little more than 90
communities of color where stigmas of crime of men and women of color ex- ists.â€? The 2013 statistics for the county jail revelaed that white non-ÂHispanics are 68 percent of the inmate popula- tion, blacks are 22 percent, Latinos are 5 percent, Asians are 0.5 percent, Native and Alaskan are 10 percent DQG SHUFHQW LGHQWLĂ€HG DV RWKHU Paula Ioanide, assistant professor of the center for the study of culture, race and ethnicity, is a proponent for alternative incarceration programs.
Instead of building more jail cells, more cages through which to remove people from their communities, what we want instead is an investment in alternative incarceration programs. - Paula Ioanide inmates, which exceeds the maximum of 75. On Feb. 18, a similar decision was made, with a 3 to 11 vote ruling against a one-Âyear moratorium to the jail expansion. There has not been an estimate yet on how much this project will cost, but many community members are strongly opposed to the decision made on the grounds that it is a money making scheme that will simply result in even more incarcerations in and around Tompkins county. Dubian Ade, a senior at Ithaca College who at- tended the vote, said the problem goes even further, to a matter of discrimi- nation toward minorities. “Even the very notion of investing in incarceration assumes that you’re going to arrest people and incarcerate them,â€? Ade said. “If you have seven EHGV DQG \RX¡UH WU\LQJ WR Ă€OO WKRVH beds, how do you do that? Over-Âpolic- ing in areas where historically people of color have taken up residency, in SODFHV ZKHUH LW¡V MXVWLĂ€DEOH XVXDOO\ LQ
6KH VXJJHVWHG WKDW VLJQLĂ€FDQW SDUW of the problem lies in where the state chooses to spend its time and money. “New construction for jails are fund- ed through borrowing against tax- payer dollars,â€? Ioanide said. “Instead of building more jail cells, more cages through which to remove people from their communities, what we want in- stead is an investment in alternative incarceration programs. And those don’t necessarily need to be moderat- ed by the state or state organizations, but they can be community based al- ternatives to incarceration.â€? Others, however, including mem- bers of the legislature, feel as if the expansion has nothing to do with in- carcerations, but that it is a means to bring more comfort to the inmates themselves. Leslyn Mc-ÂBean Clairborne, Tomp- kins County legislator and deputy di- rector of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, voted in favor of the moratori- um in hopes that alternative incarcer-Â
ation methods could be worked out in that year. Clairborne, who is also the chair of the Public Safety Com- mittee, said she is hoping to form a special task force of the committee WKDW FDQ Ă€QG PRUH DOWHUQDWLYHV WR incarceration. She said her goal was to have one year to make a reason- able change to the number of inmates before the decision to expand the jail was made. While some legislators were not in favor of the decision to expand the jail, others view it as a humane way of keeping inmates from being boarded out — or shipped to other jails — for an undetermined num- ber of nights. In the last two years, boarding out of inmates has cost the county $245,000, and many county leaders suggest that the expansion project will pay for itself in roughly four and a half years. Dan Klein, a Tompkins county legislator, said this expansion will not increase the num- ber of inmates at the jail. “The exact same number of people will be in jail, whether we do this or not,â€? Klein said. “It’s just a ques- tion of whether they will be in this county or not. And I think everyone agrees it’s better to have them in the county than out of the county.â€? Still, others are on the fence as to how they feel about both the expan- sion and the ill-Âfated moratorium. It can not be determined now whether or not this decision will result in an increase of inmates at the County jail, and if the project will pay itself back in the long run, but community members like Ioanide are continuing their protest of the jail system while promoting more alternative incar- ceration programs. A total estimate of the cost of the expansion has not yet been publicly released. ____________________________________ Tylor Colby is a freshman writing ma- jor who has every intention of expe- riencing the new jail. Email him it at tcolby1@Ithaca.edu.
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News & Views
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Jail Expansion is Moving Ahead
The Ins and Outs of IC Greens New political organization on campus making strides
By Joshua Kelly
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KHUH KDYH EHHQ Ă LHUV XS DURXQG campus for the “Green-ÂUp Clean-ÂUp,â€? “Songs for Syria,â€? “Auditions for The Laramie Project,â€? “State of the Union Viewing and Dis- cussion,â€? “Dancing for a Causeâ€? and more — all in the past few months, all with the label “IC Greensâ€? on them. What is the IC Greens, and why does it have such a wide array of tastes? As the founder of the organiza- tion, I can tell you that despite what it sounds like, IC Greens is not an ecologically-Âbased club, but rather a Green Party political club. Not everyone in the orga- nization is a Green, but their constitution outlines the key principles that they follow — the same Ten Key Values that the Green Party of the United States follows. These values are grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, eco- logical wisdom, nonviolence, decentralization, commu- nity-Âbased economics and economic justice, feminism and gender equity, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility and fu- ture focus and sustainabil- ity. Additionally, the Green Party makes a point of not accepting donations from corporations, in an effort to reduce their interests affecting poli- tics. Following these principles gives IC Greens a large number of topics and issues they can work to address. But beyond that, what is the Green Party? Scott McLarty, Green Party media coordinator, thought the Green Party offers a different option to the current political system. “The Green Party is the permanent alternative to the two parties of war and Wall Street. [The Green Party is] imperative for the 21st Century, be- cause the United States is moving in some very dangerous political direc- tions.â€? According to its publications, members of the party believe that the current duopoly between the Demo- crats and the Republicans has cre- ated many issues that can never be
resolved so long as they remain in power. These topics include global cli- mate change, the inequality of wealth distribution and the erosion of consti- tutional right and liberties. The Green Party of the United States has experienced much growth since their genesis in 1991. According to the Green Party’s website, Green presi- dential nominee Ralph Nader attract- ed over 2,800,000 votes in 2000, and the party has approximately 250,000 registered members as of 2008. Since the 2000 election, however, polls sug-Â
stand for their beliefs and vote for the candidate they truly believe in. Until 2014, a registered Green named Jen-Â nifer Dotson served as an Alderper-Â son in Ithaca, N.Y. On campus the IC Greens, a branch of the College Greens, aims to pro-Â mote Green Party values and strives to do their best to make as much of a difference as it can. Sam Maddaloni, vice chairperson of IC Greens, enjoyed how many dif-Â ferent aspects are involved with the organizaiton.
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
... members of the party believe that the current duopoly between the Democrats and the Republicans has created many issues that can never be resolved so long as they remain in power.
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gest that many Americans are fearful of voting for a third party because they believe that they may ‘split the vote,’ and inevitably allow a member of the other dominant party to win the elec- tion. This thinking creates an environ- ment where Americans are forced to choose between a lesser of two evils, rather than voting for someone who accurately represents their beliefs. “You should vote for your own best interests and ideals,â€? McLarty said. “You should vote for the party and the candidates that best represent those interests and ideals.â€? According to the Green Party’s, 151 UHJLVWHUHG *UHHQV KROG D SXEOLF RIĂ€FH around the nation, and that num- ber grows each year, suggesting that more people are willing to make that
“The best thing about the IC Greens is that we encompass many causes,â€? Maddaloni said. “Any project con- cerning sustainability, the local econ- omy, non-Âviolence and human rights, social justice and equality or politi- cal participation is relevant to the IC Greens’s mission.â€? )ROORZLQJ WKLV PLVVLRQ WKH Ă€UVW event it held after the group formed in September was a “Green-ÂUp Clean- Upâ€? that aimed to incentivize the col- lege’s students to pick up litter and dispose of it properly. Soon after it EHJDQ ZRUN RQ D ODUJH EHQHĂ€W FRQ- cert that was held in January called “Songs for Syria,â€? where it invited several bands, a cappella groups and solo artists from the college to perform. All the money collected for
admission was donated to UNICEF’s Syrian Refugee fund to help provide supplies like polio vaccines, food and water to children who have been displaced by the crisis in Syria. Re- cently, the group also held a viewing of the State of the Union address for students following any political ideology, and a discussion about the address was held after. Throughout all of this, the group has been working to gather signatures for a petition to ban the distribu- tion of single- use plastic bags on campus, for environmental reasons, and it has been working to start a green organization summit, where all the environmental student organizations can gather, share ideas and collec- tively work to achieve common goals. The IC Greens is continuing to plan events this year. One branch of the IC Greens, called the Greens Theatre Project, held auditions recently for The Laramie Project Cycle and will be performing The Laramie Project from April 24 to April 26, and The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later will be shown on April 27. The IC Greens hopes to use the Greens Theatre Project as a means of promoting social change in the area by producing plays and mu- sicals that revolve around the values of the Green Party. Additionally, the IC Greens will be holding an event during Earth Hour on March 29.
Earth Hour is one hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in each individual time zone, when everyone turns out their lights, for the purpose of promoting sustainability and coexistence with nature. The IC Greens is also working to hold a concert during Earth Hour that is entirely powered by bikes — that is, humans ped- aling on bikes to create enough elec- tricity to power the entire concert. Politically, the IC Greens is currently working with the IC Conservatives to come up with ways to help students get more politically active on cam- pus and in the nation. It is interested in creating a political organization summit, much like the green organization summit, to help organize the political clubs on cam- pus. The IC Greens would also like to become more involved in local poli- tics, and would like to help the Green movement grow in Tompkins County. (PLO\ *DUĂ€QNHO WKH WUHDVXUHU RI ,& Greens, said politics is a crucial part of the campus community. “The IC Greens are important be- cause it is crucial to a college campus WR KDYH SROLWLFDO GLVFRXUVH Âľ *DUĂ€QNHO said. “We believe in advocating the ideals for the Green Party, so that we can express political diversity across campus, as well as encouraging stu- dents to make greener choices across the IC campus.â€?
IC Greens is a group that has a lot of ideas it wants to see make an impact on campus, and so far it has been successful at making those ideas a reality. Students, the future of this country, have a lot of power at their disposal, and they certainly have the ability to bring about a more progressive party in the country. ´7KH Ă€UVW WKLQJ LV WR EHFRPH DZDUH and read a lot, and become familiar with what the Green Party does and what they stand for,â€? McLarty said. “Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot more people become docile, and become more obedient and accepting of the status quo. I would like for people to understand that the two-Âparty power structure is not natural, is not perma- nent, and we don’t have to live under two parties that are swimming in cor- porate money.â€? The IC Greens certainly has taken this message to heart, as they contin- ue to promote social justice, environ- mentalism, non-Âviolence and equality for all living things. ____________________________________ Joshua Kelly is a freshman politics major who wants every political party to become Green. Email him it at jkel- ly6@ithaca.edu.
News & Views
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Buzzsaw Oral History A look back at how Buzzsaw started By Nate King and Sam Gest
B
X]]VDZ celebrated its 15th an-Â niversary in February. Found-Â ed in the spring of 1999 by disgruntled Ithaca College students, the magazine was named %X]]VDZ Haircut. Fifteen years later, in differ-Â ent parts of their lives, the founders looked back on their time in college and the creation of a magazine still in circulation today. The full history of %X]]VDZ as told by the founding edi-Â tors can be found online. From the rain puddles of Ithaca, stained with mud and cigarette butts, %X]]VDZ +DLUFXW KDV ULVHQ
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
–Letter from the Editors, Issue #1 Sam Costello, junior: Overall, Itha- ca College can be a great place. You can get a great education there, work with excellent professors, make good friends, have access to opportunities that people around the world would kill for. Everything I’m about to say needs to be taken with the under- standing that I’m fully aware of the privilege we had to attend Ithaca, and the privileges we had in our lives that allowed us to get there. At the same time, IC was a frustrating place. The student body, by and large, seemed IDLUO\ VHOĂ€VK FRPPLWWHG WR VHOI LQGXO- gence over looking at our role in the larger world‌At the time, my parents KDG JRQH WKURXJK D IHZ GLIĂ€FXOW \HDUV Ă€QDQFLDOO\ DQG WKH LGHD WKDW SHRSOH would skip class because they were too hungover to show up, or wouldn’t bother to try hard to learn, seemed like a terrible, repulsive waste of their parents’ money. It seemed disrespect- ful to our parents’ hard work and saving to get us to college. I couldn’t imagine doing that. Cole Louison, junior: When I went to Ithaca, and you can ask Sam about this, we both had a lot of frustration with the school, a lot of the students. We both did not feel challenged at all. Writing three, three-Âpage papers in four months is not very challenging if you’re a journalism major. Sam: Buzzsaw was born out of frus-Â
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tration. Frustration with the on-Âcam-Â pus media choices at that time. Frus-Â tration that there was nothing in print at Ithaca College, or really even in the city of Ithaca, that matched the sensi-Â bilities of the founders.
ÀVW IXOO RI UD]RU EODGHV ZDLWLQJ IRU WKH privileged few to step into the fog and answer the hard, ugly questions. And she’s not leaving until she gets some answers. –Letter from the Editors, Issue #1
Abby Bertumen, sophomore: I also think the idea came from some of our disagreement with the policies that were in force at The Ithacan at the time. For example, and I am sure Sam will have mentioned this, when I was an editor at The Ithacan someone made a decision to publish an anti- abortion ad in the newspaper. It was a several page, color, pullout ad with graphic photos. No matter what your beliefs are, I am sure the people at The Ithacan who knew it was going in, knew it would be controversial. But the thing is, none of the other editors were consulted or even told before- hand, at least I wasn’t. And so that week I basically found out it was there with the rest of the campus. My name was part of the masthead so I had all of these people asking me questions about it, some very angry. I felt kind of blind-Âsided and when I raised it at the next editorial meeting, other staff members who knew before it was published weren’t sympathetic. Bryan Chambala, senior: They said it was an advertisement so they couldn’t censor it. James Sigman, post-Âgrad: It was one of those things where a guy clearly is doing it to get on a free speech plat- form to see if they’ll print it. And it was like a big insert in the middle of the Ithacan, so it was a lot of money. James: I still like the Ithacan. I have nothing really against the Ithacan. It’s Ă€QH WKDW WKHUH LV DQ Ithacan but there should be something else. The Ithacan shouldn’t be the one media outlet on campus, so that was sort of the idea behind why I wanted to do it, just to have another voice. In short, we are an old woman stand- ing in the parking lot with a tire chain wrapped around her shoulders and a
Cole: We were talking about a name, Sam and I, and we were actually at Cornell Cinema and I think we were in line for a movie and I mentioned Buzzsaw Haircut because there was a line in a Mojo Nixon song about a little boy with a buzzsaw haircut. Sam: Cole had all the best name can- didates: Harvard, the Cinnamon Sim- ian, and Buzzsaw Haircut. I didn’t VWURQJO\ FRQVLGHU WKH Ă€UVW WZR EXW when he suggested Buzzsaw Haircut, it immediately felt perfect. It summed up a lot of the vibe we were feeling: angry, fast, strange, attracted more to country music and punk than popu- lar music or being cool. Sam: 7KH Ă€UVW WKUHH LVVXHV ZHUH HQ- tirely funded by James. He’d gradu- ated the year before and so was mak- ing more money than probably all of us had combined at that time. Cole: James graduated in ‘98 and was back home on Staten Island and working in the city‌He was saving his money because he was living at home. James: It seemed like a good idea to spend it on [Buzzsaw]. I had a job copyediting junk mail for the Book of the Month Club. And in a roundabout way, because Book of the Month Club is owned by Time-ÂLife, %X]]VDZ +DLU- cut started as a Time-ÂLife publication because the money that I made work- ing at that Time-ÂLife job was the mon- ey that went into %X]]VDZ. These 24 pages are the result of a col- laboration between a tight-Âknit group of friends, relatives, acquaintances and soothsayers. Surrounded by drink and wearing lace undergarments, we RIIHU \RX RXU Ă€UVW UHVSRQVH WR WKH LQDG-Â
equacy currently provided by Ithaca’s existing publications.
Ithacan bins and somebody went around and cleaned them out and threw them out.
–Letter from the Editors, Issue #1 Abby: The process was pretty infor- mal. We basically just sat around and talked about what we’d like to put in the magazine and what we’d like to work on. It’s funny but it wasn’t hard WR JHW WKH ÀUVW LVVXH RII WKH JURXQG EH- cause I think all of us had some ideas we were working on that we were dy- ing to see in print. Sam: The early [editorial meetings] were in dorm rooms, usually the one I shared with Cole, but sometimes other places‌We’d talk through the LGHDV DQG ÀQDOL]H D OLVW RI ZKDW HYHU\- one would write about for that issue. Sam: I tended to take a lot of the business of the magazine onto myself, too. I tended to schedule the editorial meetings and come with ideas about what we’d cover. I recruited people. I did as much marketing as I could. I found the printer. I handled the lay- out. I spearheaded the SGA funding move. %X]]VDZ was extremely impor- tant to me then, and I still feel a lot of pride and fondness for it now. Cole: Sam is one of those people, if there’s a project he is going to work on that project and he sort of can’t not do work so he was really the one that PDGH LW KDSSHQ DQG ÀJXUHG RXW ZKDW we need.
These pages smell of mid-Âwinter sick- ness and the dead chill of February’s ELWWHU ZLQG %XW WKLV LV WKH Ă€UVW LVVXH ,W is a work in progress. -ÂLetter from the Editors, Issue #1 Bryan: (YHU\ERG\ WKUHZ >WKH Ă€UVW LV- sue] away on us. We put them in The
Bryan: Then we had to do the SGA process so that we could not have our stuff thrown away and we could be recognized as a “something or otherâ€? and be allowed to circulate. We didn’t really ask anyone, we just kind of put them out. Sam: I was certainly angry. I was more angry when we took the issue WR WKH 6WXGHQW $IIDLUV 2IĂ€FH DQG WKH\ suggested that we could call the po- lice and accuse people of doing it if we wanted. Needless to say, we weren’t going to do that. Cole: And of course it’s an issue of free speech and it only kind of fueled our energy. Like, this was our project, we paid for it ourselves and when we asked for help we didn’t really get it so it just showed us that now we had to work harder and be more on guard. Cole: There were professors who came out and offered to help us. Mi- chael Serino, [the Ithacan faculty ad- YLVHU@ ZDV RQH RI WKH Ă€UVW SHRSOH +H said, “Hey I really liked what you did.â€? Which was a surprise, we thought maybe the Ithacan and %X]]VDZ would be rivals but Michael I think recognized that this was a different sort of project. It’s focusing on longer form stuff, there’s humor, there’s cre- ative writing, and it’s not just a stan- dard campus newspaper. Sam: One really great moment came ZKHQ ZH UHOHDVHG WKH Ă€UVW RU VHFRQG issue. I was waiting in line at Egbert, for the dining hall to open. A new is- sue had just come out and all around me in line were people reading %X]]- saw. That was pretty cool.
Cole: I’m so happy it’s still around. I think it serves a lot of the same pur- poses that we had in mind when we started it. Abby: I really think it has changed the way people at IC view campus me- dia. There doesn’t have to be just one newspaper or magazine. Like a long and lonesome train barrel- ing through the Appalachian night, we are on a track, but we have no idea ex- actly where that track will lead. Hope- fully we will grow and the morning light will give us a sense of direction. -ÂLetter from the Editors, Issue #1 Bryan: I remember my parents at my graduation weekend that I attended. They said, “We saw that %X]]VDZ thing. We’re not going to show your grandparents.â€? And I was like, “That’s probably a good idea.â€? Sam: I don’t know if it’s true for the other founders, but the time we spent doing %X]]VDZ offered more mean- ing to me than most of what I’ve done since graduating. It gave me more of a sense of belonging, of having a place, than I’ve felt much since. ____________________________________ Nate King and Sam Gest are senior journalism majors who wish they were around in 1999 to be founders. Email them at nking2@ithaca.edu and sgest1@itahca.edu.
