SPECIAL: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR - PAGE 5
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE SINCE 1893 Friday, October 21, 2011
Volume 132, Issue 6
www.oxyweekly.com
Ten Students Occupy L.A., Thirty More March in Support
Haley Gray
A team of student organizers have been building a network on campus in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street Together movement. The Youth Coalition for Community Action (YCCA), Student Labor Action Coalition (SLAC), Black Student Alliance (BSA), and MEChA*ALAS together with a new student group, Students Occupy L.A., are working together to get Occidental students involved in Occupy Together, a coast-to-coast movement spurred by the Occupy Wall Street camp-in that began in New York City on Sept. 17. “We knew that this movement was bigger than one club so we needed to start organizing as if it were bigger than one club,” YCCA President Guido Girgenti (sophomore) said. Organizers from YCCA and Students Occupy L.A. pitched a tent in the Occupy camp outside City Hall and stayed overnight the Friday through Monday of Fall Break. At an open meeting last Thursday, the group provided public transportation directions to City Hall and posted their own contact information so that Occidental students who arrived late could find their peers. Their meeting inspired about ten Occidental students to camp out at Occupy Friday night, with numbers dwindling as the break went on. On Saturday, about another 30 Occidental students joined the occupiers
Giovanna Bettoli Protesters, including Occidental students, fill the streets to show their support for the “99%” during an Occupy LA demonstration targeting corporate greed.
in a march of “the 99%” from Pershing Square to City Hall. The march was part of Global Day of Action, a worldwide coordination of marches for economic justice. The marchers aired grievances of all kinds on hand-made signs, voicing their malcontent with corporate greed, outrage at the richest one percent of the population and cries for economic justice.
On Oct. 9 Jack Moreau (junior) and Joe Dingman (junior), the students behind Students Occupy LA (perhaps you’ve seen their tent in front of the MarketPlace), began hosting meetings every Sunday through Thursday at 9:30 p.m. in front of the library. Dingman estimates that they draw about 30 attendees to each meeting. The pair call their gatherings a “General Assembly,”
Union Accuses College of Unfair Labor Practices
Courtesy of Ryan Strong Demonstrators hide behind their protest banner in front of Alumni Circle.
Chelsea Kellogg Three demonstrators for a local carpenters union held a banner that read “Shame on Jonathan Veitch,” in front of Alumni Circle on Tuesday, Oct. 18, protesting unfair labor practices in the Swan Hall renovation. In distributed materials, Carpenter Local 944 alleges that a subcontractor involved in Swan
Hall’s renovation, Temecula Valley Drywall, refuses to pay its employees area standard wages. The flier also displays an image of a rat, equating the subcontractor with the animal. “A rat is a contractor that does not pay all of its employees area standard wages, including either providing or making payments for healthcare and pension funds,” the handout explains. The flier then accuses Occidental of
NEWS ................................... 3 OPINIONS ............................ 4 LETTERS .............................. 5
supporting the company by indirectly hiring it to do work on campus. The union claims that Occidental is contributing to what it calls “The Desecration of the American Way of Life.” “[We believe] that Occidental College has an obligation to the community to see that area labor standards are met for construction work at all their projects, including any future work,” distribution materials from Local 944 read. “[Occidental] should not be allowed to insulate themselves behind ‘independent’ contractors.” President Veitch could not be reached for comment, but the College released a statement through Director of Communications Jim Tranquada. “Unfortunately, the College has been caught in the middle of a dispute between the Ontario-based Carpenters Union Local 944 and one of the 30 subcontractors hired by Tovey/Shultz Construction to work on the Swan Hall project,” Tranquada said. “The protesters at the main entrance to campus were hired by Local 944 to make the disagreement between the local and the subcontractor LABOR continues on Page 3
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after the organizing body at the heart of the Los Angeles Occupation. Moreau and Dingman attend the GA meetings at City Hall every night and report back to their own General Assembly on campus. This coalition of student groups also organized an on-campus walkout last Thursday. More than 50 students met between Johnson and Fowler at 1:30
p.m. for the nation-wide class walkout organized by Occupy Colleges, a national network operating in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. Girgenti and his fellow organizers plan to work more with Occupy Colleges in the future and intend to build a sustained nation-wide network of student OCCUPY LA continues on Page 3
Retention Rates Drop As More Students Leave
Riley Kimball
3.54 percent of last spring’s student body did not return to the college this year, marking the highest attrition rate since 2003, according to the college. This rate is nearly double last fall’s 1.88 percent rate. From 2003-2007, the rate had held constant in the neighborhood of 2.9 percent and since 2007 has consistently decreased. Registrar Victor Egitto, however, does not see the larger rate as abnormal. “We usually lose about 50 to 60 students a semester,” Egitto said. “This one might be a higher than normal attrition rate. But some leave with one course left, or transfer or take a couple of years off and come back. We generally have about 78 percent of students graduating in four years, which is pretty good.” Egitto explained that the attrition rate is not just a measure of transfers out of the college but rather of students who have ceased to attend, whether for
financial reasons, medical concerns or job opportunities. “It includes transfers, drop-outs, people taking a few years off, all sorts of things,” Egitto said. “We just keep track of how many people have left, not exactly the number of transfers. We like to know why people leave, and we’re in the process of figuring that out now.” There was also a drop in the transfer-in rate this semester. Usually around 50 new students are admitted per fall semester, but the number fell this year to 40. In spite of the drop, Egitto is confident that transfers will remain an important part of the Occidental community. “We take transfer students pretty consistently, it’s good to have them. Even when we don’t need them, we try to take them,” he said. Nevertheless, there has been a decreasing incoming transfer rate. Associate Dean of Admission Pati PineiroTRANSFER continues on Page 3
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THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
- October 21, 2011
THIS WEEK Community Health Today, 10/21 - 12:30 p.m. JSC Young
DanceTheater Saturday, 10/22 - 8:00 p.m. Thorne Hall
Dia De Los Muertos Saturday, 10/22 - 12:00 p.m. Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Gold Panda Monday, 10/24 - 8:30 p.m. The Echoplex
Tom Morello Tuesday, 10/25 - 8:00 p.m. The Troubadour
Join the Community Health Engagement Meet and Greet to discuss Oxy’s Community Health Engagement planning grant.
Occidental dance instructor Francisco Martinez’s DanceTheater celebrates its 30th anniversary with a one-night-only ballet.
Go to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s 12th annual event of “multi-cultural meditation and rituals of the dead.”
Check out Gold Panda with fellow musicians Jonti, Touche, and DJ Sodapop at Echopark’s the Echoplex.
Listen to Rage Against the Machine’s guitarist perform solo at the famous West Hollywood club.
INFORMATION: Student Events Calendar
INFORMATION: Student Events Calendar
INFORMATION: hollywoodforever.ticketfly.com
INFORMATION: www.attheecho.com
INFORMATION: www.troubadour.com
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Four Occidental students’ overnight campout in Switzer Falls, Altadena on Saturday went awry after two of the students went missing Sunday morning, according to Eagle Rock Patch. A successful search-and-rescue operation, led by Cresenta Valley’s sheriff force, tracked down the missing students who were uninjured. Eagle Rock Patch reported that the group of Occidental students was planning to camp at Switzer Falls, until two of the friends preferred to return to their vehicle and sleep. By the next morning, the two friends in the vehicle attempted to locate the rest of their group but were unsuccessful. An emergency call around 9 a.m. was placed to the local Bear Canyon ranger station. The missing students were located safely at 10:10 a.m. In 1998, Occidental student Nathan Cook, 20, went missing during a mountain biking trip to nearby Mt. Wilson in La Cañada. His body was found wedged underneath a tree in Hahamonga Watershed Park. Officials stated that the local mountain trails were extremely slippery due to rain and that Nathan may have been the victim of a flash flood.
A new California law requires public schools to begin teaching LGBT topics from kindergarten to grade 12 according to the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Unified schools are currently implementing LGBT teachings into the school curriculum. A large cheer of celebration has been heard among L.A. Unified’s LGBT clubs, and many students as well as teachers are thrilled about the new law. There is some uncertainty among school officials and teachers as to when to begin the transition of discussing same-sex marriage in class. New textbooks that include the subject are unlikely to play a major role as the district estimates such books will arrive no sooner than 2019. Some schools have already begun implementing the new law. Kindergarten classrooms are including books about homosexual animals, examples about families with two mothers or two fathers and other similar activities. Some parents have withdrawn their children from public schools, and some teachers refuse to teach the matter. However, the new California law continues to be implemented rapidly.
In the fifth Republican presidential debate since Labor Day, candidates met on Tuesday night at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. Key candidates, Gov. Rick Perry (T-Rep) and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, clashed with the other five candidates about topics ranging from illegal immigration, federal healthcare and the failing American economy, according to the New York Times. Tensions were high as Perry accused Romney of hiring undocumented laborers. Romney also came under fire for his healthcare bill in Massachusetts. Perry has been accused of being too-heated in his debates, often stumbling when cornered about his Texas legislation that aided illegal immigrant families and students. Romney has also come under scrutiny after speculation that his Massachusetts health-care bill was the foundation upon which socalled “Obamacare” was based on. The debate did not present one overall winner as candidates sparred with each other. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended the debate by proclaiming that there should be less bickering among the candidates.
In China, a 2-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle and then ignored by over a dozen bystanders, according to the Washington Post. The infant, Yueyue, remains critically injured and in a coma. The driver responsible didn’t stop. A set of laws were recently put into effect by Chinese legislatures, requiring extra caution on the part of good samaritans, which sometimes call for them to ignore victims. These laws were passed due to many situations where people helped victims and ended up being sued by the victims themselves. When authorities would arrive, they would reason that those good samaritans helping victims were in fact the ones who hurt the victims in the first place. In an effort to avoid similar scenarios from recurring, the new law deems it necessary to wait until trained medical personnel arrive on scene. Some believe these new laws demonstrate a loss of morals in an increasingly materialistic Chinese society. The driver responsible for Yueyue’s injuries stated it would have cost him more to stop than it would to keep going.
Written and Compiled By Damian Mendieta
REPORTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 10
3:08 PM HSC Adjunct Professor reports he was exposed to a mist of carbon disulfide when a filter ruptured in the Astrophysics Lab. No injuries reported. Incident report submitted.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 8:03 PM South Bird Rd. Observed 5 male subjects (locals) video taping stunts on their skateboards. Officers contacted the subjects, who were warned regarding private property and escorted off campus without incident. 8:03 PM South Bird Rd. Student reports that her friend’s exboyfriend (former student) was on campus attempting to get her into his vehicle. Responding Officers contacted the subjects who stated they mutually agreed to meet.
