Dart

Beyond the Concrete

magazine.

The Story Behind the Architecture of UMass Dartmouth

Summer Plans

Vol. 2.0 Fall 2011

Where is Our Counterculture?

1964 The year ground was broken on the futuristic campus in Dartmouth designed by world-renowned architect Paul Rudolph. Since then the campus has grown to 9,500 students and developed a $26 million research enterprise.

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141,000

The number of public law schools in Massachusetts, and that one is at UMass Dartmouth, devoted to the practice of law for the public good.

Hours of community service performed by UMass Dartmouth students and faculty in a year.

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710

Interns engaged each year in learning and discovery at the UMass Dartmouth Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center in Fall River, home to research laboratories and start-up companies.

Acres of land dedicated to the main UMass Dartmouth campus — 75 percent of which remains undeveloped woodlands and is being used as a “living classroom.”

1,161 Pounds of sulfur dioxide to be eliminated by campus wind turbine…and 489 pounds of nitrous oxide and 295 tons of carbon dioxide.

$90 million Private investment in property around the downtown New Bedford College of Visual and Performing Arts since the University’s art center was opened and began drawing student and faculty artists to the neighborhood.

$356 million The economic impact of the campus on the SouthCoast region.

2 The number of miles that the campus WIMAX wireless signal can reach, providing students with a level of connectivity that can be found at only one other University, and that is in Michigan.

90 Coastal inlets from Cape Cod to Narragansett Bay that the students and faculty of the School of Marine Science and Technology are working to save from pollution.

umassd.edu/admissions/

Contents

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Fall 2011 On Campus 6 What Happened to Our Counterculture?

The ‘50s had the Beats. The ‘60s had the hippies. What do we have?

10 Caffeine College 12 Healthy Dorm Room Cooking 14 Throw a Party Without Alcohol 15 Commuter Woes at

UMass Dartmouth 18 Poutine, Wine Festivals,

and Restless Natives 23 Defense Tips for a Lonely

Walk Home

38 It’s Never Too Late Returning to school later in life – a new trend taking hold at UMass Dartmouth

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Off Campus

40 The Secret Life of Penny Dreadful 42 K-Pop Craze!

44 For a Wicked Good

Time!

Music, movies, and Star Wars action figures... all in one place 46 The Dartmouth Guide to

Doing Good 47 Live Local Your guide to hot spots in and around Dartmouth Features 50 What Will You Do Next 24 Uncovering the Many Summer?

Sides of a Lethal Toxin 51 Fit Like a Fighter UMass Dartmouth is home 52 Keep Your Head Up to the world’s only research 53 Keep It Classic center dedicated to botulism 56 The Music Beat – which can kill you or make 57 Embarrassed at UMass you look younger.

Embarrassing stories from 28 Student Athlete: Inside your peers on campus, and

NCAA Division III Sports yes, they are hilarious!

30 Beyond the Concrete at UMD 35 Music without Barriers

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44

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UMass Dartmouth Department of English

Opportunities for Undergraduates Publications

• Corridors: the annual ejournal of Best Student Essays in the foundation courses http://www.umassd.edu/corridors • Dart: a semesterly culture magazine • Siren: a journal about gender issues • Temper: the annual literary review: poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction • The Torch: the student newspaper • Word: a biannual English Department newsletter

Scholarships

• Adam Cohen Memorial Award: an annual $500 award recognizing academic excellence in literary studies for an upper-level student • Augustus Silva Award: an annual $3000 Scholarship for one English Major in each concentration

English Major Concentrations Writing , Communication, and Rhetoric This option develops students’ competencies in effective communication. Students learn to assess and produce language for a range of rhetorical situations, analyze the discourse of others, and critically consider the ways in which language helps us to influence and order our world and our communities.

Literature and Criticism

This option focuses on reading and writing about a range of literary and cultural texts, and examining human experience in all its complexity. Through close reading and analysis of literary texts, students learn to articulate their own ideas and to engage the views of others, both in and outside the classroom.

A Major in English prepares you to: • Meet communication challenges in the workplace • Succeed in Law School • Succeed in Graduate School • Become a teacher • Become a journalist • Become a technical or freelance writer 2

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umassd.edu/professionalwriting | facebook.com/professionalwriting Dart

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magazine.

FALL 2011 Stevy Allen Jenny Bien Aime Meaghan Boyle Kirsten Bryan Nicholas Carrigg Caitlin Dorgan Jennifer Kupper

Journalism Students Ashley O’Brien Cassandra Quillen Korie Raucci Abigail Ringiewicz Christienne Santos Samantha Swider Daniel Sylvester Stephen Walsh

Supervising Journalism Faculty Dr. Kara Miller Editorial Assistant Christine Eliason

Document Design Students Martina Boccia Kelsey Jacobsen Annie Bolthrunis Nancy Oliveira Jennifer Brown Adam Orr Mary Chaffee Sloan Piva Brian Klotz

Supervising Design Faculty Dr. Anthony F. Arrigo Design and Production Assistant Kevan Trombly

Front Cover Design Kelsey Jacobsen & Nancy Oliveira

Dart Magazine Would Like to Thank the Following Underwriters The College of Arts and Sciences The Department of English The College of Visual and Performing Arts The Office of Undergraduate Admissions The Office of Graduate Admissions The Office of Public Affairs

UMass Dartmouth Department of English http://www.umassd.edu/cas/english/ Department of English UMass, Dartmouth LArts 341 285 Old Westport Road N. Dartmouth, MA 02747 Phone: 508-999-8274 Do you have questions, comments, article ideas, or letters to the editor? Feel free to let us know by emailing Dr. Kara Miller (kmiller4@umassd.edu) or Dr. Anthony Arrigo (aarrigo@umassd.edu)

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Welcome to Dart Magazine...

Dear Dart reader, Dart Magazine is a unique academic collaboration. In September, students working with Dr. Kara Miller in English 453/650: Intensive Magazine Journalism began writing the first drafts of many of the articles published here. At the same time, students working with Dr. Anthony Arrigo in English 621: Document Design and Editing were furiously learning to master graphic design theory and skills using Adobe Creative Suite 5. As soon as the writing class submitted drafts, the design class started working on page layouts.

After many revisions and graphical fine-tuning, Dart was ready to go to print, and we had completed a “real world” publication process.

Dart is a showcase of UMass Dartmouth creativity. Many of the photos, graphics, and articles were contributed by students outside ENL 453/650 and ENL 621.

In Dr. Miller’s class, we enjoyed researching and writing about topics like caffeine addiction on college campuses, what and where our current counterculture may be, and the (often maligned) architecture of the UMass Dartmouth campus. We also wrote about personal experiences, such as time spent abroad or shopping trips in the Dartmouth area.

Plus, there are articles about defense tips and a discussion of what to do to jumpstart your career. Through multiple drafts and revisions, we became more confident journalists.

In Dr. Arrigo’s class, along with learning how to use the Adobe Creative Suite, we dissected magazine layouts, looked through graphic design pieces for inspiration, and painstakingly searched for the perfect graphic or photograph to add the final touch to our layouts. Although working through draft after draft was a challenge, in the end everyone was proud of the final product.

We want to acknowledge the expertise and guidance we received from UMass faculty Dr. Miller and Dr. Arrigo. They provided a remarkable learning environment and we’d like to thank them for this rich opportunity. Thanks also to graphic designer Kevan Trombly, a UMass Dartmouth senior majoring in graphic design, who lent invaluable assistance to students during lab time in Dr. Arrigo’s class. He also created several illustrations and infographics for the final layouts found in Dart. We also want to thank Christine Eliason, Dr. Miller’s TA, who coordinated meetings and kept everyone in the loop.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Dart as much as we enjoyed creating it.

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On Campus

What Happened to The ’60s had the flower children. ’70s had the Vietnam protesters.

The Is our

counterculture dependant on the Occupy movement, or is it nonexistent?

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Image by Matthew Dean

COUNTER CULTURE?

By Samantha Swider Layout by Annie Bolthrunis

T

he 1950s had the Beats, the ‘60s and ‘70s had the hippies, so where is our counterculture?

In my four-and-ahalf-years at UMass Dartmouth, I can remember one protest. But I also remember numerous tuition hikes, a recession and a war.

If this were the ‘60s, wouldn’t we all be standing up and picketing?

Starting on September 17, 2011, Occupy Wall Street took a stand.

But does that mean the Occupy movement is the counterculture

of the 2010s?

When you think about the hippies or the beats, you think about a group of people under the radar – not the majority – but the Occupy movement’s entire message rides on them being the majority, as evidenced by their slogan “We are the 99%.”

As of December 2011, Occupy Wall Street had over 135,282 followers on Twitter, plus 347,562 likes on its Facebook page.

The way the Occupy movement uses social media (such as Twitter)

reflects a fundamental shift in the organizing principles of counterculture movements and how they communicate their message. The counterculture, in the past, has spent time smoking weed, tripping on acid and raging against their parents’ generation. Now, they trend on Twitter and organize General Assemblies via Facebook and text message.

Sephora Borges, senior English major and one of the Occupy UMass organizers, understands the contradiction inherent in the

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Occupy movement.

“I think the Occupy movement is more about a number of people representing a bigger population - which, I guess the same could be said for the hippies, beats, suffragettes, civil rights activists, etc.

- so maybe they are, in a less obvious way, this generation’s counterculture the same way those groups were,” said Borges.

“They’re just made up of a much more diverse group of people, which, despite the bleak present state of things today, still says something kind of brilliant about how far we’ve come, I think,” she added.

Unlike previous countercultures–welldefined by terms like “hippy” or “punk” - today’s counterculture is much more fluid.

Ken Goffman, author of Counter Culture Through the Ages, tries his hand at defining counterculture: “Our defining vision asserts that the essence of counterculture as a perennial historical phenomenon is characterized by the affirmation of the individual’s power to create his own life rather than accepting the dictates of surrounding social authorities and conventions, be they mainstream or subcultural.”

If we were to go with Goffman’s definition, then, yes, the Occupy movement could be considered a counterculture.

They are a group of individuals questioning the social norms of today. But these norms are not easily articulated.

Senior illustration major Kenneth Henry is okay with that: “I don’t think there’s a unified counterculture so much as a bunch of itty-bitty ones that sometimes come together to form something like Occupy Wall Street.”

Nadia Kline, a historical archaeology grad student at UMass Boston, visited the Occupy Boston site at Dewey Square and noted that, “The fact that the original idea [behind the Occupy movement] goes against the status quo might be what makes it a counterculture.”

So maybe it’s not just one counterculture anymore. Maybe every little

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culture within society counters another one. Maybe there’s no overarching group that could be considered today’s counterculture to end all countercultures.

“You could look at someone, and you knew what they were. Now, that’s nearly impossible. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.”

But then, who exactly comprises these countercultures, if it’s no longer as easy as picking out a long-haired, tie-dyeadorned hippy?

So far, we’ve added the Occupy movement to the counterculture checklist.

Junior graphic design major Delia Faria thinks that UMass Dartmouth has a few more to add to that list.

“I just think that there’s so many different cultures that clash – just look at this campus,” Faria said.

“The obvious one would be a hipster.

Hipster art is pissing in a jar and rubbing yourself in honey. It seems to me that they do it for the sake of doing it.

They try to make the most ridiculous things valid.”

Henry pointed out a few more: “Anarchy is thriving as much as it ever has, though by and large most people have learned to ignore it. Queer culture probably counts as counterculture, both the more mainstream rainbow-and-paradefloat-gays-are-just-like-you-let’s-getmarried movement and the less mainstream fuck-your-labels-I-just-want-tomake-out-in-peace movement.”

Where does Henry fit in? “See ‘queer culture.’ Because I’m kind of a huge queer,” he said.

In the song “And Now I’m Nothing”

by The Wonder Years, singer Dan “Soupy” Campbell admits: “I had dreams of myself / As the Allen Ginsberg of this generation / But without the talent, madness or vision.”

Campbell is right. He’s not our Ginsberg or a Kerouac. But we do have talent, madness and vision, and that’s why we have the Occupy movement, punk rock, anarchy, queer culture, rave culture, hipsters, hackers, and more - who question mainstream culture and each other. d

Zoot Suit. Smokin’ in the 1920s, the suit often featured bright colors and - as Malcolm X said - “a killerdiller coat with a drape shape, reet pleats and shoulders padded like a lunatic’s cell.”

Peace Symbol. Wear it as a necklace or stick it on a bumper.

The peace sign has been working overtime since being popularized in the late 1950s.

Pink Triangle. Once a symbol of Hitler’s prejudice, gay activists reclaimed the pink triangle in the 1970s to reflect freedom, power, and solidarity.

