Vol 43 issue 13

OutLook

STUDENT PRESS

Vol. 43 Issue 13 March 28, 2011 Outlookpress.org

Students Raise Funds For Tsunami Relief Efforts

Features 5 “In one day, every aspect of your life changes. I hadn’t even gotten to the base before I was screamed at.”

Josh Blachorsky News Editor

Louie Gaitan, Student

An RCC student shares his experiences serving in the U.S. Air Force.

Comics 10

Comics by student cartoonists that will make you laugh.

Science 12 “When placed in the freezer, these goodies prove to be an excellent frozen treat that are healthier than many traditional frozen desserts. So awaken your taste buds, and celebrate spring’s return with a refreshing start! ” Monica Powell, Student

A fun and easy spring recipe for strawberry macaroons.

subhead Josh Blachorsky News Editor

Student inquires on how to assist in Japanese relief efforts.

SEE JAPAN PAGE 2

Ian Mauro / Outlook Student Press

RCC Students UPLIFT High School Students Courtesy of Ramapo Guidance Department

“Our society is so hellbent on being successful that people find they need relationships but have no idea how to get into one.”

“Owe My Soul”

In response to the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred in Japan, students from Rockland Community College are trying to collect funds for, and deliver aid to the stricken nation.

In particular, Japanese students from the International Students department have been holding a fundraiser in the Student Union Building.

“It’s really important to engage in charitable work such as this,” said sophomore Ilana Grant. “Even though I personally don’t know anyone who lives there, there are certain events that require the world to come together as one community and help out, and this is definitely one of those examples.”

The Japanese students were out fundraising Monday to Friday the week of March 20, and as off press time, had raised nearly $1000 from students and faculty.

Reimie Shimode, one of the students manning the table, said

Susanna Perlov

Editor-in-Chief

Inspired by the various programs within SUNY Rockland to aid incoming freshmen in the process of adjusting to college life, several RCC students have created a new form of student outreach into the Rockland county high schools.

The creation, UPLIFT, is a new student-organized project aimed at educating high school students on the importance of continuing their education.

“The idea started with students just sitting around and

Willie J. Trotman, President of the Spring Valley NAACP, answers questions during the veterans panel.

Marvin Mathew speaks to Ramapo High School students about college experiences.

sharing their college experiences in the SGA office,” revealed Student Government President and co-creator of UPLIFT, Marvin Mathew.

On March 7, Mathew along with the Student Representative to the Board of Trustees Ali Rizvi, and former RCC student Mark Svensson, attended

various classrooms at Ramapo High School and discussed their college experiences, more specifically, the mistakes that they made, as well as general insights that they learned through their first two years of college.

“Looking back at my senior year, I wish that I had someone

to talk to about the aspects of college that you could only be aware of through being there,” commented Rizvi. “It was fulfilling to be able to give back to the students at RHS, and it also made me realize how much I’ve grown since starting my SEE UPLIFT PAGE 3

News

2

March 28, 2011

College Celebrates Women’s History Month Rebecca Gross

Rockland Community College celebrated Women’s History Month this March with several activities and lectures.

The month’s activities were planned in order to give students “an appreciation of the long time it took for women to get where they are today, to learn about the inequality that women faced and continue to face,” said Professor Elaine Padilla, a member of the Women’s History Month Committee.

“I hope the students understood that women are capable of a multitude of roles and can achieve anything that they want,” said comittee co-chair Professor Kristie Morris.

The month’s activities began with an activity for children from the Campus Fun and Learn Center called Girl Power and Dragons. The preschoolers listened to a story and then performed some arts and crafts.The following Monday, author Beatrice Fernando came to speak to the student body about her harrowing experiences as a slave in Lebanon.

“Beatrice’s story beautifully illustrated the strength of the human spirit even in the most difficult of circumstances,” said Professor Morris.

Other events of the month included the film Iron Jawed Angels about the American suffragettes of the early 20th century, a lecture about women in Vietnam from Associate Professor Lazar and her daughter Mya Hai Lazar, and a discussion of women in Contemporary Psychology by Professor Morris.

The month continued with Anngela Cooper, the President of the Hudson

Ian Mauro / Outlook Student Press

Staff Writer

Students and faculty attend lecture given in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Valley Women’s Veterans Association, leading a panel discussion on women in the military, Professor Emily Harvey of the Art Department discussing “Hot Mamas in Pop Art,” the art of the 1960s, Diana Wilkins, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Program Coordinator of Volunteer Counseling Service Gay Pride Rockland conversing on tolerance and intolerance, and Dr. Gloria Reinish talking about the challenges she faced as a female engineer in the 1940s.

Certain events were chosen for people with specific interests. For example, Dr.

Ruth Gruber (in collaboration with Jewish Heritage Month) on March 289, which Professor Padilla called “fabulous,” and an author discussion with Colm Tóibín on March 31.

“I’m very happy with how Women’s History Month has turned out. We have a lot of collaborative activities. We were lucky because many of our committee members offered ideas for this year’s celebration and volunteered to coordinate specific programs on topics ranging from women in Vietnam to women in psychology,” declared co-chair Dr. Christina Stern.

“Hot Mamas of Pop Art” Lecture Delights Audience

Students Fundraise For Japan Relief >> JAPAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sara Birnbaum

Ian Mauro / Outlook Student Press

that while she doesn’t have family who were directly affected, some of her extended family’s homes were affected by the earthquake.

Shimode said “The students have been very helpful and generous in their donations.”

The idea to set up a donation table was the brainchild of student Kae Iwatsuki.

Iwatsuki was inspired to do this due to the fact that she has close friends in Sendai, the town that was at the epicenter of the quake.

All the students manning the table are part of RCC’s International Students program, a program, which as its name implies is for students from overseas. There are approximately 30 different Japanese students in the program.

According to freshman Steven Goldsmith, donating was all about helping people. “If I were God forbid ever in a situation like that, I’d like to think that others would help me.”

Kashu Nodera credits Diane Swick from the Student Involvement for allowing them to set this up. “All of the faculty have been very helpful with our efforts” he said.

The money raised will go straight to relief efforts in Japan, but likely not to the Red Cross.

According to Shimode, not all of the

Morris says that she “chose the event with VCS Gay Pride Rockland because I encourage my students in my classes to be accepting of all people and to respect gender and sexual diversity.”

Turnout at the events was excellent.

“I’m very happy with student attendance at the events. We’re really getting our message across,” said Professor Padilla.

There are still several events remaining on the calendar, including a lecture, entitled Women and Strategies of Power - Past and Present, by Professor Bruce Delfini, a film about women journalist

money given to the Red Cross goes directly to the relief effort that you want it to go to.

Other RCC clubs are trying help out as well.

The Water Justice Alliance(WJA) is trying to raise funds to send water filters to Japan, as the country reels with water supply problems in many areas.

RCC students have been generous with helping nations in need in the past.

Last year, there was a collection drive raising funds for Haiti after the earthquake hit, and earlier this year there was a collection drive for toys for local kids in need.

“It’s so great that RCC students are so giving and generous” said Saima Ahmed.

