December 2014

REPORTER DECEMBER 2014 reporter.rit.edu

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REPORTER EDITOR IN CHIEF Alyssa Jackson PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Joan McDonough ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

Nathaniel Mathews COPY EDITOR Amanda Moon NEWS EDITOR Taylor Derrisaw TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Natasha Amadasun LEISURE EDITOR Gino Fanelli FEATURES EDITOR Nicole Howley SPORTS EDITOR Alexander Jones VIEWS EDITOR William Hirsh WRITERS Bryanne McDonough,

Dev Sheth, Bill Gerken, Gino Fanelli, Nilan Lovelace, Evander Sousa, Alexander Jones, Ty Clauss, Kevin Zampieron

ART ART DIRECTOR Rachel Fox ONLINE ART DIRECTOR Jordyn Carias SENIOR DESIGNER Teysia Parks STAFF DESIGNERS Emily Butler,

Annie Wong, Teysia Parks, Halli Rosin, Raven Reynolds, Alexandria Bates CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Maliya Travers-Crumb, Jenny Kyong

SLACTIVISM In the Orientation Issue of Reporter this year, I challenged students to become more active throughout the 2014 - 2015 school year. Although geared toward the incoming freshman class, my letter brought up that we had pages of “Letters to the Editor” about things going on in the community and coverage of many protests in older versions of Reporter. Students cared about what was going on at RIT and in Rochester and they made sure that the administration knew what they thought.

I received emails from students about my editor’s note telling me that they agreed and that they wanted to see things change, too. The responses were almost overwhelmingly positive and I was excited to see what would happen on campus this year. However, it seems as though the students at Syracuse University took my call to action more to hear than our own RIT Tigers did.

Since Nov. 3 students have been holding a sit-in protest at Syracuse due to the closing of an advocacy center on campus. They also have a long list of demands for the Syracuse University administration and are refusing to move until they get responses. Even faculty and staff are joining in the protest now, advocating for students rights. In the meantime, in the November issue Reporter published an article about the many students who are currently living under the poverty level here at RIT and no one has a clue what to do about it all. The most I’ve seen students get upset about something this year was CAB cancelling the concert in the fall. They held two open forums for students to listen and answer questions, and the only student who went to both was Nicole Howley, Reporter’s features editor, so that she could cover it for us.

This is what I call slacktivism, and it’s pretty disappointing, RIT. Don’t get me wrong, RIT is improving when it comes to student activism. A great example is PawPrints, which was created by SG and is a place where students can create petitions. Once a petition has reached 250 signatures, SG will look into the petition and provide an answer or change for students.This has inspired a lot of students to speak out about what makes them angry on campus, whether it be the toilet paper that is available to us or the RIT pool’s dress code, which was covered by our news section online. It’s great that students are getting angry; one of my favorite sayings is, “If you aren’t pissed off, you’re not paying attention.” However, just getting pissed off doesn’t do anything. We need to work together to force the RIT administration to pay attention, just like Syracuse is doing.

Ah Lee, Kaitlyn Fitzgerald

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR Kim Bubello CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Kim Bubello, Paula Ospina, Alexandra Genova, Lloyd McCullough

Alyssa Jackson Editor in Chief

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Jaclyn Bergin AD / PR MANAGER Rachael Moynihan

Letters to the Editor should be sent to rpteic@rit.edu. No letters will be printed unless signed. All letters received become the property of REPORTER.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Ryan Walsh

ONLINE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

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

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 didn’t think dicks were made of fat. I thought they were made of dick.” -R.F. The opinions expressed in Reporter do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. Reporter is not responsible for materials presented in advertising areas. 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.

November 3

TA B L E O F cover photography by Llyod McCullough table of contents photography by Kim Bubello

NEWS 6

AUTISTM SPEAKS The controvery on campus

TECH 7

8

TECH RELEASES A peek into the winter tech releases

E-NABLE Lending a hand to those in need

LEISURE 9

10

12

4 November

AYL The Winter Edition

FROZEN BUT NOT A WASTELAND What to do when you’re stuck in winter

AMERICA 101 A first year grad student’s experience

CONTENTS FE ATURES 14

16

20

ACCESS SERVICES The story behind our interpreters

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY Getting around RIT in a wheelchair

ADHD What role does ADHD play in students’ lives?

SPORTS 23

24

POLISSEUM A satirical look at the new VIP sections

BILLS Never say die

VIEWS 26

27

28

31

WASTE AND THE HOLIDAYS We make too much of a mess over the holidays

LIVING AT HOME There’s nothing wrong with returning to the nest

WORD ON THE STREET What was the best/worst gift you’ve ever been given?

RINGS Look out for Bane on the bus

November 5

THE AUTISM SPEAKS

CONTROVERSY

by Bryanne McDonough | photography by Kim Bubello | design by Emily Butler

“AUTISM SPEAKS IS A HATE GROUP.”

T

hese accusing words were added to a poster put up by the Alpha Xi Delta sorority which advertised the annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks fundraiser. Autism Speaks is the sorority’s national philanthropy.

RIT’s Alpha Xi Delta chapter volunteered at the event, which is supposed to increase awareness and raise funds for the organization. They put up posters advertising the event across campus; however, a few of the posters were vandalized with the attempt to discourage people from supporting the organization.

Families from the Rochester community came out to support the event, which occurred on Oct. 11 at Monroe Community College, according to Shannon Frassrand, a fourth year New Media Marketing major and the vice president of public relations for Alpha Xi Delta’s RIT chapter.

“We’ve had problems in the past with people vandalizing, not necessarily liking Autism Speaks,” she said when asked about the vandalism. Frassrand admitted that the organization was controversial and stressed that they were just trying to raise support for their chosen organization.

“A couple years ago, we had a bigger problem with this sort of thing, and we just kind of scaled back with our promotions,” Frassrand said.

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) has objected to the Walk Now event in the past and brought their objections to the sorority, Frassrand mentioned. When asked about Autism Speaks, ASAN’s Communications Coordinator Ianthe Dempsey was very passionate about her dislike for the group.

“They are extremely detrimental to autistic people and to all of the things that we are attempting to accomplish,” she said.

6 News

A poster supporting the Autism Speaks annual walk in Rochester and the Finger Lakes was vandalized on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus after being hung by supporters of the organization.

The Autism Speaks foundation has been the subject of scrutiny over the past several years for allegedly not respecting– and even vilifying– the group of people they claim to represent. None of the senior members of the organization are autistic.

“They’re trying to set policy and claim to know what is best for autistic people without having any input from actual autistic people,” Dempsey said. At the Walk Now events, ASAN regularly has a booth set up where they share their experiences as au-

tistic adults. “There have been incidences where people from Autism Speaks will try to get [ASAN] intimidated by security and removed from the premises,” Dempsey said.

Autism Speaks spends 44 percent of its annual budget on research “into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism,” according to its website, autismspeaks.org. According to the group’s financial documents, four percent of the budget goes to family services.

“The majority of the money is going towards their ‘research’ and their own paychecks and advertising,” Dempsey shared.

She expressed distaste at Autism Speaks’ focus on finding prevention and cures as opposed to researching how to best help people with autism. “The way that they consistently pull in funding is by demonizing autistic people and portraying us in … dehumanizing ways and using … scare tactics to push their agenda of ‘This is the worst thing that could happen to a family.’”

Dempsey cited a video that Autism Speaks had posted titled “I Am Autism,” in which a voice representing autism states “I have no interest in right or wrong … I will fight to take away your hope.”

Another concerning factor about Autism Speaks is, according to Dempsey, the group’s support of the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, which is known for using shock therapy on kids with behavioral issues.

“Horrifying reports come out of that place,” Dempsey said. She also mentioned that the Judge Rotenberg Center booth often appeared at the Walk Now events.

Autism Speaks declined to comment.

