Feature Guide 2013

PULP presents

SELF CHECK-IN

FALL 2013 | FEATURE GUIDE

It's crunch time. Improve yourself as a whole to finish the semester with a bang CHILL OUT page 3 Re-examine expectations about love. Expand horizons by trying new things and relax with these tips.

SHAPE UP page 6 Stay healthy with mindful eating habits in the dining hall and consistent exercise in your daily routine.

THINK BIGGER page 10 Get to know yourself and open your mind through professors' reading suggestions and a personality quiz.

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pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

t h e i n de pe n de n t s t u de n t n e w spa pe r of s y r ac use , n e w yo r k

Feature Editor Presentation Director Photo Editor Art Director Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor Asst. Photo Editor Design Editor Asst. Copy Editor Asst. Copy Editor

Casey Fabris

Maddy Berner

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

Kristin Ross Lizzie Hart Chase Gaewski Andy Casadonte Joe Infantino Katie Richards Sam Maller Mara Corbett Lara Sorokanich Jessica Cabe

Editor’s Note: I get it. College is hard. Everyone knows it and everyone complains about it. The tests, the readings, the late nights in Club Bird. However, when the amount of studying on your plate gets in the way of actually living your life to its full potential, there’s a problem.

College goes beyond the extensive amount of studying that comes with the territory. It is the time to remake yourself; your mind, body and soul. Since midterms are over, it’s time to refocus your energy and think about YOU. The Pulp staff is here to help. Read on to find how you can think bigger, shape up and chill out.

Cheers,

Kristin Ross FEATURE EDITOR

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HOW TO LOVE J

ess Greenlaw came to Syracuse University thinking she had found her perfect match. She and her boyfriend had been dating since their junior year of high school, and decided to stay together when they went to different colleges. But during their sophomore years, the two split up, and suddenly Greenlaw found herself single for the first time in four years.

She spent the next two years making the most of her single status, and in that time learned a lot about herself. Now a senior, Greenlaw is dating someone new and is excited to give

relationships another shot.

Greenlaw’s story isn’t unique. Many college students spend their four years bouncing between single life and commitment. But the jury is still out about which relationship status is more beneficial. While some relish their single status and “make the most of their college years” by mingling with as many people as they can, others bemoan their singularity, daydreaming of meeting their other half.

There are those who swear their time at school has been completed by their signifi-

cant other, while others fear that a relationship will limit their experience. In the mix of opinions, it can be hard to figure out who’s having a better time.

“Relationships overall are an important part of what it is to be human,” said professor Joseph Fanelli, an instructor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. “I do think the purpose of life is to have prolonged and intimate relationships. A feeling of belonging is an important part of who we are.”

Fanelli teaches CFS 425: “Lust, Love and

It’s OK to be together

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chill out Relationships,” as well as several other courses that cover the nature of sexual attraction and relationships. He said that though sexual relationships can be gratifying, it is more important for individuals to find people who make them feel known and accepted, be they friends, partners or any other kind of bond.

It’s tough to know which path is right for you, but Pulp has spoken to some students who know from experience. The conclusion was evident: It’s OK to be together. It’s OK to be alone.

It’s OK to be alone

Relationships create new experiences, offer support system, consistency

Don’t stress out about being single, enjoy alone time for self-discovery

By Lara Sorokanich

By Katie Richards

eather Pyle and Anthony Odorisi can read each other’s minds. Or at least, they say, that’s how it seems.

Watching them interact, it wouldn’t be hard to believe. As they chat back and forth they pass knowing glances and finish the other’s thoughts out loud.

“We met at a frat party, and we became inseparable,” Odorisi said. “We just kept talking the whole night and haven’t stopped since.”

Odorisi and Pyle, now seniors, met during their sophomore years and have been together ever since. As a couple, they say they’ve gotten the opportunity to grow in the past three years in ways they may not have experienced if they had never met.

“It’s a lot of little things put together,” Odorisi said. “It’s not just one thing that makes it great, it’s all the little things that add up.”

Not all couples get to experience college together, though. Allie Gendreau and her boyfriend Matt Gross have spent the past semester learning to be a couple while apart.

Gendreau met Gross in fall 2012 while studying abroad in London as a junior.

Gross, who was a senior at the time, was dating someone else, and Gendreau had a boyfriend of her own. The two became fast friends and carried on their companionship after they returned to campus in the spring.

After breaking up with their respective partners for various reasons, the two got together and have remained a couple.