10:34 PM Wylie Hall Student reports her ex-boyfriend is still on campus and refusing to leave from in front of her Hall. Responding Officers checked the Hall and contacted several individuals who matched the description provided, but were unable to locate the subject.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 5:50 PM AGC Rd. & Gilman Rd. Received delayed report that a student’s parked vehicle was struck by a driver who made a three way turn, then fled the scene without leaving a note on the parked car. Investigation revealed the driver was an Oxy student who when contacted, agreed to compensate the registered owner for the cost of the repairs. Incident report filed. 5:05 PM 2037 Escarpa Dr. Neighbor reports (3) Oxy students sitting in a parked vehicle smoking marijuana. Incident report filed.
The Occidental Weekly
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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief Dean DeChiaro
Managing Editor Aralyn Beaumont Senior Editors Ashly Burch Mitchell J. Cde Baca
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Features Sam Ovenshine Kirsten Wright Sports Ryan Graff Juliet Suess Opinions Ethan Weiss Rachel Liesching Arts & Entertainment Cordelia Kenney Ian Mariani Senior Layout Editor Christine Lew Photo Editor Evan Carter
BUSINESS
5:22 PM Emmons Rd. Student requests advice regarding problems with his dental work (possibly a crown). Pro Staff notified.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15
11:32 PM Alumni Circle RHOPO Officers stopped two underaged students who were in possession of alcohol. Officers warned students and had them pour out alcohol without incident.
11:00 AM JSC Campus dining staff reports evidence of rodents in the area. 1:05 PM Off Campus Student driver of Oxy rental Van reports she accidently struck a gate as she exited a garage, causing damages to the gate, a pole and the left side of the Van. No injuries to the driver or occupants (Oxy students). Incident report submitted.
2:27 AM 4600 Eagle Rock Blvd. Student reports a male bicyclist had been struck by a vehicle and was in need of medical attention. Responding Officers contacted the subject (local) who declined medical attention. Officers contacted the subject’s girlfriend who agreed to pick him up.
3:57 PM Herrick Chapel Campus Dining Staff requests medical assistance for an elderly female guest who attended a wedding ceremony, that tripped and fell down several stairs as she walked down the northeast interior stairwell.
8:15 PM Newcomb Hall Cleaning Services staff reports a male student sleeping on the floor in the men’s restroom on the 2nd floor. Incident report submitted.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16
Advertising Manager Tucker Eason Business Manager Andreas Bloomquist Communications Director Arielle Darr
Founded in 1893, the Occidental Weekly is the official newspaper of Occidental College. Published by the Associated Students of Occidental College, the Weekly is distributed to 2,000 faculty, staff, students, parents and community members every Wednesday during the academic year.
RESOURCES If you would like The Occidental Weekly to cover a story, please write to weekly@oxy.edu, contact a section editor, or call The Occidental Weekly office. If you would like to write a letter to The Occidental Weekly to express an opinion or address a current event, please e-mail weekly@ oxy.edu. Letters are capped at 700 words.
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
October 21, 2011 -
QSA’s Coming Out Week Colors the Quad
Giovanna Bettoli Sarah Doyel (sophomore) shows off her support for the LGBTQ community during a coming out celebration in the Quad.
Damian Mendieta
O
ccidental’s Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) sparked school-wide awareness last week with its annual Coming Out Week, enjoying greater participant turnout than that of previous years, according to QSA secretary Olivia Reed (junior). The club’s leadership team, led by President Samuel Wylie (sophomore), promoted greater un-
derstanding and awareness of issues that members of the LGBTQ community face. The week’s events included an ally-panel Monday night, a Coming Out Booth Tuesday in the quad, a social mixer later that night in the Center for Gender Equity (CGE), an ice-cream social on Wednesday night and a dinner outside Collins’ House on Thursday. The Tuesday event, titled Speak Out, took place on National Coming Out Day. Or-
ganizers set up a stage with a closet in the quad. A multi-colored balloon rainbow adorned the stage as students opened the door and ‘came out’ to the cheers of spectating students. Coming Out Week at Occidental was well-received with school-wide support from students. Compared to similar celebrations at other institutions, some students regard Occidental’s Coming Out Week as an overall better experience. “I feel like Occidental has a huge
amount of support,” transfer student and Programming Chair of QSA Jeremiah Wang (junior) said. “Whereas at Boston College we’re really going against the grain of Catholic Institution by doing any events, over here it was super awesome to see lots of students come to events. It was very inspiring.” This year QSA focused on addressing biphobia, a form of discrimination towards bisexual people, according to QSA Vice President Lonnie McGown (sophomore). McGown and other participants of Coming Out Week said bisexual people feel pressured by heterosexual and homosexual groups to “pick one or the other” in terms of their sexual orientation and are the targets of ignorant commentary. “They get the inappropriate comments like you can have twice as much sex,” McGown said. “One of our big focuses is not just tolerance for everybody but also acceptance and understanding so we can get rid of different phobias and prejudices and assumptions.” QSA member Luis Orozco (firstyear) thinks Occidental is doing a good job getting rid of some of those phobias and prejudices. Orozco said that he could never come out so freely at his high school. “In college I can be gay and open about it,” Orozco said. “But in high school I was proud to be gay but I wouldn’t tell people. I would if they asked me.”
Students Discuss Merits of Occupy L.A. Movement Occupy LA From Front Page activists for economic justice. “The organizational response from students has to have a nationwide students has to have a nationwide scale to really link up with this movement,” Girgenti said. “In the coming weeks student organizers are going to be figuring out if we can connect to national student organizational frameworks.” Thus, the function of the group’s Fall Break stay at City Hall was not just to get Occidental students down to the protest. The real purpose of the group’s stay, which they made clear in their meeting last Thursday, was to make connections with other student groups involved in the Occupy movement. According to Girgenti, networking over the break went well. The group plans to hold a post-Fall Break conference to debrief the long-weekend camp-out and to make plans for the future of Occidental student involvement in Occupy. Not all Occidental students, however, agree with the Occupy Movement. Politics major Andrea Kippur (senior), aside from noting the hypocrisy she sees in wealthy students at a posh liberal arts school rallying behind “the 99%,” takes issue with the decentralization and lack of a refined goal of the Occupy movement. “I think one of the main flaws with this ‘occupy’ movement is that it does not seem to have a direct momentum heading towards a goal. The posters range from gay rights to women’s rights to anti-capitalist manifestos. However, it doesn’t seem like many of these “occupi-
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Student Body Largest in History Transfer From Front Page Goodenberger explained that incoming slots are competitive because, unlike many colleges, Occidental offers financial aid to transfers. During the spring, admissions typically admits about 10 transfers, but this year the college may use transfers as an opportunity to refill the class, according to Egitto. “We very well might admit more students than normal in the spring semester to make up for this.” Pineiro-Goodenberger explained that decisions regarding transfers come from recommendations made by the Enrollment Planning Committee. “After the census, the Enrollment Planning Committee has some projections for student body size,” PineiroGoodenberger said. “All different departments, financial aid, admissions, everyone, looks at these and adds their own considerations. Based on all that, the Enrollment Planning Committee makes a decision about the direction of the school in the next years. This includes admissions and transfers.” Despite the high attrition rate, the student population is larger than ever before, with 2,123 students. The fall 2011 census showed growth of 15 percent since 2008. Pinero Goodenberger and others in the Office of Admissions attribute this growth to Obama’s election. Prior to 2008, the student body hovered between 1800 and 1900 for nearly a decade.
SLAC Looks Into Protest Labor From Front Page
Giovanna Bettoli
Students march with their signs for Occupy L.A. One sign that read “Every morning, 99% wake up on the wrong side of capitalism.”
ers” even understand the political environment that allowed for corporations to make so much money,” Kippur said. Mimi Hitzemann (sophomore), also an Occidental student and organizer for YCCA, isn’t bothered by the lack of specific goals in the Occupy protests. “At this point Occupy isn’t a movement per se, it’s about waking up the country, shifting the framework from ‘greed is good’ to love and justice,” she said. “I really hope Oxy students start thinking historically,” Guido said. “I think we should not and we cannot lose this opportunity to build a powerful movement around issues of justice and equity because if we lose this opportunity and we don’t grab this moment in history, we might enter a period where there are no job prospects for young graduates, no relief for crushing student loan debt and the channels for democratic protest will continue to be eaten away by corporate money.”
Giovanna Bettoli Protesters march through downtown voicing their opposition to corporate influence.
public. We hope the two sides will be able to resolve the situation quickly.” The protesters refused to answer questions or give their names. The project manager for the Tovey/Shultz renovation of Swan Hall, Ryan Tovey, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Temecula Valley Drywall. Students are divided on the College’s responsibility towards contractors. History major Annie Lehman (senior) heard about the protest secondhand. “I agree that if we hire people for jobs we ought to make sure the college is being socially responsible in choosing what companies to work with. Everything that is outsourced from the college, so to speak, should comply with consistent social justice standards,” Lehman said. The protesters may have taken the wrong tact with their sign. “I guess I’m confused what they are calling on President Veitch to do,” she said. Student Labor Action Committee (SLAC) executive board member Alana Murphy (junior) released a statement on behalf of SLAC regarding the labor dispute. “As of now, SLAC is looking into this situation. The protesters are not Oxy students and they are in no way affiliated with the school or SLAC. That said, SLAC is always interested in supporting worker’s rights. We plan on further investigating this situation and if we find that there is a genuine injustice, we would be happy to support their efforts.”