Devil Horns. Rock on, dude. A favorite of Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, and Rob Zombie.

Mohawk. I pity the fool who messes with my gold chains... or my hairdo.

VW Bus. Meet you at the corner of Haight and Ashbury. Circa 1969.

Tattoos/Piercings. The ultimate markings of non-conformity.

Unless everybody has them.

Tie-Dye. That’s so groovy, man.

A favorite of hippies since the 1960s, and still a favorite on college campuses today.

By Kirsten Bryan Layout by Martina Boccia

Your dread of working in groups probably stems from a long history of dealing with those not as driven to get an A+ as you. Once you thought working with others would be “fun.”

But you soon harnessed the weight of the team’s entire workload.

In life, there aren’t many ways to get around collaborating with others – at school or work.

Dr. Gail Berman-Martin, Director of the Career Development Center, notes that, “Working

The Slacker The problem: The slacker is the one person genuinely excited to work in a group, but for all the wrong reasons.

A gleam of light flashes in their eyes when the teacher says “group project.” In slacker language, this loosely translates as, “YES! This means I won’t have to do any work!”

The solution: To avoid a potential slacker performance, say, “I think it’d be great if we break up the work evenly.

If we each cover a chapter, that would be fair.” With this suggestion, you are implying that you don’t think it’s okay for one person to do more than the other, and that you want everything to go smoothly.

in groups and getting along with others is… essential in today’s job market and your dayto-day life.”

Though not all students are friendly, helpful, and cooperative, it’s important to understand difficult personality types, so that you can get group members to work cohesively while developing your leadership skills.

Here are some problem group members and solutions to combat their uncouth behavior.

The “take-the-credit” kid The problem: “Take-thecredit” kids have their own agenda. They may or may not do the quality of work they claim, but they’ll definitely take ownership of your ideas.

Not cool. They’re Olympic gold-medalists when it comes to co-opting work.

The solution: Confront this personality type if they take an idea of yours. Don’t be afraid to speak out. So when they say, “Yes, Professor, I decided to make a bar graph for this data,” you can say, “Well, the concept of the graph was my idea but [takethe-credit kid] did X.” With this proclamation, you are taking back your hard work in a diplomatic way. And by speaking up for yourself, the “take-the-credit” kid probably won’t try it again.

The Over-Achiever The problem: Watch them as they polish that crispy apple. The overachiever wants to pretend that they had to do all the work alone and deserve a good grade because, oh, the struggle.

Don’t let it happen.

The solution: As with the slacker, suggest all of the work be distributed evenly.

The over-achiever is probably going to volunteer to do a little extra, but that’s not a good idea. Let them know that you don’t think it’d be right for them to do most of the work. Their motivation will backfire on the whole team. After all, it would be tragic to have an overachiever suggest that you, a hard-working student, were not willing to be an active group member.

Poof! Gone is the childlike optimism of group work.

The Passive Passerby The problem: Two words - completely uninvolved.

While everyone in the group may not want to do the project, this Passive Percy explains they don’t have “that kind of time.” They are either too cool or too busy to be wasting their time with people like you.

The solution: While the passerby may not have opinions or suggestions, they’ll be quick to complain if something isn’t going their way. Make sure each group member is included in discussion. By asking members questions like, “Do you think it’s a good idea to do X? How do you feel about this idea?” you’re acting as a leader, connecting with others, and boosting your communication skills. You’re also giving everyone the opportunity to make decisions together.

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CAFFEINE COLLEGE

“America runs on Dunkin’” - as does UMass Dartmouth - but what are the effects of the caffeine-laden diet that most students consume? A “Turbo Shot” can be the difference between paying attention in class and falling asleep, but what if this same drug keeps us from falling asleep in the first place? And many students are familiar with the stress of midterm and final exams, but could part of that anxiety be related to the amount of coffee they swill?

Research suggests so.

By Nicholas Carrigg Layout by Brian Klotz

A

study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that people consuming more than 750 mg of caffeine per day experienced increased depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The subjects also reported having overall worse health than moderate to low users of the drug. To put things into perspective, a standard cup of coffee contains about 150 mg of caffeine. For heavy users, that translates to about five cups of coffee per day - that’s 1/3 of a gallon.

But coffee is not the only place where students get their caffeine. A liter bottle of Coke contains 96 mg of the drug, while some popular energy drink brands contain up to 250 mg 10

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per can. Many energy drinks also include other chemicals, like B-complex vitamins, that alter brain chemistry further and enhance the effects of caffeine. So, while a small can of Red Bull may contain less caffeine than a cup of coffee, its effects are more pronounced - both beneficial and malevolent.

The trouble with studying the effects of caffeine on students is that all individuals handle the drug differently. Body size, tolerance, diet, fitness and other genetic variations all play a role in how caffeine will be metabolized by the body, and how it will affect both mood and energy levels.

“I usually have about two cups a day; it’s the first thing I do when I get up in the morning,” said Professional Writing

graduate student, Jessica Trufant. “I think that because I’ve been drinking coffee for so long, my body has developed a tolerance so that I don’t get jittery or anxious anymore if I have too much.”

Photo by Roger Karlsson

A Nasty Habit Despite her tolerance, Trufant’s relationship with caffeine does have its drawbacks. She claims to suffer from severe headaches and drowsiness when deprived of her usual morning coffee. Trufant’s experience highlights another negative side effect of caffeine, which is not unlike most other drugs: withdrawal. According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, even mild to low users of caffeine can experience symptoms of caffeine withdrawal if they consume it on a regular basis. Consuming caffeine regularly results in dependence on the drug, which requires more and more of it in order for the user to receive the same benefits as a first time user. Should a consistent user stop consuming caffeine, however, withdrawal symptoms begin to appear within 24 hours of the last intake. The resulting addiction cycle has been dubbed “caffeinism” by the medical community, drawing attention to its similar pattern with alcoholism.

College students are particularly susceptible to developing caffeinism. Late weeknights spent doing homework and weekend activities dragging well into early morning hours quickly takes its toll on student energy levels. Caffeine is a tempting remedy, but is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. The wired feeling that many people experience from multiple cups of coffee or an energy drink can actually be counter-productive to work. Caffeine inhibits short-term memory retention - an essential ability to have on a night of cramming for midterms - and jittery anxiety inhibits concentration when taking tests or writing papers.

Another Approach But what good is coffee if not to get us out the door at 6 am on a Monday morning? For some, it is simple enjoyment.

“I have the occasional cup of coffee,” said UMass Law student Cameron Durant. “I don’t depend on it for energy, but I like it for the taste and as an accompaniment to a decadent dessert.”

Durant’s approach to coffee may be more beneficial in the long run rather than developing a dependence on it in order to function normally. A cup of coffee with a special breakfast or after a hearty dinner is similar to an Italian digestivo - a sweet liquor like amaretto or limoncello that is drunk after a meal in small quantities to lighten one’s mood and aid in digestion. Just as there is nothing wrong with the occasional glass of wine with friends, so too is there no fault in the occasional cup of coffee to get a pick-me-up or a warm drink on a cold day. The jury is still out on energy drinks. (Does anyone really like the taste?) But it seems that coffee is something to be enjoyed rather than swilled.

To treat it otherwise is to lose control over one’s body as one would with any addiction - alcohol included. d

Ever wonder how much caffeine is in your favorite snack or beverage?

Dunkin’ Donuts Regular Coffee (16 oz) – 206 mg

Starbucks Coffee (16 oz)– 330 mg

Snapple Lemon Iced Tea (16 oz) – 42 mg

Coca-Cola (12 oz) – 54 mg

Rockstar Energy Drink (16 oz.) - 160 mg

Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Ice Cream (8 oz) – 68 mg

Five Hour Energy (2 oz.) - 138 mg

Red Bull (8.3 oz) – 80 mg

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Healthy Dorm Room Cooking Make healthy choices without the “Healthy Choice” packaging.

T

he portable, refrigerated dining cart in the Liberal Arts building at UMass Dartmouth is filled to the brim with sandwiches, wraps, and cups of brightly-colored green Jell-O topped with whipped cream.

The lunch line extends down the hall, and passersby grow more agitated with each “excuse me” they utter.

One by one, students reach out to grab individuallywrapped roasted vegetable or buffalo-chicken sandwiches donning five-dollar price tags, not considering the possibility of making a sandwich at home.

But these opportune eats are not economical, and can often be unhealthy.

For many students, food is consumed on the go, and eating can be an afterthought once it reaches midnight, and studying has only just begun.

Many students are living on their own for the first time and may have little experience in the kitchen, while others 12

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choose to play it safe when it comes to cooking. “I never attempt to cook anything too complicated,” says UMass Dartmouth senior Jordan Smith, “so I don’t normally mess anything up.”

In college, you have to take care of yourself, and watch your health as well as your wallet. When it comes to dividing the cooking between roommates, “It’s every girl for herself,” says senior Melanie Lima. “We are on our own busy schedules, and have our own budgets.”

Eating out is a quick solution when it comes to a hectic schedule, so when dinner time arrives, students often pick up their car keys instead of a cookbook. But you don’t have to leave campus to grab a quick meal, and with recipes just a click away on the Internet, dinner may be closer than it appears.

A simple search online for “free recipes” yields over nine million results, while a

similar search for “free online cookbooks” shows over three million. While so many websites can be overwhelming, advanced searches guide you to more specific recipes.

And dorm cooking has additional complications. UMass Dartmouth allows toasters and toaster ovens only in the apartments. Microwaves are permitted in the dorms. If you are fortunate enough to have a toaster oven in your room, the possibility of gourmet cooking

On campus, the best thing I ever made was chicken piccata. arises, as you can now brown, toast, broil, and bake. Melanie Lima stretched her culinary legs in her on-campus apartment’s kitchen and says that, “the best thing I have made [here] was chicken piccata.”

With only a microwave, preparation is limited, but creativity is still limitless. You can still heat, melt, steam, or poach your food.

For the homemade oatmeal that Jordan Smith and his roommates enjoy at least once a week: “combine one cup Quaker oats, one cup water, one cup milk, one cup Craisins, and a dash of cinnamon.

And cook the oatmeal in a large, microwaveable bowl for 10 minutes. Then add sliced apples.”

Raw fruit and vegetable dishes are also simple to prepare, and are full of the nutrients the body needs to stay energized and healthy. Salads are one of the many things that you do not need to heat before you eat. Fresh greens with canned mandarin oranges and a handful of chopped pecans can be a side dish to a

Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Flickr

By Cassandra Quillen Layout by Nancy E. Oliveira

Microwave Menu

By Abby Ringiewicz

Meaty Melt

What you need:

1 wrap 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce 1/3 pound sliced deli chicken 2 slices of cheese Microwave-safe plate What to do:

1. Fill wrap with desired fillings: sauce, cheese, chicken.

2. Fold the wrap and place on microwave-safe plate.

3. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes (until cheese melts).

Baked Apple

What you need:

1 apple Cinnamon and sugar Microwave-safe bowl/plate Knife What to do:

microwave omelet or a simple can of tomato soup. Salads can also be the main entrée, served with store-bought French bread.

Counter space, a small cutting board that can fit on top of the tiniest of counters, and a good knife are really all it takes to serve up a vegetable medley.

If your dorm has restrictions on knives, a good plastic produce knife can handle many cutting tasks. Combining vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in a sealable jar, which is then shaken, can make simple vinaigrette for the salad.

As fridge space in dorms is limited, fruits and vegetables are ingredients that can be purchased and used the same day, and many are affordable. “In college, just eating dinner is expensive,” says Lima.

Often, non-perishable items are key to dorm cooking. They

do not need to be refrigerated, unless opened.

Microwave rice can be combined with jarred peppers, peas, and carrots for a quick meal, and go-to spices take up little space, but make a big impact on flavor. Andrew Hannah, a senior biology major, says “salt and garlic are definitely big ingredients” that prove indispensable.

Quick and nutritious foods can easily be thrown together. Dress bland, canned black beans and corn up with jarred salsa, and serve with chips as a late-night snack for endless studying. Websites such as recipekey.com and recipematcher.com allow you to search for recipes based on ingredients you already have at hand, without having to spend additional money on other items.

But for many students,

cooking is not an adventure, but rather a chore. Andrew Hannah picks up the cooking slack in his apartment, and he “handles most of it, just because either no one wants to do it, or no one can do it.”

While dorm cooking can be an intimidating challenge, and may not always win over eating out, there is room for both in the life of a college student. Free online recipes and easy access to cookbooks, provide students with easy and inventive ways to break up the monotony of going to the dining hall or frequenting nearby restaurants. Cooking for yourself allows you to make nutritious and fulfilling meals at a fraction of the cost.

