September 2014

REPORTER SEPTEMBER 2014 reporter.rit.edu

THE ESCAPE ISSUE

CHOOSING ESCAPE EDITOR IN CHIEF Alyssa Jackson PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Joan McDonough ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

Nathaniel Mathews COPY EDITOR Amanda Moon NEWS EDITOR Taylor Derrisaw LEISURE EDITOR Gino Fanelli FEATURES EDITOR Nicole Howley SPORTS EDITOR Nick Bovee VIEWS EDITOR William Hirsh WRITERS Juan Lachapelle,

Evander Sousa, Dominique Hessert, Nathan C. Castle

ART ART DIRECTOR Rachel Fox ONLINE ART DIRECTOR Jordyn Carias STAFF DESIGNERS Kelly Gatesman,

Raven Reynolds, Teysia Parks, Halli Rosin CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Ashleigh Butler,

I remember trying to run away from home at 3 years old. I wrapped my favorite toys up in a blanket and ventured outside, where I camped out on the front lawn until I got tired and my mother made me come inside.

I moved to my dad’s home when I was 10 to escape my mother, whom I didn’t understand.

The grass is always greener on the other side and with promises and bribes my father won me over. During the next several years I turned to self-harm to escape the mental and emotional abuse from my father and stepmother and the depression that had plagued my life since before I could remember.

When I was 15 I turned to an eating disorder to escape my mentally and physically abusive boyfriend and the dizzying expectations of my unstable household. I counted calories, test scores, GPAs and extracurricular activities while trying to escape into perfection.

At 18 my father helped me escape by abandoning me in a strange city three hours from home when I told him that I knew he had been stealing my money to get drugs. I went back to my mom, where I used my eating disorder to continue to escape the mind games my dad and stepmom played on me, even from a distance.

I hate when people tell me I don’t live in the real world yet because I haven’t graduated. I’ve been living in the real world since I was 15 and had to use money from my part-time job to buy groceries for my family.

Escape has been a theme throughout my entire life, as it is for most people. However, RIT was the first place to which I escaped and got better.

I received help for my eating disorder and went to counseling to help me heal from a life of grief. I have been blessed with supportive friends, a loving Greek family and my job at REPORTER. I know this Editor’s note doesn’t have much to do with RIT but it has a lot to do with the students and people who study and work here. The focus on escape for our first special issue of the year could not be more perfect. Use this year to escape from the negativity of your past – whether it’s a mental disorder, a bad relationship, your own expectations or any number of other things. Escape isn’t always a bad thing: it is how we choose to escape that determines that.

Kyong Ah Lee

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR Kim Bubello CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Maridelis Morales

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Jaclyn Bergin AD / PR MANAGER Rachael Moynihan PRODUCTION MANAGER Ryan Walsh

Alyssa Jackson Editor in Chief

ONLINE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

Nathan J. Lichtenstein WEB MANAGER Joe Jankowiak ADVISOR Rudy Pugliese PRINTING EPi Printing CONTACT 585.475.2212

Please Recycle 2 September

Reporter Magazine is published monthly during the academic year by a staff comprised of students at Rochester Institute of Technology. Business, Editorial and Design facilities are located in Room A-730, in the lower level of the Campus Center. Our phone number is 1.585.475.2212. The Advertising Department can be reached at 1.585.475.2213. “I wouldn’t even know where to find porn if I wanted to. Do you just google ‘porn’?” -JM The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily ref lect those of the Institute. Letters to the Editor may also be sent to reporter@rit.edu.

Reporter is not responsible for materials presented in advertising areas. No letters will be printed unless signed. All letters received become the property of Reporter. Reporter takes pride in its membership in the Associated Collegiate Press and American Civil Liberties Union. Copyright © 2014 Reporter Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this Magazine may be reproduced without prior written permission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

5

ESCAPING INSOMNIA

16

AN ESCAPE THROUGH DRUGS

6

ESCAPING FROM DISASTER

20

ESCAPE INTO YOUR DREAMS

8

ESCAPING RIT HOUSING

22

STREET ART AS AN ESCAPE

9

AFTER YOU’VE ESCAPED

24

ESCAPE TO NATURE

10

AYL: ESCAPING PRICEY DRINKS

26

ESCAPING INTO VIRTUAL REALITY

12

ESCAPE IN A BOTTLE

27

ESCAPE FORM YOUR WORK

14

ESCAPING AWKWARD PARTIES

28

WORD ON THE STREET

15

ESCAPE YOUR HANGOVER

31

RINGS

Losing sleeping can be a dangerous game

RIT and Rochester’s emergency evacuation plans

The pros and cons of commuting

Dealing with homesickness

A home brewing recipe

Drinking away your worries

How to play it cool at the next social gathering

Tips and tricks to ditch that morning-after feeling

reporter.rit.edu

A student’s experience with psychedelic ‘shrooms

Learn how to control your dreams

An artist’s view on graffiti

Explore the wilderness around RIT

New technology could be dangerous

Taking breaks to be productive

What is your favorite place to escape to?

What happens after alumni escape RIT

@reportermag /reportermag

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All-nighters are all too familiar to college students, but what are we really sacrificing when we throw aside sleep to scrape by at school? Sleep is our most natural and essential escape from stress, yet we voluntarily trade it away for more time to pursue other activities, lessening both the amount and quality of the sleep we get.

Lack of sleep dulls everything about us. Losing even 90 minutes of sleep for a single night can drop daytime alertness by over 30 percent. A study of 200 participants found that “sleep habits, particularly wake-up times, accounted for the largest variance in grade point averages.” In a similar trial, students who had at least seven hours of sleep prior to a test scored almost an entire grade higher than students who lacked sleep. While late night cramming may work every once in a while, it’s one of the worst options for test preparation.

Staff members at the RIT Counseling Center also emphasized the importance of sleep for students’ academic performance. While not a diagnostic sleep clinic, the Counseling Center, headed

by Toni Gauthier and Dr. Jane Ruoff, handles the sleep deprivation issues found on campus.

“Sleep is probably the most neglected health activity among college students,” Gauthier said. “If they’re in a residential hall, it can be very difficult to control light, heat and noise.”

Sleep is integral to the way we store memories.

Researchers separate how we interact with our memories into three categories: acquisition, consolidation and recall.

Although memories are formed during the day, stabilization of the memories doesn’t occur until the next REM sleep cycle.

“We need our REM sleep. When our brain consolidates memories from the day, it links those to past learned material and filters out extraneous information that we don’t need,” said Gauthier. “Unstable memories are hard or even impossible to recall. All-night study sessions then introduce us to a multitude of extremely unstable memories, which are tough to recall the day of the test.”

Memory obstruction is only half of the equation. Sleep deprivation is accompanied by a loss of awareness and an increase in reaction time that puts individuals at double the risk for workplace injuries. Similarly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that fatigue is a factor in at least 100,000 car crashes and nearly half as many injuries – numbers which the NHTSA suspects are underreported. Worse still, drivers of ages 16 to 29 and drivers with untreated sleep disorders are the most likely to be a part of those 100,000 crashes.

Sleep deprivation can build up in both the short and long term and has many different causes.

Distractions in the middle of the night, like sleep apnea or passing traffic, pull the sleeper out of deep REM sleep.

Avoiding light sources at night is a common solution. Our bodies suppress melatonin in the presence of light, especially blue light.

Daytime light exposure also affects the body’s circadian rhythm making long naps a poor option to catch up on sleep. Many issues occur just because people force themselves to sleep less than the eight hours they need and often less than the agreed minimum of six hours.

To remedy this, Gauthier recommended using a sleep journal or an app such as Sleep Studio to track and manage sleep.