Since then, Gross has graduated and moved to Chicago, while Gendreau is finishing her senior year at Syracuse University. Missing her boyfriend is hard, Gendreau said, but it is not as difficult as she thought, likely because of the feelings the two have for each other.

“He and I can be really weird together, and it’s comfortable,” she said with a smile. “There’s nothing with him that I

s she sat at Table 47 in the Shakespeare Head pub in Holborn, London, during her semester abroad, Jess Greenlaw found a guy who made her feel happy once again.

This is where Greenlaw, a senior interior design major, met her current boyfriend James. They connected instantly, she said, and it was exactly what she needed after a series of bad breakups and not-so-serious connections. And while the distance can make the relationship challenging — he lives in London — Greenlaw said that because she took the time to be single and focus on herself, she has become more confident and ready for any challenge that life throws at her.

But the journey to reach this point did not come without struggle and heartbreak.

Greenlaw arrived at Syracuse two years into a serious, long-distance relationship, separated by 143 miles from her now ex-boyfriend for the first two years of college. But one day, during her sophomore year, the two split and Greenlaw’s world was turned upside down.

“I was single for about a year and a half and went a little crazy,” she said. “I dated a bunch of different types of guys, some who were really shitty people, some who were very casual and some who wanted more than I did.”

In the end, the difficult times she faced as a single college student were worth it. They helped her refocus what she really wanted out of life. Greenlaw said her time overseas without a partner to rely on gave her a freedom she had never experienced before. It gave her the chance to go anywhere and do anything, no strings attached.

“Honestly, I needed that to just get crazy college crap out of my system,” Greenlaw said.

“I learned so much about myself, but I also learned the type of guy I’d like to be with one day and about who I want to be.”

Other students have found that using their time abroad to be single and independent really brings into focus what’s important

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ASST. COPY EDITOR

SEE TOGETHER PAGE 11

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photo illustration by chase gaewski | photo editor

ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

SEE ALONE PAGE 11

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pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

OUT OF THE BOX Students push personal boundaries, share adventurous experiences

chill out

By Joe Infantino ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

Students are always advised to try new things in college, but too many fall into a safe routine.

The truth is, experimenting with new ideas, cultures and activities can change the way you see the world.

These three students challenged themselves to get out of their comfort zones. All three found these to be life-changing decisions.

FREE FALLING

She wasn’t falling. She was flying.

“I was scared for like one second,” Mei Wang said. “Then it felt like flying in the sky.”

It was Aug. 25, the last day of Summer Break, and Wang, a graduate student in the magazine, newspaper and online journalism program, will never forget it. With an instructor tied to her back, she jumped from a small, fourpassenger airplane. She fell at about 120 mph for approximately one minute, and then, with her parachute deployed, floated gracefully to the ground for another six minutes.

After traveling abroad alone and diving in the ocean, skydiving was the next item on Wang’s to-do list. As one last hurrah before classes started, she and a few of her friends decided to make the short trip to Skydive Central New York in Weedsport, N.Y. “We just thought we needed to do this, just to show we have the courage,” Wang said.

Wang is from China and has only been in the United States for the last three months.

That tap on her shoulder indicating it was time to jump is one of her first memories of New York.

The jump was more than a chance to try an extreme sport. It was a chance to prove to herself that she had what it took to thrive in her new home. Still planning what she’ll do next — whether it’s finding a job or learning to skydive solo — Wang is much more relaxed about her future.

“Every time you finish something which challenges you, you feel more confident,” Wang said. “You feel like you can do more and that you should always try to be open. A lot of things are not as dangerous or difficult as you might have thought.”

JUST DANCE

Every week, Theresa LaPuma is surprised when she watches the tapes from her last dance practice.

“I’m shocked that I can actually do it,” LaPuma said. “I really didn’t think I could, but I actually picked it up pretty well.”

LaPuma, a senior psychology major, wanted to learn how to tap dance before graduating in May. She picked up hip-hop and jazz, as well.

Despite never taking a dance class before in her life, she is now a member of the Orange Pulse Dance Troupe, a non-audition club on campus.

With a background in gymnastics, LaPuma said she needed to learn to focus her movement.

Tap has no room for sloppiness, she said, because every movement makes a different sound.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” she said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be people judging me because I’ve never danced before.”

What LaPuma likes most about Orange Pulse — and tap — is how it has thrust her into a completely new social group. She said that every year she’s been at Syracuse University, she’s expanded her circle of friends by trying something new.

After practice, she’ll often go out to eat with her dance friends. When they hang out on weekends, it offers her a different dynamic than she is used to.