Although the dorm room may not remind you of home, you can at least take comfort in the fact that the food you cook does. d

1. Cut the core out of an apple, trying to keep the rest of the apple intact.

2. Place apple in microwavesafe bowl/plate and cover with plastic wrap.

3. Heat for 2 minutes.

4. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar to taste.

Potato Chips

What you need:

4 Potatoes Salt and oil (optional) Parchment paper What to do:

1. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the microwave.

2. Slice the potatoes very thin.

3. Place the potato slices on the parchment paper without overlapping; season with salt and oil (optional).

4. Cover the seasoned slices with another piece of parchment paper.

5. Cook for 8 minutes, or until slices are crisp.

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Throw A Party Without Alcohol Alcohol doesn’t have to be the conversation catalyst at all of your parties. There are other ways to throw a get-together without relying on beer to have a good time.

Game Night

By Samantha Swider Layout by Mary Chaffee

Play a few games of Apples to Apples and you might start feeling tipsy - it’s intoxicatingly fun.

Whether it’s a board game, cards or Mario Kart on your nostalgia-inducing Nintendo 64, you’ll be entertained without hitting the bottle.

Pot Luck

Movie or TV Night If you’d like to get to your 8 a.m. Modern Methods of Chemical Analysis class without a killer hangover, let the television be your responsible and sober friend. Use your university-level intelligence and invite friends over to watch a favorite TV show or throw a Lord of the Rings movie marathon.

Red Carpet Party Ask all your friends over to watch the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys – or whatever award show might be on. Make sure they wear red carpet attire, of course. You can even turn the show into a game by trying to predict who will win.

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Photos (from top, left to right) by Dulhunk, Eva Blue, Macinate, Muffet, Dave B., Glory Foods and Katerha on Flickr

Everyone likes food.

Gather good friends together and munch on some homemade creations. Ask each to bring a different dish and you’ll have an all-out feast.

Make sure there’s a good mix of appetizers, main courses and desserts - you don’t want five batches of brownies (or maybe you do).

Commuter woes At UMass Dartmouth

By Korrie Raucci

Layout by Jennifer Brown

For the 40% of UMass Dartmouth undergrads who spend nearly as much time in their cars as in their classrooms, college life is very different from that of their on-campus peers. But, while long treks and distant locations may make commuters feel isolated, disconnected, or just plain tired, there are steps they can take to become part of the community and get the full college experience.

15,360 minutes. 256 hours. 10.5 days.

That’s how long I spend driving to campus during the school year. And about 5,000 other students make the monotonous trek to Dartmouth each week, too.

At first glance, commuting seems like a complete win-win idea. No worrying about potential psychotic roommates or which meal plan to choose. With the incredibly overpriced living quarters (about $10,000 each year), how could driving to school be any worse than gambling with the random roommate selection process?

Sure, crazy roommates who start dance parties at two o’clock in the morning – on a Wednesday – are part of the college experience. But there are other roads through college. Commuters, at least, don’t have to fear Public Safety’s arrival to investigate the early-morning jam session.

A commuter’s days, though, can be long. Kevin Bean, a former UMass Dartmouth student, spent a portion of his time as a student commuting first from Boston, then from Portland, Maine. From Portland, Bean’s trip was over six hours each day (let’s not count his minutes), leaving little time for the social aspect of college.

Bean says, “commuting certainly cut

into my social life compared to living on campus; I hardly got to see my friends, and any money I would have used for fun went directly into my gas tank.” As a former UMass campus resident though, he was able to understand both sides of the experience, considering his commute simply “atypical” because the majority of commuters reside closer to Dartmouth and are familiar with the town and students before the semester commences.

Bean found one of the few activities he had time for was the Conversation with Partners program. There, he was able to talk with a different student for an hour, and perhaps form a new friendship. Often overlooked, he felt it gave him a great opportunity to make new friends, and in a short amount of time. “[They were] experiences I likely would not have had as a resident on campus so there are certainly positive aspects to living off campus. I would say live on campus if you can; living in a dorm is certainly worth the extra cost.” Bean would never have had the opportunity to learn about foreign cultures and make a number of acquaintances if he hadn’t joined Conversations with Partners.

Chris Hoover, a senior who has spent equal time commuting and living at the University, agrees with Bean’s recommendation. About 58% of the 8,000 undergraduates enrolled at UMass live on campus. Hoover spent his first two years in the dorms, then moved to an apartment in New Bedford. His transition seems to be common for many other students.

“Being close enough to the campus, yet still on my own was a great idea.”

As a commuter, many of the advertisements, both word-of-mouth and printed, are easy to overlook. Hoover and Bean feel that many more options become available to campus residents.

In addition to the potential to become aware of more activities and events while living at school, arranging meetings with friends or for group work is generally less of a hassle. Hoover tried to avoid any unnecessary trips to campus. “I don’t think group meetings ever get anything accomplished in person anyway – that’s why we have email. It’s way more convenient, especially for commuters.”

Hoover explained, “I tried out a lot of different clubs and things whenever I was around, too. The big issue was whether

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or not I wanted to be on campus for any longer than I had to. Like, did I really like a club enough to leave my house earlier than I had to? I never thought so.”

It might take a while, but if you’re able to find even one activity you enjoy, it can make the time pass quickly. But that can be exhausting.

Senior Kerry Goldberg drives to Dartmouth from Bourne, and felt lost and alone during her first commuting days.

Driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee, her monthly gasoline bill averages $300 during the school year. She can’t afford many nights out on the town. But $300 per month is still a fraction of what her room and board fee would be at UMass.

“I knew there was something somewhere, but nobody here seemed like they hung around much, or wanted to talk.

I went to the commuting lounge a few times, but nobody was around. I ended up pretty much giving up.” After much contemplation about transferring, she decided to finish in Dartmouth.

Goldberg remembered one semester where she began to be hopeful again.

“I met a girl in class and went out with her friends one night to [Bar] 908. I had to drive home and work the next day, but she insisted I sleep on the couch in her [campus] apartment. I was so tired because I had to wake up at six the next morning, and got a parking ticket! That was the last time I hung out at campus. It was just too much…I never found anything else to do and just went home after class.”

Even a short commute from around the

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corner can make for a difficult immersion in campus life. Around campus, it’s easy to spot those who don’t live in the dorms: they tend to stick close to their next classroom, read the posters in the hallway, or eat lunch in their car. Doing much of anything else costs money – gas money.

It’s easy to feel like a nomad when you only have a car in lieu of an entire room – I have to carry books for four classes with me all day. By the time my day has finally come to an end, the only activity I want to partake in is throwing myself onto my bed, which is an hour away. “After a long day of classes then work, sleep looks the most appealing,” says Hoover.

Commuters are often faced with having to choose expenses over experiences. As the price of college increases each year, commuting seems to become a more reasonable road to earning a degree. Living off campus feels like a cheap, easy fix to the unnecessarily high costs up front.

But even though students within commuting range still empty their pockets to attend UMass Dartmouth, the process is simply more gradual. Residents might worry about astronomical student loans.

Commuters on the other hand, often worry about whether or not the price of gas will set a new record. The options for most seem to be: either spend a substantial amount of money once or twice a year and check back after the real world sets in, or spend whatever it takes to fill your tank, stomach, and brain every trip to campus. d

OPPOSING VIEWS Commuters Take Up Too Much Parking!

by Caitlin Moakley Given the amount of money students spend to attend this University, UMass Dartmouth should make parking accessible in all academic areas for all students, faculty, and staff, not just commuters.

58% of UMass Dartmouth Students live on campus and are eligible to have a car registered to park on campus. Unfortunately, most of the parking is not available to them.

There are four freshmen buildings, six upper class apartment buildings, and the Cedar Dell, which houses two larger communities of students on campus. Students living in these buildings are restricted to parking in those lots only. There are, however, fourteen academic lots, all of which (besides the very back of the library) are open to faculty, administrators, and commuter students.

The price of parking is also unfair. A commuter pass is $100 and according to UMass Dartmouth’s website, “will allow students to park in all

designated commuter lots (all lots except for residential lots)”.

However, a resident parking pass is $150, and for much less available parking. How is this fair when not only are residential students paying an average of $10,169 to live on campus and have meal plans, but they are also paying more money to park their cars? How is this fair when resident students are not allowed to park in the majority of lots, even to get to class during inclement weather or get to work on time after class?

Academic parking lots should be open to residential students, too. Most students who have cars on campus have jobs or other off-campus commitments. But what is the point of paying for a parking pass if a student cannot drive to class in order to make it to work on time when class is over?

Something needs to be done to make parking more equitable to all members of the UMass Dartmouth community.

Commuters Aren’t Stealing Spots from Residents

by Samantha Swider If you’re searching for that elusive parking spot close to your dorm on a stormy Monday night, don’t blame the commuters.

Of Ring Road’s seventeen parking lots, nine accept a commuter pass, two are designated for faculty and staff, and one is strictly for visitors.

The five remaining lots are for residential students – and that’s not counting the Dell Village or underclassmen parking areas.

Any commuter will tell you that they don’t have it that easy – you try driving an hour or so to campus then creeping around Lot 3 looking for a spot only to arrive late for your 8 a.m.

Senior math major, former resident, and current Falmouth commuter student Samara Laliberte doesn’t think so.

“Parking spots are for commuters, for people that drive to school,” she said.

Last year, the University built a brand new parking lot for freshman and sophomores.

Only Woodland Commons

and Dell dwellers are entangled in the commuter conundrum.

The amount of parking spots for students in, say, Ivy is pretty miniscule – there are only 51 spots and that includes handicapped and motorcycle.

And looking for a spot at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday night in Dell South is often a weepy twenty minutes spent circling around the hopelessly full Village.

“I don’t think commuters take up too much parking,” said junior finance major and Dell resident Michael Parker, “because I always get a spot in the Dell or any of the other lots I need to park in.”

If you can’t park in front of Hickory, you trek to Lot 8, 9, or 10. All of which are designated for Woodland Commons residents. And none of which are close to the academic buildings, so any smart commuter will cozy up to Lot 7 instead.

Unless you’re driving from your dorm to class, commuters are not stealing your spots.

Illustration by Kevan Trombly

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Poutine, Wine Festivals, and Restless Natives Studying abroad can be a pivotal experience for undergraduates. They must learn to communicate in another language, navigate a potentially perilous new culture, and try to make friends - all while completing college courses. For most, this is a positive experience, in spite of – or maybe because of – these difficulties.

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Photo by Gina M. Rampino

By Christienne Santos Layout by Annie Bolthrunis

U

nfriendly people. Grueling classes.

Terrible food. Boring city.

The ten-hour drive to Chicoutimi, Québec gave me plenty of time to conjure up every negative scenario that could (and would, in my mind) happen while I was studying at the École de Langue Française et Culture Québecoise - a five-week immersion program during which I could speak nothing but French. Oh mon Dieu.

At first, Chicoutimi seemed to be a

mirage. For hours, I drove on a stretch of highway that had no life, only one rest area, and maybe two other cars. Suddenly, buildings appeared - a mix of modern and historic. The tan cement Jean Coutu pharmacy was a block away from a 17th century cathedral surrounded by granite steps. It almost felt like New England. Still, the butterflies lingered.

Luckily, I cheered up after arriving on campus. I followed construction paper footprints to the Centre Sociale, where I

was greeted by twenty exuberant, superhelpful “Animateurs” who were prepared to squeeze the most out of the time we would have together.

For students, anxiety and studying abroad can initially go hand-in-hand: the thought of reorganizing your four-year plan, the masterful financing needed to pay for the trip, and the looming culture shock that is waiting for you at your destination. For graduate student Stevy Allen, it was the “reverse culture shock” waiting for

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her back home. Yet, any student who had the opportunity to go abroad will tell you that the apprehension disappears soon after your arrival, and by the time you get home, you’ll forget you were ever nervous in the first place.

I did. I’ve always been a commuter student - besides my first semester at Providence College, which was a total bust – and I’ve always spoken English. So, the idea of living with people I had never met while speaking my second language was nervewracking. It actually seemed impossible.

But it didn’t take long to break the ice.

I was drinking a Bud Lime (pronounced “Bood Leem”) at a backyard BBQ a mere 45 minutes after my arrival. While shaking hands with my houseparents for the first time, I said, “Je m’appelle Chris.” Easy enough, I thought. “CHRIST!?” was the first response I got. Chris with a Québecois accent sounds like Christ, which is the equivalent to our F-word. Great.