On the students’ table are origami swans, the bird of peace. They were there as a hopeful sign of things to come.

contributing Writer

On Thursday March 17, Emily Harvey, Professor of Art History and Chair of the art department held a power point presentation in the Technology Building, to educate the audience on some of the most well known female pop artists.

This event was planned by The Women’s History Month Committee with help of Professor Brooke Evans, of the art department.

“These slides stood out more, I was trying to get a theme together of good illustrations of emotion and feeling women brought to pop art, feminist and political activists and subject matter contemporary,” Dr. Harvey stated on the reasoning behind choosing certain works of art.

An exhibit in the Brooklyn Museum “Seductive Subversion” inspired the presentation and Harvey introduced it by stating that female pop artists do not receive as much recognition as male pop artists do.

“I never thought about comparing male pop artists to female artists,” commented

student Amelia Bainton. “It was a really educational presentation and I enjoyed seeing all of the different artworks,” she added.

According to Harvey, everyone knows a name of at least one male pop artist, whether it be Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein. She continued to introduce the presentation by giving background about pop art, which started in the 60’s and then explained why she chose the word “hot” for the title.

“Women’s art has content, empowering love and joy,” Harvey stated. While the artwork from female artists produced more sensual works, the male artists from that era created pieces that can be described as “cool” and “detached.”

The presentation revolved around female pop artists such as Judy Chicago and Faith Ringgold and demonstrated content in their pop art versus the male pop artists’ lack of content. Harvey juxtaposed Jasper Johns’ “Flag” to Faith Ringgold’s American flag called “The Bleeding Flag.”

“I was glad to see that female artists were involved in this month’s events,” said student Brittany Coard. “It was really cool to learn about the women who made a mark in art’s history.”

News

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Hillel/Center for Jewish Life

March 28, 2011

Rabbi Eliezer Drew (left) and Rabbi Dov Oliver (right) read the Megillah.

Haven Orecchio

special to outlook

On Sat. night, March 19, Hillel of Rockland hosted their third annual Purim party at the Cousin’s Pool Hall in Spring Valley. The event was celebrated on the Jewish holiday of Purim, and over 130 students attended. Many new and old members masqueraded down the “red carpet” dressed as their favorite celebrities to celebrate the joyous holiday.

“The event was really well done and well planned out. There was a great dichotomy between a religious event and a social gathering,” said Jeremy Rosenblatt, one of the attendees.

Guests mingled with each other, comparing costumes, played unlimited rounds of pool, and feasted on many dishes such as pasta, falafel, and sushi that were provided by Hillel, and Student Activities fees.

And while some questioned having a religious event at a pool hall, Rabbi Dov Oliver, head of Hillel, responded by calling them “Kvetches and Shmendricks” (Yiddish for complainers and annoyances), and saying “they should all chill out.”

Based on the biblical Book of Esther,

Purim is a festive holiday celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Adar in the Hebrew calendar. The Holiday celebrates the efforts Mordecai and Queen Esther when they semi-miraculously saved the Jewish people from Haman, the antagonist of the story, and his plot of annihilating in the Persian Empire around 400 BCE. As per Purim ritual, Eliezer Drew, a local Rabbi read Megillat Esther, one of the books of the Old Testament which details the story of Purim. According to Jewish tradition, it is incumbent upon every Jew to hear the Purim story.

“It was really great that we were able to expose so many people to the joy of Purim who would otherwise not be able to experience the joy of one of the happiest days of the year,” said Sheva Oliver, co-director of Hillel.

During the reading, whenever Haman’s full name is said, it is customary to boo him and shake noisemakers in the air, to eradicate his name. The booing was quite vibrant at the event.

Following the Purim tradition of dressing up in disguise, for which there are a multitude of reasons, there was a costume contest at the party. The winning costume was a homemade imitation of Edward Scissorhands, worn by David Kopolovich.

Hillel/Center for Jewish Life

Large Turnout for Purim Celebration in Spring Valley

There are four main actions that are done on the day of Purim. Giving gifts of foods like fruits, nuts, and hamentashen to friends,

giving charity to the poor, eating a festive meal, and listening to a public reading from the book of Esther.

Feedback from high school students toward UPLIFT has been positive >> UPLIFT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 college career,” he added.

One of the main purposes for this project is to create an outlet for high school students to ask college students about the social and academic aspects of college life that they may not feel comfortable discussing with high school counselors.

“Nobody can tell the story better than the students can,” remarked Dr. Cliff Wood, RCC’s President. “It shows that current

students have really been inspired by being in RCC, and have also blossomed.”

The topics discussed between the high school students and Mathew, Rizvi, and Svensson ranged from the level of difficulty of college classes, the difference between high school teachers and professors, to the various types of extracurricular activities that students in college can get involved with.

Although UPLIFT is a project geared toward helping Rockland high school

students, the college students involved also see this as an opportunity to gain as well. They feel that giving back to the community is beneficial to them.

The verall feedback from high school students was positive, as the Ramapo guidance counselors remarked that various students came up to them and asked more questions about the college application process.

Mathew commented on speaking with the students by saying, “I can’t go back and

use what I learned today, yesterday. I can, however, take what I learn today and share it with somebody that will benefit from it tomorrow.”

UPLIFT is currently seeking to speak at Clarkstown North High School and Suffern High School, among others schools. The members are also looking for any RCC student interested in speaking with UPLIFT about their own experiences. To inquire, contact sga@ sunyrockland.edu.

News

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March 28, 2011

Students Attend College Media Convention Lindsay Buteux

Staff Writer

First Inkling Literary Magazine members gathered in the vacant SUNY Rockland parking lot before traveling to the city. The countdown to this day had consisted of arduous preparation, dozens of e-mails and phone calls, and long hours in a tiny office. Finally, this three-day event had arrived, and we were ready for the national College Media Convention.

Held at the Marriott Marquis in Time Square, this annual event ran from March 13 through March 15. Its reputation for being the most informative conference for journalism brought students from all over the U.S., including Hawaii, and even from Canada. They gathered in the greatest city to network and indulge in rich advisement from experienced editors, graphic designers, writers, and faculty advisers. But for the first time, this year’s convention introduced a new branch of journalism to the table: literary magazines.

The sponsor for this unique track was none other than the First Inkling team, a group of RCC students dedicated to producing the first international literary magazine. Launching this enormous task at the convention would prove to be ground shaking. They strived to invite the top literary magazine gurus to lead profound sessions and workshops, and their hard work paid off.

The line up of professionals consisted of Raymond Hammond from The New York

Quarterly, Paula Deitz from The Hudson Review, Theodore Hamm fromThe Brooklyn Rail, Betsy Sussler from BOMB Magazine, Brigid Hughes from A Public Space, and Jeanne Leiby from The Southern Review. They were even able to bring the renowned David Plotz from Slate.com and Marc Silver from National Geographic to the convention. Each speaker offered invaluable advice and was willing to answer any question.

RCC students and advisers held their own sessions as well. Professor Ian

Newhem and Dr. Cliff Garner shared their expertise with other students through their session on building literary magazines from the ground up. First Inkling editors, Barbara Benitez, Drew Gauerholz, Victoria Mansoor, and Chris Saffran, led a discussion about funding. Outlook’s Style and Entertainment editor, Jesse Strauch, spoke on freelance writing.