Stress, caffeine or a lack of a routine all contribute to shortened sleep cycles, which can quickly develop into sleep deprivation.

“In our society we think that sleep is a luxury,” Gauthier said, “but sleep is really an important wellness issue. It’s critical to our emotional and physical well-being.”

The RIT Counseling Center accepts students who struggle with sleep issues, and staff will meet one-on-one with students if necessary.

The center offers a two-session workshop for sleep improvement and can refer students to sleep clinics off campus. To make an appointment, call (585) 475-6548.

5

PLEASE NOTE THE NEAREST EXIT

by Nilan Lovelace | design by Teysia Parks

6 September

The zombie outbreak has finally made its way to RIT. With one touch, an unsuspecting human can be turned into a cunning, flesh-eating zombie. The zombies may only have three days to feed before dying off but with a campus full of students, a continuously growing freshman class and the intelligence to run the admissions office, they have the resources to survive for years. Soon, zombies will outnumber us all and they’ll be waiting for us at every corner.

We can’t live in constant fear of being turned, so what’s the safest out? Where will you and your loved ones go? Who will lead you out of harm’s way?

While none of this is very likely unless you’re playing a really intense game of Humans versus Zombies, it’s good to know how to evacuate in an emergency situation. There are people who are hired to help get you to safety during a crisis. Whether there’s an emergency on campus or elsewhere in Rochester, there are evacuation plans and protocols in place that are ready to be carried out at a moment’s notice.

RIT EVACUATIONS

Here at RIT, the Business Continuity department led by Director Lynn Daley is responsible for keeping the flow of business steady in the case of an emergency and getting everyone back on track when that flow is disrupted.

The department covers plans to deal with specific disasters such as fire, armed threat and bomb threat. These are also plans to make sure students, staff and faculty are able to get away from danger and stay away while the disasters are being addressed. Business Continuity handles three categories of evacuation plans: the basic evacuation, the area evacuation and the full campus evacuation.

The basic evacuation is the most common evacuation experienced on campus. If you’ve lived in the dorms, chances are that you’ve experienced your fair share; basic evacuations, including building evacuations, are set into motion by fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and anything else that would cause manageable danger within a building. In this situation, the best exit is the closest and quickest. Once out, everyone gathers in a designated meeting area to make sure that everyone exited safely and is accounted for.

A larger scale evacuation is known as an area evacuation. If a horde of zombies invades the Infinity Quad, this is most likely the evacuation plan you will experience. Area evacuations are most likely to occur on the academic side of campus, where

colleges face chemical dangers that may require blocking off an exposed area. They could also be carried out in response to bomb threats, armed persons or floods.

As you can imagine, the threat of an unstoppable zombie crusade and couldn’t be easily be controlled – which is why an area evacuation is perfect for the situation. Since an emergency that calls for an area evacuation may change more suddenly than a basic evacuation, area evacuations are more involved.

Building marshals – people assigned to each building who are trained to direct evacuations – will work in accordance with Public Safety to direct crowds away from certain areas that can no longer be used.

“When an [area evacuation] is called, you may not be able to use a particular area,” Daley said. “So, you’re instructed to go a certain way or move a particular distance from a building …but if you have a situation like smoke from a chemical fire extending from one area to another, we will adjust how the area is cut off and try to predict which areas will be affected.”

The third and least likely evacuation is the full campus evacuation. There aren’t many situations that would call for a full campus evacuation, and a zombie apocalypse is one that hasn’t been considered too seriously.

However, one that has been taken into consideration is the breaking of the Mount Morris Dam, which would flood the Genesee River.

“It would take about an hour for the water to even get to the campus, but we’ve mapped out areas where the water would diverge,” Daley said. “It would mostly affect [University Commons and Riverknoll], but Public Safety and FMS, since we’re closing off the west side of campus, would use their vehicles to build a parameter and evacuate the area as soon as possible. And because it’s campus wide, the entrances and exits are closed off. We want to evacuate but also not let people in.”

With over an hour delay between the dam breaking and the waters reaching campus, a large amount of time is spent providing short-term shelter to the displaced and minimizing the dangers that moving large groups of people at once can present.

For both area and full campus evacuations, RIT’s alert system will be used to send electronic messages to all of those signed up via email, text and automated phone calls.

ROCHESTER EVACUATIONS

While the City of Rochester also has a Department for Business Continuity with similar plans, it has a larger scale office in charge of a range of emergency plans – the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This office oversees planning for radiological emergency procedures, block evacuations and sheltering.

Since the City of Rochester has a much larger population than RIT, emergency and evacuation plans are less concrete and more adaptive in nature. There are more streets, buildings, residences and traffic issues to take into consideration that cannot be fully accounted for before a zombie outbreak or other emergency occurs.

According to Emergency Manager Frederick Rion Jr., OEM works alongside multiple departments and organizations, such as local law enforcement, the Red Cross, RTS, Health and Human Services and more in order to create adaptive and predictive emergency plans.

OEM has evacuation plans for radiological emergency procedures in the case of highly unlikely radiological leaks and exposure from the power plant. If the zombies find an alternative food source and decide to start a nuclear cleanse of all the humans in Rochester, the first step OEM would take is to call for a 10-block evacuation. Much like RIT’s area evacuations, the city has a proactive evacuation plan set for flooding and dangerous weather conditions, which may result in an additional 10-squareblock relocation with the displaced humans being relocated to some of the 20 to 30 Red Cross shelters around Rochester.

To predict any foreseeable issues with emergency plans, some departments undergo tabletop evacuation drills to hone strategies and routes best suited for different situations. While schools and universities are not mandated to consult with OEM to prepare for emergencies, OEM is open to coordinate and review the plans and procedures other organizations have set in place.

So, if a zombie outbreak claims the city – or if you’re in any other emergency for that matter – you can rest easy knowing that there are evacuation plans in place to make sure you stay human and safe for as long as possible. If anything, remember that the quickest way to evacuate is the first available and safest exit you can find.

7

THE LIFE OF AN RIT COMMUTER

by Taylor Derrisaw | design by Rayven Reynolds | illustration by Ashleigh Butler

W

hen there are events for students on campus late at night or during inconvenient hours, commuters may often feel left out at RIT. Sometimes seen as an escape from the cost of living on campus, commuting can mean being left out of some of RIT student life.

According to U.S. News and World Report college rankings, 47 percent of students live off campus and commute to campus. As of fall 2013, this means that approximately 8,597 RIT students commuted to school.

“Because you’re actually living on campus it’s a whole new environment,” said Jasleen Dhaliwal, a second year Finance major at RIT and a commuter from Chili. “You’re independent to make your own decisions without anyone telling you what to do.”

Parking is a huge issue across campus for students and Dhaliwal said she feels that commuters are treated especially unsatisfactorily.

“I leave to go to school a half hour early because most of the time I can’t find a parking spot, and if I do it’s definitely a longer walk to class,” she said. “But not only that, it’s such a tease to see all these free parking spots in the reserved section.”

Recently RIT’s parking administration instituted new rules for students and faculty alike. According to the parking website, commuting students must pay an annual $100 permit fee to park on campus; these charges apply to students from the RIT Inn and Racquet Club as well. Reserved parking permits are also available but for double or triple the cost, depending on the reserved parking plan.

Dhaliwal said commuting removes her from participating in RIT activities at times. “You’re kind of an outsider from the campus society and you never really learn about the best food places on campus,” she said. “But some of the perks include having your own bed, space, home cooked meals and a car.”

In this way, some commuters may feel as though living at home while attending college doesn’t offer as much independence as living on campus. However, it removes the feeling of being homesick.