TECH SUMMARY 2014/15

010101000110010101100011011010000010000001010 0110111010101101101011011010110000101110010011 110010010000000110010001100000011000100110101

by Dev Sheth | design by Annie Wong

THIS WINTER IN TECHNOLOGY

GAMES NAME

OPERATING SYSTEMS

SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS

With the launch of Android Lollipop, iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, the Android and Apple devices have received significant upgrades in terms of software capabilities. In one of the biggest announcements of the year, Microsoft announced the next version of its desktop OS, Windows 10, in October, and has been frequently releasing technical previews. In a more poignant move, Windows XP finally reached its end-of-support in April this year, and enterprises are facing the move to modern operating systems soon.

With the release of Google’s Nexus 6, the year is pretty much rounded up, with all the major players having put their flagships out for consideration well before gift planning starts. The coming few months should see the arrival of the phones announced earlier in 2014, which will presumably be the last batch running Android Kitkat v4.4. The first equipment shipping Android 5.0 (Lollipop) should be in the works at Samsung and HTC, so expect those to arrive at the end of Q4. Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge has just arrived to stand alongside the Note 4 as Samsung attempts to combat its first serious competition in the phablet game, with both the new iPhones and the Nexus 6 proving to be powerful adversaries. The tablet space is still dominated by the iPad, and it remains to be seen whether the phenomenal Nexus 9 can make room for itself. While Blackberry (Classic), Sony (Xperia N), LG (G4) and HTC (Desire Eye) will all launch some highly anticipated devices in Q3-4, the most promising new arrival will be when Google’s Project Ara comes to fruition. The modular customization of a smartphone is a groundbreaker, and the project is sure to change the market for good–and forever.

GAMING Over the last year, most major studios have been porting their popular titles to the new consoles (Xbox One and PS4), and most seem to be finally catching up with a series of releases over the last few days. Most new games are moving exclusively to PS4 and Xbox One, but a few titles continue to arrive for their predecessors, PS3 and Xbox 360. PES 2015, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Halo: the Master Chief Collection, WWE 2K15 and Far Cry 4 have all gone on sale Nov. 11 onward. GTA V is coming to the PC next month (Jan 27), alongside Dying Light. Evolve arrives on Feb.10, Mortal Kombat X on April 14 and Batman: Arkham Knight on June 2.

CONSOLE/ GAME SYSTEM

RELEASE

Lara Croft and the PS4, Xbox Temple of Osiris One, PC

Dec. 9, 2014

GTA V

PC

Jan. 27, 2015

Dying Light

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Jan. 27, 2015

Evolve

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Feb. 10, 2015

NAME

DESCRIPTION

RELEASE

Jibo

Customizable Robot

Dec. 2014

Om One

Levitating Bluetooth Soeaker

Dec. 2014

Sense

Sleep Behavior Monitor

Dec. 2014

Skulpt Aim

Fitness Tracker and Muscle Quality Analyzer

Dec. 14, 2014

Mark One

First Carbon Fiber Printing 3-D Printer

Jan. 2015

TECH GADGETS

KEY: Q1: Jan., Feb., March.

Q2: April., May., June.

Q3: July., Aug., Sep. Q4: Oct., Nov., Dec.

Technology 7

RIT’S E-NABLE “LENDS A HAND” TO THOSE IN NEED

by Bill Gerken | photography by Paula Ospina | design by Annie Wong

L

ucy is a 7-year-old with an issue that most children her age will never have to deal with: she is missing an arm. This limits her ability to interact with her peers and to live a “normal” childhood. According to one of e-NABLE’s co-op students, Emily Sanseverino, a third year Biomedical Engineering student at RIT, Lucy can now play with her friends just like any other child because of e-NABLE. e-NABLE is an organization that provides prosthetic arms and hands to anyone who needs one. RIT Associate Professor Jon Schull founded this organization as a means of providing access to prosthetic limbs for those in need. Schull mentioned that he was inspired to create this project by a YouTube video in which a South African man connected with a designer to develop a 3-D-printed prosthetic. In the video, the man claimed that one in every 2,000 children could benefit from a 3-D-printed prosthetic. Using 3-D printers such as the Ultimaker 2, Schull and his group of co-op students, along with volunteers all over the world, have managed to provide the “RIT Arm” to people like Lucy for free.

The Ultimaker 2 works similarly to a regular inkjet printer. A file is sent to the printer which then breaks down the information contained in the file into a series of “images.” Individual layers of the design are constructed one at a time, transforming the printed piece from a two-dimensional object into a 3-D item. The pieces of the hand or arm are printed one at a time and then fitted together to construct the final product. The prosthetic is designed to fit the specifications of the child or adult, making each one unique to the individual.

Sanseverino said that her goal is to help kids like Lucy interact with the world as every other child would. “The smile does it all,” Sanseverino said.

8 Technology

Though e-NABLE provides free prosthetic arms and hands to anyone, the organization caters largely to children. The reason for this is simple—a prosthetic arm that costs $20$50 in materials can be easily replaced when the child grows and the body develops.

“Prosthetics are too heavy and too expensive for children who are growing and going to break things,” Schull said. For example, titanium prostheses can cost around $40,000, according to Sanseverino. “For a child who’s 7 years old, like Lucy, in three years when she’s 10, she’s going to outgrow that prosthetic … that’s one of the great things about this prosthetic, and that’s why we go for children,” Sanseverino said.

One of the leading issues that children missing a limb face is their lack of self-confidence. Growing up dependent on someone else to help accomplish menial tasks takes away from a child’s individuality. e-NABLE is changing this, one hand at a time.

“If we can start giving these kids hands, that doesn’t just give them another hand, but makes them feel like superheroes, or gives them that confidence,” Sanseverino said.

“That’s something that they can carry for the rest of their lives.” e-NABLE doesn’t just need Biomedical Engineering students to help develop these

prostheses. Any student “can change the world, and it’s not just rhetoric … this has huge potential for involvement and making a real contribution,” Schull said.

The Construct @ RIT is a 3-D printing lab on campus that allows each student 500 grams of free printing plastic. Each hand weighs about 220 grams, according to Sanseverino, so that would be enough to change the lives of two children. If every RIT student printed a 3-D prosthetic hand, e-NABLE could supply thousands of prostheses to people all over the world.

As Schull said, “I dare any advanced and adventurous students from RIT to get in touch, and I claim that I’ll find a really good thing that they can do to up their game and make a real difference.”

The Construct @ RIT is located on the fourth floor of Institute Hall.

“DISABILITY” IS DEFINED BY THE MERRIAMWEBSTER DICTIONARY AS

“THE CONDITION OF BEING UNABLE TO DO THINGS IN THE NORMAL WAY.”

AYL

INSTRUCTIONS:

FUN FACTS:

1. Cut out the square.

Minneapolis, Minnesota has the lowest mean winter temperature, with an average of 19 degrees Fahrenheit between December and February.

2. Fold the square in half to make a triangle.

3. Fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.

4. Fold the left section of the triangle toward the back.

5. Fold the right section of the triangle toward the back.

6. Cut away the light blue areas.

HERE’S A SNOWFLAKE FOR YOU!

The snowiest winters, however, belong to Valdez, Alaska, whic receives a whopping average of 326.3 inches of snow per year.

Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter is the most award-winning beer in American history, having won a total of 18 medals at the Great American Brewing Festival since 1986.

West Virginia’s Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights is a Christmas light display which covers a massive 300 acres.

In 2011, Americans spent a staggering $6 billion on Christmas lights and decorations.

by Gino Fanelli | design by Teysia Parks

Leisure 9

FROZEN (BUT NOT A WASTELAND)

by Gino Fanelli | illustration by Maliya Travers-Crumb | design by Halli Rosin

T

o say our winters are cold is a pretty extreme understatement. With an average temperature of 27 degrees Farenheit between December and February, Rochester ranks number four on the list of the coldest major cities in the U.S. While it may seem enticing to tuck yourself away under layers of blankets until the spring thaw comes, it is during the winter when some of the most unique Rochester events rise up above the ice.