Welcome to Québec!

Fortunately, life quickly smoothed out.

Chicoutimi is a borough of the Lac-St-Jean region in northern Québec, located on the Saguenay River. The Centre-Ville is a lot like downtown Newport, filled with beautiful architecture, unique shops, and lively restaurants. The nightlife is exciting, too.

Within the five weeks of my stay, there were three festivals. One for wine - Festival des Vins du Saguenay; one for beer – Festival des Bières du Monde; and one for music - Rythme du Monde. They were perfect opportunities to experience local culture with the community. Though, as much as the summer program students tried to fit in, some of us still got called out for being the “Anglophones” (a bummer for any aspiring bilingual).

The first few times I tried ordering a coffee at the vegan Café Cambio, the waitress responded in English. All I thought was, “C’mon lady! I’m trying!” Every response I got in French felt like a small victory, until I finally won the war. I’m not saying I’m fluent, but after five weeks of doing anything non-stop, you’d be a failure if you didn’t noticeably improve.

Improvement is really the main goal of the program, and Québecois culture quickly consumes students. The differences between Québecois and American lifestyles were not all too shocking, except 20

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that I saw a ton of people walking their cats down the street on leashes.

Then there’s poutine: thick-cut greasy fries covered in cheese curds and “brown sauce.” If anything, a deep-fried snack covered in cheese would seem to be American-esque fare, but they claim you can’t experience Québec without it. I honestly wish I had.

Fortunately, Chicoutimi is home to the steepest streets in North America, so it was fairly easy to work off those cheese curds. On the first Sunday of my stay, I thought it would be a good idea to walk to Centre Ville and do some exploring on my own. An hour and a half later, I was downtown (even though I walked uphill the entire way) dripping in sweat with trembling legs. The same route via l’autobus had made it seem like a walk in the park. Not so.

I couldn’t be upset though. It was super sunny in the high 70s without any humidity - typical Chicoutimi weather.

The Saguenay River was calm, the park was filled with picnicking families, and the café glacé (iced coffee) was especially refreshing. Must have been the legendary Québecois milk-in-a-bag.

While that was my serenity abroad, other students have had much more beautiful experiences. Stevy Allen, who studied in New Zealand, even had a free layover in Fiji. She said, “My favorite experience was the Kiwi, laid-back attitude that allowed me to take numerous long weekends to travel around New Zealand, even though I should’ve been in the classroom.” Sounds more like a vacation that would be topped off with a frilly umbrella than a semester of college.

My own favorite memories were hanging with mes amis while drinking local beer with a slice of tarte au sucre (yes, that means sugar pie, and it’s as awfully delicious as you might imagine) at the local refurbed-rectory pub. It was no Fiji, but it was much more than I had ever hoped.

As a transfer student who was already a semester behind, I had given up all hope on a study abroad program. It didn’t fit into my schedule, and there was no way I was going to pay for a whole other semester when I could just travel on my own later.

But last year, I applied for one

scholarship just for the heck of it, and it ended up paying for my entire trip - a summer trip that didn’t affect my fourand-a-half-year plan.

Students can also choose full-year, one semester, summer, or intersession options.

At UMass Dartmouth, students can study essentially anywhere and anything (between Stevy and myself, we covered both sides of the world).

And to make it financially easier on students, the International Programs Office has been working more closely with the Financial Aid Office, while also offering resources for a ton of program scholarships worldwide.

“

My favorite memories were hanging with mes amis while drinking local beer with a slice of tarte au sucre

Gina Reis, Assistant Director of Study Abroad Programs, has been working actively to spread the word about international programs to students of all fields and classes. She hosts study abroad information sessions regularly – some of which are a joint effort with the Financial Aid Office - and also offers Drop-In Advising hours in her office.

Reis also plays an active role with students coming back from abroad, and she has been extremely pleased with the satisfaction that students have expressed. “Once-in-a-lifetime is a frequent phrase of returning students,” said Reis. “Students have the opportunity to learn about themselves and others - other cultures and

other ways of seeing. Overall, everyone seems to have really gratifying experiences.”

Once I overcame and forgot about my anxiety, I absolutely loved my time abroad. Some moments were challenging (trying to ask for a band-aid in French) and others were awe-inspiring (reaching the peak of the mountain in Saguenay after a muddy three-hour hike). I never thought five weeks could be so packed and so quick. The ten-hour drive back home was much different than the ride up. Instead, I spent my time thinking about all of the amazing people I met, all of the language I had learned, and all of the fun I had. And boy, was I going to miss that tarte au sucre. d

Photo by Pfala on Flickr

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defensefortips a

lonely walk home

By Daniel Sylvester Layout by Jennifer Brown

For students at UMass Dartmouth, many of whom take night classes, walking home can be a scary experience. Here’s some basic tips to help keep you safe when you’re out late...

Photo by Max Klingensmith on Flickr

O

nly one out of every five street lights is actually lit, creating an almost completely dark pathway. There are footsteps behind you. You quicken your pace; the footsteps do the same.

“It’s nothing,” you think to yourself.

“What are the odds of something happening?” Taking a quick glance behind, you see a large person in a hooded sweatshirt.

Suddenly, the mystery man turns off the path and out of sight. You become at ease again, enjoying the night air. But then you hear rustling in the brush. Suddenly, you’re grabbed from behind. What do you do?

Scenarios like this are all too common on college campuses around the United States. According to oneinfourusa.org, there were approximately 246,000 women who survived a sexual assault last year. At UMass Amherst, thirty-seven instances of aggravated assault occurred in 2010, while Boston University recorded seventythree instances of aggravated assaults and burglary in 2009.

Here at UMass Dartmouth, there were forty-four aggravated assaults from 2008 to 2010, according to Department of Public Safety crime statistics. “There are no specific locations on campus that are designated as most dangerous,” said Steven Mello, Department of Public Safety Officer. “Through the use of stats and review of incident reports, specific crime trends can be evaluated, and through the use of directed patrols, the patrol staff can concentrate on an area where problems can arise.”

But the threat of an assault on a lonely walk home still remains in the minds of students. “Sometimes it can be kind of nerve-racking,” said Sammantha Caraveo, a senior art education major. “Especially

walking home through the parking lots, there aren’t a lot of lights out there. You would like to think your campus is safe but you never really know because of all the things you see on the news.”

“One night, sophomore year, I was followed all the way back to my dorm by someone,” said senior sociology major Jennifer Tran. “He wasn’t really harassing me, but he definitely wasn’t leaving me alone either. He was behind me from the senior apartments all the way back to Oak Glen.”

As a lone traveler on campus, the first line of defense remains those bright blue emergency buttons that sit in welllit areas around campus. According to Steven Mello, the response time for call box activations averages between one to two minutes. But if you can’t seem to find a box, here are some helpful tips for self-defense.

#1:

Stomp on the attacker’s foot.

Yeah this sounds stupid, but remember, you are only trying to get away. You aren’t trying to win a fight. More than likely, your foot will be free and this will be the quickest way to jar your attacker’s hands off of you. This gives you the split second you need to run away and get help.

#2:

Poke the attacker in the eye.

If one of your arms falls free, you grab the back of your attacker’s head and thrust your thumb into their eye. The eye is one of the body’s weakest points, and a small amount of pressure can cause a large amount of pain.

#3:

Hold your keys with some of them sticking out between your fingers.

This tactic is like the cheap-man’s brass knuckles. Holding them at the ready gives you an advantage over an attacker who most likely doesn’t carry a weapon but only plans to overcome you with brute strength.

#4:

Push the heel of your hand in an upwards motion against the attacker’s nose. The nose is one of the weakest points and, subsequently, one of the most painful. Hitting the nose with the heel of your hand will cause the cartilage to bruise and maybe break the bridge of the nose. This will cause immense pain and make the attacker’s eyes tear up giving you time to get away.

#5:

Thrust your knee into the attacker’s groin. Not only is the groin a weak spot, but the motion towards that area could elicit a reactionary reflex response. This could get the attacker’s hands off of you for a split second to allow you to escape.

Use common sense and avoid thinly lit areas. The buddy system is always a good idea when it comes to these situations.

There are also some very valuable services like the DART Escort Service that could be your saving grace. The DART Escort Service can be used by simply stopping at the library front desk and asking for a student escort. The Department of Public Safety can also be called for an escort at 508-999-8107. d

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Photo by Gina M. Rampino

Features

Dr. Bal Ram Singh, Director, UMass Dartmouth Botulinum Research Center

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By Mary Chaffee Layout by Nancy E. Oliveira

Botulism is the ultimate multi-tasker in the world of bacteria. The toxin it produces can kill you or help you look younger. It can cause your eyelids to droop or alleviate painful muscle spasms. It can provide relief from migraine headaches and profuse sweating or be used as a biological weapon.

While research on this Jekyll-Hyde toxin is conducted at a number of locations, the Botulism Research Center (BRC) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is the only facility in the world dedicated solely to research involving the bacteria that cause botulism: clostridium botulinum.

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B

otulism generates headlines. Highly lethal in even tiny amounts, it draws attention when it sickens people who have eaten improperly-processed food. Botulism toxin made news in the Persian Gulf War as one of the biological weapons that Iraq was believed to have produced in bulk under Saddam Hussein. The toxin, marketed as Botox® and other brands, has grown to be a $2 billion a year market, thanks to its ability to erase wrinkles from the faces of aging adults.

But the story of how botulism came to be the centerpiece of an academic research laboratory in southeastern Massachusetts is also the story of the laboratory’s director, Dr. Bal Ram Singh, a scientist as multi-faceted as the bacteria he studies. A native of India who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, Singh is ambitious yet humble, competitive yet focused on collaboration.

He is a hard science guy who teaches yoga and weaves a yogic philosophy into his chemistry courses. Though the teetering piles of documents that surround him in his office are a testament to his busy life, students and teaching remain his focus.

His secretary, Maureen Jennings, enjoys working for him. “He has an open door policy, and there is always a line of students waiting to see him,” according to Jennings.

Spearheading the BRC The seed that germinated into the Botulism Research Center was carried by Singh from Wisconsin to Massachusetts. When he completed his Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry at Texas Tech University in 1987, Singh was recruited by the University of Wisconsin at Madison to develop the field of botulism toxins.

There was one small glitch. “I had no idea what it was. I thought it must be some kind of dirt,” admitted the man who subsequently became one of the world’s foremost botulism researchers.

Undeterred, he accepted the offer and thus began a long-term relationship between a man and a bacterium.

Singh left Wisconsin in 1990 to accept a position at the thenSoutheastern Massachusetts University (SMU) so he could gain teaching experience. “I thought this was a good match,” he said, but he was disappointed there was no Ph.D. program.

That changed the following year when SMU became part of the University of Massachusetts system and he was able to develop Ph.D. collaborations with UMass Amherst and UMass Lowell.

When Singh first arrived at the North Dartmouth campus, he had little of the equipment he needed and was given only a small lab area that was to be shared with an organic chemistry

Botulism Basic Training Botulinum bacteria live all around

sending messages to muscles. The

us in the soil. That’s not a problem

muscle cells, no longer receiving

because the bacteria – unlike those

messages from the nervous system,

that cause tuberculosis – do not

are paralyzed. People die when the

infect people. It’s when the botuli-

muscles involved with breathing no

num bacteria produce spores that

longer function.

burst and release a lethal neurotoxin that humans encounter trouble.

Illustrations by Kevan Trombly

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There is no treatment for botulism poisoning, only supportive care. If

The toxin is what Dr. Singh calls

symptoms are noted early, anti-toxin

“a very smart protein.” It works like

can be given to block the effect of any

a police SWAT team. When someone

toxin circulating in the blood. People

eats food containing botulinum toxin

experiencing severe symptoms must

or gets spores in an open wound,

be hospitalized and their breathing

part of the toxin finds a nerve cell

assisted with mechanical equipment,

and binds to it like SWAT members

as long as their respiratory muscles

securing the outside of a building.

are paralyzed.

Then another part of the toxin bursts

The symptoms of botulism can

through the cell wall and immobi-

last for many months. This ability

lizes activity inside (just as a SWAT

to persist in human cells is also the

team does). Inside the nerve cell, the

reason the toxin is an effective cos-

toxin prevents the nerve cell from

metic and medical treatment.

researcher. As Singh moved in, the other researcher asked what he was working on. When Singh returned from lunch that day, the other researcher had moved out. “I doubled my lab space in one day!” he said with a laugh.

