Epic Magazine, Issue 3

ISSUE 3

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EPIC MAGAZINE

ALL THAT REMAINS PG. 20

WHAT’S IN YOUR CART?

EVOLUTION OF THE ‘T’

ALL THAT REMAINS

how does the size of your bank account affect the size of your waist?

BY TAMMY PRIOLA

clothing transformed from the undergarment to essential fashion staple.

BY ELISABETH PRISTER

ers on a walk through some of the Midwest’s less appreciated landscapes.

BY RICHARD CONNOLLY

04 In America, eating healthy is expensive, so

SUPER(HUMAN)FOODS

06 Some foods transcend beyond normal

11 The story of how one simple piece of

EAT WHAT YOU CAN, CAN WHAT YOU CAN’T

12 Getting back to basics by exploring all the

20 Epic Editor Richard Connolly takes read-

DOOMSDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE 25 In a post-apocalyptic world, you will need

benefits of a once common practice— preserving and canning food.

BY JENNY JOCKS-STELZER

to rethink everything. Learn how everyday items like tinfoil and a condom can save your life.

BY KEITH MAYER

PURE INDULGENCE

PROHIGHBITION

GREEN ACRES OR GREYSTONE

twist, that won’t break the bank.

BY TAMMY PRIOLA

with a look at marijuana’s history in the United States and the plant’s future in Chicago.

BY KEEGAN PAXTON

field or Alleyway. Epic takes a look at the benefits and drawbacks to both sides of the fence.

BY JOSEPH HALBOTH & KEEGAN PAXTON

health foods to achieve the title of “superfoods.” Learn how these foods will improve your diet and life.

BY KASEY POWERS

07 Two quick and easy recipes, with a healthy

THE THAW THAT COUNTS

08 Epic investigates how gases buried deep

within the planet are putting our future at risk, and the dramatic changes they are causing our ecosystem.

BY JOSEPH HALBOTH

ISSUE 3

16 The debate over prohibition continues

26 Urban or Rural. Tractor or Train. Corn-

WISH LIST—ROBOTS

DIY PHOTOGRAPHY

The only real question is, if given unlimited possibilities, what would yours do?

studio from the ground up can cost less than you think. With little money comes great innovation.

BY TASHA CLEMENTS

19 Who wouldn’t want a robot companion?

28 Building your own photography

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PG. 20

PG. 12

PG. 6

PG. 12

AN EPIC GUIDE TO BEERPONG

PG. 8

30 A crash course in the classic drinking game that no frat party can do without.

BY KEEGAN PAXTON

ART IS SKIN DEEP

32 Ink isn’t for everyone. Read about one man’s struggle with the permanence of tattoos, and his hesitance toward going under the needle.

BY PAUL GAZAK

GREEN GUIDANCE

34 Reducing, reusing, and recycling all start

PG. 34

with rethinking. These simple tips will put you on your way to leaving a smaller carbon footprint.

BY KELBY PRUCHNIK

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EPIC MAGAZINE

Editor-in-Chief Richard Connolly

Photographer Richard Connolly

Designers Richard Connolly Keith Mayer Tammy Priola Matt Theo

Contributor Carolyn Pavelkis Contributing Writers Paul Gazak Jenny Jocks-Stelzer

Writers Tasha Clements Richard Connolly TaDarrius Douglas Joseph Halboth Keith Mayer Keegan Paxton Kasey Powers Tammy Priola Kelby Pruchnik

From travel to politics to sustainable living, Epic entertains, inspires and educates. With interactivity and award-winning design, the Epic staff has developed an entertaining and thought-provoking issue, featuring topics ranging from health and sustainable living to the debate over the legalization of marijuana and the art of tattoos. In the cover story, “All that Remains,” Editor Richard Connolly documents several under-appreciated parts of the Midwestern landscape, and Epic contributor Jenny Jocks-Stelzer rationalizes her love of canning in, “Eat What You Can, Can What You Can’t.” Also featured is this issue: healthy eating on a budget, surviving doomsday, and the perks of being left-handed.

Elisabeth Pfister Project Management/ Creative Direction Carolyn Pavelkis

Dean of IAD Janice Kaushal Dean of iCenter Jill McGinty

Editor Jenny Jocks-Stelzer

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Epic Magazine is published by Robert Morris University’s Integration Center in association with the Institute of Art & Design. Epic is a general interest publication produced in collaboration with RMU students, faculty and staff and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or the student body.

Robert Morris University students can join the staff of Epic Magazine by signing up through the iCenter Project Board on the RMU website: www.robertmorris.edu. For more information about becoming a writer, designer or contributor for Epic, contact the Epic staff at epicmagazine@robertmorris.edu. Students from all majors and campuses may be eligible to enroll. Epic encourages faculty and staff from all disciplines to contribute to the magazine.

Robert Morris University is an independent, not-for-profit, multilocation institution offering associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs that focus on integrating theory and applications.

RMU prepares students to be practitioners in their chosen fields, socially responsible to their communities, and a foundation for their families.

Robert Morris University offers professional, career-focused education in a collegiate setting to diverse communities.

On our cover: The Editor-in-Chief of Epic Magazine, Issue 3, Richard Connolly, explored the neglected and abondanded areas of Gary, Indiana, and Detroit, Michigan, to create a stunning series of photographs that accompany his article, “All That Remains.”

Epic Magazine is available on the App store.

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WHAT'S IN YOUR CART?

By Tammy Priola

Why the poor continue to get fat—as the rich get thin 6

EPIC MAGAZINE

Is it sad to say that what you eat really does describe your personal finance issues? Studies show that it truly is expensive to eat healthy.

According to a study by the University of Washington, the poorer a person is, the more likely he or she will become obese. Junk food will offer more calories for your buck. People that have a fixed budget can afford to feed a family of four on junk food for a few bucks, while people who have the money to splurge can spend more than a few extra dollars to purchase a healthier meal.

The cost of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables has increased almost 200% since 1983 according to a 2010 study posted in the journal Psychological Science. On the other hand, unhealthy foods such as candy and sweets have only increased 65% percent.

When children are given a few dollars from their parents or guardians to spend on some food when going to a 7-11 or a gas station they typically buy junk food. If junk food cost more than healthier food, people would be less inclined to purchase the more calorie and sodium packed food. That is not only true for children, but for adults as well.

When a mom on a tight budget shops at a grocery store, she cannot afford go and grab whatever healthy foods she would like. She has to stretch every dollar and make the most of it.

Based on the University of Washington study, a two thousand calorie diet would only cost $3.52 a day if it consists of junk food, weighed against the $36.32 a day for low-energy dense

"If junk food cost MORE than healthier food, they would be LESS INCLINED to purchase the MORE calorie and sodium packed food." foods. Not every low income family lives on junk food and not every wealthy family lives on healthy food. Most people in today’s society eat a mix of foods. However, it is possible to overeat with junk food. People who double their dose of junk food may consume double the calories, but will still even spend far less than healthy eaters.

Obesity in America is often linked to the financial hardship of low income families.

Since unhealthy food is so much cheaper, it is clear why low income families are more likely to lean towards that without worrying about the primary source of nutrients. Most junk food consists of fats, oils, sugar and salts, all ISSUE 3

of which are higher in calories than healthy foods. As shown in a 2010 data survey conducted by the Brookings Institution, people in poorer neighborhoods are less likely to have access to grocery stores that offer healthier food. Since they lack certain types of transportation options like a reliable car or a nearby bus route, they can be forced to eat unhealthy food options, which mostly consists of fast food. Nonetheless, it is possible to eat more expensive foods on a tight budget; one just needs to learn how to shop smart.

"A two-thousand calorie diet would only cost $3.52 a day if it consists of JUNK FOOD, weighed against the $36.32 a day for LOW-ENERGY DENSE foods."

Sometimes, spending twenty dollars on a takeout pizza is not the biggest bang for a person’s buck. An individual could easily spend that twenty dollars and stock up on frozen vegetables, chicken, bread and canned goods for a few meals for the week. For college students, eating junk food or fast food seems to be the “go to” for munching. College students are surrounded by all different types of fast food restaurants that are quick on the go and easy. According to Tufts Longitudinal Health Study of eighteen hundred students show that 60% of college students eat too much arteryclogging saturated fat and 59% say they know the quality of their diet has declined since they went to college. Another large factor is whether or not a person has the willpower to buy healthier food and prepare it rather then going to a fast food restaurant.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests numerous options to eating healthy on a budget. Their website provides plans on eating healthy which won’t break the bank. Within the website one can find tips and materials to help make choices that are not only healthier, but also economical. The USDA also has food plans that include thrifty, low-cost, moderate-cost and liberal food plans which each represent a nutritious diet at a different cost. By following these food plans, families can eat a healthier diet, including more fruits and vegetables, at a less costly expense. Log onto www.choosemyplate.gov/ healthy-eating-on-budget.html for more information on how to save money and provide healthier meals for yourself and your family.