Sam: 7KH 6WXGHQW $IIDLUV 2IÀFH GLGQ¡W
11
News & Views
Bryan: We didn’t even actually know that it was going to happen, I mean right until the last minute that we actually got bundles we didn’t really know it was going to work.
Sam: We streamed out of our dorm rooms and combed the whole cam- SXV WR ÀQG DQ\ SODFH WKDW WKH LVVXHV were in the trash. Any of the issues we FRXOG ÀQG ZH SXW EDFN RQ WKH VWDQGV
like us much, and the feeling was mu- tual. They had been unhappy when we pointed out to them that the student handbook’s prior restraint clause – that dictated that the Student Affairs 2IĂ€FH ZRXOG UHDG DQG FHQVRU HYHU\ on-Âcampus publication (except The Ithacan) – was unconstitutional and that we would be ignoring it. As far as I know, %X]]VDZ ZDV WKH Ă€UVW SXEOL- cation on campus to break that prior restraint.
Pre-emptive Election Coverage Media outlets are already focusing on 2016 candidates By Taylor Ford
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ithin the past few weeks, CNN published an article entitled “N.Y. poll: Cuomo rumps Trump in possible showdown,â€? the New York Times released “Four Prob- lems With Chris Christie 2016â€? and the Washington Post reported on “Why Jeb Bush is the Single Biggest Ques- tion Mark in the 2016 Sweepstakes.â€? In fact, the +XIĂ€QJWRQ 3RVW even has an entire section of their website dedi- cated to potential 2016 candidates with dozens of articles. Although the
hman  will  de- g  for  ail  him  edu.
News Service and Washington editor for USA Today, argued that this early in the election cycle, information re- ceived from polls is not valuable. “With few exceptions, the people who ended up with the nomination, for either party, were not the people that were leading a year or two years earlier,â€? Campbell said. $W WKLV SRLQW LQ WLPH SROOV ´UHĂ HFW name recognition, and of course name recognition is largely determined by media coverage,â€? he said. He also said
make sure that this looks good if and when I run for president two years from now,’ as opposed to ‘what’s good for the country right now,’â€? he said. However, the amount of media coverage candidates should receive is still very much up for debate. Ju- lia Wallace, former Political Editor at USA Today and current Market Vice President at Cox Media Group Ohio, believes that reporting about potential candidates is still a crucial part of the political system. “I think it’s a chance for candidates to understand the landscape, and for the public to learn a little about the candidates‌ The race for president is an important one, so the fact that people would write about it now to me doesn’t seem inappropriate at all, I think it’s good,â€? Wallace said. She also acknowledged that media LV D FRQVXPHU GULYHQ Ă€HOG LI SHRSOH want to hear about prospective presi- dential candidates, they should be able to. “If you say, I’m only going to write about what I believe is important, and people don’t believe it’s important, that the mid-Âterm elections in 2014 then you really haven’t achieved any- should be receiving substantially thing,â€? Wallace said. “You’ve got to be more coverage than they are now. able to write about issues that, when “The midterm elections this No- you write about them, people believe vember may have more to do with the that they’re important.â€? next ten years future of this country Of course, like any business, me- than what happens in 2016,â€? he said. dia companies should be responsive “These are very, very important.â€? to the desires of their consumers. So, John Balduzzi, President of the perhaps the larger question is why Balduzzi Group, a political consult- consumers of media are so fascinated LQJ Ă€UP ZLWK RIĂ€FHV LQ 1HZ <RUN &LW\ with predicting who will run for of- and Washington, takes a different is- ÀFH 'RHV LW FRPH IURP OHJLWLPDWH LQ- sue with this kind of speculation. Bal- terest and investment in our political duzzi believes that because the media system? Maybe we become fascinated now begins coverage of prospective with a horse race, where we’re more candidates so early, the behavior of interested in the race itself than the politicians has changed. Politicians results? have begun to make choices based ____________________________________ not on what is in the best interest of Taylor Ford is a freshman politics ma- their constituents, but rather on what jor who will decide who he is voting for will put them in the best position to on election day. Email him it at tford1@ PDNH D UXQ IRU KLJKHU RIĂ€FH ODWHU %DO- ithaca.edu. duzzi cited the raising of the debt ceil- ing as an example of this. “The debt ceiling gets raised, and I’m sure there were some people, thinking about running for president who made their vote thinking ‘I wanna
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
“News commentators sound like theater critics as they hold forth on how this or that candidate projected a positive image, came across effectively, and had a good rapport with the audience.â€? - Michael Parenti 2016 election is more than two and a half years away, political commenta- tors and pundits have begun to devote a great deal of time speculating and attempting to predict who will make a bid for the White House. In 2001, historian and political sci- entist Michael Parenti wrote: “The po- litical campaign is reduced to a horse race: Who will run? Who will get the nomination? Who will win the elec- tion? News commentators sound like theater critics as they hold forth on how this or that candidate projected a positive image, came across effec- tively, and had a good rapport with the audience. The actual issues are accorded scant attention, and the democratic dialogue that is supposed to accompany a contest for public of- ÀFH UDUHO\ WDNHV SODFH Âľ Much of the dialogue relating to 2016 candidates deals with polls, sur- veys of potential match-Âups between ELJ QDPH SROLWLFDO Ă€JXUHV +RZHYHU the legitimacy of these polls is highly debated. Don Campbell, retired White House Correspondent for Gannett
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Upfront
UPFRONT. UPFRONT. UPFRONT
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An Educational Experience
Promoting healthier views of sexuality through comprehensive sex education By Kimberly Capehart
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
S
arah Killian, a 19-Âyear-Âold fresh- man at Ithaca College, fondly remembers her experience with sex education in high school. “I didn’t realize I was receiving abstinence-Âonly education until I woke up one morn- ing, as a sophomore in high school, and realized that I still didn’t know entirely how sex workedâ€? Killian said. “Our teachers would always compare our ‘lady parts’ to things like locks RU WDSH Âś\RXU ORFN RQO\ Ă€WV RQH NH\¡ or ‘if you stick your piece of tape to a bunch of different things, it will lose its stickiness and nobody will want to use it.’â€? Though Killian’s story may seem to simply be a result of her Catholic- school education, the trend towards abstinence-Âonly sex education has affected the entire nation. Beginning in the Reagan administration, absti- nence-Âonly sex ed programs started receiving major federal funding to teach children to abstain from sexual activity until marriage. 'HĂ€QHG E\ 6HFWLRQ E RI 7LWOH 9 RI WKH 6RFLDO 6HFXULW\ $FW DQ DEVWL- nence education is one that “teach- es abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-Âage children,â€? and “that sexual activity outside the context of marriageâ€? is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents and society. Ironically, as detrimental to society as abstinence-Âonly sex ed programs claim non-Âmarital sex to be, absti- nence-Âonly education has had its own LQWHUHVWLQJ HIIHFWV RQ VRFLHW\ $ QXP- ber of studies conducted throughout WKH ODVW \HDUV LQFOXGLQJ WKRVH SXEOLVKHG LQ WKH -RXUQDO RI $GROHV- cent Health, the Guttmacher Insti- WXWH DQG 3HUVSHFWLYHV RQ 6H[XDO DQG 5HSURGXFWLYH +HDOWK KDYH DOO GHĂ€QL- tively concluded that abstinence-Âonly education is ineffective and may actu- ally spread misinformation regarding sexual health to students. Many abstinence-Âonly programs discuss the ineffectiveness of birth control, exaggerate pregnancy statis- tics and often blur the lines between religion and science, preaching chas- tity rather than informing students how to safely engage in sexual activi-Â
14
ties. It is ironic, then, that students who receive abstinence-Âonly educations are no less likely to engage in sex than those who receive a comprehensive sex education or no sex education at all. In fact, those who become sexual-Â ly active after receiving an abstinence-Â only or abstinence-Âplus education are more likely than their peers to engage
to male condoms, the pill, the shot, and things like dental dams and lu- bricant. Most of the education was IRFXVHG RQ 67, SUHYHQWLRQ DQG QRW so much pregnancy prevention. We also had a part where my teacher de- bunked any common myths, like us- ing two condoms could somehow be better than one, etc.â€? Though comprehensive sex educa-Â
“The failure rate of abstinence is pretty high because if you’re relying on not ‘doing it’ as your primary method of protecting yourself and then you choose not to use that method, there’s not a lot of safety net there,� - Maureen Kelly, vice president for Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes in risky sexual behavior, such as not using contraceptives. Maureen Kelly, vice president of ed- ucation, training and comunications IRU 3ODQQHG 3DUHQWKRRG RI WKH 6RXWK- ern Finger Lakes, recognized this dis- turbing trend in statistics. “The fail- ure rate of abstinence is pretty high,� she said, “because if you’re relying on not ‘doing it’ as your primary method of protecting yourself and then you choose not to use that method, there’s not a lot of safety net there.� On the contrary, comprehensive sex education programs have been proven to delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the number of teen pregnan- cies resulting from risky sexual be- havior and increase contraceptive use DPRQJVW \RXQJ SHRSOH $OO UHVHDUFK on comprehensive sex ed programs suggests that receiving a comprehen- sive education does not increase the likelihood of teenagers engaging in sexual activity. 'DNLQ &DPS D VRSKRPRUH 79 5 major at Ithaca College, recalls her experience with a comprehensive sex education: “We talked about [every- thing in class, from] female condoms
tion has been proven to be fundamen- tally more effective than abstinence- only education, abstinence-Âonly programs were the only programs that could apply for federal funding. Be- WZHHQ DQG &RQJUHVV DS- SURYHG PRUH WKDQ ELOOLRQ WR EH funded through several main out- lets. Until recently, this trend of gov- ernment funding supporting sex ed programs that proved to be ineffec- tive continued to exist in the United 6WDWHV ,Q WKH 2EDPD $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ cut off the outlets that were supplying federal dollars to abstinence-Âonly sex education programs: thereby level- LQJ WKH SOD\LQJ Ă€HOG $EVWLQHQFH RQO\ education programs no longer cham- pioned comprehensive sex education programs. However, without recent research, one cannot say whether the number of comprehensive sex educa- tion programs in the country has in- creased. While comprehensive sex ed pro- grams are more accurate, informa- tive and effective than abstinence- RQO\ SURJUDPV $PHULFD¡V VWDQGDUGV for sex education still fall far behind
Kelly said of her experience in Eu- rope. “But we don’t have any really strong national policy that indicates what schools need to do. There’s a lot of guidance on the national level, but WKDW¡V MXVW JXLGDQFH >$V D FRXQWU\@ we do a lot of unfunded mandate and ‘really good ideas’ but there’s very lit- tle policy and very little procedural ap- proach to how these programs should be happening in communities.â€? ,Q -DQXDU\ WKH $PHULFDQ 6FKRRO +HDOWK $VVRFLDWLRQ WKH 1D- WLRQDO (GXFDWLRQ $VVRFLDWLRQ +HDOWK ,QIRUPDWLRQ 1HWZRUN WKH $PHULFDQ $VVRFLDWLRQ IRU +HDOWK (GXFDWLRQ WKH 6RFLHW\ RI 6WDWH /HDGHUV RI +HDOWK and Physical Education and Planned Parenthood collectively sponsored a special publication of the Journal of 6FKRRO +HDOWK WLWOHG ´1DWLRQDO 6H[X- DOLW\ (GXFDWLRQ 6WDQGDUGV &RUH &RQ- WHQW DQG 6NLOOV . Âľ 7KH SDJH UH- port highlights key topic areas related to sex and sexuality in which students should be receiving information, and at what age they should be receiving that information. For example, in re- gards to “Pregnancy and Reproduc- tionâ€? by the end of the 2nd grade, the report suggests that “students should be able to explain that all living things produce.â€? While by the end of the 12th grade, “students should be able to compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of abstinence and other contraceptive methods, includ- ing condoms.â€? Though not enforced by any policy, WKH VWDQGDUGV GHĂ€QHG LQ WKLV UHSRUW VXJJHVW D KRSHIXO IXWXUH IRU $PHULFDQ VH[ HGXFDWLRQ $V VRFLHW\ PRYHV DZD\ from its history of abstinence-Âonly education and adopts comprehensive sex education as the norm in schools, students have a better chance of learning unbiased, informative mate- rial that will help them to lead healthy sex lives when the time comes. ____________________________________ Kimberly Capehart is a junior docu- mentary studies major who thinks sex ed should be a little more than just the birds and the bees. Email her at kcapeha1@ithaca.edu.
Upfront
WKRVH RI RWKHU FRXQWULHV $V D UHVXOW $PHULFD KDV RQH RI WKH KLJKHVW UDWHV RI WHHQ SUHJQDQF\ DQG 67, LQIHFWLRQ in the industrialized world. Fifteen to \HDU ROGV RQO\ PDNH XS SHUFHQW RI WKH $PHULFDQ SRSXODWLRQ EXW WKH\ account for over half of all new sexu- ally transmitted infections per year. “We, as a country have done such a poor job. We don’t have good national sex ed policies,â€? Kelly said. “It doesn’t help that we live in a sexually re- pressed society that makes everybody feel more shame and silence than a sense of understanding.â€? Kelly, along with other healthcare professionals and educators from across the country, recently partici- SDWHG MRLQHG ZLWK $GYRFDWHV IRU <RXWK an organization that encourages bet- ter sex education for young people, RQ WKHLU (XURSHDQ 6WXG\ 7RXU 7KH tour brings participating members to France, Germany and the Nether- lands to evaluate various attitudes and policies about sex and sexual ed- ucation in countries with much lower SUHJQDQF\ UDWHV ELUWK UDWHV DQG 67, infection rates amongst teens. “It is fascinating, the cultural differ- ences between really talking in hon- est, neutral detail about sexuality at a young age and [the practices in the 8QLWHG 6WDWHV@Âľ .HOO\ VDLG ´,Q DGGL- tion to really great school programs, there’s also a really big emphasis on family communication about sexual- ity.â€? $GYRFDWHV IRU <RXWK VXPPDUL]HV WKH PDLQ GLIIHUHQFHV EHWZHHQ $PHUL- can and European sex ed in the fol- ORZLQJ DQDO\VHV Ă€UVW RI DOO WKHUH exists a “pragmatic approach to ado- lescent sexual health where science, not religious ideology, dictates pub- lic health policies and programs and HGXFDWLRQ LV YDOXHG QRW IHDUHG Âľ $G- GLWLRQDOO\ (XURSHDQ WHHQDJHUV EHQHĂ€W from “the effective use of mass media public education campaignsâ€? outside RI WKH FODVVURRP $V D UHVXOW YLHZV regarding sex in France, Germany and the Netherlands are much dif- IHUHQW WKDQ WKRVH LQ $PHULFD WKHVH European countries advocate “a pub- lic acceptance of adolescent sexual development as normal and healthy.â€? ´>6H[ HGXFDWLRQ@ LVQ¡W XQLYHUVDOÂľ
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Let’s Go Back to My Place
How hook-up culture has changed the way we do romance By Rachel Konkler
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
I
t’s no secret that cultural views of sex and relationships have changed over time. Today, a grow- ing number of people are embracing casual hook-Âups to explore their sex- uality. “Hook-Âupsâ€?- sexual encoun- ters intended for pure physical plea- sure, or at least the pursuit of them, are becoming the norm for many sin- gles. With busy schedules and work demands that often trump romance, many people look for the physical EHQHĂ€WV RI KDYLQJ DQ LQWLPDWH SDUWQHU without the extra time commitment and emotional entanglements that come with serious relationships. Intimacy sans relationship may be taking precedence in the chaotic lives of some singles, but this type of sexual encounter carries a stigma for PDQ\ $UJXPHQWV DJDLQVW KRRN XS culture are often residual beliefs com- ing from religion or traditional val- ues about marriage and monogamy. Religion and values aside, some are simply uncomfortable with the idea of casual sex and random hook-Âups for worry that “just hooking upâ€? does not Ă€W LQWR D EODFN DQG ZKLWH FDWHJRU\ ,W FDQ EH D FRQIXVLQJ XQGHĂ€QHG ZRUOG for many that just might be too risky to plunge into. $QGUHD $GDPV 0LOOHU LV D UHODWLRQ- ship consultant and sexuality coach who said that much of the stigma surrounding casual sex comes from gender stereotypes. “When a guy has casual sex, people say he just ‘tapped that’. Guys are celebrated, but girls are walking a parade of shame. It’s unfair for people to demean a wom- an or a man who is comfortable with their sexuality,â€? she said. “People need to not be shamed for acting out their own sexuality and being who they want to be.â€? Chris Washburn, manager at Moonies Bar and Nightclub, takes a different view and believes times are chang- ing, especially in the bar LQGXVWU\ ´$ ORW PRUH JLUOV are going out and playing the single card. It is em- powering. Before, it was guys buying girls drinks but now girls are in con- trol of what’s going to hap-Â
16
pen,â€? he said. “I see more of a power balance between guys and girls.â€? Technology and apps such as Tin- der have impacted the bar scene as well. In the past, “people had to come to bars to meet people. Now with apps and social media, you can skip that step.â€? Washburn said. “The col- lege bar scene has shifted and a lot of it has to do with hooking up. In the past, college kids came out earlier to meet people, but now they don’t have to do that just to meet someone.â€? Hooking up, like all forms of inti- macy, lies on a spectrum. From one- QLJKW VWDQGV WR Ă LQJV DQG KRRN XS buddies, there are no boundaries when it comes to hooking up. Those who argue against casual sex fail to understand that relationships fall on a spectrum, too. Romance, love and sex are such abstract, highly personal concepts that change with time and cultural context. Updating our under- standing of the many shapes relation- ships take could help open ourselves up to the idea that casual hooking up is not a sin or a rejection of relation- ships altogether — it is just a new form of intimacy. Lisa Wade, a cultural critic and so- ciologist who studies collegiate sexual cultures, says that “hook-Âups are only bad for people in that they are char- acterized by bad stuff, and nothing about being in a relationship protects VRPHRQH IURP WKDW Âľ 6KH H[SODLQHG that casual hook-Âups may be “awkward, un- comfortable and get feelings hurt, and might mess up your life for a few days, but really bad relation- ships can mess up your life.â€? Despite what cul- tural narratives like the omnipresent “love storyâ€? have taught us, the struc- ture of relationships can and should vary. Most modern intimate encoun- WHUV QR ORQJHU Ă€W LQWR DQ ROG IDVKLRQHG model of romance, and people have needs that come and go as quickly DV WKH FKDQJLQJ WLPHV 6RPH VKDPH hooking up because they see it as a threat to forming serious relation-Â
Image by Bethany Rock
ships. $GDPV 0LOOHU XUJHV \RXQJ SHRSOH WR know what they’re looking for when going into hook-Âups in order to pre- vent bad experiences. “Make sure you know what your desires and deal breakers are when meeting people. Know what your expectations are, be FRQĂ€GHQW DQG LI VRPHRQH VHHV \RX walking home afterward and makes a comment, don’t be mad about it,â€? she VDLG ´:KHQ \RX¡UH FRQĂ€GHQW LQ \RXU decisions, then what other people say doesn’t matter.â€? :DGH DIĂ€UPHG WKDW WKH KRRNLQJ up college students do is no differ- ent from the adult dating world. They both encompass some form of explo- ration, and many might be hooking up in hopes that it will work out toward a monogamous relationship. The prob- lem, Wade said, is that “the frame for college students is that it’s ‘just hook- ing up’ and people pretend they’re not interested in relationships...in hook- up culture, the person who cares less wins.â€? In reality, “three-Âfourths of college students form relationships lasting six months or longer,â€? Wade said. “Most are formed through hook-Âups RU PHHWLQJ VRPHRQH DW D SDUW\ Âľ 6KH explained that “hooking up happens incrementally, and then at some point you have the talk about ‘what are we doing here?â€? It’s not any worse or dif- ferent from the process that thirty and forty year olds go through when dat- ing and meeting prospective partners. It may be that avoiding the emotion- al entanglements of traditional rela- tionships is safer for many young peo- ple, but perhaps hooking up is just a QHZ ZD\ RI KHOSLQJ \RXQJ SHRSOH Ă€QG relationships and connect with oth- HUV 6RFLRORJLFDOO\ VSHDNLQJ HPEUDF- ing hook up culture means society needs to restructure its ideas about relationships and sex, especially in FDVHV ZKHUH SHRSOH DUH VWULYLQJ WR Ă€QG individual identities. ____________________________________ Rachel Konkler is a senior sociology major who sees romance on the sticky Ă RRU RI 0RRQLH¡V (PDLO KHU DW UNRQ- kle1@ithaca.edu.