The First Inkling booth attracted several students who were searching for an outlet for their creative writing skills.

Those who were interested in joining First

Inkling as associate editors were invited to the grand Presidential Suite for private sessions with Marc Silver, deputy editor of National Geographic.

Associate editor of First Inkling, Sean Rugy sums up the magnitude of this convention: “Attending the CMA conference with First Inkling is perhaps the single greatest event of my life- possibly topped by my birth, but not likely.”

In September of this year, First Inkling will publish its first issue. Expect to be blown away.

Features

March 28, 2011

My Time in the United States Air Force

5

A student veteran recounts his adventures serving his country

Louie Gaitan

Staff writer

When most civilians think of the military, they picture the same thing an idealized soldier from a movie. This couldn’t be further from the truth and it’s my hope that telling my story will help you to what a soldier is actually like.

First, I feel like I should deal with a few misconceptions. Army means military, but military does not mean army. The U.S. military has five branches and I was in the Air Force. This brings me to the next misconception, No, I didn’t fly planes, I’m way too young to have become a pilot and served my time already, I’d be around 26 if I had. If a job exists in the civilian world, chances are there is a military equivalent.

There are of course jobs that don’t have a civilian equivalent, so that gives you an idea of how many different jobs there are in the military.

The process of joining the military begins in the same place for everyone, at a Military Entry Processing Station or MEPS.

At MEPS, they try to figure out if you are mentally and physically capable of being in the military. Imagine getting a physical from your doctor; now make it much more in depth, make the doctor a stranger, put twenty other guys in the room and imagine you had no idea this was going to happen beforehand. I can’t speak for all military members, but this was a tad uncomfortable, however the military loves efficiency.

From here the journey of joining starts with going to basic training, aka boot camp.

While Air Force boot camp is probably the easiest, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In one day, every aspect of your life changes.

I hadn’t even gotten to the base before I got screamed at. My bags were missing and I was told by the airport staff that they would be sent to me so I sat down with the rest of the new recruits waiting for the bus to base. When my bags were brought over to me (the airport found them before I left), the sergeant who was escorting us pounced on me, screaming at me for being too lazy to get my own bags. Not a good start to say the least, but I was sure it wouldn’t be this bad the whole time.

By the time we got to the base it was about 1 a.m. and I had been up since 6 a.m. the previous day. They split us in to groups of about sixty and took us to the barracks.

Once there we were told take a shower and the bonding began. All of us were expected to be done showering in about twenty minutes, so we all piled in to the shower area. The actual shower room was a five by five box with six shower heads.

I’ll let you use your imagination here, but in case you’re bad at math, we got about three minutes a person. When we finished, we were told we needed to be much faster.

By the time I left boot camp I could shower in less than a minute, though something was lost in the way of actual hygiene after doing that for six weeks straight. Less time was an overall theme in basic training: sleep was five hours at best, meals were two minutes, bathroom breaks were seconds. By the end, I didn’t think for myself, not because they made me submit my will, but because I didn’t have time to think for myself.

The journey really splits up after basic with technical training for the job you will

do. I was sent to Sheppard AFB in Texas, to learn the illustrious art of putting bombs on planes. Even within the school for my job, the path split further depending on what plane they had you working on.

I was trained on the B-52, a heavy bomber aircraft and the longest training period for my field. I arrived in December and left in May. While things were less strict than basic, we still were heavily controlled. Imagine if your boss told you to wear your work clothes any time you left your room and you couldn’t leave your house unless you had someone to march next to you the whole time. There was even a process for getting your food at the chow hall. Gradually, on an exact schedule they would loosen the bonds until we could even leave the base, but we would have to wear our dress blues. This was okay at first, since we were all eager to show off at the local mall.

Any little thing we did wrong was a reason to snatch away these precious freedoms away. I lost them for flicking my friend on the ear, which was odd because bomb loaders tend to like to mess with each other much worse than this.

Party Fouls—Things to Avoid Doing at a Party Elizabeth Maze

staff Writer

Congratulations, you’ve finally done it.

After years of awkward self-insertion into other people’s weekend plans, your bout of prepubescent acne and battle through braces, you’ve finally been able to achieve everyone’s wish to snag an invitation to a party. It doesn’t matter if its Renaissance themed or a full out rave complete with foam and glow sticks, you’re going and you’re pumped. Though your enthusiasm for said get-together is admirable, it is important to keep yourself in check and avoid the things that will surely revoke any future invitations that may be extended your way. Heed these party fouls and you will travel far in the realm of socialization.

Clumsiness is inevitable. As anyone will tell you the occasional trip, door bump, or unintentionally graceful fall down a flight of stairs will happen. However, clumsiness leading to spilling a drink on

anyone in a party setting is frowned upon heavily. I did not spend three-hundred dollars on Velcro Lacoste sneakers for you to spill your Budweiser on them. Nor did I spend two hours of prep time on my cape and spandex combo for you to dump your non-alcoholic margarita all over. It is essential to maintain control of your drinks. You control it, it does not control you. If you can’t trust yourself to not trip and spill, lean against the wall casually like a billboard model or backup dancer from a high school production of Grease.

It doesn’t matter how you maintain control over the drink, but it is imperative while attending a party to do so.

You hear the music, you know the lyrics, and you’re ready. Stop. You’re not ready. I don’t care if you learned a sweet dance routine in your mom’s basement last summer and this is your moment to “shine. In the case of party dancing it is important to understand that less is more.

An occasional weight shift from foot to foot representing an interest in those

surrounding you on the dance floor and common knowledge of popular music is acceptable. However, the uncontrolled pelvic thrusts, arm flailing, and sporadic head swinging will just destroy any sense of respect fellow party goers have for you. Sure you’ll think you’re drawing in a crowd, but it is the wrong one. No one wants to be the next YouTube sensation under the title “drunk bro arm swings into a canopy”.

Now there may not be a canopy at this party but I can promise you there will be one eventually and that should be incentive enough to keep your hip swings under control.

Everyone knows that person who, at a party, treats any available, and sometimes unavailable, individual as a long lost lover who just got back from some lengthy trip to a foreign land. They’re kissing, groping, grinding, and grossing everyone out. Its fine to show some affection, but once you cross the line to any loud grunts, butt pinches, and dirty talk it is time to cool

it. We get it, you’re in love, congrats, but I would like to enjoy my bag of mini pretzels and discount cheese puffs in peace. If you are going to make a move at the party and get your grind on, remember this, what would your mother think?

Thinking of your mother should quell any desire to grind on that stranger and earn you another invitation.

Though these are things to keep in mind, you shouldn’t hold back completely and be an apathetic party participant. It’s okay to sometimes let yourself go and enjoy the party with some random small talk with strangers in a basement that smells like mildew while the girl that owns the house screams ‘duck’ whenever she sees a flash of light. Completely and utterly acceptable.

With that said, it is time to take the invitation with a proud smile, brag to people you know weren’t invited, practice your hand-eye coordination, and lock away that sultry Shakira-themed dance routine till a later date.

FEATURES

6

March 28, 2011

“First Inkling” Goes in Search of the Zeitgiest Chris Saffaran

contributing writer

If you’ve walked through the MT/S Honors corridor this semester you’ve probably noticed a cluster of sleepdeprived students perpetually camped out in Professor Newhem’s office.