50%

of all students don’t get enough fiber (25 grams a day)

66%

of freshmen don’t consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day

30% of

college women don’t get enough calcium

College men gained an average of 5.5 pounds their freshman year, and college women gained an average 4.5 pounds

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By Kasey Powers In an age when convenience and price take precedence over health benefits, we need to take a step back and look at what we are missing out on. There are some foods that

transcend beyond normal health foods to achieve the title of “superfoods.” We can incorporate these foods into our diets to maximize nutrition, energy, and health. The importance of including these foods into our daily diet will

greatly surpass the inconvenience and cost of obtaining them. These are a couple of the top superfoods that are accessible at most grocery stores and won’t burn a hole in the pocket. Try them out to start feeling superhuman.

Hemp - Not to be confused with the psycho-

Cacao - In its raw form, cacao is essentially

Coconut - The water, flesh, and oil of the

Goji Berries - These highly adaptive, bright

Spinach - Spinach is packed with all the vitamins your body needs to consume on a daily basis. It is great for your immune system, containing anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer antioxidants and helping strengthen your bones and eyes. The leafy green also helps slow the brain’s aging process, helping you stay smarter.

Its high proportions of oxalic acid inhibit the absorption of other important vitamins such as calcium and iron. Don’t cook it too much or you’ll cook out all of the nutrients.

Honey - Wild honey especially can give relief

active “marijuana”, hemp contains only trace amounts of THC, and is instead cultivated for the plant’s fiber, oil and seeds. Hemp seeds are comprised of 33 to 37 percent protein and roughly 47 percent good fats (omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids). Hemp also contains an enormous amount of minerals, like phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur and calcium—among many other essential minerals for a healthy body.

red berries may be the most nutrition filled berry fruit in existence, containing nineteen amino acids and tons of antioxidants.

When consumed goji berries support healthy hormones, good vision, cardiovascular and neurological health, aid in hydration, and are an amazing source of vitamin C. Especially in Asian countries, the goji berry is considered to help improve sexual stamina, mood and well-being.

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one of the best foods you can consume. Its concentration of antioxidants exceeds any other food in the world, which can protect the body from sickness. Cacao also has the highest source of magnesium above any other product, which is vital in helping the brain, heart, veins, arteries and all other components work. In addition, cacao contains great sources of iron, vitamin C, zinc, omega-6 fatty acids, fiber, serotonin and caffeine.

coconut seed is very valuable to the human body. The water found within young coconuts is nearly almost matching to that of human blood plasma, thus when consumed can give an almost immediate “blood transfusion” and is great for rehydration. Coconuts are beneficial to the immune system, containing antifungal, antimicrobial and antiviral fatty acids, and helps improve digestion and absorption of minerals.

to different disorders and diseases of the body, including IBS, staph infections, diarrhea and most gastrointestinal problems. Honey also has an antibacterial effect that helps fight off bacteria in the body during illnesses like UTIs, tuberculosis, pneumonia, animal bite infections and tooth decay. It has also been shown to successfully treat wounds topically, by spreading honey on a scrape, sore or burn.

EPIC MAGAZINE

By Tammy Priola

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Bananas

Ingredients • 2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips • ½ banana • 1 cup strawberries

Directions

1. Slice banana into thinly sliced pieces.

2. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave.

3. Top banana slices and strawberries with the melted chocolate and serve.

Strawberry Banana Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients

Directions

• • • • • •

1. Cut banana and strawberries.

2. Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor.

3. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour and serve.

1 medium banana 1 cup strawberries 1 cup skim milk 1 cup fat free yogurt 5-6 ice cubes 2 tbsp chocolate powder

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The Thaw That Counts How gases buried deep within the planet are putting our future at risk

By Joseph Halboth Siberia and Alaska: two beautiful crown jewels that cover a quarter of the uppermost Northern Hemisphere. Vast plains of frozen land covered in forests and grasslands, otherwise called tundra. Underneath these two lands lies the permafrost, a frozen layer of soil buried hundreds feet below the surface. However over the course of the past few years researchers at the UN have begun to worry about the effect that global warming will have on the permafrost.

During these past few years the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has dedicated a large amount of resources

to studying the permafrost. As of November 27th, 2012, efforts in countless hours of research have come to fruition. The end result suggests that the permafrost has been indeed

Permafrost is a layer of frozen soil buried some 700 meters beneath the earth’s surface. melting and the melting is steadily increasing at a slow rate for the past few years, no doubt helped by the brutally hot and increasing temperatures experienced every summer.

For a quick refresher in science and geology, permafrost is a layer of frozen soil buried

some 700 meters beneath the earth’s surface.

This type of soil is located in Alaska, and Siberia, as well as Canada, Northern China, and Greenland underneath cold and barren grasslands called tundra. The soil beneath the tundra at that distance cools to a temperature that water freezes. It has been this way since the last ice age and continues due to the cold environment, and that is why researchers are worried. Soil that has been frozen for that amount of time has the potential to have a high amount of build up in natural gases like carbon dioxide and methane, two of the most productive greenhouse gases Should the permafrost continue melting,

Alaska (USA), Canada, Greenland, Norway, Siberia, and China are home to most of the Northern Hemispheres permafrost which are steadily melting.

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EPIC MAGAZINE

United Nations Enviromental Programme

Created in July 1972, and located in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP covers a broad spectrum of issues the protection of ecosystems, enviromental governance, and green economy. an estimated 1,700 gigatonnes of CO2 and methane would be free to enter the atmosphere and begin to heat things up.

The releasing of this gas will increase the rate at which temperatures are rising currently by a projected 3 °C to 6 °C by 2100, at which time at least a third of the permafrost would melt completely releasing enough CO2 and methane that amount to over a third of which humans currently release into the atmosphere. The process is estimated to continue for the next few decades and for several centuries afterward in what the scientists behind the report are calling a Permafrost Carbon Feedback; more melting resulting in more gasses released every year at an uncontrollable rate.

If the frost does begin to melt and the temperatures rise, we could see rising sea levels, more droughts, flooding, and higher temperatures due to the increase in emissions, however these are not the only environmental effects from this alone, there are also infrastructural implications that will dig deeply into most countries’ finances. Every

summer in the Northern Hemisphere the ground thaws out and then refreezes over the course of the next winter. The thawing of the grounds releases tons of moisture that can cause the settling of the foundation of which homes and business are built on, not to mentions roads, railways, pipelines, and power lines. This settling will cause the ground to shift, warping the infrastructure

Damage such as this has been estimated to be at $6.1 billion in Alaska alone by 2030. of the Northern countries and damaging their infrastructure over the course of time after the thaw has become apparent. Damage such as this has been estimated to be at least $6.1 billion in Alaska alone by 2030.

The lead author of the study, Kevin Schaefer, spoke about how the melting of the permafrost must be brought up in the next address of climate change in the UN. A new treaty is expected to replace the Kyoto Protocol (adopted 1997, enforced

2005), a set of guidelines to the releasing of emissions, which every country that signed shall follow. Lastly, Mr. Schaefer had this to say; “Thawing permafrost represents a dramatic physical change with huge impacts to ecosystems and human infrastructure.

Individual nations need to develop plans to evaluate the risks, costs, and mitigation strategies to protect human infrastructure in permafrost regions most vulnerable to thaw.”

By the end of all things related to Permafrost Carbon Feedback, or global warming for that matter, every passing year a new study adds more evidence to the already staggering fact that climate change is a real threat.

While not an impending threat to this current generation, it will continue to gain traction and erode the planet, slowly. Yet, even with so much activism and awareness being spread, it could be decades before proper measures are taken by governments around the world to put in place policies which may help deter the effects of our planets continuing hot streak, however by then we may have reached a point of no return.

The Cold, Hard Facts on Permafrost Permafrost is the thermal condition of earth materials, such as rock and soil, that remain below freezing conditions for no less than 2 years.

Ground with permafrost does not necessarily contain water. Ground consisting entirely of dry rock with a temperature below freezing is also called permafrost.

In certain areas with permafrost, the top layer will thaw in summer and freeze again in winter. Plants can grow upon this active layer.

Buildings, roads and other human-made structures in permafrost areas depend on the stability of the frozen ground, which is threatened when thawing occurs.

The thawing of the permafrost due to gloabal temprature rises causes a positive feedback loop which leads to more melting.

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EPIC MAGAZINE

EVOLUTION OF THE 'T' The story of how one simple piece of clothing transformed from undergarment to fashion staple.

By Elisabeth Pfister T-shirts can be worn with torn jeans or a sequined mini. They can be ripped up to make new styles or reinvented into a bag or bikini.