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- October 21, 2011
OPINIONS
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
For Students and Local Residents, Respect is a Two-Way Street
Neighbors should expect parties, but students should expect complaints
Sam Byrne
W
henever an individual moves into a new neighborhood, it is his or her responsibility to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of living in the residential community before buying or renting a home. Residents who choose to move into Eagle Rock must learn about Occidental’s atmosphere in order to fully gauge whether or not they are prepared to live in a college town. Just as it is customary for the new homeowners to educate themselves regarding the neighborhood’s crime rate, nearby schools and local elected officials, prospective Eagle Rock residents also need to research the college’s policies. Prior to moving into Eagle Rock, residents must assume the downfalls of living in a college community that prohibits most forms of alcohol consumption and socializing on campus. Eagle Rock is a college town; Occidental was established before the residential area, and therefore residents of the town should expect that students will inevitably lead lifestyles that are different from their own. It is unfair for the locals to express outrage about students drinking and walking around Eagle Rock on weekends when they should have known long before moving that many upperclassmen rent houses in the area. The most salient example this year are the complaints from a resident on Avenue 47, who has recently expressed concerns about students coming in and out of Jungle House, a student-rented home that has typically housed male athletes over the past years. Jungle House has acquired the reputation of a party-house, which has frustrated Rick Taylor, a neighbor who has warned the college of
his plans to present the issue to city council. “I am here to cut down the jungle,” Taylor threatened in a letter to current Jungle House residents, after complaining to Dean Avery that too many students flood Avenue 47 on weekends in search of social gatherings. While this may in fact irritate Taylor, promises of dismantling a home are not particularly neighborly. Past Jungle House residents have felt threatened by Taylor’s behavior and confrontational nature, leaving little opportunity for reconciliation. The residents of Jungle House, and of houses throughout the neighborhood, cannot control who walks down their street or who tries to attend their parties, making complaints like Taylor’s not only discourteous but also unfair. Students enrolled at Occidental have to live either on campus or in the immediate area to ease their commute; they have little choice in the matter. Taylor made the choice to live in Eagle Rock next to a large twostory home rented by students in their 20s, and should have accepted the drawbacks before moving in. Residents must also realize the benefits of living in close proximity with the college. Eagle Rock is patrolled every hour of the day by campus safety, a beneficial service that Occidental students pay for with tuition. It’s easy for residents to call Campus Safety on students, but students cannot hold community residents accountable for disruptive behavior. Furthermore, President Veitch has made building a harmonious community a priority since he took office in 2009. The college has implemented several initiatives to aid the community’s youth and make Eagle Rock a cleaner and safer environment. When
Mallory Ryan
locals choose to move to Eagle Rock, they need to appreciate the benefits of living in a college town while recognizing that part of this give-and-take relationship means that students will use Eagle Rock socially on weekends. The Deans suggest that students need to consider themselves part of the larger Eagle Rock community in order to ensure their weekend behavior remains respectful. While it is important to consider the living environment beyond campus boundaries, it is also important for residents to realize that by moving into the area, they in
turn have to consider themselves a part of the Occidental community. It is common, for example, to walk down an Eagle Rock street and hear the constant barking of dogs locked up in their front yards. There have even been reports of attacks on students by locally owned dogs. This is certainly an annoyance to Occidental students, if not a safety issue, that bears similar severity to the noise complaints of residents. This significant divide between the residential and college community clearly needs improvement. Residents must remember that they made
the decision to live in a college town and therefore should accept both the advantages and the drawbacks of their decision. Immediately reporting students to Campus Safety or sending threatening letters is not a logical tactic for creating a harmonious relationship. Only an open dialogue between the administration, students and angered residents would begin to improve community relations. Sam Byrne is an undeclared sophomore. She can be reached at sbyrne@oxy.edu.
Obama’s Pot Policy Not The Shake-Up People Think Griffin Mead
While local dispensaries and medical marijuana users have decried recent federal investigations of California’s medical marijuana dispensaries as an unwarranted crackdown and a reversal of President Obama’s 2009 marijuana policy, they have the story wrong. To say that the government is cracking down on potentially illegal medical marijuana stores is a problematic description of a routine and legally warranted IRS audit to which any other non-profit or commercial business is subject. This victimized interpretation of events is ludicrous and displays a remarkable degree of willful ignorance on Obama’s medical marijuana policy, which clearly states a federal tolerance for non-profit dispensaries. One need only look back at recent history to learn that the Administration’s policy is hardly a deviation from its original stated intent. Medical marijuana use was legalized under the California’s Compassionate Use Act, an 1996 act with
the benevolent intention to provide a legal means for suffering patients to access a drug that could prove useful. Since the California Senate passed Bill 420 in 2003, which officially established the state’s medical marijuana program, for-profit dispensaries have blossomed throughout the state. The resulting convenience store model of marijuana sales has serious problems, not least of which is the fact that local, state and federal laws consider most dispensaries illegal. According to Andre Birotte, the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, “While California law permits collective cultivation of marijuana in limited circumstances, it does not allow commercial distribution through the store-front model we see across California.” This doesn’t mean dispensaries can’t legally exist; it merely stipulates that they can’t turn a profit. Those that choose to skirt the law should expect any scrutiny they receive. Unsurprisingly, there have been reports of medical marijuana dispensaries purposely altering their
books, violating federal law by hiding illegitimate profits. The New Age Healing company in San Jose, California was raided in May of 2011, after investigators unearthed two ledgers, one with a loss of $100,000 and another with a profit of $200,000. As this case suggests, federal investigators are not prosecuting just any medical marijuana provider but rather those collectives and distributors who take advantage of marijuana laws to generate a profit. Even if those facts were not so clear, dispensaries and users need only look close to home to see that the federal government’s stance on medical marijuana is hardly a departure from California’s marijuana policy. In a Department of Justice memo authored by Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, the government states that “pursuit of (drug control priorities) should not focus federal resources . . . on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.” However, when there is “. . . evidence of money
laundering activities and/or financial gains or excessive amounts of cash inconsistent with purported compliance with state or local laws,” the federal government is fully permitted to step in. Clearly, $200,000 in cash should be considered excessive. The Obama administration has stated from the get-go that they will not tolerate what Mr. Birotte calls the “CostcoWal-Mart” style of marijuana distribution. If the federal government discovers that the collective has been abiding by state laws and operating as a non-profit organization, the federal government will not do a thing. If the books turn up otherwise, though, then it’s a whole different story. At that point, all the dispensaries can claim in protest is that they have “only” engaged in a drug running operation that created easy accessibility to a level one narcotic. All this is to say that the purported crackdown on Southern California dispensaries of late is nothing more than the Obama administration living up to its promise to crack down
on dispensaries operating contrary to existing law and not on legitimate individual users. The President’s stance on the issue of medical marijuana, as detailed in 2009, clearly states that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute for-profit providers, while looking past caretaker-patient dealings. The uproar from dispensary owners and advocacy groups over “the Fed crackdown on medical marijuana,” which is really only the federal government investigating and closing shadily-operated and murkilyfinanced dispensaries, is misleading in nature. Dispensaries operating as the law has always dictated should expect no no threat of investigation, state or federal. When dispensaries start living up to their promise of helping (or presuming to help) patients without financial gain, the Obama administration will leave such operations in peace. Griffin Mead is an undeclared sophomore. He can be reached at gmead@oxy.edu.
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
October 21, 2011 -
Steve Jobs is a Genius, Not Generous Alex Zeldin Steve Jobs was a genius. Search Google News for Steve Jobs and that sentence will appear in some form in nearly every article. There is no doubt he changed the landscape of the tech industry and by extension the world during his time as CEO of Apple. But just like the primary stockholders of companies such as Microsoft, Wal-Mart and eBay, Apple’s primary stockholders have a moral responsibility to share their fortunes with those in need. Steve Jobs unfortunately fell well short in this regard. The chief dogs of the aforementioned companies all became philanthropists. Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft, has retired from Microsoft and moved on to form The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world and has an endowment of almost $40 billion. Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton was widely criticized for his lack of charitable work during his lifetime, but in the end gave away almost all his fortune and set up endowments for churches across the country. Jeff Skoll, one of the founders of eBay,
donated $250 million dollars worth of eBay stock to set up the Skoll Foundation which provides grants to charities across the world. Jobs, on the other hand, was not a philanthropist. He shut down Apple’s charitable branch when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy in the 90s and never brought it back, even after the company ascended to great financial heights. Additionally, according to the New York Times, Jobs refused, for reasons unknown, to join the Giving Pledge, the organization founded by Gates and Warren Buffett to persuade the nation’s wealthiest families to pledge to give away at least half their fortunes. There is speculation that Jobs donated anonymously, but until hard facts are shown, he should be subject to the same criticism other billionaires have faced.Walton, though he waited until 69 to do it, set up the Walton Family Foundation. Before the foundation’s establishment, he faced intense criticism for greediness. Buffet too faced criticism before joining the Giving Pledge. It seems to this author that because Apple enjoys widespread popularity where Wal-Mart does not, consumers have come to assume the best in Jobs. These assumptions are rooted not in fact but
rather in a religious-like devotion to Apple products. Just as many religious fanatics do not question the grace of God, many Apple consumers do not question the grace of Jobs. For all his technological and entrepreneurial accomplishments, Jobs cannot match Bill Gates’ dedication to solving problems across the globe. Any man worth $8.3 billion, who doesn’t donate a dollar to charity should be subject to inquiry, yet Jobs was able to fly under the radar in ways other billionaires could not. That said, this article was typed on an Apple computer. Steve Jobs certainly made the world a better place in many regards. Nevertheless, for years, millionaires and billionares have managed to be both innovative and charitable at the same time. Both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were some of the richest men in the world. Both lived large while millions suffered and continue to suffer from poverty. But it is Gates and not Jobs who has a record of doing something about it. Jobs may have been a genius, but Gates is a philanthropist, and that is one title Jobs will never have. Alex Zeldin is a senior AHVA major. He can be reached at zeldin@oxy.edu.
Stay hungry. Stay foolish. But mostly, stay hungry.
