Monday, March 28, 2016
Volume 98
Issue 18
Campus Life
Sports
World News
Entertainment
Sex Toy Bingo
Women’s Hockey
Bombs in Brussels
Waeya’s World
PRIDE’s popular campuswide event for Term 2!
Page 9
A recap of women’s hockey in the Final Four.
Page 13
Coverage of the terrorist attack.
Page 15
Waeya reflects on his years in Orchesis!
Page 17-18
The Body Project Comes to EC By Thomas Bragg ’17 Contributing Writer
O
n Monday, Bonnie Smalley ’17 and I kicked off our weeklong intervention to reduce sizeism on the Elmira College campus. I’m sure most of you have noticed us in the Campus Center or have seen our Instagram posts. For those of you who are not aware of the wonderful things happening around you, let me fill you in. Sizeism is discrimination against others based on their body shape. As with other forms of discrimination (pick any word ending in –ism), there are many forms of sizeism ranging from mild to severe. What Bonnie and I mainly focused on, however, was the verbal form of sizeism, which is closer to the mild end of the spectrum. Our words have a powerful impact on ev-
Photo by Giovanna De Loca ’17
eryone around us. This is something we learn as children but unfortunately most of us disregard it by the time we get to middle school when it suddenly becomes acceptable to criticize other people. Another person’s weight is an especially easy target for such criticism because we live in a world where appearances are everything. Through
Photo by Giovanna De Loca ’17 our intervention, we hoped to raise awareness for the fact that sizeism is a pervasive social issue that affects pretty much every single person. We had three main objectives that we accomplished through the three phases of our intervention. First, we wanted to promote bodypositivity on campus through an Instagram campaign. We created an account (@thebodyproject_ec) and posted photos of students sharing body-positive messages. This phase of the intervention was a huge success! We received a lot of encouraging and inspiring feedback from students and we are very proud of the impact we have had. Secondly, we wanted to inform the student body of what constitutes sizeism, namely the commentary on people’s bodies that is such an ordinary part of our conversations. This was addressed at Tuesday night’s video screening, where we discussed the
See THE BODY PROJECT Page 2
March 28, 2016
Campus Life
Page 2
The Body Project From Page 1
issues of both fat shaming and skinny shaming. We also highlighted some of the consequences of sizeism, including anorexia and bigorexia (aka muscle dysmorphia). This event strongly emphasized the impact our words have on others. Even jokes that are not “meant” to be harmful or comments such as “Wow, you look good, you’ve lost a lot of weight” that are intended as compliments can take a devastating toll on someone’s emotional health, mental health, and physical health. Our discussion also centered on the conditions within society that perpetuate sizist language. For example, we discussed the use of the word “fat” as a negative descriptor and considered the possibility of reclaiming the word so that it no longer carries a harmful connotation. People who attended walked away with a better understanding of the issue and with tools to help them be more inclusive of all body types. Our final objective was to dispel common misconceptions about body shape and the ideal body. To do so, we held a social in the Multicultural Center on Wednesday night. We served snacks with napkins that had bodypositive quotes written on them. At
the event, students were able to walk around and learn about the reality behind sizeism as compared to what society often leads us to believe. We also spread the message that all bodies are ideal, condemning the unrealistic and unattainable expectations that saturate our lives. This phase of the intervention was implemented to facilitate conversations about sizeism in a casual and accepting setting. We would like to thank everyone that made our intervention a success. Thank you Diane Maluso for being a constant mentor and inspiration to both Bonnie and I. Thank you Liz Buono ’17, as well as Active Minds,
Photo by Giovanna De Loca ’17 for your support and dedication to the cause. Thank you to Jackie Burns ’16 for helping us kick off our Instagram campaign. Thank you to the Octagon for promoting our events and photographing them. Thank you to all the Resident Assistants for trying to get your residents to come (I know that’s a struggle, but we appreciate the effort). And finally, a HUGE thank you to every single student that participated in our intervention. We could not have done it without you! Remember to use your words carefully, respect each other’s bodies, and spread all the #bodylove you can.
March 28, 2016
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The Body Project
March 28, 2016
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Regina DeCicco Closes Out Laughapalooza 2016 By Rachel Alibozek ’17 Staff Writer
A
s a part of this weekend’s Laughapalooza hosted by CAB, comedian Regina DeCicco had a show in Mackenzie’s on Saturday night. It was a fantastic show and she was well-received by those in attendance. Regina covered a variety of jokes, ranging from personal experiences to making jokes of stories from the audience. She even ended the show with an impromptu dance performance with Mackenzie’s worker Nathan Edwards ’18. Regina is a newly married woman with a unique voice. She embraces that about herself and because of this, she can do great impressions! At Saturday’s show, she did spot-on impressions of Eric Cartman from South Park and Roz (the slug lady) from Monsters, Inc. She also included some jokes about stories she picked up from the audience. Some of these included Mary Preston ’17 and Trevor Stone ’18 randomly running into each other in Disney World, trying to get the “in” on some personal drama in the audience, and people from the Australia trip for Term 3 going desert camping. At the end of the show, she pulled up Nathan Edwards ’18 and the two of them rocked out to Christina Aguilera before the music accidentally got cut. Overall, this was a fantastic show and thank you for everyone who came out to support CAB’s Laugh-a-palooza weekend!
