The Ithacan Thursday, M a r ch 29, 20 12
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Volume 79, Is s u e 2 3
Talking ’bout my generation
With the Occupy protests and countless displays of student activism taking place around the world, including Ithaca College, this generation of young people has been associated with activism and civic-mindedness. But new research offers a radically different perspective. A study in the “Journal of Personality and Social Psychology” found millennials, people born after 1982, are more individualistic and self-centered than Generation X’ers, who are people born between 1962 and 1981, and baby boomers, people born between 1946 and 1961. The study, which was conducted by Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State
University; Elise C. Freeman, a graduate research associate at the same university; and W. Keith Campbell, a professor at the University of Georgia, compares the life goals of American high school seniors and college freshman spanning different generations. The study was based on two public data sets, the University of Michigan’s “Monitoring the Future,” and the Higher Education Research Institute’s “American Freshman Survey.” Both national surveys have been conducted for more than 30 years. “Monitoring the Future,” annually surveys approximately 16,000 high school seniors in about 133 randomly selected schools. “The American Freshman Survey” surveys the
See speaker, page 4
See minor, page 4
incoming classes of several hundred randomly selected colleges. Since 1980, when Generation X’ers were college-age, there has been a decline in goals relating to self-acceptance, affiliation and community, and a rise in goals related to money, image and fame. The study also shows a decline in concern for others and civic orientation. Campbell said this research sheds a negative light on the generation of young people. “There’s less cohesion socially,” Campbell said. “You find less civic engagement, less environmental concern, less empathy for other people and higher narcissism.”
See generation, page 4
Macy's parade producer to speak at commencement by elma gonzalez assistant news editor
The Ithaca College senior class executive board has chosen Amy Kule ’87, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, as this year’s commencement speaker. Kule, vice president of national events and partnership marketing for the Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group, will deliver her speech at the ceremony May 20. Kule is the seventh person to lead the classic New York City parade since its establishment in 1924. She handles many aspects of the parade, including its creative direction, design and construction. When she received the invitation to speak at commencement, Kule said, she experienced a mix of honor and excitement at being chosen to come back and speak at her alma mater. “It’s not something that when you look at one’s life, you don’t
Amy Kule ’89, center, is executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She will serve as the college’s commencement speaker in May. courtesy of amy kule
really consider that event being a part of a milestone that you would ever check off on a list, but I was deeply happy to get [the president’s] letter and even more excited to hear
beauty in sight Surgery to change eye structure creates dialogue about self image, page 13
that the seniors voted on asking me to have this honor of speaking to the graduating class,” she said. Jimmy Knowles, president of the 2012 senior class, said Kule
news editor
was chosen unanimously by the class officers from dozens of other candidates because she exemplifies what IC 20/20, the college’s vision plan, is all about. “The thing that we really liked about Ms. Kule was that — especially given the new IC 20/20 initiative and the idea of blending the departments across campus — she graduated with a degree in history, and she’s gone on to do something completely different than what she studied here, which really shows that [the college] really does prepare you to conquer all fronts when it comes to working in the professional field,” he said. The commencement speaker is selected by the senior class executive board after a careful review of dozens of candidates from a list created by the Office
Photo illustration by Shawn Steiner
Staff writer
by kelsey o'connor After years of pushing for more Asian-American influence in Ithaca College’s curriculum, students have won the approval for an Asian-American Studies minor from Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs. Though the Asian-American Studies minor was approved Monday by Kelly, it still has many more steps it must go through before it can be formally approved BARLAS said the by the college. The minor, if minor's approval approved, would be process still has a housed in the Cen- long way to go. ter for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity. The center has had minors in African Diaspora Studies and Latino/a Studies since 2006. At the time, there were not enough faculty and relevant classes to support an Asian-American Studies minor. Students have largely been behind the push for an Asian-American Studies minor, particularly juniors Kristiana Reyes and Kristy Zhen, and Kaitlin Hibbs ’11. Last spring, they made a documentary called “Missing in History,” which focused on the need for an AsianAmerican Studies program. They also began a petition that currently has more than 400 signatures. The push for the minor is also backed by the student-run Committee for Inclusive Education, an on-campus group that promotes cross-cultural education. Asma Barlas, professor and program director of CSCRE, said the provost’s approval is just the first step to move forward with the minor. “What the provost has done so far is to simply approve going ahead with developing this minor,” Barlas said. “So the real work is going to begin now.” Barlas said the department doesn’t offer enough courses on the subject, which is why the center is also requesting a full-time faculty hire. The minor must also go through the Academic Policies Committee before it can be formally approved. Because of the college’s desire for more ALANA-focused curriculum, Barlas said, there is no reason that a component should be missing. “If we are going to deliver an ALANA curriculum, which Ithaca College says it’s going to do, how can we justify not having Asians as part of ALANA?” Barlas said. “One in four people in the world are Asian, and Asians are a large segment of minorities on our campus, and so I think those are solid reasons.”
New research spotlights individualistic leanings of younger generation Jack Curran
Asian-American minor secures provost backing
calm getaway
wrap it up
Thrower relieves stress by directing creativity to works of art, page 23
QR-coded condom campaign needs to go beyond just a check-in, page 10
f ind m or e onl ine. www.t heit hacan.org