LETTERS Dear Editor, After reading two articles in The Weekly this week, the Occupy Los Angeles article and the Rick Taylor article, I have come to the conclusion that there is a recurring psychological problem with Americans. We rant and rave, yell and scream for someone else to solve our problems. Take Mr. Taylor for example. He has raised issues with off-campus parties. Now he has a perfect right to complain. He even has the right to be condescending and outright insulting to the student body. However, he has come to the table with two options: change it or I go to the police. Similarly, the people who are occupying Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., etc. are making a very loud noise. They have identified that they have a problem with the financial system in America and
demand that banks change their practices, do not foreclose on homes, and that the government create more jobs. What these two incidents have in common is that they have yet to give a viable option for either the college, the government, or Wall Street to pursue. There is this tendency for Americans to blow up and go to war without having all their information correct or a plan of action once in a war. Mr. Taylor makes a good point but has clearly forgotten that he chose the location he lives in. I do not know where he went to college but he should have known that there was a high likelihood of partying that would happen in and around a college area. Also, by using threatening and condescending language in his letter he has forced the college to take a retaliatory and defensive stance rather than come to the table with workable options. As far as those occupying the
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Letter From The Editor
Do Better or Do Nothing
Since my last letter to the Occidental community, published in this semester’s first issue of The Weekly, campus has been buzzing with activity. I’ve heard more and more students discussing the issues currently affecting our daily lives, many of which have appeared in various editions of this newspaper in the past two months. Between concerns about Residential Education and Housing Services, to the administration’s intensified crackdown on off-campus parties and marijuana usage, to the involvement of students in protests against banks downtown, Occidental’s students are becoming more political. It is clear that this year, our student body is taking an interest in campus and national politics, and getting closer to a point where we are truly raising our voices in a politically effective manner. That said, we are far from a place where we can truly call ourselves a politically dynamic campus, as some would like to portray us, and its crucial that we do better. To understand this struggle between action and apathy, one needs look no further than the Occupy movement and its foray onto Occidental’s campus. Since my last letter, the Occupy movement has grown into a worldwide political phenomenon active in most American urban centers and major cities around the world. It was only a matter of time before this movement reached college campuses, and sure enough, a few weeks ago, a sole tent was pitched on the Quad in support of Occupy L.A. According to those “occupying” Occidental College, our student body represents the official student wing of Occupy L.A. Evaluating the movement’s progress since the tent was pitched (I’m currently sitting on the quad, and the tent itself is nowhere to be seen), our school’s response to this calling has been nothing short of pathetic. For instance, last Friday morning, Oxy was buzzing with the news that a campus-wide walkout would take place at 1:30pm, coinciding with the start of afternoon classes. Going into my midterm a few minutes late, I stopped to checkout the event, and found myself disappointed (but by no
means surprised) to see about 50 students moseying about, unsure of what they were doing, looking more like a lost group of first-years than an organized political coalition. According to the online newspaper Eastsider L.A., all the students had gone to class fifteen minutes later. Some walkout. The one-tent “occupation” of the Quad and the failed walkout are a microcosm of the larger issue at handthe sheer level of apathy shown by the student body over the course of the past few years. There was once a time when class would not have interfered with the student body’s dedication to a political cause, as in the sixties when this campus could pass for a smaller version of UC Berkeley. Or in the eighties when students staged a sit-in of the AGC Administration Building demanding that Oxy divest from companies doing business with the apartheid-era South African government. The time has now come when the student body must come together and make a choice: either we do this right, or we don’t do it at all. The success of the Occupy movement, or any grassroots political movement for that matter, is contingent on the involvement of cohesive groups willing to go the distance to make the demands of the masses heard. “Occupy Oxy” is far from that. This choice we must make is far from a simple one. It is possible that 2011 will represent an important moment in our college’s history. Students, members of the administration, the Eagle Rock and Highland Park communities, and the world at large, if they should take a moment to look, will see the choice we make now as the one that defined the identity of our student body for years to come. Either we will emerge as a student body devoted to a political cause, or as one that decided that the stereotypical image of the posh liberal arts school watching the world pass by from the convenient location atop its ivory tower was acceptable enough. The Occupy movement will leave its place in the history books, but will we? Dean DeChiaro Editor-in-Chief
Dean DeChiaro
cities of the United States, calling bankers like my father greedy, money-grubbing, lazy, amoral people does not endear me to them or their cause. Furthermore, the majority of them do not understand the basics of economics or a capitalist system. It is interesting that the economics majors are not the main ones participating in these demonstrations. This is indicative of the relative ignorance of the participants. Like Mr. Taylor, the demonstrators have come to the table with no viable options or ideas. Americans currently have a lot of complaints and are happy to voice them however they do not have any answers. Americans seem to be saying, “I am mad at X,Y and Z and someone else needs to figure out how to fix it.” I feel that we as Americans need to take a step back from all of our shouting, educate ourselves as to the causes of certain problems and situations, educate ourselves about past options that worked and failed and come back to the table with new
and innovative options, instead of yelling at some official to figure it out for us. Drew Hamilton (Senior, AHVA)
Dear Editor, Has the Office of the Registrar ever considered ending their sado-masochistic practice of paperpushing and transferring to a more modern, online approach to their business? I know I’m not the only student who spends hours nearly every week running around school trying to catch professors for a precious signature of approval for credit from abroad programs or summer school, waivers, or to add or drop
classes. When I decided to drop my 2-unit Afro-Caribbean Dance class after two weeks, I had to get the signature of the instructor, who never even learned my name, and my advisor, who is the chair of our department and has much better things to do than sign forms regarding dance classes. This is a huge waste of my time, as a student with two jobs and multiple activities on campus. It is a waste of professors’ time and a waste of paper. For simple schedule adjustments and credit authorizations, why doesn’t the Registrar allow professors to simply send an email? I feel like I am practically living in the Franz Kafka story, “Before the Law,” and the Registrar’s Office is the doorkeeper. Can we please update this relic of bureaucracy for the 21st century? I think it would make everyone’s busy lives a little easier. Morgan Flake (Senior, UEP)
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THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
- October 21, 2011
FEATURES
Saturday Night Deprived
When weddings take over the Marketplace, many students say “I don’t” Rachel Stober
W
ith trays in hand, students spill out from the nightly Marketplace rush onto Branca Patio six days a week. On Saturday evenings, the students are conspicuously absent, replaced with well-groomed adults in sharp suits and dresses. On tables, flowers, cloth napkins and elegant silverware take the place of plastic trays. There are flashing colored lights and tantalizing plates of food and no trace of college life to be found. Each Saturday at 2 p.m., the Marketplace closes early, leaving scant options for students who want an on-campus dinner or—for those who stumbled down to “breakfast” at noon—a late lunch. While parties and other events frequently occupy the space during this time, many students are left wondering why this vital campus facility closes on Saturdays and what goes on when students aren’t allowed inside. According to Associate Vice President for Hospitality Services Amy Munoz, Saturday nights have always been the slowest night for campus dining and therefore the most opportune time to use dining facilities for events. Outside events generate a large source of revenue for the college, and as the largest dining option on campus, the Marketplace serves as the venue for most events. “The main reason the Marketplace closes early on Saturday is to give a large space of availability for student events,” Tiger Cooler manager Robert Starec said. “It’s the only facility that’s large enough to accommodate the attendance that’s expected for those events, so that is why every Saturday is blocked off, in case there are student events that need to be programmed.” Such events include sports banquets and other special occasions like Winter Formal and Martin Luther King Jr. Challenge Day. In total, these student-oriented events use Gresham Dining Hall, the main seating room in the Marketplace, about six times a year, according to Munoz. For the remainder of Saturdays, the space is open to the public for private events. “Beyond the dates reserved for college events, we fill in the other Saturdays with mostly weddings, but there are also Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceañeras and anniversary parties,” Munoz said. Between outside rentals and student events, the Marketplace is booked about 38 weeks of the year. On unbooked Saturdays, the Marketplace remains closed. Munoz said closing the Marketplace even when it is not being used helps prevent confusion for students. “I almost think opening it some Saturdays would be more disruptive than keeping it closed. Students know that every Saturday night these are the options that are available, instead of having to wonder, ‘Is the Marketplace open? Why are they not open?’ and all of that,” Munoz said. “Consistency is a good thing. You’re not always wondering where you
have to eat.” Because few students would eat at the Marketplace if it were open on Saturdays and because all private events are required to use Occidental’s in-house catering service, renting out the Marketplace brings a substantial amount of revenue to the school. According to Munoz, this money does not stay in the campus dining budget but rather contributes to Occidental’s general funds. “It doesn’t just stay in this department,” Munoz said. “If the college
“We really tried to promote eating at the other facilities because we do have three facilities to eat at. It’s nice to give students variety and make sure they see other places,” Runyon said. “I know if I were a student, I would enjoy the change of pace. I think it’s a positive; it forces people out of the box to try other options.” The first and most popular option is the Tiger Cooler, which features a menu including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, sushi, a plethora of desserts and various packaged
of detail,” Starec said. In addition to working with a smaller staff on Saturday night, the Cooler also has to accommodate the crowds that trickle over from oncampus events like sports games and programming events. “We have to take the whole picture into account; it’s not just about feeding the students, we also have to be aware of events that are taking place on campus,” Starec said. “Whether it be student events, performances on campus or athletic events, all of that
no longer be sufficient to satisfy Saturday dining demand. To diffuse dinner traffic and give students more options, Campus Dining introduced Saturday night dinners at Rangeview Hall in 2008. Now in its third year, the service at Rangeview operates from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and serves a buffet-style meal for $11. According to Munoz, an average of about 120 students eat at Rangeview each week. Although the meal is now a popular alternative to
Ian Agrimis Occidental’s campus is frequently used for private events on Saturdays. Here, a bridal party congregates outside of Thorne Hall before a reception on Branca Patio.
didn’t have that money, it would have to make up for it in some other way. If right now we were going to change what we did, there would be an economic impact.” At about 13 percent, catering is the second biggest source of revenue for Campus Dining, compared to 70 percent that comes from student meal plans. “I like to say that students are getting the benefit in more ways than one. They are getting the benefit of the funds for college refurbishment and programs. And if they themselves need a space to have a beautiful indoor event in the future, that’s where it is,” Munoz said. Associate Director of Campus Dining Judy Runyon believes another thing students can gain from the Marketplace’s early closure is a chance to try something different.