Photo by Emily McCabe ’17
March 28, 2016
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March 28, 2016
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Instrumental Ensemble Takes the Stage By Rachel Alibozek ’17 Staff Writer
M
onday, March 21, 2016, at 8 pm in the dining hall, Elmira College’s Instrumental Ensemble paired with the Corning Area Community Concert Band (CACCB) for a fantastic patriotic-themed concert. Elmira’s Instrumental Ensemble is directed by Scott Kelly and the CACCB is directed by John Stranges. They both directed songs throughout the concert as well as clarinetist Louis Coccagnia. The concert opened with At A Dixieland Jazz Funeral directed by Kelly. This was followed by a rendition of Dona Nobis Pacem that was dedicated to and conducted by Louis Coccagnia. It was written by Greg Rudgers, who was in attendance at the concert and it was an unexpected pleasure to be playing his piece for him. This was followed by pieces Affirmations, ‘Tis A Gift, and American Salute all directed by Kelly. Stranges conducted
a piece titled Lest We Forget and this was followed by In All Its Glory and Within These Hallowed Halls, all written by popular composer James Swearingen. The concert ended with a military tribute titled American Heroes arranged by Carl Strommen. This consisted of a medley of military salutes for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and then we incorporated the Coast Guard into America the Beautiful. Thank you to everyone in attendance
who stood up during their branch’s theme and in general, thank you to everyone serving our country. It was a great experience to be collaborating the CACCB! It was an educational experience learning to work with a large group in a short time and it was a great experience meeting people from the Corning community. The CACCB is a band of people of all ages and in all professions who like to play music, so it is nice to see that music is something that you
Top EC Yaks
Photo by Carissa Neary ’19 can do outside of a school program. A fellow band member, Nicole Derosia ’17, said “I got to play with Lou [Coccagnia] who was the conductor for the president’s personal band. It was a great opportunity and I am very honored to have been able to play with the best in the country.” This was a great experience and we can’t wait to play with them again next year!
Career March 28, 2016
& Internship Expo
Page 7
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Speidel Gymnasium
Event Registration:
Events in Career Services This Week
3.31.16
For more information: eccareers@elmira.edu
Elmira College’s
Career
& Internship Expo 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Speidel Gymnasium
3.31.16
Event Registration:
For more information: eccareers@elmira.edu
March 28, 2016
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March 28, 2016
Page 9
Students Win at Sex Toy Bingo By Hope Levy ’16 Contributing Writer
O
n Friday, March 25, over 40 students gathered in the Meier Stephans Lounge to celebrate one of PRIDE’s annual events, Sex Toy Bingo. The event began with a sex education presentation by Miranda Thomassen ‘16 and climaxed in a bingo game with Sophie Poost ‘18 reading the numbers. Thomassen’s presentation included a definition of sex education (the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy), comparative maps of states that do and do not require education, and how various states in the US handle the topic. As she spoke, Thomassen asked students to raise and lower their hands based on if their school had taught them various aspects to sexual health. She ended her presentation by asking students, “Do you feel normal?” emphasizing the importance of each individual feeling comfortable and healthy with their sexuality. After the presentation, the second portion of the evening continued with bingo. Prizes varied from massage kits to toys for individuals and couples. Sleeves, rings, rods, oils, plugs, dice, and other products were offered as prizes, with the president of PRIDE, Dana LaVergne ‘16, informing winners as to the functionality of the prize they picked. The audience ranged from regularly attending members of PRIDE to curious students in the mood for games. Sex Toy
Photo by Giovanna De Loca ’17 Bingo has occurred on the Elmira College campus for over seven years, and will hopefully continue to foster a community of acceptance and healthy sexuality in the years to come.
Overheard at EC scrap “If you were a piece of d you. I’d paper, I wouldn’t shre keep you.”
“Put your shoes on, my stomach is eating itself!”
“I don’t want to put that in my body… I’ll try it.”
steamm I’ , gh “U s e’ h e k li “He’s acting g my face.” in ssi y m e k li s “Say something e’ H “Don’t try funny, I need to put it tetwroin! full grown man “You can’t pee on in the newspaper.” command!” to English “I form!” heard you just fine, I just got “ There’s no way you to me!” can my ears cleaned a wee k ago.” explain Spongebob an d “I only play so er?” spap u new n a d in intelligent.” “Can you say hoo-hah aggressive the “Did she just hot box ” . d r a music.” z a “My legs are staticky.” sh u o elevator with a cat?” r e g n a d “You mean your pants?” “ This is a hat is it?” “I praye d for your “W “No.” armpit tod ” . p i l c r e ay.” “A pap
“My tongue got stuck in my Starbucks!”
“I wish we could bake a cake of rainbows and smiles.”