“I couldn’t meet enough people before I graduate,” she said. “The more people I meet, the better. I only wish I had done this earlier.”

CULTURED

Aaron Frank can see people for who they are.

Frank, a senior television, radio and film major, traveled to Wales last fall as a part of SU Abroad’s ENCOMPASS Program, which brings together four students from five nations including Indonesia, Israel, Palestine the United Kingdom and the United States.

The program’s goal is to spark intercultural dialogue about real-world issues and to build a more tolerant future.

“Before, I would have maybe categorized these people very quickly and said, ‘Oh they’re this type of person, they must be X, Y and Z,’” Frank said.

The 10-day trip was filled with discussions and workshops meant to create an

environment to exchange ideas. Frank said because there were so many distinctive cultures mixing together, the dialogues often resulted in debate.

Students who took part in the program spoke about topics such as religious tolerance, universal health care and adoption rights for same-sex couples. Frank said some issues sparked furious arguments. His most eyeopening experience, though, occurred when he and his roommate on the trip walked out of a particularly heated discussion.

“My roommate, who was Palestinian, told me his mom would have paid him around $5,000 to stay home because she knew there were going to be Jews on the program,” Frank said. “It was real. And I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he made that leap.’ That was very hopeful to me.”

Although the program opened Frank’s mind, he said the trip resulted in split opinions about what the future holds. On one hand, he is optimistic that students like himself are taking steps toward peace. But on the other hand, he is worried some people are too irrational and closed-minded to change.

People like that on the trip “tore his soul.”

Said Frank: “Everyone should do some type of dialogue with different cultures because it really shows how little we know about a certain type of person or culture.”

— Feature Editor Kristin Ross contributed reporting to this story jtinfant@syr.edu @joeinfantino

Decompress your stress Ten simple tips for quick relaxation, clear mind 1. Call up someone you love Sometimes college takes you away from the people around which you can really be yourself.

Whether it’s your mom, best friend from high school or long-distance significant other, there’s somebody out there whose voice alone will instantly raise your spirits. Don’t just text this person, make time for a phone call. You might be surprised how much better you feel.

2. Take a bubble bath It might be a cliché, but taking a bubble bath really will rejuvenate your spirit. You need some time with no expectations from social media. Between roommates, classmates and all the other people with whom you’re constantly in contact, being alone in a hot bath for just 30 minutes will do wonders for your soul. Make sure you light some candles and put on relaxing music to perfect the mood.

3. Make a list of what you’re thankful for You hear this all the time, but chances are, you’ve never actually done it. Sometimes all the stressors in your life — homework, internships, a job, bills, student loan debt, relationship troubles, the worst roommate ever, etc. — make it hard to remember that your life isn’t entirely awful. It’s easy to take the little things for granted, so take a moment to write down everything for which you’re thankful.

4. Take a walk The days are getting shorter and the temperature is consistently dropping, but there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outside.

Headphones are optional, as sometimes music

serves as the perfect soul-soother, but it’s also refreshing to be in tune with your surroundings. The mere act of walking can make you feel much better after spending so much time in front of a computer or with your nose in a textbook.

5. Meditate There are all kinds of ways to meditate, but it doesn’t need to be a big deal. The next time you have 10 free minutes, go to a quiet place where you can be alone. Get in a comfortable position, either sitting or lying, and close your eyes.

Envision your breath as a stream as you inhale and exhale steadily. Try to clear your mind, but don’t fight distractions. Let them come to you, and then let them go.

6. Listen to music Find that album you know by heart, the one you listened to constantly when it came out, the one associated with tons of good memories or maybe the one you haven’t listened to in a while. Music has such a great nostalgia factor, and sometimes you need to be reminded of your past. Getting back in touch with your favorite album might remind you of who you are when you’re feeling a little lost.

7. Watch a movie from your childhood You’re still young, but the constant stress that comes with college can make you feel old.

Fall back into periods of calm by watching a movie from your childhood. Think of your favorite Disney princess or put on that Power Rangers movie. Watch it with friends if possible.

Chances are, they could use a break from being

an adult, too.

8. Eat ice cream for dinner, and don’t feel guilty about it It’s probably a bad idea to consistently rely on unhealthy foods to make yourself feel better, but one night isn’t going to hurt. Sometimes indulging in something sweet — or salty, or fatty, or otherwise terrible for your arteries — will not only taste delicious, but provide a little fun when you need it most.