“When kids live on campus they’re usually not from the area, so they don’t get their own house, space or that comforting feeling of being home,” said Dhaliwal. “Some people miss their mother’s home cooked meals, too.”

8 September

There are many cost benefits for commuters. For example, most commuters don’t need to invest in a dining plan because they eat mainly at home. The most obvious cost elimination is housing. According to the RIT’s financial aid website, the average RIT student who lives on campus will have to pay just over $47,000 annually to go to school. The average RIT commuter will only have to pay just under $36,000 in order to attend.

A couple of the obvious drawbacks of the costs involved in commuting include the ever-increasing price of gas and car maintenance. One of the ways to move past this obstacle, though, is to take the bus or carpool with someone.

Commuting can make for a nice escape from the sea of bricks that is RIT for those who can swing it. Whether you’re staying home with your parents or simply living off campus as an upperclassman, commuting can change your college experience significantly.

ACCORDING TO U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT COLLEGE RANKINGS, 47 PERCENT OF STUDENTS LIVE OFF CAMPUS AND COMMUTE TO CAMPUS. AS OF FALL 2013, THIS MEANS THAT APPROXIMATELY 8,597 RIT STUDENTS COMMUTED TO SCHOOL.

ESCAPE TO WHERE? Homesickness is common among students starting a new year in college and can affect them in numerous ways. It can make a person feel anxious, depressed, unmotivated and lonely. These feelings often have negative impacts on academic work and a student’s social life.

According to a presentaion by Joe Serwach et al at academia.edu, “… up to 95 percent of first year students report some feeling of homesickness when placed in a new environment.” Serwach’s study then goes on to say that “20 percent report moderate or severe levels of homesickness” and that “7 percent have depressive and anxious symptoms.”

Anthony Morano, a second year Illustration major at RIT, was one of the 95 percent. “I wouldn’t say there was a time when I was absolutely miserable, but there were a few times where I really missed home” he said. “I just associated similar things I found here with things at home.”

In college, there exists an interesting paradox: some associate college with being an escape from home, whereas others may see home as an escape from the stress and work of college. Morano said he believes both home and college can serve as a sort of escape.

“College is an escape from being bored at home and it helped me become a better person,” he said. “Whenever work gets a little crazy, that’s when home becomes a sort of escape. But if I’m handling things correctly I really didn’t worry about it.”

Joseph Kren, a second year Mechanical Engineering major at RIT, had a different view. Kren was able to go home to Buffalo over the weekends and was less homesick than some of his peers.

“When I went home it varied from necessity,” he said. “Usually when I went home I sort of suspended my school work. Not to say that I

wouldn’t do work but when I was home I would definitely try to relax.”

Going home gave Kren a reprieve from schoolwork while also allowing him to see his family and friends. This helped alleviate much of the homesickness that can be brought on by long periods spent away from home.

“I know my mom was kind of taking it hard, so I really wanted to keep up with my home,” Kren said. “I’m generally not one to get homesick at all, really. I really liked having that ability to go home because I wasn’t on the opposite side of the country. It really helped break up the monotony … Sometimes, home definitely served as an escape from college.”

Homesickness can come and go throughout the year. Depending on the person, the symptoms can strike around finals week or even randomly when something serves as a reminder of home.

“There was a time in late November where I wasn’t able to go home for a solid month,” Kren said. “I just wasn’t going to be able to make it home … It felt trapping at times.”

In order to combat the feeling of homesickness, Morano called his family a couple times each week. “… maybe just talking to my parents over the phone or just hanging out with my friends seemed to help a lot,” he said.

Homesickness can be tough to deal with regardless of the distance between school and home. The RIT Counseling Center is available for students who have difficulty coping with severe homesickness. Make an appointment by calling (585)475-2261 or by visiting the second floor of the August Center.

by Taylor Derrisaw | design by Rachel Fox | photography by Kim Bubello

9

(not so) DAILY DIY

AYLHOMEMADE

by Gino Fanelli | design by Teysia Parks

AH, ALCOHOL, THE AGELESS TIME-KILLER. As any hardworking adult over the age of 21 knows, the first sip of an ice cold drink after a particularly tiring day is essentially the closest to heaven we can get while here on Earth. Of course, alcohol costs money – something the typical college student is often lacking. Frequently students find themselves stuck between either blowing their last five dollars on a decent beer or, god forbid, resorting to the terror known as the $4 Genesee six-pack.

Fortunately, with a little patience, there’s a better way.

Making a nice, drinkable adult beverage from scratch is relatively simple. There’s no complex lab equipment needed – in fact, most dorm rooms likely have all of the equipment ready to go. For this lesson, we’ll be producing the most cost-effective and utterly delicious drink possible: hard cider.

Before we get into the actual process, let’s first do a short lesson on what the process of fermentation is, exactly.

Fermentation occurs when yeast, a microorganism in the fungi kingdom, is introduced to sugar. Essentially, a package of yeast contains a few million hungry little guys who gobble up simple sugars, which in this case are fructose. The digestion of yeast produces carbon dioxide, esters, phenols and – our favorite – alcohol. Essentially, alcohol is yeast excrement.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: ONE GALLON JUG OF CHEAP APPLE JUICE (Don’t fall for the allure of the high-priced organic cider; these often have preservatives which will prevent fermentation. Cheap, from-concentrate juice is surprisingly more effective) ONE FERMENTATION VESSEL (You can use the gallon jug from the juice) ONE 11-GRAM PACKAGE OF ALE YEAST (Available at Beers of the World or any home-brew shop) PLASTIC WRAP OPTIONAL: Bottles Caps Capping Machine Corn/Cane/Brown Sugar

10 September

BREWER’S WORD SEARCH

A Y Y Z Y A P P L E S C A P S K P F E H L H H R W V T S U H A T N W A I W H O S P I C E S C Y B H D S Z N R S D X B S N B Z S M W D T C A R B O Y R A O T F L O C C U L A T I O N A I M J N O I T A N O B R A C X L K R Y Z Q N O H P I S E L V S E L T T O B T P K P I Z G N I K G R A I N S V V N P I L U F R P J W C I N N A M O N A B I E Y W W W H I U L B W R E C A D N G Y E J Y L S R A G U S B I N O I T A T N E M R E F H ALCOHOL APPLES BOIL BOTTLES CAPS CARBONATION

CARBOY CIDER CINNAMON FERMENTATION FLOCCULATION GRAINS

SIPHON SPICES SUGARS YEAST

HARD CIDER MOVING ON TO THE FUN STUFF: BREWING TIPS

1 First, you’re going to need to clean all of your equipment thoroughly. I highly recommend rinsing everything with bleach, just to be safe. Drinking a batch of cider or any other type of alcohol that has been infected with whatever is festering in your home is a sure-fire way to spend your weekend on the toilet. If you’re using the jug the juice came in, be sure to empty out a bit so there is some space on the top. The reason for this will become apparent during the fermentation process.

DO NOT under any circumstances leave the cap on during fermentation. CO2 will build up and one day you’ll come home to your walls painted with half-finished hard cider.

4 2 3 2

Once your vessel is cleaned and filled, it’s time to introduce the yeast. Empty the packet into a cup of lukewarm water, stirring it gently until all of the yeast is dissolved. This hydrates and activates the yeast. Then, slowly pour the yeast into the top of the vessel, close the lid and shake it up. This aerates the liquid and causes the yeast to start fermenting more efficiently.

3

Next, remove the cap and tape a small piece of plastic wrap over the mouth of the jug. Make sure the wrap covers the whole top, but leave only one side taped to allow the gas to escape. This is a makeshift airlock that prevents air from entering the vessel while allowing CO2 to escape.