snacks. However, compared to the Marketplace, the Cooler offers fewer choices and much of the menu is what many students consider junk food. “It’s mostly not healthy food unless you get a boxed salad. There really aren’t that many options,” Kate Handley (first-year) said. The Cooler limits its menu on Saturday due to a smaller kitchen staff and more customers. According to Starec, the Cooler’s staff on Saturday evenings is less than half of what it is on a weekday, leaving the workload to one supervisor, two cooks and one cashier. “To keep them from being overwhelmed by the full menu, we limited the choices to the very basic sandwiches, the burgers, the grilled cheese: things that don’t require a lot
plays into what we offer and how we offer it.” To try to make up for the limited menu, the Cooler offers weekend specials such as baked pasta and hot wings that they cannot offer during the week. Although the specials give students more options than usual, compared to the Marketplace the range and quality of the food is limited. Whereas on any given night the Marketplace offers vegan, gluten-free and organic options, the Cooler’s specials are typically grubby diner fare. “I want something healthier and more nourishing than that,” Liz Wells (sophomore) said. Until three years ago, the Cooler was the only dining facility open on Saturday nights. As the student body increased in recent years, Munoz said it was obvious that the Cooler would
the Cooler, many find $11 too high a price. “The Rangeview dinner is really expensive, and since I’m on meal plan D spending $11 on a meal is a little too much for every single week,” Larkin Grant (senior) said. “It’s fun to have a buffet, but it’s pretty expensive for one plate of food. At the homestyle station at the Marketplace, one plate of food is $4.50 but at Rangeview it’s $11.” Grant, who has been a Resident Advisor to first-years for three years, believes the high price and lack of awareness about Rangeview’s Saturday services prevent more students from going. “A lot of first-years don’t know about it yet because it’s in a dorm, and it’s not advertised all that much,” Grant said. “They actually started it
October 21, 2011 -
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY while I was at Oxy, and it’s nice to “Dealing with caterers who don’t have a choice between two eating fa- know the facility can be difficult for cilities, but it’s still a really expensive all the logistics and for providing the alternative.” foundation you need for a caterer to While Occidental students eat at work on,” Munoz said. “Also, we Rangeview Hall or the Cooler on Sat- simply don’t allow anyone else in our urday nights, newlyweds celebrate kitchen—it’s our office, so to speak. their union elsewhere on campus. It’s not as safe, not as practical and Weddings are one of the most popu- in a lot of ways it makes it more exlar reasons that outside groups rent pensive for the people who would on-campus locabe paying for it tions. The size too.” of the weddings “We wanted to have the wedThe price of starts at about ding at Oxy because it’s a spe- an Occidental 100 people and wedding works caps off at the cial place for us both.We met out to around here, we both went to school $50 to $80 per Johnson Student Center’s maxihere, my dad went to school person, a cost mum capacity of both Munoz and here, I work here. It made 284. For the cerTo k u z a - A r e n sense to us in many ways.” emony, roughly stein agree is a third use Hermore than rearick while anothsonable. er third choose Assistant Dean of Admission “ We d d i n g s Laura Tokuza-Arenstein ‘05 can an outdoor site. become The remaining extremely exone-third of coupensive, and ples have the service at a church off Occidental offers excellent accomcampus and come to Occidental for modations for very reasonable pricthe reception. es,” Tokuza-Arenstein said. In selecting an outdoor site, MuAlthough many schools limit noz said people are very creative rental privileges to current students, and have utilized areas from the mu- staff and alumni, Occidental has no sic quad to the Collins Admissions such policy. Nevertheless, most of House to the Olive Grove. the people that come to Occidental “There are a lot of hidden gems to wed have a connection to the colon campus,” said Assistant Dean of lege. Tokuza-Arenstein is a prime Admission Laura Tokuza-Arenstein example. ‘05, who married her husband this “We wanted to have the wedding past summer in the courtyard of at Oxy because it’s a special place for Booth Hall. us both. We met here, we both went When it comes to the reception, to school here, my dad went to school choices are limited to locations prox- here, I work here. It made sense to us imate to a kitchen. “Oxy’s catering is in many ways. Plus, Oxy is a beautinot in the business of moving food,” ful place,” Tokuza-Arenstein said. Munoz said. Munoz said most people who Most receptions take place in select Occidental for their wedding Gresham Dining Hall, on Branca Pa- ceremony or reception have a sentio or use a combination of the two, timental reason. “If you’re going to but one might hardly recognize the come to a college campus instead of facilities once they have been cleared a country club or a hotel or a wedof their usual tables and chairs and ding site, you come here because ornamented with various decora- you’re connected here. If they’re not tions. connected to Oxy, they either came “I don’t know if people have seen to a wedding here and really liked it Branca Patio when they put up all or they live in the neighborhood and these flower balls and lights, but they grew up around Oxy,” Munoz said. make it really pretty,” Marah Brag- “We’re a place for special events for don (junior), who has worked as a people at all stages of their lives.” banquet assistant, said. No matter how special these Although customers pay a fee for events are, student sentiment may althe facilities as well as additional ways remain a little unfavorable. charges for labor, tables and chairs, “Love is more important than about 80 percent of total revenue food, but on a small scale, it’s really comes from catering charges. Ac- annoying,” Grant said. “I’d rather cording to Munoz, Occidental re- have people celebrate their love there quires its clients to use their cater- than get to eat a meal. But on the othing service to ensure that event run er hand, the Marketplace for a wedsmoothly. ding? Really?”
Courtesy of Campus Dining
One-third of Occidental’s wedding celebrations take place at the JSC.
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Life On The Fast Track
Inside L.A.’s only women’s roller derby team
Courtesy of Angel City Derby Girls This season, the Angel City Derby Girls’ “A” team, the Hollywood Scarlets, qualified for the WFTDA West Region Playoffs in Portland, Oregon. The West Region is recognized as the most competitive region in the nation.
Laura Bertocci For the Angel City Derby Girls, derby is everything and everything else is just what pays the bills. “Once you get past the bullshit of life, it’s nice that someone’s got your back. When shit starts blowin’ up, you have 70 women who won’t judge you, who say ‘Hey, we get it,’” teammate Babyface Nellie said. Founded in 2006, Angel City Derby Girls play from January to November at the Veterans Auditorium in Culver City. After a sudden resurgence in interest in women’s roller derby in 2004, the sport expanded rapidly across the country. Angel City is one of 124 official teams in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and the only team in Los Angeles. Derby is remarkable for the camaraderie it fosters among teammates. “When I first started, my confidence was on the ground,” Recruiting Coach Rachel Shanks, who balances derby between a job and a full load of classes at Pasadena City College, said. “These girls just lift you right up.” Dominated by women, roller derby has been an emerging sport for the past 10 years, though its roots date back to 1885. Marathon derby races were popular during the Great Depression; one famous race held at Madison Square Garden was the equivalent distance from New York to Los Angeles around a rink. The rules of the game evolved as the sport grew in popularity in the 1940s, but its mid-century heyday was short-lived. As interest waned in the 1970s, most leagues were disbanded and the sport was all but forgotten. In 2002, a group of women in Austin revived the sport by forming an amateur all-girls team. The league’s success encouraged other
females to start their own leagues as well. In 2004, the WFTDA was born. Derby girls go by their skater name, both on and off the track. These aliases give the sport a sense of humor and are often either a allusion to the player’s name or a unique element of their personality. “I really like cookies, and I’m also gay,” Angel City racer SnickHer Doodle said of her moniker. Team members said other players have been christened by their teammates in the last minutes of a car ride to a tournament, such as Breakfast, whose player number, aptly, is “8:00 a.m.” Wacky skater names go hand in hand with unconventional skating attire, which usually consists of knee high socks, tights, shortshorts and a shirt bearing the skater’s alias and number. Derby style is also tinged with punk, as seen in the duct tape, rips and tears in tights and tops. “It’s a sport where women look like women,” Coach Rachel Rotten said. “In the Women’s National Basketball Association, the women basically dress like men, and people will still see a men’s basketball game before they see a women’s game.” With flashy posters advertising their upcoming bouts and a virtual monopoly on fast-paced all-women’s sports, the Angel City Derby Girls have earned a loyal following in Los Angeles and no shortage of potential players. Though the game may look straightforward to viewers, derby involves much more than coordinated roller skating. The move from novice skater to full-fledged Derby Girl can be grueling, involving two rounds of training and several months of practice. The first thing a skater learns in “Fresh Meat,” Angel City’s introductory course for new recruits,
is how to fall. Falling is inevitable and skaters have to do it safely at a certain speed. “If you can fall correctly, you just take a knee and pop right back up rather than falling behind and becoming a liability to your team,” Coach Rotten said. After six to eight weeks of Fresh Meat, skaters move on to round two, “Cosmos,” where they learn the fundamentals of competitive derby. Learning the rules of the game can take weeks. Roller derby rules are set by the WFTDA. Two teams consisting of five skaters each compete, earning points every time their team’s “jammer” (a skater designated by a helmet covered with a large star) passes the opposite team’s “blockers.” Blockers prevent opposing jammers from passing them, while letting their own jammer through. Derby is a full-contact sport, and blockers are free to hip-check their opponents, pop them in the chest or the shoulder or employ any number of strategies to keep jammers from breaching the human wall of blockers. “It doesn’t make any sense for the first two months,” Coach Rotten said of the game’s complexity. Once the girls are sufficiently comfortable on their skates after completing “Cosmos,” they must pass an assessment of skating 25 laps around the rink in five minutes in order to be eligible to be placed on the team. For successful applicants, the team introduces girls not only to a new kind of sport but also into a family. “It’s mostly girls who were once outsiders or who didn’t always belong,” Coach Rotten said. “We don’t turn anyone away, no matter their age or their physical abilities. If they can hack it, they’re in,” Coach Shanks said. This article has appeared on www.campuscircle.com.
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THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
- October 21, 2011
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The “Proof ” is in the Printmaking
Norton Simon’s newest exhibit showcases the reemergence of the medium in a new context
Giovanna Bettoli
Giovanna Bettoli
Innotvative artists such as John McLaughlin, John Baldessari, and Leonard Edmondson will have their eclectic, experimental collections shown at the Norton Simon’s “Proof” exhibit until April 2, 2012.
Natania Reed
T
he Getty Center-sponsored Pacific Standard Time initiative, a collaboration between more than 60 art institutions across Southern California, celebrates the growth of Los Angeles’ art scene and its establishment as a center of artistic innovation between 1945 and 1980. The Norton Simon Museum, located near Old Town Pasadena, unveiled its latest exhibits, “Proof: The Rise of Printmaking in Southern California” and “The Original Print: An Introduction to Printmaking in the Postwar Period” on Oct 1. The collected works of “Proof,” on display until April 2, 2012, document the expansion of printmaking as a fine art form in Los Angeles as well as throughout Southern California in the latter half of the twentieth century. Artists during this pivotal period applied already established artistic genres to the lithographic process, giving rise to inventive, provocative new artistic expressions. Printmaking as an art form can capture a variety of artistic identities while incorporating popular artistic traditions. Leonard Edmondson’s work “Flying Machine” (1956), for example, employs abstract expressionism to the particularities of graphic art. The work is colorful and relies on conceptual motifs rather than distinct figures, trademarks of the abstract expressionist movement. Characteristics of this movement are also evident in the image’s emotional intensity and anarchic interpretation of art. All of these elements, which are typically attributed to painting, are applied in this instance to printmaking.