9. Make something Creativity is great for your soul. Art is a huge part of what it means to be human, so take some time to make something. Don’t worry about your skill level — this isn’t going in the Museum of Modern Art. Focus on expressing yourself or just having fun. If you’re not studying art for your degree, it will be a nice change of pace. And if you are studying art, make sure you continue making things for yourself and enjoying the process.

10. Get laid Studies have proven that sex releases moodboosting hormones, including oxytocin and endorphins. When you’re stressed, you’re a lot less likely to be in the mood. But the absence of sex leads to even more frustration. It’s a vicious cycle, and sometimes you just have to make the conscious decision to do what’s best for your body and your spirit: Suck it up and hit the sack with someone who can make your worries disappear, at least for a little while.

—Compiled by Jessica Cabe, asst. copy editor

pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

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SHAPE UP

Mixed green salad with toppings

CHEWS WISELY Make healthy decisions regarding dining hall meals

general, fruits and vegetables should fill half of your plate at meals, Horacek said.

Freshman nutrition major Anisa Kamel said she tries to take advantage of the dining hall’s variety of fresh produce.

“I try to eat fruit and vegetables every meal,” Kamel said.

Nutrition graduate student Lillian Chiang also likes to hit the salad bar for her meals. Hailing from Taiwan, Chiang had never eaten salad before coming to the United States. She said the dining hall lets her experiment with new foods.

Text by Linda Gorman STAFF WRITER

T

Photos by Keegan Barber STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

he dining hall can be something of a spectacle for first-timers. The sheer amount of options makes a serious impression — not to mention the fact that one swipe allows you to come back for as much food as you want. But once students are a few months into the school year, the shine starts to wear off.

“Students tend to be — pretty quickly — creatures of habit when they go through the dining halls,” said Tanya Horacek, associate professor in the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition.

Students fall into a routine and eat the same foods day after day instead of taking advantage of the variety that dining halls have to offer. Those foods often aren’t the best choices and can be easily replaced with healthier options.

“It’s a great little place to challenge yourself and try something new,” Horacek said.

Research suggests that most college students do not get enough fruits and vegetables in their diets.

In a study by Oregon State University, the students surveyed ate significantly less than the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Male students averaged five servings per week. Female students averaged just four servings.

Horacek mentioned a vegetable recently featured as a part of the Healthy Monday initiative that students can eat to help avoid that problem: Swiss chard, a leafy green vegetable in the same food family as kale. In

Spaghetti with marinara sauce “I try to try different things,” Chiang said.

While Horacek maintains that most foods are fine if eaten in moderation and in combination with healthier foods, she said Americans overall tend to eat too much meat.

Americans eat more meat than almost any country in the world, according to an infographic by National Public Radio: 120.2 kg per year per capita in 2009 compared to 58.2 kg per year in China or just 4.4 kg per year in India. Red meat has a particularly bad reputation, linked in studies to heart disease, hardened arteries and diabetes.

The fried foods available for most meals in the dining hall can also be dangerous in large quantities, said Chiang, who is writing a thesis on childhood obesity.

Her research confirms that those foods are “really not good for you,” she added, citing the danger of oxidation, a process that results from overheating and can create unintended chemical compounds that are bad for the body.

When it comes to desserts, Horacek preaches moderation and mindfulness. Listen to your body before reaching for that second piece of cake, she said.

“Pay attention to hunger and fullness,” she said.

Cooked peas and carrots For anyone looking for more information, nutrition facts for each meal are available at the Syracuse University Food Services website. Students looking for more personalized help can sign up via the SU Recreation Services website to be a part of a nutrition counseling program through the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Developed by Horacek back in 2005, the peer nutrition and counseling program is known by the acronym ORANGE WRAP (OutReach and Nutrition Group Education by Wellness Responsibility Advocating Peers). Senior and graduate dietetic students enrolled in the program are trained as nutrition counselors for the first part of the semester. After being certified, students in the program consult with registered participants for a minimal fee — $25 — and work together to improve healthy eating and lifestyle choices.

Horacek said the dining hall gives students a chance to try healthier alternatives that they might find they actually enjoy. Her advice is simple: “Figure out how to eat what you love, and love what you eat.” lggorman@syr.edu

Blueberry pie

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SHAPE UP

SOME BODY

TO LOVE Four simple exercises anyone can do in their free time, in any location

SCULLS What it targets: abs How to:

I exercise in some form of intensity every day of the week, mainly because it feels good and I like to be able to move my body. But it also promotes hard work, endurance and a value of training that you can qualify in any aspect of your life.