4

Now it’s time for the waiting game. Place the vessel in a dark, cool place; a closet would be ideal. Check on it every few days. You’ll notice a thick, bubbly head on the surface, writhing and popping as if it were alive – which it basically is. When this subsides, wait another week or so.

When a large layer of white sediment can be seen at the bottom of the vessel and the liquid takes on a translucent appearance, it’s ready to go. Drain the vessel into your storage container of choice, filtering out the sediment with a coffee strainer if you don’t like chunks in your glass, and enjoy!

OPTIONAL: What you’ve just brewed is, in a sense, more of an apple wine than a traditional hard cider, because it won’t have any carbonation. To add carbonation, you’ll need sugar, beer bottles, caps and a capping machine.

The capper and caps can be purchased at any home-brew shop for a meager sum, while any old pop-top beer bottles can be recycled and used for this purpose. Boil about twothirds of a cup of cane sugar, brown sugar or corn sugar with a cup of water. When the sugar is totally dissolved, blend the mixture – being careful not to splash too much – with the cider. Next, use a siphon or a strategically placed funnel to fill each bottle, sealing them with a cap. The residual yeast in the mixture will consume the simple sugar and create CO2, which will diffuse into the cider in a sealed bottle, thus creating carbonation.

Disclaimer: REPORTER does not condone underage drinking.

11

ESCAPE in a

BOTTLE

by Taylor Derrisaw | design by Rachel Fox | photography by Kim Bubello

Y

ou walk into an apartment where music is playing, drinks are flowing and people are laughing. This is the night, the one your mother told you to avoid and your best friend told you to go all-out on. You feel stressed from the week before but now it’s time to let it all go.

Drinking alcohol has been tied to college life for years, influencing entire generations to drink heavily and let go of many of the burdens and stressful moments associated with going to school.

Although alcohol can temporarily alleviate some of the stress, depression and anxiety that can come with being in college, it sometimes has negative effects as well. When alcohol enters the bloodstream it travels to every part of the body. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), when alcohol enters the brain it affects the areas that control movement, speech, judgment and memory, which can lead to a change in behavior, ambiguous speech and loss of memory.

Dependence on alcohol can also lead to poor academic performance. According to a study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), “About one quarter of college students report having academic consequences because of their drinking, including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall.”

As we all know, alcohol consumption can lead to even more serious consequences as well. According to the NIAAA, the consumption of alcohol can lead to death, serious injury and decreased cognitive ability. The NIAAA cites that “Each year, an estimated 1,825 students die from alcohol related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and 12 September

Prevention (CDC), nearly 30 people die every day in crashes that involve an impaired driver.

Despite the consequences of drinking alcohol, almost half of college students report binge drinking while in college.

Many students see alcohol as an escape from depression, anxiety or stress, while others simply enjoy the feeling of being drunk. Not all the consequences of drinking alcohol are negative, however; one of the benefits of drinking alcohol moderately is a reduced risk of heart disease, according to the NIH. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking moderately means consuming approximately one drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men. According to the CDC, a standard alcoholic drink is equivalent to 14.0 grams of pure alcohol, and a drink typically stays within the body for two hours, depending on the gender, weight and age of the consumer. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, consists of drinking eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks a week for men.

Drinking excessively can have serious consequences for the future and can be the cause of multiple health problems.

Although these effects are limited at a younger age, they can have more serious consequences with increased age.

According to the NIH, long-term alcohol use can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease. Longterm alcohol use can also lead to anemia, which causes there to be fewer red blood cells in the bloodstream and can lead to lightheadedness, fatigue and shortness of breath according to WebMD. Jurgen Rehm PhD., chairman of University of Toronto’s department of addiction policy, told WebMD that “habitual drinking increases the risk of cancer.”

In addition, the CDC says that some of the long term

“

effects of excessive drinking or drinking heavily include “… liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box) and esophagus; high blood pressure; and psychological disorders.”

Because of these many effects, it is important to know when one’s drinking has gone too far.

A third year liberal arts student at RIT who wished to remain anonymous reported binge drinking in order to quell the emotional pain she had been feeling. “I had kind of hit rock bottom with my life. I was coming out of an incredible and solid two-year relationship,” she said. “I started to drink more at parties because I was beginning to feel a little [lonelier] …

I was consuming alcohol at slightly above [my] average rate; going out every weekend to get drunk but never going too far.

“I had a night where I had gotten so drunk I needed to be hospitalized,” she continued. “

THAT EXPERIENCE CHANGED ME FOREVER. MY FRIENDS WERE SCARRED FROM HOW I ACTED THAT NIGHT.

As a result of the experience, the student began going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“I refused to let myself drink again until I was doing it for the right reasons instead of doing it to make me feel better,” she said.

“I was drinking to escape the problems of my failed relationships and it almost cost me my friends, and they’re the most important people in my life.”

The liberal arts student took the initiative to seek help, but according to the NIAAA, “19 percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 24 met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, but only five percent of those students sought treatment for alcohol problems.” One criterion for alcohol abuse, according to the NIAAA, consists of “… episodic excessive drinking, habitual excessive drinking and alcohol addiction that was characterized by the compulsion to drink and by withdrawal symptoms when drinking was stopped.”

Escape can be found in many forms, often in a bottle of liquor or beer. Although alcohol can be a viable method of escape from stress or drama, it’s important to be safe and consider many of the negative effects associated with drinking, or eventually you might find yourself in need of an escape from alcohol, too.

Disclaimer: REPORTER does not condone underage drinking.

13

ESCAPING YOUR

LAME SELF AT COLLEGE PARTIES

by Evander Sousa | design by Rachel Fox

illustrations by Kaitlyn Fitzgerald

Hello party animals, it’s your boy Leo here with some tips for becoming the ultimate party monster. Now, as all of you know, I am the king of parties; few have reached my level of party power, as I like to call it.

From gaming parties to techno-powered midnight raves, I’m your man.

I boast such feats as downing a bottle of brew in only two hours and, I kid you not, I once almost kissed a girl. I’m quite the party animal and I’m here to share some of my tips.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS In order to be the party master, you must look the part. You have to look sharp and cool.

I always start my outfit with some freshly pressed slacks – and, if you wrap those up with a braided belt, you’ll be the life of the party. Throw on some Crocs and a button down shirt, with the top two buttons undone of course, and you’re ready to hit the town.

NOT DRINKING? THAT’S COOL Now I know there’s a lot of you who, like me, don’t drink and that’s cool – but talking continuously about being the sober one?

That’s not cool, bro. If you want to be cool, play it cool. You don’t have to drink till you drop but you also don’t have to brag about not drinking. The last thing you want to do is scare your fellow party monsters away by being condescending.

KNOW YOUR WAY OUT We’ve all been there: someone has had too much to drink or is a little too forward and won’t leave you alone. The first thing I do when I get to a party is figure out how I’m going to leave. To start, designated drivers are a must and there’s nothing cooler than playing the sober chauffeur. If I’m not playing DD for the night, I also like to have my buddies check in on me periodically so if there’s an issue I’ve got my bros to back me up. As a last resort I always have an excuse up my sleeve.

“Sorry, I’ve got work in the morning and I’m heading out, see you around!”

You never know what’s going to go down at a party, so be prepared.

STEP UP TO THE PLATE Don’t you just hate it when there’s someone at a party you want to get to know but you’re too scared to talk to them? You’ve got to step up to the plate, man. Start that conversation – chances are it will go well. Brace yourself, I’m going to throw some psychology at you: according to Psychology Today’s Peter Stromberg, there are these things called mirror neurons that make us copy the person we’re talking to if we’re interested in them.