What are they doing? Is it some kind of protest? Some kind of new studenthousing initiative? Nope. They’re the staff of First Inkling, SUNY Rockland’s new student literary magazine.

This isn’t your grandfather’s campus lit mag. First Inkling is the first of its kind, international student literary magazine.

The mission of First Inkling is to identify the zeitgeist of today’s student writers by publishing short stories, poetry, graphic fiction, novel excerpts, one-act dramas, and short film scripts of the best and brightest writers in associate, undergrad and graduate schools across

the nation and beyond. Headed by Dr. Clifford Garner, and Professor Ian Blake Newhem, the staff consists not only of the aforementioned students you see here at SUNY Rockland, but also satellite associate editors from colleges throughout the United States, as well as England, Ireland, and France.

“I did Oxys [SUNY Rockland’s former literary magazine] for a couple of years,” Professor Newhem said during his recruitment pitch last semester. “But I want to try something new. Something huge. Something never done before: I want to publish the best student writing in the English Language.”

And “huge” is the perfect word to describe the undertaking of launching such a publication—hence, the zombies.

Apart from the exhausting work of applying for grants, establishing our brand, creating press kits, finding advertising, soliciting schools for student writing, sponsoring conventions, and

building a website, the First Inkling team needed to figure out how to reach their target demographic. To that end, they tasked a team of sociologists, including a faculty member and students, to conduct a study involving series of widely propagated in-depth surveys.

“They were supposed to find out where today’s educated, early-twentysomethings are spending their time, and what they’re looking at so we could market directly to them,” Professor Newhem said Monday during his session at the 2011 College Media Advisers convention. “After two moths they came back to us with one word: Facebook.”

Enter InkSpot, First Inkling’s very own social network.

Developing a community of college students from the US and abroad, InkSpot offers blogging capability along with Facebookesque social networking tools like status updates, photo galleries, an activity and comment wall, friending, and messaging.

“InkSpot’s cool, because you can blog, which you can’t do on Facebook or Twitter,” says Drew Grauerholz, one of First Inkling’s Senior Associate Editors.

“You can blog on Tumblr, but there you miss out on all the other fun social network goodies.”

The hope is, of course, that InkSpot will drive traffic to First Inkling’s website, increasing the online magazine’s viewership. Furthermore, the most popular member blogs will be featured in an effort to support First Inkling’s overarching goal of identifying the zeitgeist.

First Inkling’s flagship issue comes out this September.

As September moves inexorably closer, and the First Inkling staff scrambles to collect and edit the submissions, Dr. Garner’s and Professor Newhem’s vision comes closer to fulfillment. To check out the First Inkling website and InkSpot, visit firstinkling.com.

Get a free membership.Build your profile.

Discuss published works.Contribute and Socialize firstinkling.com

Style & Entertainment

March 28, 2011

7

The latest video sensations that are sweeping across YouTube Ken Grand-Pierre Staff Writer

“David After Dentist”

“Charlie Bit my Finger”

“Baby Gives the Evil Eye”

From squirrels on jet skis to small infants who unknowingly become viral sensations, there are thousands of videos on YouTube that are able to put smiles on faces of viewers throughout the world. No one knows this better than SUNY Rockland students, as most all of them have at least one favorite funny video on the tip of their tongue. If one were to enter the Student Union lounge and ask any given person as to what their favorite video is, they would be able to compile a list of videos that would keep anyone smiling for days.

Two of the most well known Twitter videos star children caught in candid moments. One of these videos, “David After Dentist” stars a seven year old who is seemingly high on anesthetics following a trip to the dentist. Another such video, “Charlie Bit my Finger,” centers on a baby’s reaction after his infant brother bites his finger, hence the title of the video.

Freshman Justin George suggests another comical baby video entitled “Baby Gives the Evil Eye,” which features an incredibly cute baby doing exactly what the title suggests. These videos show that one does not necessarily need to be talented, or even a kindergarten graduate, to become an Internet sensation.

Another hilarious series of YouTube videos is the “Epic Rap Battle” series. These videos feature impersonations of famous historical and cultural characters as they compete in a battle of words. Freshman Nick Murray is a big fan of these videos, as he will burst out in laughter from watching epic rap battles such as “Abe Lincoln vs. Chuck Norris” or “Justin Bieber vs. Beethoven.”

While some videos are meant to be funny,

other YouTube clips are unintentionally humorous. The music video to the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black appears to be one of these videos.

This song, which already close to 10 million hits on YouTube, features a young girl singing about seemingly mundane things of her life. While she has received some genuine admiration for her musical work, she has become the punch line of many jokes.

“This video is just a disaster. When I listen to the lyrics I can’t help but to crack up at the ridiculousness of it, commented student Aelas Rivera.”

Whether the video is watched for its music or for the comedic nature of it, there is no denying that it is indeed very entertaining.

Another YouTube sensation is the entire College Humor series, which feature short, SNL-like sketches including two personal favorites of student Nawaphon Sittisawassakul: “Storm Troopers” and “Adam and Eve in the Friend Zone.”

Other videos with an eclectic vibe include “Double Rainbow,” which comes highly recommended by many students, “Can I Have Your Number,” and “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.” These videos feature two guys marveling at a double-rainbow, a persistent man who tries unsuccessfully to get a girl’s phone number and talking shell respectively.

While there are a wide variety of videos on YouTube, there is definitely no shortage of laughs to be found. The types of videos range from ordinary experiences turned hilarious to sketch comedy groups, who pride themselves on their Internet prowess to videos that are unintentionally hilarious. Before checking out some of these videos, be warned that you might spend your entire day clicking on related videos that always seem to be funnier than the previous.

“Friday” by Rebecca Black

“Storm Troopers”

“Can I Have Your Number”

“Justin Bieber vs. Beethoven”

“Marcel the Shell With Shoes on”

Makeup Tips from You Tube’s Beauty Gurus The makeup bloggers with the best cosmetic advice for you

Lindsay Buteux

Staff writer

Talented makeup gurus have emerged, sharing their abilities with millions of viewers. From hair and makeup to skin cleansing recommendations, they know all the tricks. They are changing the way viewers learn beauty tips, one YouTube video at a time.

Blair, or Juicystar07, is one of the youngest gurus on YouTube. She brings refreshing and youthful looks to the makeup scene, using predominately pastel and neutral colors for the eyes.

In each tutorial, she thoroughly explains how to apply the specific products she chooses. She has admitted to dealing with acne-prone skin, Blair has devoted many videos to introducing brands that help control the oily shine that develops on skin. Her daily process of maintaining oil-free skin is described in “Matte foundation routine.”

Amid dozens of hairdo tutorials presented by the top makeup gurus, Blair provides some of the most desirable celebrity hairstyle demonstrations. Her “Taylor Swift inspired hair tutorial” gives viewers a simple approach to recreating Taylor’s sexy yet sweet and innocent curls. To try another glamorous hairstyle, watch “How to: curl your hair- celebrity inspired.” Attain all of these lessons at www.youtube.com/user/juicystar07.