LIGHTING OF LIBERTY POLE

30TH ANNUAL LAKESIDE FESTIVAL

Dec. 6

Feb. 8 - Feb. 9

Looking to get in touch with a true Rochester holiday tradition? Check out the annual lighting of Liberty Pole on East Main Street, lit by Mayor Lovely Warren and followed by a holiday-themed parade.

Charlotte Beach’s Lakeside Festival is a staple of Rochester winter fun. Enjoy some of upstate New York’s finest beverages at the Lake Ontario Wine Festival, beat the heat at the Chilly Chili Cook-Off or test your endurance by diving into Lake Ontario in the 14th annual Polar Plunge, the proceeds of which go to the Special Olympics.

COSPLAY SNOW FESTIVAL Dec. 6

19TH ANNUAL SWEET CREATIONS GINGERBREAD HOUSE DISPLAY Nov. 7 - Dec. 14 Head on down to the George Eastman House and get a look at or bid on some of the most ingenious cookie creations of all time.

Want to do something a little closer to home?

The Cosplay Snow Festival will be running from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. in RIT’s Student Alumni Union, featuring improv troupes, cosplay acting and the Snow Ball Dance.

8TH ANNUAL ICE WINE AND CULINARY FESTIVAL Feb. 14 Spend your Valentine’s Day soaking up the sweet, sweet flavors of ice wine, along with some great food, a bit of blackjack and more at Fairport’s Casa Larga Vineyards.

NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS GEVA THEATRE PRESENTS: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Dec. 31

ROCCITY WINTER BREWFEST

Nov. 26 - Dec. 27 Check out Rochester natives performing the Charles Dickens classic all through December at the famed Geva Theatre.

Check out a New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza in the heart of downtown Rochester.

Observing from the Main Street Bridge, just a couple blocks from the nightlife of the East End district, may be the best way to ring in the New Year, Rochester-style.

HOLIDAYS AT THE MARKET Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14

HOMEGROWN VIER Rochester’s Public Market has been an integral part of the community since 1905, so make sure to stop by on Sundays throughout the holiday season for your fix of festive art, food, crafts and celebrations.

10 Leisure

Jan. 10 Homegrown Vier, held at Park Point’s own Lovin’cup, is a celebration of all things Rochester, including local drinks, music and food.

Feb. 15 New York is home to some of the finest breweries, not only in the country, but perhaps the world. Get up close and personal with them at the Main Street Armory’s RocCity Winter Brewfest.

THE WIND MAY BLOW AND THE SNOW MAY FALL, BUT ROCHESTER DOESN’T STOP FOR ANYTHING. DON’T ROT AWAY INDOORS THIS WINTER SEASON — BUNDLE UP AND GET OUT THERE TO SEE WHAT OUR LOVELY CITY HAS TO OFFER. Leisure 11

AMERICA

101

by Dev Sheth | design by Raven Reynolds

by Dev Sheth | design by Raven Reynolds and Rachel Fox

12 Leisure

W

hen I touched down in Rochester this August as an international student, I had no place to go. Coming off the back of a 37-hour journey from India, I was exhausted and jet-lagged, and I had no idea what I was going to do about it. Luckily, I knew another student at RIT. A short call meant that I had a place to crash for a while. I checked in at RIT and got my paperwork done. All of it took less than a couple of hours, with surprisingly little hassle. Who’d have thought?!

I spent the following couple of weeks acclimating myself to Rochester. The weather was a surprise, with daylight lasting until 8 p.m. The bus schedule was no cakewalk because there was so much incoherence in the information provided by multiple sources.

Probably the easiest part of the process was getting used to looking after myself. Having never lived away from home for a reasonably long time before, I had been worried about being able to take care of myself. As it turns out, it is not really that difficult, if you keep your head down and just deal with it.

The American culture was another aspect of life in the U.S. that all international students take some time to adjust to. People expect things to work differently in the last remaining superpower, and yet it turned out to be quite similar to where I come from. There are subtle differences, however, as I eventually learned. The general politeness replaces the warmth you find in most Asian sub-continental cultures, the amiability making up for the almost mechanical efficiency of the Far East, making it feel close to home, but not quite.

Orientation week was a breeze, exploring the RIT campus in its beautiful glory. Soon enough, it was time for classes to begin.

Once I was bedded in, it all started making sense — from the subject matter to the quality of effort required of the students, not just in the class but also outside of it.

EVENTUALLY, THERE ALWAYS COMES A TIME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WHEN THEY MISS THEIR HOMELANDS. OFTEN, THIS COINCIDES WITH SOME EVENT THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING BACK HOME, BUT WHICH IS A NON-ENTITY IN THE U.S. Midterms were initially a scary thought; they were the first real test of whether I was up for the challenge. Preparing for the exams reinforced what I had always believed: it is almost always all in your head. That held true for the exams themselves, as well. Good grades are easy to earn if you pay attention in class. It sounds really obvious, but I firmly believe that with our reducing attention spans, it is a quality that needs to be attributed the respect it deserves.

Another aspect of academic life that needs to be applauded is the emphasis on group homework projects. Before starting my grad studies at RIT, I had participated in one group project in my four years of undergraduate studies. Since starting here, I have already worked on multiple group assignments and a project. It might seem insignificant to someone used to the method, but speaking as someone who has now experienced both, it is far better when someone has your back.

It helps to have someone on my team who can help me out with something I have difficulty grasping. Again, it may seem like stating the obvious, but asking someone who is struggling in a class what would help them and having a friend to help you out made my classes better for me.

THE PACE WAS STAGGERING, THE WORKLOAD MENTAL, BUT THE TEACHING STYLE MADE WHAT SEEMED HILARIOUSLY DIFFICULT INTO SOMETHING REWARDING AND INSIGHTFUL.

Eventually, there always comes a time for international students when they miss their homelands. Often, this coincides with some event that we would have been celebrating back home but which is a non-entity in the U.S. At these times, it is not so much a question of pining for what we have left behind but of accepting the realities of life and focusing on what we are here to achieve, of valuing the incredible opportunity the U.S. provides everyone — of trying to fulfill the American dream.

Fortunately, there is not much time to dwell on the matter because of the ruthless pace of the academics. There are assignments to submit, projects to complete and exams to deal with. It is important to buckle down and get on with it, leaving no room for complacency. It always helps that the professors are sensitive to individual student needs, especially when it comes to dealing with pressure in such a situation. An encouraging word here and a pat on the back there are more than likely to arrest the slide of a student on a downward spiral.

This is particularly significant toward the end of the semester when the work done over the entire semester is on the line. There is a beautiful urgency in trying to get those few extra points for a better grade, whether it is to pass a course or to get an A. As projects reach deadlines and the semester comes to an end, it is essential that we remain calm and composed and work through the heavy weather. Taking a break now and then helps a lot; it is important to conserve the energy for the final dash to the end. After all, no one likes falling down 100 meters from the finish line of a marathon.

Leisure 13

ACCESSING ACCESS SERVICES

by Nilan Lovelace | illustration by Jenny Kyong Ah Lee | design by Alexandria Bates

EACH YEAR, ACCESS SERVICES PROVIDES APPROXIMATELY 650 DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO NEARLY 23,000 CREDITS HOURS OVER THE SPAN OF NEARLY 200 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT RIT. ACCESS SERVICES OFFERS THREE SERVICES TO SUPPORT STUDENT COMMUNICATION: SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING, CAPTIONING AND NOTETAKING.

T

he mid-1960s were critical for the Deaf community. In 1965, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) was established as the first technological college for the Deaf. Just a year earlier, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, an organization which administers examinations and maintains a registry of sign language interpreters, was established. By 1980, when NTID experienced a boom in the enrollment of deaf students, the department responsible for providing communication services for deaf students was developing into what it is today: the Department of Access Services.

Compared to the 20 percent of NTID students 14 Features

who took RIT classes in 1980, now more than 50 percent of deaf students take courses outside of NTID — and that number is expected to grow exponentially.

WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCESS SERVICES? The Department of Access Services is dedicated to providing high quality access to communication for RIT/NTID students. Each year, Access Services provides approximately 650 deaf and hard of hearing students with access to nearly 23,000 credit hours in nearly 200 different academic programs throughout RIT. They offer three access services to support student communication: sign language interpreting, captioning and notetaking.

According to Steve Nelson, the department’s director of operations and former Access Services interpreter, Access Services employs certified professionals to provide the campus with two real-time communication services: interpreting and captioning. The reason for providing these services stands behind the diverse methods of communication within the Deaf community.

“We have interpreting because it is a long– established means to communicating, established around the same time as NTID,” Nelson said. “Captioning came about because not every person who is deaf knows or wants to use sign language. A research project at NTID expanded captioning from T.V. caption-

ing. Over time, they developed a software to use with laptops and make use of shorthand.”

One of the requirements for a captionist is the ability to type 60 or more words minute with as few grammatical or spelling errors as possible. Once hired, captionists are trained to use C-Print, the premier real-time captioning software developed at NTID. C-Print, a text-to-speech software system, allows captionists to use predetermined shorthand to provide real-time communication. The shorthand is then processed in long form and displayed on corresponding laptops.

AS SIGN LANGUAGE HAS EVOLVED, SO HAVE CERTIFICATION AND EDUCATION FOR INTERPRETERS. In the past, according to Nelson, interpreters had to undergo a 10-week summer training session in order to receive certification. Now, most interpreters have a bachelor’s degree from American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting programs, such as the one provided at NTID. As a part of the American

Sign Language Interpreting Education (ASLIE), many Interpreting students may be assigned a professional interpreter as a mentor, whom they shadow. Students from other interpreting programs may also be taken as apprentices.

Access Services currently employs 125 fulltime interpreters. Interpreters are split into groups which encompass certain majors and subjects, including (but not limited to) groups for the College of Science, the College of Engineering and the Center of Bioscience Education and Technology, as well as groups for non-academic services such as interpreters for clubs and events. While interpreters are professionally certified and fluent in ASL, they are not required to have a wide range of knowledge about the subjects for which they interpret. Interpreters and captionists are given textbooks for preparation and access to myCourses for current and past class notes. As put by Nelson, interpreters gain knowledge of subject-specific signs through their expertise and experience. Though a large amount of interpreters’ time focuses on interpreting, they also spend a great deal of time in preparation for courses.

The third service offered by Access Services is notetaking. Notetaking employs students to take notes for classes they are enrolled in for deaf or hard of hearing students.

Notetakers undergo approximately a half day of training in order to learn notetaking tech-

niques to use in class. The notes are then scanned and distributed to deaf and hard of hearing students. These notes may be typed and uploaded in PDF or Word document format to allow for easy access.

USING ACCESS SERVICES Students, faculty and staff all make use of Access Services. Though interpreters and captionists are usually assigned to classes, they may also be requested for non-academic uses. Karissa Mirus, a third year Criminal Justice major, has made use of Access Services during her time at RIT. “I went to [an] Auburn prison trip that was provided by the Criminal Justice Department, which was not required for us,” Mirus said.

“However, I was able to request an interpreter to go with me. It’s really nice to have that available to me.”

Much like Mirus, fourth year Computing Security student Kyle Murbach said he also takes advantages of notetaking services to get the best out of his coursework.

“I use interpreters to be able to understand the professors. I use notetakers to take notes for me while I pay attention to what the professor is saying in class.”

There have been a few instances where requested interpreters arrive late or fail to show up, but many students understand that there are potential scheduling conflicts and

issues of availability that may be unavoidable — and that may be the case for some of their classes as well.

Access Services provides an essential service to facilitate communication between the Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing communities on campus.

“It is critical for deaf and hard of hearing people to be able to succeed inside and outside of the classroom,” Murbach said. Hopefully, the future of Access Services will continue to facilitate communication and keep the RIT community whole.

To learn more about Access Services, visit http://rit.edu/das.

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16 Features

AN ACCESSIBLE

CAMPUS?

by Gino Fanelli | photography by Paula Ospina | design by Teysia Parks

F

irst year Game Design and Development student Matthew Turczmanovics rolled up to the front entrance of the Campus Center, taking a pause to tap on the silver button adorned with a blue silhouette of a wheelchair.

“Let’s see if this works,” he said, as the mechanical limb on the door slowly pulled it open. “Okay, it did that time, they don’t always work.”

Turczmanovics is afflicted with a form of dwarfism which, though he is able to walk, makes it extremely difficult and time-consuming to traverse long distances. Instead, he commutes in an electric wheelchair, controlled by joystick and fitted with a lift which allows him to adjust height. Though RIT is an institution which prides itself on an emphasis of accessibility and accommodation, confinement to a wheelchair is a situation which still arises an array of trials on campus.

“Let me show you something,” he said as he wheeled up towards the entrance to the Student Alumni Union. “It’s propped open now, but there’s no button here to let me in.”

He rolled up through the door, taking a right turn down the hallway. In a mere twenty feet, he stopped in front of a glass door marked with a paper sign that read, in bold typeface, “DISABILITY SERVICES OFFICE”.

“I’d say that’s one of the only main entrances to a building that I’ve noticed that doesn’t have a handicapped button,” he said.

Though there is an accessible entrance to the hallway on the opposite side of the SAU,

these easily overlooked inconsistencies in planning and logic can be found throughout the campus. Though often small, avoidable nuisances, their presence is a physical acknowledgment of the lack of perfection in creating an accessible campus. Director of Disability Services Susan Ackermann explained what dictates accessibility plans at RIT. “I believe we are extremely good at creating an environment that accommodates disabled students,” Ackermann said. “All of our buildings conform to the law, and if any of our students have particular needs that we don’t have available, us, as well as Facility Management Services [FMS], are great at finding a way to provide them with what they need.”

The law which Ackermann refers to is the American Disability Act’s (ADA’s) Standards for Accessible Design, updated as of 2010. A law passed through the Department of Justice, a specification is made that all buildings must be accessible to people who are disabled, or at least partly accessible. However, this stipulation only falls upon buildings

which were constructed past January 26, 1992.

This essentially means that any buildings constructed prior to this date are not legally obligated to be handicap accessible. With the majority of RIT buildings falling into the category of construction prior to this date (64 of 114 total buildings being constructed prior to 1989), there is frightful possibility of buildings falling through this loophole. Coupled with this is a policy of not inspection and action, but rather repairs made due to the action of students instead of administration.

“We don’t do inspections or investigations to take preemptive measures,” said Ackermann, “however, when a student comes to us and says there is a problem, that a button is broken or something of that nature, we are prompt with fixing it.”

Turczmanovics sat in the lobby of the Liberal Arts Building, tapping the button.

The door swung open about halfway, stalling for a second before swinging back shut.

“Yeah, it does that, opens, I don’t know, maybe like 45 degrees, and then shuts,” Turczmanovics said. “Thing is, I haven’t writ-

THE DOOR SWUNG OPEN ABOUT HALFWAY, STALLING FOR A SECOND BEFORE SWINGING BACK SHUT.

Features 17

“MY BELIEF IS THAT ACCESSIBILITY EQUALS NATURAL HUMAN RIGHTS BECAUSE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE HUMANS.” ten up a list of complaints or anything like that, but if I did, I don’t even know who I’d bring it to. I don’t know if it’s a heavy door or what, but you’d think it would just, ya know, work.”

Fourth year Political Science student and President of the NTID Student Congress Alex Van Hook, who is confined to an electric wheelchair, finds faults in the policy of waiting for notification before taking action, as well as the non-existent practice of evaluations of accessibility technology.

“I have experienced problems with buttons as well as elevators and lifts,” Van Hook said.

“FMS definitely needs to have better maintenance review for accessibility. Housing Operations, however, is doing a fairly good job of making sure I have accessible housing.”