Like Edmondson, painter/printmaker John McLaughlin married the printmaking form with his already established artistic tendencies, which fall into the minimalist tradition. This union can be seen in “Untitled” from 1963, which consists of a black background and three white rectangles. It could easily be placed alongside the works of famous minimalist artists Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich. Other artists featured in the collection explore printmaking as a way of experimenting with multiple media. John Baldessari, a prominent American conceptual artist, employs photography, graphic art, and in some instances, text in his lithography. In his work “The Fallen Easel” (1988), which is featured at “Proof,” he printed photographic images on large aluminum pieces that are arranged across one of the walls of the museum. Baldessari uses photographs with seemingly oppositional subjects, such as an image of a swimming dolphin alongside an image of an extended arm holding a handgun. He has covered parts of the photographic images in brightly colored circles. Another artist, S. Tracy White, utilizes printmaking in order to conceive new genres of art. “Queer Fruits II” (1969) was created using a photographic negative of a strawberry that White drew on, exposed onto a photographic plate, inked and ran through the press. “Proof” accentuates the intricate relationship between printmaking and other forms of art. A variety of different types of artists embrace the printmaking tradition, from film designers, to photographers, to traditional painters. One pertinent example is Roy Lichtenstein, a leading figure in pop art. His “Modern Head #1” (1970) from his “Modern Head” series is a litho-
Giovanna Bettoli Artists like John McLaughlin will have their eclectic collections shown in their Old Town Pasadena exhibit until April 2, 2012.
graphic work that features Lichtenstein’s traditional bold, bright colors and comic book style. Printmaking also allows for greater collaboration between artists across varying mediums. Joseph Mugnaini, whose “Stone Mason” (1953) is exhibited at “Proof,” had a lifelong artistic collaboration with writer Ray Bradbury, author of “Fahrenheit 451.” Though Mugnaini is typically credited as just an illustrator, his work dabbles in the printmaking realm, as is exhibited at “Proof.” As a visitor to the museum, Claremont resident and Citrus College student Charlotte Nevarez, advocates the importance of printmak-
ing and reiterates its ability to cut across different artistic genres. “It is a lesser understood art form, but it is important to have exhibitions like this to show the variety of artistic creativity it allows,” Nevarez said. The earliest printmaking communities arose in Pasadena, so it is only appropriate that the exhibit should be held at the Norton Simon. The founding of the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles in 1960 precipitated the establishment of printmaking as a legitimate art form in the west. Founder June Wayne, who has several art works included in the ex-
hibit, created the workshop in order to provide a place for artists to explore the medium of printmaking. While the technique was generally rejected by American artists at the time in favor of more accessible modes of art, such as painting or photography, Tamarind’s efforts proved successful. The workshop led to the establishment of this art genre first in Los Angeles and gradually, through word of mouth, to a larger sphere of influence in southern California. “Proof” is superbly executed and beautifully addresses the legitimization of printmaking as a fine art form in Los Angeles and beyond.
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
October 21, 2011 -
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In War-Torn Palestine, Life Barely Even Gives Lemons OneVoice’s screening of “The Lemon Tree” connects students to the territorial conflict Cordelia Kenney Occidental’s branch of OneVoice screened the award-winning film “Lemon Tree” this past Thursday, Oct. 13, as the first part of the organization’s “Voices from the Middle East” series. In tandem with OneVoice’s goal to reveal the hidden unity between moderate Palestinians and Israelis, “Lemon Tree” illustrates the greater value of human connection over territorial claim. The club, which has been on campus since 2008, screened the documentary “Budrus” earlier in the semester. Like “Lemon Tree,” the documentary also revolves around the dividing wall between Israel and Palestine. However, “Budrus” focused on an actual Palestinian community’s peaceful efforts to resist the imposition of the wall-building while “Lemon Tree” is a fictional story about one woman peacefully resisting the Israeli army’s orders. “Since it is a major feature film, it draws a different crowd,” Robbins said. For students less involved or less interested in the finer details of the conflict, screening a fictional drama as opposed to a documentary can allow the audience to more easily relate to the protagonists. “Lemon Tree” follows the fictitious character Salma Zidane’s attempt to defend her grove after the Israeli defense minister declares Zidane’s grove a threat to national security. The alleged ease with which it could house terrorists prompts the secret service guarding the defense minister to order the grove to be chopped down. With the help of her attorney Ziad Daud, Zidane portrays the individual effort to preserve her family’s past and to confront the imposing Israeli army.
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The film further provides a human face for the conflict, apparent in a pivotal scene in which Zidane and the defense minister’s wife look at each other through the fencing that blocks off Zidane’s grove. Both women exhibit a sense of loneliness and isolation. Zidane’s children have left home and her husband passed away at a young age. The defense minister’s wife is couped up in her amply guarded fortress while her husband remains in the city for work. Literally on opposite sides of the fence, the two women have more in common than they thought. These similarities serve as the basis for the OneVoice movement’s platform. OneVoice, an international organization founded in 2002, promotes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through extensively trained youth peace activists. President of OneVoice Marissa Robbins (junior) emphasized the power of the grassroots movement. “It is youth-based and youth-driven,” the history major said. “We want to bring community members in to understand the strength in the number of people who believe in a two-state resolution.” Screening “Lemon Tree” served as a way to raise campus awareness about OneVoice and to encourage Occidental community members to participate in the second part. The second aspect of the “Voices from the Middle East” series will include a discussion with Diplomacy and World Affairs Professor Anthony Chase along with a Skype video conference with Israeli and Palestinian youth peace activists. The activists behind OneVoice go on speaking tours across campuses and are at the forefront of this effort to bring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A flier distributed at the screening outlined the movement’s fundamental
Giovanna Bettoli Screening of “The Lemon Tree” was the first of a series, second of which will include a video conference with peace activists.
objective and emphasized the role of the youth leaders. “The movement works to forge consensus for conflict resolution and build human infrastructure capable of mobilizing the people toward a negotiated, comprehensive and permanent agreement,” the flier read. Support has come from Sir Paul McCartney and Tony Blair in addition to numerous Israeli and Palestinian
leaders, including Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas. Currently, 661,455 individuals have signed OneVoice’s mandate, including Palestinians and Israelis. “Our goal with this screening is to get people excited about speaking with the youth leaders,” Robbins said. Each audience member wrote down a question to ask the youth peace ac-
tivists when they connect with Occidental via Skype. Scheduled for early November, part two will also include a Middle-Eastern dinner. To find out more about the OneVoice Movement at Occidental, contact onevoice@oxy.edu. To read the most up-to-date information regarding the international movement, check out www.blog.onevoicemovement.org.
“Ides of March” Indicts Current Election Process Ian Mariani
The film “Ides of March” begins with a black stage. Standing in front of a draped American flag, a lone, suited figure walks out onto the set of a Democratic Primary debate and begins to sound-check the microphone in front of him. Bright-eyed campaign manager Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) counts to 10 before launching into the sound-byte that would later be repeated by Democratic candidate Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney, also the film’s director). “I am not a Catholic, I am not an atheist,” Meyers says. “My religion is the Constitution of the United States of America.” This religious rhetoric frames the remainder of the film perfectly. Meyers begins at a level of devotion to Morris akin to that of a political messiah, much to the amusement of his peers. “Oh you really have drunk the Kool Aid haven’t you?” rival campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) says, laughing at Meyers’ allegiance to a candidate who, according to Duffy, will inevitably show a darker side. Even so, it is hard to blame Meyers. As Morris, Clooney creates the perfect Democratic candidate. Morris has plans, sticks to his convic-
tions, refuses to make backroom deals, is loved by the press and shows true emotion and conviction in his speeches. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Morris is grilled about his position on the death penalty. After stating his firm opposition to a legal death penalty, Rose asks Morris what he would do if his own wife were killed. “I would find some way . . . to kill him,” Morris says. “But the society must be better than any one individual.” Morris, it seems, can do no wrong. But as the foreshadowing suggests, Duffy is right, and the remainder of the plot centers on
It is a homage that is hard to miss. Some posters of Morris even sport the red and blue contrast made famous from Obama’s “Hope” posters. That, effectively, is what makes the movie so appropriate. It pours salt in every old wound in the backs of constituents who supported candidates whose careers are now marred by scandal. The film is adapted from Beau Willimon’s 2008 play “Farragut North.” Unlike the film, no scene in the play features candidate Morris onstage, his absence allowing each audience member to create his or her own image of their ideal can-
“‘Ides of March’ is a timely anecdote on American politics, welcome or not.” Meyers’ disillusionment with the larger-than-life candidate he previously had been taken with. Without revealing too much, it is safe to say that Meyers’ disillusionment with Morris draws heavily from the recent political memory of the American public, combining the savior complex associated with then-candidate Obama with issues surrounding President Clinton, John Edwards and other recent political scandals of perjury and deceit.
didate for president, thus making the scandal more personal. Even with the omission of this technique, however, Clooney’s charismatic Morris still creates an ideal candidate that people will hate to see fall, making his crash all the more heartwrenching. In addition to his on-screen charisma, Clooney follows through as a director fully capable of building a strong script into a message told through the cinema itself. To start,
Clooney builds a stylistic pillar of light around Morris that seemingly chases the candidate. At the twist there is a shift, though, shrouding both the campaign and Morris himself in shadow, as well as regressing in scenery to back alleyways and restaurant kitchens. This film could lack dialogue and would instill its theme of betrayal regardless. Morris and Meyers are simultaneously dragged downward by the backroom arena of politics, guided by veteran mudslingers played by cinema powerhouses Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giamatti and Marisa Tomei. At the end of the film, it is hard to still support any of the characters, and an ambiguous ending leaves questions of whether or not redemption takes place. “Ides of March” is a timely anecdote on American politics, welcome or not. It creates the image of a candidate that could turn the whole political system around and builds a following behind him both on screen and off. The optimism shown on-screen, however, is not shared by the audience. They have entered the film as cynics, because the characters onscreen lack the premonition given to the audience by the film’s marketing that this candidate, as with his following, will come tumbling down.