I have even seen a wedding dress made out of them, but overall they are a fashion staple that has been a constant fixture throughout the decades. This simple cotton undergarment has gone from something men wear underneath proper shirts to a full blown clothing category in most people’s wardrobe.

Many fashion historians date the t-shirt back the early Egyptian tunics, but the modern t-shirt has a much more recent story. The history behind American t-shirt fashion has been much debated but the best story comes from WWI. American soldiers who were sweaty and itchy underneath their wool uniforms noticed that their European counterparts were much more comfortable. Their brothers-in-arms introduced them to the light cotton t-shirt and it was love at first wear. Many of these soldiers loved their new underwear so much they couldn’t leave it behind and when the war ended they brought them home. There is some argument over which country first sported this cotton couture, but one thing is for sure: American’s couldn’t get enough. After WWI, America’s and the world’s love of t-shirts only

grew. Like smoking, Hollywood would latch onto anything that they could make a star look cool. No one could deny the raw sex appeal of a Marlon Brando and his sweat soaked little number from A Street Car Named Desire.

The most important period for the t-shirt is arguable the 1960s. Hippies and deadheads began to bring tie-dye to the forefront of the bohemian fashion movement and screen printing took off. Although screen printing had been around for almost 20 years, the oldest surviving printed t-shirt is from the 1948 presidential campaign for New York Gov. Thomas Dewey, the political unrest of the time made t-shirts the perfect place to voice your opinion. The 60s also saw the dawn of one the of most important ideas in fashion since underwear: the band tee.

More and more bands started making merchandise and with that came band tees.

The 60’s also brought the surfer tee to millions of people’s lives and closets. Californian surfer Floyd Smith is often given credit for printing off the first surfer shirt. He would ask local surfers to bring him their white shirts and he would print his store logo on them as advertising. This set off the trend that has led to over 300 million surfer shirts being sold worldwide There is no way one could write

RIPPED BACK TEE

FLASH DANCE TEE

DIRECTIONS:

DIRECTIONS:

1: Cut off the end of the sleeves for a looser-look to match the back cuts.

1: Make a small cut in each shoulder about an inch from the shoulder seam in the shirt.

2: Make cuts in the back of the t-shirt as shown in the picture.

2: Begin at one side and cut your way to the other cut on the opposite shoulder.

3: Stretch the shirt out until the cloth left behind becomes loose and ribbon like.

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anything aboutt-shirts without talking about Milton Glaser and his “I Heart NY” screen print t-shirt. In the late 70’s the city of New York was known for being dirty and riddled with crime. The Commerce Department hired local designer, Glaser, to come up with a logo to spearhead the movement. The “I Heart NY” t-shirt was born when Glaser sketched it out on a napkin over lunch.

In the 80’s the slogan shirt really gained its popularity and was spurred on by different controversial issues. One of the most popular shirts of the time was the “Frankie says Relax” shirt.

The shirt came from the band Frankie goes to Hollywood song “Relax” which was banned from BBC radio because of its controversial lyrics. Because it was banned more people began to listen and the song shot to number 1 on the charts. In celebration of their win over the censors Frankie’s label released the t-shirt for fans.

62% of people in the US of all age brackets own not one, but ten t-shirts. Those within the ages of 18 to 24 however claimed they own far more than ten t-shirts. This simple article of clothing is worn by everyone from fashion designers to poor college kids. The perfect tee for you might only be a couple snips away.

3: Cut as close to the neckline as possible.

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eat what you can,

can what you can't

BY JENNY JOCKS STELZER

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EPIC MAGAZINE

jars of preserved food were everywhere

At the end of last season, I had a friend over to teach him how to pickle and can the abundance of green tomatoes he had left in his garden. He lugged in a grocery bag full of those little, sour, green guys, I started the canner and the pickling liquid on the stove, and he walked in my house. It was hot (even in October), and jars of preserved food were everywhere.

At the end of the last growing season, I had a friend over to teach him how to pickle and can the abundance of green tomatoes he had left in his backyard garden. He lugged in a grocery bag full of those little, sour, green guys, I started the canner and the pickling liquid on the stove, and we got ready to can. It was hot (even in October), jars of preserved food were everywhere, and it smelled like vinegar. It took all morning, lots of coffee, and, at one point, I nearly dropped a quart of hot pickles on his daughter’s precious head.

Immediately upon entering my steamy (to be sure), stinky (depends on your perception) kitchen and seeing my rows of jams, tomatoes, salsas, peaches in light syrup, chutneys, giardineras, ketchups, sauerkraut, and, of course, pickles (green tomatoes, cucumbers, asparagus, green beans, hot peppers, mild peppers, garlic, etc., etc. etc.), my friend noted: “Boy, you’re ready for the zombie apocalypse, aren’t you?” Hmmm…I get that a lot. It’s either that, or I am Ma Ingalls, storing food away in the attic for the family’s long winter on the prairie.

Until my friends started looking at me sideways and checking my basement for stockpiles, I hadn’t thought about the “survivalist” nature of what I’ve been doing for nearly 3 years: buying LOTS of food during the Midwestern growing season through farmers’ markets and CSA’s, eating much of it with my family and friends (I love to cook, too), and preserving the rest, mostly by canning. This, to me, is what it means to embrace the Midwestern season. I tend to live by the sentiment of Paul Virant’s recent piece (and the title of this piece): “Eat what you can. Can what you can’t.” Through my friend’s observation, I realized that folks might be knocking down my door for sustenance if the zombie apocalypse did, indeed, arise. I just might have to arm myself with rifles (no!)

ISSUE 3

and plastic-bottled water (double no!), in addition to my rows and rows of canned food.

My obsession with food preservation is not actually about an irrational fear of a diminished food supply, though the perils of our industrial food system are forever on my mind. We now must worry about food borne illness like E Coli 01H757 (not a problem until factory farms), GMO’s (so new to our food system and our bodies: a few decades in a span of 10,000 years of eating an agricultural diet, we don’t yet know how they might affect us), unjust food distribution (we grow more calories than are necessary to feed the entire population of the planet, yet 1 billion people starve while 1 billion people are overweight). Still, I don’t preserve food with an imminent threat to my own survival in mind.

"Boy, you're ready for the zombie apocalypse, aren't you?"

So, why do I do it? Why do I spend (seemingly) endless summertime hours in my 100 degree kitchen (yep, it’s usually 100 or so in here when I can, because I resist turning on the central air, ESPECIALLY, when I’m responsible for jacking up the heat, which I am in the case of canning and we all are in the case of climate change) standing over my stove, stirring thick, sticky, aromatic pots of boiling berries (which never come off the walls or counters) and eye-stinging pots of boiling vinegar and herbs and watching a GIGANTIC pot of boiling water filled with clanking Ball jars so that it doesn’t sputter over and kill one of my cats?

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BERRIES & SUGAR Because it’s awesome. Here’s how: I love thick, sticky, aromatic pots of berries and sugar. Seriously, if you give canning a try, and you smell jam cooking on the stove, you will never go back to the (overpriced, over-packaged, way less tasty) jar of Smucker’s again. I smash the berries, stir them in the pot with cups and cups of sugar (yes, there are healthier ways to go about jam, but, I’m kind of an old-school grandma when it comes to my jams), and I watch it simmer on the stove, knowing how amazing it will be to taste strawberries in January, eat pancakes with sour cherry sauce in February, and dress my greens with peach vinaigrette all winter long.

SHOPPING LOCAL I believe in putting my money where my mouth is. Yes, it can be more expensive to shop at the farmers’ market and to pay up front for a CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture: that’s when you purchase a share of a small farm with the promise of delivery once a week throughout the season). I CSA with Vicki at Genesis Growers, and, I’m telling you, though it’s a hefty once-a-year payment, I get my money’s worth, even when problems (like tornadoes that wipe out fields and hoop houses, really) occur. Every week, from April through December, I get a box of fresh fruits and vegetables, some that I’ve got secret, awesome plans for, some that I must learn quickly how to cook deliciously so that my family will eat them or how to preserve so that I might sneak them into a soup in the winter. This is so worth the cost, though, as I’ll point out below, if you shop local smartly, it doesn’t always have to cost more.

When I purchase a share, I accept the risk that the farmer accepts when she chooses her vocation. This is important to me on two levels: (1) We (eaters) are complicit in the unnaturally low prices of our food. Small, family farmers of fruits and vegetables are not paid what it takes to grow this food when we shop big (big box/big grocery/global), and, they are not subsidized by the government (commodity crop farmers are – corn

I love thick, sticky, aromatic pots of berries and sugar. and soy, mostly). (2) We (eaters) continue to demand these low prices, as well as the immediacy of any food we desire, even when problems (like weather and like climate change) make it difficult for farmers to give us what we want. Since I believe that we need to do our part to solve these problems, I put up the cash directly to the farmers, during the growing season. Sure, I had to cut out a few things (like shopping at big box stores), and I don’t have much (or any, really) expendable income, but I’d rather spend the money that I have on the food that is going into my body, than on clothes, or cars, or those other things we end up spending never less than $100 on when we set foot in a Target.