There is no harm in experimenting with color and Lauren, the makeup artist known as the “queen of blending,” knows that.

She has all the tricks and products that can give any pair of eyes a bold appearance.

Using vibrant colors, dazzling glitter, and prominent eyelashes, she creates edgy looks. Her “Sephora holiday look” videos will instantly spice up your appearance for a special occasion.

She begins her eye shadow tutorials with one eye finished and the other

completely clean. With her camera focused on her plain eye, she clearly shows how to brush on various tints and glitters. She has introduced a popular eyeliner look, the “wing effect,” into several of her videos.

Choosing a variety of makeup brands, she can take you from a dark smoky eye to a bright pink eye in one click. Effortlessly blending different palettes into daring looks, her makeup channel, www.youtube. com/user/queenofblendingmua, has risen to success.

Having trouble staying within your budget when you shop for makeup? Go to www.youtube.com/user/dulcecandy87 for the lowdown on which products are affordable and worth your money! Dulce is constantly posting reviews or “hauls” to her YouTube channel, showcasing drugstore products that must be added to your collection. Covergirl, NYC, Revlon, and Maybelline are a few of her choices.

She presents her expertise in replicating celebrity makeup styles through a few tutorials. “Mila Kunis cover of Cosmopolitan tutorial” and “Jessica Alba cover of Cosmopolitan tutorial,” teach how to recreate their gorgeous looks while using inexpensive brands.

If you are searching for tutorials on techniques and unique looks without

becoming stuck on which makeup products to use, Michelle Phan is an option. She has several videos that demonstrate how to achieve quick natural makeup routines, essential for a hectic student lifestyle. In her “simple fast makeup” tutorial, she introduces a stencil for applying eyeliner.

This provides a fast way to draw on eyeliner when you’re on a bumpy car ride.

“Fresh Five Minute Makeup” and “Simple Everyday Look” show valuable techniques to use when you’re late for class or work.

Preparing a Halloween costume is a challenge, especially when it involves using heavy makeup. Michelle has created several tutorials for Halloween costumes or masquerade ideas, such as “Geisha Halloween tutorial,” “Elegant masquerade,” “Vampire Eyes,” and “Forest Fairy.” A costume guaranteed to be popular for this next Halloween is the Black Swan. Her “Black Swan Makeup” video takes a step-by-step approach to recreating the ornate design painted on Natalie Portman’s eyes. For more of her tutorials, go to www.youtube.com/user/ michellephan.

These are only a select few of YouTube’s finest makeup gurus. Find a makeup guru that sparks your interest and offers beneficial makeup tips.

Style & Entertainment

8

March 28, 2011

STYLE ICONS: EDIE SEDGWICK Brittany Flynn

Staff Writer

Edie Sedgwick is best remembered for being one of Andy Warhol’s superstar muses. Although her fame may have only lasted for 15 minutes, her legacy and impact on the fashion world has been less fleeting.

Edie arrived in New York City in 1965 and quickly captivated the bohemian underworld. She became the princess of the art world, Warhol’s “poor little rich girl,” but they weren’t the only people to take notice. Diana Vreeland, the editor of Vogue magazine, named her one of their “Youthquakers” and she was one of the earliest models for Betsey Johnson.

However, her success didn’t last long. Edie spiraled into drug addiction and left the city, dying all too soon due to an overdose in 1971, but her unique image survived.

Here’s how to incorporate this superstar socialite’s iconic style into your own.

Fashion: In a 1965 Life magazine piece covering her style, Sedgwick was dubbed “the girl with the black tights,” so the first key piece to any of her signature looks is opaque black tights. If the tights you have just aren’t opaque enough, try layering two pairs. Along with her tights, Edie was known for wearing leotards.

For a time, she practiced jazz ballet for several hours daily and, rather than changing, simply threw on a fur coat over her dance ensemble and proceeded to trot around town. Now, I know most people won’t be partial to wearing nothing more

than tights, a leotard and a fur coat, but if you approximate the look with a black tank top and mini-skirt, it becomes much more wearable, but just as chic. Edie also loved black and white stripes, so switch out your black tank top for a striped three-fourths sleeve t-shirt for another take on her look. An “Edie look” would not be complete without her signature “shoulder duster” or chandelier earrings, so wear the biggest, most dangly pair of earrings you can find.

Face: Start out with a matte foundation and add concealer wherever you feel it’s necessary, then dust a light pink blush over your cheeks and set everything with a translucent powder.

Recommendations: Foundation: M.A.C. Studio Fix Fluid Blush: M.A.C. Pink Swoon.

Eyes: The centerpiece of Edie’s face was her iconic eye makeup. It’s a little bit difficult to describe, so I’d suggest finding an image on the Internet and using the following tips in conjunction with that.

First, cover your entire lid, from lash line to brow bone, and tear duct area with a matte, skin tone eye shadow. Then, with a pencil brush, take a smokey deep brown, almost black eyeshadow and “cut” your crease, drawing a thick line slightly above where your eye naturally creases. In the inner corner, curve this line down along the tear duct and for the outer corner, wing up and out slightly, with the line tapering off at both ends. Run the same eye shadow along your bottom lashes, with short wings out and down at both the inner and outer corners. Using a black gel liner and an eyeliner brush, create a thick line along

the top lashes and wing it out at the same angle of the eye shadow. For the bottom lash line, use a black eye shadow to line and define the inner edge of the brown shadow. In the gap between your top and bottom liner, blend in white eyeliner and then apply the same white liner to your bottom waterline. Edie usually wore three sets of false lashes, but for simplicity’s sake, just find one thick pair and apply them to your top lash line. Coat the faux lashes and your natural ones with mascara

to blend them together and apply mascara to your bottom lashes. Brows: Edie’s brows were thick and relentless, so make sure you fill in and define yours with a brow pencil.

Set them with an eyebrow gel or clear mascara to keep your brow hairs in place.

Lips: She balanced her dramatic eye makeup with a “barely-there” lip color, so choose a matte or satin finish light pink or nude lipstick and you’re good to go.

Recommendations:M.A.C. Viva Glam Gaga or Blankety.

March 28, 2011

Style & Entertainment

9

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE TWEES Ken Grand-Pierre art director

The Twees are a band that emerged from New York City in 2009. After releasing an EP called “Lessons To Connect” front man Jason Abrishami and the band went their separate ways, causing Abrishami to recruit new band members: Jon Zuckerman on guitar, David Kaplan on bass/vocals, and Daniel Edwards on drums. After obtaining this new line up, the band returned to the studio to record another EP titled “Unfair Affair.” The EP’s catchy songs granted the band more buzz and a demand to play live. Now in early 2011, The Twees are well known in New York City’s underground scene, having played Webster Hall, toured various states, and are now gearing up to play Webster Hall again. I sat down to talk with front man Jason Abrishami.

Ken Grand-Pierre: How does it feel that your EP (These Girls) has been received quite well?

Jason Abrishami: We’re pretty excited that we’ve been getting good reception.

We just wanted to spread the word about

our music and have it reach to new ears.

KGP: How close has the band gotten over time? Would you say these are your brothers in a way?