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
10 - October 21, 2011
SPORTS
Divided Hometown Team Loyalties Take a Toll on Sports Fans other specific challenge that comes with being a Yankees fan. The Yankees have won 27 World Series since n game nights, particuthe first World Series was played in larly during playoffs, 1903. For the sake of comparison, jersey clad students pack the team with the second most World common rooms and the screams Series wins, the St. Louis Cardinals, containing the despair of defeat or has won 10. This winning tradition, ecstasy of victory can be heard far which has been as prominent as ever down dormitory hallways. On Ocover the last 15 years, has created cidental’s campus, one can spot enemies nationwide and makes the students representing teams from Yankees the Darth Vader of Major Boston to the Bay and everywhere League baseball. This is a reality in between. DiBenedetto faces on campus, parJust as Occidental’s student ticularly during playoffs in body offers an interesting sothe fall. cial cross section of the United “You always have the States, it also offers a varied bullseye on your chest. It’s cross section of passionate a weight. Every day, every sports fans. While the physical bad game, everybody is displacement from their native going to try to throw you fan-bases can at times prove under the bus. You can’t to be a challenge to their fawin the World Series evnaticism, many Occidental stuery year,” he said. dents have maintained a high However, thousands level of interest and consistent of miles of separation and support for the preferred sports plenty of Yankee naysayteams of their youth. Indeed, ers do not slow DiBenethough hundreds, or at times, detto in his Sisyphean thousands, of miles separate persistence to support the these students from the arenas Yankees. “You gotta deof hometown heroes, they confend your team,” he said. tinue to support in spite of their “You can’t let people take geographic separation. cheap shots.” For many students, the Unlike Sullivan and Courtesy of Dillon Tucker teams directly from their DiBenedetto, Dan Singh hometown evoke the stron- While Occidental students cheer for fellow Tigers, many maintain unique hometown allegiances. has the luxury of begest feelings of support. If the ing close to his favorUniversity of Oregon Ducks ite teams. As a resident football team consistently wore the which Sullivan supports the Ducks means leaving behind his Yankees of Downey, California, Singh is a same colors, Nate Sullivan (senior) has changed. in the midst of the playoff race. supporter of the Los Angeles area would bleed them. Born and raised “Being at Occidental and being “Over the summer you watch sports teams, the Lakers in particuin Eugene, Oregon, Sullivan asserts surrounded by fans with other, and at every day, you follow the division lar. While Sullivan and DiBenedetto that he has been a Ducks fan his en- times hostile, sporting tastes makes race. When you come out [to Occi- await nationally televised games, tire life. Sullivan says he went to his me like and respect the Ducks even dental] you have to watch the ticker Singh can enjoy daily coverage first Ducks’ game when he was six more. It makes me want to represent and maybe the occasional game on through local media. or seven years old, but his seminal them wherever I go,” said Sullivan. ESPN. It makes it more difficult to “Sports radio is huge for me,” Duck memory came when he was These sentiments get to the core watch and be a fan. It’s my duty,” said Singh. “I am an old man when in middle school. His stepmother, of what it means to be a fan away he said. it comes to that.” current Vice President for Student from home. Lacking a preferred Once again, the isolation in terms Senior citizen or college student Affairs at University of Oregon, sporting community ignites an in- of fans with a common interest and aside, Singh illuminates the fact that got him sideline passes for a game creased fanaticism born out of defi- the difficulty in having media access being an L.A. sports fan at Occidenagainst the University of Southern ance. Ultimately, rooting for one’s to one’s team of choice proves to tal does not restrict one’s access to California (USC). favorite team away from home be- foment a greater sense of team and local television and radio broadcasts “The thing I really remember the comes a form of nostalgia, connect- hometown pride. of live sporting events. most is probably the passion and en- ing to an important constant from As a fan, DiBenedetto faces anIn spite of being within the
Jack McHenry
O
ergy of the players on the sidelines and being astounded at how massive these guys really are. A couple times I almost got run over, probably the scariest thing of my life,” Sullivan said. The Ducks’ victory that day proved to be an important moment for the success of their football program and an essential event in making Sullivan a fan for life. Since being away from Eugene, where Sullivan said Ducks football is part of community life, the way in
growing up. “It’s sad you can’t be a part of that [Eugene] environment during football season,” he said, “but at the same time it makes you more passionate. Separation makes the heart grow fonder.” For some fans, the split with their favorite hometown team occurs at the most inconvenient time when they leave for school in August. For Adam DiBenedetto, born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, coming to Occidental
Y Y X L O EK M E O W .C
boundaries of his favorite sports team’s geographic boundaries, Singh still partakes in some of the plights of the displaced sports fans at Occidental. Like DiBenedetto, Singh supports a team that garners hatred nationwide. The Lakers are one of the most successful NBA franchises of all time and have won five NBA championships in the last 11 years. This kind of success does not come without animosity, especially when coupled with provincial biases towards the city of Los Angeles. Like DiBenedetto, however, Singh remained defiant in the face of contention. “It’s welcomed. I like it, personally,” explained Singh. “Everybody hates the winner.” On Occidental’s campus, however, Singh has a similar experience to many of the sports fans from out-ofstate in that he is not surrounded by like-minded fans. In terms of being an L.A.-based sports fan, Singh felt that directly on campus, it is a “level playing field” because so many students from out-of-state continue to adamantly support their hometown squads. The feelings of Sullivan, DiBenedetto and Singh reflect the thoughts of many fans on Occidental’s campus in terms of their disconnection from their own sporting communities, and their defiance as fans as a product of this disconnection. Sports fans at Occidental are cast into an environment where they are out of their element, every fan is part of a minority group of supporters due to the regional diversity of the student body. However, this relative isolation evokes a sense of nostalgia that solidifies one’s convictions in their hometown team. Furthermore, this nostalgia for fans is a way of connecting with home while being away. Much like Ireland remained the literary center of the universe for James Joyce long after he left the Emerald Isle, so Eugene, Brooklyn or Anywhereville, USA remain the heart of displaced Occidental sports fans.
ON THE WEB THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
October 21, 2011 - 11
Winter Sports Prepare for Matches to Start in November
strong belief among each member of the team that the 7th place finish at the SCIAC Championship was not representative of the level of talent or dedication of this team. With the return of a strong core of leaders, matched with new talent, the men’s team has the necessary ingredients to lead a resurgence on the Conference and NCAA level. Keep an eye on several of those 20-35 year old team records as the men will be eyeing them at the end of the season,” said Coach Manning. Men’s swimming kicks off their season at the Redlands Pentathlon on Nov. 12.
Sant Kumar & Jeremy Shapiro
Men’s Basketball The Occidental men’s basketball team hopes to rebound from last season. In 2010 the Tigers compiled a 1213 record, including a 6-8 campaign in the SCIAC. “Rarely have I been more excited about the start of a basketball season. We have everyone back off last year’s team and I think we are all coming into the season with a chip on our shoulders. Nobody was happy about the way last year finished up,” said Coach Brian Newhall. The team is returning the entire roster, which is mostly comprised of sophomores and juniors. The Tigers have play-makers on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Forward Deshun McCoy (junior) and guard Jack Hanley (senior) were both tied for fifth in the SCIAC in points per game with 13.5 last year. Additionally, forward Jake Copithorne (senior) finished second in the SCIAC with 8.8 rebounds per game. “We have a great group of guys who work hard everyday to maximize their individual, and our team’s, potential. I am very excited to see how good we can be,” said Anahit Aladzhanyan, the Tigers’ assistant coach. The Tigers have reason to be excited. With all of their players returning, including standout players in the SCIAC, they hope to make last year’s season a distant memory. The men begin their season Nov. 5 at the Pepperdine Exhibition.
Women’s Swimming
Deshun McCoy (junior) sinks a three-pointer against American University on his way to an All-SCIAC 2010-2011 season.
in the SCIAC in points per game with 13.3 and third in the SCIAC in assists, averaging 3.8 per game. The Tigers are returning 13 players from last year’s roster in addition to two first-years and one transfer. They look poised to compete for the SCIAC championship yet again. “We have a vision of what it takes to be very competitive, and that vision includes a
daily dose of hard work. Players on our team have high expectations for themselves individually and for our team collectively. We understand that in order to be successful we have to play hard, play smart, and play together,” said Coach VanDerveer. The Tigers season begins Nov. 21 versus Trinity University.
Women’s Basketball Last year the Occidental women’s basketball team compiled a 19-9 record, including a 12-2 finish in SCIAC play, and they now look to pick up from where they left off. “Our team is young, but experienced. I believe our team is mature. We have great chemistry and excellent leadership. We compete hard and have fun doing so,” said Head Coach Heidi VanDerveer, who is beginning her third year. The Tigers are led by guard Makenzie Brandon (junior) who ranked fourth
Caroline Chang (sophomore) trains to defend her two breaststroke SCIAC titles.
Men’s Swimming Last year the men’s swimming team had a first-year class of eight, and they helped the team to be the seventh most improved team in Division III. This year, the team returns three seniors— Alex Budig, Zachary Condon and Riley Kimball—along with two juniors and three sophomores. This year, the team brings on another incoming squad of 10. Though the team is still young, it hopes to develop into a dominant force in the SCIAC. Leading the team will be the new Director of Aquatics and head coach, Shea Manning. Despite being a firstyear head coach, Coach Manning is familiar with the SCIAC and Occidental College because he swam at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Before being an assistant coach in Division I, Manning also helped coach his alma mater to a pair of SCIAC titles. With a talented young group of swimmers and a senior core, Coach Manning hopes that he has similar success here. “The men come back this season with something to prove. There is a
Similar to the men’s team, the women’s swimming team is dependent on a group of young swimmers and a few seniors to be competitive in SCIAC. The team finished third last year in the SCIAC, behind Claremont-MuddScripps and Redlands, respectively. Many of the first-years performed very well at SCIAC, including Juliet Suess (sophomore) and Caroline Chang (sophomore). Suess won the Women’s 200-yard Freestyle, while Chang won Women’s 100 and 200yard breaststroke. Coach Shea Manning hopes to lead this talented group of young swimmers, including seven freshman, to a better record than last year. Though CMS boasted a meet record of 7-0, Occidental was not far behind. The women’s team raced to a 5-2 record. The Tigers, however, will face stiff competition this year as Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands also recorded five wins and two losses. “The women’s team is energized coming off of the most successful season in recent history. Their third place finish at the SCIAC Conference Meet, dual meet defeat of the University of Redlands and first NCAA qualifier since the 1980’s have the potential to spark continued growth this season. They have the opportunity to solidify themselves as one of the SCIAC’s top teams, while also making strides toward becoming a perennial presence at the NCAA meet,” said Coach Manning. The women will join the swimming men at the Redlands Pentathlon on Nov. 12.