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Condoms on Camera
HIV outbreaks give new weight to LA porn law
By Jessica Corbett
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WR MXVW ZLWK D SURMHFWHG UHY-Â HQXH ORVV RI DERXW Measure B has received support within and outside of the industry, IURP WKH $,'6 +HDOWKFDUH )RXQGD-Â tion, the Pink Cross Foundation and $XURUD 6QRZ D UHJXODU FRQWULEXWRU WR the Daily Beast who worked as a porn
“I do see condoms as a positive step toward workplace safety‌though I also believe people should have the ability to choose how they’d like to perform.â€? - Aurora Snow, a past porn performer and director discussions with their medical advi- VRU\ ERDUG )6& VKRUWHQHG WKH WLPHV- pan for testing requirements. Per- IRUPHUV DUH QRZ WHVWHG HYHU\ GD\V UDWKHU WKDQ HYHU\ GD\V IRU +,9 Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Trichomoniasis. If an active performer tests positive IRU +,9 DQG KDV ZRUNHG ZLWKLQ WZR weeks, an industry-Âwide moratorium LV FDOOHG $OO SHUIRUPHUV ZKR KDYH KDG VH[XDO FRQWDFW ZLWK WKH +,9 SRVLWLYH performer prior to that performer’s last negative test are tested and re- tested. When all test results come back negative the moratorium is lift- ed. “Our industry has gone above and beyond in providing clear, safe pro- tocols,â€? Duke said. “Our performers are tested and retested above and be- yond.â€? Duke also said many performers DQG $,'6 DZDUHQHVV JURXSV Âł EH- sides Measure B’s primary backer, $,'6 +HDOWKFDUH )RXQGDWLRQ Âł KDYH not voiced support for the mandate. Performers Jessica Drake and James Deen have released a video highlighting performers’ claims that Measure B prevents them from effec- tively doing their jobs. In response to the law, some por- nography production companies are UHORFDWLQJ WR /DV 9HJDV 6LQFH 0HD- VXUH % WRRN HIIHFW WKH RIĂ€FLDO OLFHQVHU )LOP/$ KDV VHHQ D SHUFHQW GURS LQ SHUPLW UHTXHVWV )URP WR requests declined from approximately
performer and director for over a de- FDGH 6KH KDV EHHQ IHDWXUHG LQ RYHU Ă€OPV PRVW RI ZKLFK ZHUH Ă€OPHG without condoms. “I have no complaints about my ca- UHHU Âľ 6QRZ VDLG. “I do see condoms as a positive step toward workplace safety‌though I also believe people should have the ability to choose how they’d like to perform.â€? Many companies claim they give performers the choice, but comments from inside the industry suggest that condom requests from performers can be problematic. “Many claim condoms are a choice, but only a select few can choose to use them and still get hired on a regu- ODU EDVLV Âľ 6QRZ VDLG “The producers have the power,â€? Ged Kenslea, communications direc- WRU DW WKH $,'6 +HDOWKFDUH )RXQGD- tion, said. “If performers ask to use the condoms it’s very unlikely that they’ll be invited back.â€? .HQVOHD VDLG $+) ZRUNV SURWHFW WKH health of “young, impressionable per- IRUPHUVÂľ ZKR HQWHU WKH Ă€HOG VKH VDLG Measure B enhances existing laws laid out by California’s Department RI 2FFXSDWLRQDO 6DIHW\ DQG +HDOWK VR ZKHQ SRUQ SURGXFHUV LQ / $ &RXQ- ty don’t use condoms on set, “now they’re breaking two laws.â€? ____________________________________ Jessica Corbett is junior journalism- SROLWLFV PDMRU ZKR OLNHV WR SOD\ LW VDIH Email her at jcorbet2@ithaca.edu.
17
Upfront
Q 9DOHQWLQH¡V 'D\ WKH Duke Chronicle published an exclu- sive story about a freshman on campus who works as a porn star. $ ZHHN ODWHU xoJane ran a story writ- ten by the starlet herself. 6WUXJJOLQJ ZLWK WKH Ă€QDQFLDO EXU- GHQ RI IRUNLQJ RYHU D \HDU WR DWWHQG 'XNH 8QLYHUVLW\ /DXUHQ $ WXUQHG WR DGXOW Ă€OPPDNLQJ 6KH ZURWH in xoJane, “My experience in porn has been nothing but supportive, exciting, thrilling and empowering.â€? Lauren’s story has generated a na- tional conversation about treatment of female sexuality and porn performers. But the industry itself is already entrenched in media and legal battles about the treatment of its workers and safety regulations. ,Q 1RYHPEHU / $ YRWHUV passed Measure B, or the County of /RV $QJHOHV 6DIHU 6H[ ,Q WKH $GXOW )LOP ,QGXVWU\ $FW D EDOORW PHDVXUH that requires performers to wear con- GRPV ZKLOH Ă€OPLQJ YDJLQDO DQG DQDO sex. But industry insiders say the law KDV QRW EHHQ HQIRUFHG 5HFHQW +,9 GL- agnoses could change that. When 29-Âyear-Âold Cameron Bay, a IHPDOH DGXOW Ă€OP VWDU WHVWHG SRVLWLYH IRU +,9 LQ $XJXVW )UHH 6SHHFK &RDOL- tion called an industry-Âwide morato- ULXP RQ SURGXFWLRQ )6& WKH SRUQ industry’s trade association, manages SHUIRUPHU 67' WHVWLQJ DQG PDLQWDLQV D GDWDEDVH RI SHUIRUPHU WHVW UH- sults. 7KH Ă€UVW PRUDWRULXP ZDV OLIWHG $XJ EXW RQ 6HSW %D\¡V ER\IULHQG Joshua Rodgers, announced via Twit- WHU KH WHVWHG SRVLWLYH IRU +,9 5RGJHUV uses the screen name Rod Daily and KDV ZRUNHG LQ JD\ SRUQ VLQFH )6& FDOOHG DQRWKHU PRUDWRULXP 6HSW ZKHQ D WKLUG SHUIRUPHU WHVWHG SRVLWLYH ,Q SXEOLVKHG VWDWHPHQWV )6& VDLG ´GRFWRUV KDYH FRQĂ€UPHG WKDW WKH third performer did not work with Ms. Bay or Mr. Daily,â€? and “as with Cam- eron Bay and Rod Daily, all evidence points to private exposure to virus.â€? On Dec. 6 the most recent perform- HU WHVWHG SRVLWLYH IRU +,9 )ROORZLQJ a moratorium and series of tests, on 'HF )6& VDLG WKH SHUIRUPHU ZDV H[SRVHG WR +,9 LQ KLV SHUVRQDO OLIH ´,Q \HDUV ZH KDYHQ¡W KDG DQ RQ
All Kinds of Love
Debunking misconceptions of asexuality By Alexa Salvato
“
$VH[XDOLW\" , GLGQ¡W UHDOO\ know that was a real thing,â€? my friend said when I asked him if he had ever heard of it. “Like‌ plants?â€? My friend had no intention of be- ing cruel, but he like the major - LW\ RI $PHULFDQV ZDV FRPSOHWHO\ oblivious to the fact that asexual- ity even exists. $FFRUGLQJ WR WKH $VH[XDOLW\ 9LV- ibility and Education Network $9(1 WKH SUHPLHU JURXS DERXW
from age 16 to 27 and lived in SODFHV IURP 1HZ <RUN WR :DVKLQJ- ton state, to Norway. 6R ZKDW GRHV DVH[XDOLW\ PHDQ to these many people? Hannah, a 19-Âyear -Âold student in Texas, em- phasized: “I have nothing against VH[ Âľ $Q DQRQ\PRXV \HDU ROG from Ohio explained that if a part- ner wanted to, she might have sex ZLWK WKHP ´6H[ MXVW GRHVQ¡W KDYH any intrinsic value for me, it’s not something I desire independent of
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
According to a 2004 study, one out of 100 adults are asexual. asexuality, “$Q DVH[XDO LV VRPH- one who does not experience sex- ual attraction. Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who we are.â€? $FFRUGLQJ WR D VWXG\ RQH RXW RI DGXOWV DUH DVH[XDO :LWK D number like this, it’s surprising that asexuality is still cloaked un- der such mystery. Or maybe not. We live in a hy- per -Âsexualized culture, where for H[DPSOH WKH 6H[ ,VVXH RI Buzzsaw 0DJD]LQH has generated the most excitement I’ve seen for a topic so far. I decided to approach asexual- ity by putting out a call for inter - views on Tumblr, where I’d noticed a small but strong community of DVH[XDO SHRSOH Âł ´$FH\Âľ LV D FRP- monly used abbreviation. I was happy and shocked by the enthu- siasm and quantity of responses WKDW , UHFHLYHG PDQ\ SHRSOH LW turned out, had never previously had the opportunity to discuss their experience. The respond- ers were of many genders, ranged
18
RWKHU WKLQJVÂŤ$Q DQDORJ\ , XVH LV the idea of hunger: people can still eat even if they’re not hungry.â€? However, Hayley, a high school junior from Ohio, had a different view: “I’m also sex-Ârepulsed, but that isn’t the case for all asexu- als.â€? This generally means that the person wouldn’t want to be in a re- lationship that had sex in it at all. $VH[XDOLW\ LV HVVHQWLDOO\ QRW H[- SHULHQFLQJ VH[XDO DWWUDFWLRQ $V $9(1 H[SODLQV D VPDOO SRU - tion of people identify as asexual temporar - ily before coming into a different identity, but that is not common. $VH[XDOLW\ is different from ab- stinence, where one does not have sex as a choice GHVSLWH LQ
VRPH FDVHV H[SHULHQFLQJ DWWUDF- WLRQ WKLV LV D VH[XDO RULHQWDWLRQ “I was having thoughts about sexual and/or romantic relations back in middle school. It was re- ally easy to notice I didn’t care one bit about the gossip found in hor - monal teens on who they were dig- ging,â€? Melanie, a college student in Washington, said. “It was about 7 th grade I started looking on the In- ternet about various sexualities, if only out of curiosity.â€? Discovering one’s asexuality can be a lengthy process, like any other sexual orientation. The vast majority of respondents found out about asexuality from online re- VHDUFK VXFK DV :LNLSHGLD $9(1¡V website or coming across the com- munity on Tumblr. One man I interviewed is a mili- tary corporal, where he strongly articulated the reasons for his an- onymity: “The military is still very ace-Âphobic.â€? His experiences in military cul- ture informed the formation of his identity, though he is still not out in that community. He discovered that he was asexual “a few years ago. I could never understand what people were talking about when WKH\ ZRXOG ORRN DW DQ DGPLWWHGO\ D W W U D F W L Y H girl and s a y things like
Image by Lizzie Cox
asexual students have been ideas. Cornell University just start- ed one such group this semester FDOOHG $&( $V UHSRUWHG LQ WKH &RU - QHOO 'DLO\ 6XQ WKHLU ILUVW PHHWLQJ went well and they hope to provide support and education to those who are asexual. Education of al- lies is a priority, too. 6XSSRUW IURP WKRVH ZKR DUH QRW asexual is very important, too. “One thing I’m excited about,â€? Maurer said, “is that the not-Âasex- ual students have been very sup- portive. People are so excited — that’s something great about this campus.â€? 6R ZKDW FDQ \RX GR WR EHFRPH VXSSRUWLYH RI WKLV FRPPXQLW\" $UL IURP $UL]RQD SXW LW EHVW ´$VH[XDO- ity doesn’t mean you can’t experi- ence love and meaningful relation- VKLSV Âľ $V LW RIWHQ GRHV WKLV LVVXH simply comes down to a need for respect for all kinds of love. _________________________________ $OH[D 6DOYDWR LV D IUHVKPDQ MRXU- nalism major who was happy to ZULWH DQ DUWLFOH ILJKWLQJ DJDLQVW acey stereotypes. Email her at asalvat1ithaca.edu.
Renya, 19, Germany: “The right one will not cure it. The right one will love and respect me and therefore not force me to have sex.â€? Hannah, 19, Texas: “Just because we identify as asexual doesn’t mean we think we are broken or deprived. So please don’t offer condolences like we are missing some essential part of ourselves.â€? Hayley, 16, Ohio: “I’d say it’s just as much a part of who you are and as unchangeable as any other sexual orientation.â€? Melanie, 19, Washington: “I think the people who do get all gung ho about asexuality are those who don’t know how to treat us, by thinking along the lines of ‘How can you not think about sex?!’ I’d say the same way you (hopeJYPP] HSR´X XLMRO EFSYX JYGOMRK E ½WL They’d probably think, ‘What kind of enjoyment would I get out of that?!’ and that’s the way I think of sex, what do I get out of it really?â€? Marlene, 21, Norway: “Don’t make generalization about asexuality/asexual people. Let asexual people explain what their asexuality means to them and how it works for them, and never, ever dismiss them because of your preconceived notions about what asexuality is or should be.â€? B, 20, Massachusetts: “I would ask them to think about one person to whom they are not sexually attracted. If you’re hetersexual, think about someone of your gender, and vice versa if you are homosexual‌ I would then tell them this: that feeling is how I, and many asexuals, feel about everyone.â€?
19
Upfront
Âś0$1 , ZRXOG VPDVK WKDW¡ RU Âś, wanna bury my DICK in her!’ or whatever. I just never understood it. I still don’t.â€? In terms of sharing their sexual- ity most people were out to a few close friends, family members, and to partners, but few were out to their larger communities, such as colleagues or extended family. Renya, a 19-Âyear -Âold from Ger - many, expressed her qualms about sharing her identity with her par - ents: “With my family, it’s compli- cated‌ I told them I’m not sexually attracted to people but they don’t believe it. ‘It’ll change when you get older/have a boyfriend, you’re a late bloomer, you’re prude, the right one will cure you’. I don’t lie about my feelings but I try to avoid the topic around them, due to comments like that.â€? 0HDQZKLOH 6FRWWLH KDG D SRVL- tive reception from many people in their life. “I’ve come out to my friends, family and various doc- tors. My friends and counselors handled it very well,â€? but their parents were insensitive he said. This led me to question the gap RI JHQHUDWLRQV DVH[XDOLW\ LV PRUH and more discussed online and on college campuses, but how will our parents become educated on the growing spectrum of recognized sexual identity? Ithaca College is one of the many colleges bringing more and more voice to the asexual com- munity. Luca Maurer, Outreach & 6HUYLFHV SURJUDP GLUHFWRU RI WKH LGBT Center, said that in the last three or four years more asexual student have been out on campus and expressed varying desires for a community. He iterated the im- portance of “finding what the stu- dents need.â€? $W WKH WLPH RI LQWHUYLHZ 0DXUHU was planning for the first mixer hosted for asexual students and their allies. “I’m hoping to get more of a read on what students are looking for,â€? he said. In the past, mixers such as this one and start- ing a specific student group for
“If you could say one thing to people who really don’t understand asexuality — maybe have never even heard of it — what would you say?�
A Loss of Innocence
Sexual media affects children’s development and perceptions By Jacob Ryan
m
“
The shows most watched by ado- lescents in 2001-2002 had ‘un- usually high’ amounts of sexual content compared with TV as a whole: 83 percent of programs popular with teens had sexual content, and 20 per- cent contained explicit or implicit in-
lly
media has on our children happens in the absence of adult supervision,” Thomas said. The current generation of parents grew up before the wave of the Internet. Children are growing up with an inherent technological savvy- ness. Poor parent education on media
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
“Children appear to be picking up the sexual information presented to them on television- taking away confused messages.” - The Kaiser Family Foundation’s study on sexual content on television. tercourse,” at least according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s study on Sexual Content on Television. The Kaiser Family Foundation is an orga- nization founded with the mission of providing quality information to the public. The foundation’s study, titled: Family Hour: Sex, Kids and the Fam- ily Hour; A Three-Part Study of Sexual Content on Television, attempts to an- swer the question of the media’s role in child psychological development. Along with an ‘unusually high’ ex- posure to sexual content, the Founda- tion’s study also concluded that teens that watched a considerable amount of sexual content on television behaved sexually older, as if they were aged 9 to 17 months older than children who watch less television content. The foundation’s study concluded that “the studies reveal that there is an abun- dance of sexual content on television shows… the focus group reported on here indicate that children appear to be picking up the sexual information presented to them on television- taking away confused messages.” Jamie Thomas, eighth-year princi- pal of the local Lansing Middle School, suggested that problems with the me- dia stem from a lack of awareness on the part of parents. Children are us- ing new technology or websites to ac- cess material behind their parent’s EDFNV ´$ JUHDW GHDO RI WKH LQÁXHQFH
20
technologies leaves adults unaware of the underlying problem while the new tech savvy generation seemingly cre- ates troubling fads faster than the past problems can be solved. Unintended confrontations arise when children ac- cess content that is unauthorized by parents. These confrontations are left unmediated in the absence of parental awareness when children and parents fail to communicate, Thomas said. Cyndy Scheibe, a professor of devel- opmental psychology at Ithaca College and the founder and executive director of Project Look Sharp, a project that studies and compiles media literacy materials, said violence and sex in the media are tied. There is a link in our country between sex and violence, both of which sell. “They are doing it because it’s a market,” Scheibe said. The media sensationalizes sex and violence as a result of our history. Scheibe said that our birth as a na- tion and its’ violent nature forever con- nected American culture and violence. America’s societal connection between violence and sex attaches the negative emotions of violence to sexual culture. She said the best way to solve violence and sex in the media is to change the way we present it, and suggested American media should remove gra- tuitous violence from the equation, in exchange for sexual content with posi-
tive emotions. Rather than lesson-less sexual messages the media should present stories of love and learning. Jennifer Kadlecik is a 2nd Grade teacher at local R.C. Buckley Elemen- tary School, and mother of 12-year-old Grace and nine-year-old Michael. Kad- lecik said she too is worried about the effects media has on children. When asked if there is an abundance of in- appropriate content in the media, Kad- lecik said: “Yes! Just last night I was watching TV with [my husband] Jeff and a bra commercial comes on. He says ‘oh my god, can you believe they are showing this?’” Kadlecik respond- ed to the problems she sees in the me- dia by monitoring what her kids can access. Grace and Michael are given a predetermined set of channels they are able to watch on TV, and a limited amount of time. Their iPad is similarly censored, with pre-downloaded apps that either Kadlecik or her husband has checked. The biggest tool used by Kadlecik is time. She keeps her chil- dren constantly busy with activities outside the media sphere: “during the week Grace and Michael prob- ably watch about a half hour of TV a night, and during the weekend about an hour.” This level of exposure con- tradicts the national average according to the Kaiser Foundation, which found that children watched almost 25 hours of televised content per week. Kadlecik said that she will continue to monitor what her children view and push for conversation to explain what Grace and Michael are inevitably exposed to. The American Academy of Pediat- rics said limited exposure is the best tool for parents: “Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content.” The academy believes that by offering alternatives to common media outlets, such as books, parents can guide their children’s me- dia experience. _____________________________________ Jacob Ryan is a sophomore history ma- jor who thinks MTV needs to chill out on their sexual content. Email him at jryan3@ithaca.edu.