JA: We all met through the Internet

and we didn’t know each other. Since we’ve begun performing together we’ve gotten pretty close. We wouldn’t say we’re like brothers, we’re more like second cousins

KGP: Your live shows have brought in lots of people, would you say that performing live is important when being in a band? And how so?

JA: Yes, performing live is very important. It makes us feel more connected to the fans and that’s what being a musician is all about.

KGP: How would you say you’ve grown as a musician/song writer over the years?

JA: We all come from different musical backgrounds and it’s helped allow us to create our own sound, but we still have our past influences tie into the big picture.

KGP: Is there a track on “These Girls” that you were really excited for people to hear?

JA: The whole thing sounds really great, but “On The Spot” is the main highlight of the EP. KGP: Are there any music releases you’re excited for this year?

JA: The upcoming albums by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, The Kills, and The Strokes KGP: Do The Twees have any goals for 2011 that you can share with our readers?

JA: Doing more shows, performing in new places, writing more material, and expanding our fan base.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

A NORTHERN LIGHT words about it so far, which can only be a good thing. My own website has received a lot of visitors looking at the cover art alone, and our daily plays on Bandcamp are through the roof. We can just hope that more people pick it up over the future, and we love hearing from listeners.

KGP: When bands record together they tend to learn a lot about their band mates.

What have you learned about yours?

CL: They’re a couple of assholes. No, seriously, they’re not all bad. We’re all big fans of South Park, for example, so we can always have a laugh at that. Darren and Omar have been mates for ages, and you can tell - sometimes it’s like watching an old married couple. .

KGP: Which band do you hope A Northern Light will open for someday and why?

CL: I want to name all of the biggest bands in the world right now, but I know realistically, that won’t happen. If we’re talking in terms of style or genre of

music, we wouldn’t be far from Rush or Blink-182 (or Angels and Airwaves for that fact). I would personally love to play with Radiohead some time in my life. One can dream.

KGP: If a person of the same age of you were to ask you “How do I get into a band?” how would you reply?

CL: Don’t wait around, start one with your mates, or, if you’re a little younger, see if anyone in your school wants to join.

If not, try a music forum. Meeting people at a gig or putting up an advert in a place where a lot of music fans gather. I grew up in the countryside and know how hard it is to even pull together a couple of people to jam once in a while. But it’s bound to pay off if you stick at it. I’m hardly an authority on giving advice to young budding musicians, but just getting out there and playing, no matter how bad you are at first, always seems to be the logical choice.

Matthew Alexander Patton

is sort of our tribute to them. “Thanatosis” is a little more pop, it’s been compared to art director Blink-182 and Biffy Clyro by some people.

The other tracks are a little harder to place, in terms of an obvious influence.

A big difference between the new EP Any well-known band will tell you and our previous one is that we’ve begun that the most efficient ways of generating a to record and map out tracks by ourselves fanbase is through word of mouth, luckily before we hit the studio. Omar, especially, for Belfast’s A Northern Light this has is a big fan of electronic music, and was never been a problem. In early 2010 Darren able to play about with different sounds Doherty (guitars/vocals), Colm Laverty and beats as we were writing - there are (bass/keys), and Omar Ben Hassine quite a few elements of that on the record, (drums/production) formed A Northern particularly with the title track.

KGP: On the previous EP you only Light and simultaneously honed they’re recording talents and live performances. played bass and on this one you play The band has released a debut EP called both bass and synths. Was learning synth “Chase The Ghosts Away” and are about challenging? And are you happy that you to release another called “The Right Thing learned it?

CL: I can still barely play! I’m slowly To Do.” This Outlook writer has heard it and the sense of growth is immensely but surely learning how everything works. apparent in the beginning of the title I’ve always wanted to learn how to play track. A Northern Light are a band that keys, and figuring out how to play our are hungry to do amazing things and we old synth-players parts was a good way of sat down with the bands very own Colm learning the basics. On the EP itself, my only contribution was the low-end synth Laverty to find out the reasons why.

Ken Grand-Pierre: Who are you and in “Entrada Mi Guapa;”as I’d mentioned, Omar spent a lot of time beforehand what do you do?

Colm Laverty: I’m Colm Laverty, I play adding bits of synth to each of the tracks, whether it’s melody or just coloring the bass in a band called A Northern Light.

KGP: How did you and your band tracks subtly. KGP: What made recording “The Right Thing To Do” different than members meet?

CL: Darren and Omar had been in recording your previous EP? CL: We generally felt a lot more bands together for years, since they grew involved and confident going into record up together. I came up to Belfast a couple of years ago and started hanging around this EP. We were working with Clark Charlie’s Coffee Shop - one day I figured Phillips once again and he seemed to be that I might as well stick up an advert, see sure of the kind of sound we wanted this if anyone wanted to start a band, and got a time around. Again, a lot of the process was influenced by the work we put in text a few days later.

KGP: Who was the biggest influence beforehand - the title track and “Seen,”for when you were recording this EP and why? example, came together quite easily due to CL: There are quite a few different ones that.

KGP: How has reception been for the EP For starters, we’re all big Pink Floyd fans, and I think the song “Entrada Mi Guapa” so far? CL: I haven’t heard too many bad Ken Grand-Pierre

March 28, 2011

11

Outlook Student Press Susanna Perlov, Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Pastorelli, Production Manager Ian Mauro, Managing Editor Demi Moore, Art Director Ken Grand-Pierre, Art Director

Josh Blachorsky, News Editor Sari Ugell, Features Editor Jesse Strauch, Style & Entertainment Editor Jeremy Pardo, Opinion Editor Zehra Sheikh, Science & Health Editor

Outlook Student Press is published every other week except during exam periods and summer. It is an independent newspaper and public forum produced by students and paid for by advertising revenue and student activities fees.

Outlook Student Press invites you to submit your opinions and ideas for publication. We strongly encourage letters to the editor.

Content does not necessarily reflect the views of the Outlook editors or staff. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length, style, and taste. Outlook does not accept anonymous submissions.

On the web: Outlookpress.org Facebook.com/outlookpress Email: Outlookstudentpress@gmail. com Office: Student Union Room 3200 Phone: (845) 574-4389 Fax: (845) 356-6261 Snail mail:Outlook Student Press Rockland Community College 145 College Road, Suffern, NY 10901 Professor Fuentes, Advisor

Staff: Lindsay Buteux, Brianna Robinson, Sarra Schwarz, Chayim Tauber, Katherine O’Neill, Kristian Dougherty, Christian Dougherty, Ken Grand Pierre, Jonathan Mallon, Nicole Hoffman, Lindsay Goldman, Elizabeth Maze, Rebecca Gross, Miriam Hoffman, Chris Barker Contributors: Sara Birnbaum, Chris Saffran, Josh Dombroff Photographers: Noe Hernandez, Matt Holland, Jacquelyne Jackson, Ariella Chamish, Marcy Rosa

We Need to Stop Persecuting Our Fellow Americans Marvin Matthew staff Writer

www.facebook.com/OutlookPress

www.twitter.com/OutlookPress

A fear of Islamic people has developed in America. In the midst of our fast moving country, we struggle to separate what we know from what we assume. We often jump to judge and allow mainstream media to assist us in hasty conclusions.