While the issue of malfunctioning buttons seems like a minor nuisance, which often times it is, there is a deeper issue at hand when it comes to neglect of these services, one in which the options for accessibility becomes increasingly limited.

Turczmanovics headed down the hallway through the Golisano building, leading to a main entrance where a bare, black plastic box sat jutting from the wall on the side of the door.

“This button was here two weeks ago, maybe even three weeks ago,” Turczmanovics said. “Don’t know where it went, don’t know when it’s coming back.”

Beyond the simple issues of handicapped buttons lies a greater and much more basic menace to the disabled student. That is, the need for classrooms and public spaces that are comfortable for them and allow them to simply attend classes and events like any other student. This is a dilemma that often rears its head in places similar to and including Ingle Auditorium “There are two handicapped options when entering the auditorium, both a distance from the stage,” Van Hook said. “It’s a limit socially for a student who has to stay in their wheelchair and can’t just sit anywhere they want.”

18 Features

Van Hook went on to explain the deeper social implications of RIT not adding lifts into the Ingle Auditorium.

“My belief is that accessibility equals natural human rights because people with disabilities are humans,” said Van Hook. “Attendees in wheelchairs have the right to enjoy the auditorium just like anyone else. I believe RIT can do this, and it requires me visualizing a format of two lifts that give the option of going down to the stage if needed, which may take time.

Turczmanovics headed back to the Liberal Arts building, navigating into the elevator which lowers down into the basement auditorium.

Turczmanovics, who is also hard of hearing, has two options when it comes to attending class in the auditorium; either sit in the back or take a roundabout entrance onto the stage.

“If I wanted to get into the basement, which I have to for psychology, I have to go to B

[sub-basement],” Turczmanovics said, pressing the button in the cramped, 3 by 4 foot elevator.

“Then, I have to open these doors.”

Turczmanovics turned to the opposite doors of the elevators, manually pulling open the door to reveal a second steel door adorned with chipped green paint. He stands on the footrest of his chair to pull the second door. The 50 pound sheet of metal slammed open abruptly to reveal a short hallway littered with unused chairs and a 12-foot wooden ladder lying on its side.

“Then I have to turn around and shut these doors,” he said as he slammed the two metal doors back shut. “[and then] head down this hall to that door to get onto the stage, close enough where I can hear the lecture.”

The auditorium consists of a short set of stairs followed by a mellow slope leading down to the stage, a format which suggests

“BUT THAT’S THE IMAGE A PERSON THINKS OF WHEN THEY THINK OF THE WORD HANDICAPPED, THAT THAT PERSON MUST BE PHYSICALLY DISABLED, AND THAT

IS

NOT

CERTAINLY

THE

CASE.”

that the addition of a ramp over the short stair case would be a relatively simple task that could circumvent the need for wheelchair-bound students to use this route.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever requested it [a ramp],” said Ackermann.

While FMS does not take measures to prevent routines such as this from occurring, Disability Services does offer the options for students to relocate classes to avoid such scenarios.

“The elevators, especially the ones in Liberal Arts, can be cramped, and if a student has problems getting to class, we make sure that class is relocated to somewhere where they’re more comfortable or can access easier,” said Ackermann. “But as for the elevators themselves, replacing a whole elevator is a pretty huge job and it’s much more efficient to simply move the class. We once had a student who was confined to a wheelchair, for example, really big guy, who had trouble using the Liberal Arts elevator, and that is what we did to allow him to get to class.”

While Disability Services deals with meeting the needs of disabled students, the term “disabled” is not one that implicitly means a student is physically disabled. In fact, that number only makes up a small percentage of total students who take advantage of Disability Services.

“We currently have 800 students enrolled in our program,” said Ackermann. “Ten out of all of them are in a wheelchair. But that’s the image a person thinks of when they think of the word handicapped, that that person must be physically disabled, and that is certainly not the case.

And I believe we do a great job of giving these students the academic support they need.”

Van Hook agreed with this sentiment.

“I’d like to say that academic-related access is a huge plus here at RIT,” said Van Hook, “but I’d still say there are huge flaws in accessibility here.”

Which begs the question, if academic support and access is a policy which RIT places a large degree of importance on, whose hands does it fall onto to create a physically accessible campus? While the argument seems to have the simple answer of FMS or Disability

IF ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND ACCESS IS A POLICY WHICH RIT PLACES A LARGE DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE ON, WHOSE HANDS DOES IT FALL ONTO TO CREATE A PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE CAMPUS? Services, the answer, it turns out, is far more complex, consisting more of student involvement than anything else. And, unfortunately, there is currently no active club or organization for physically disabled students to advocate for change.

“I would like to see a group of students with disabilities and allies get together and have talks with RIT administration and Student Government,” Van Hook said. “I’d hope to one day see a permanent club or organization that consists of and represents students with various disabilities. Alongside this, I’d like to see FMS having a strict maintenance review time window, where FMS regularly checks the operations of various mechanical access services, like lifts, buttons and elevators.”

What is foremost to point out is that the current policies FMS has towards repairing and managing mechanical access services is inherently flawed and, in a sense, apathetic.

It does not follow the logical adage of “if its broke, fix it”, but rather a line of thinking of “if its broke, wait until somebody notices and asks about it, then fix it.”

“RIT follows the law, but the law doesn’t say we have to look around and say ‘somebody might want this instead of this, we should do it,’” Ackermann said. “RIT is not obligated to do a renovation of buildings as a preemptive measure.”

At the same time, though, this system seems detrimental to creating a more accessible campus, the fact remains that students have the opportunity to speak up, and if enough voices are heard, change will be made. This is a matter of not shrugging off the small nuisances and not accepting the roundabout measures in place to emulate accessibility, but to call upon the idea that accessibility is a human right, and should be unanimously embraced and upheld to the highest degree.

“The problems that I do have, they all seem pretty small, but they all add up, and they also seem really fixable,” Turczmanovics said.

“I don’t know if I have to come in with a whole list and say ‘hey, in this building, this door does not work’. And I don’t have the time anyway, with classes and everything, to make up a whole list of stuff that doesn’t work,” he said. “I know I’m not the only person in a wheelchair on campus, so I’d like to say that they know about it, but I don’t know why they don’t just fix it.”

For more information please visit REPORTER’s Youtube page to view a video filmed with Matthew Turczmanovics.

“I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A GROUP OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND ALLIES GET TOGETHER AND HAVE TALKS WITH RIT ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENT GOVERNMENT. I’D HOPE TO ONE DAY SEE A PERMANENT CLUB OR ORGANIZATION THAT CONSISTS OF AND REPRESENTS STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS DISABILITIES.” Features 19

ADHD: A DIFFERENT STATE MIND O F

by Evander Sousa | photography by Kim Bubello | design by Alexandria Bates

20 Features

O

ver 10 percent of children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a disorder surrounded by some publicly held misconceptions. The condition continues to affect many of these children as they grow into adulthood and go through college.

ADHD is categorized by long term symptoms, including attention issues, hyperactivity and impulsivity, that start during early childhood. However, public understanding of the disorder and its treatments has been warped due to a variety of factors, including the saying “I’m so ADD right now” and the belief that ADHD is just a disorder for children.

According to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), ADHD is “a neurobiological disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, inattention and, in some cases, hyperactivity.” The group claims that people with ADHD experience such extreme symptoms that it interferes with their daily lives.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 11 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, and research shows that some symptoms can carry over

to adulthood. ADHD is usually diagnosed at an early age, with 7 being the average age of diagnosis due to the onset of symptoms in childhood. This may have contributed to the misconception that it is a disorder only for children. However, according to CHADD, about 60 percent of children with ADHD will continue experiencing symptoms into adulthood. These adults may experience a change in symptoms, but they will still be present.

CHADD also reported that ADHD is three times more likely to be present in boys than girls, but all children regardless of ethnicity can be diagnosed with ADHD. Nonetheless, it is not just a diagnosis for misbehaving children; it is a disorder that is often hereditary.