WHAT’S IN SEASON

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I know that what’s in season is what’s good. When I do spend my money in season, I get good food. Unless it is pickled and on my shelf, I REFUSE to eat asparagus unless it is April-June here in the Midwest.

The same is true for a fresh tomato. Yes, I do shop at Whole Foods, and yes, I do buy some off-season produce in the winter out of necessity, but, most of what my family and I eat came out of nearby soil when the season was right. At the end of the season, I usually have about 75 quarts of canned tomatoes to use in any winter recipe and a deep freezer filled with blueberries, raspberries, cherries, apples, and greens, frozen at their prime. Delicious.

EPIC MAGAZINE

I believe in putting my money

where my mouth is

GETTING DEALS

I also know that buying my food from farmers that I know is even better. During the season, I really get to know my farmers, because I buy so much of their stuff that they come to recognize me right away.

I jam Brad’s strawberries at the start of the season, and I buy a 5lb box of blueberries to freeze almost every week. I can Kenny’s peaches in the heat of the summer, so I walk away with a (super-cute) wooden crate of his (unsightly, over-ripe, and perfectly yummy) “seconds” after every market. And, seriously, when you show your loyalty to these farmers and buy from them regularly, they cut you deals, especially on the “seconds”, so, it doesn’t end up being as pricey as it seems to buy local and in season, if you do it just right: cooperatively. Mainly, though, the more I spend with my farmers, the less my farmers will have to suffer to provide good, healthy food for all of us, even those who can’t afford it.I’ve learned that sharing food with my friends is priceless.

I want my farmers to thrive, because, without them, corporations will soon take total control over our food system, and I trust my neighbor much more than I trust Monsanto. I want my kids to grow up healthy and strong, so I want my fruits and vegetables to be more than just

Maybe it is about survival, now that I think about it. palatable (or, worse, punishment) to them. I want them to taste good. I want EVERYONE to be able to afford to eat well and to eat good, so, I spend more with my farmers to balance out the good will they extend by accepting LINK and by donating so much of their food to local food pantries, and I end up saving a little money as well. And, when the apocalypse comes, I want to be eating pickled green tomatoes with the folks I love, even if we must do it with rifles and plastic bottles in hand.

SHARING FOOD

I’ve learned that sharing food with my friends is priceless. When the holidays roll around, and we’re all missing the aroma of fresh strawberries and the crunch of cucumbers straight out of the garden, I give the gift of local, seasonal food. I love that I can make my friends and family happy with good food that came from our neighbor-farmers during our growing season, prepared and preserved in my own kitchen. It feels pretty rad.

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A Look at Marijuana's History in the United States and the Plant's Future in Chicago

By Keegan Paxton The use of cannabis dates back thousands of years, to approximately 2900 BC. The plant is said to have crossed the Atlantic and arrived in North America in 1611 with the Jamestown settlers, who used the plant to make hemp, one of the leading exports of that time.

In the 1900s the psychoactive variety of the cannabis plant, marijuana, was even prescribed by doctors for medicinal uses such as treatment of hay fever, diabetes, ulcers, urinary incontinence, and sleeping aid. In 1906 during President Roosevelt’s administration, the high rate of morphine addiction in the US became a concern, so in response they created the Food and Drug Act. This act was the basis for informing the public of dangerous narcotics. Marijuana was grouped in with drugs such as alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, alpha or beta eucaine, chloroform, chloral hydrate, or acetanilide, or any derivative or preparation of any such substances contained therein.

According to the FDA, marijuana kills brain cells. In 1974 the Heath/Tulane study was the main basis for the government campaigns saying that marijuana causes lung cancer. In this study researchers administer thirty joints a day to monkeys and compared their brain function to monkeys who had been exposed to determine the effects of marijuana.

After ninety days the monkeys who had been exposed marijuana began to die and after counting dead brain cells they determined that there was brain damage. After six years of 18

requests as to how the study was done it was finally revealed that scientists had actually administered sixty-three Columbian strength joints through gas masks-allowing no additional oxygen to enter their system. Clearly these tests were conducted to replicate unrealistic circumstances under the influence of the opposing side of marijuana legalization. New research has suggested that marijuana might stimulate brain cells but for obvious reasons it has not received much attention.

Another concern for the opposing side is that marijuana can cause lung cancer. In 1997, the Institute of Medicine conducted a study funded by the government to see if marijuana caused lung cancer and were required to speculate and use words like “may” or “should” cause cancer in their reports. (In May of 2006 UCLA’s Dr. Donald Tashkin’s marijuana use and lung cancer case-control study results say that cannabis smoke does not cause cancer, it is different from nicotine). Yet marijuana was still compared to cigarettes. Cigarettes are responsible for an average of 430,000 deaths a year, which beat alcohol, crack, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, car crashes, fires, and murder combined. The government not only allows this killer drug (that serves no medical purpose) to be legal but they subsidize and allow it to be grown with dangerous pesticides.

A recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that forty percent of teens could get marijuana within a day, and another quarter said they could get it within an hour. In another portion of the survey, teens

ANNUAL DEATHS BY CAUSE IN THE UNITED STATES

443,000 CIGARETTES

80,000 ALCOHOL

14,800 PAIN KILLERS

0 MARIJUANA between the ages of twelve and seventeen say said it was easier to get marijuana than to buy cigarettes, beer or prescription drugs. That number is now up thirty-seven percent from 2007. The reason that it is so easy for these kids to obtain marijuana is because society EPIC MAGAZINE

CANNABIS STATUS ACROSS THE U.S.

Medical and Decriminalized Cannabis Laws

Legal Medical Cannabis Laws

is letting the drug dealers decide what age is appropriate to smoke marijuana instead of doctors. If the government were to enforce a restriction as they did with alcohol or tobacco, then we could reduce the risk of it getting into the wrong hands. The chemical in marijuana that allows one to experience its effects is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is said to have more potent concentration today than ever before. It has increased, but not as much as one might think.

According to a University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project, the majority of marijuana found in the US contains less than a five percent concentration of THC. When compared to a study done in the 80s, THC levels averaged about three percent; the difference is not a very drastic variation.

Concentration in today’s average marijuana is actually on the smaller side if compared to the FDA approved pill, Marinol, which contains 100 percent THC. According to the DEA, though the potency has increased this does not make it any more dangerous. THC is virtually non-toxic to healthy organs and is impossible to overdose on.

The US government labels marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic: the drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse, the drug

Legalized Cannabis Laws

or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. However, studies have shown that marijuana is capable of alleviating a number of symptoms for patients with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis.

The faces of marijuana users have changed over the years, from recreational to medical.

Within ten years of California’s landmark legislation, ten more states passed their own medical marijuana laws. Today, 18 states are currently have enacted laws to legalize medical marijuana. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. One state currently in the process of decriminalizing possession of marijuana is Illinois.

In the summer of 2012, Chicago’s City Council passed a regulation that allows police to ticket people found with small amounts of marijuana instead of arresting them. This is a stance meant to keep officers on the street where they can battle the rising homicide rate and not be tied up for hours doing paperwork.

Studies conducted revealed that arresting and

“Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit …unnatural?”

Bill Hicks

Comedian

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Decriminalized Cannabis Possession Laws

booking someone caught with a small amount of marijuana takes about four hours of police officers time, while just ticketing them takes less than thirty minutes.

The 44-3 vote in favor of the ordinance, which allows officers to write a ticket for $250 to $500 for possessing 15 grams of marijuana or less, (about 30 marijuana cigarettes) was expected after a council committee voted 13-1 previously to approve the measure. There were still debates about two hours before passing the ordinance, with numerous council members saying they weren’t comfortable with possibly sending a message that they were condoning drug use. Others said they needed to act to protect an increasingly anxious city where homicides are up 38 percent as of 2012.

Although marijuana users are relieved by this ordinance, police will still arrest anyone under the age of 17 possessing marijuana, or someone suspected of selling marijuana.

Illinois is not currently one of the states that allow medicinal marijuana use, however a bill is in the works. Overall, laws against marijuana have been softening: in November 2012’s general election, both Washington and Colorado passed extraordinary ballot actions legalizing recreational pot usage. One may ask themselves why isn’t marijuana legal in Chicago?