For the following exercises, I would recommend doing three sets of 15. It’s not super challenging, but it’s a pretty safe number for anyone just beginning to work out.

1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent, back straight and arms out in front of you.

2. As you lean back, balance on your butt.

Open your arms out to the side and straighten your legs out front, keeping them elevated off the floor.

3. Bring your arms and legs slowly back to position one, legs still in the air.

Jillian says:

Jillian is a licensed spinning and indoor cycle instructor, and an indoor fitness instructor for the American Council on Exercise. She is a magazine, newspaper and online journalism graduate student. Email her at jathaw@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter @jathaw.

“With abs and core, it’s not only just wanting a toned stomach. When your core is strong, everything else in your body is strong. It’s also good for balance. If you have good balance, you’re going to feel that your daily activities in life come easier. And when your abdominal muscles are better sculpted more efficiently, your posture usually improves.”

LUNGES What it targets: legs How to: 1. Stand up straight with your hands on your hips.

2. Step forward with your right leg until it is at a 90-degree angle with the floor.

Keep your upper body straight.

3. Hold this pose for a couple of seconds, then step your right foot back into place.

4. Repeat with your left foot.

Jillian says: “It’s a great movement that works all of the muscles in your legs. It also works some lower-back muscles and your glutes, so you’re getting a really good lowerbody work out in a simple movement. It’s also really good for your range of motion.”

DIPS What it targets: arms How to: 1. Facing away from the object, place your hands on a knee-high sturdy surface. Put your legs out in front of you, heels on the floor.

2. Push yourself up off the object and contract back down, keeping your body as straight as possible. This should feel like an inverted pushup.

Jillian says: “These help tone your arms, but they also work the two very small tricep muscles that, because they’re so small, a lot of times we’re not working them out adequately. By strengthening them, you’re enhancing that part of your arm, which attributes to your overall upper-body strength.”

SQUATS What it targets: legs How to: 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold you hands out in front of you.

2. Bend your knees and act as if you’re sitting down in a chair, keeping your back as straight as possible.

3. Hold the position for a few seconds, then straighten back up.

Jillian says: “The squat is a really safe exercise. It’s similar to the lunges in that it works all of the main muscles in your legs, but it has a little bit less range of motion. It’s safe to do and gives you a great workout in all of your leg muscles and in your lower back and your glutes. They’re really good for toning and firming.”

photo illustrations by drew osumi | staff photographer

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SHAPE UP

renee zhou | staff photographer Tops Friendly Markets created a program, called NuVal, that gives food items a number from 1-100, based on how healthy they are. The program’s goal is to make eating healthy easier.

Tops supermarket creates program, helps shoppers eat healthier

By Kristin Ross FEATURE EDITOR

“Your neighborhood store with more” is living up to its tagline.

Tops Friendly Markets has implemented a national campaign for its grocery chain that emphasizes healthier eating. NuVal, a nutritional scoring system, gives food a number from 1-100, depending on its health value. The higher the score, the healthier it is.

Each NuVal score is based on “more than just the nutritional fact panel. It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors — the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol). Then it boils it down to a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds,” according to the Tops website.

“We put numbers on the side of the tag that show the range of how healthy the item is so people can look directly at the tag and know, on a scale of 1-100, how healthy that item is in comparison to others items,” said Tops employee Kayla Saltamach.

The numbers are placed on the food item’s shelf label next to the price, but if the shopper doesn’t know what the number stands for, there is no nearby explanation given to explain what NuVal is. The program has been implemented for more than a year, with more items added to the NuVal grading list on an ongoing basis.

When asked to explain the program, most employees in the Tops Market near South Campus said they did not know what NuVal was.

Saltamach, a price maintenance employee at Tops, has been working at the South Campus location for a little more than two years. She said she wishes the program was better advertised now, similar to when the program was first launched.

“When they first came out with it, there were pamphlets all over, but I think a lot of people don’t really pay attention to it. It’s not really advertised as much as it should be, in my opin-

ion,” Saltamach said.

Go to the Tops Market website, however, and the NuVal program is advertised as a game. Players compare the numbers of similar food items to guess which one is healthier and

“We put numbers on the side of the tag that show the range of how healthy the item is so people can look directly at the tag and know, on a scale of 1-100, how healthy that item is in comparison to others items.”

Kayla Saltamach

TOPS EMPLOYEE

earn scores for correct answers. Then, the items’ true scores are displayed, furthering shoppers’ knowledge.