Stromberg says if that happens, you’re more likely to like each other and you’ll start to share emotions – perfect for adding new members to your party mob.

;)

HOOKING UP Lots of people think hooking up is the main reason for a party. Maybe it is, I don’t know.

What I do know is this: consent is cool. All that drunken messing around? Not cool. If you or your partner has been drinking, save the horseplay for another night. The best thing to do is to trade phone numbers and try again another time.

That’s it folks. These are my five main tips to becoming a party animal. From here on out it’s up to you.

See you on the party train!

-Leo

Disclaimer: REPORTER does not condone underage drinking.

14 September

HANGOVER SHMANGOVER THE IMPERFECT ART OF ESCAPING THE HANGOVER

by Joan McDonough | illustration by Jordyn Carias | design by Emily Butler

Pounding headaches, aching muscles, a stomach on the verge of calling it quits: hangovers are the absolute worst.

A night of drinking puts an incredible strain on the liver to clear out all of the poison and chemicals left behind. It’s no wonder the human body revolts when it has had so many toxins running through it.

It’s easy to avoid a hangover by drinking less, but if that method doesn’t appeal to you there are other ways to try to prevent or relieve hangovers.

THE BASICS WATER Balancing water with your alcohol consumption will keep you from getting dehydrated, which causes the majority of hangover headaches and possibly contributes to other problems and symptoms.

Water is also essential for recovery. Your body needs to repair itself, and hydration is key. Sports drinks or hot water with honey can also help; the former will replenish your electrolytes and the latter will give your blood sugar the boost it needs.

FOOD Doctors across the board agree that food is important both before and after intoxication. The more food you have in your stomach to absorb the alcohol, the slower it will enter your bloodstream. No matter what you eat, it’ll help.

Grab a pizza, nachos, a sandwich – whatever floats your boat.

Eating after drinking can help to restore your body and give it the nutrients it needs to get rid of all of the toxins from the alcohol. Fruit can be especially helpful, according to Men’s Fitness magazine.

Details, another men’s magazine, suggests that eggs, coconut water, ginger, tomato juice, bananas and asparagus are some of the best hangover foods to try. These are filled with vitamins, electrolytes, glucose, potassium and other great things that your body needs to recuperate.

SLEEP Getting a good night’s sleep after drinking will help your body begin to repair itself. Let your body do its thing: don’t stay out too late or wake up too early, and make sure you leave yourself time to get enough rest.

GIVE THESE A TRY EXERCISE This doesn’t need to be taken to any extremes. If you’ve had a lot of alcohol you’re probably very dehydrated, so keep water nearby as you exercise and be certain you don’t overwork your already exhausted body. Some simple stretching, basic yoga or a short and easy jog could help to get your muscles moving and your endorphins going.

S

PAIN RELIEVER Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen can help relieve some pain associated with hangovers. Acetaminophen might not be the best idea, however, as Dena Davidson, Ph.D. told Men’s Health: “While it’s OK for a headache, when combined with a liver that’s working overtime to metabolize alcohol, it can cause liver damage or be deadly.”

GREASE Eating greasy or fatty foods before drinking can give your intestines a chance to defend against the onslaught of alcohol.

Something oily could make the alcohol take longer to get into your system. Some people even drink a spoonful of olive oil before drinking for this reason.

This is only effective before drinking, however – eating greasy food the next morning will only add to your stomach’s pain.

REMEMBER… The only real way to prevent a hangover is to drink responsibly.

If you find yourself in danger of having a hangover, however, these tips and tricks can help you in your darkest hour. Ditch the headaches, nausea and downright misery with this helpful list and your body will be sure to thank you.

Disclaimer: REPORTER does not condone underage drinking.

15

psilo cy bin& i

by Alexander Jones | design by Teysia Parks | illustration by Kyong Ah Lee

Next to Indian food and morning sex, psilocybin is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

My first exposure with psilocybin was either the second or third day of my freshman year at Wagner College. I had put on 30 or 40 pounds as a result of the toxic relationship I was still masochistically participating in and a recently developed interest in quasi-racist Norwegian black metal, coupled with a psycho-sexual interest in recreational drug use, left me with a pretty glaring chip on my shoulder. I shuffled my Bathory tee-clad frame into my dorm one afternoon after class to find my roommate, a scrawny, wild-haired young man, whose name was legitimately and legally “Krag”, speaking firmly into a headset. He hurriedly wrapped up what he was saying after I came in, but what I caught was telling in and of itself: “Unfortunately, the current societal attitude regarding psilocybin, or ‘psychedelic mushrooms’ as they’re colloquially referred to, is entrenched in paranoia and deceit.”

He put down his headset and smiled at me sheepishly over his shoulder.

“Just recording some stuff for myself.”

My growing interest in drugs with a hard “D” was being fueled primarily by my girlfriend’s attitude toward them. She ensured me without hesitation at any and every mention of weed, mushrooms, LSD, coke and the like, that drugs were “for children,” only experimented with “by losers” and had “no benefit whatsoever unless you’re already a weak person.” Grasping for independence and an identify outside of my relationship, I had smoked weed under the cloak of darkness at parties and house shows, but my experience with the whole spectrum of drugs was still pathetically limited. Needless to say, this snippet of Krag’s monologue piqued my interest.

“What kind of stuff?” I inquired.

Krag’s face flushed and the obvious mechanization of his expression showed that he was struggling for a way to broach this subject with me.

“Well,” he started, turning toward me, “what do you know about ‘magic mushrooms’?”

Roughly two years removed from this initial exposure, which we will return to later, I have amassed a wealth of experience with psilocybin and can say confidently that it has changed my life in remarkably transformative ways. I won’t naively state that psilocybin has been the cure for all of my preexisting ailments, but its introduction into my life marked the beginning of a steady and unprecedented upswing.

I’ve been grappling with bouts of depression and anxiety for most of my life, but I’ve never been the type of person

16 September

who voices my inner-turmoil. I’ve always opted for a more reserved form of self-treatment, withdrawing into quiet seclusion at the first sign of depressive episodes or anxiety attacks. This particular coping mechanism, speaking from personal experience, has gone part and parcel with intense feelings of isolation and loneliness, and more often than not I have found myself combating psychological and emotional deficiencies with others of the same ilk. I’ve been taking an ever-evolving cocktail of anxiety medication since I was 10 years old, and while some have undeniably worked more than others, the effect has always left something missing.

I didn’t take psilocybin for a while after leaving Wagner due to some pretty serious dissatisfaction with just about everything there, but the first time I did was at the beach – it had been baked into a chocolate bar. After about 20 or thirty minutes of lying on the sand with a forearm plastered against my sweaty forehead, I felt its effects starting to slowly wash over me. Images dragged as I turned my head, patterns mutated in and out of logical structure and tactile sensations made me audibly giggle.

Above all else, though, I felt happy.

Not in a cheap, transient sense but as if whatever I was helplessly groping for in my life was going to be waiting there for me whenever I finally had the ability to reach it.

I was happy because I was asking myself questions that I didn’t have any semblance of an answer to. I had stripped away enough layers of mental drywall that I was able to tell myself things I didn’t want to hear. This happiness shook me, rattling my inhibitions from their moldings and forcing me to look right back at myself. This happiness was authentic, originating and evolving from parts of me that I had no idea existed, let alone that I had access to.