Those opposed to marijuana legalization have claimed numerous reasons for why the drug shouldn’t be legal. Such as, marijuana is addictive or a violent drug, as well as a gateway drug to harder narcotics such as cocaine or heroin. Today, although marijuana has been stigmatized by its history, studies show that marijuana has many health benefits, could potentially produce billions of dollars in revenue, and would put a stop to many drug wars. Several studies also prove the elements in marijuana do not contain addictive substances.

Americans need to reeducated themselves and take a look at the true facts on cannabis.

It is criminal for the government to step in and tell Americans that they can’t utilize this plant that doesn’t harm anyone, but then pump others full of their prescription drugs that have been known to be very addictive and have taken countless lives. It is time to take the blindfold off that media and government have place over the eyes of America in regards to the facts about marijuana and start using this natural resource for its endless possibilities.

“Federal and state laws (should) be changed to no longer make it a crime to possess marijuana for private use.”

Richard M. Nixon U.S. President

19

INNOVATION INTEGRATION INVENTION IMAGINATION where the student is front and center Visit us at www.robertmorris.edu/icenter

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EPIC MAGAZINE

The Wish List

By Keith Mayer

Reginald Sinclair Bot:

This robot’s sole purpose is to put tophats, monocles, and fancy mustaches on people.

It doesn’t do anything terribly useful or productive, but who doesn’t want to have the fashion appeal of a 1800’s upper-class man?

Fluffy: A nicely fluffed pillow is one of life’s small joys, and this robot will ensure that before laying down for a nights sleep that your pillow has achieved maximum fluffiness.

It’s body is quite soft as well (for a robot that is) and can serve as an extra pillow when necessary.

The Untangler: There is really nothing worse than reaching into your pocket for your headphones only to find a giant knot instead. The Untangler will ensure that your headphones, shoelaces, and the mess of wires behind your entertainment system stay organized and untangled.

iHuman: This robot would build more robots with similar likeness, but have increasingly higher amounts of human emotion built in. Eventually, the robot’s final successor would be able to produce actual tears from sadness and would commit suicide by crying over the loss of his original robot who would have obviously been destroyed in a duel to the death for not being human enough.

Wingbot:

You’ve heard of wingmen, but now there’s the Wingbot. When you’re out at the bar and approach that group of young ladies the Wingbot will immediately locate and distract the least desirable with it’s robot charms, leaving only the hot friend for you to make your move on.

Call Your Mother Bot: Yes you should definitely call your mother more, she worries about you. This robot will talk to her on the phone in your voice and listen while she tells stories about that tramp Barbara from work, and how cute her cats are.

Gradeon: Grading papers and assignments is a pain, especially when it’s nice outside or there is a sweet band playing over the weekend (yes teachers have lives outside of school).

Gradeon will grade assignments, but needs a supply of alcohol to keep running.

The Extender: No, it’s not a male enhancement. It’s the lifesaver for all short people. Can’t reach something? The Extender adjusts to the extra height needed to reach something without having the embarrassment of both struggling and trying to maneuver to get your object in need. You will no longer end up looking stupid and having to resort to a chair or asking the vertically gifted.

Ozone: This small robot will generate pressurized atmospheric shield around your body regulating the temperature of your personal space allowing you to comfortably relax in any environment granted that there is air.

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All That Remains 22

A walk through some of the midwest's less appreciated landscapes EPIC MAGAZINE

By Richard Connolly of what the city once was. Even in the middle There is a certain beauty in dark, decrepit of the day very few signs of human life are landscapes that is hard to describe. A sense visible on the streets; only a few people carthat your surroundings hold more than dirt, mold, and graffiti—they hold memories. Many rying grocery bags hastily walking with their heads down under the shadow of the boarded of these places died for the most part long up buildings. At times, entire city blocks are ago, but the scarred and battered husk of their abandoned, overgrown, and empty besides the former existence still remains, as a constant garbage which litters the area. Only the faded reminder of what they once were. We think signs which still desperately cling onto their of the ruins of once great ancient civilizations buildings can remind us of what they once like the Mayans and Egyptians, but glory and were. The hospital, post office, hotel, theater, life has faded from places much closer, both in and churches - once bustling centers for the distance as well as in time. town’s inhabitants, now loom over those who Just 30 or so miles southeast of Chicago, haven’t and those who will never make it out the city of Gary, Indiana once stood tall as of the slowly decaying city. a thriving city in the steel industry. As the The St. Mary’s Hospital hangs over the industry began to fall in the 1960’s, so did still inhabited police department wing of the Gary’s prosperity. At Even with the one point the city It's hard to say if there's even structure. police station attached was home to almost a "good" side to Gary, just the to the abandoned 200,000 people in there are no the 1960s, today occasional semi-clean section hospital, apparent attempts to only an estimated deny access to the building. Large doorways 80,000 remain. Between the 2000 and 2010 census alone, the city had a nearly 22% drop in which once welcomed those in need, have population. The few who remain are part of an been carried off or destroyed - leaving the hospital with an open wound to the outer ele84% African-American demographic, whose ments. Its corridors are still lined with signs of median household income is a mere $27,195. the once active hospital—“Radiology: Room It’s hard to say if there’s even a “good” side to Gary, just the occasional semi-clean section. 324”, “Cafeteria: Room 166.” If you listen close enough, you can almost hear the sounds of the Driving around the city is like something one life at once echoed the halls; telephones ringwould see in a post-apocalyptic thriller. What ing, doctors being paged, and the faint hum of remains is scattered abandoned buildings, machines at work. horribly maintained roads, and the memories ISSUE 3

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Instead, only the more vile and morbid signs of the building’s demise can be seen. Empty liquor bottles catch the rays of sun which pierce through the exterior walls, the bathrooms which have long since been decommissioned still emit a putrid scent. In what used to be a patient’s room, a blood-soaked night gown sits in crumpled heap amongst the fallen ceiling tiles. The only true signs of life which remain is the green moss whose vibrancy amidst the sea of rust, dirt and chipped paint stands out as both beautiful and despairing.

A few blocks away from Gary’s hospital, a methodist church still stands proudly from the outside—the inside tells a different story however. Were it not for the stained glass and broken cross, it would be difficult to recognize the structure as a church at all from the interior. Like much of the city’s landscape, the ground is covered by liter and dirt; the pews, Bibles, and congregation have all been long since removed. Cryptic messages with specific times inside of arrows which point in all different directions have been painted all around the building. They are either another explorer’s breadcrumbs; reminders of the best places for photographs—or something else entirely. In it’s heyday, the church was not some stuffy old ca-

Were it not for the stained glass and broken cross, it would be difficult to recognize the structure as a church at all from the interior thedral, but a beautiful and busy sanctuary. The hallways of the dangerously worn-out upper levels are lined with what appears to be former Sunday school classrooms, and the indoor basketball court and fireplace have become symbols for the city as a whole—still standing, but serving little purpose.

On the corner of two relatively busy streets stands the former Gary post office. What was once a symbol of the hustle and bustle of the thriving city is now a monument to the city’s decline into it’s current state. The countless remaining drawers which once held post from all over the world are empty. There are signs everywhere that the only use the building has served is as a shelter for the homeless. The occasional mattress caked in filth can be found in the small upper office rooms. What was once a former federal building now serves as a makeshift hotel. Downstairs in what may have been the large, central sorting room is now a wide open space with broken floors and saplings breaking through. Seeing new life sprout in the middle of such destruction brings a ray of hope to the otherwise desolate surroundings.

Traveling five hours east of Gary and into Michigan you’ll find another former metropolis known for it’s current state of despair—the “Motor City”, Detroit. Stretching 143 square 24

EPIC MAGAZINE

miles (versus Gary’s 57), Detroit was once an economic powerhouse and a cultural center which rivaled Chicago. There are many theories behind the city’s decline including poor neighborhood identification (think Wrigleyville or Logan Square as Chicago equivalents), a weak downtown area, lack of a solid transit system, excess freeway expansion, and a

Seeing new life sprout in the middle of such destruction brings a ray of hope to the otherwise desolate surroundings poorly organized local government. No matter what influenced the downfall, it is overwhelmingly apparent when traveling throughout Detroit that things are not as they should be.

Driving past completely abandoned neighborhoods is a common experience. Even in inhabited areas, half torn-down structures scattered throughout the neighborhood is a typical sight. Like Gary, Detroit is home to countless abandoned buildings which at one time were beautiful and busy centers of life. Churches, train stations, and hotels have been gutted and boarded up; the only purpose they now serve as canvases to graffiti artists and as shelters to some of the city’s less-fortunate.

One major difference between the two destitute midwestern cities is where they are in their lifecycle. Both have hit rock bottom, but that only means there is nowhere to go but up.