The National Institute of Mental Health has produced several studies that have supported the theory that ADHD can run in families. The studies have identified genes like one that causes a “thinner brain tissue in the areas of the brain associated with attention.”

They also say that this genetic thinning and other causes are not permanent, and children

11 PERCENT OF CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 4 & 17 HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD.

with ADHD can have a reduction in symptoms as they get older.

In cases where it is not inherited, there are a number of risk factors that can cause the disorder, including problems during pregnancy like prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol, high lead levels, low birth weight and premature delivery, as well as infant head injuries. These issues can lead to executive functioning impairments, according to the National Resource Center on ADHD, which can cause issues with working memory, motivation and complex problem solving, all of which are contributing factors to the distraction aspect of ADHD. Those who are diagnosed go through a rigorous evaluation process, and a number of criteria need to be present to confirm this diagnosis. These criteria are outlined by the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IVTR, a manual of a variety of disorders and the symptoms that need to be present in order to

THE FACTS 10% OF THE CHILDHOOD

POPULATION HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD

60% OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD

LIKELY CONTINUE EXPERIENCING THEIR SYMPTOMS INTO ADULTHOOD

TYPES O F ADHD

60%

PREDOMINATELY INATTENTIVE TYPE PREDOMINATELY HYPERACTIVE IMPULSIVE TYPE COMBINED TYPE

70-80% OF PEOPLE WITH ADHD HAVE A REDUCTION OF SYMPTOMS WHEN TAKING STIMULANTS LIKE ADDERALL & CONCERTA

confirm a medical diagnosis. In order to categorize specific symptoms of ADHD, the book identifies that there are three types of ADHD that deal with different symptoms.

ADHD Predominately Inattentive Type is the category for people with extreme inattention issues, but little trouble with hyperactivity or impulsivity. ADHD Predominately Hyperactive Impulsive Type is on the opposite end of the spectrum; those with hyperactivity and impulsivity issues, but not inattention issues, are in this group. However, CHADD says that the people who usually fall into this cat-

egory are small children who are likely to develop the last type of ADHD, ADHD Combined Type, which combines traits of both previous types of the disorder at a chronic level.

Although ADHD is a disorder, some with the diagnosis don’t feel like they suffer from it, and may even see it as an advantage. Jeanette Schramm is a third year Journalism student who has experienced the symptoms of ADHD since an early age, but she doesn’t feel like she suffers as a result of the condition.

“I don’t think it’s a disorder. It’s a different state of mind,” she said.

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“I DON’T THINK IT’S A DISORDER. IT’S A DIFFERENT STATE OF MIND.” She says that it’s much easier for her to think creatively and to brainstorm, and is proud that it allows her to think in ways that others do not.

She equates it to “being able to see a whole different side of the color spectrum.”

Even though some may share Schramm’s perspective, some people with ADHD also seek treatment. For them, there are two main options: behavioral therapy and medication, each of which focuses on different aspects of the disorder. In combination, these treatments can greatly reduce the symptoms of ADHD. According to the CDC, behavioral therapy is helpful for children with ADHD because it changes how they interact with others. The therapy focuses on creating a routine so the children can follow a schedule that reduces distractions, maximizes organization and minimizes the need for discipline. An important part of the therapy is to limit the child’s choices, which keeps them from becoming overstimulated and symptomatic.

By using behavioral therapy, children with ADHD can learn to minimize their symptoms by creating a stable world for themselves.

Medications are the most well-known treatment for ADHD, with drugs like Adderall advertised for their ability to increase attention. According to the CDC, 70–80 percent of people with ADHD experience a reduction in symptoms when taking stimulants like Adderall and Concerta. However, several non-stimulants have entered the market, such as Strattera and Kapvay, which the CDC report sto have fewer side effects and can be effective for up to 24 hours.

Schramm said she has been both on and off of Concerta during her years 22 Features

in college. Off of the medication, she reported that she’s enjoying life more, and while her attention has decreased, she has found ways to control her symptoms without the use of medication. She has found motivation to be the biggest issue for her, so to combat that she has developed a complex set of calendar reminders to push her to do the work she doesn’t want to do, but which still leave her with “play time” to reduce the added stress.

Since Concerta is a stimulant, it had an adverse affect on Schramm’s heart, but now her heart palpitations have been minimized. She said she also finds that her creativity is at a record high and her appetite has returned. As of now, she does not plan on going back on medication and believes that she has control over her ADHD.

The medical community and general public consider ADHD to be like any other disorder: something that needs to be treated.

Those with the disorder experience life with a collection of symptoms that some don’t see as a disadvantage. Many do need medication to help them control their ADHD and consider it a necessity, but to others, ADHD is simply a different state of mind.

POLISSENI'S

VIP

LIFESTYLE: A WANDERER'S TALE

by Alexander Jones | photography by Kim Bubello design by Teysia Parks

T

here’s no doubt that around a month removed from its opening, RIT’s Gene Polisseni Center is a monolithic, matte-beige, poorly-zoned crowd pleaser.

Within its walls, however, lies a den of iniquity: a depraved house of deviancy and unchecked extravagance that would serve as a Biblical example of mankind’s arrogance, but now is simply known as the Club Lounge. Access is only permitted to members of a certain upper echelon, but legend has foretold of a Wanderer who was able to breach the glistening exterior of this fabled house of orgy, and the stories he wearily imparted on the huddled masses were enough to make blood run cold.

As the ancient tablets foretold, the Wanderer entered the Polisseni Center on the night of a men’s hockey game and, although he was almost immediately plagued with visions of a distant phallic nightmare upon the thought of the elusive Club Lounge, he was still able to gaze toward the Lounge’s magnificent facade when his eyes weren’t following the players along with the rest of the plebeian grandstand. The disheveled civilians surrounding him chose to ignore the promise of the glimmering splendor that rested in the room with them, but the Wanderer heard the occasional whisper that only tantalized his growing desire and curiosity: “It’s penetrated my dreams, that ungodly lounge. I sleep restlessly through jagged visions of its distant opulence!”

“What cruel god would force our diminutive species to bask in the radiance of such

ethereal spectacle? Curse my shameful mortal limitations!”

“I heard there’s a buffet in there.”

The Wanderer could feel the heavenly glow of the Club Lounge sear into the back of his unworthy skull. He simply couldn’t resist the temptations clouding his reasoning any longer and leapt out of his seat toward the Lounge’s entrance. While climbing the stairs, he felt himself growing distant from the commoners below him and closer to the elite that

and he would drown himself in its storied luxury if it was the last thing he did.

The security guard at the Lounge’s entrance was swift to deny him passage beyond the doors, but he peered around her frame and was nearly blinded by what he witnessed inside. A veritable “Who’s Who” of RIT and Rochester’s ruling class drank and feasted at rows upon rows of fine wooden tables.

Their shrill, gluttonous laughter carried through the cold air like a plague of wealthy locusts as they guzzled mouthfuls of golden mead and tore into boar’s legs with spotless, thousand-dollar mandibles.

He yearned with a defeated spirit to one day sit amongst their ranks. As he turned to leave, he saw an opening as the officer briefly left her post to break up a drunken fight across the rink. Holding his breath and bracing himself for what would surely be an unparalleled libidinous shock to his frail system, he passed through the doorway and into the Lounge.

The Wanderer soaked in his new exalted surroundings, perched against a wooden barrier high above the ice. He began to attempt to entertain the countless thoughts that raced through his frazzled mind. One, above all else, rose to the top:

“WHAT CRUEL GOD WOULD FORCE OUR DIMINUTIVE SPECIES TO BASK IN THE RADIANCE OF SUCH ETHEREAL SPECTACLE? CURSE MY SHAMEFUL MORTAL LIMITATIONS!” awaited him behind the Lounge’s towering glass-doored entryway. He thought that this, perhaps, was his destiny all along. This was what he had been tirelessly seeking as he spent his life in a constant pilgrimage to and from RIT’s many bacchanal paradises — until he came to his senses and remembered that nothing, not a single thing on RIT’s campus, remotely resembles any sort of paradise. The Club Lounge was something different; something to be treasured. It was his Maltese Falcon, his Arc of the Covenant, his Rushmore,

“Do you think this place will entice more people to actually attend and support women’s hockey games, as they absolutely should?”