Although Saltamach doesn’t use the NuVal program during her everyday shopping trips, she said she encourages others to implement it when they shop for new items.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Saltamach said.

“I’m pretty brand-loyal myself, but if it’s something I haven’t tried or something I need for a recipe, I’ll look and see the NuVal score and try to pick the one with the highest, just to make sure I’m eating well.”

Thanks to the NuVal program, Tops is attempting to make eating healthier easier for every shopper. According to the website, an apple has 96 NuVal points, so a 96 a day really does keep the doctor away. klross01@syr.edu @kriskross22

pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

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SHAPE UP

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PERSPECTIVES text by jessica cabe | asst. copy editor photos by chase gaewski | photo editor

How important to you is working out in your daily routine? Why?

“It’s important for maintaining your health, getting more energy and it’ll allow me to focus better.”

George Thatvihane

PUBLIC HEALTH GRADUATE STUDENT

“It’s really important. It sort of gets you to do other things than just study. It’s a stress reliever.”

Manu Arul

SENIOR BIOPHYSICS MAJOR

“I think it’s very important, but I just don’t do it because I don’t have the time.”

“When school starts, there’s no time. But in the summer time, I do a good amount of fun activities Asha Thevaranjan like Zumba and kickboxing.”

SOPHOMORE INCLUSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR

Kavita Suryadevara

JUNIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR

“I work out when I have time. It’s important not just to be in good shape, but for your mental state, too.”

“Working out always gives me energy. I know it sounds crazy, but I just feel invigorated.”

“The few times that I’ve worked out, you just feel good emotionally, like you can conquer the world.”

Ashlee Goodwin

Karen Bryson

Amneet Mand

FIRST-YEAR L AW STUDENT

FIRST-YEAR L AW STUDENT

FIRST-YEAR L AW STUDENT

“We have too much homework to do.

Homework is practice for our minds, so exercise is practice for our bodies.”

Junhao Zhang

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT

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THINK BIGGER

Open book

Professors share how timeless stories inspire, guide life perspectives David Yaffe

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avid Yaffe’s career path has shifted more times than fickle Syracuse weather forecasts in autumn.

At 10 — the age at which Yaffe first read J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” — he planned to collaborate with a friend on penning both the ultimate Beatles book, using the color photocopier at his dad’s office (a big deal for pre-teen Yaffe), and a soap opera. During high school, it was journalism or psychology, at least before he ran screaming from his first college psych class, he joked.

The one facet of Yaffe’s long and winding road toward English professor-dom that didn’t change was an all-consuming appetite for anything literary. Yaffe, now an associate professor of English at Syracuse University, confessed that his 12-year-old self would read everything that wasn’t assigned by teachers. In bookish acts of truancy, he would skip class and read the day away.

“It wouldn’t be the only reason I would skip,” Yaffe said. “But it was a big one.”

A son of a philosophy professor, Yaffe said he found himself interested by books about high stakes and life-or-death contemplations. He lists “The Invisible Man,”

Sarah Harwell

By Erik van Rheenen

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STAFF WRITER

hen Sarah Harwell was in third grade, she dated a boy — her next-door neighbor, no less — not for his looks, charm or wit, but because he owned the entire collection of “The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz” books.

“I liked him alright,” said Harwell, the associate director of creative writing in SU’s English department. “But he asked me to go out with him and I said yes because he had the whole series.”

It wasn’t just L. Frank Baum classics that Harwell voraciously devoured. Growing up, she read everything from the backs of cereal boxes to her mom’s copies of The New Yorker, which she admits mostly went over her head.

But unlike Yaffe’s literary odyssey, Harwell read to escape the self, not to discover it. She didn’t find herself in “Anna Karenina,” but what she did find was lessons about 19th-century Russia and the pangs of love.

“I always felt like I read to learn about other people,” Harwell said. “So that each book I read shows me kind of another thing about another group of people.”

Harwell said she finds poems to be more like portals into self-revealing

truths, since poetry is more internal and driven by universal emotions. However, reading one of her favorite poets, Elizabeth Bishop, is still more of a conduit to empathy instead of self-awareness: Harwell said she feels the poet’s sadness instead of her own.

“I don’t know if I understand more about myself than about what the world is like,” she said. “It seems like I was born into a state of ignorance and my whole life is trying to figure it out.”

Harwell said it’s tough to pinpoint one novel that might shake a reader to the core of self-discovery, but added that reading any kind of literary fiction — dismissing “Twilight” as reductive since she couldn’t get through it — allows students to understand their world in a more complicated way.