Residents of Detroit have found pride in their city and there is a growing sense of community emerging. Former factories are now home to farmers markets and bazaars, and artists have been able to find inspiration to transform parts of the city into useful and beautiful pieces of work. The famous Heidelberg Project on the east side of the city has turned an abandoned neighborhood into a collection of unique and colorful houses which prove that even the most run-down environments can be transformed into works of art. Elsewhere throughout the city, artists hone their painting skills on the side of buildings and transform the ruins of former businesses into colorful and expressive pieces of art which reflect the growing optimism and lingering depression.

No one can say for sure if and when cities like Gary and Detroit will be able to make their comeback. Chicago was able to rise up and rebuild from it’s ashes in the 1870’s, but the Windy City suffered a decline which was swift and left it’s residents with no choice, but to rebuild. Has the slow and steady downward spiral of Gary and Detroit broken the spirits of their residents, or is it slowly strengthening their resolve to rise up and become something greater? No matter what fate has in store for these cities, an appreciation for what they once were and an awareness of the beauty that can still be found within them must be maintained - otherwise all hope is lost.

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EPIC MAGAZINE

DOOMSDAY S U R V I VA L GUIDE

By Keith Mayer

GARBAGE BAGS

Although garbage bags aren’t airtight, they will still make a great storage device for your other survival items. When setting up camp, a garbage bag can be stretched out to form a roof to keep warm and dry, or placed on the ground to stay off the bare ground. If you’re worried about your shoes getting wet, just wrap them in a garbage bag. Combine a garbage bag with a bandana to create a stronger and more multipurpose splint.

ALCOHOL

Alcohol can be used as an antiseptic, for water purification, as fuel for fire, or for weaponry. With all its uses aside, booze makes a great item for barter. Instead of exchanging useless money, trade liquor instead—exchanging a little hooch is a surefire way to make some allies.

ALUMINUM FOIL

With that condom started fire, use some ultra-versatile aluminum foil as a cooking aid. It can be folded into any shape, wrapped around food to protect from open flame, and it won’t leak if folded into a cup. Beyond use as a cooking tool, aluminum foil can be used as a reflective device to send signals over large distances. It’s highly conductive too, so fixing up loose connections in electronics becomes a breeze.

TAMPONS

In a high-stakes survival setting injuries are certain to occur, and proper medical supplies will run out fast. If you find yourself with an open wound and need to stop the bleeding, tampons were more or less made for just such a purpose. Most tampons can be found in water-tight packaging to ensure they stay dry so it serves as great fire tinder.

ISSUE 3

BANDANA

A bandana is another one of those items that is useful in a thousand different ways, but nothing specific. For starters, the cloth of a bandana is very useful for starting a fire. Bandanas don’t only burn easily but they’re tough enough to be used as a sling for a broken bone. If your water isn’t clean, pour it through a clean bandana to filter out impurities.

CONDOMS

In an end-of-the-world situation, condoms’ uses extend far beyond that of just birth control. If you ever find yourself in a titanic situation with a box of condoms, blow them up because they can be used as a floatation device. Rinsed or non-lubricated condoms can serve as a type of liquid container to store and transport water. With that water still inside the condom, angle it towards the sun alongside some leaves or cloth and it will start a fire.

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GREEN ACRES

OR GREYSTONE

BY JOSEPH HALBOTH & KEEGAN PAXTON

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EPIC MAGAZINE

GREEN ACRES In a small town we have a different kind of entertainment. The only plays, movie theaters, or shopping malls you will find are roughly 30 minutes away - so you have to get kind of creative. One activity that I always enjoyed as a kid during the winter time was hooking a sled up to a buddy’s car or ATV and driving around town. Sometimes it does get boring, so another common pastime for my friends and me was running from our only local police officer, who was about 70 years old. It was usually a curfew violation and we just dared him to catch us, which he never did.

Driving is a whole different kind of story in a small town. Instead of greeting people with honking your horn and giving the finger, we tend to just wave at the couple of cars you pass while going through town. Its kind of funny to think about how little anybody walks to where they are going, even if you are only traveling a couple blocks, laziness kicks in and we will still drive. Most of these small towns do not even have a stop light; just a random stop sign. It is a relaxed driving environment; not much road rage.

Crime is almost nonexistent, to the point where not many people lock their doors even if they aren’t home. I can remember when I had left my bicycle at the public park and came back three days later to find it right where I had left it. I think a big factor in that is you can’t get away with much when everyone in town knows you and your whole family. There was even a time that my mom had forgotten her purse after pumping her gas, she told the cashier she would be back later that day to pay for it and went on her way.

There is definitely much less stress living in a small town. When everyone knows each other there is a greater level of trust that goes along with that. People are taken for their word because we know where they live and know we will interact with that person again sooner or later. If I buy a used car from my auto mechanic, he knows that if he sells me lemon he will be the one who will be working on it.

There is not a whole lot of diversity in rural areas. The three main religions you will find in small towns are Christian, Catholic, and Apostolic Christian with roughly 95% of them being Caucasian. Unfortunately that does lead to people still holding racial grudges, because it is all they have known, and they have not had a great deal of contact with persons of color.

The scenery can be much more than corn as most believe it to be. A beautiful sunset can be seen for miles along the horizon because there are no tall buildings blocking the view. Many people build their porches and deck to face the sunrise or the sunset because more days than not it is a breathtaking sight.

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While there are advantages and disadvantages to both city and country living, life is definitely less stressful in the country. The lack of crime and slower pace seems to contribute to an easier way of life. Although there are probably people suited to the fast paced, energy-packed way of life in the city, it is just a short train ride away.

GREYSTONE The city, the luscious buxom of historical architecture, seasonal parades with festivities, and a nightlife that doesn’t end at dawn; the wonders are unfathomable with nearly and endless amount of possibility in the amount with which one can waste time. Downtown boasts so many options, the over abundance of mainstream department stores, restaurants, museums, performance and film theaters, open parks, and beaches. One would be hard pressed to not find something to do in such a large city, even you were to ever think that there was nothing to do on a Saturday downtown you clearly haven’t spent one just walking around and enjoying the fine weather in the summer.

Travel for the city life is a mixed bag of joys and stress depending on how one goes about. Having a vehicle most certainly helps with moving from A to B quickly, there are downsides with owning a car, mainly parking, and traffic. Parking in the city during peak hours can is very stressful, in the downtown area paid parking is at a premium rate that can drain your wallet while in the outer lying areas you may pass the same streets plenty of times only to find a space too small. As for traffic, construction, accidents, or even just congestion on the road can make anyone’s blood pressure rise. The other side travel that’s easier but at times a bit stressing is public transit. The ability to take a bus or train for the rather small fare of $2.50 is easy on the wallet if you don’t mind the time it takes or sitting next to other people.

Jams during peak hours due occur as well but are never as stressful as say being caught in actual traffic. Lastly for those who don’t like the cramped feeling of motor vehicles or public transportation there is always the physical alternative of biking. Chicago boasts a continu-

ous bike path that runs from the south shores and beaches to the north side of the city. Many streets in the inner city have bike paths.

Moving on, Chicago boasted a number of 506 homicides in 2012, only 25% of which were solved, that is at a rate of almost 2 deaths a day, and that’s only deaths, the numbers for violence in total for 2012 are staggering.

Even so the numbers and statistics all point to neighborhoods in the outer lying areas of the city where the local population is mostly lower class and living in poverty. Drugs, prostitution, and gang related activities are all high in these areas and only help to build such strong numbers in crime. But anywhere you look in a city there is crime, even in the smallest of towns, its just not as noticeable. One thing that can be said about the city life with crime rates so high is that people are more aware of the things going on around them. While no one will ever be completely safe from crime, they know and recognize signs of a bad part of town, and a smart person will stay away from these areas.

Diversity in this city is not an open problem; there are many colorful faces and races to Chicago. While many neighborhoods have their specific color to them you won’t be hard pressed to find diversity between race and religion in the city. However even when diversity is very much a melting pot racism can still be found in individual attitudes within the city.

Racism as a single personal preference still has a small piece in society, however is it slowly going away thanks to the melting pot that is the city. Within a town that has many cultures clashing, newer generations are seeing a world that is indifferent to color and religion.

That is what the gist of city life is when you lay out showing the best and worst. It does have its downsides fast paced morning commutes that can be without manners, high expenses for both certain living spaces and entertainment venues, but yet, the city itself is never without life. It’s a place where you could get up in the late hours of the night, go out your door and down to the corner market to get that right something for a snack, and all the while never feel alone because you would see other people going about, doing the same. A city like Chicago hardly has a moment where there isn’t life on the street and your left feeling alone and isolated.

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D.I.Y.

Photography

By Tasha Clements

If you've got lots of imagination then you don't really need much money, and if you've got lots of money then you won't bother with much imagination.” – alan moore

W

e all know very well that college students do not have a plethora of money. At times the bare necessities are hard to afford, never mind expensive hobbies. Struggling photography students are often forced to find creative solutions, while on a budget, in order to be successful.