Establishing a Critical Relationship In his first year at UMass Dartmouth, Singh was invited to the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. to see if he could figure out why the military’s botulism sensors weren’t working. He fixed the problem and established a relationship that would be critical to the growth of the BRC. “By the late 1990s, I was thinking about something bigger,” he said. The Department of Defense encouraged him to apply for a grant, and he received $1 million in funding just before the terror attacks of 9/11. Then he started thinking about further expansion and requested a federal grant through the National Institutes of Health in 2003. This time, the botulism research program was awarded $7 million – and needed more space for its growing research program. Because of safety codes and regulations, a new facility was built rather than attempting to retrofit an older one. In 2007, a 22,000 square foot space, the Violette Research Building addition, became the home of the new Botulism Research Center (BRC) and other biotechnology research laboratories.

To acquaint others with the new UMass Dartmouth center, the BRC hosted scientists from around the world at a botulism symposium. It was so successful that it is now held annually and has been vital in building relationships and furthering research. “Our goal is to facilitate research - not only ours but others’ also,” said Singh.

UMass Dartmouth Chancellor, Dr. Jean F. McCormack, led the university through an intense period of growth – including construction of the BRC. She points to Singh’s expertise as a critical factor in making the BRC a reality. “He had fifteen or seventeen years of scientific research. We were in the right place to take advantage of that academic strength,” stated the Chancellor. She added, “He has a cadre of people who are partners around the world.”

Because of the potential dangers involved in doing research with botulism, many safeguards are in place to ensure the safety of BRC researchers and the campus. Special air-handling engineering and filters ensure that botulism bacteria stay where they are supposed to be. Multiple levels of security measures prevent unauthorized access. Staff wear protective gear and receive training designed to keep them safe. Federal background investigations are done on all BRC laboratory staff.

evolved and how it persists in nerve cells often for months. The center has one industry partner but is interested in more. “We are trying to find ways to keep up funding levels to do research that makes a difference to society,” according to Singh. Though the botulinum toxin remains a potential bioweapon, Singh points out that understanding the toxin better through research is a powerful way to deter the threat. d

Welcome to the Prison Winery

Twelve inmates at the Utah State Prison were treated in October 2011 for suspected botulism poisoning after apparently drinking homemade alcohol brewed in a prison cell, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. While the food service industry has used practices for nearly 100 years to prevent botulism outbreaks, there are still about 20 to 30 cases of food-borne botulism in the U.S. every year – mostly due to

Moving Ahead to Deter the Threat Singh and the BRC team have built a unique program of research in partnership with the government, other universities, industry and labs like the Sandia National Lab – and have attained a half dozen patents along the way. Because botulism neurotoxin is a therapeutic medical treatment, a cosmetic ‘rejuvenation,’ a potential biological weapon and a public health disease threat, the BRC’s research program has many aspects. Work is underway on vaccine ideas, antidote candidates and medical products. BRC researchers are interested in how the toxin has

foods not properly sterilized during home canning.

The Utah prison botulism outbreak was likely caused by the inmates brewing a beverage with fruit, water and sugar in a plastic bag then hiding it in a toilet tank to ferment. Botulism bacteria thrive in environments without oxygen such as sealed plastic bags.

Some of the Utah inmates developed nausea, vomiting, facial paralysis and blurry vision – symptoms of botulism. Eight of the inmates were hospitalized, three in critical condition.

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STUDENTATHLETE inside ncaa division 3 sports

Though NCAA Division 3 sports are considered highly competitive, most “D3� schools offer no athletic scholarships.

Despite this, over 600 UMass Dartmouth students choose to compete, including football captain Robert Yarbough.

By Emily Migre Layout by Mary Chaffee

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Robert Yarbough, NCAA Division 3 football and track and field captain, and senior business major, enters the training room to undergo therapy on several injuries before throwing on his blueand-gold jersey. His determination to get back on the grid-iron is not only spurred by reaching the next level, but also his desire to be a dependable teammate.

On Saturday nights, Yarbough and his three co-captains link arms on the field and head to the coin toss. Opponents know Yarbough as a tough, six-foot-four offensive lineman. But to people outside the football realm, he is known for his leadership.

After dealing with torn ligaments, two concussions and surgeries on his thumb, Yarbough feels he has an obligation to the team to get healthier.

“I feel sometimes when you are injured and you’re out, you’re letting people down,” he said as the athletic trainer realigned his lower back.

Although NCAA Division 3 (D3) sports are considered highly competitive, a majority of D3 schools only offer financial aid based on academics and there are few athletic scholarships. Yet over 600 student-athletes, including Yarbough, participate in sports at UMass Dartmouth.

“I feel that athletes should be rewarded for their athletic ability,” said UMass Dartmouth Athletic Trainer Tara Yeske, “and with these scholarships that Division 1 and 2 schools offer, it gives athletes opportunities that they might not have had to get an education.” Yeske, a former Michigan State trainer, spoke while rehabbing a lacrosse player’s dislocated shoulder. “Yet I’ve seen what the pressure of having a scholarship can do to an athlete.

It becomes more of a job and less like the sport they used to enjoy.”

Yeske sees Robert Yarbough and about sixty other UMass Dartmouth athletes in the trainer’s room every day to undergo rehabilitation on injuries and get taped up and iced down before practice begins.

“I find D3 athletes more genuine.

They’re playing because they thoroughly enjoy the sport. There’s no real profitable benefit that they are receiving besides the satisfaction of working hard at something they care about,” stated Yeske.

“It’s obvious that people in D1 (Division 1) are getting some kind of payment

even if it’s not directly to them,” Yarbough emphasized during his stretches, as teammates, other athletes, and friends exchanged high-fives with him. “But in D3, I guess people have more heart to overcome disadvantages.”

Although Division 1 and 2 schools statistically have a higher percentage of athletes entering professional sports, Division 3 athletes are known as “studentathletes.” They realize that being involved with D3 sports allows them to explore more opportunities at this point in their lives beyond the X’s and O’s in sports. It’s finding the importance of loyalty, respect and dedication to something they are passionate about.

In April 2011, when the football captains were announced, UMass Head Coach Mark Robichaud told the Corsair’s Athletic Department, “Robert is the lone offensive captain, and his personality is different than the other captains. Robert is very stoic and has the respect of the entire program because of the way he performs on the field and how he carries himself.

I’m very pleased with our leaders for the upcoming season.”

Yarbough and other athletes recognize they face a lot of obstacles and tests on and off the field. These studentathletes have to organize their time to balance school work, practice and jobs to pay for tuition.

Athletes like Rob Yarbough take what they learn on the field and apply it to real life, putting maximum effort into everything.

“Right now I’m doing really well in school. My freshman year didn’t start off too good,” Yarbough said. “But I started putting in the extra work and I’m doing well now. I guess that goes for everything in my life. I know down the road I’ll have greater responsibilities, like taking care of family finances,” he said, while placing the heating pad back in the trainer’s room.

As Yarbough exited the gym, taped up and ready to put in another solid performance at practice, he stressed why he puts his body through tough workouts and rehabilitation – why he participates in a sport without receiving a scholarship.

“Besides trying to be able to move that body part again, I guess I just want to get out there as quickly as possible and to be able to help others out on the team.” d Dart

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Photo by Robert Bejil on Flickr

E

very weekday afternoon,

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All Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress, the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives department, and the UMass Dartmouth Paul Rudolph page

BEYOND THE CONCRETE AT

UMD

By Meaghan Boyle Layout by Sloan Piva

CONCRETE PLANS An aerial perspective of the University’s original design scheme, developed by famed Brutalist architect Paul Rudolph in 1963. The school was then known as Southeastern Massachusetts Technical Institute.

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ISOMETRIC LOOK An early sketch of the Administration building.

BEFORE WALKING ONTO THE GROUNDS OF UMASS DARTMOUTH, I half hoped the buildings would resemble Hogwarts, covered in luscious ivy and surrounded by Versailles-like gardens. But I’d heard the vicious rumors of a concrete prison, plagued by rain, and designed by a Satanist. I came prepared with a wind-resistant umbrella and a pair of rose-colored glasses.

P

ulling onto Ring Road, I was greeted by a flashing neon sign and a twisted jungle-gym structure. I soared into a cemented, futureworld. The serrated shapes and uneven levels were a lot to take in; at first, it felt like I was swirling on a bad acid trip amid strange, Arctic buildings.

I yearned to explore the campus, to discover its secrets. I knew a hidden beauty was buried in the concrete walls, or resting outside them. And over the past four years, the cold appearance of the campus has grown on me.

I admit UMass Dartmouth appears a little rough around the edges. The buildings are jagged, with flat roofs and wallto-wall windows. The inside of Group 1 is a labyrinth, filled with stairways and levels

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that seem to shift while you rush to class.

“I feel like our school was designed for you to stroll rather than walk,” said senior Kevin Shepley.

Looking out from the enclosed corridor between the Liberal Arts building and the Campus Center, three benches form a perfect 666 below. This sparked the campus legend of a devil-worshiping architect who designed a penitentiary-like campus – and ended his life by jumping off the University’s campanile.

But contrary to notorious rumors, architect Paul Rudolph, who died of cancer in 1997, had no Satanist beliefs or suicidal thoughts. Fascinated by modern aesthetics, he transformed complex ideas into paradoxical buildings meant to excite and challenge the minds of a campus

community. If he were alive today, the harsh reviews and misconceptions of his designs would baffle him.

Modernist Aesthetic At the time of the school’s inception in 1962 (then Southeastern Massachusetts Technical Institute), Rudolph was a highlyregarded architect. He was a proponent of Brutalism – an architectural movement that involved concrete geometrics in a modernist style – which also served as a utopian philosophy. “The real point is that the buildings are connected to form a greater whole, and that whole is a social entity,” Rudolph said about his design in a 1996 interview. His master plan was to design all buildings facing the central point of the campus: the 200-foot campanile.

SIXTIES LOBBY Common room lobby, circa 1966.

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Working with the Desmond and Lord firm of Boston, Rudolph began the University project in 1963. He first tackled Group 1 (Liberal Arts), which took two years to complete. Unfortunately, the cost-per-foot was too high for Group 2 (Science and Engineering). Pressured by the state, the firm fired Rudolph, and continued construction adhering to his original master plan.

Under an unusual agreement, Rudolph remained an adviser to the architects working on the campanile, administration, auditorium, textile and library buildings from 1967 to 1972. As for Group 6 (CVPA), the Violette Building, and gymnasium, other architects designed these projects. Rudolph made a comeback in 1968 to design the Campus Center and again in the 1980s to work on his final project at UMass Dartmouth: the Dion Building. When more recent buildings like the Charlton College of Business, the library expansion, and dormitories were added to campus, the architects aimed to complement (but not replicate) Rudolph’s vision.

Nature and Community UMass Dartmouth isn’t your typical straight-edged, brick campus. The architecture is wild and unpredictable. “I think they’re interesting, a nice change of pace,” said senior Andrew Fredrickson of the buildings. “In the winter it can be depressing, but when there’s a lot of green it can be cool.”

Rudolph wanted students to feel connected to the outdoors.

The stairs were made short in height not only to slow people down, but to have them look around and appreciate the campus.

Wall-to-wall windows were constructed in many of the buildings. Even when students are inside slaving away at algorithms or analyzing literature, glimpses of nature remain within reach.

Since the University was originally a commuter school with no on-campus housing, the buildings of Group 1 and Group 2 were built with atriums, or common room lobbies. This provided commuters with a place to socialize between sections of the halls.

In order to separate the University from the outside community, a ring-shaped road (now “Ring Road”) was developed amid the forest. Large grassy knolls made parking lots invisible from most of the buildings.

Reflecting the Seasons Rain can have a brutal effect on the campus, as it stains concrete. But other facets of seasonal New England weather provide the University with real beauty. Colors of foliage splash the campus trees in autumn, and fluffy snow softens everything in the winter. Cherry trees blossom in the spring, and windy days in April bring the petals to the earth in a swirl of pink. Summer means school’s out, but the green grass and flowers will still greet you in the fall.

Rudolph not only wanted students to challenge their minds in classes, but to defy their perceptions of what a campus should be. Sticking to the expected University tradition of ivy-covered brick with windows, doors, and a two-dimensional view would be going against the modernist’s beliefs.

Rethinking the Campus The next time you hear the popular sentiment “UMass Dartmouth is ugly,” think about the story embedded in the concrete. Is the campus really a gigantic eyesore, or the product of architectural brilliance? Rudolph was a master architect and a genius of human habitation, deservingly distinguished from most architects of his generation, and the UMass Dartmouth campus is a testament to all that he stood for. d

THEN AND NOW Top: Early site plans, circa 1963. Below: Current facade of Group 2.