March 28, 2016
Page 10
“A Peace of my Mind” Exhibit Opens By Waeya Lin ’16 Contributing Writer
“
What does peace mean to you?” When I was asked this question, I thought long and hard, but I am sad and ashamed to say that I could not find the answer. Individuals have their own definition of peace. And I am not talking about world peace; I am talking about inner peace. That one thing (or more) which makes you feel calm, happy and purposeful. After going to the Art Exhibit show called “A Peace of my Mind” with John Noltner this past Friday, I was inspired to find out what peace meant to me. At the exhibit, I was fortunate enough to listen to John as he discussed some of his works and his versions of peace. The exhibit included portraits of many individuals and their answers to the question: “What does peace mean to you?” It was amazing to see the meaning of peace through so many different perspectives. It was just inspiring; John photographed and interviewed various different types of individuals from an old holocaust survivor couple to an individual with a near-death friend. He showed that peace could be anything - it could be forgiveness, patience, acceptance, spreading joy. To add on to these beautiful and inspirational exhibits and talk, there was a live band performance by The Bergamot. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed their performance. The Bergamot is made up of a beautiful couple with a guitar, keyboard and harmonica. Not only did they have amazing and peaceful vocals, but they also had a beautiful love story. The two are high school sweethearts from Indiana. They have been together as a couple, as well as singing together, for a long time, and I have a feeling that they are going to be together for a lifetime. They now reside in Brooklyn creating music and love stories. Their music and lyrics were so authentic and touching. I do not remember the last time I teared up at a live music performance, but I did then. And I was not the only one; I looked over to my best friend during the performance and saw that she was trying to hold back her tears, as well. They just took us on this lovely peaceful journey with their lyrics and vocals. As artists, they had the same purpose as John. Both John and The Bergamot are using their talent and
Photo by Waeya Lin ’16
Photo by Kyle Beekman ’18 artistry to spread a peaceful message to the world. John is using his pictures to make us feel what the people in the pictures are feeling - the feeling of peace. The Bergamot is on a tour called the “Unity Tour,” where they are going to all 50 states to perform, and after every performance they invite people to sign their car with a peaceful message. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring the car to here, because they had to fly in all the way from Texas. But the car is literally full of beautiful message such as “Choose Love”, “Do not fear love”, “Peace is Unity” and “HumanKind”. I know I have probably overused the world “peaceful” and “beautiful” in this article, but I am going to have to keep using it because the experience was honestly so beautiful and made me feel a sense of deep peace. Tifft Lounge has never felt so peaceful and calm. It was probably one of my best and favorite experiences at EC. I learned a lot of things and, most importantly, I was inspired. Plus I got to meet some of most amazing human beings. After the talk and the performance I was able to talk to all three of the individuals. I was able to have a one on one interview with the lovely Jillian from The Bergamot, and I got the chance to learn what her version of peace is. She expressed that the first step of finding peace comes from self-love you have to love and appreciate who you are, and then use that positive energy and share it with the world. Secondly, you have to do what you love. She said that that itself creates peace; if you are going to be the light of the world, you have to be on fire, and you have to be on fire with something you are passionate about. The last thing she mentioned was that you need to let your authentic voice shine, because there are a lot of bad things happening in the world but there are also good things happening, and if we use our authentic voice to bring about
See PEACE Page 11
March 28, 2016
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Peace
From Page 10 the beauty and good in the world, more peace would be created. Well? How about that? This is just a summarized version of the full interview. I have the interview on recording, and it was just amazing and inspiring; my friends who were not be at the exhibit and performances listened to the recording and truly enjoyed it. So if any of you want to listen to it, contact me and I will gladly forward it to you. Ultimately I left the performance and exhibit very at peace, and I left with a different view of the world. I know you all must
thing I am just milking this, but I’m really not. If you didn’t attend, I wish you had, because no matter how many times I used the words “beautiful”, “peaceful” and “inspiring,” my words are not going to do the experience justice. I truly suggest that you go and check out the “A Peace of my Mind” exhibit in Tifft Lounge this week. If you didn’t attend, I hope this article gives you some idea of the feelings that occurred at the opening, and if you were there, you know exactly what I am talking about.
March 28, 2016
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Roaming Reporter Question: What are your feelings about housing selection?
Nicole Gentile ’16:
“I’m finally a Senior so I don’t have to care about housing! YAYYY!”
Emily Daigneault ’17:
“Even though I’m graduating, I still was disappointed by the decision to make Cottages into regular housing. It has been an absolute privilege to live here, and my roommates and I worked so hard to be able to have this privilege. It makes me sad that there’s a chance they may not be able to live here next year, when I know they’ve enjoyed it so much, and have earned it.”
Kelly Johnson ’16:
“I think the Gender Neutral Housing in Perry is a great idea.”
Hope Levy ’16:
“As a senior, I think the way Residence Life is doing Housing Selection this year is a huge improvement from the past.”
Liz Roosa ’16:
“To all the underclassmen I say: may the odds be ever in your favour!”
Michaela Johnson ’17:
“I’m really disappointed that Perry Apartment isn’t going to be an option next year. Living there has been one of my favorite college experiences and I wish that others were going to get to have that same experience in the future.”
Matt Hoyt ’17:
“I don’t have any. I’m a senior.”
Dana Flanders ’16: “I don’t.”
Cassie Chun ’18:
“Stupid, I think that it shouldn’t be based off of the year because what if you’re a first year at Elmira but a Senior?”
Elizabeth McIlwain ’19:
“I really, really wish we got information (including prices, housing/ floor plans, etc.) much earlier. Getting the information this soon to selection makes the process much more stressful.”