“I’ll teach Kafka, and some people will hate him with a passion,” Harwell said.

“And some people think he’s amazing, and he opens up something in their brain. It’s hard to find one book for everyone.”

Favorite books change throughout time, and that’s a truth Harwell reconciled with. Sometimes you read something you loved at 22 when you’re 40 and just flat out hate it, she said. With a deeply saturated book market, Harwell said it’s tricky to find a good book to latch on to, but said the joy of discovery is a big part of the process.

— Ralph Ellison’s version is Yaffe’s mosttaught novel, not H.G. Wells’ — James Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” and pretty much anything Franz Kafka as life-changers.

Yaffe’s literature leanings also found a soft spot in poetry since the time he had to memorize a Robert Frost poem in school, despite knowing nothing about snow in the sweltering Texas climate.

His wife is a John Keats scholar, he is particular to teaching Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” for classes and he remembers when he first heard the news of Allen Ginsberg’s death in 1997.

“I was 24 at the time,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘There goes the last of the rock star poets.’ I was exposed to him pretty early on.”

A book Yaffe first read at the age of 20, Henry James’ “The Portrait of a Lady,” remains in his rotation of class material after eight years of teaching it. Yaffe numbers the novel’s themes of potentiality, youth and self-built barriers against freedom as still having legs more than 130 years since James wrote the book.

“It’s like George Bernard Shaw said, that youth is wasted on the young,” Yaffe said. “And ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ is a reminder of that.” ervanrhe@syr.edu @TheRealVandyMan

photos by margaret lin | staff photographer

pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

s e l f c h e c k- i n

ALONE

FROM PAGE 3

to them, and helps them figure out what they really want out of their college experiences.

Elise Steiner, a senior public policy major, traveled across the world to Hong Kong during the fall semester of her junior year. She had just ended a tricky, on-again, off-again relationship that lasted through her freshman and sophomore years.

Because she was setting off on a new and exciting chapter in her life, Steiner said it didn’t make sense for her to be with someone when she was exploring Hong Kong, so the two-year relationship ended. Upon returning to campus as a senior, Steiner has remained single.

TOGETHER FROM PAGE 3

can’t talk about.”

Gendreau recalled a recent trip to the zoo the two took when Gross was in town. She chuckled and said they had acted like children, spending the day running around holding hands and pointing at things excitedly.

“We were the only ones there, and we were being really over the top,” Gendreau said. “It was so fun to just let go of everything and run around the zoo and act like 5-year-olds.”

But beyond just being able to be silly together, Gendreau said spending time apart has matured her and Gross’ relationship significantly.

“Since we don’t have the daily contact and the face-to-face, the communication has gotten to be even stronger,” Gendreau said. “We just kind of make it work, and when we need more support, we ask for it. That’s what works for us.

When we need each other, we call each other and can say, ‘I need your attention right now.

This is what is going on.’”

Even Pyle and Odorisi, who both live on campus, say communication is a reason why they work well together. When they talk, they are very direct, and that works for them.

But communication didn’t always come easy for them. It’s a skill they said they’ve developed through the years they’ve known each other. Pyle said she needed to learn to not pick fights when she was feeling stressed about something else; Odorisi said he’s learned to express himself about things he previously would have kept to himself.

This communication, Pyle said, has created a support system she can count on, and one she uses to drive her goals.

“I was ambitious before we started dating, but now, since I know I have his support, I’m able to be more ambitious because I know he’s going to be there,” Pyle said. “Just the security I feel in the relationship helps me to better myself and do things I might not have done before.”

Professor Joseph Fanelli, who teaches classes on human sexuality and relationships at SU, said the key to good relationships is good communication, relationship flexibility, emotional closeness, compatibility and the ability to handle conflict.

In practice, Odorisi, Pyle and Gendreau said they have found these points important.

One of the most important things all three also touched on was individuality: the notion that though they have their loved ones, they are happy and capable people on their own first.

Gendreau summed up the philosophy of her relationship with a quote that her mother — who’s been married to Gendreau’s father for almost 30 years — told her.

Said Gendreau: “She told me ‘Always make sure you grow together, but parallel, never as one. You should never be stagnant. As long as you’re growing in parallel, you’re doing well.’” lsorokan@syr.edu @lara_soro

“Now, there is no commitment. There is no one else depending on me,” Steiner said. “I can go and do what I want, when I want.”