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without

By Matt Tota Layout by Martina Boccia

In Red China during the 1960s, even passion came under strict government scrutiny. But somehow, politics breached the arts, leaving one young pianist struggling to pursue her calling.

B

y the mid-1960s, a then 20 year old student, Weihua Zhang, had had enough of tediously recycling folktalethemed songs played to supposedly boost Chinese morale.

The unimaginative sessions left her feeling stale. But along with eight or so propaganda anthems, the songs were the only legal options for music.

With the Cultural Revolution came a torrent of nationalism that swept through the People’s Republic, washing away any song, painting or film forged outside the homeland.

The government effectively barred Western culture, which it viewed with disdain. And Weihua – facing an ironclad policy perpetuated by the few in power – had no choice but to conform.

“We weren’t supposed to do anything Western,” she said

while leaning over a laptop screen. “We had to try to create our own music.”

Still, Weihua knew other music existed beyond the Great Wall.

She had tasted variety as a young girl growing up in Nanjing, thanks to her father, YuChe Chang, a well-known astronomer (in fact, the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing erected a statue in his honor, and he has a couple of asteroids named after him) who traveled to America in 1923 to attend the University of Chicago.

When he returned in 1929 after earning his doctorate, YuChe brought back American songbooks, including “The One Hundred and One Best Songs.”

The book, published in 1919 by The Cable Company, contains sheet music for American standards like “Old Folks at Home” and “Yankee Doodle.”

Later, Weihua, a middle schooler then, said she would comb through page after page while learning piano.

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watching change crawl upon her country.

Feelings of stagnation slowly returned and, upon entering her 40s, Weihua decided to pursue a higher degree, which, she said, was not possible in China because of her age.

So in 1982, she moved to the United States to study world music.

She attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. for her masters then received her doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley.

While at Berkeley, Weihua said she discovered the visceral power of music – how

it could spark protest and change. “Music could be used as a weapon,” she said.

Weihua’s interests also shifted slightly from classical to jazz, spurring her to attend the annual Asian American Jazz Festival held in San Francisco.

And along the way, she found another passionate musician in royal hartigan. (hartigan writes his name sans capital letters in part, he explained in an e-mail, as an unconscious rebellion against hierarchist viewpoints.) The two dated while she completed her thesis in California, eventually marrying in 1991.

Photos by Gina M. Rampino

Unlike most Chinese kids, she took up the instrument without her parents having to demand that she play. Instead, she said, her father’s interest in the arts inspired her to become a musician.

“Even though my father was a scientist, he loved to sing,” she recalled, adding that –because of the lack of print music in China– he would often transcribe songs for her.

When she graduated from high school, Weihua was too uncertain in her abilities to major in music. “I was thinking I wanted to study architecture,” she said.

She ultimately chose to continue with the piano at a private college in Nanjing, where her classmates humbled her.

“In our class, there were only three students; the other two were very good pianists – a lot better than me,” she said.

The competition proved beneficial when she left the small school to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, as it prepared her for more advanced musical studies and drove her to succeed.

At the Conservatory, Weihua kept busy.

Not only did she have schoolwork, but she also had factory work.

President Mao Zedong had decreed that all intellectuals make frequent trips to factories deep in China’s picturesque countryside.

“He wanted us to learn from workers, peasants and laborers,” she said. “The work was not hard. I remember we were at the assembly line of a factory, binding books.”

The forced visits stole precious time from her musical training, a fact Weihua still resents almost five decades later.

She joined the Conservatory as an instrumental coach after graduating. “I really liked that job because you had a lot of chances to perform,” she said.

There were also more opportunities for her to broaden and refine her musical clout, she said, because Russian music specialists frequently taught at the school.

Relations between China and Russia soon deteriorated, however, abruptly ending those visits.

But things changed in 1972, when China finally unlatched its doors.

Yet Weihua acknowledged that only a trickle of culture dripped in – certainly not enough to quench her thirst.

She stayed in Beijing for a while,

Professor of Chinese Weihua Zhang in a practice room of the Music Department

Hartigan, an ethnomusicologist, took a job teaching music at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 1999.

Weihua joined her husband nine years later, applying for a position in the Foreign Language department.

Because she did not want to work in the same department as her husband, Weihua chose to teach Chinese rather than music.

Space, she thought, was not such a bad thing.

Musically, Weihua notes that she and hartigan are polar opposites: She has classical training, while he earned his chops in jazz. Also, there are differences

between her relationship with music and his, she said.

“I’m very different from him: music is the only thing to him,” she said. “He is a very good performer.”

She added: “I don’t think I’m like that.

I didn’t have that kind of drive to be a creative musician.”

Hartigan disagrees with that assessment.

“She reads music very well, even better than me,” he said in his office before percussion practice, two tan drums near his desk. “She may see my passion as extreme, but I wouldn’t say it’s any more so than

her [passion].”

They disagree over the quality of her cooking, as well. “She’s a great cook, but she’ll deny it until she dies,” hartigan said.

The pair spent much of this past summer in Beijing, attending various jazz festivals. And hartigan performed before traveling to the Philippines to play with his ensemble, Blood Drum Spirit.

He said they rarely play together simply because of their varying musical backgrounds.

Today, Weihua’s nimble fingers are still in use. She plays for voice students at the University and has been learning the guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument.

“It’s a zither about five feet long with 23 strings and bridges underneath the strings,” she said. “It’s called a Chinese harp because it’s also plucked.”

She still teaches piano. Although her enthusiasm toward doing so has waned, because, she said, her students –mostly other professors’ children– don’t listen, don’t practice, and, generally, don’t care.

“I’m a little tired of teaching young kids,” she said.

If she needs to relax after a particularly vexing session, though, Weihua says she can put on a record – any record – and get lost in the music of those who have become a part of her lifelong passion.

“You are in touch with such great composers,” she said. “All of their music is from their hearts and from their life experiences.

“It’s like knowing them very intimately through music,” she added. d

While at Berkeley, Weihua, said she discovered the visceral power of music – how it could spark protest and change.

“Music could be used as a weapon.”

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It’s Never Too Late A Student Returns to UMass After a 40-Year Break

When the economy collapsed, Gerald Vinci found himself unemployed. Now sixty years old, he is attending UMass Dartmouth as an undergraduate - re-enrolled in the same school he dropped out of forty years earlier.

By Brian Klotz Layout by Mary Chaffee

I

n many ways, New Bedford resident Gerald Vinci is just like the other nearly 8,000 undergraduates attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Sitting just outside the campus’ Writing and Reading Center, where he has a work-study job as a tutor, Vinci gathers his textbooks into his backpack and pulls out an apple to snack on as a mass of fellow students clog the hallways of the Liberal Arts building.

One difference, however, is that Vinci is sixty years old.

Two and a half years ago, he was laid off from his woodworking job restoring boats in Mattapoisett. It was a career vulnerable to the harsh realities of today’s economic climate.

“We live in a very expensive economy,” Vinci explains. “Materials are going through the roof.” Having a boat restored has become cost-prohibitive, except for the wealthy. Even on a small boat, “you could easily spend twenty grand.”

So Vinci - like many other Americans who find themselves suddenly jobless in a tough economy-was faced with a difficult decision.

“Initially, I was going to look for another 38

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job,” he says, “but my son suggested going back to school.”

His son, also a UMass Dartmouth student, persuaded Vinci to re-enroll in the same school he had dropped out of forty years earlier. Vinci attended what was then known as Southeastern Massachusetts University from 1969 to 1971.

Returning to school after four decades, however, proved to be a struggle. The biggest hurdle? Technology.

“Everything has moved so far in forty

His wife was so inspired that she chose to enroll in the school herself, pursuing her lifelong interest in languages. years,” he says. “There were no computers in the 70s.”

Punctuated by bites of his apple, Vinci

recounts how only a few hours earlier he had required the assistance of the computer lab staff. He needed to print out a map of central Asia so that it was properly cropped and readable.

To perform the same act forty years earlier, he explains, would have required a photocopier, tracing paper, and actual cutting and pasting - not the right-clicking kind.

“Kids take it for granted,” he says, referring to the technology of today.

He notes that before computers and the Internet, research involved consulting a card catalog, and papers were typed on a typewriter.

Between the massive shift in technology and having not been in school for so long, classes were intimidating at first.

“My first English 101 class was way over my head,” Vinci says. Tempted to give up, it was the support of his wife Janice that got him through. “She said to stick it out for one semester, then see how it is.”

It turned out well, as Vinci earned a 4.0 GPA and became a history major. His wife was so inspired that she chose to enroll in the school herself, pursuing her lifelong interest in languages.

Photo by Gina Rampino

Vinci’s achievements did not go unnoticed by UMass Dartmouth, either.

“When I was invited to be a tutor [at the Writing and Reading Center],” he says, “I was stunned.” So much so that he initially declined. “I hadn’t thought of myself as a writer.”

However, after obtaining a workstudy grant, Vinci needed an on-campus job, so he decided to give it a try and became a writing tutor. It turned out to be a rewarding experience.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself,” he says. “Every time you talk to a student… you learn something.”

Now in his third year at UMass Dartmouth, Vinci hasn’t forgotten his early confidence problems, and aims to help

others in the same predicament.

“When somebody comes in [to the Writing Center], I want them to leave feeling more confident.” He notes that this is especially an issue with ESL students, who often feel inadequate writing in their second language. “They’re better than they think they are,” he says.

Vinci’s best advice to students? Don’t procrastinate.

“When you’re assigned a project that takes a semester, start immediately.” He notes how some students, often freshmen unfamiliar with a college workload, will save a semester’s worth of work until the very end, and “that’s how you bury yourself.”

To make a large assignment more

manageable, he suggests a technique that he uses himself: break the work down into pieces, then take it piece-by-piece.

That way, all that’s left to do in the end is assemble it into a complete work.

Like many other juniors, Vinci is not yet sure exactly what he will do after graduating. He is considering getting his teaching certificate, or possibly moving on to grad school to enter the field of historical preservation.

But such decisions are a long way off.

In the meantime, Vinci has more pressing concerns. Only weeks into the fall semester, the demands of being a full-time college student can’t be ignored. His apple finished, Vinci returns to the grind. That map of Asia isn’t going to study itself. d Dart

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Off Campus

The Secret Life of

Penny Dreadful

Danielle Oliveira claims she isn’t “an interesting subject” for an article, but how many people are considered a cult icon?

By Rachel Freitas Layout by Kelsey Jacobsen

A

s her day job, an English professor, students address her as “Professor Oliveira.” But when not teaching, most people know her as her alter ego Penny Dreadful – a B horror movie host akin to Elvira – on public access television across the country.

Watching Oliveira on television in full witch’s regalia, daring her viewers, affectionately dubbed the “dreary ones,” to “behold the unmitigated terror that awaits them,” it’s hard to picture her assigning essays to freshman students.

Talk about one Hell of a double life.

Oliveira’s secret identity is strengthened by her strong background in English studies and theater. She holds a master’s degree in creative writing from Bridgewater State University, where she also assumed the role of a graduate assistant in the school’s writing studio.

Her interest in theater began at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as an undergraduate, where she studied English in 1993 - 1994. “Yes, I’m elderly,” Oliveira jokes. After attending an open mic night on campus held by Experimental Stage,

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she became friends with the group’s leader Derek Breen, who encouraged her to join his improvisational troupe. “I was very shy and reluctant, but eventually joined in and just took it,” Oliveira states, emphasizing her initial hesitation.

Soon afterward, she appeared in productions of both on-campus theater companies. Oliveira then created and starred in an off-kilter sketch comedy show Isn’t This Ridiculous? which aired on public access television in New Bedford, Massachusetts. After college, she moved to San Francisco to study comedy and theater.

By 2005, Oliveira had returned to Southeastern Massachusetts, become inspired by other public access horror hosts, and started her own horror host show Shilling Shockers, recruiting her husband Magoo Gelehter and longtime UMass Dartmouth friend Ivan Bernier, to toss around ideas.

Oliveira recounts how each character on the show – Garou, “a growling non speaking silly werewolf” played by Gelehter, and Doctor Manfred Von Bulow, “a funny monster hunter” played by Bernier – were conceptualized.