Michelle Insalaco ’17:
“Housing selection is probably just as stressful as finals week.”
Danielle Slate ’17:
“I think Res Life does a good job organizing the room selection process to make it as stress-free and fair for everyone as it can be.”
March 28, 2016
Page 13
Sports
Women’s Ice Hockey Claims Third in Final Four
Photo by the Department of Athletics By Liz Roosa ’16 Sports Editor
I
t was an emotional weekend for the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team at the Frozen Four. After a heartbreaking semifinal loss in overtime against Wisconson River Falls the Soaring Eagles rallied to defeat Middlebury College 4-1 in the third place game. Elmira wasted no time getting on the board in their game against the Panthers. Maddy Jerolman ‘19 scored just fourteen seconds into the game assisted
by Assistant Captain Olivia Nystrom ‘16 and Louisa Lippiat Durnell ‘18. The Panthers responded at the 3:57 mark with a power play goal but the Soaring Eagles weren’t about to skate into the locker room without a lead. Katie Granato ‘19 reclaimed the one goal lead at 14:38 with an assist from Nystrom. Elmira carried their 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The second period once again saw Elmira scoring fairly early. Captain Johanna Eidensten ‘17 tallied one at 4:37 of the second. Nystrom and Granato were
credited with the assists. The Middlebury Panthers struggled to catch up but were unable to get past goaltender Kyle Nelson ‘17 in the final two frames. As the clock wound down in the third the Panthers opted to pull their goaltender for an extra skater. Jessica Prance took full advantage as she put in an empty netter 18:12 into the third, assisted by Meghan Fonfara ‘18. The Soaring Eagles claimed victory and the third place title in the Frozen Four 4-1. Nelson made 24 saves in the victory.
Men’s Lacrosse Nabs Second Win in a Row By Liz Roosa ’16 Sports Editor
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t was a good day for the Elmira College men’s lacrosse team as they picked up their second win in a row as they went up against SUNY Cobleskill. The Soaring Eagles beat the Fighting Tigers 10-3. Elmira got on the board first when Skyler Pradelski ‘16 scored 4:22 into the first quarter assisted by Anthony LaRusso ‘17. He followed up with another on the man up advantage three minutes and fifty seconds later once again assisted by LaRusso. Forty seconds later TJ Leach ‘16 scored unassisted giving the Soaring Eagles a 3-0 advantage. Only one goal was scored for the second quarter and it was the Fighting Tigers who finally got onto the board but Elmira kept the 3-1 lead going into halftime. Elmira scored for the first time in the third quarter at 2:26 on the man up advantage with a goal from Joe Greene ‘17 with an assist from Wyatt Katsos ‘17. Two minutes and twelve seconds later Katsos put one in unassisted to extend the Soaring Eagles’ lead. With 9:45 remaining in the third quarter Katsos scored again on the man up advantage with an assist from
Photo by Liz Roosa ’16 LaRusso. Elmira closed the scoring for the third quarter with 7:01 left to play on a goal from Nevin Olney ‘18 unassisted. Cobleskill struck first in the fourth quarter just over three minutes in. Three minutes and forty seconds later Katsos responded with his third tally of the game. Leach was credited with the assist. A minute and four seconds later Olney nabbed his second of the contest assisted by Leach. Elmira’s tenth goal of the game came from Pradelski, finishing his hat trick, with 5:59 left in the contest. The Fighting Tigers would score once more with just over a minute to go but were unable to get anywhere near Elmira’s lead. Goaltender Cameron Prior ‘17 made 14 saves for the win.
March 28, 2016
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Spoljaric Smashes Records in Women’s Lacrosse Victory Over Wells By Liz Roosa ’16 Sports Editor
I
t was a record day for the Elmira College women’s lacrosse team as they beat Wells College 21-11. It was first-year head coach Alexa Tardif ’s first victory. Moorea Spoljaric ‘16 had a record-setting day as she scored 11 goals, setting a new single-game program record. It was the Express that got on the board first just a minute and thirtyeight seconds into the first half. Exactly one minute later Spoljaric responded with her first goal of the game unassisted. She went on to score twice more unassisted over the span of the next three minutes. Just fourteen seconds after her last goal, Kylie Connell ‘17 put another in for the Soaring Eagles assisted by Marisa Carr ‘18. With 19:07 left in the first half Spoljaric scored unassisted once again followed twenty-six seconds later by an unassisted goal from Haley Baker ‘19. With under ten minutes left to play in the first half the Express finally began to see a shift in momentum as they scored twice within a minute to cut the deficit. That shift in momentum was cut short by the Soaring Eagles with 7:31 left to play in the first have courtesy of an unassisted tally by Kara Yakel ‘16. Twentythree seconds later Connell scored again, assisted by Mae Dinh ‘18. Wells scored again with 6:35 left in the first but Spoljaric responded twelve seconds later. The Express took another goal with just over four minutes left but Spoljaric responded again to give the Soaring Eagles a 10-5 lead going into halftime. Wells opened the scoring in the second half with a goal just twenty-seven seconds in. Elmira responded with another goal
Photo by Liz Roosa ’16 from Spoljaric thirteen seconds later. The Express scored the next two but the Soaring Eagles responded with three goals of their own. Spoljaric scored the first two with Connell assisting on the first and Baker assisting on the second. Baker scored the third unassisted. The purple and gold scoring spree was interrupted briefly by a goal from the Express but picked back up with six more goals. Laura Powell ‘16 had the first of the six goal run assisted by Baker. Spoljaric scored the second unassisted followed by Connell assisted by Macy Huntley ‘19 for the third. Carr scored assisted by Powell with 15:37 left to play. Eleven seconds later Spoljaric put in her eleventh tally of the game. Just over two minutes later Yakel netted her second of the contest assisted by Powell. The Express scored twice more but a final goal from Baker with 4:46 left closed out the scoring, leaving Elmira victorious 21-11. Payton Rusin ‘18 made 5 saves for the win.