He sighed and solemnly shook his head.

“No. Probably not.”

Sports 23

LET’S GO

BUFFALO? THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF BILLS FANS

by Alexander Jones | design by Rachel Fox

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BILLS. WELL, FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT SPARTAN INFANTICIDE. One of the most popular and widely perpetuated myths about the Spartan people is that upon an infant’s birth, should it show any physical deformities or irregularities, the infant would be chucked from the edge of a cliff and into a mass grave.

Contextualized in the spectrum of the NFL, let’s imagine that the Buffalo Bills are one of said mangled, unfortunate infants, only they managed to claw their way out from a veritable mountain of dead babies in order to play professional football with the more physically capable members of society.

It’s an inspiring story, right? It also may as well be the truth, considering what Bills fans go through season after season, paying witness to their hopes and dreams being dragged face-first through horizonless trenches of piss and shit just about every Sunday.

Now, the writer of this piece is a Bills fan himself, just to make things perfectly clear.

An avid one, in fact. But even in the face of good sportsmanship and a loving allegiance to the team, it’s laughably preposterous to deny that the Bills have a history of repeatedly raising up and subsequently dashing 24 Sports

the hopes of their fans almost every season.

Beyond the fact that the team hasn’t even made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season, Quarterback Jeff Tuel (who is now on the practice squad) and Coach Doug Marrone led the team to an underwhelming 6-10 season last year (on top of a 6-10 season in 2012, a 6-10 season in 2011, a 4-12 season in 2010, a 6-10 season in 2009 and so on and so forth).

Even in the face of what’s turning out to be a promising season this year for the Bills, however, the looming and persistent threat of everything falling to pieces before the fans’ very eyes is still a real one, so the question at the heart of the matter remains: what makes a Bills fan stay a Bills fan?

Joseph Gracz, third year New Media Design major, said he’s been a Bills fan since he was born.

“It definitely does suck seeing the Bills constantly struggle to put together a winning season,” he said. “I barely remember the last time they were in the playoffs back in 1999.”

His longstanding support of the Bills has led him to become doubtful of his team’s ability to pull off anything when push comes to

shove, although he valiantly stands by them.

“I’ve become quite the pessimist toward my teams,” Gracz sighed. “I expect that whatever can go wrong will go wrong during games. If the Bills are driving for a late game score, I always expect them to somehow blow it through a fumble or an interception.”

Joshua Blackey is a fifth year Film and Animation major and Buffalo native who currently serves as the executive producer for RIT SportsZone.

“I don’t even know how it’s going to feel once they eventually become Super Bowl contenders and we are playing in really important games,” he said. “I’ve become so numb to the jokes that it hasn’t bothered me in years.

I’ve heard it all, my favorite being ‘The Bills stands for ‘Boy, I Love Losing Superbowls.’’”

There really doesn’t appear to be any sort of “it”-factor that ties Bills fans together, but the answer to their loyalty lies somewhere in a battered and bruised fighting spirit forged in unforgiving Western New York winters.

“I think what makes me stick with it is that I feel that my teams are a part of me,” Gracz

WHAT MAKES A BILLS FAN STAY A BILLS FAN?

“THERE REALLY DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE ANY SORT OF ‘IT’ FACTOR THAT TIES BILLS FANS TOGETHER, BUT THE ANSWER TO THEIR LOYALTY LIES SOMEWHERE IN A BATTERED AND BRUISED FIGHTING SPIRIT FORGED IN UNFORGIVING WESTERN NEW YORK WINTERS.”

said. “I feel that they’re in my blood. It’s really like a heritage to me.

The Bills and the [Buffalo] Sabres have always been a big connection between [me] and my family, especially my father, whom I’m very close to. If I stay true to them while they endure historically bad seasons, hopefully in a few years when some prospects have a chance to pan out, no one will be able to question my fandom and loyalty to the team. I guess you could say it’s a long–term investment.”

Blackey said he felt much the same way.

“Even though they lose a lot, they are still my team, so I will continue to support them,” he said. “I think the Buffalo Bills fans who have been supporting them through the good times and the bad will be the happiest fans in the world when we become one of the league’s elite.

It’ll totally be worth it.”

The question of the overarching “Why?” still remains, however. Outside of a pervasive loyalty to the team due to a sense of pride, heritage, obligation or otherwise, on a psychological level, what drives Bills fans to continue to support the team despite being hurt over and over again? RIT’s Associate Professor of Sociology and Psychology Dr. Brian Barry, a Bills fan himself although not a native Western New Yorker, provided some insight into this strange phenomenon.

“There is a big difference between games down in New York City and games here,” Barry said. “Downstate, things are much more corporate. A lot of people just go to games because they got tickets from their company. Here, games are like these big community clambakes.

There’s lots of talking, sharing, passing stuff around, and it makes for an atmosphere that I just really enjoy.”

Outside of the atmosphere and the vibrant community that the Bills produce, Barry also offered some good scientific reasoning as to the psychology of a Bills fan.

“In psychology, there’s this concept called B.I.R.G., or Basking in Reflective Glory, that

tends to apply to football fans,” he said. “People sort of seek achievement through their teams vicariously, and I would definitely attribute people still seeking achievement through the Bills as a result of terrific marketing.

There’s a sense instilled that as a Western New Yorker you should be loyal to the Bills, you’re obligated, and if you walk away from the team at any point you’re just disloyal. Where else is that true? If the product stinks, it stinks.”

While Barry is right to a certain degree, he’s leaving out something that runs a little bit deeper than a mass result of good psychological marketing. It’s hardly as if Bills fans are being duped over and over again into believing that the Bills have always been a good team. At the risk of sounding cliché, Buffalo and Rochester are underdog cities that produce rag-tag, weathered masses of fighters and stone-faced hopefuls. The Bills could continue to blow every single season until the heat death of the entire universe and fans would still tailgate outside Ralph Wilson Stadium every Sunday, huddling together against the Orchard Park winds, rooting

ceaselessly into the void for their persistent square peg of a team. There’s a beautiful, logic-defying method to the madness of Bills fans, and while it may never make sense to outsiders and interlopers, to fans like Gracz and Blackey it’s something worth fighting for.

“I’LL BE A BILLS FAN UNTIL THE DAY THAT I DIE,” GRACZ SAID. “FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.”

Sports 25

THE HOLIDAYS: WHAT A WASTE

by Ty Clauss | photography by Alexandra Genova | design by Rachel Fox

F

amily, friends, gifts, tradition and waste.

Welcome back to the holiday season!

You’ve probably heard someone say it before, and if you knew your grandparents growing up, you’ve definitely heard it: “What happened to the true meaning of the holidays?”

It’s a question that has substantial implications, not only culturally but environmentally.

Each year, our beloved holiday traditions are accompanied by collateral damage. From the wrapping paper and lights to the massive meals and hectic travel, the holidays generate a lot of extra waste. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, United States citizens alone generate 25 percent more waste than normal. The billions of greeting cards, fake trees and plastic gift packaging certainly adds up.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency approximates that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, United States citizens alone generate 25 percent more waste than normal.

Norman Jones, the commissioner for the Department of Environmental Services within the City of Rochester, is an advocate for recycling. A new initiative to bring single-stream recycling (similar to the system at RIT) to the City of Rochester is one of the city’s goals.

“If you make it easy for them to recycle, people will recycle,” Jones said. With the new single-stream recycling program in the works, along with Rochester’s Christmas tree recycling program (with four locations) founded in 1990 by Jones, recycling options in the City of Rochester are becoming more convenient. However, recycling isn’t limited to what you put in the blue bins and where you drop off your trees.