I still take psilocybin relatively frequently, and the trips that I have on it range drastically in intensity. Occasionally, in the midst of a particularly immense trip, I’ll quietly discover something new about myself or about the world in which I choose to live. Sometimes nothing happens at all save a subtle undercurrent of a larger stillness. The idea of experimenting, in a crude sense of the term, with hallucinogens simply to get “fucked up” is an entirely different subject reserved for another place and time has never been something I’ve had an interest in. That attitude stems from our overarching societal paranoia regarding drugs and the “sex, drugs and dubstep” neon-tank-topaura we give it. I need no part of it and, thanks to spending quality time with drugs like psilocybin, I know that all I really need is myself.

Considering that this is a personal account based on no one’s perspective but my own, the citing of clinical studies and statistical analysis may be counter-intuitive. The only

The first time I took psilocybin at Wagner wasn’t with Krag – or with anyone, really. Being around Krag’s passionate interest in all things hallucinogenic had certainly fostered an interest of my own, but he was still waiting on his grow

kit to come in the mail – and once it did, it would still be another month before we could even think about eating the mushrooms. Rather, my first experience with taking psilocybin was at a male-posturing-filled frat party on campus. A joint was being passed around between five upperclassmen, who all knew each other pretty well, and me. Despite the unfamiliarity, I was still reveling in the idea of “doing drugs.” One of them unfurled a small sandwich bag filled with dried brown mushrooms and smiled at our sudden rapt attention.

“You guys want to get fucked up?”

Everyone offered their own half-hearted excuse as to why they could not partake and immediately dispersed to different corners of the backyard. I lingered, offering up a small handful of money to split the bag with him and soon found myself walking back to my dorm feeling a dull heat rise from my feet to my waist with every step. Suddenly, I found myself sweating in my building’s lobby and then

“

Images dragged as I turned my head, patterns mutated in and out of logical structure, tactile sensations made me audibly giggle.

“

person I can speak for is myself, of course. However, my feelings about the mentally, emotionally and spiritually healing effects of psilocybin appear to fall in line with the majority of those who have tried it. According to a study of the effects of psilocybin on “18 healthy adults” conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2011, 94 percent of those who received psilocybin claimed it was in the “top five most meaningful experiences of their lives,” and 39 percent said it was the most meaningful experience of their entire life. In addition, studies published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that psilocybin is powerful in fighting post traumatic stress disorder as well as depression.

17

clutching my chest in the corner of the elevator that was taking me to my room on the 12th floor.

I walked in the door, muttered a swift greeting to Krag, who was sitting at his computer once again, and laid face up on the bed. Krag almost immediately rolled his chair over to me.

“Is everything OK?” I groaned.

“Yeah, I bought some mushrooms from some guy at a party and I think I’m just having a really terrible reaction to them.”

Krag laughed knowingly, which infuriated me.

“Well,” I sighed, “he said something kind of jock-like, from what I

remember.”

“Things were starting to get pretty confusing at this point, “something like, ‘let’s get fucked up.’”

“

“That’s not possible,” he started. “Did he say anything when he gave them to you?”

L L A E ABOV THOUGH, , E S Y. L P E P A H T L E IF

“

“Well, there you go!” Krag exclaimed, slapping his knees.

“Listen, man, let them get fucked up on it, but there are plenty of other

drugs that are better for just getting fucked up on. If it’s their prerogative to misuse it, so be it – but once you let

that mindset influence you, you’ll

never experience it correctly. Give it the respect it deserves and the respect

you deserve and you’ll discover more

about you and your world than

you could possibly imagine.”

In every way, he was right.

Disclaimer: REPORTER does not condone illegal drug use.

18 September

REPORTER IS HIRING! tech section editor

video editor

iOS app developer

Send resumĂŠs to: rpteic@rit.edu

19

Lucid Dreaming THE ULTIMATE ESCAPE

by Evander Sousa | design and illustration by Halli Rosin

Better than any open world video game, lucid dreaming allows the dreamer to do things like travel the world, fly like superman and even relive memories, without ever leaving his or her bed.

Lucid Dreaming is a learnable skill that can allow you to turn your dreams into anything you can imagine. This scientifically proven phenomenon has many applications, including some that can affect your waking life. Through practice, anyone can unlock the ability to achieve lucidity and find the potential of waking dreams.

WHAT IS LUCID DREAMING?

According to a paper published from the University of Wales, Swansea, lucid dreaming is defined as a time when a person is aware that he or she is dreaming and begins to exercise control over the dream’s content.

Dr. Stephen LaBerge of Stanford University and long term lucid dream researcher says that another important aspect of a lucid dream is that the person has many of the same abilities they would have if they were awake such as their ability to reason and act of their own free will. They also have the ability to remember the dream when it’s over.

20 September

A HISTORY

In the past many believed that lucid dreaming was a myth. In an article in Psychology Today, writer Berit Brogaard recalled many debates in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s on whether or not lucid dreaming actually exists.

Then, in 1981, a study performed by LaBerge established the validity of lucid dreaming. He based this study on a recent discovery that during REM sleep, subjects’ eyes moved as if they were awake.This means that if the subject looked right in their dream, their eyes would turn to the right.

LaBerge then instructed the research subjects to move their eyes in a specific pattern while in a dream to indicate that they were lucid.

Subjects successfully performed the eye movement pattern while asleep and told researchers after waking that they had lucid dreamed.

These results effectively demonstrated that the subjects maintained some level of consciousness while still asleep. By recording this level of consciousness in his sleeping subjects, LaBerge was able to confirm the validity of lucid dreaming.

WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LUCID DREAM?

Lucid dreaming can serve as an enjoyable escape from everyday life. What better way is there to unwind from a tough day than to enter a world created and controlled by your will?

Lucid dreams can also be more grounded in reality, and they even have the potential to help your conscious self. According to a paper published in Medical Hypothesis, lucid dreaming can be used as a therapy for depression, reoccurring nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can even assist in physical rehabilitation through mental rehearsal, which can be applied to training for athletes as well.

“Fly. Dream sex. That’s what everybody likes to do,” said to LaBerge to the New York Times. “There’s also the possibility of creative problem-solving, overcoming nightmares and anxieties, learning more about yourself.” Lucid dreaming is more than just an escape; it’s an opportunity to take advantage of the hours you used to spend unconscious in order to do more of what you want to do.

HOW TO LUCID DREAM

For most people lucid dreams happen at random, but some have taught themselves how to start the experience at will. This takes practice in recognizing one’s dream-state and becoming lucid. In general there are three effective methods to achieving lucidity.

Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams, or the MILD Technique was developed by LaBerge and focuses on the time between dreams.

The first step happens after you awaken from a dream. According to LaBerge, you first have to remember the dream completely and then return to sleep. Before falling asleep you have to focus on making yourself remember that you are dreaming when you’re unconscious. The idea is to think that, “Next time I’m dreaming, I

will remember that I am dreaming,” until you fall asleep and enter a dream. By doing this LaBerge believes that you will become lucid.

Another theory, known as Wake Induced Lucid Dream or WILD is considered to be the most effective method because it allows the user to achieve lucidity at will and during meditation. The goal of this method is to enter a hypnagogic state, or the time where you’re drifting off into sleep or meditating, and control it. After using relaxation techniques to get there, you then visualize a dream situation and immerse yourself in it, all the while telling yourself that you’re dreaming. If done correctly, you should enter a lucid state.

The third method is the Wake Back to Bed or WBTB Method. Where the other methods involve chance wakings and practice, this technique has a more structured timeline. The first step is waking up after six hours of sleep, usually with the aid of an alarm clock. When you awake, you have to get out of bed and find something to do for up to an hour. Once the time is up, return to bed and focus on remembering that you are awake in the coming dream. At this point the steps mirror the MILD technique, but because of the previous steps the results are easier to obtain.