NHL Report: Current Playoff Picture By Liz Roosa ’16 Sports Editor
H
ere’s this week’s NHL playoff picture. These standings are as of March 24th. Beginning with the Western Conference’s Central Division the Dallas Stars sit in first in the division for the third week in a row. They have 97 points and a 44-21-9 record. The St. Louis Blues have retained second place in the division with 95 points and a 43-22-9 record. In third again this week is the Chicago Blackhawks with 91 points and a 42-25-7 record. In the Pacific Division the LA Kings are on top again this week with 93 points and a 44-24-5 record. The Anaheim Ducks remain in second with 89 points and a 40-23-9 record. The San Jose Sharks are still
in third place with 88 points and a record of 41-26-6. There has been another change in the wild cards for the Western Conference this week. The Minnesota Wild have regained a spot for playoff contention while the Colorado Avalanche have fallen out of contention again. The Nashville Predators still hold their spot. The Predators currently have 87 points with a 37-23-13 record. The Wild have 81 points and a record of 3528-11. In the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division the Tampa Bay Lightning have risen back to the top spot with 89 points and a 42-26-5 record. The Boston Bruins have fallen to third with 86 points and a 3927-8 record. The Florida Panthers have slipped to second place with 89 points on a 40-24-9 record.
The Metropolitan Division is led yet again by the Washington Capitals. The team has 109 points courtesy of a 52-15-5 record. Again in second place is the New York Rangers with 92 points and a 42-24-8 record. Third place now belongs to the Pittsburgh Penguins with 88 points and a 40-24-8 record. The Eastern Conference sees another change to the wild card lineup this week with the New York Islanders falling into the wild card position to join the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have 83 points and a 35-24-13 record while the Islanders have 87 points with a 39-24-9 record. That’s the latest standings for the NHL. Check back next week for updated standings, points, and records.
March 28, 2016
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World News Views From Across the Ocean: Bombs in Brussels
By Laura Butts ’18 Staff Writer
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n March 22, yet another terror attack shocked Europe, and the entire globe. In Brussels, Belgium, two bombs exploded, killing at least 31 and wounding approximately 250 more. Two brothers are suspected of perpetrating the attacks in the Zanventem airport and the Maelbeek metro station, locations that see thousands of travelers each day. On April 5, I am supposed to take a class trip to the European Parliament based in the city. However, as of now, all of the european institutions are closed until further notice. Moreover, the U.S. State Department has issued travel warning for all Americans not only in Brussels, but also the whole of Europe. As I was at a conference that day, I first found out about this attack via my family. I had many texts inquiring about my well being, but I was thankfully safe in Strasbourg. However, I had one classmate who, though he remained unharmed, was unfortunate enough to be trapped in Brussels for the day. My parents, of course, expressed their fears and
Photo by The New Yorker concerns regarding my stay in Strasbourg, the seat of the Council of Europe and one of two bases for the European Parliament. Fear and mourning at a time such as this is only human. Of course they are scared; most people are, and it is quite rational. Nevertheless, allowing these types of events to dominate one’s life, dictating work, travel, and schooling, is playing into the hands of the monsters who perpetrate these attacks. These events are designed to strike fear into the population and disrupt civilization. Of course, I would not ride the metro in Brussels this week; but I will not let this stop me from visiting the city. For now, we must allow the people of Belgium, Europe, and the world to grieve. We must focus our energies on catching the men responsible, and then we must ask ourselves why: Why is the continent suffering from this blight of homegrown terrorism? What makes residents of Belgium, France, or any other European nation turn their backs and commit such evil deeds? Until these questions can be answered, and a subsequent solution found, I fear that Europe will continue to experience tragedies such as this most recent attack in Brussels.
New York Presidential Primaries By Rachel Leben ’19 Staff Writer
W • •
•
hat You Know:
Need
to
Anyone over the age of 18 and is a U.S. citizen can vote The primaries are used to determine who the Republican nominee and who the democratic nominee will be. Voting occurs in your county. You
•
can find voting booths in schools, colleges, town halls, and other common public places. Held on Tuesday April 19th, 2016
Republican nominees and some of their policies: Donald Trump: Wants to defund Planned Parenthood. Although he believes Planned Parenthood is important he also believes abortions should stop.