As a male, Carrow Thibault also enjoys the benefits of the same single college lifestyle that Steiner does. A senior political science major, he has had one serious relationship as a college student, but said college relationships have never really been his thing.

With so many other responsibilities such as class work, friendships and commitments to his fraternity, Psi Upsilon, Thibault said he enjoys the freedom of being alone.

“I think that college is not the right atmosphere for dating. There are just so many other things going on, so many other people on campus,” he said. “I can do what I want to do now, which is nice.”

Thibault, like Greenlaw and Steiner, said he thinks taking time to be alone in college is key to learning more about oneself. He said it’s given him time to explore himself and feel more relaxed day to day.

While some, like Greenlaw, find their other half on campus or elsewhere amid the chaos and excitement of college life, others remain skeptical of the dating scene and take pride in their single status at this point in their lives.

“You need to learn to be alone before you can be with someone,” Steiner said. “Once you find yourself and once you can be happy with yourself, then you find that other person. I think that’s better than just relying on another person to bring you happiness.”

Alessia Haddad, a junior architecture major, spends her waking hours working on

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class work and projects, finding little time for a significant other, but taking time to enjoy being on her own. She had previously been in a year-and-a-half long relationship during her freshman and sophomore years.

Things didn’t work out, but Haddad said she’s not too disappointed.

Haddad said students should lower their expectations about dating in college because the atmosphere does not lend itself to the typical post-graduation or summer relationships.

Said Haddad: “You have time. College is a time for you to learn about yourself more than anyone else. If you’re single, you’re thinking about yourself and things you can do on your own.” kjrichar@syr.edu @ktjrichards

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pul p @ da ilyor a nge.com

KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS

THINK BIGGER graphic illustration by lizzie hart | presentation director

Better understand which areas of your life you focus on the most

START

Your phone rings. It’s your parents. What’s the first thing they ask you about?

YOUR GRADES

It’s the 21st century. Which do you use more on a daily basis: text messages or email?

EMAIL FOREVER

TEXT HEAVY

Your friend at work just asked you to cover his shift, but you already had plans to go on a date that night.

Now what?

CHANGE OF PLANS

LOOKS PROFESSIONAL

It’s your senior year and you need one more class on your schedule.

Do you take one more class toward your major or do you opt for HPM 422: “Wine and Beer Appreciation” instead?

WEEKLY DAY DRINKING

You just found out your dream job application is due the same day as a 10-page essay. Which do you spend the most time on?

LIFE PLAN

You’ve been studying for hours and feel decently prepared for your test the next day at 8 a.m. Do you get a good night’s sleep or go to the bar?

GOOD NIGHT

SCHOOL SMARTS

PROF PIC IT

JUST ROLL WITH IT

FOMO IS REAL

It’s time to study. Do you check your social media accounts every 10 minutes or shut off your phone notifications?

FOCUS TIME

A special someone texts you to meet up, but you’re busy studying for a midterm. Do you go hang out or keep hitting the books?

STUDY UP

YOU DESERVE A DRINK

You check your group text with your friends after you get out of class and see they just had Chipotle together. Do you have major FOMO or just brush it off?

Admit it, that photo you were just tagged in looks really good. Do you make it your LinkedIn account or new Facebook profile picture?

DATE NIGHT

SERIOUS SCHEDULE

YOUR FRIENDS

CUDDLE TIME

SOCIAL ADDICTION

You’ve been so busy lately you haven’t had time to relax. Your roommates feel neglected and want to watch a movie with you. Do you go hang out or get some much-needed sleep?

FRIENDS FIRST

SEE YOU IN 8 HOURS

Résumé

GPA

Social life

Yourself

Life after college is important.

You need to build up your résumé to put you ahead of the game when job hunting. But while you’re still in college, strive to live like a college student, not the 9-5 structured life of a working man. Take a day off of work — gasp! — and do something spontaneous with your friends.

School smarts are your thing.

You focus your time on studies — which isn’t a bad thing.

After all, that’s why you’re at this university. But it doesn’t need to control your daily activities.

Take a breather from hitting the books. Go out to dinner. See a movie. Do something that doesn’t require any brain power.

You’re the type of person who doesn’t do anything by yourself.

You need people, whether it’s connecting with them through social media or in person. But while it’s fun to be the life of the party, put your social life on the back burner for a while and take a break to refocus on yourself or, better yet, your studies.

You have successfully followed the advice of every self-help book out there: Love yourself!

Even though you probably love spending time with your friends, you tend to make most decisions based on how they benefit you. It’s good to always have yourself in mind, but try to open up and include others.