Whichever method you use, lucid dreaming is a way not just to escape reality, but to explore your imagination and better your conscious life.

21

the

LOST ART

by Gino Fanelli | design by Rachel Fox | photography by Alexandra Genova

22 September

It can be any street corner in America. Any abandoned warehouse, any halfdecayed picket fence. Often chalked up to petty and rebellious teen antics or establishing gang territory, the art of graffiti perseveres through its gritty exterior.

Few and far between pieces glimmer with vibrant neon colors and deep charcoal outlines against the drab concrete backdrop, all through the rattles of RustO-Leum spray cans. For the artists behind these works who are so often overlooked or belittled as vandals, providing this bit of beauty to the urban decay makes the stigma and risk of criminal charges worthwhile.

On a quiet, sunny afternoon in Penfield, NY, 21-year-old Alex Vadas swings his black backpack packed with jingling cans of spray paint over his right shoulder. He hops down into a trail off-shooting from a main road leading into Spring Lake Park. A quarter mile walk ensues through a thicket ripe with thorn bushes, fallen tree limbs and a single perilous gap overlooking a sewage run-off line. Finally he reaches a small underpass, the Irondequoit Creek flowing between two embankments reaching up into cement walls riddled with slowly fading graffiti tags. Vadas sets down his pack and pulls out a small notepad filled with rough graphite drawings.

“I studied graphic design at Kent State for a year,” Vadas says, approaching the wall and releasing quick, deliberate sprays of black paint over a deteriorating orange tag. “I guess I just really didn’t see the point. Johnny goes to school to become an accountant, but Johnny doesn’t want to be an accountant, you know?”

Vadas sets down the black can of paint and steps down the embankment, staring up at the rough outline with slight head nods before climbing back up and beginning again, swift pastel-like swipes of purple and blue rapidly filling in the ambient space between the lines.

“I was a pretty straight-edge kid through high school, played sports and all of that,” Vadas says between paint strokes.

“Then I guess I got my whole four year college experience in one year. Alcohol violations, got caught stealing paint from Wal-Mart.”

Vadas looks around, eying a bulldozer and other assorted construction equipment left beneath the overpass.

“Yeah, that stuff’s sort of sketching me out, I’m going to try and get this done quick.”

Vadas picks up a pink can and meticulously yet frantically streaks paint into the slowly forming drawing of a caricature-like face.

“I really felt like they were teaching me things I already knew,” he says. “I know how to draw, how to paint. I don’t really want to be a part of the whole corporate structure thing. I want to make something that people see and it makes them want to do something themselves, to spread on the message.

Dream, create and inspire. They’re primal thoughts, and I’m just a messenger of them.”

Vadas pauses and stares up at the slowly forming portrait, scratching at the side of his head momentarily before continuing.

“Of course, people see most of it as vandalism, which I get,” Vadas says, gesturing with a nod towards a crudely spray-painted name next to a enameled drawing of a penis, “When it’s just thin lines and gang signs, I get it. But we live in such a gray, shitty world,

how could art that makes someone actually feel something be bad?”

Vadas’ sentiment is one that plagues the graffiti artist. The tear between the socially accepted interpretations of what graffiti is and what the art means to him, and in

turn what it can mean to others. Of course, tax payer dollars are nearinfinitely more likely to be invested into the removal of graffiti art rather than providing a controlled area to paint. The 2008-enacted Eraser Defacer program, aimed at graffiti removal city-wide, cost taxpayers $100,000 in its first year with an additional $80,000 being added to tackle the northwest corner of the city and suburbs.

“They really could just make legal walls, just a place where people can go and paint without worrying about getting arrested,” Vadas says “Of course, there are always people who want to do mural work and get recognized. I just like to paint.”

An independent artist, Vadas sees Rochester graffiti crews most notably the mural collective Wall Therapy as a part of this exclusionary scene, aiming more at making names for themselves and preserving their legacy rather than simply creating art.

“I had some problems with those dudes in the past,” Vadas says, spray-painting quick “yo!”s around the portrait. “I was up at Cobbs Hill and I guess I spray-painted over one of Wilson’s, one of their founders, pieces.

They got all upset, but I really don’t see why.

Things should be about moving forward, not dwelling on the past. They don’t own the wall. Artsy fartsy people love dwelling on the past. I’m not like that. I say either learn from it or forget about it.”

Vadas finishes the piece with a quick writing of “the fuck’s this guy looking at???” before stepping down the embankment.

“I see it like this. It’s different colors to effect different moods.

Blue for sadness, red for anger, and so on. I want people to look at things like this and feel the emotion in it. Feel like it’s not just paint on the wall but something that speaks to them personally. That’s what real art is, it’s a personal experience, something that inspires people to spread beauty and emotion from seeing beauty and emotion.”

Vadas stares up at the piece, methodically looking over every stroke, stepping forward to get a closer view and then stepping back again. Finally, he pulls a smartphone from his pocket and snaps a picture. He looks down at the phone and smiles.

“You know, that’s the worst part about being an artist,” he says with a chuckle, “the more you look at it, the more you realize what you could have done differently.”

23

ESCAPE to NATURE

by Nick Bovee | photography by Kim Bubello | design by Emily Butler

When a room is quiet, there’s an uncomfortable stillness in the air.

High, electronic whines press in on our ears and make the enclosed spaces we live in feel even smaller.

With a short trip over the Genesee River to Brookdale Preserve, however, I found the escape we so often need from the hum of everyday life.

24 September

Brookdale Preserve, located in Scottsville, is just a few short miles from RIT and is a part of the Genesee Land Trust. There’s a relaxed kind of quiet there, despite the proximity to RIT. Equally close to Jefferson Road and the Greater Rochester International Airport, the area is calm and sheltered from the outside world. Flowers and bushes cluster around the trailhead, hiding it from prying eyes. The trail is a narrow path, part of which is only officially recognized as a “deer trail.”

The occasional buzz of a truck or airplane disturbs the peace, but the gentle silence resumes within moments. Trees rustle constantly in the preserve, coaxed into soft waves by the wind, and the trail is just breezy enough to keep most of the summer insects at bay. Both grasshoppers and birds chirp softly, alerting the rest of nature to the intruder in their space. Layering all those sounds gives the impression that the

preserve would be loud, but they’re only noticeable when you settle into the quiet of the nature and discover that all the noises we find commonplace are absent. That’s the real escape: the space to hear and experience a completely different kind of quiet from the type found on campus.

Brookdale’s heart is even more of a getaway from the world. This spot is centered a half mile into the preserve in the form of a small pond. The water isn’t even 100 feet across at its widest point. Ending before the edge of the pond, the tree line fades into a vaguely circular meadow. There is a feeling of stillness around the pond, the sounds of the birds and animals even more subdued by the distance to the trees, their retreat insulating the clearing even further from society.

Still, Brookdale Preserve isn’t without its flaws. Like most of the Rochester area, it’s a wetland. While that means that a surprising amount of bird and frog species

inhabit the area, it also means that during a few choice weeks in the summer it is a particularly good breeding ground for flying insects.

Somehow, civilization still finds ways to peek into the semi-secluded preserve.

Early on along the trail, part of the walkway follows a utility right-of-way. Also, a few beer cans were crushed and littered on the trail by college students or bow hunters intent on leaving some ineffectual mark on nature.

On the Greenway, brief flashes of cars are visible at the opposite end and worn telephone poles slouch at oblique angles along the trail. Hidden near there, just on the edge of the Genesee Greenway, is a small glimpse of manicured grass and playing fields – part of a housing development. That short distance to civilization was barred by glaring “Private Property” signs. Still, these appearances were few and far between.