“I changed my views to pro-life based on personal stories.” (April 2011). Believes in the death penalty and fully supports it, “Capital punishment isn’t uncivilized; murderers living is.” (July 2000). “Use force to stop North Korean nuke development.” (July 2000). Ted Cruz: Opposes Planned Parenthood and abortion. Cruz is in favor of the death penalty. He is against gay
See PRIMARY Page 16
March 28, 2016
Page 16
Obama Visits Cuba in Hopes to Improve Relations
By Rachel Leben ’19 Staff Writer
P
resident Barack Obama visited Cuba in a historical event. In hopes to continue to reestablish relations between The United States and Cuba Obama, accompanied by his wife and two children, arrived in Havana. Obama will be the first president to visit Cuba in almost a century since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Obama tweeted “¿Que bolá Cuba (meaning what’s up Cuba)? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people.” Obama addressed the United States Embassy staff and their families in a Havana hotel saying, “This is a historical visit. . . It’s an historic opportunity to engage with the Cuban people.” Obama wants to end the negative interactions left from the Cold War, and create one last attempt at “diplomatic legacy” to his presidential career. Obama first toured the Havana Cathedral. At the cathedral he thanked the Catholic Church for helping to improve relations between Cuba and the United States. Obama and his family are staying in an embassy mansion. The mansion is reported to be more than half the size of White House. This man-
sion was supposedly meant to be a winter home for Franklin Roosevelt. During the Cold War the U.S. had prevented much trade from other countries into Cuba. This damaged Cuba economically. America had threatened other countries by threatening banishment from American exports if they traded with Cuba. However it was mainly Cuba that got blocked from U.S. trade. Kevin Casas-Zamora, the director of the InterAmerican Dialogue and the former vice-president of Costa Rica said, “There is a lot of talk that the purpose of opening up the relationship is to bring about
change in Cuba, I don’t think that’s the case . . . Obama is doing this not for Cuba’s sake, but the U.S.’s sake, because this has become an embarrassment for the US - a Major obstacle in the relationship with Latin America.” A poll by Florida International University has shown a desire among younger Cuban-Americans to increase diplomacy in Cuba. The younger CubanAmericans wish to see their parents’ homeland’s economy prosper and flourish. Obama has expressed a belief that Congress will release the trade embargo with Cuba once he is gone. Americans want to encour-
Photo by The Straits Times age reformation amongst the Cuban government not negotiate with it. One Cuban worker named Nora Tavares who is a retired shop worker said, “It’s great. This is one of the big events of my life . . . We never imagined this day would come. It fills me with hope of change.” But another Cuban said “I’m disappointed” referring to the President’s high level of security. “Obama’s visit is supposed to be about openness. But it was not at all open. It’s supposed to be for people but people can’t see him.”
Primary
From Page 15 marriage and wishes to redefine traditional marriage.
lieve the US should be involved in civil wars, but supports Syrian rebels
John Kasich: Believes in de funding Planned Parenthood. Thinks that abortion is only justified in the case of rape, incest, or direct threat to the mother’s life. Believes that illegal immigrants who obey the laws and work hard should not be deported. Does not be-
Democratic nominees and some of their policies: Hillary Clinton: Believes it is the woman’s decision to choose abortion or not. But believes in supporting other meth-
ods of childcare such as adoption or foster care. Believes gay people deserve equal rights as straight people. Bernie Sanders: Supports abortion and believes women should be able to receive safe abortion. “Combat institutional racism and reform justice system.” (Oct 2015). Wants to legalize recreational marijuana.
March 28, 2016
Opinion
Page 17
Waeya’s World Orchesis By Waeya Lin ’16 Contributing Writer
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ello Readers, It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Senior year is kicking my butt. I thought it was going to be a smooth ride because I took most of my classes during my junior year. I realized that there were still many things I wanted to do and many classes I wanted to take, but with so little time. So I kind of overbooked myself. Meanwhile, this whole being-a-senior thing is hitting me emotionally. I am starting to notice things and saying,“Wow this is the last time I am going to be doing this.” It especially hit me like a wrecking ball after my last Orchesis show. This club has been a huge part of my college career. I have learned so many things, met so many amazing people, and made great memories from being a part of this club. I am not usually a sober-crier unless I am watching a sad movie, like P.S. I Love You. However, Saturday night I sober-cried my eyeballs out while I was looking through the pictures of the show from Wednesday’s dress rehearsal on The Octagon’s Facebook page. I was so sad to realize that I will no longer be dancing on that stage anymore. I still remember the first dance I ever choreographed for that stage. It was second semester of my freshman year, and I created a dance to “Candy Man” by Christina Aguilera. Then my sophomore year I became an officer and got a chance to create more routines. This is going to sound like I am trying to a write a cover letter of some sort, but seriously being in Orchesis has taught me so much about how to be a good leader, work well with others, have patience, be punctual, think outside the box, and have originality and creativity. It also kept me in pretty good shape, too. You might not think so, but trust me, during tech week we are in top-notch shape. We are dancing for about 3-5 hours a day, running around Gibson, doing quick changes, and squeezing in study time; some serious multitasking goes on during tech week. Also during tech week, I break out the most, sleep the most, and eat the most because my stress level has skyrocketed. But everything pays off when I hear all the applause and see all the dancers having a great time. Aside from all the great qualities I gained from Orchesis, I also gained great friends and I loved being able to dance on that stage with them. I would not have known some of the greatest friends I have now if it weren’t for Orchesis. I am truly going to miss dancing with all my friends, and I am especially going to miss my sweet and loving duets with my dance soulmate, Christina Kim ’16, and my sexy and steamy duets with the one and only Jacelyn Alvarez ’16. I want to give a shoutout to my biggest fan and supporter, and also my BFF, Emily Feldpausch ’16. The amount of times I have called her freaking out about my choreography, asking her to drop everything and come to the dance studio, is countless. If it wasn’t for her support, I would not have been able to create most of my dance routines that you guys have enjoyed. I even forced her to join Orchesis and asked her to be in all my dances, mostly because I am needy and always insecure about my routines. I also need to give a shoutout to all of my loyal dancers, you know who you are, and you guys have been in my dances since sophomore year and have helped me bring all my ideas to life. Thank you so much for believing in me and sticking with me. Last, but not least, I just want to say a big thank you to all of you beautiful people for supporting me and cheering for me at every performance. Your applause reassured me that my hard work paid off and that you believed in my creativity. So yeah, thank you again. Much Love, Waeya