An essential element when shooting portrait photography is a backdrop, but the stand alone can range from $50 to $150. One creative way to make your own portable stand, which will only cost you about $20, is to assemble some simple PVC piping. Another creative option is to mount a sturdy curtain rod to a wall; if you don’t have a place designated as a studio this also folds or rolls up against the wall and out of the way.

To substitute a background you can use 30

some “around the house” items such as sheets, curtains, rolls of paper, and yards of fabric. A cheap way to get a multicolor background is to tie-dye a bed sheet. One unique way to make a tile background is to glue square disposable

“To substitute a background you can use some around-the-house items such as sheets, curtains, rolls of paper, and yards of fabric.” plates together on a sheet of cardboard and paint them any color you choose. Another creative background solution is to lay out a large canvas, apply decals, spray paint evenly, then remove decals and place a light behind the canvas. If you want to be daring you can paint foam ceiling tiles for around $4 per tile.

This method allows for an abundance of customization because you can paint it one tone for a simple background or multi-tone for an extremely interesting design. A few pieces of wood flooring can also be painted or stained in the same manner, this can be used as a background or as a floor to complete a setting.

Lighting is key when shooting any kind of photography. If your scene is not lit properly it can ruin your entire photograph. Natural light is best to use whenever possible, whether you are shooting outside or utilizing light entering from a window. One amazing tool is a bouncer/ reflector, if you do some searching online you may be able to find one for under $20 or you can substitute with white poster board as a bouncer or tinfoil as a reflector.

Sometimes you need artificial light in order EPIC MAGAZINE

to create the most ideal setting, but lighting kits can cost $130 or more. For a small scale studio you can make your own diffused light using a bright flashlight diffused with a Kleenex and a rubber band to hold it together. For a larger scale you can use desk lamps or utility lights, they are very bright so you will probably want to diffuse them by hanging a white sheet or curtain in front of it.

Your on-camera flash can be powerful, but be careful as it can also make you look like an amateur photographer. An on-camera flash is

DIY Flash Extender

Fresnel reading lens (Barnes & Noble) $2.50 Corrugated cardboard (Home Depot) $4.99 Velcro (Dollar Store) $1.00 Scissors X-acto knife Sharpie Instructions: http://tgwnifoh.blogspot.com good for fill flash, just by rotating your camera vertically you can create more dimension.

Changing the strength of the flash will give you a subtle more natural fill by covering it with Kleenex or lowering the camera setting. If your subject is too far away for the on-camera flash to be useful you can make a flash extender, which allows the flash to travel a greater distance.

Every photographer needs some sort of studio when an outside setting is not ideal. A good location to create a makeshift a studio would be in a garage; this area can be made dark when needed and the garage door can be opened to let in ample amount of natural light, creating open shade.

Props are one important way to make your portraits come to life. Furniture that you can

PVC Pipe Backdrop Stand

You'll Need: (3) 10 ft. of 1 in. PVC pipe (2) 90 degree, slip-in elbows (8) T-Shape slip-in connectors (8) Slip-in end caps A Hack saw or pipe-cutting tool Cuts: (2) 5 ft.

(2) 3 ft.

(2) 2 ft.

(4) 18 in.

(8) 6 in.

find at a garage sale can be cleaned up and repainted to look antique or modern, and use fun bright colors for children. One trend is using chalkboards or picture frames for personalized messages. A humorous prop is the mustache, which is very universal and fun to use. Hats and jewelry are good for children and also gives them something to keep their attention.

Some photographers are using their iPhones to take pictures and can be done very well, especially for street photography when you don’t want the subjects to know they are being photographed. This technique can be sneaky because you can wear headphones and no one will suspect that you are a photographer.

above: Blueprints to construct your own backdrop stand out of PVC piping One of the greatest things about creating your own photography necessities is that it allows you to be as innovative as you want, and no one looking at your photographs can tell if it was taken in a professional studio or a garage.

There are many professional photographers who have and still use many DIY photography equipment. Do a little research and you will find amazing ideas and new creations are coming to life everyday. Best of all, the greatest creations are often the result of very little money and a lot of imagination.

left: Properly utilizing natural light can help express various emotions above: Techniques like placing a flashlight under a bottle can produce eye-catching results right: Natural light, a futon, and a model are all you need for a portrait ISSUE 3

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beerpong an epic guide to

by TaDARRIUS DOUGLAS

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EPIC MAGAZINE

EPIC TIPS TO WIN Don’t get over intoxicated while playing (unless you are one of the lucky few that actually starts becoming accurate after having a few drinks).Practice shots in your free time. Use the bounce shot carefully. If you’re good, when your opponents look the other way, sneak a bounce in. Talk a little smack, especially if the other team is under a lot of pressure to make the last cup. Show off some body parts as distraction. Take your time shooting. Of course this is obvious but often overlooked, like a golf shot but sometimes taking your time can win a game or three. Block bounce shots.

These are killer, especially if the opposite team hits the same cup. You will lose very quickly if you don’t swat those. Get a good teammate.

Confidence boosting, congratulatory pats on the back, same cup sinker shots and opponent intimidation are some benefit. Don’t let your cups be sitting ducks. If you have a few drinks piled up on the table waiting for you to down, make sure you drink them before your opponent sinks a cup that’s not part of the triangle.

This could cost you the game depending on what rules you play by. Don’t get too cocky.

Yeah you may be good, but girls are pretty good beer pong players too and will usually beat you, even more so if you have a big head.

TABLE & TECHNIQUE Although the game is typically played on either a ping pong table or a folding banquet table, people may create a personalized table for use by friends and visitors. In general, this will be a plywood board cut to proper size, sometimes painted with sports, school, or fraternity symbols and given a liquid proof coating. Some companies sell tables, and there are companies making portable or inflatable tables. The game can be played on any flat surface, most typically a dining table.

An inexpensive pale lager or light beer is sometimes preferred because of the large quantities of beer which may be consumed during the course of several games. Sometimes under house rules, there might be cups of other liquors used during the game. For non-drinkers, the game may be played without beer, as is done at Utah State University, where alcohol is not allowed on campus—root beer is used instead. The game may also be played with water instead of beer, or with cups full of water that players do not drink from, instead using another cup of beer or alcohol.

The typical path for the different kinds of shots. There are three key ways to shoot ISSUE 3

in beer pong. The arc, the fastball (or “laser, dart, snipe”), and the bounce shot. The most common throwing technique is the “arc” shot, where one grasps the ping pong ball with the tips of the thumb and forefinger, holds the arm at an angle with the ball upwards, then throw by using gentle elbow motion, holding the upper arm parallel with the table.

STYLES & LEAGUES Some players throw “fastball” style, which uses more of a hard chopping motion to send the ball in a direct line to the target cup. A fastball shot may be favorable if house rules dictate a cup that is knocked over is taken off the table, in which case a fastball can eliminate multiple cups if thrown hard enough.

A “bounce” shot is performed by bouncing the ball toward the cups. Since the other team may have the opportunity to swat away a bounced ball, a bounce may be worth more than one cup.

Beer pong tournaments are held in the United States at the local, regional, and national levels. The World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP), hosted by bpong.com, for example, is the largest beer pong tournament in the world. WSOBP V, held in January 2010, attracted over 1,000 participants, and attracted teams from Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Japan, each of which voiced their aspirations to further the sport in their home countries.

The World Beer Pong Tour has stops in various cities and cash prizes as well.

A more common organization of beer pong games are leagues which operate on a local or regional level. Ordinarily, a group of pong enthusiasts will create teams and play weekly against each other. Sometimes, the leagues have websites, rankings and statistics, while others have been started by college students with the goal of intramural competition such as at University of California, Santa Barbara with the “Isla Vista Beer Pong League”, and at New York University.

BEER PONG RULES Beer pong which is also known as Beirut, is a drinking game in which players throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in a cup of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-to-four-player teams and multiple cups set up, in triangle formation, on each side. There are no official rules and rules may vary widely, though usually there are six or ten plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. Each team

then takes turns attempting to shoot ping pong balls into the opponent’s cups. If a ball lands in a cup, then the contents of that cup are consumed by the other team, and the cup is either placed aside or reinserted into the triangle. If the cup is reinserted and the other team knocks the cup over, it is removed. If the opposing team throws the ball into an empty cup, they must consume the contents of one of their cups. The first side to eliminate all of the opponent’s cups is the winner.

What size cups do I use? Sixteen ounce Solo or Dixie cups are the most common. You will have to fill them about a fourth way up or they will tip over if you happen to be playing an opponent whose beer pong shot is comparable to Randy Johnson’s fastball.