Trauma is a difficult thing to overcome; all of us have had to deal with some form of trauma after the attacks on the World Trade Center a decade ago.

Perhaps remembering that all Americans had to cope with this tragedy can play a vital role in unlocking the closed door in our mind.

Practicing the religion does not equate

Rethinking Gen. Ed. Requirements Ian Mauro

Managing Editor

Depth, not breadth has always been the pursuit of higher education. Students enroll in universities to hone their knowledge to have the skills necessary in their future work endeavors. In today’s age of indecisive, adult children and mandatory degrees, a rounded education is the new substitute for focused higher learning.

Universities used to target a thorough understanding of a subject, but current curriculums impose upon students a broad, unspecific education.

General education standards that are required of Bachelor and Associate degrees provide a base liberal curriculum that acts as a foundation for further learning. Most people, depending on the institution, will have to take these courses. The obligatory course work is supposed to supplement a person’s degree even if it has no direct effect on their career path.

When the general consensus is that

a college degree is mandatory for most specialized careers, we expect people to graduate from an institution able to perform as experts in their field. Those who aren’t prepared are at a disadvantage.

A college degree should open the door to the best opportunities of employment, but general education requirements are impediments in preparation for employment. The obligatory courses try to impose a new standard of common knowledge, when the real goal of college education is learning the skills necessary for a target career.

Today, more people are forced by employment and social standards to enter college, but these individuals don’t have a clear idea of what field they want to work in. With about half of those who enroll in four-year colleges never graduating reinforcing basic Math, History, and English through general education standards increases dropout rates and pushes students along without providing them with a real higher education.

When college freshmen, the group with the highest dropout rates, are nearly

forced to enroll without any career direction, general education fills their time with unnecessary work from every branch of study. Proponents of liberal curriculums claim that breadth and exposure to various fields help students find their calling. After eighteen years of life to ponder their future, and twelve years of state mandated education, college applicants should be well aware of potential careers.

The stigma of having any college degree allows universities to get away with providing liberal curriculums. If everyone must go to college but only half will succeed in receiving a complete higher education, the other half simply give away their money to these universities for the sake of a degree. Raising the bar of an educated society isn’t the purpose of higher education.

That is just education, but there is nothing ‘higher’ about it. If college is to be the new norm of education, as it struggles to be, then general education standards are just filling in for true higher learning.

to terrorism, there is a difference between Islam and terrorism. In fact, only 0.06 of Islam’s followers are Radical Islamists, a much lower percentage than the 94% of Islamic followers who are not radical.

Last week I heard a fellow student ask, “Do I look like a terrorist?” Terrorism has no face; no figure; no religion. Anyone can wreak havoc and oppress other humans with a cause that they feel is just, which is the nature of a terrorist.

In grade school, many of us learned the difference between religion, culture, and systems of mankind. By splitting these topics one is left to assume that our humble third grade teachers had hoped to teach us an overarching theme: diversity.

I’ve always heard that practice makes perfect but it hasn’t seemed to apply here.

Why don’t we understand and recognize the differences between people, culture, and practice? More specifically why do we punish and persecute fellow Americans because of our ignorance?

Many good people continue to teach and stress the importance of these differences, but time and time again they are victimized by our own ignorance. How long can they stand?

Perhaps it’s fear, our lack of consideration, ignorance or our constant search for a national enemy that has done it. Whatever the reason may be, we have allowed it to capture the best of us as we have put a face on terrorism, a face we have found through stereotyping.

America prides herself on diversity, waking up every day I breathe a sigh of relief for our collective ability to live amongst people of many colors without fear of persecution.

Instead of entering yet another era of McCarthyism and blindly attacking people without evidence or a reason to, we must regain control of our nation and open our eyes.

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) said it best: “Instead of singling out this particular community for investigation, our focus should remain on the many sources of terrorism and violence that threaten our nation and its residents.”

SCIENCE & HEALTH

12

March 28, 2011

Fried Fish May Not Be Worth It New studies from the “stroke belt” suggests fried fish may be as risky as it is delicious Vanessah Raymond Staff Writer

Fried food is very popular in today’s modern society. Even originally healthy foods such as bananas, avocados, and fish are being fried. The taste may be delicious, but eating them can become problematic towards your health.

Fish itself is a very healthy food to consume, though many people are too picky to eat it. All fish contain omega-3 acids, and necessary “fatty” acids our body needs. However, the amounts of the acids vary depending on the type of fish.

There are some fish, such as salmon, sea bass, and tuna, which can reduce the risk of stroke. In fact, the American Heart Association has recommended that people eat fatty fish at least twice a week.

A major positive about fish is that it is low in calories. Even though there are “fatty fishes,” they are a healthy fat that your body needs.

As tasty as fried fish sounds, the risk of stroke may not be worth frying it.

Researchers at Emory University’s School of Medicine have done a study that shows that fried fish may be a contributing factor in stroke cases. In the study, the states that eat more fried fish than other states reside in what’s referred to as the “stroke belt.” The

stroke belt includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The people in these states, as previous studies have shown, run a higher risk of dying from strokes. African Americans are particularly at risk.

In the study, the participants averaged at an age of 65 with 66 percent of them being from the stroke belt. More than 75 percent of participants said that they ate two servings of fried fish per week, and African Americans were three times more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week than whites. Those in the stroke belt were 32 percent more likely to eat fried fish two or more times per week than the rest of the country.

Southerners love fish, but traditionally it is served fried with deep fried cornmeal cakes known as hush puppies, along with fatladen tartar sauce on the side. Southerners fry foods such as dill pickles, frog legs, and eat deep fried pork rinds as a snack. Also, bacon fat is a popular flavoring in cooking.

Fried foods, as delicious as they are, are the problem. Some health concerns regarding fried foods are heart disease, obesity, and high cholesterol. Greasy, fried foods are not the only tasty foods available. Restaurants increasingly have baked, broiled, and grilled fish on the menu. Fried fish isn’t considered “cool,”

it’s old-fashioned and overrated. You can order fish at a restaurant and enjoy a delicious and trendy dinner without blowing your diet.

If “fish” isn’t quite to your liking, there’s not just one type of fish. There are fish that have a stronger taste while others have a very mild flavor. However, the best fish to eat depends on the individual. A very “fishy” seafood is salmon, and a very

mild one is tilapia. Tuna is an easy “goto” snack, it’s not expensive, and it doesn’t take much effort to prepare.

The fried fish sticks of the past have taken their leave and have been replaced with healthier choices that are much more delicious. Modern consumers want fresher and more flavorful food and have discovered that fish is a quick and easy way to get it.

A Healthy Treat Recipe for strawberry coconut macaroons Monica Powell

Contributing Writer

With the arrival of spring, many colorful varieties of fruits begin to flourish, and strawberries are undoubtedly one of the most anticipated foods used to welcome this warmer season.

The strawberry’s sweet juice adds a delicious flavor to snacks and meals alike, and with the array of uses for the strawberry, including the making of preserves, pies and even smoothies, its no wonder that this small berry attracts such a large audience.

Its nutritional significance is nothing to overlook. The healthy benefits that this fruit offers to our bodies is something worth mentioning. The rich red color of the strawberry identifies it as a storehouse of the antioxidants called anthocyanins, which inhibit the cancer-causing effects of free radical damage to our skin and other organs of the body.