See WAEYA Page 18
March 28, 2016
Waeya
From Page 17
Page 18
March 28, 2016
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The Contradicting Nature of Values
Photo by quotesgram.com By Nicole Derosia ’17 Staff Writer
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oming to New York Freshman year was an experience like no other. Being from New Hampshire (I’m not implying that everyone from New Hampshire thinks this way), it was quite the culture shock, despite the fact that New Hampshire is only two states over. There are a lot of things that I have learned about myself and my own cultural beliefs, not knowing initially that my values and thought processes are so vastly different than those of my fellow New York friends (I won’t rant about manners, as I have already done that). However, these are important things that I think we can all learn from. I was very quiet my first week here. This is because I made a statement that would have slid right under the radar at home, but really offended a resident on the same floor. I was quiet, learning what people would tolerate from me. The first thing that I learned about myself is my tolerance of other people and their comments. I hardly get offended by words, which is how I was raised. There was always a saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Apparently, this saying is a thing in New York as well, but not the mindset. Practice what you preach. This is something that I never understood. Why let words bother you? Why let other people’s opinions of you bring you down? That brings me to another point, which may seem contradicting, but hopefully I explain it well enough for it to make sense. This point is judgement. While I live by the “sticks and stones” belief, it is physically impossible to live life
without judging people. By this, I don’t mean judging someone because of their appearance or other petty middle school things, but about a person’s character and behavior. YOU HAVE TO MAKE JUDGEMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE. We are constantly judging people, not in a negative sense, but in the sense that we would never be able to know another person if we couldn’t make judgements about them. For a completely hypothetical example, you see a person; is that person a man or a woman? It’s a man, based on my judgement. Is that person tall or short? He’s tall, based on my judgement. These are such simple examples that hopefully it hits home exactly what I mean. If someone approaches you with a weapon, you shouldn’t stand there and refuse to judge the person because you learned that judging people is wrong. You should make the judgement that this person is dangerous and you should probably get away. This is quite a different example, but the point is still relevant. This brings me to yet another point about individualism. We live in a country where we value the individual, yet we all seek approval from others, or in other words, seek their judgement and the words, whether they be positive or negative. What?! What happened to “sticks and stones” and wrong judgement? This was a huge difference that I notice coming to New York. I didn’t realize how incredibly self-sufficient we are at home. We (again, not everyone, just a generalization) don’t seek the approval of others. This is because being an individual is something to be proud of ! We don’t strive to conform, we are simply who we are, and that makes an individual. Yes, it is great to have a group of people that
you identify with, but it’s also great to be unique! Segwaying into another related topic, this threw into light just how proud we really are in New Hampshire. This is both good and bad, as I noticed that I am sometimes proud to a fault. We are so wrapped up in being individual and independent that we pride ourselves in it. I was raised to believe that, for example, declining help from someone was the polite and proud thing to do. It was very strange to me coming to New York, where so many people are so willing to go out of their way to do something for you. This most definitely happens at home, but I believe in an “eye for an eye” system. If you do something for me, I will most definitely repay the favor. I greatly appreciate help from others, but it hurts my pride if you do something for me and allow me to do nothing in return. This also made me realize a hypocritical aspect of my own culture, being that I will go out of my way to help you, but God forbid you go out of your way to help me. And if you do, you can count on me helping you in return. I think what we can all take from this though is that everyone should help others at some point, but don’t keep score. While there are so many other aspects of my culture and that of Elmira that are different, there are also many that are similar. These are only a few that can be applied in any way that you want. Whether you agree or disagree with me, that’s your judgement to make (see what I did there), and that’s the beauty of it. Make judgements, just don’t aim to hurt. Listen to others, but don’t let them bring you down. Take pride in who you are, but help others from time to time and hopefully they will do the same.
March 28, 2016
Page 20
Entertainment EC Buzz:
6 Things That Happen When You Have a Big Family By Alyssa Wilson ’17 Entertainment Editor
1. You have a weird relationship with all of your siblings
Living in close quarters with a lot of people (namely, four other siblings), you get to the point where weird isn’t really weird anymore. Liking weird foods or wearing weird outfits for bumming around all day is just normal these days. It’s been 18 years since my first sibling arrived, and I can tell you that the weirdness never seems to stop. We can talk about just about anything, which is kind of nice. I mean, you have built in buds. But sometimes, the conversations are just weird. You learn things you never wanted to know. But I’d take a weird conversation over a normal family any day of the week.