BEER, BALLS & CUPS Most games with 2 person teams use 3-4 beers in a ten cup game. Just make sure when you sink a cup your opponent drinks his/her beer before shooting.

What do I use to shoot? Beer pong balls!

Also known as ping pong balls, they are just the right weight for beer pong. They are consistent in the air, yet hard to master shooting.

Organize the cups in a triangle formation with the pinnacle of the triangle pointing towards your opponents. Make sure the cups are close to your end of the table and make the rims of every cup touch each other. Who shoots first? You can flip a quarter, or shoot eye to eye to determine the first shot. To shoot eye to eye, lock your eyes with your opponent and shoot at the same time. Whoever sinks a cup first gets to shoot in the game first. When do I re rack? If you are playing ten cup beer pong two or three re-racks are typical. If you want to play a quick last game before you go party, re rack after every made cup when your side has only four cups out of ten left. Can I distract the shooters or swat the ball? You can distract your opponents however you please, but touching the ball in mid air is an automatic one cup penalty. But you can swat the ball if it hits the table or cup and bounces up. Are there special throws? If you can bounce the ball in a cup without the other team swatting your ball, that counts as two cups. How do i dominate? If you and your partner sink the same cup, that’s an extra cup bonus. Plus, the other team skips a turn and you get the balls back. If you start a game and don’t miss a shot, your team can win the game without even giving the other team a chance.

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By: Paul Gaszak Illustrations by: Tammy Priola

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EPIC MAGAZINE

THE LAST TIME I was in a tattoo parlor was over a year ago.

I was with my then girlfriend who was looking to buy a new nose ring. She also has three tattoos, but this was strictly a piercing visit. As she lingered over the glass display cases looking at the jewelry, I wandered over to the wall of tattoo designs.

Similar to other parlors, this one displayed the designs like posters at a Spencer’s Gifts. I flipped through them and noted which ones I liked, which ones I didn’t. I considered what kind of tattoo I would want and where I would put it.

I don’t have any tattoos. When that tidbit of trivia comes up, oftentimes people will ask if I’m worried about the pain. While I have heard that tattoos can be pretty painful, especially depending on the spot of the body, the pain isn’t even a consideration for me. I have a pretty high threshold for physical pain; plus, physical pain like this is fleeting.

What has always kept me from tattoos is their permanence. I can be indecisive and I over think decisions with lasting consequences to the point of mental paralysis. So, willingly committing a design to my body for life is a bit of a leap. And flipping through designs of dragons, skulls, cartoon characters, and Chinese symbols doesn’t particularly inspire me to take that leap.

While I may have excluded myself from the tattoo fraternity, the prevalence of tattoos in our society is on the rise. According to a February 2012 Harris Poll, 21% of all adults in the United States now have at least one tattoo, which is up from 16% in 2003. The numbers are higher when looking at younger generations. There are 22% of people ages 18-24 with a tattoo. The number increases to 30% for ages

ISSUE 3

25-29, and increases again to 38% for ages 30-39.

The numbers for those last two age groups don’t surprise me.

During my high school years in the late 90s, tattoos seemed less like rebellion or expression and more like inevitability. There were plenty of kids who had tattoos before they reached graduation, such as the pack of cheerleaders in my Journalism class. They went to Cancun on spring break our senior year and all got matching “tramp stamps” in a tattoo shack on the beach.

Surprisingly, only one of them developed a serious infection.

The first friend of mine to get a tattoo was my best friends’ older brother. He was a year ahead of us in school, and his senior year he got a barcode on the back of his neck. At the time, he worked at Jewel, so I had an endless supply of inappropriate and unpublishable jokes about what came up when he was scanned.

My best friend then got a large cross on his upper arm/shoulder not long after, done in his own bedroom by one of his brother’s friends.

As charming, homey, and safe as that sounds, I still was not inspired to get a tattoo.

The closest I ever came was in my mid-20s, unsurprisingly because of a girl.

My girlfriend loved tattoos and was urging me to get one, so I brainstormed some options.

What I ultimately decided was that I would get my confirmation name (“Gideon”) down my shoulder blade. She loved the idea and told me it would be sexy. She was already dating me, though, so I figured I didn’t have much to prove. After all, she didn’t make me sign a relationship contract that said my attractiveness was contingent upon future ink. Thankfully, I decided against that tattoo idea.

For one, I’m still years away from needing any of my names tattooed on me in order to remember them. Secondly, her taste in tattoos was questionable. She had a lower

back tattoo that was meant to look like a butterfly, but actually looked more like a headshot of a schnauzer. And lastly, I haven’t seen that girl in over a half-decade now. So, remember everyone, a tattoo is likely to last longer than any relationship, even marriage when you take into account America’s divorce rate.

Sarcasm and cynicism aside, I am fond of tattoos. In the context of our contemporary American society, tattoos are an art form of self-expression, and art and creative expression are central to both my life and my career as a professor and writer. Great art can be beautiful, stirring, meaningful, thought-provoking, funny, ironic, or satirical. A great tattoo can have any of those same effects. The February 2012 Harris Poll noted that 30% of people with tattoos felt sexier with a tattoo and 21% felt more attractive, lending to the idea of the surface level beauty of the art. Deeper emotional, psychological, and spiritual meanings are present as well, such as how 25% felt more rebellious, and 16% felt more spiritual.

While I have seen plenty of bad and generic tattoos, I have seen many that were beautiful and meaningful – ones that were true art: a beautiful Celtic cross, a blooming Judas tree, a heart-shaped lock on the inner wrist, a symbol representing recovery from Eating Disorders, and many more.

I respect and admire the beauty of a great tattoo, and perhaps that is why I don’t have one. I would not want to put on my body something that is no more artistic than doodles drawn in the margin of a notebook while bored in class. I would want a tattoo that was representative of me and always will be; one that strives to be an art form that transcends its design and coexists with who I am.

I just haven’t found that yet.

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GREENGuidance

By KELBY PRUCHNICK

When one thinks of going “green” they often only consider the larger environmental impact of their actions. While this is true, going “green” will also benefit you as an individual by cutting down everyday costs.

There are a number of things that you can do or change about your life

that can add up to great savings, both for the planet and your wallet.

It’s not just about reducing, reusing, and recycling anymore; it’s about rethinking the consequences of your actions and taking resposibility for the positive change that this world needs.

If you’ve ever been a student before now, you probably still have some “leftovers” from your former academic years. Tear out your old notes, and repurpose those old notebooks for your new classes. Don’t go buying supplies because chances are you have an entire drawer full of pens at home. If you must purchase something new, buy recycled whenever possible. Invest in a refillable binder or just go paperless with a laptop or tablet.

Nowadays everything is going digital, but printing is still a major issue. Print only what you absolutely need to , and opt for doublesided whenever possible. Many teachers will allow assignments to be turned in electronically which can add up to hundreds of pieces of paper being saved every term.

If you’re in the market to buy a printer, opt for ink jet over laser printer since they use significantly less energy.

It’s simple - buying used books saves trees.

Purchasing online is great, but try to buy everything from one supplier, and order all your books at once to reduce the fossil fuels and packaging used to ship packages. Used books are often in near-mint condition, and depending on previous owners sometimes contain helpful notes. Just sell them back when you are done to continue the cycle. Digital editions eliminate paper altogether.

Transportation is a huge contributor to air and noise pollution, but lessening the negative impact is simple. Think about living on campus if possible to cut back on commuting time and the out-of-pocket cost of gasoline and parking.

Taking public transportation or carpooling can greatly limit your carbon footprint, but biking or walking to class is the ultimate way to go green and get some bonus exercise.

By using that witty coffee mug or water bottle of yours instead of plastic bottles and paper/ styrofoam cups you aren’t just looking cool, you are helping to save the planet. This small effort prevents plastic and styrofoam from cluttering up our land, streams, oceans, and landfills. An estimated 75% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills where they will remain for hundreds of years.

Sometimes the simplest act can have the greatest impact of reducing your carbon footprint. By just flipping the off switch when not using an electronic device or appliance you’re not only saving yourself some green by lessening the power bill, but you’re using less of our fossil fuel reliant power sources. Be sure to unplug devices when not in use too since just being plugged in will use power.

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EPIC MAGAZINE

ALL THAT REMAINS

A TOUR OF SOME OF THE LESS APPRECIATED MIDWEST

WHAT’S IN YOUR CART? WHY THE POOR ARE GETTING FATTER

DOOMSDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE

NOT YOUR BOYSCOUT SURVIVAL METHODS

DIY PHOTOGRAPHY

GET YOUR STUDIO STARTED

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY | ISSUE 03

EXPERIENCE EPIC

EXPERIENCE EPIC ON YOUR IPAD

ISSUE 3

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EPIC MAGAZINE