NCAA Faces Serious Competition from UFL Alex Zeldin
Ohio State star suggests compensation for younger athletes
The year 2011 proved to be a trying time for the NCAA in regard to Division I Football. Nevin Shapiro, a University of Miami booster, told Yahoo! Sports that he provided thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 athletes from 2002 through 2010. The NCAA charged Jim Tressel, the former head football coach of Ohio State University, with permitting football student-athletes to participate in intercollegiate athletics while ineligible and failing to comport himself with honesty and integrity. Both of these charges forced him to resign as head coach and similar sanctions have been dealt to other programs. Most of these relate to either players or prospective players, who are unable to be compensated while enrolled in college
or receive money, gifts, or other forms of incentives by either the schools or boosters. Because the NFL requires a player to be three years out of high school before being eligible for the NFL draft, a prospective NFL athlete has no choice but to enroll in college and forgo earning a living for three years if they want the best chance of making it in. Athletes like former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, who unsuccessfully sued the NFL over this rule, feels this is unfair to poorer athletes who need money and can play at an NFL caliber. He feels that one of three things should happen. Either the NFL should allow toptier athletes out of high school the chance to play, a different professional league should compete with the NCAA for young players or the NCAA should pay its athletes. The reason the NCAA does not pay players or allow players to be
compensated from third-parties is two-fold. One is that these athletes are student-athletes and thus are enrolled to receive an education first and play football second. The second is that even if academics came first, financial compensation voids student’s amateur statuses and makes the NCAA a professional league rather than an amateur one, and thus it would have to pay taxes. While the NCAA makes millions of dollars per year, they are technically recognized by the government as a non-profit organization. This raises the question of what the connection is between large-market football programs and higher education. Many individuals wonder what it is about spending millions of dollars on a football team that makes an institution more academic, in light of the fact that many studentathletes on scholarship are not aca-
demically qualified for admittance. What is clear is that football teams can be a huge source of revenue. Certain Division I schools make millions. The student-athletes who are responsible for this revenue receive a bachelor’s degree and players like Clarett do not feel this is a fair trade. However, the notion that the NFL should adapt its policies because of the NCAA’s lack of payment is dis-jaunt. What was found in the Clarett lawsuit was that players who are below the age of 21 are far more susceptible to become injured than if they play against players their own age. The NCAA cannot pay players and exist in its current form. If there are enough players who would bypass receiving a college education in order to be compensated financially and there is enough demand to sustain another football league, it appears a window exists for a
developmental professional league to step in. The United Football League (UFL), a second-tier proleague that Clarett currently plays in, has the same policy as the NFL when it comes to players fresh out of high school. But given that the UFL has lost $100 million over its first two seasons, it needs to make some changes to stay afloat. With the NCAA serving as a monopoly over high-quality young players and the current scandals that have unfolded, the NCAA is facing pressure to address the matters of compensation for athletes or face the threat of more allegations, more scandals and another league taking away its players. However with the UFL on the verge of collapse and the NFL not showing any signs of a change in policy, the NCAA is not expected to face any immediate threat of losing athletes to any developmental professional football league.
THE OCCIDENTAL WEEKLY
12 - October 21, 2011
SPORTS IN BRIEF Oliver Field
Football (3-2 overall, 2-1 SCIAC) In another installment of the longest football rivalry in Southern California on Oct. 15, the Tigers outlasted the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens to keep “The Drum” for the eighth straight year. The game was a back-and-forth high scoring affair with both teams recording touchdowns in nearly every quarter. The Tigers found themselves down by one with a mere 1:35 left on the game clock. Quarterback Luke Collis (senior) found wide receiver Bobby Phillips (senior) on a fade route in the end zone for the game winning score. Wide Receiver Matthew Tuckness (junior) iced the game with a two point conversion grab on way to a game high 106 receiving yards. In the 42-35 Tiger victory, Collis completed 26 of 42 passes for 343 yards. Running back Wes McDaniel (junior) had a breakout game, rushing for a team high 110 yards. The win brings Occidental to a 3-2 overall record and 2-1 in the SCIAC. They will take to the gridiron again on Oct. 22 when they host SCIAC-rival Redlands University at 7 p.m.
Men’s Soccer (4-11 overall, 4-7 SCIAC)
Photos by Miriam Subbiah
Top to Bottom: Tai McDermott (senior) passes during a 6-on-5 opportunity versus Iona; Kevin Coleman (sophomore) lunges for the ball; Head Coach Larry Zubrin speaks strategy with the polo team between quarters.
After conceding an early goal to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) on Oct. 12, Occidental hoped to enter halftime tied after Marcus Brandford (sophomore) evened things up for the Tigers. CMS scored a goal less than one minute before the halftime whistle blew, making the score 2-1. The Stags hit Occidental for three more goals in the second half to complete a 5-1 rout. Oct. 15 was another lost opportunity as Occidental fell 3-2 at La Verne, a team they defeated earlier in the season. Ben Murray (junior) put Occidental up after 17 minutes, but two goals by La Verne’s Ryan Estrada (sophomore) put the Tigers behind. Murray was on the offensive again, scoring in the sixty-second minute on a penalty kick. The game was deadlocked at 2-2 until Erek Brown (junior) beat an Occidental defender off the dribble and fired home the winner, sealing the game for the Leopards. On Oct. 19 the men traveled to Redlands for a SCIAC rivalry game. Despite a pair goals scored by Murray, the Tigers could not contain the Bulldogs’ attack and fell by a final score of 6-2. Occidental will next play on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. when they host Pomona-Pitzer.
Men’s Water Polo (4-15 overall, 1-1 SCIAC)
Volleyball (14-7 overall, 7-2 SCIAC)
The Tigers faced a tough Division I opponent for their home opener this year as they took on Iona College on Oct. 13. Iona took an early lead and never looked back, overpowering the Tigers in a 20-9 victory. Joe Reynolds (junior) and Tai McDermott (senior) were two outstanding players for Occidental, both recording hat tricks in the loss. On Oct. 15, the Tigers faced Pomona-Pitzer and competed vigorously for most of the first half. Occidental was ultimately undone by a 10-0 run by the Sagehens, falling 15-8 to a tough SCIAC opponent. McDermott led the offensive charge again with four goals, but the team was scoreless in the third quarter and was outscored in the fourth 5-2. McDermott has been an offensive force for the Tigers as of late, scoring 15 goals in the past four games. On Oct. 19, the Tigers took on the Whittier Poets. The Tigers jumped to a fast start and held a 7-3 lead going into halftime. The Poets waged a final offensive attack in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers held on for the win, bringing the final score to 15-14. Kyle Reuther (junior) led the goalie game with 14 saves to Whittier’s two while Joe Reynolds (junior) and Jack Stabenfeldt (sophomore) led the scoring with four goals a piece. The Tigers will travel to UC San Diego and Redlands at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, on Oct. 22.
Occidental faced tough opposition in the first of a hectic double header Tuesday against visiting La Sierra. The girls came out strong and won the first set 25-19, but fell behind in the next three, losing the game 3-1 to the Golden Eagles. Stephanie Gann (sophomore) led the charge with a team high 15 kills. The loss marked the first time this season the Tigers lost back-to-back games, but the team did not have time to wallow in the loss, as they hopped into vans and less than two hours later were on the court against the CalTech Beavers in Pasadena. This match was the perfect 3-0 win to get the girls’ confidence back up heading into the final stretch of SCIAC play. Gann was once again the kills leader for the Tigers who improved to 7-2 in conference. Next up is league leader Cal Lutheran tonight at home in Rush Gymnasium.
Women’s Soccer (5-7 overall, 5-4 SCIAC)
Men’s Cross Country In a successful race by the men’s cross country team, Eric Kleinsasser (senior) and Colin Smith (first-year) finished first and second, respectively, at the SCIAC Multi Dual Meet on Oct. 15. The pair helped the Tigers win the event over the west’s two top ranked teams, CMS and PomonaPitzer. The win makes Occidental the favorite headed into the SCIAC Championships, which will be held at Prado Park on Oct. 29 at 9 a.m.
Women’s Cross Country The women’s cross country team finished third behind CMS (7-0 and first in the nation) and Whittier College (6-1) at the SCIAC Multi-Dual at La Mirada Park on Oct. 15. Sierra Walker (junior) had the best time for the Tigers, coming in fifteenth place with a time of 23 minutes and 9 seconds. The women will run again at the SCIAC Championships on Oct 29 at 9 a.m. at Prado Park.
Just hours after CMS beat the men’s team 5-1 at Patterson Field, the Occidental women’s soccer team fell by the same score in Claremont, California. Elissa Minamishin’s (sophomore) tenth goal of the season canceled out the Stags’ shutout less than a minute before halftime, but Occidental went into the break down by a score of 3-1. The second half proved to be just as difficult for the Tigers, as they surrendered two goals to fall by a final margin of 5-1. The Tigers came out hungry against La Verne on Oct. 15 and earned a hardfought 1-0 home victory. After missing multiple chances to take a lead early in the contest, the women found their breakthrough in the second half. The game winner came from Alex McHenry (senior), whose first goal of the year came at a crucial time in the season. McHenry struck again on Oct. 19 when the Tigers hosted SCIAC-rival Redlands and came out on top 1-0. She scored the lone goal of the contest in the forty-forth minute after Bulldog goaltender Linzey Smith (junior) bobbled the ball and gave McHenry an opportunity to put a shot in the back of the net. With this win, Occidental clinched the fourth and final SCIAC playoff spot. The Tigers will take to the pitch again on Oct. 22 at 11 a.m. when they travel to Pomona-Pitzer.
SCOREBOARD Football
Volleyball
W. Soccer
M. Soccer
M. Water Polo Cross Country
(3-2 overall, 2-1 SCIAC)
(14-7 overall, 7-2 SCIAC)
(5-7 overall, 5-4 SCIAC)
(4-11 overall, 4-7 SCIAC)
(4-15 overall, 1-1 SCIAC)
Oct. 15: 42-35 win over Pomona
Oct. 18: 3-1 loss to La Sierra 3-0 win over Cal Tech
UPCOMING
Oct. 12: 5-1 loss to CMS Oct. 15: 3-2 loss to La Verne Oct. 19: 6-2 loss to Redlands
Oct. 13: 20-9 loss to Iona Oct. 15: 15-8 loss to Pomona Oct. 19: 15-14 win over Whittier
Oct. 15: SCIAC Multi-Dual Meet Men: 1st Place Finish Women: 3rd Place Finish
UPCOMING
Oct. 12: 5-1 loss to CMS Oct. 15: 1-0 win over La Verne Oct. 19: 1-0 win over Redlands
Oct. 22: Versus Pomona, 11 a.m. Oct. 26: Versus Whittier, 4 p.m.
Oct. 22: At UC San Diego, 11 a.m. At Redlands, 7 p.m. Oct. 26: At Cal Tech, 4 p.m.
Oct. 29: SCIAC Championships
Oct. 22: Versus Redlands, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21: Versus Cal Lutheran, 7:30 pm Oct. 22: Versus WC Baptist, 12 p.m. Versus Whittier, 6 p.m.
UPCOMING
Oct. 22: At Pomona, 11 a.m. Oct. 26: At Whittier, 7 p.m.
UPCOMING
UPCOMING
UPCOMING