Shifting Responsibilty
A look into the development of male hormonal contraception By Sabrina Dorronsoro
C
EDFNXS³EXW UDWKHU HMDFXODWLRQ RI ÁXLG with no sperm present in the semen. “In our mouse study, mice still reached the point of ejaculation but no female mates became pregnant,” Ventura said. Male birth control pills would be equally as effective as the birth control pills on the market for women, said Ventura, and there would be no waiting period after coming off the pill for male sperm to become fertile again. Male birth control pills would make the responsibility of birth control an HTXDO SOD\LQJ ÀHOG DV ZRPHQ ZRXOG QR longer be the only ones with this option available. But would men want to take this step? According to Elaine Lissner, director of the Male Contraception Information Project, men are not shying away from this responsibility. “We used to talk about men ‘sharing the burden’ of contraception — but these days, many men talk about wanting control,” Lissner said. “Men want to control their own destinies.” Male birth control pills are not only a great development for all safe-sex
“In many countries, one in eight or nine women dies in childbirth,” noted Lissner. “We know that birth spacing could keep many of those women alive.” It is still unclear as to whether this distribution of male birth control would be effective. If we have yet to distribute female birth control there is not real solid evidence that the opposite would work. However, it is a hopeful idea and adds further to the appeal of creating a viable male birth control pill. So, where is this magic pill and where can you or your boyfriend get one? Unfortunately, the market sale and development of these birth control pills will take at least another decade. “Our strategy would need chemicals to be developed that block two proteins involved in sperm transport. There is currently a drug on the market, which blocks one of these proteins and has been shown to work safely and effectively over a long period of time. So, we only need to develop one new medicine,” Ventura said. “Nevertheless,
“In wealthier countries, a new contraceptive would improve the quality of life. But in developing countries, an affordable, reliable contraceptive would actually save lives,” - Elaine Lissner, director of the Male Contraception Information Project participants in developed countries, but have important implications for less-developed countries. “In wealthier countries, a new contraceptive would improve the quality of life,” Lissner said. “But in developing countries, an affordable, reliable contraceptive would actually save lives.” By distributing a low-cost and long-lasting form of contraception, male birth control pills present an opportunity to prevent deaths by child-birth that are a direct result of the frequency with which they are getting pregnant.
development of a new medicine from scratch would take around ten years if it were well funded and everything went smoothly.” Until that fateful funding comes, men and women alike will be stuck dreaming of the day that condoms, vasectomies and abstinence are not the only birth control solutions. _____________________________________ Sabrina Dorronsoro is a junior journalism major who thinks its more effective to unload a gun than to wear a bulletproof vest. Email her at sdorron1@ ithaca.edu.
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Upfront
ondoms, and vasectomies and abstinence! Oh, my! By and large these have been the only three birth control options for men. Condoms break, abstinence is hard and vasectomies are too much of a commitment. Thus, the majority of the birth control responsibility has fallen on women in the form of remembering to take that faithful birth control pill every day. But what about men? Australian scientists have been working on creating a male equivalent of the female birth control pill. In a 2013 study done at Monash University in Australia, researchers used mice to trial-run the male birth control formula. In all studies the formula was successful. The trial worked by attempting to block the transporters of sperm instead of the production. Other attempted trials in the past have attempted to block the production of sperm but this caused a laundry list of side effects, including decreased male fertility and libido. Dr. Christina Wang, associate director UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, noted that researchers are still not sure about the long term side effects of these pills. According to Sab Ventura, professor and researcher at Monash University, most past attempts have been hormonal or aimed at germ line strategies, and the same adverse side effects have been a result of that approach (i.e. decreased fertility and sex drive in men). “It is much easier to stop one egg per month in a female than it is to stop every one of the 1000 or so sperm produced by men every second,” Ventura said. “Our strategy does not affect hormonal systems or the germ line development of sperm so it would not have these effects.” The approach by Monash University researchers works by not only stopping the sperm transport, but by moving the sperm to a different location at the time of ejaculation. Ventura noted that this does not mean a lack of ejaculation during sexual activity — that would be unhealthy and cause harmful
Code Red
Reusable menstruation products gaining popularity By Samantha Guter
T
hat time of the month. The red river. Aunt Flo. Waving WKH UHG à DJ 6XUÀQJ WKH FULP- son tide. Shark week. The red sea. 2SHQLQJ WKH à RRG JDWHV /HDN ZHHN Nature’s monthly gift. Dracula’s teabag. Red house painters. Men- struation. It’s not something people talk about very often. The workings of a woman’s reproductive organs are often considered taboo. This is one of the reasons that many people are not aware of options for dealing with your period other than mainstream, disposable pads and tampons, ac- cording to suppliers of reusable menstrual products. Women may have heard of prod- ucts like the DivaCup or reusable
their reusable cloth pads that you use, wash and reuse. “Our pads are much more com- fortable than their plastic counter- parts,â€? Brockway said. “They’re very absorbent, but they’re not trapping any bacteria in because they’re breathable, because they’re cotton. So they’re a little more hygienic, as long as they’re taken care of.â€? The history of using these types of cloth pads and other reusable men- strual products reach back hun- dreds of years. According to Eco- menses.com and The Museum of Menstruation website, ancient Egyp- tian women used papyrus and other materials to create early tampons. In Greece, women created tampons made out of lint and wood, accord-Â
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
“You have to be comfortable putting your hand up your own vagina, and I think a lot of people get weirded out by that.� - Izzy Demmon, a sophomore at Ithaca College pads, but many aren’t aware of op- tions that tend to be more sustain- able, easier and healthier for dealing with a period. Meagan Brockway, customer ser- vice representative at GladRags, said there are many bonuses to switching to sustainable and reusable options. GladRags, a company that was “in- spired by the simple utility, earth- friendliness and comfort of cloth diapers,� according to their website, offers multiple sustainable men- strual options. The company was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1993 and their most popular items are
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ing to Lunette.com’s “history of pe- riods.â€? In the 20th century, women began to use cotton and cloth simi- lar to reusable diapers. Throughout history, many cultures used tons of different materials that they washed and reused for their menstrual cy- cles, such as animal skins, grass, moss, ash, wool, wood shavings, sheep skins and — still used today — sea sponges. Gloria Starita is the owner of Jade & Pearl, a Florida-Âbased company of- fering natural sea sponges as a men- struation alternative based in Flori- da. Starita discovered the option of
sea sponges — or sea “pearls,â€? as the website advertises — after being diagnosed with cervical dysplasia in the ‘70s and was told she could no longer use tampons. She start- ed researching and discovered that Cleopatra had used sea sponges, and decided to try them. “I wasn’t trying to sell sponges, but women started to ask me what was I using,â€? Starita said. “And, of course, if I washed them out in a public bathroom, I would get all sorts of gasps.â€? In 1996, Starita began selling her sea pearls and other products on a full-Âtime basis, and her sponge busi- ness has blossomed. She said the popularity and awareness of reus- able menstrual products is becoming more common, especially as women want to learn more about their body and what goes into it. “Now all kinds of young women are saying ‘I don’t want to use toxic tampons, I don’t want to pollute the environment any longer, and I want to have something that’s economi- cal, that’s there every month when I need it, something that can last up to a year,’â€? Starita said. Sponges, as well as the SoftCup D Ă H[LEOH FLUFXODU VRIW SODVWLF FXS that rests behind the pubic bone) are useful for women who are sexu- ally active and are uncomfortable with sexual interaction while on their period, Starita said, since you can actually have intercourse while wearing one. “You can have neat mess-Âfree sex and your partner won’t even know you’ve got a sponge in since they’re so soft and comfortable,â€? she said. “We sell to a lot of sex workers, we sell to the oldest brothel in NYC.â€? Sponges can be trimmed down to Ă€W VQXJO\ LQVLGH D ZRPDQ¡V YDJLQD and need to be changed every three to four hours, depending on your Ă RZ VLPLODU WR QRUPDO WDPSRQV DQG pads, Starita said. Jade & Pearl has sent sea pearls to developing countries and other underprivileged areas where women and girls may not have access to menstrual prod- ucts, or would build up waste by us-Â
Geting to Know Aunt Flo weirded out by that,” she said. “To me, it seems such a small reason to not use something that makes life so much easier.” Starita said that one of the main reasons reusable options are not more popular is because of some of the commercialization of tampons and pads. “[Companies] have got it rammed down women’s throats: ‘if you want to be clean and sanitary and wear white pants while you’re menstruat- ing, you’ve got to use our products,’” she said. But the community surround- ing reusable menstrual products is large, diverse and helpful for women interested in making “that time of the month” a little more green. It’s DOO DERXW ÀQGLQJ WKH FRPPXQLW\ DQG joining the discussion, Brockway said. “There’s a lot of support for get- ting the hang of using the menstrual cup,” she said. “They’re so much better than tampons because they’re collecting rather than absorbing, so they’re much easier on your body. You are kind of a fanatic if you get into it.” ___________________________________ Samantha Guter is a sophomore journalism major who thinks about Mother Nature even after recieving nature’s monthly gift. Email her at sguter1@ithaca.edu
The National Women’s Health Network states that twelve billion pads and 7 million tampons TSPPYXI PERH½PPW ERRYEPP] MR XLI US. More than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999. (Diva Cup) Liz Sutton of the Women’s Environmental Network says it takes about six months for a tampon to biodegrade, while a plastic WERMXEV] XS[IP PMRIV PEWXW MRHI½nitely. Seventy percent of blockages in the sewage system are caused by sanitary waste, Sutton said. Women, on average, experience a lifetime menstruation span of 41 years (11-52). If someone uses 4 tampons/pads per day, for 5 days (20 disposable products per cycle) that equals 240 tampons/pads per year. That’s close to 10,000 tampons/pads in your lifetime. (Diva Cup)
23
Upfront
ing disposable products. She also argued that sponges and most other reusable products are much more convenient for women on the go. “They’re so easy, so comfortable — anyone can use them. Anyone who is comfortable with their own body can use them,” Starita said. Izzy Demmon, a sophomore at Ithaca College, is a self-proclaimed DivaCup advocate. The DivaCup is one of many different types of men- strual cups, all of which range in size, material and color. Some are made of rubber and are fully bio- degradable, but most, like the Di- vaCup, are made of medical grade VLOLFRQH DQG FDQ ODVW IRU XS WR ÀYH or 10 years if properly cared for. She said many women’s concerns with using a menstrual cup are that they need to look at their own blood and be more comfortable with their own biological functions when us- ing a DivaCup, but that isn’t really a problem. “One of the things when you use a DivaCup, or any menstrual cup, is you realize how much you don’t bleed,” Demmon said. “I don’t get grossed out by it — it’s not like you’re staring at it. You take it out, you dump it, you clean it.” With any of the reusable menstru- al products, Brockway argued that it’s much easier to get in touch with your own cycle because a woman has to be more aware of how her body works. “It kind of promotes a better at- titude about your period, in using reusables,” she said. “You’re a little more in touch with what’s going on. It becomes a little less of a ta- boo once you start using reusable products. You’re more involved in the process — you’re not wrapping something up and throwing it away.” Demmon agreed, saying that using a DivaCup encourages a woman to become more comfortable with her- self and her body. “I think people are afraid to stick their hand up their own vagina to put it in. You have to be comfortable putting your hand up your own va- gina, and I think a lot of people get
Reusable menstruation products EPWS LEZI FIRI½XW IGSRSQMGEPP] ERH IRZMVSRQIRXEPP] %WWYQMRK ]SY FSYKLX HMWTSWEFPI TVSHYGXW SR WEPI GLERKIH ]SYV TEH SV XEQTSR FYX RSX FSXL ½ZI XMQIW E HE] JSV ½ZI HE]W ]SY [MPP WTIRH ETTVS\MQEXIP] TIV G]GPI 3ZIV E ]IEV XLEX [SYPH FI ERH MR XLI EZIVEKI QIRWXVYEXMSR PMJIG]GPI SJ ]IEVW XLEX´W SZIV WTIRX SR XLIWI TVSHYGXW 2IIH QSVI GSRZMRGMRK# Check out these environmental WXEXW
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BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
A System of Harassment Gender, culture and the plague of collegiate sexual harassment &] /EXIP]R ,EVVST
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25
Upfront
tatistically speaking, you’ve probably been there. The unwanted ass-grab, an inappropriate touch, “Hey baby, can I get some of that?” Maybe you produced it, maybe you’ve received it, maybe you’ve just witnessed it. But, very literally, odds are, you’ve been affected.
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
,W¡V GLIĂ€FXOW WR LJQRUH WKH VH[XDO climate present on U.S. college cam- puses. In many ways, sexuality has become synonymous with the higher education experience. According to Jae Cameron, program associate for street harassment advocacy group, Hollaback!, the fusion of sexism and complacent campus culture can often harm students. “Couple an overarch- ing sexist culture with a campus cli- mate that doesn’t take street harass- ment seriously and students suffer,â€? Cameron said. According to a study by the Ameri- can Association of University Women (AAUW), portions of these cultures are unsolicited and are affecting the well-Âbeing of both male and female students. According to the organiza- tion’s study, “Drawing the Line: Sexual Harassment on Campus,â€? 62 percent of college students have been sexually harassed and 66 percent personally know someone who has experienced sexual harassment. It is important to recognize that, al- though an equally important issue, sexual harassment is not synonymous with sexual assault. The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commis- VLRQ¡V GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI VH[XDO KDUDVVPHQW includes “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature,â€? as well as noting that “harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature‌and can include of- fensive remarks about a person’s sex.â€? Sexual assault, on the other hand, is a narrower category explicitly referring to physical sexual attacks and advances. The United States Department of Jus- WLFH GHĂ€QHV VH[XDO DVVDXOW DV ´DQ\ W\SH of sexual contact or behavior that oc- curs without the explicit consent of the UHFLSLHQW )DOOLQJ XQGHU WKH GHĂ€QLWLRQ of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fon- dling and attempted rape.â€? It is also important to mention that, in contrast to collegiate sexual harassment, sexual assault is an issue affecting a dispro- portionate amount of female students according to sexual assault advocacy organization One in Four. Collegiate sexual harassment is QRW FRQĂ€QHG E\ ORFDWLRQ +DUDVVPHQW spreads beyond the broken red cups DQG NHJV EH\RQG WKH JUHDV\ EDU Ă RRU and beyond the gyrating house party. It can be found in classrooms, campus centers, school-Âsponsored events or on the streets of your university town. Cor-Â
26
nell University health educator and vic- tim advocate, Nina Cummings, said that sexual harassment is less dependent on location, and more dependent on social attitude and dynamics. “It’s been my ex- perience that it can be a group dynamic. Like with anything offensive there can be a leader of a group and others, because of power dynamics, they feel silenced and go along with it and perpetuate it,â€? Cummings said. -XVW DV VH[XDO KDUDVVPHQW GHĂ€HV geographic and location barriers it also SDVVHV WKURXJK JHQGHU VSHFLĂ€F FRQ- straints. According to the previously
because of a person’s sex,â€? Cummings said. “Women would be more likely to be victimized by sexual harassment of the physical sense, while there is more of a balance of men and women being harassed based off of their sex.â€? Cameron also believed that sexual harassment can run along gender lines. “Sexual harassment absolutely pro- PRWHV HQFRXUDJHV DQG UHĂ HFWV JHQGHU stereotypes,â€? he said. Cameron be- lieved that societal stereotypes often cloud understanding of gender-Âbased sexual harassment. “Oftentimes when people discuss men being harassed by
I would say that harassment is a product of our gender norms and in society’s adherence to the pressure to maintain these gender norms. - Brenda Russel mentioned AAUW study, 62 percent of female students and 61 percent of male have experienced some form of sexual harassment. According to Brenda Rus- sell, a professor of applied psychology at Penn State Berks, collegiate sexual KDUDVVPHQW LV QRW D JHQGHU VSHFLĂ€F LV- sue, but an issue of society’s sexual and gender expectations. “I would say that harassment is a product of our gender norms and in society’s adherence to the pressure to maintain these gender norms,â€? Russell said. Although both men and women are contributing to and suffering from sexual harassment, the expectations and norms that prompt these advances, and the way in which individuals re- spond, may differ depending on biologi- cal sex. “The types of things that guys perceive as harassment are more gender-Âbased harassment, which challenges sexual- ity. Calling them ‘faggot’ or ‘wussy’ or ‘pussy,’â€? said Russell. “For women we’re more worried about our sexuality and our sexuality being taken advantage of. So we’re going to look at sexual innuen- dos a lot differently.â€? Cummings found that although sexual harassment is not JHQGHU VSHFLĂ€F LV GRHV DIIHFW PHQ DQG women in differing ways. “In my mind, and legally, there are two kinds of ha- rassment. One is due to harassment of a sexual nature. In other words, putting pressure for sexual favors or physically touching someone in a sexual way. But then there’s also sexual harassment
women, there’s this misconception that it’s a compliment — or that it would be welcomed,â€? Cameron said. “Often these ‘compliments’ are threats or insults on a larger scale of gender-Âbased violence. The reality is that many men are ha- rassed, often for their sexual identity, gender presentation‌ and that harass- ment carries a very real threat of escala- tion.â€? Cameron also noted that societal ex- pectations of female sexualization might contribute to the way in which collegiate women are sexually harassed. “There’s a climate that encourages or rewards unhealthy codes of masculinity,â€? Cam- eron said. “Performed unhealthy mas- culinities include public heterosexual performances and direct presentations of power or control over women, often expressed in street harassment.â€? Russell said societal gender stereo- types suggest that men are expected to view the reception of sexual innuendos as positive, endearing, or sexy, while women are expected to receive them as attacks against their gender expecta- tions. “Guys are supposed to think this is a great thing,â€? Russell said. “As wom- en, we are expected to protect our sexu- ality as being feminine. It’s completely based off of gender roles.â€? When gender stereotypes are spread through society, pressures to agree with these norms, both positive and negative, become key contributing factors to un- wanted attention or activity. “All these traditional sexual norms that we adhere
for a party because no one had told me where they were. I went to some sports KRXVH DQG ZLWKLQ Ă€YH PLQXWHV RI EHLQJ in the house I was pushed against the wall of a stairwell and groped,â€? Eyal said. “I learned what to avoid and what kinds of parties to avoid. Since then I’ve been very careful about what parties I go to.â€? In order to curb the detrimental effects of sexual harassment, a fundamental shift in culture and ideology must take place to decimate acceptance, compli- ance and stigmas of sexual harassment. Cameron said this transformation must extend beyond university walls. “While I would agree that there is a culture of sexual harassment on college campus- es, at Hollaback!, we believe it’s impor- tant to expand that conversation, rec- ognizing that street harassment is part of a larger culture,â€? Cameron said. “Col- lege campuses are not separate from the towns, cities and countries they are a part of, and the student body that ex- periences and perpetuates harassment today will continue on to shape our cul- ture tomorrow.â€? Russell agreed that sexual harass- ment culture is far deeper than the col- lege campus level and recommended early education as a solution to curbing sexual harassment at the university lev- el. “It should be reinforced in elementary school and middle school, and we would see this issue less in colleges,â€? Russell said. She also emphasized the impor- tance of a gender and sexual orientation inclusive curriculum at all levels of edu- cation. “When discussing how sexual harassment is affecting campuses, they only talk about women. But it should be ‘this is appropriate behavior and this is not.’ It should not be only women. If they have a climate that doesn’t support ha- rassment, the climate will change,â€? Rus- sell said. Cummings also believed that the re- sponsibility to report acts of sexual harassment is under emphasized and under accessible on many college cam- puses. “I think it is too often that the bur- den falls on those victimized much more than respondents,â€? Cummings said. “It’s more palatable to accept it than to chal- lenge it when you feel that you are swim- ming up stream and it seems prevalent and just part of how it is.â€? Cummings emphasized the importance of making the topic of sexual harassment much more than a victim issue. “We need to empower individuals to think this is not an individual situation but a community standard,â€? Cummings said. “We need to be empowering individuals to feel safe and comfortable stepping in.â€?