Photo by Robin Gentile

For her own character Penny DreadOliveira only recently began teaching ful, Oliveira drew inspiration from her and admits that balancing the two gigs will past theatrical role of Medea, “a vengeful prove “challenging,” especially in October sorceress who makes corny jokes,” she when she promotes the show by attending explains. “One day I stayed in character various conventions like Rock n’ Shock. [off stage] and started making bad jokes, At her past job working with a theatrical and it struck me as very horror hostess- lighting company, “it was understood that like. Since we’re based in Massachusetts, I was sort of a z-list pseudo celebrity.” She a witch horror hostess made complete then quickly cracks fun at her reliable, sense, given our history with the Salem quick-to-the-rescue reputation at conwitch trials. I took elements of light and ventions. “We can’t get that background dark, then blended them to make Penny guy who has one line in Star Wars? Well, Dreadful.” then call Penny Dreadful! She’ll come,” she Some may attribute mocks playfully. the popularity of Shilling The tick of the clock Shockers to the increase will dictate if the “It was of horror movies being making of Shilling Shockproduced. According ers itself will interfere understood to Yahoo News, over with Oliveira’s teaching.

600 horror movies will “Our shooting schedule that I was see release in 2011. is based on availability That figure reflects the of the cast. We don’t sort of a z-list growing stress and tape weekly. It’s more fear of the nation. “The like monthly, or even pseudo horror movies of 2011 every other month if are coming to our temeveryone is busy. We’ve celebrity.” porary rescue to help decided to do less shows us focus our stress and which gives us the time anger in one centralized to really hone the shows location.” and raise the bar each season.” In addition, Shilling Shockers, now in its eighth Oliveira states that “on set taping might season, airs online and in ten different take six to nine hours” while “on location states. The show receives fan mail from taping can take twelve to fourteen hours.” around the country, ranging from letBut Oliveira’s duties on Shilling Shockers ters to sculptures made in the characters doesn’t solely involve acting in front of likeness. Oliveira has won two acclaimed the camera. While Rebecca Paiva, her proRondo Hatton classic horror awards for duction partner, films, edits and “handles favorite horror host in 2007 and 2010. most of the visual aspects of the show,”

Oliveira deals with the actual content of the show, choosing which B movies to feature, and writing “ten page scripts which somehow tie into the movie.”

Oliveira jokes that her portrayal of Penny Dreadful has helped her assume the role of professor, allowing her to “instill terror” in her students, but she keeps her two identities separate. “I have yet to mention it to my co-workers at the college... I wouldn’t even know how to introduce that into a conversation.” She then sets up how that scenario would play out: Deanna: Hey what are you doing this weekend?

Joanne: Going to a baby shower. How about you?

Deanna: Going to the park with the kids. How about you Danielle?

Danielle: Dressing up as a witch and going to a haunted cemetery to host a vampire movie on location.

The moment may arise when Oliveira gets recognized by a student or co-worker, but for now, she appears content with keeping her alter ego a secret. However, she hopes that everyone leads a double life. After all, she elaborates, “what fun is it being all Jekyll if you don’t have a little bit of Hyde in you?” d d

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I

ll

K-Pop Craze!

The Hallyu Wave - South Korean pop culture, music, and fashion - is sweeping around the world.

By Kayla Charlonne Layout by Mary Chaffee

n her UMass Dartmouth

dorm, Shayla Conway, 21, has a South Korean flag hanging on her wall. Her posters, all of the same pop idol group, are waiting to be put in frames, and every available space is taken up by K-pop albums and other merchandise.

K-pop, or South Korean pop music, is a huge part of the Hallyu Wave, spreading South Korean pop culture around the world. Blending a number of musical styles including pop, hip-hop, and rock into its own genre, K-pop has become a growing global trend. It’s not surprising that there are American fans at UMass Dartmouth.

What is it that Americans find so appealing about K-pop?

“It’s the showmanship of it,” says Shayla. In the world of K-pop, artists who are called idols do not just sing or dance. They entertain, meaning that in most cases they also act. Those who can act take time from music promotions to perform roles in dramas, short Korean television series that generally run from ten to sixteen episodes. Many dramas don’t have idols in them, but the ones that do attract significant audiences simply by bringing in that particular idol’s fan following. Idols also make appearances on variety shows, where they are expected to be able to show off any number of talents, and a large number of idols also take part in idol athletic competitions where they compete in a variety of events, such as running and swimming, to promote physical fitness.

“What is it that Americans find so appealing about K-pop?”

Jessica Marquis, a casual fan of K-pop but a die-hard fan of C-pop (Chinese and Taiwanese pop music) says, “It’s as catchy as American music, but the artists are more likeable, the music is more

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meaningful; it’s all around better quality than American pop music.” Shayla adds that, “K-pop idols are better role-models than most American celebrities.”

Shayla, who jokingly calls herself a “crazy fangirl,” has a large collection of merchandise pertaining to her favorite K-pop group, DBSK, whose official fan club, Cassiopeia, is rumored to be the largest in the world with more than 800,000 members in South Korea and more than 400,000 international fans. Shayla has every one of DBSK’s Korean albums, their two Japanese-language albums and one English-language album by DBSK’s subgroup, JYJ. That comes to a total of eleven albums, as well as five posters, three light sticks (which she acquired and used at concerts), a folder, t-shirts, stickers, a bag, and a $100 photo book.

“International shipping can be anywhere from seven dollars to thirty-plus dollars, depending on what you buy and from where,” she says, but for her it’s completely worth it. When it comes to concerts, once a rare occurrence on the East Coast, she willingly dropped $200 per ticket to attend.

“You have to spend top dollar to get good seats,” she says, and with the rarity of concerts in the U.S., especially on the East Coast, most fans want the best

Photos Courtesy of SM Entertainment

K-pop Group SHINee

possible seating at a show, regardless of price. In Shayla’s case, $200 got her second row, center stage seating at a May 2011 JYJ concert in Newark, New Jersey, but she had to act fast to get them. Tickets for K-pop concerts can sell out in a heartbeat.

“It’s as catchy as American music, but the artists are more likeable.”

Besides spending money and buying merchandise, there are plenty of other ways fans show their love. For Shayla, other ways that she shows her appreciation without spending cash is by “spreading the fanbase and representing online, talking to other fans, and saving and editing pictures.”

While there are plenty of Americans who find K-pop appealing, there are many who are apprehensive about it. In Shayla’s opinion, a large part of why some people are uncertain is that some Americans find

that it’s “just too different” from what they’re accustomed to with American music. Even when idols release Englishlanguage albums, those albums never make it to the shelves of major U.S. music stores, and the songs are never played on the radio, even when they have the backing of American celebrities, like JYJ did when Kanye West produced and was featured in their English-language album.

Mostly, though, there’s the language barrier. Not being able to understand the words or speak them is certainly an issue that Americans may find unappealing because it stands in the way of their being able to sing along. Many K-pop fans, Shayla and Jessica among them, don’t consider the language barrier an issue.

If they like a song, they’ll look up the lyric translation online, and even learn the Korean lyrics to the point where they can sing along.

One thing is certain, K-pop is catching on in a big way. The recent release of JYJ’s Korean album,“In Heaven” reached 300,000 pre-order reservations on the first day.

When tickets for an upcoming Berlin, Germany concert went on sale, European fans crashed the web servers. With well-known U.S. artists and producers like Kanye West and Will.I.Am taking an interest, K-pop’s future in the U.S. looks bright. d

a r Fo d e k Wic d o o G ! e Tim

By: Jimmy Cannon Layout By Annie Bolthrunis

A staple of the music and entertainment scene for over 30 years, Newbury Comics has thrived in an environment not considered condusive to it’s main product. Expansion and innovation has kept them going. We check in at the North Dartmouth store to see how that’s going.

Photo by redgoldfly on Flickr

T

here are not many stores that would proudly display “Maybe You Touched Your Genitals Hand Sanitizer” in a place of prominence next to the cash register. Then again, Newbury Comics is far from your typical store. Some might even call it an institution, a mecca for those seeking the latest and greatest in American popular culture.

The New England-based chain, which set up shop on Newbury Street in Boston in 1978, was founded by MIT dropouts John Brusger and Mike Dreese, who still co-own the company. During the mid-1980’s, Dreese became fascinated with the local music scene and with this new interest came a new product for the store: music. Over time, the store began selling movies, clothing, sports merchandise, posters, action figures (collectors’ items, if you speak geek), as well as other pieces of pop culture phenomena. Along the way, the original store expanded to twenty-eight locations throughout the New England area, with over 300 employees.

And, in addition to creating a lasting business, Brusger and Dreese have become counterculture heroes.

For a not-so-typical store, it should come as no surprise that Newbury Comics employees are nothing like those you would find at your local Gap. There is arguably no dress code for a Newbury Comics employee, as the only requirement for employees is to wear a lanyard name tag. “I’m pretty sure as long as you wear a shirt and some type of pants you’re good to go,” jokes Mike, a clerk in the North Dartmouth location, which opened its doors in 2004. “Just look at me,” Mike chuckles, pointing out his black Ramones T-shirt, numerous horrormovie-inspired tattoos, camouflage shorts, and boots.

Mike also sports a beard that only a founding member of ZZ Top would love.

As Mike puts it, “We’re not hip. Hip is what you’d find across the street at the mall. Hip is something that might be lucky enough to survive the weekend. No, we’re not hip because we’ve been around too long.”

Upon venturing through the store, it becomes abundantly clear that Mike is right. Newbury Comics is not what the average consumer would consider hip. Instead, the store strives to give its customers products they

know they will want and enjoy. Above all else, they just want to please people.

“Our biggest form of market research comes directly from the customers. If enough people ask about a product that we don’t have in the store, chances are you’ll see it appear shortly,” Mike said, as he wrapped up used DVDs and CDs. Considering the amount of money retail giants spend a year in marketing research, it seems as though Newbury abides by the old truth that people won’t buy something they don’t want.

Ironically, one of Newbury Comics’ key products, CDs, has seen a downward spiral in recent years.

Newbury’s mantra/pseudo-philosophy must work well, as you would be hard pressed to find a person in the store not carrying around at least one item. On this Friday morning, though, it’s hard to beat the popularity of the Star Wars: Complete Saga Blu-ray boxed set. While, priced higher than its big box competitors, people were still walking out the doors with it in record numbers.

“The last time I saw something like this was last September when the Beatles catalog got remastered,” said Mike. “By the time the day was over, I never wanted to hear about the Beatles again. Hopefully I don’t feel that way at the end of the night though. I really like Star Wars.”

“I wouldn’t buy it anywhere else,” proclaimed a Dartmouth High School senior, who preferred to remain nameless, as he cut class, so he could grab himself a copy of his favorite space operas with pristine picture and sound quality. When told how much less the set would have cost him elsewhere, he simply shrugged.

“Yeah, but at least in here I can wear my Bobba Fett shirt and not get weird looks. Hell, in here, I might get a compliment for it.”

Other customers in the store, though, weren’t purchasing Star Wars. Janice wandered into the store before a tanning appointment at the neighboring Hot Bodz.

But she became so busy “window shopping” that she missed her appointment. Ultimately, Janice left the store with a Patriots winter hat with tassels and a used copy of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne CD. Even though she missed her appointment, Janice did not appear upset. “What they say on the bag is right; I did have a wicked good time.” d

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The Dartmouth Guide to DOING GOOD

By Ashley O’Brien Layout by Jennifer Brown

If you’re like many students, you want to give back to the community, improve lives, meet other people, and give a boost to your resume or overall karma. But where do you start? Use our handy guide to find out about opportunities here in Dartmouth and surrounding communities:

ANIMALS Animal Advocates, located in North Dartmouth, helps control the overpopulation of animals through spaying and neutering; it rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes animals who have been abandoned, neglected or abused. If you want to help with fundraising events, office work, or grant writing, visit animaladvocatesma. org or call 508-991-7727.

The Cape Wildlife Center, located in Barnstable (it’s an hour ride from here!), offers volunteer opportunities to assist the veterinarian and wildlife rehabilitators in the treatment of injured, ailing, and orphaned wild animals from the Cape Cod area. For more information, visit www. humanesociety.org and search for “CapeWildlifeCenter,� or call 508-362-0111.

ARTS & CULTURE The New Bedford Art Museum offers a chance for volunteers to propose how they want to support the museum. Visit www. newbedfordartmuseum.org/ contact.html, and let a staff member know how you’d like to help, or call 508-961-3072.

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CHILDREN & YOUTH The local Big Brothers Big Sisters program, part of Child & Family Services in New Bedford, provides friendships and role models to boys and girls. Find out about mentoring or other opportunities at Child & Family Services by visiting www.child-familyservices.org or by calling 508-996-8572.

The YMCA Southcoast is always looking for volunteers to coach, mentor, and help out.

Visit www.ymcasouthcoast.org or call 508-996-9622 for more.