Despite those reminders of civilization, Brookdale remains a welcome escape from RIT and the crowded suburban area in which we live. Close-by, beautiful and protected from further development, the preserve is the perfect way to escape from the busy life of an RIT student.

25

The opinions expressed are soley those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

THE DANGERS OF GIVING IN TO

VIRTUAL REALITY I

n the past decade, technology has made massive steps forward in the areas of mobile technology and social integration. With the easy accessibility of social media, many people seem to disconnect from the world around them, which can be a danger to themselves and others. This type of disconnect from reality has the potential to reach new and dangerous heights with the use of virtual reality (VR). These advances, even though they seem positive, could prove to be harmful in the long run and could cause irreparable damage.

VR technologies are already being produced in the form of the Oculus Rift. Essentially, Oculus Rift is a pair of goggles that will allow the user to experience something entirely apart from his or her actual surroundings. Facebook purchased this highly anticipated VR platform last March and plans “to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences,” according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a post on the social network. In addition to using the Oculus Rift for social media purposes, Facebook is planning on further developing the technology for video games. Despite the ambitious plans for Oculus, there are a number of risks associated with the adoption of VR technologies.

The first big danger is disconnection from the real world.

Even today, many people find themselves so immersed in social media and video games that they lose touch with reality. Two of the most notable cases reported by Time magazine occurred in South Korea, where multiple deaths have been reported as a direct result of excessive gaming. The first incident involved a 3-month-old child who starved to death while the parents were caring for an in-game child. The second death was that of a 22-year-old man who went into cardiac arrest after playing the popular game StarCraft for 50 hours straight in 2005.

Technology like the Oculus Rift that immerses players even deeper into the game will likely increase this trend of excessive gaming and video game addiction.

The American Academy of Neurology has found a strong connection between video games and the release of dopamine, a chemical that causes pleasure, in the brain. This chemical release is very similar to that of both gambling and drug

26 September

by Tim Henry | illustration by Jordyn Carias | design by Teysia Parks

addiction and is triggered by the sense of accomplishment players feel after completing short tasks in video games. This form of addiction is most likely to occur in young adults and teens because the frontal lobes of the brain – the parts that are responsible for weighing consequences and making decisions – have not yet fully developed. With the addition of the Oculus Rift, the rewards can seem more real to the player and therefore cause a greater release of dopamine.

The American Academy of Neurology mentions not only the health risks that excessive gaming can cause, but also the risks to socialization and personal relationships. An article written for Neurology Now uses the example of Anthony Rosner, who became so involved with World of Warcraft, spending 18 hours or more per day on the game, that he nearly missed out on college. While this is an extreme case, more typical addicted gamers tend to lose interest in other activities and remove themselves from other people in the real world.

Despite the negative effects that virtual reality can bring to video gamers, there are positive uses for the technology. For example, the Oculus Rift could be used to train pilots in crash procedure without the danger of actually crashing a plane. This type of simulation could also be used for law enforcement or other first response workers. Athletes could use virtual reality for realistic training programs outside of team practices.

Finally, virtual reality can allow people to experience activities that they would not be able to otherwise.

As the Oculus Rift is developed further, the focus of this technology should not be the general public but rather the people who face potentially deadly situations in their professional lives. The growing trend of video game addiction will only escalate with the introduction of VR technology in games. If the Oculus Rift is released to the public as a vehicle for video game delivery, players should be careful of how much time they spend using the system and be aware of the signs of video game addiction.

RESETTING YOUR MIND

by William Hirsh | design by Kelly Gatesman | illustration by Ashleigh Butler

The opinions expressed are soley those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

In our society, the word “escapism” has been bogged down by negative connotations which are set forward by people who are either not in tune with the world or not productive. Escape is essential for people to operate on a day-to-day basis – even escapes found in the smallest of breaks are useful in helping people process information and progress.

A 2011 study published in the journal Cognition found that taking breaks after long periods of work led to greater productivity. Science Daily reported that the study was performed due to of a long-held problem for those trying to remain productive: faltering focus after a long period of work. Researcher Alejandro Lleras began the study after observing a correlation between how the brain processes information and how, with time, the brain’s effectiveness wears down like other senses that are overly stimulated. The study’s 84 participants were placed into a control group, a switch group, a no-switch group and a digit-ignored group. Those in the control group did constant work without any breaks.

The groups, excluding the control group, were given four numbers to memorize and respond differently to while completing a task.

The switch and no-switch groups were told to take a break when the participants saw the digits, while the digit-ignored group was told to ignore the digits and continue working. The no-switch group was not shown the number that indicated a break. The results showed that the switch group remained productive, while the other groups faltered over the 50-minute period.

Lleras’ study showcases just how important an escape can be while

working hard on something important. Using methods like the Pomodoro technique (one five-minute break for every 25 minutes of focused work) can help increase productivity. No one completely focuses throughout an entire day; it’s more of an ebb and flow of productivity. People need to observe their own work/rest output in a day and scale it to their needs. When you proportion work to escape, you are able to refocus and get a consistent amount of work done.

The problem for many would-be escapists is that we sometimes escape too frequently. This can easily turn a proper escape into fullblown procrastination, which begs the question: why do people feel the need to escape from their problems? According to Psychology Today, procrastination can stem from a fear of getting the job done and can lead to feelings of guilt because of your own inaction. This can manifest into chronic procrastination, which can really put a damper on the way you view life, not to mention how much work you can get done.

I’m not suggesting that you drop whatever you’re doing this second or that you make haphazard choices that could cut your bottom-line.

Just be sure that you escape responsibly and plan escapes into your schedule that are reasonable and don’t send you hurtling towards failure. Above all, plan escapes that ensure you can reset your mind and help you focus on what you’re doing.

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LLOYD MCCULLOUGH FIRST YEAR ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY

“My favorite escapean unpopulated beach because I love warmth and water.”

WOTS

WORD ON THE STREET The opinions expressed are soley those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

photography by Maridelis Morales | design by Teysia Parks

TOM OSTRANDER

FIRST YEAR | BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

“Music, it helps me block out the stress of the world and to refocus.”

ALEX SCHLECHTER

FIRST YEAR | FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

“I think my favorite escape would be drawing with my music turned up super loud because I lose track of time and can focus.”

SARAH ZUCKERMAN

SECOND YEAR | FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

MICHAELA COREY

FIRST YEAR | GRAPHIC DESIGN

“My room because it’s quiet and easy to concentrate on whatever is on my mind.”

28 September

“My favorite escape is going to a private beach about 10 minutes away from my home.

It’s known as “The Rocks” because it has more giant boulders than sand.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO ESCAPE TO? STEVE DASILVA

FIRST YEAR | COMPUTING SECURITY

“Probably the Internet because it’s always there.”

EMILY BEAGLES

FIRST YEAR | PHOTOJOURNALISM

“My escape is Muay Thai; when you fight the whole world seems to disappear.”

AMANDA WEBSTER

FOURTH YEAR | FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

“When I need an escape, I head downtown to Java’s on Gibbs Street. I’ve been going with my dad since I was young and it’s a good place to ground myself.”

MARSHAL PAVLIK

FIRST YEAR | COMPUTER SCIENCE

TARA GORDON

FIRST YEAR | ANIMATION

“I escape to my music and drums because they help me tune out the real world.”

“My perfect escape is playing video games because they are competitive and exciting.”

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I T ’ S N E V E R T O O E A R LY T O

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RINGS

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compiled by William Hirsh | design by Teysia Parks The opinions expressed are soley those of the students and do not reflect the views of REPORTER.

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Safety on your smartphone for the RIT Campus

32 September

rit.edu/tigersafe