2. Silence is treasured
Some people just can’t stand silence. Those are the people that I don’t really get. I mean, silence is something I haven’t had much experience with throughout my life. If there’s not a tv or video game system going, someone is talking (or yelling) pretty loudly. I’m not complaining, because I’ve definitely never felt very alone, but a little quiet never hurt. One thing I can say is that growing up with a lot of noise makes you very good at ignoring noise in college. That’s probably how I survived my one year in Towers.
3. You have wisdom for anyone for most situations Having multiple younger siblings means you need to be prepared with wisdom in any situation. If your little sister is getting bullied on the bus, you better have an idea of how to relate and give her a little advice (or send her big brothers to say a few words to the kid). Being a sibling is a unique relationship. You’ve grown up together in close quarters, so you really know each other. You have to be supportive but make sure you’re not overstepping your bounds. No one wants a mother hen for a sister too frequently (I may or may not have that title at home…).
4. You’ve been called all of your siblings’ names
I give my mom credit for how often she gets our names right. I mean, there are quite a few names to choose from when calling someone’s name.
Photo by theodysseyonline.com However, there are times when she’s frazzled and goes through everyone else’s names (or at least my sister’s) before getting to mine. This has helped in college though! When someone looks directly at you and says someone else’s name, you automatically reply because they probably just have a lot on their mind. Or they just pulled that name from nowhere. Either way, as long as you know your name, that’s all that’s important.
5. You share without thinking about it
I’ve long since learned that it’s a bad idea to offer the last piece of cake to everyone else before eating it. I used to feel guilty, but now I don’t. Because when you offer the last piece of cake to everyone, you’re inevitably going to have to split that piece and that means less sugar for you. Sharing has never really been a problem, and shouldn’t be for people from big families. You honestly have no choice but to share, especially if you have younger siblings of your gender. Forget about your clothes being your own!
6. You can get along with most personalities
People seem to assume that all siblings act the same. Let me tell you, that’s definitely not true! Not one of my siblings is the same. Where I’m very academic, my brother is athletic, and my sister is a socialite-brainiac hybrid. Where one of my brothers is loud and chatty, the other is pretty quiet (never let quiet fool you!). But this has really helped me get along with most people in college. It’s likely that I’ve dealt with at least one of your personality traits in my own home. I can work with that!
March 28, 2016
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Movie Review: Allegiant By Haley Brown ’17 Campus Life Editor
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he Divergent Series started to come to a close this weekend with the release of the first part of the final installment of the trilogy: Allegiant. This movie has been long awaited and there was a lot of pressure on the producer to make the movie as similar to the book as possible. While it is obvious that they tried to be close to the book while still bringing in some awesome effects on screen, there were some major flaws in the movie. (Psst… here come the spoilers) First of all, Tris goes back to Chicago. Like, what? In the book, she specifically refuses because her home doesn’t exist anymore. The movie also moved at quite a different pace than the book, and changed some small but major details. There was no break up with Four and Tris, which might be coming in the second section of the movies, but if so, it’s definitely out of order. To me, that was an essential part of the book, simply because of the timing of the plot. It makes both Tobias and Tris stronger, but it was non-existent during their fight in the movie. I had such high hopes for this movie and it was ultimately a disappointment. I had once praised the original Divergent movie for sticking with the plotline of the book so well, with only necessary changes, but Allegiant took on a different role. Even my mother, who didn’t read the book, came out of the theater saying how disappointed she was with this movie, more so than the rest. That being said, Divergent and all of its installments are easily one of my favorite movie trilogies. The dystopian ideal and how it is portrayed in literature works well with this generation, as we are able to create connections with certain things we are facing in society these days. We
Photo by divergent.wikia.com have had to embrace change and what those changes mean for our future. Though Allegiant didn’t really live up to my personal standards, it is worth a watch, especially if you haven’t read the book.
Pintastic Pinterest!
Photo by marketingland.com By Nicole Derosia ’17 Staff Writer
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here is one form of social media that has served as a huge distraction, but also full of innovative ideas, that everyone should go on at some point. There are great things to behold on Pinterest, from scrapbooking, to comics, to cat videos. Pinterest is a social media website that offers what are called “Pins” of a variety of topics. The user creates an ac-
count for themselves, free of charge. Once created, the user can start creating boards. The boards are created by category, and the category can be made at the discretion of the user. Once made, the user can then pins Pins to their boards, separated by category. Pins can be “Liked”, “Pinned”, and “Sent” to other Pinners. Users can follow other Pinners, all or some of their boards. Some of the main recommended topics are make-up, food, animals, crafts, and anything you can think of. The website is great, whether used for productive purposes, such as looking for recipes, or looking for hilarious memes or gifs. Topics, people, and objects can be searched for on Pinterest, and Pinners can even upload their own pins. If you begin using Pinterest, be warned, it is a very addicting. Countless hours can be spent on Pinterest creating new boards, and adding as much as humanly possible. Some Pinners pin infrequently, while others border on pinning over 100 pins every day. Try it out, and hopefully you will find it as entertaining as so many people do.