To achieve a fundamental shift in the climate surrounding sexual harass- ment, it is imperative that both small scale and national programs are imple- mented and rigorously enforced. Presi- dent Obama has been championed for recently signing a memorandum to de- velop a senior-Âexecutive task force to Ă€JKW DJDLQVW VH[XDO DVVDXOW RQ FROOHJH campuses. In January, the task force released a rundown of past and poten- tial future actions entitled “Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Ac- tion,â€? but little has since been heard. The task force has been given 90 days to suggest best practices to combat rape and sexual assault on college campuses. As of now, no task force has been devel- oped to target other forms of sexual ha- rassment such as verbal, cyber, mental or emotional harassment, not included LQ WKH JRYHUQPHQWDO GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI VH[XDO assault. Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 prohibits sexual discrimination and sexual harassment in government funded educational institutions and promotes immediate action in the case of reported sexual harassment, whether verbal, physical, digital or through other means. This legislation is largely fo- cused on sexual assault, although Title IX does express intolerance towards the major forms of sexual harassment. Nev- ertheless, cases of sexual harassment are still prevalent. “Because of the atten- tion colleges and universities are putting on Title IX, [sexual harassment is] being left in the dust. Sexual assault is in the forefront, but I do not believe that we are doing a good job on peer-Âto-Âpeer sexual harassment and talking to campuses about community standards,â€? Cum- mings said. “What kind of standards do we want? What kinds of behaviors are be going to tolerate?... I think it’s due to a lack of education and a lack of atten- tion to what constitutes sexual harass- ment.â€? Bearing in mind that over half of all current college students have or will fall victim to sexual harassment before their graduation date, a change must be made. Whether it be a bottom-Âup shift in gender-Âbased expectation, or innova- tive curriculum or a top-Âdown legislative approach, it is imperative that campus communities re-Âevaluate their attitudes towards sexual harassment. ______________________________________ Katelyn Harrop is a sophomore journalism ma- jor who will beat you to a bloody pulp if she ever catches you harassing someone. Seri- ously, don’t you dare. Email her at kharrop1@ ithaca.edu.
Upfront
to actually predict sexual harassment for both genders,â€? Russell said. “Those who adhere to traditional gender roles are far more tolerant to sexual harass- ment.â€? In addition to affecting the emotional and physical well-Âbeing of students, collegiate sexual harassment has the potential to affect students educational experience. According to a study con- tracted by Hollaback!, 46 percent of stu- dents said that harassment has caused disappointment with their collegiate ex- perience, while 23 percent of students said that sexual harassment-Ârelated ex- periences have prevented them from at- tending class. According to Russell, the issue of sexual harassment on college campuses is more than a question of an inappropriate brush at a party or an ir- ritating catcall on the street. “Technically, illegal harassment is when it affects your work or employment or if it creates an intimidating or hostile work environment,â€? Russell said. “So with a lot of the results of college stud- ies, it shows that sexual harassment is affecting [students] performance.â€? To this extent, sexual harassment is an issue of educational comfort, suc- cess and availability. During her fresh- man year, Ithaca College sophomore Christine Stemmer experienced a case of sexual harassment that made her question her campus safety and comfort when attending classes. A male student she had met at a theater audition began contacting her with sexually graphic Facebook messages before confronting her in person. “I went to this party and he was there, and I didn’t really interact with him. I left with some people that were my friends and I walked back to my dorm and I all of a sudden got all of these messages like ‘where are you? You left without me!’â€? Stemmer said. “And all of a sudden he showed up outside of my dorm yelling at the building. He kept sending me more messages and I was like ‘I am not interested.’ It made me very uncomfortable. Just seeing him around made me uncomfortable. It made me question going to class.â€? Stemmer’s story is just one of many situations of sexual harassment car- rying the potential to stunt a student’s ability to succeed academically. Not only can sexual harassment impede a stu- dent’s academic success, but the experi- ence can also hinder a students’ ability to grow personally and socially. Sopho- more Tal Eyal recounted a situation RI KDUDVVPHQW DW WKH Ă€UVW RII FDPSXV gathering she attended her freshman year of college. “I was looking around
27 -QEKI F] *VERGIWGE 8SWGERS
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
OOL. MINISTRYofCOOL. MI
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A Pleasurable Shopping Experience )GS JVMIRHP] WI\ WLST ½PPW RMGLI MR -XLEGE GSQQYRMX] By Kellen Beck
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according to Barksdale one of her vendors for hemp-Âbased lubes is an Ithaca College graduate. Not only are the products themselves eco-Âfriendly, but she also tries to buy from vendors who use green business practices and pay good living wages. She said that it requires a lot of research; Barksdale goes to trade shows in New York City, Florida, Las Vegas and more to meet with distributors and vendors. The industry is exclusive, so going to these trade shows is one of the few ways to learn about and buy products that suit the store’s niche. Barksdale said that her store has a steady stream of customers, with some regulars. According to a study done by Indiana University in 2009, 52.5 percent of over 2,000 female respondents use a vibrator. Considering those numbers and the uniqueness of her store, Sustainable Passion is poised to become an increasingly popular local destination.
Sustainable Practices
Sustainable Passion has been selling sex-Âpositive and woman- centric items since its beginning in 2008, when Barksdale started selling erotic products at private events called Passion Parties. They quickly became very popular and she started receiving calls from women asking her when the next parties were. Sustainable Passion opened in Ithaca in 2009. The space was originally designed for women to comfortably browse adult products, but she soon discovered it was not just for her original target audience. “I get a lot of couples that come in, - lesbian and heterosexual,â€? Barksdale said. “A lot of guys come in here looking for gifts.â€? The space is also comfortable for men, almost like a Victoria’s Secret for sex toys. There is a small section near the front door that features sex products for males, right next to oils and lubes. Her store has an interesting focus that seems like it should be a no- brainer: toxin-Âfree toys. “The industry is mostly
The “passionâ€? part is easy: the shelves are stocked with sex toys, lubes, lingerie, adult games and erotic FKRFRODWH 7KH GLIĂ€FXOW SDUW LV ORFDWLQJ products that align with the store’s sustainability standards. Barksdale said she uses strict policies regarding the types of products that she carries. Everything she stocks is as environmentally- friendly and locally-Âmade as possible. Most of the shop’s lingerie is made in the U.S. “If it’s from the U.S., great. If it’s green, better.â€? Buying close to home not only cuts down on shipping costs, it boosts the local economy and cuts down on emissions from transportation. She VDLG VKH LV WU\LQJ WR Ă€QG D ORFDO SODFH to purchase her erotic chocolate from. The lingerie selection at Sustainable 3DVVLRQ LV IXOO RI DOO QDWXUDO Ă€EHUV and Barksdale even stocks polyester lingerie for vegan customers. The oils and lubes are all organic, and
Selling Passion
unregulated,â€? she said. “Sex toys are sold as novelties, so many are toxic.â€? According to Barksdale, the only materials that are really safe are silicone, wood, stainless steel and glass. She has done a lot of research WR Ă€QG VXLWDEOH SURGXFWV WKDW ZLOO QRW harm her customers, and found a local glass shop to make her custom dildos. PyreXions is a functional erotic glass art shop run by Aaron Verity in %URRNWRQGDOH 1 < +H FRQĂ€UPHG the lack of regulation in the sex toy industry and swears by his solid glass products. “It’s a billion dollar industry,â€? Verity said. “That alone is worth looking at the environmental aspects. And the health concern is even more important; sex toys are not held to any testing or standards.â€? Verity said he does custom work as well as wholesale for high-Âend boutiques around the country. PyreXions is a green practice - the glass is hygienic and when properly handled it can last a lifetime. Steering Patrons Sustainable Passion’s unique merchandise and atmosphere attracts customers from Rochester and regulars from Syracuse, and even visitors from as far as Rhode Island. Not only are the items safe, they are environmentally friendly and help support the local economy. As D UHVXOW 6XVWDLQDEOH 3DVVLRQ Ă€OOV D niche in the Ithaca community that allows customers to shop comfortably for a private part of their life while supporting their values. ____________________________________ Kellen Beck is a sophomore journalism PDMRU ZKR Ă€QGV VDYLQJ WKH HQYLURQPHQW YHU\ YHU\ VH[\ (PDLO KLP DW NEHFN # LWKDFD HGX
Ministry of Cool
lamboyant feather boas adorn the windows and displays. Organic massage oils and lubricants are stacked up on shelves near the door. Toxin-Âfree dildos and vibrators of all shapes and sizes line the walls. Owner Christine Barksdale is standing behind the counter at Sustainable Passion, a unique sex shop in downtown Ithaca. Without the products lining the shelves, the store’s atmosphere wouldn’t imply anything “adultâ€?. Then again, this is not your average sex shop. Sustainable Passion is an eco- friendly, women-Âcentric adult store. It has a cozy feel to it, with carpeted Ă RRUV VRIW OLJKWLQJ DQG HYHQ D couch. The space is off the beaten path of downtown Ithaca, located on Cayuga Lake near the Boatyard Grill. Barksdale said she wanted to make her store a destination for people. “My store is sex-Âpositive and women-Âcentric,â€? she said. “It’s about sustaining your love life and the environment.â€?
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Doin’ It For A Reason 8LI MQTSVXERGI SJ YRVSQERXMGM^IH WI\ SR ,&3´W ¹+MVPW² By Kathryn Paquet
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
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ou get home from a long day at work, or school, or wherever it is that you spend your days. You go to the kitchen, heat up some dinner, and plop down on the couch. You pick up the remote and turn RQ WKH 79 <RX EHJLQ WR Ă LS WKURXJK the channels, and you come upon a rerun of “Gossip Girlâ€? on the CW. You see Blake Lively and Penn Badgely having sex onscreen (or pretending to, at least.) They’re young, physically Ă€W DQG EHDXWLIXO 7KHUH¡V SUREDEO\ nothing about this that strikes you as odd. But let’s say that, instead of “Gossip Girl,â€? you happen upon HBO’s “Girlsâ€?. You see, perhaps, Lena Dunham lying on a bed with Patrick Wilson. She takes off his pants, and he tells her, “I want you to make me come.â€? She stops, looks him in the eye, and replies, “I want you to make me come.â€? He climbs on top of her, kisses her, and lifts up her shirt. They start to have sex. Here, you might do a double-Âtake. After all, Dunham doesn’t have Blake Lively’s cascading blonde hair, perfectly-Âsized chest or slender physique. Not only that, but her character Hannah turns the tables on new lover Joshua and tells him explicitly what she wants, rather than silently complying with his requests. There’s no denying that this is not your typical television sex scene. Ever since its premiere in April 2012, “Girlsâ€? has never been afraid to take risks, most notably in regards to portraying sex and naked bodies. Naturally, these artistic choices have not gone unnoticed. Most recently, during the “Girlsâ€? panel at the Jan. 9 Television Critics Association winter press tour, The Wrap ZULWHU 7LP 0ROOR\ Ă€UHG D QDVW\ question at Dunham, inquiring about her frequent nude appearances. “I don’t get the purpose of all the nudity on the show – by you in particular,â€? Molloy said to Dunham. Comparing it to fellow HBO hit “Game of Thrones,â€? he continued, â€œâ€Ś I get why they do it. They do it to be salacious and titillate people.
And your character is often nude at random times for no reason.â€? Dunham responded to him directly. “It’s because it’s a realistic expression of what it’s like to be alive, I think, and I totally get it,â€? Dunham responded. While Molloy’s statement may not have been worded in the kindest or most respectful manner, it does bring up an interesting question: when does nudity have artistic value and, conversely, when is it gratuitous? Kathleen McClintock, professional art model in Minneapolis, Minn., offered some insight. Art modeling, she believes, is a prime example of nudity that is not gratuitous in its nature. According to McClintock, students LQ Ă€JXUH GUDZLQJ FODVVHV ZLWK D OLYH model are more concerned with the artistic elements of the display than relishing the fact that a naked woman is standing before them. “You are thinking about occupying space, and composition, all the many things that a student has to think about,â€? McClintock said. When comparing this type of nudity to instances of nudity in the media, McClintock sees a pretty clear distinction. “There is a difference in WKDW LQ Ă€QH DUW Ă€JXUH drawing is the basis for any o t h e r kind of art you w i l l
the nudity in “Girlsâ€? is gratuitous is entirely subjective and will vary from one opinion to the next. But regardless of artistic value, another important element to consider is Dunham’s choice to portray her body ² ZKLFK GRHVQ¡W Ă€W WKH FRQYHQWLRQDO Hollywood standard of “beautyâ€? – on the show. Why, exactly, do many react to Dunham’s nudity as if it were a sort of personal affront to them? According to Renee Engeln, senior lecturer in the Northwestern University psychology department, the inclination to react this way is a learned behavior. “We’ve gotten used to a standard that, for the most part, doesn’t even exist,â€? Engeln said. “And realizing it’s become such a norm for us that we would react to its violation in such a way – that suggests we’ve completely lost touch with what actual women look like.â€? There’s no denying that the women we see in the media don’t typically represent the average woman – most don’t wear a size zero or have perfectly Ă DW VWRPDFKV But these are the images w e
draw,� she said. “And obviously in the media, the body is not shown much respect a lot of the time.� Of course, w h e t h e r Image by Lizzie Cox
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thoughts or perceptions of sex, it does VHHP WR KDYH DQ LQĂ XHQFH ´, WKLQN ZH have seen in studies people talking DERXW WKH ZD\V WKDW LW LQĂ XHQFHV WKH picture they have, the movie that they run in their head about what sex should be like or will be like, and why we should have it,â€? Plante said. “Girlsâ€? is certainly unique in its portrayal of sex. While it does sometimes show us steamy and passionate sex, it strikes a balance, also venturing into realms normally untouched by the media. Unlike most TV shows, “Girlsâ€? also shows us the awkwardness that can come with sexual encounters, and portrays characters who openly discuss what they want from their sexual experiences. A prime example of this can be found in episode nine of the second season, “On All Fours.â€? It opens with Adam and his new girlfriend, Natalia, getting back from a night out. Before they have sex IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH 1DWDOLD WHOOV KLP exactly what she wants – that she is taking contraceptives but wants him to ejaculate outside of her, that she doesn’t like to be on top, and that she doesn’t like “soft touchingâ€? because it takes her out of the moment. This scene is just one of the many examples of “Girlsâ€? entering territory that is normally uncharted by television sex scenes. Instead of only showing us the hot, passionate sex that is typically prefaced only with fervent, romantic kissing, “Girlsâ€? also shows the aspects that often accompany sexual experiences in real life – talk of contraceptives, awkward FKDWWHU DQG FRQĂ LFWLQJ GHVLUHV DQG needs, among other things. So how could this type of portrayal affect viewers? According to Plante, it could help people understand sex better within the context of their own lives. “[It’s] not telling them how to live, not giving them a blueprint, but giving them food for thought, like, ‘Oh, here’s another way for me to think about something that isn’t easily, openly, commonly, well-Âdiscussed in our culture,â€? she said. But even while this initiative may send a positive message to viewers, Engeln doubts it will catch on in the television industry. “I think we talk like that all the time, like we say, ‘Oh, these magazines are showing real
women now,’ but the only reason it garners any attention when they do that is because it’s still so unusual,â€? she said. “It does have potential, but I think we’re a long way from reaching that potential.â€? Plante also doubts that Dunham’s ideals will catch on in the industry. “I think there’s still enough taboo and puritanism, and not enough other cultural social space in which we’re really just neutrally and in an adult manner speaking about sex,â€? she said. But what would it mean if, someday in the future, the ideals that Dunham presents really do catch on? “For female viewers, it could maybe teach them to be less critical of their own bodies, to help them feel more FRQĂ€GHQW Âľ (QJHOQ VDLG 3ODQWH WKLQNV it could have a positive effect, too. “Hopefully, people would feel less ashamed of what they do, and how they feel about what they do,â€? Plante said. “And maybe people would be able to talk more generally about sex, you know, as if it’s a part of life the way that eating or brushing your teeth or taking a shower are.â€? Essentially, it’s likely that we are a long way from seeing any real changes in the way sex and nudity are portrayed on television. Even when it seems like progress is being made, there are always setbacks – Molloy’s comments to Dunham are a prime example. But it’s hard to predict what the future will hold, and it’s not totally implausible to think that others in the TV industry could one day follow suit. Even if it doesn’t cause an immediate wave of change, the work Dunham has done on “Girlsâ€? is important. Even now, in its third season, the show constantly challenges the messages television has traditionally taught us about sex and our bodies. With its more realistic portrayals of sex and nudity, it shows us that there are many different ways to look and be sexual, and that none is more right or wrong than the other. ____________________________________ .DWKU\Q 3DTXHW LV D MXQLRU 79 5 PDMRU ZKR PD\ EH WKH YRLFH RI KHU JHQHUDWLRQ RU DW OHDVW a YRLFH RI a JHQHUDWLRQ (PDLO KHU DW NSDTXHW # LWKDFD HGX
Ministry of Cool
receive every time we pick up a magazine, glance at a billboard, or turn on the TV. And because this tends to be the most represented type of appearance, at least based on the media we consume, we accept it as the norm. Thus, when someone like Lena Dunham intentionally breaks this norm, he or she immediately stands out, and not in a good way. “The truth is, we like to look at beauty – we like to look at perfection,� Engeln said. “It does good things for our brain too – it pleases us. But it also has all of these unwanted consequences that come along with that.� So naturally, turning on the TV and seeing a naked body like Dunham’s – one that is atypical of the usual Hollywood standard – could easily come as a surprise to any unsuspecting viewer, and even cause them to lash out at her, and the show, for it. Of course, going hand in hand with nudity is another very important component of “Girls�: the portrayal of sex on the show. For the most part, sex on television does seem to follow a certain format. Rebecca Plante, associate professor in the Ithaca College sociology department, shed some light on this idea. “It is most typically portrayed in a fairly scripted and predictable fashion,� Plante said. “It is usually portrayed so that we see some passion, and the inference that we’re supposed to make is, ‘Oh, it’s passion that’s going to enable these people to end up in bed.’� Of course, in reality, this is certainly not always the case. People engage in sexual activities for a whole array of reasons, and they aren’t always fueled by the gripping passion that we see so often on television. But this is the kind of sex we are shown when we watch TV, and it could very well fool us into thinking that it really is the norm. “The other piece of this is the piece where we’re not shown the failures, or even the part where it gets awkward, so we lose the sense of the context for people deciding to share their sexualities with each other,� Plante said. So how much of an impact can the portrayal of sex on television really have on viewers? According to Plante, though we may not be able to say that it is the sole cause of a person’s
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Changing the Channel -W =SY8YFI XLI WSPYXMSR XS XLI WI\ IH GSRXVSZIVW]# By Sabina Leybold
E
very minute, 100 hours of video footage are uploaded to YouTube. A likely majority of these videos are sneezing pandas and laughing babies, but a new trend is also emerging: using YouTube as a platform for sex education. This educational content is a blessing and a curse: sex ed channels are a VRXUFH RI ERWK XVHIXO PDWHULDO WR ÀOO gaps in a student’s understanding and a source of potential problems. No Standards is Standard Traditional school-based sex education can be problematic because it varies greatly across the U.S., from abstinence-only instruction to classrooms that distribute condoms openly. According to Rebecca Plante, associate professor of sociology at Ithaca College, it creates a challenge when “there is not a set of universal standards about how to talk about human sexuality where there might
for students receiving inadequate sex education. “There are no boundaries and you can learn unashamedly,” Witton said. She creates videos with an open, conversational approach that makes her relatable to her audience of primarily teenaged girls. Along with Witton’s self-titled channel, two other dominant YouTube programs focus on sex education. The most popular is Sex+, a biweekly video series about gender, sexuality, relationships, and body image which was started in 2010 by 23-year-old peer sex educator Laci Green. Her YouTube channel has over 165 videos and reaches an audience of nearly 755,000 subscribers. In May of 2013, Lindsay Doe, a clinical sexologist based in Montana, decided to follow suit and make sex-positive videos with a silly yet informational approach. She has created 60 videos and has attracted an audience of 90,000+ subscribers. According to Lauren Marie Fleming, author, YouTuber, and sex blogger at QueerieBradshaw.com., “[These
education awkward but by bringing in external material from someone closer to their age, it relaxes that tension,” Witton said. One of the advantages to classrooms is that students can ask questions and follow up when they don’t understand an issue. Yet for many students, this interaction can be daunting. Fleming cites the anonymity of YouTube-based sex education as an advantage. “Anonymity online can be a glorious thing when it comes to sexual education. Yes, that means we get our fair share of people trolling for trouble, but it also means that people can interact without fear of repercussions, stigma, or shame,” she said. Plante takes a more critical view of YouTube’s lack of interactivity as a sex ed medium. She worried that young adults who use virtual education to learn about an experience that is highly interpersonal will struggle to mold that information to the backgrounds and preferences of real- life sexual partners. Is YouTube Helping or Hurting?