It is also important to recognize that strawberries are strong promoters of a healthy heart for this same reason.

Additionally, strawberries contain several grams of fiber per serving, helping to ensure a happy and healthy gut.

So with an impressive reputation for protecting the human body against a multitude of health problems common today, this proves at least one good reason to incorporate more

of this exceptional fruit into your regular diet.

To assist you in doing just that, included below is a recipe that proves just how uncomplicated and effortless the preparation of strawberries can be in producing a mouth-watering treat. This

particular dessert, called macaroons, can be enjoyed at the end of a meal or as a quick snack during the day, whichever suits your taste. And when placed in the freezer, these goodies prove to be an excellent frozen treat that are healthier than many traditional frozen desserts.

So awaken your taste buds, and celebrate spring’s return with a refreshing start!

Strawberry Coconut Macaroons 1/3 cup pitted dates 1 1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed 1/4 cup agave nectar or honey 1 Tbs non-alcohol vanilla 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut Optional: Throw in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of your favorite nuts for an added crunch, as well as extra protein 1. Place the dates, strawberries, agave nectar, and vanilla in your food processor and process into a pureed consistency. Add the shredded coconut (and nuts, if desired), and process again to mix well.

2. Using an ice cream spoon, scoop the mixture and place the individual balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the sheet of macaroons in the refrigerator or freezer; let the macaroons chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Ani Phyo

March 28, 2011

SPORTS

13

A Preview of the 2011 American League Chayim Tauber

Staff Writer

Despite long being known as the “Junior Circuit”, the American League has been considered the more dominant league for the better part of the last two decades.

The American League Central has two of the most intriguing battles in baseball; the one at the bottom between the Indians and Royals for American League doormat honors, as well as at the top between the White Sox, Twins, and Tigers.

Detroit’s the most talented of the lot with Justin Verlander spear-heading a young rotation with plenty of good arms and Miguel Cabrera wielding one of the most potent bats in the game.

The White Sox have a ton of kids with explosive arms and just added a ton of pop to their lineup with the addition of forty-homer-a-year man Adam Dunn. If their arms mature this season, they can steal this division and be dangerous out in the playoffs.

The Twins are in this mix because former MVP Justin Morneau should be returning from his concussion issues and because I don’t want to be the one to bet against Ron Gardenhire’s club.

They are inexplicably talked of annually as contenders and I’m smart enough not to go against the grain anymore.

Last year, much to everyone’s surprise, the AL champion came out of the often maligned Western division with the Texas Rangers outlasting the Los Angeles

Angels of Anaheim to win the division last year. Despite the addition of “Mr. Worst Contract in Baseball History” Vernon Wells, the Angels and their all-world coach Mike Scioscia will once again trail the power hitting Rangers. The Rangers, despite the loss of DH Vladmir Guerrero and Cliff Lee, have enough young pitching and pop to outlast the Angels as has been the norm for the last ten years or so.

The American League East is where every championship run must go through.

The Yankees, Red Sox, and even the Rays of recent vintage have been the team to beat annually and this year is no exception. Being a small market team has finally caught up to the darlings of the last

few baseball seasons as the Rays lost a significant nucleus of their players to free agency and trades leaving a respectable but highly depleted roster to contend with powerhouses like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Orioles are a team to watch, having gone on a remarkable run late last season in stereo with the arrival of new manager Buck Schowalter. The Blue Jays are loaded with young, impressive pitchers and could also surprise some people.

As inevitable as death and taxes, the American League East comes down to the Yankees and Red Sox. The Red Sox have the most lethal and potent lineup in baseball.

The speed, power, and discipline that this lineup possesses make them an offensive

juggernaut. However, they have question marks in their rotation that will be paced by young studs Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. Their bullpen is a big area concern for them as are their other three starters.

The Yankees on the other hand, have arguably the best bullpen in the majors with the addition of Rafael Soriano but have even bigger question marks filling out their rotation as well as position players who’s aging process has been well documented and scrutinized.

Whoever loses the AL East will capture the Wild Card and in all likelihood, will meet in the ALCS. I have the Red Sox going to the World Series in a classic “Offense versus Defense” battle for the ages.

UFC Purchase of Strikeforce League Raises Questions Josh Dombroff

contributing Writer

The recent buy-out of Stikeforce

by Zuffa put the entire MMA world in a frenzy. UFC president Dana White released the news of the purchase about a week ago and fighters and fans alike were thrown into disarray. Everybody is trying to figure out what the team up of the two most dominant promotions in professional MMA is going to mean.

When the news of a merger was released many fighters had reason to feel threatened that their job was at stake. Fighters such as Josh Barnett, Paul Daley, Nick Diaz, and Dan Henderson did not get along with Dana White, and so were either kicked out or left the UFC to go to Strikeforce.

These guys are all highly skilled fighters but they have unfortunately been unable to maintain a good relationship with White and the UFC. So what happens to them now that Strikeforce and the UFC are one entity? When asked about how these types of fighters would be handled Dana White responded “These fighters are all still under contract with Strikforce and Showtime… All contracts will be honored”.

Another big question floating around now is how this new addition to the UFC going to operate? Will they just transfer all the good Strikeforce fighters into the UFC and unite the belts or are they going to operate as separate, compartmentalized entities.

When asked about this White responded that now it is just “business as usual.”

Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman and CEO of Zuffa, explained, “We intend to operate

Strikeforce as a separate business much like we did with the WEC for many years.”

So it appears that for now Strikeforce and the UFC will still run business as usual independent from each other.

However, there will no longer be counter promoting events anymore and don’t be surprised if you see the words “UFC” underneath the Strikeforce logo when on TV. Now, is this merge actually good for the growth of the sport or is it going to retard the industry’s meteoric growth?

On the one hand, the unification of the two promotions makes fights that were just “dream matchups” now a reality.

The history of professional sports shows how unification of major promotions leads to better and more competitive and entertaining events. i.e. the ABA merger with NBA, or the NFL with the AFL. The sport of boxing has been slowly evaporating over the last few decades due to the many different promotions and a plethora of World Titles.

Fights that everyone wants to see, don’t happen, but a unified promotion focuses the sport, and the attention of fans towards only the most relevant fighters.

The ongoing arguments over how guys like Fedor Emilianinko, Alistair Overeem, and Nick Diaz would do in the UFC will finally be settled once and for all--in the cage. With an increased roster and the elimination of UFC’s biggest competitor the champions will finally be undoubted.

On the other side; there will no longer be as much of variety in the product.

Competition generally provides incentives for promotions to better serve their customer by; keeping prices down, putting on the fights everyone wants to see, and running

the business ethically. With the competition gone, the UFC can do more of what they want and less of what the fans want because there is now no alternative for the hard-core MMA fans to watch. Fans need to be wary of the impending increase of ticket and PPV

prices. The problem that looms is that Zuffa is now an unchecked monopoly and has no accountability whatsoever, least of all to the fans. Is that what we the fans want, or do we not care as long as get to watch the best fight the best? Time will soon tell.

For Further Information: http://www.sunyrockland.edu/about/departments/multi-media-production-center/festival