Enid Cardinal, senior sustainability advisor to the president at RIT, suggested re-use as a way to eliminate waste during the holidays.

“Think differently about gift giving,” Cardinal said. She suggests that consumers

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consider alternate types of wrapping, like re-usable cloth, and that they re-purpose unwanted items as gifts. In her own family, they often give gifts that give back to the community. “One year my sister bought my mom, my other sister and [me] a goat for Christmas,” Cardinal said. “The goat was through Heifer International and the goat was given to a family abroad, and so that was their livelihood.”

Another thing to consider when giving gifts is the amount of packaging on store-

THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND NEW YEAR’S DAY, UNITED STATES CITIZENS ALONE GENERATE 25 PERCENT MORE WASTE THAN NORMAL. bought items and the material with which these items are made. Technological gifts, for example, often use rare materials that take a lot of energy to obtain. Large amounts of chemicals and energy are also used in the making of plastic gifts and toys. Suzanne Stokoe, the owner of Stokoe Christmas Tree Farms, warned consumers about similar problems with fake Christmas trees, calling the increase in fake Christmas trees “a very disturbing trend.”

A study by Ellipsos, an environmental consulting firm based in Montreal, shows that a real tree will result in one-third the release of carbon emissions when compared to a plastic tree over a span of six years. The same study claimed that it would take almost 20 years of use for a plastic tree to be as carbon– efficient as a natural tree. Meanwhile, real Christmas trees can be recycled and put to use in a variety of ways, including mulching, reinforcing

sand dunes and creating habitats for animals.

Along with gifts, decorations are a major concern during the holiday season. Some decorations such as tinsel are not recyclable at all, and incandescent lighting decorations can cause unnecessary waste. A report by the U.S. Department of Energy approximates that LED lights, the same lights the City of Rochester uses for decorations, use one-tenth the amount of wattage of standard incandescent lights.

And don’t forget about extra travel! Telling your family you won’t be attending the annual holiday activities in order to save on emissions may not go over well. Thankfully, Dr. Roger Chen, an assistant professor at RIT who is researching sustainable transportation, pointed out a wide variety of practical travel alternatives. Some green solutions include renting electric cars, especially in short distance scenarios where finding a charger won’t be a problem. Chen said that most car rental companies have green vehicles available. He cited companies like Hertz, Avis and Enterprise as companies who are likely to provide green vehicles in larger cities. Chen also recommended the use of public transportation whenever possible. Planning to travel before or after major holiday rushes can help avoid congestion. It will save time and stress as well as limit the acceleration of vehicles in heavy traffic, which uses large amounts of gas. Carpooling is yet another way to save on travel emissions.

With the plethora of environmental issues associated with the holidays, it is a daunting task to be aware of all the problems. However, it is heartening to know there is an equally impressive array of solutions. All that is needed is action.

“If everyone does their small bit and we put it together as a whole, we can change an entire generation,” Jones said.

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ou all know the plan: after graduating from college, the now ex-student latches onto a job and begins his or her journey towards the obligatory house, two kids and 401k. But as pervasive as this narrative is, it’s hardly truthful.

With the economy in its current state, it’s no wonder that, according to a 2014 Gallup poll, 14 percent of U.S. adults from the ages of 24 to 35 choose to live with their parents.

Many view this as some kind of failure on the part of the graduate; derisive terms like “Boomerang Generation” or “Peter Pan Generation” depict the trope of the loser who lives with his parents in a state of terminal adolescence. The narrative of the American nuclear family demands that the baby bird leave the nest — whether it flies or hits the ground seems to be beside the point.

THE NARRATIVE OF THE AMERICAN NUCLEAR FAMILY DEMANDS THAT THE BABY BIRD LEAVE THE NEST — WHETHER IT FLIES OR HITS THE GROUND SEEMS TO BE BESIDE THE POINT. Fiscal responsibility, however, supplants any cultural expectations for class of 2013 graduate Victor Santiago. The former Graphic Design major chose to live at home with his family while working three jobs to pay off his

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student loans. “In a way, I’m saving money by not living on my own, having to pay rent or get food,” said Santiago. Although initially he found it hard to accept, Santiago said that he doesn’t have a problem with living at home.

Santiago’s positive attitude is shared by many in his situation; a Pew Study from 2012 found that 78 percent of adults ages 25 to 34 report satisfaction with living at home. Certainly, the relative ease of living with family can be more attractive to a recent grad.

“You know the area and the household already,” Santiago said, adding that the familiarity with his living conditions makes his financial situation easier to bear.

Santiago stressed the importance of his parent’s support, whether it is not having to worry about food or getting his father’s help with car troubles. The benefits are not just one-sided, however; Santiago said that he pitches in to help the household whenever he can, whether it be watching his little brother or helping pay bills.

“I would feel awful if I didn’t,” Santiago said. Although the idea that a graduate living at home is somehow less than functional still exists, this stigma has no significant detriment to his life. “I’m still social and I still go out every weekend,” he said. In many ways, Santiago said he feels that living at home is an advantage; a friend who was living independently told Santiago that he would live at home if his work was closer to home. “It’s cheaper,” Santiago said succinctly.

Senior Director of Alumni Relations Jon Rodibaugh said he believes that the stigma for graduates living at home has lessened in the past few years, especially from parents of college graduates. He attributes this change

in attitude to parents who have more sympathy for their graduated children.

“If you graduated from college in the ’90s, there was a pretty good chance you were going to have to live at home,” Rodibaugh said, adding that parents now would he more accepting than parents who graduated college in the ’60s or ’70s. However, Rodibaugh said he believes that it’s important to be wary of getting too comfortable when living at home.

“Have a long term plan. Understand that there’s a goal to be independent.”

Although the stigma may not be what it once was, the idea of the lazy jobless manchild continues to permeate our culture. If you understand the situation, however, it’s obvious that living at home after graduation has nothing to do with immaturity and everything to do with responsible decision-making.

This choice is difficult enough without unfair societal expectations placed on graduates in a financially precarious position. The idea of terminal adolescence doesn’t hold up to scrutiny when you consider that these graduates are doing everything any other graduate would with the addition of helping out at home. These expectations could even convince a recent graduate to make financially poor decisions based on expectations instead of reality. When having realistic conversations about post-collegiate living, it’s important to forget cultural narratives and have a grasp on the actual situation. Giving up the independence of college life in favor of a prudent, fiscally responsible living situation is the opposite of childish or weak; it’s about as mature and adult as you can be.

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WOTS “What is the best / worst gift you have ever been given?” photography by Lloyd McCullough | design by Annie Wong

LEVI DAVID III FILM AND ANIMATION, FIRST YEAR

BEST “Hands down, my saxophone.”

WORST “A bad sweater.”

DANA SOIKA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, FIRST YEAR

BEST “Either my MacBook Pro or my 2014 Subaru Legacy.”

WORST “Fuzzy, cheesy Christmas socks.”

BRANDON RALL COMPUTER SCIENCE, FIRST YEAR

BEST “A computer.”

WORST “A red sparkly speedo.”

FERNANDO VOLTOLINI DE AZAMBUJA ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY, THIRD YEAR

BEST “A photo.”

WORST “As a kid, my parents got me the wrong model of a toy sword.”

ZEBEDA KHAN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, FIRST YEAR

BEST “A surprise iPhone 5S from my sister.”

WORST “Nothing, because my mom forgot my birthday.”

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DANA ALOLAYAN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, 1FIRST YEAR

BEST “A necklace.”

WORST “A taser for riding the bus.”

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AARON LIU BEST “I got myself a laptop.”

WORST “Socks.”

ROBERT GILMORE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, FIFTH YEAR

BEST “A car, which is now dead.”

WORST “A Bill O’Reilly book of advice for teenagers.”

MARIAH TEXIDOR FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY, FOURTH YEAR

BEST “My Bamboo Wacom drawing tablet.”

WORST “A farting Santa card.”

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