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
Image by Jessica Bruehart
be a set of…standards for what 14-year-olds learning earth science should learn.” And it didn’t surprise her that sex education is complex, given that it mixes “misguided ideas about religion, people’s fears, homophobia, [and] parents’ desire to micromanage or control what their children learn”. How Can YouTube Help? According to Hannah Witton, a British YouTuber whose video topics range from the Kama Sutra to masturbation, the Internet can be an excellent source of information
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channels] provide an educational and entertaining way to anonymously learn about something that can be a very personal, private thing.” Add, Don’t Replace Even with the rise of online sex education, traditional classroom-based sex ed isn’t disappearing anytime soon. YouTube sex education channels should be seen as a resource for teachers rather than a replacement for them. “Often children and teenagers think WKHLU WHDFKHUV DUH WRR ROG DQG ÀQG VH[
As a medium for sex education, YouTube is both refreshing and troublesome. While Fleming dislikes the limitations of YouTube’s regulations “True sexual education needs to sometimes show sex and YouTube does not allow that,” she said. While Plante recognizes the SRWHQWLDO GLIÀFXOWLHV RI RQH VLGHG online learning, Internet-based sex HG LV VWLOO D EHQHÀFLDO LQQRYDWLRQ 6H[ education on YouTube isn’t subject to impractical school board standards or parents who opt their children out of classroom learning. It provides a medium for people of all ages to learn about their sexuality, and a forum for anonymous questions and discussion. Despite the site’s limitations and complications, YouTube provides an accessible platform for sex education in our constantly connected world. _____________________________________ 6DELQD /H\EROG LV D IUHVKPDQ VSHHFK ODQJXDJH SDWKRORJ\ PDMRU ZKR MXVW FOHDUHG KHU EURZVHU KLVWRU\ (PDLO KHU DW VOH\ERO #LWKDFD HGX
Amtrak Is For Lovers
By Anonymous
I
Mexican families. For a while I listened wondering if these stories were true, but the writer in me ultimately decided that I didn’t care. This was the most interesting thing that happened to me in months. I was wondering if it had the potential to get even more interesting. As I took another sip of whisky I secretly hoped he would kiss me. ,W Ă€QDOO\ KDSSHQHG ZKHQ WKH ROG grumpy train attendant had told us to be quiet, and we leaned in to whisper to one another. Unlike other kisses, there was no cheesy buildup. He was a man and simply went for it. Before I knew it his strong hands were up my shirt, on top of my jeans, and Ă LUWLQJ ZLWK WKH ZDLVWEDQG :H ERWK knew what we wanted; it was only a question of where. The train got stuck somewhere in Los Angeles, and he looked at me, asked me again if I was 18, and gestured to the bathroom in the next car. He was luscious and he knew what he was doing. It was rough. It was wrong. It was exactly what I needed. The three-Âhour delay had produced a sensational performance by yours truly, featuring Erik the Rebel-Âman. When we returned to our seats he held my hand. He asked me questions and actually listened to me. We shared our lives for that brief moment in time. The chemistry, the conversation, those eight hours, they were all electric. Because he listened,
he was radically different from the high school boys that didn’t really think about my thoughts, feelings, DQG GHĂ€QLWHO\ QRW P\ SOHDVXUH :KHQ ZH Ă€QDOO\ DUULYHG DW P\ stop, he asked for my number, and I said no. He walked me to the exit and kissed me goodbye, our hands melting apart as I rounded the corner, stepped off the train and into my parents’ car. I thought about the seriousness in which I had been told to approach adulthood and the homework I had planned on doing on that train ride. Laughing, I was glad I had put my homework aside for the liberation of knowing I would probably never see him again and that no one I knew would ever meet him. He was an experience that was solely my own, and no one even had to know. I always thought being an adult meant \RX KDG WR VDFULĂ€FH VSRQWDQHLW\ IRU responsibility. Yet as an eighteen- year-Âold woman I felt simultaneously more liberated and mature than I had in a long time. Despite all of the talk about adulthood and the real world, growing up was looking to be a much more fun than anyone had ever told me.
Ministry of Cool
n high school I was an overachiever in most regards. I took risks, but they always had to do with passports and word choice, never ZLWK URPDQFH 1RW XQWLO Ă€YH GD\V DIWHU I turned 18. I boarded the train in San Diego’s Solana Beach station and was headed back to my sleepy beach town. I was searching for a seat by myself on a busy train; I was out of luck. That’s when a cute stranger asked if I would like to sit with him. He was WDQ +H ZDV WDOO DQG ZHDULQJ Ă LS Ă RSV MHDQV D W VKLUW DQG D Ă DQQHO Sporting a smile as wide as a child’s, he was attractive, but approachable. I said yes. His name was Erik, and although we started by reading our respective books I soon learned he was a native Hawaiian, 23, and moving up to Humboldt County to grow medical marijuana. (Yeah, he was WKDW cool). So not my type: too rebellious, too experienced, too everything-Â- but gradually I became more intrigued. Maybe it was the remainder of his -DFN 'DQLHOV ERWWOH WKDW ZH Ă€QLVKHG maybe it was those eager blue-Âbrown eyes that grabbed mine and held them as we talked or maybe it was because he had led a life that had a plotline Ă€WWLQJ RI D &RUPDF 0F&DUWK\ FRZER\ adventure novel. His life story included an evil step-Âmother, bounty hunters, a Mexican prison-Âlike boarding school for troubled kids and escaping back to the states with a Cayotaje and several
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BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
Concert Review
34
The Haunt buzzed with the clamor of conversation and clinking glasses, but was still only a quarter full an hour before experimental pop ensemble Cults was due to take the stage for LWV Ă€UVW HYHU ,WKDFD JLJ RQ )HE %XW DV VRRQ DV frontwoman Madeline Follin stepped on stage, WKH VSDFH ZDV Ă€OOHG WR WKH EULPÂł WHHQDJHUV climbing atop the sticky, alcohol-Âsoaked booths to catch a better view at the indie-Âpoppers as they melded together New York noise with California stoner-Âvibes for a night of divinely inspired indie-Ârock madness. Cults has come a long way since stumbling out of the underground clubs of NYC to record its self-Âtitled debut album in 2010. Relying almost entirely on word-Âof-Âmouth promotion, the group slowly cultivated a loyal fan base, eventually being swooped under the wings of Pitchfork and legendary indie rockers the Pixies. At 9 p.m., noise-Ârock group Mood Rings swaggered onto the stage to shake the room alive with a wave of rock-Âreverberation. Setting the tone for the night, the shoegaze quartet plowed through a 40-Âminute set of trippy guitar shrieks, breathy vocals and stuttering keyboards. Frontman William Fussel was the real entertainment, however, taking occasional breaks from the set to engage in some carefree hair-Âwhipping and witty banter about starting a cosmetic line before scooting off into the background. $IWHU D PLQXWH OD\RYHU &XOWV ZHUH Ă€QDOO\ FXHG RQWR WKH VWDJH DV IRXU VFUHHQV RI ZKLWH IX]]Âł playing off the cover of the band’s second album, ´6WDWLF¾³OLW XS 0HW ZLWK JHQHURXV DSSODXVH the indie-Âpop duo slid right into the psychedelic clamor of its latest popular hit “High Roadâ€? which
segued into the electro-Ârush of “Abducted.â€? In a call-Âand-Âresponse fashion, frontman Brian Oblivion puttered between guitars and keyboards as Madeline Follin wailed out, “He broke my heart because I really loved him/ He took it all away and left me to bleed out, bleed out.â€? ,Q SHUIRUPDQFH &XOWV¡ OLYH VRXQG Âł KDUGO\ GXOO WR EHJLQ ZLWK Âł LV WHPSHUHG ZLWK D QHZ GUDPDWLF shade for the night as Oblivion and Follin venture across the stage through a laser maze of blue and green swirling lights. Lesser-Âknown tracks like “We’ve Got Itâ€? and “So Farâ€? heat up in the friction of live performance, and Oblivion occasionally breaks free from the group’s signature reverb in blasts of joyful guitar solos. Meanwhile, fan- IDYRULWHV VXFK DV WKH Ă€QJHU VQDSSLQJ ZDOW] “You Know What I Meanâ€? and retro ‘60s girl- group sample mix “Bumperâ€? are transformed by Follin’s lustrous vocals, which bounce between jangly xylophone-Âstyling and guitar hooks. The highlight of the night came at the conclusion of the show, when Cults returned on stage for a three-Âsong encore, including their summer-Ây hit “Go Outsideâ€?. Starting off in a swirl of percussive elements and sugar- coated guitar licks, the track climaxes into a IXOO Ă HGJHG VLQJ DORQJ DQWKHP DV WKH FURZG joined Follin in chanting the end line: “I think I want to live my life and you’re just in my way.â€? Despite what the name suggests, Cults are far from being stuck underground. While their stage set is intimate and simplistic, the group’s performance is passionate and lively and its music larger than life, offering up a unique twist on what a pop show can be and mean. -ÂMarissa Framarini
So Long , See You Tomorrow
Cults
FROM THE
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
RAW SAW
Album Review
So Long , See You Tomorrow
seamless; the introduction to “Home by Nowâ€? GLGQ¡W VHHP WR Ă€W WKH Ă RZ RI WKH DOEXP $OWKRXJK the song eventually evolves into something that blends, the R&B feel in the beginning didn’t match the rest of the songs. That being said, guest vocalist Lucy Rose paired nicely with Steadman, serving as a refreshing complement to his voice. 7KH IRUHLJQ LQĂ XHQFH LV PXFK PRUH SUHVHQW LQ “Feelâ€? than any other song, but it seems to be trying too hard. It has a slight tango rhythm, violins, and D GLVWLQFW ,QGLDQ LQĂ XHQFHG PHORG\ UHVXOWLQJ LQ D confusing mix. It sounds as if the band was trying WR FUHDWH D Ă XLG PL[ RI LQWHUQDWLRQDO VRXQGV EXW ended up sounding clichĂŠ and overworked. Finishing the album is the title track, “So Long, See You Tomorrowâ€? which begins with a slow PDULPED DQG Ă XWH LQWURGXFWLRQ 6WHDGPDQ¡V VORZ and slurred voice sounds like a mix between The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Foreverâ€? and “Across WKH 8QLYHUVH Âľ 7KLV VRQJV VHUYHV DV D Ă€QDOH PRUH DPSOLĂ€HG WKDQ WKH RWKHUV ZLWK DQ HTXDO PL[ RI both American and Eastern music styles The album’s songs work together to create a playful mix of cultures. In each track, the foreign LQĂ XHQFH DQG HFOHFWLF VRXQG VKRZV WKURXJK to create an album that showcases the band’s artistic growth. “So Long, See You Tomorrowâ€? demonstrates the group’s ability to evolve from from indie rock to a more experimental, electronica- charged sound without disappointment. - Michaela Abbott
Against Me!’s five previous albums have a tendency to draw sharp lines between fans of the ragged folk- punk sound of early albums such as “Reinventing Axl Roseâ€? and the slicker, more tightly-Âproduced riffs on the more recent “New Waveâ€? and “White Crossesâ€?. The bands newest release, “Transgender Dysphoria Bluesâ€?, just might manage to bridge the gap between the two camps. This would be cause enough for celebration even if it didn’t also demonstrate the band’s resolve to play on after losing longtime bassist Andrew Seward. Most crucially, it serves as frontwoman Laura Jane Grace’s coming-Âout party after announcing in a 2012 5ROOLQJ 6WRQH article that she would be living and performing openly as a transgender woman. From the booming drum roll and jaunty guitar lines of the eponymous opening track, Grace sells the hell out of every second of the album. The band’s sound is as big and bold as it’s ever been, but the distinctly rougher, more ferocious tone this time around allows “Bluesâ€? to truly live up to its name. While originally pitched as a concept album in the days when Grace wasn’t comfortable discussing her gender identity with even her own bandmates, the stories it tells are unquestionably hers. Songs about depression, alienation, and feeling crushed by the system are common punk fare, but the uniquely personal edge of the subject matter, combined with Against Me!’s signature howled vocals and blunt lyrics, allows these tropes to never feel recycled. “You want them to notice the ragged ends of your summer dress/ You want them to see you like they see any other girl/ They just see a faggotâ€? Grace roars, practically daring detractors
to argue that an entire album about claiming a feminine identity can’t also be punk as fuck. “Bluesâ€? charges through its 29-Âminute runtime with similar fervor, but all that energy often belies truly bleak subject matter. The topic of death surfaces frequently in the lyrics, either as a potential escape from the pain of dysphoria or as a grim certainty, and the album makes little effort to dull the existential dread. The songs that confront (or even welcome) death are among the album’s strongest, from the bitterly lonely ‘True Trans Soul Rebel’ to the haunting, acoustic ‘Two Coffinsâ€?. Certain other songs, however, may not be strong enough to stand on their own. When listened to outside the context of the full album, pieces like ‘Drinking with the Jocks’ and ‘Dead Friend’ verge on being so much sound and fury, signifying nothing. As pain and eventual oblivion are unavoidable, the album argues, the only thing to do is live as honestly as possible. “Black Me Outâ€?, the album’s titanic closer, captures Grace’s exhaustion with living her life according to others’ standards. It’s as close as “Transgender Dysphoria Bluesâ€? gets to an upbeat conclusion, whose message is echoed not just in the lyrics but also as a reflection of the entire album. After years of embedding allusions to her inner turmoil in seemingly throwaway lines of other songs (most blatantly in 2007’s “The Oceanâ€?), Grace can finally sing about them openly. By wearing their hearts on their sleeves, Grace and Against Me! have created their strongest album in years. - Toby March
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Ministry of Cool
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Album Review
London alternative rock group Bombay Bicycle Club’s fourth studio album, “So Long, See You Tomorrowâ€? is an eclectic mix featuring a hint of electronica and a lot of foreign LQĂ XHQFH IURP -DSDQ 7XUNH\ DQG ,QGLD %\ bringing in music styles from other nations, BBC transitioned from its usual guitar-Âdriven sound to a heavier lean on keyboard effects. This transition becomes obvious in the opening track, “Overdoneâ€?. Lead vocalist Jack Steadman’s calm, deep voice comes in as a stark contrast to the upbeat tune. As it fades in, the song grows into a trance-Âlike Bollywood tune that stays intriguing despite its repetitive melody, broken up only by an electric guitar solo. The track’s lyrics are overwhelmed by the beat and seem especially exhausted during the chorus: “I sit and pine for wasted time/My feet were strong/My head was numb/I feel it come I’m overdone.â€? The next song, “It’s Alright Nowâ€?, has more RI DQ $PHULFDQ LQĂ XHQFH WKH QRWHV DUH KLJK and the words match the melody. The steady, military-Âlike drum beat works well with the heavy electronica feel. “Whenever, Whereverâ€? continues the same vibe but with a new twist; the track begins and ends very slowly and melodically, with just light piano and Steadman’s voice serving as a calm break from all the other songs with overlapping instruments. However, the album’s transitions aren’t
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
&CONS. PROSE&CONS. PROSE
36
Tremor
by Samantha Brodsky
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Prose & Cons
- RIZIV XLSYKLX ER]XLMRK SJ MX XLI [E] Q] KVERHTE´W LERHW WLSSO ±,I´W ½RI ² Q] QSQ [SYPH [LMWTIV VIEWWYVMRKP] SRGI - FIKER KMZMRK LIV GSRGIVRIH KPERGIW SZIV XLI 8LEROWKMZMRK FVMWOIX SV WXIEQMRK 4EWWSZIV QEX^S FEPP WSYT ±8LI]´ZI EP[E]W HSRI XLEX ² - [SYPH TIIV [MXL [MHI GYVMSYW FVS[R MVMWIW EX XLI VSYKLRIWW SJ LMW WOMR XLI UYMZIVMRK ½RKIVXMTW ,MW GEPPSYWIH TEPQW WXMPP WIIQ XS ZMFVEXI ZMKSVSYWP] SJJ SJ XLI EMV -X´W REXYVEP SJ GSYVWI UYMXI RSVQEP VIEPP] =IX - WXMPP HVE[ MR E FVIEXL [LIRIZIV LI VIEGLIW KVEFW LSPHW 'SQTP]MRK [MXL XLI RIIH] LERHW SJ SXLIVW LI TEWWIW E FYXXIV ORMJI XLI WEPX XLI HVIEHIH MRJEQSYWP] WYWTMGMSYW FS[P SJ ±&VSGGSPM 1YWL² Q] KVERHQE WS TVSYHP] ERH Q]WXIVMSYWP] GSRGSGXW 3YV WXIEH] ½RKIVW VIGIMZI XLIWI XLMRKW EW XLI GLMXXIV GLEXXIV GSRXMRYIW ERH WMPZIV[EVI GPERO GPEROW EKEMRWX KPEWW TPEXIW 0EYKLXIV RIZIV GIEWIW IZIV ERH WS WSQIXMQIW - XLMRO -´Q XLI SRP] SRI [LS RSXMGIW &YX XLIWI WMQTPI KIRIVSYW KIWXYVIW XLIWI SVHMREV] EGXW SJ WLEVMRK MXIQW SJ KMZMRK SJ TPEGMRK SJ TMGOMRK YT ERH TYXXMRK HS[R EVI WXVMTTIH EVI HVEMRIH SJ WMQTPMGMX] 6EXLIV XLI] WIIQ PMOI E GLSVI E FYVHIR 7SQIXMQIW MJ Q] ½RKIVW KVE^I LMW MR XLI I\GLERKI - WQMPI WPMKLXP] [MXL E WEHRIWW XLEX RS SRI GER VIKMWXIV ERH XLMRO XS Q]WIPJ What a poor poor poor thing to lack control 7SQIXMQIW - JIIP EW XLSYKL - GSYPH GV] VMKLX XLIVI MR JVSRX SJ Q] EYRXW Q] YRGPIW Q] GSYWMRW [LS LEZI EPP KVS[R YT WS HVEWXMGEPP] WS WYHHIRP] Everything and everyone seems as though they are moving in fast forward, just going going going as I sit XLIVI PMQT ERH LIPTPIWW GPMROMRK Q] FSSXW XSKIXLIV EPSRK [MXL XLI SVGLIWXVE XLI VIWSRERGI SJ HMRRIV MR Q] HIWTIVEXI EXXIQTX XS IWGETI JVSQ 3^ -´ZI RIZIV LIEVH Q] KVERHTE ]IPP RIZIV LIEVH LMQ WSF -X´W PMOI LMW IQSXMSRW°EPP SJ XLIQ°¾SSH WS SZIV [LIPQMRKP] XS LMW NSMRXW ERH ORYGOPIW TEPQW ERH [VMWXW -J LMW LERHW [IVI XS QEOI RSMWI XLI] [SYPH VIPE] E FY^^MRK WSYRH E WSJX ]IX WXIEH] LYQ LYQQMRK LYQ LYQQMRK 7XIEH] [LEX E JYRR] XLMRK % TIVWMWXIRX TYVV PMOI E GEV QSXSV SV E QER´W QIGLERMGEP VE^SV % WXIEH] LYQ JVSQ YRWXIEH] PMQFW 1] KVERHQE´W LERHW LEZI EP[E]W FIIR EW WSJX EW WMPO EW GSPH EW MGI ,IV XSYGL XLI WQSSXLRIWW SJ LIV WOMR QEOIW Q] [LSPI FSH] Q] [LSPI FIMRK WMKL [MXL E W[MJX I\LEPI SJ FVIEXL -X´W E GSQJSVX PMOI XVEMPMRK ]SYV ½R KIVXMTW WPS[P]°IZIV WS KIRXP]°EGVSWW XLI WYVJEGI SJ [EXIV 8LIVI´W WSQIXLMRK XLIVETIYXMG EFSYX LIV LERHW EP[E]W WQIPPMRK SJ PEZIRHIV ERH LSQI - MQEKMRI XLEX [LIR WLI XEOIW Q] KVERHTE´W XVIQSV TSWWIWWIH LERHW MR LIV S[R EPP XVIQFPMRK ZERMWLIW .YWX PMOI XLEX %PP XLI TEMR IZETSVEXIW ERH EW XLIMV ½RKIVW MRXIVX[MRI LI MW VIPMIZIH SJ [SVV] SJ WSVVS[ )ZIR MJ LIV TEPQW EVI GLMPPIH LMW WLMZIVW WXMPP GIEWI XS I\MWX %X PIEWX JSV E PMXXPI [LMPI 8LI] ½X XSKIXLIV WS IEWMP] WS REXYVEPP] It’s love - XLMRO ERH - WQMPI FYX XLMW XMQI WEHRIWW MWR´X LMHHIR FILMRH Q] PMTW 8LMW XMQI - EQ LETT] &IGEYWI XLI] EVI LETT] &IGEYWI LI MW LETT] Sometimes I stare down at my own hands and think, This is normal. =IX Q] QMRH EGLIW [MXL YRGIVXEMRX] [MXL JIEV -X´W WIP½WL SJ QI XS FI EJVEMH -J XVIQSVW XEOI SZIV Q] ½RKIVW XLI XSSPW XLEX - YWI XS I\TVIWW XS GVI ate, to live WS [LEX# 1] KVERHTE WXMPP PMZIW 6MKLX# %JXIV EPP QE]FI MX´W EPP MR Q] LIEH 1E]FI MX´W Q] QMRH XLEX´W WLEOIR XLEX´W VEXXPIH 1] XLSYKLXW EVI YRVIPMEFPI EX XMQIW WPMTTMRK XLVSYKL XLI ½RKIVXMTW SJ Q] QMRH %PP LE^I GVIITW KVEHYEPP] E[E] MRGL F] PMRKIVMRK MRGL ERH GPEVMX] MW NYWX [MXLMR VIEGL SRP] XS ZERMWL SRGI EKEMR QEWOIH FILMRH E HIRWI KEXI SJ JSK 8LI] XIEWI QI EW XLI] JEHI MR XLIR SYX XLIR MR EKEMR XLSYKLXW PMOI E ]S ]S 8LI] EVI PEGIH [MXL TVSQMWI SRP] XS FI VMTTIH E[E] WREXGLIH E[E] F] WSQI YRWIIR KVMT -X´W PMOI XIEVMRK E TEKI SYX SJ E RSZIP [MXLSYX [LMGL XLI WXSV] MW FVSOIR MRGSQTPIXI 8LMW QEOIW Q] TEPQW X[MXGL YRGSRXVSPPEFP] EW XLSYKL Q] FPSSH MW FSMPMRK But I’m calm, I think. -´Q ½RI. Why is it that I shake then? But the frightening thing, XLI QSWX XIVVMJ]MRK XLMRK MW XLEX XLI] LEZIR´X EP[E]W HSRI MX 8LI] LEZIR´X EP[E]W WLEOIR XLI] LEZIR´X EP[E]W UYMZIVIH 8LMW QEOIW QI JIIP EW XLSYKL Q] [LSPI FSH] Q] MRWMHIW EVI GSRZYPWMRK %RH - EQ EJVEMH
Nature’s Anatomy F] %PI\MW *EVEFEYKL
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
;EPOMRK XLVSYKL Q] JEZSVMXI TEXL MR XLI [SSHW - VIEPM^I - EQ NSYVRI]MRK XLVSYKL REXYVI´W EREXSQ] ;MXL MXW JIVZIRX VSSXW EW GLVSQSWSQIW %RH KVSYRH EW MXW QYWGPI QEWW - ½RH XLIVI EVI LMPPW ERH PYQTW MR XLI KVSYRH 8LEX EVI RSX VIKEVHIH WS FIEYXMJYPP] MR XLI LYQER FSH] %RH - IRZ] MXW GSR½HIRGI XS FVIEXLI With its breeze. %W - TVSGIIH HS[R XLI TEXL - ½RH XLEX - EQ XLI FPSSH [MXLMR MXW ZIMRW 8LEX - WYTTSVX MX [MXL PMJI YRPMOI SXLIV LYQERW ;LS ½PP XLI FPSSH WXVIEQW [MXL E WXEVPIWW WO] SJ ZIRSQ %JXIV Q] FVIEXLW EVI WLSVX - ½RH ZIWWIPW MR [LMGL - JIIP GSQTPIXIP] MQQIVWIH %RH MJ - XVIO JEV IRSYKL - [MPP FI EFPI XS FPMRO %RH ½RH Q]WIPJ [MXLMR MXW LIEVX - EWO Q]WIPJ ±,S[ GSYPH ER]SRI TSMWSR % PMZMRK FIMRK [LS NYWX [ERXW XS PSZI %RH FI PSZIH#² 7S XLI FPSSH TYQTW MR XLI XEPP XVIIW 8LEX SZIVPSSO [LEX´W PIJX SJ XLIMV GPIEV GYX GSYWMR - TPERX Q] FSH] YRHIV MXW WLEHI PMWXIRMRK GSRWSPMRK %RH IRH YT ½RHMRK Q]WIPJ
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8LI MGMGPIW LERK 4IRHYPSYW SR XLI LMKL[E] WGIRI 8LI XEYX NE[ Whispering the memories of a 8ERKIVMRI 'LMPHLSSH %W REXYVI´W HVYK SJ GLSMGI Cakes the rooftops Drips drips drips 8LI GLMQRI]W WMKREPMRK % [IPGSQI MRXS XLMW FVMKLX [SVPH
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We got the glow -R XLI GVYRGL FIRIEXL SYV XSIW 8LI HMWQEP HIEXL SJ PIEZIW 2S[ EPMKLX MR XLI TVIWIVZEXMSR Of some kind of optimist 7MRKMRK MR XLI JYVV] WPYQFIV +SH FPIWW XLI JVII 6L]XLQMG HERGMRK JVSQ XLI LIEZIRW +VEGMRK XVIIW 7XMPP KVIIR [MXL RSGXYVREP GLEVQ 8LI SXLIVW *YRR] WOIPIXSRW VIEGLMRK 8LI WXEVW Q] ERGIWXSVW -X´W XLI FIRIZSPIRX TYWL SJ XLI ¾EOI 8LIWI [LIIPW OIIT XYVRMRK Past the fermenting grain (VYRO SR XLI WGIRIV] - EHQMVI XLI FPIEGLIH KPS[ *ERKIH ¾YVVMIW 7XMGOMRK XS XLI KYQ SJ IEVXL Here I am 8LI TEPI WMWXIV 3J XLI XER WYRWLMRI KMVP
Prose & Cons
Everything works out so good I wear the robe like no one could 8LI UYMIX IQTVIWW +VEGMRK Q] FVMKLX TMERS LERHW 0MOI RMKLX %WL ERH 8EV 3HHP] WMRMWXIV MR XLI WYRWLMRI - WII XLI HIGEHIRGI SJ MVMHIWGIRX 7YKEVGERI KVEZMX] 1MRX] EMV SR Q] FVIEXL 8LIWI HSYKL] QSRXLW 'PSEOIH MR GIPIWXMEP KVEMR -´Q EPVMKLX Bathing ;MXLMR XLMW HMJJIVIRX OMRH SJ PMKLX GZRW 2:34pm 12/01/13 *IEXYVMRK P]VMGW JVSQ ±;LMXI 8IIXL 8IIRW² &] 0SVHI
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Something New &] 'LVMWXMER 'EWWMH] %QWXYX^
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
8LI [SVPH EVSYRH QI MW FVIEOMRK 7PS[P] HVMTTMRK XLIR WMROMRK into a ground that has been too oversaturated [MXL XLI VIEPMXMIW SJ SYV PMZIW So what was, [MPP SRP] TYHHPI KMZMRK YW HMVXMIH VI¾IGXMSRW of the past weeks °QSRXLW 4SSV [SVPH XLEX [EW ]SYV HIQMWI [EW MRIZMXEFPI to me, had it not been - HI½RMXIP] [SYPH LEZI PSWX -X 8EOI LIEVX XLEX ]SYV PSWW XLVSYKL XLEX GLERKI GVIEXIW ER IRXMVIP] RI[ XVERWMIRX [SVPH 1E]FI ]SY EVI KSRI FYX ]SYV EFWIRGI is not emptiness.
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Sawdust
AWDUST. SAWDUST. SAWDUST
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Sex Horoscopes
Find out how to change yourself so you’re sexier
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By Francesca Toscano
Aries
People always complain you’re too aggressive - little do they know, you’re boring as hell in the sack. Seriously, your army-Âlike way of dealing with people doesn’t mean you always have to stick to missionary. Spice it up this month! Channel your inner ram and thrust yourself violently into your suitor until it feels good.
Taurus
Your moody disposition can make your sexual encounters unpredictable - and not in a good way. One second you’re DTF, the next you’re in the fetal position cuddling a box of Franzia and crying over the ~one that got away~. Use it to your advantage! Use your tears as lube.
Gemini
Hot twins should be a sexy fantasy, but your dual-Âedged nature just leaves everyone confused. You say you just want a QRQ FRPPLWWDO Ă LQJ but then mid-Âorgasm you’re screaming “I LOVE YOUâ€? and on the verge of proposing. Keep your cool and try out role playing - then you can wear a wedding veil and not apologize for it.
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
Cancer
You have crabs.
Leo
You’re all about domination - if your last sexual encounter didn’t involve handcuffs, whipped cream, and a full-Âon gimp suit, you’re doing it wrong. This time let your partner take control - put tape over your
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mouth and shut the fuck up for once.
Virgo
You’ve got a stick up your ass, and not the good kind. Stop planning and analyzing every aspect of your sex life and have fun! Take your top off, have sex with a stranger and don’t use protection (kidding‌ kind of). Live, love, YOLO.
Capricorn
You seem really introverted, but actually it’s because you’re so damn narcissistic that you don’t need actual human interaction. Well, you’re in luck! Go under your covers and try out some new porn sites. Then, become a sex addict, never leave your bed and become the star of a new TLC special.
Aquarius
You may share a namesake with an You’re known as the epitome of iconic song from the musical Hair, but that doesn’t give you license EDODQFH EXW \RXU VH[ OLIH LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ to completely ignore off-Âkilter this month. personal grooming. Believe it or not, Seriously, your pubes masturbation does are practically seeping NOT count as “getting out of your too-Âtight some.â€? Time to be undergarments. I social and have an know this is a sex adult sleepover! Get column, but your fashion your hands out of your sense is so shitty that you should pants and your ass to a party. probably reconsider all of your choices up to this point.
Libra
Scorpio
You are a revengeful son of a bitch. Normally this makes you completely painful to be around, but in the bedroom this can actually be helpful! Bed your enemy, and right before you’re about to get it on, stand up and leave. That’ll show ‘em.
Sagittarius
You’re fearless, which is probably why you never make it to the second date. You’re way too eager to share your kinky and downright nasty preferences. Instead of pouring hot wax on an unsuspecting blind date, try not WR JR SDVW ÀUVW EDVH On the second date, ravish them with your weirdness.
Pisces
You’re incredibly artistic and open- minded, you kinky hussy. One day you’re painting your lover with sex chocolate, the next you’re orchestrating an orgy with the high school’s marching band. Keep doing you, you wild sex beast. _________________________________ Francesca Toscano is a senior IMC major who just wants you to have the best sex ever. Email her at ftoscan1@ ithaca.edu.
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The entire female population goes crazy for Michael Fassbender’s penis
By Rachel Mucha
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ichael Fassbender: the only name that can make women orgasm with just one mention. If you are unfamiliar with the 6-Âfoot-Â1, 36-Âyear-Âold Irish/German actor with the piercing blue eyes, adorable ginger beard, beautifully sculpted body and large penis, then you are really missing out. Not only is Fassbender (fondly referred to as “Fassyâ€? by his adoring obsessive fans) a brilliant actor, he is WKH XQRIĂ€FLDO VH[LHVW PDQ RQ WKH SODQHW however, he has never been bestowed People magazine’s top honor. Rumor has it Adam Levine and Fassy were both considered for the Sexiest Man Alive issue this past year, but Michael was GLVTXDOLĂ€HG IRU EHLQJ WRR VH[\ /HYLQH RI course denies the rumors, and various investigative reporters have given him a VOLJKW EUHDN ZLWK WKLV WKH\ Ă€JXUH WKDW he has already fallen far enough with those Proactiv commercials. “We’ll just let Adam do his thing,â€? ABC World News reporter Christiane Amanpour stated a few days after the issue was announced. “He has been embarrassed enough.â€? So what started this epidemic of Fassbender Fever? None other than Steve 0F4XHHQ¡V Ă€OP Shame. The movie
centers around a man named Brandon (Fassbender) who has lots of sex and walks around naked all the time. This Ă€OP KDV IDFHG PDQ\ KDUVK FULWLFLVPV being described as “overly sexualâ€? and “basically just porn.â€? However, it won over the Hollywood Foreign Press Association* and Fassy was nominated for a Golden Globe. The controversial movie created enough buzz that thousands of underage girls were sneaking into the theater to VHH WKH 1& Ă LFN 'XULQJ REVHUYDWLRQV as the girls were exiting the theater, they heard almost all of them repeating the same thing: “I have never been so sure that I am straight in my entire life.â€? It turns out these reactions were not limited to teenage girls. After more research, it was discovered that women everywhere had the exact same response. Fassbender Fever didn’t even stop there. There were reports that thousands of lesbian and bisexual women were declaring that they now preferred men, PRUH VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ PHQ ZKR KDYH D SHQLV like Michael Fassbender’s. Though the movie was released three years ago, the Fever is still as rampant as ever. Mindy Kaling has made dozens of references to Michael’s penis on her show The Mindy
Project. As a matter of fact, women have been talking about his penis so much that Michael made a plea for the entire female population to stop being so obsessed with him. In an article entitled “Michael Fassbender Wishes People Would Stop Talking About His Penis Already,â€? Fassy discusses how it makes him uncomfortable and he desperately wants women to stop objectifying him. 2K 0LFKDHO ZKDW D WHDVH WKH PDQ GRHV D WZR KRXU Ă€OP FRPSOHWHO\ QDNHG and then demands silence. Regardless of Michael’s feeble attempts, his penis will surely remain a permanent topic of conversation for the next hundred years. As of now, there is no foreseeable cure for Fassbender Fever. *It may be worthwhile pointing out that during that year, the HFPA was comprised of 12 women and seven gay men. It is unknown whether this at all affected Michael’s nomination. ________________________________________ Rachel Mucha is a freshman journalism major who is petitioning the FCC to allow Michael Fassbender to appear nude in HYHU\ Ă€OP (YHU (PDLO KHU DW UPXFKD # ithaca.edu.
The Studio is for Porn
Ithaca College offers stunning new major By Chris Thomas
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he Park School is proud to present its newest major to Ithaca College: pornography. Head of Obscure Majors Clark Heathenstein said that he cannot wait to see the films the students create, for scientific reasons of course. The major was approved when a group of alumni met last Tuesday to unanimously welcome the major into existence. On his way out of the conference room, one of the alumni was in deep conversation with another about the excellent storytelling of True Blood. Many students are enjoying the new opportunity. Todd Hoffer said that he has been relishing the opportunity to create his own type of film ever since he was inspired by James Van Der Beek’s character on Dawson’s Creek. “After watching Dawson I realized I wanted to create films when I grew up. I chose pornography for scientific reasons of course.� When he started discussing his film ideas, the teachers “didn’t really get� his concept, and did not allow him to film on school property.
Now a freshman at Park, Hoffer and fellow aspiring porn producers can create the wildest films of their dreams. Under the helpful guidance of professor Burke Fitz, students can concentrate in three specific areas: mainstream, artistic and fetishes. Fitz has been a porn director for 11 years, creating Woody Award-Âwinning films such as Forrest Hump, The Curious Case of Benjamin’s Button and Foreplay: A Musical. Fitz’s main goal for the major is to change porn as we know it, for the better. Better actors, better plot points and most importantly more porn. His classes will include Intro to Foreplay, Mathematics: 1 to 69 and ASMR: The Art of Eargasms. If the major is a success, schools such as Syracuse University and Emerson College may begin incorporating the program into their communications schools. Not everyone is sold on the porn major however. “I drove all the way from California to protest about my daughter’s recent interest in the porn major,â€? yelled Gertrude
Stravinsky, mother of Clarice Stravinsky who has gone by the nickname Amber Vanilla for the past two years. Gertrude claims that Vanilla was a straight-ÂA student who recently started training for the exotic dancing club and was on a good track until Ithaca College came around. “When she heard about the porn program, she immediately put all her morals aside and did what her heart wanted.â€? Some church-Âgoing parents claim that porn is not the Christian way. Some atheist parents claim that porn is not the atheist way either. When all is said and done, the newest porn majors hope to prove their parents wrong. “I can’t wait to act in my first film this fall,â€? Vanilla told Sawdust. “Once I show my parents, they’ll be proud of how hard I worked for this!â€? ___________________________________________ Chris Thomas is a sophomore TV-ÂR major who doesn’t need a degree to follow his [wet] dreams. Email him at cthomas5@ithaca.edu.
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Sawdust
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Have No Shame
Hail Mary Full of Tzatziki
Stunning new reports suggest Zeus is the actual Holy Father of Jesus
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By Grace Rychwalski
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BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
ORDES, FRANCE -Â- The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior to many and revisionist troublemaker to some, appeared to three young women, about 16, in a pasture this week and confessed to them that Zeus may, in fact, be the real father of the Messiah. The girls, who had been speaking of their own sex lives when the incident occurred, were shocked when the Israeli woman appeared to them in a Ă DVK RI JROGHQ OLJKW “We were just, like, minding our own business, talking about when we’d last had a French tickler – well, here, we just call that a tickler, you know,â€? said ThĂŠrĂŠse Baudin, 15, apparition spectator and local sexual dyanmo. “[Mary] showed up and started gabbing about how Joseph hasn’t touched her since Jesus was born. ‘It’s been millenia!’ she yelled, as if we could relate. Then, out of nowhere, [she] confessed that she isn’t exactly sure who the father [of Jesus] is.â€? According to the eye witnesses, Mary is further quoted in saying: “I just feel really guilty and need to dish, you know? Joan of Arc and Mother Teresa just aren’t picking up what I’m putting down.â€? While no paternity test results have been reported, there is growing suspicion that these claims may be true. T h e
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Lady of Lourdes has not appeared VLQFH DQG QR RIĂ€FLDO VWDWHPHQW KDV been made by the Holy Family, despite the media’s efforts to shed some light on the situation. Hera, wife and public relations manager of Zeus, has come out on behalf of the Greek god, saying: “There is no possible connection between my husband and this supposedly- virginal woman. After the whole swan catastrophe, I have personally held him under close wraps and can attest to his innocence.â€? The goddess later stated an alibi, claiming that 2000- some odd years ago, around when the conception of Jesus occurred, Zeus was “punishing some peasants for WKHLU PHDJHU VDFULĂ€FHV RQH RI KLV favorite hobbies.â€? There is much concern regarding the reaction of the King of the Jews himself. With a current worldwide following of about 2.1 billion people and a strong Judeo-ÂChristian platform, the Son of Man has a lot at stake. Although no formal release has been made, some sources spotted Christ in New York City this week during one of his famous bicentennial visits, clad in yellow corduroy pants, a baja jacket that resembled the -DPDLFDQ Ă DJ DQG EURZQ Ă LS Ă RSV He was overheard in saying: “So what if I turn out to be a Greek demi-Âgod? Why does that change my life’s work? If anything this would make me even more badass.â€? He spread a hearty amount of cream cheese onto his genuine New York bagel, continuing: “You don’t get to read about the time I fought the dragon or that kid I turned to stone in the New Testament. . . Now, those would make some hella myths.â€? The 2014-Âyear-Âold deity adjusted His beanie before grabbing His iced coffee and exiting the establishment without commenting further. This still leaves the question, however, of the other two-Âthirds of the Holy Trinity. God prophesied for a virgin woman to bear Him a son, but if not Mary, then who? Although there are many suppositions by the media, one name continually Image by Lizzie Cox resurfaces: Lady Gaga. Although the singer/songwriter/Cirque Du
Soleil performer claims to be only 27, there is question about her real age. Gaga’s fashion styles, music, and general life choices seem to hint at an other-Âworldly knowledge she somehow possesses. Can this possibly be from walking the Earth for the last two millenia, never realizing her true purpose? The surrogate mother of God was destined to be assumed, body and spirit, into Heaven. Does that mean that the pop star’s mortal form is impervious to decomposition, granting her immortality until KHU PLVVLRQ LV IXOĂ€OOHG" +HU PDQ\ references to Christianity within her 2011 album Born This Way indicate that this is exactly the case. The “Mother Monsterâ€? could not be reached for comment. To further discredit the Virgin Mother’s story, Mary claimed to be impregnated by the Holy Spirit. However, sources indicate that the Holy Ghost was not where he claimed to be that day. At the time of conception, the Spirit was allegedly “becoming oneâ€? with an anonymous man, as He was known to do, inspiring WKH SDUDPRXU WR ZULWH Ă€FWLRQDO VWRULHV “from which the people can learn valuable lessons.â€? It is supposed that during this particular incident, the Book of Proverbs was created. With all the evidence against her, the Lady of Guadalupe’s reputation is hanging in the balance. Zeus is best known for his consorts with mortal women, and, despite Hera’s statement, it is believed that after running the mill of Mediterranean women, he branched out to Palestine for a taste of something exotic. As for the motives of Mary, what better way to mask the embarrassment of being just another Greek god’s bootycall than to claim a role in the redemption of humankind? ____________________________________ Grace Rychwalski is a freshman writing major who doesn’t think anyone has the right to tell anyone else whose god they should have the child of. Email her at grychwa1@ithaca.edu.
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Brace Yourself: Everyone’s Coming
Game of Thrones porn spinoff features less sex than actual show
By Rachel Maus
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opular HBO show Game of Thrones has been the source of much controversy over the last three seasons. The series, inspired by George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series features scenes of blood, violence, torture, death and most importantly sex. So, it was no surprise when popular porn mogul Jack Mehoff came up with the idea for an erotic spinoff, aptly titles Game of Hoes. He could never anticipate just how much sex he would have to include in order to rival the popular television show. “I mean they have a brother and sister shagging,” Mehoff says. “How can we compete with that? That’s too messed up. And I made a reality series based on the Saw franchise. But with sex!” Included in the porn are versions
of all the popular characters viewers have grown to love and despise. There’s the dwarf, Tyrion Bangister, Brienne the Tart, Jon Blow, Petyr “Littleweiner” Baelish and of course the evil king Jack-offry. The story WDNHV SODFH LQ WKH ÀFWLRQDO ZRUOG RI Sexterose, and includes everything from mythical bestiality to the classic princess rescue scenes. Reportedly, the scene entitled “The Red Bedding” is amongst the most disturbing, featuring an orgy of “fertile women” if you catch my drift. Unfortunately for Mehoff and the entire cast and crew of Game of Hoes, and its subsequent spinoffs Ass of Kings, Storm of “Swords,” Feast of Below, and A No-Pants Dance with Dragons, it seems as though all of their attempts to capitalize on the popular series are to no avail.
“I honestly thought I had just stumbled on a leaked stream of Season 4,” Game of Thrones fan Georgie McFaddington revealed. “All the sex didn’t even faze me. I mean, have you seen the series? So many tits, man. Though now that I think about it, there were more wieners than usual…” When asked to comment, George R. R. Martin responded by asking who Mehoff’s favorite character was, presumably to plan for their slow and painful death. ____________________________________ Rachel Maus is a junior Cinema & Photography major that could get into the whole role-playing thing. Email her at rmaus1@ithaca.edu.
Match Me if you Can
Man discovers online girlfriend is actually Tom Hanks By Caitlin Vetere
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Beverly Hills Starbucks under the pseudonym “YouveGotMale69.” A transcription of their conversation reveals some torrid details: YouveGotMale69: Hey, baby, I can make u ‘Big (1988)’ Moonslayer2342: Lol yea. Bet u GHÀDQWO\ FDQ ,W·V VR QLFH WR PHHW D nice girl like u. Got pics? YouveGotMale69: If ur Turner, i’ll be ur hooch lol YouveGotMale69: Are u Buzzed? &X] X JLYH PH D :RRG\
Moonslayer2342: U mean u give me 1??? lol ur the chick. YouveGotMale69: R u a mermaid? bc I’ll be ur Captain (Phillips) YouveGotMale69: they call me lieutenant dan bc I have magic legs lol. YouveGotMale69: uhhhh yea sure hahaha did i tell u i was in ‘sleepless in seattle??’ Moonslayer2342: word? lol what r u wearing?
have guessed. He kept making these weird references to his movies, saying things like calling himself ‘Big,’ or ‘Woody,’ or ‘I was in Sleepless in Seattle.’ You know, weird double- entendres like that. I’m pretty disappointed. He said his name was Jenny Gump, which I now realize is one of the main characters from Forrest Gump. Damn it. Still, I guess it is a little bit cool. How many other people can say they were involved in a whirlwind romance with America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks?” Hanks has been unavailable for comment, but was reportedly seen in a black hoodie at a pharmacy purchasing a card for a three-month subscription to the World of Terror Pro site. ____________________________________ Caitlin Vetere is a sophomore TV-R major who is lookin for love on all the wrong websites. Email her at cvetere1@ithaca.edu.
“Yeah, so it turns out ‘YouveGotMale69’ was actually Tom Hanks,” Framingham said. “I should
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s it forbidden love, like Romeo and Juliet? Or is it, well, something else? Norman “Moonslayer2342” Framingham, 23, thought his relationship with virtual girlfriend, “YouveGotMale69” is a love story for the ages. According to Framingham, “YouveGotMale69 is real and she is my girlfriend. What we have is real.” “YouveGotMale69” and Norm met through the online game World of Terror Pro. “I knew I was in love when she defeated Orazag, the evil troll as he was about to destroy me with his hammer of eternal darkness. We’re pretty much soulmates. It’s the best and longest relationship I’ve ever had. Real females just stick me in the friendzone. ‘YouveGotMale69’ is the only gal for me,” said Framingham. “It’s getting pretty serious. We’re going to meet soon.” Unfortunately, Framingham didn’t UHDOL]H WKDW KH ZDV FDWÀVKHG E\ QRQH RWKHU WKDQ SRSXODU ÀOP DFWRU DQG America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks. Mr. Hanks was caught by TMZ playing “World of Terror Pro” on his hot neon pink, bedazzled Macbook Pro in a
I’ll Take You to the Sandwich Shop
Desperate college student buys condoms from Sub Connection
By Katie Talay
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ate this Thursday evening, employees at campus sandwich shop/convenient store, Sub Connection, reported that someone KDG Ă€QDOO\ SXUFKDVHG D SDFN RI condoms from the store. According WR UHSRUWV WKLV ZDV WKH Ă€UVW WLPH anyone has ever bought condoms from Sub Connect. Debbie Anders, 22, was working the night of the historic purchase. “I’ve been working here for 2-Âand-Âa-Âhalf years and no one has ever bought condoms,â€? she said. “I have no idea how long these have been here. I really hope they haven’t expired.â€? Debbie went on to claim that, “Nothing says ‘I had no idea I’d be having sex tonight, more than buying condoms from a campus sandwich place.â€? The purchase was made by Nathan Gennings, a socially awkward computer science major. “He was super out of breath and looked really
excited and nervous when he came in,â€? explained Debbie. “After I rang him up, I said ‘have a nice night’ and he said ‘oh, I will’ and then winked at me,â€? she said, continuing, “It was disgusting.â€? According to the awkward freshman, who before Thursday had previously had sex one and a half times, he had recently begun texting back and forth with a girl from his personal essay class named Miranda. Gennings explained that Miranda asked if he wanted to “hang out and watch 1HWĂ L[ RU ZKDWHYHU $QG ZKDWHYHU And whatever,â€? Gennings explained. “I should have known she wanted the D!â€? he shouted loudly in the library where this interview took place. He continued, “when she asked to hang out, I thought maybe we’d make out or do some hand stuff. I never thought we’d actually ‘do the deed’!â€? Nathan said, using an embarrassingly
outdated euphemism for sex. About thirty minutes into that terrible Friday Night Lights episode where Landry kills a guy, they began to hook up. Nathan was surprised when things progressed and Miranda said those magic words: “do you have a condom?â€? It was this that prompted Nathan to run down to Sub Connect, not before pressing pause on Friday Night Lights to “save the mood.â€? Nathan returned to Sub Connect later that night to get a victory chicken BLT. Witnesses noted that he looked decidedly smug. In a hopefully unrelated story, the Ă€UVW SXUFKDVH RI D KRPH SUHJQDQF\ test was just reported at Mac’s. ____________________________________ Katie Talay is a senior TV-ÂR major who would have at least gone to the Health Center for free condoms. Email her at ktalay1@ithaca.edu.
Top Ten Sex Scenes on Television By Lizzy Rosenberg
BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue
10. Rugrats -Â Whichever episode it
was when Dee-ÂDee and Stew Pickles decided to conceive baby brother Dill 3LFNOHV OHDGLQJ WR WKH IHDWXUH Ă€OP The Rugrats Movie. Nobody is quite sure in what episode the Pickles parents decided to “do the nasty,â€? but the birthing scene following that fateful fornication was incredibly existential. 9. Spongebob Squarepants - Any episode that involves protagonist Spongebob and his “side-Âkickâ€? Pat- ULFN JRLQJ ´MHOO\ Ă€VKLQJ Âľ 7KDW KDV to be a euphemism for something‌ Don’t let it “stingâ€? you! 8. I Love Lucy - Whenever Lucy and Ricky “go to bed.â€? No seriously, WKRXJK WKH\ UHDOO\ DUH MXVW JRLQJ WR bed—a couple sharing a bed would far too risquĂŠ for the retro public eye. What do you think this is, The Mun- sters?! 7. Diners, Drive-ÂIns and Dives - Every episode! Have you picked up on Guy Fieri’s passionate food fetish? Watch- ing Fieri’s face contort through an evi- dent food-Âgasm every time he takes a bite of some sort of steaming meaty
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sandwich could stimulate lust within any sane person’s loins. 6. That ‘70s Show season 7, episode 24 - As a going away present, just be- fore Eric goes away, Donna wants to surprise Eric by dressing as Princess Leia. Needless to say, some out-Âof- this-Âworld role-Âplay ensues. Although nobody admits it, most people would have loved to see Eric Foreman’s star trooper. 5. Full House - Any scene that cuts from Uncle Jesse sensually mutter- ing to Becky â€œâ€Ś Have mercy.â€? Widely known as the John Stamos Effect, the majority of Uncle Jesse’s sensual dia- logue instantly put most sexual mam- mals into heat. Me-Âow. 4. Arrested Development SLORW VHDVRQ HSLVRGH DQG WKH VHDVRQ Ă€QDOH - the many times George Michael Jr. and Maebe kiss. Weren’t they sup- SRVHG WR EH FRXVLQV" ,W¡V RND\ ZH Ă€QG out later that she was adopted from the beginning‌ Plus, there’s always money in the banana stand, if you catch my drift. 3. 30 Rock VHDVRQ HSLVRGH /L] Ă€-Â
nally recognizes her organizational fe- tish, and makes sweet love to partner .ULVV LQ 2IĂ€FH 'HSRW VXUURXQGHG E\ YDULRXV W\SHV RI RIĂ€FH VXSSOLHV FKHDS GHVN GHFRUDWLRQV DQGÂŤ WKH 2IĂ€FH 'H- pot employees? Spicy! This episode is what sparked the classic quote, “What GR \RX WKLQN WKLV LV DQ 2IĂ€FH 0D["Âľ 2. The O.C. season 1 episode 19 - When Summer and Seth both lose WKHLU YLUJLQLWLHV WR HDFK RWKHU WKH\ were both a little bit confused, de- VFULELQJ WKH H[SHULHQFH DV ´à RSS\Âľ WR their peers. Nevertheless, it was cute, pure, incredibly steamy and induced the exclamation most teens of 2004 would have loved to shout in bed‌ “COHEN!â€? 1. Merekat Manor - Let’s be honest, Merekat fornication is the fourth most popular animal porn in the U.S‌ Ti- moan? ____________________________________ Lizzy Rosenberg is a sophomore IMC major who fantasized about the Rugrats’ conceptions. Email her at erosenb1@ithaca.edu.
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Buzzsaw Asks Why...
Ithaca hasn’t started a BDSM club yet? by Lizzie Cox & Tilden Lincoln
by Rachel Maus
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No matter how much we wish it would, it’s clear that the 50 Shades of Grey fad is going nowhere anytime soon. Especially with the GVMRKI MRHYGMRK ½PQ ZIVWMSR underway for a 2015 release, it begs the question, exactly how obsessed with this bondage fad has our country become? Popular tween store Claire’s even has their own line of 50 Shades themed accessories. If that’s not messed up, I’m not sure what is. One of the other telltale signs is the emergence of several BDSM student organizations popping up across the country. Harvard (yes Harvard) recently gained attention for their approval of a kink-themed club, Harvard College Munch, and they are far JVSQ XLI ½VWX XS HS WS Schools like University of Minnesota, Tufts, and fellow Ivy League school Columbia University also have their own variations of the club. This begs the important question, since Ithaca College is so concerned with amping up its prestige, shouldn’t we hop on the sex swing and start our own BDSM club? Think about it. We could be just like Harvard. And the puns are limitless. IC Leather, Sex Toy H. Park, Ithaca College S&M Center. Don’t even get me started on what could be done with Dillingham. Something to consider adding to the IC 20/20 plan.
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BUZZSAW: The Sex Issue