HOMELESS SHELTERS Homeless shelters and resource centers, such as the Fall River Family Resource Center (508-679-2000), are listed at www.mahomeless.org and offer volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

New Hope, a human service agency that helps families and victims of assault and violence, offers volunteering and intern opportunities in the areas of counseling, court advocacy, education and outreach, human resources, public relations, and administrative assistance. Find out more by visiting www.new-hope.org/ volunteer.html or calling 508226-4015, ext. 104.

PATIENTS The American Red Cross is always looking for blood donors, and each time you donate, you could save up to three lives. To find out about blood drives in the area, visit www.redcross.org.

Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford offer volunteer opportunities, such as being a patient assistant or a greeter. Learn about these and other opportunities at Southcoast’s Hospice & Palliative Care program, where volunteers provide practical and emotional support, by visiting www.southcoast.org.

SOUP KITCHENS Food insecurity or hunger is a fact of life for thousands of Massachusetts residents.

Help by donating food or volunteering at local soup kitchens and food pantries.

Contact the Greater Fall River Food Pantry at 401-624-6309.

The Red Cross New Bedford Food Pantry provides food assistance to area residents. Visit www.bostonredcross.org or call 617-274-5200, ext. 5594.

EDUCATION & LITERACY Volunteer at The Literacy Center in Attleboro and help Bristol County adults learn English and increase their literacy skills. These skills can be the ticket to adults’ GED, citizenship, or employment – and can help their children succeed in school. Visit www. theliteracycenter.com or call 508-226-3603.

ENVIRONMENT Learn how to improve our community’s environment – and address issues of health, waste, air pollution, and energy conservation by visiting the United States Environmental Protection Agency website at www.epa. gov/epahome/community.htm.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Check out these websites, which match volunteers with opportunities that fit their skills and interests:

www.idealist.org www.volunteermatch.org www.south-coast-serves.org www.hireculture.org www.umassd.edu/seppce/ centers/cce

live local

YOU COULD BE AT UMASS DARTMOUTH FOR 4 YEARS, AND STILL NOT DO IT ALL.

Missing out on Martha’s Vineyard? It’s closer than you think. Or maybe you’re just looking for the best place to get your morning cup of coffee? This is your guide to the must-sees, must-dos, and must-tries of the area.

By Stevy Allen and Sam Swider Layout by Kelsey Jacobsen

Photo by V. Paul Virtucio on Flickr

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Myles Standish The Department of Conservation has several hiking trails throughout the state for you to take advantage of. Most of their trails are well-manicured making for safe and light walking. A nice hike, which is only about a 30 to 45 minute drive from campus, is Myles Standish State Forest in South Carver. This trail has few gentle slopes and a couple of looped paths with bodies of water, wildlife, and of course, forest. The park offers 16 ponds, wellmarked trails, and even tags on some of the flora to help identify various species.

Martha’s Vineyard If you’re looking for a day, or weekend, escape, Martha’s Vineyard is only an hour ferry ride from the New Bedford port, which is located at the end of Union Street. The ferries have climate-controlled cabins, a snack bar, and even technology to help ward off motion sickness. Once on the island you can enjoy the many restaurants, museums, lighthouses. And of course, don’t miss the over 100 year old Flying Horses Carousel.

stuck on campus?

By Korie Raucci

Regis Hairstylists For $35, you could get your usual thirty rack of Bud Light and a few nips, or you could get your hair washed, cut and styled. Regis Hairstylists offers a convenient and consistent salon for cheap – it’s better than getting a hack job at ProCuts.

Located in the Dartmouth Mall, Regis is open seven days a week and provides hair services including, cut, color, perm, and relaxer for both men and women add a deep condition to your shampoo for an extra $10. The salon also offers high-end products from Paul Mitchell and Redken. Call (508) 999-2222 to make an appointment.

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There is always something happening at UMass Dartmouth.

MONDAYS

TUESDAYS

If you’re in the mood to learn about the greatest flicks, UMD’s Film Club hosts their weekly meetings at 3:30pm. Stop by to get to know other film lovers and exchange knowledge about films from many different parts of the world.

Planning a spring break getaway? Just want to have a good workout? Whatever the reason, the campus fitness center has you covered – or sweating. The center offers cardio kickboxing class at 6pm to get your heartbeat racing.

And for the necessities...

SpeeDee Oil Change So SpeeDee might not be that old, greasy mechanic from the run-down repair shop at home, but it’s not exactly an expensive, corporate mechanic shop like Jiffy Lube or Midas. SpeeDee is right down the street from New York Bagel and offers a $5 discount with your UMass Pass. Plus, no appointment is necessary. So drive down next time your class gets cancelled.

SpeeDee is located at 197 State Road in Dartmouth.

photos clockwise: (1) David Group on Flickr, (2) Sooz on Flickr, (3) Davidd on Flickr, (4) Terri Oda on Flickr,

New Bedford Art Gallery And don’t forget the charming nearby New Bedford. The New Bedford Art Museum is located right downtown and consists of five galleries that are housed in a building that was a bank in its previous life. Exhibits vary, and artists are local, national, as well as international. There are three exhibit periods a year, so you can go every few months and see something new. And with the student discounted admission of $3, why not go often?

The Zeiterion If it’s a night on the town you’re after, you can stop at the lovely Zeiterion Theatre on Purchase Street. There you will find highquality plays, comedians, music, and many other shows, often featuring a well-known act or person. For the latest calendar of events, ticket prices, and directions, go to www.zeiterion.org.

Provincetown Attending school in Massachusetts makes us almost obligated to visit the spot where the Pilgrims first docked in 1620, before settling in Plymouth. Provincetown, nestled on the tip of Cape Cod, boasts year-round activities. These include a free nightly movie at The Harbor Hotel’s Whaler Lounge, walking tours, museums, and the Cape Cod National Seashore Park.

One of the newest museums in the area, built in 2004, is the Cape Cod Maritime Museum located at 135 South Street. The warm red walls invite you in to view the artifacts, painting, drawings, and biographies of former residents. The museum has permanent, as well as ever-changing temporary, exhibits and a student discount on admission is available.

WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS

Bring a friend, and immerse yourselves in the free, peaceful atmosphere of the Campus Center’s Reflection Room during weekly yoga class. Relax, and make the rest of the week pass by more quickly, for an hour starting at 3:30pm.

Learn about the bartender’s essentials, and sample them, too. At the Uncorked alcohol education series, you’ll get the chance to have all of your baffling beverage questions answered. The Birch Grill puts on this 21+ event at 5:30pm.

Prepare for the weekend by sitting in on a Stress Management class. At noon in the Campus Center’s Meditation Room, you’ll have an entire hour to learn different stressreducing methods to better cope with everyday worries.

(5) Kate Bingaman-Burt on Flickr, (5) Bradley P. Johnson on Flickr, (6) Daniel X. O’Neil on Flickr

New York Bagel Have you been craving a fresh-fromthe-oven everything bagel smeared with cream cheese? Are the flavorless frozen bagels at the grocery store just not cutting it? Well, New York Bagel is a mere five minutes from campus and has a plethora of different flavors. From salsa to cinnamon sugar, from chive cream cheese to strawberry, from bagel dogs to bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, New York Bagel brings a homemade taste to breakfast onthe-go. You can find New York Bagel at 272 State Road in Dartmouth.

Mirasol’s Café Halfway through September, you probably started missing that cutesy coffee shop in your hometown that offers iced coffee in flavors like Twix and chocolate coconut. Not to fear, Dartmouth’s very own Mirasol’s Café has plenty of interesting coffees if you’re not in the mood for a medium regular from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Try Mirasol’s signature coffee drink, the “Chippi,” or any other of their specialty lattes and chai teas. Mirasol’s is located at 439 State Road in Dartmouth. d

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What Will You Do Next Summer?

You’re hibernating, huddled next to the heater, wearing a sweater, and missing your flip flops. It’s hard to even imagine summer vacation. But try. Will you be carrying a beach bag, backpack or briefcase next summer?

By Ashley O’Brien Layout by Mary Chaffee

Photo by Gina M. Rampino

D

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o you have a job, internship, or volunteer position lined up?

Will you travel or study abroad?

Take summer classes? Get some R&R? There are so many options out there.

been wanting to learn a practical skill like auto repair, carpentry, cooking, or knitting. Think about learning CPR or First Aid. Summer is a great time to take a class or ask a friend to teach you a new skill.

Intern, Job-Shadow, or Work An internship can give you hands-on experience in your field and perhaps compensation or credits. It can even help validate your degree choice. Danielle Calaway, a UMass Dartmouth graduate student, switched her major to women’s studies as an undergraduate because, she said, “A few history internships sealed the deal for me as far as history jobs go, and made me completely abandon the field. I learned that while historic preservation is incredibly important, it is also really boring.”

Switching majors saved her time.

Job-shadowing lets you see what it’s like working a specific job. Angela Boffi called off plans to add a teaching certificate to her undergraduate English degree when she job-shadowed a kindergarten teacher - for just a day. “I did end up teaching in the end,” Boffi said, “but not five-year-olds.” Boffi now is pursuing a graduate degree in Professional Writing at UMass Dartmouth.

Talk to your advisor, visit Career Development Services (www.umassd.edu/cdc), or search online for opportunities. Consider a part-time job. It’s rewarding to your wallet, you’ll meet people, and it can help you develop professional skills.

Study Abroad Depending on your major, you could earn credits this summer in Sweden, Portugal, Italy, or India and explore a foreign culture. The deadline to apply for summer abroad programs is March 1. Visit www. umassd.edu/ipo/studyabroad.

Learn a New Skill Have you been meaning to learn how to play an instrument? Or maybe you’ve

Take a Summer Class Summer classes help you speed ahead or stay on track to graduate. Summer course time frames are more condensed.

Log on to COIN to see what’s available.

Vacation Travel locally to Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket and enjoy that “island mentality.” Plan a road trip and see the East Coast, or drive cross-country, visiting historic homes and other points of interest. Fly or cruise abroad to a site like the Egyptian pyramids, Mayan ruins in Mexico, or the Moai statues on Easter Island. Studentuniverse.com is a great site for cheap vacation opportunities.

Volunteer Look for local (or close-to-home) volunteering opportunities. If you want to volunteer abroad, sites like www.crossculturalsolutions.org, www.studentcity. com/volunteer, and volunteerabroad. studentuniverse.com offer inexpensive trips for students.

r e t h g i F a e k i L Fit

It’s time to get fit, but working out does not have to be a dreaded or unpleasant experience. In fact, you might be able to find a routine that you actually look forward to with shadowboxing.

By Steve Walsh

Long a reliable training method for fighters, shadowboxing can help anyone interested in becoming fit to get results. The best part about shadwoboxing is that there’s no need for expensive equipment or annoying DVDs. Space also is not an issue. As long as you can take a few steps forward and backwards, you’ll be fine. So, now that you’ve dragged yourself out of bed, returned home from a long day of work or class, or just have some down time, stand up in the center of your room and feel the burn!

Stance - If you are right-handed you will step back with your right foot and if you are lefthanded you will step back with your left foot. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, so feel free to step back with whichever feels most comfortable. You do not want to step directly back; instead, step diagonally. In this “fighting stance,” you want to make sure you feel balanced, so don’t step back too far.

Now bring both of your hands up to protect your chin. Your hands should stay by your chin at all times. The mindset must be that anytime you drop your hands, you become vulnerable. Whenever one hand leaves to throw a punch, the other stays close to home.

Jab - Whichever foot is forward determines which hand will throw the jab. The jab is a quick, snapping punch that helps judge distance. When you jab, step forward with your front foot. As your front foot hits the ground pull your punch back while your back foot steps and follows.

These do not have to be big steps.

Little increments are fine.

Cross - Your opposite hand is your power hand or cross. When you throw a cross, you want to turn your whole shoulder into it to maximize length. You also turn your hips. This is what works the core. Unlike the snapping jab, the cross takes more time to throw as it requires your whole body. Your goal is to still get your hand back to your chin as soon as possible.

Hooks - A third punch is the hook, which can be thrown with either arm but instead of fully extending your arm, your forearm is bent at the elbow creating an L shape. Your hand

should be positioned as if you are holding a coffee cup.

Do another set of ten punches adding the hook to your jab cross combination.

Now lead foot step and jab. Back foot step as you throw a cross.

Lead foot step again as you throw a hook and finish by stepping with the back foot. You want to keep an even number of footsteps to help with your rhythm.

Uppercut - The last punch to work is an uppercut. Keeping your knuckles turned away from you, swing your arm up toward the ceiling.

After you throw a hook is a perfect time to follow up with an uppercut. Because the hook requires you to twist your hips and shoulders, you now turn your hips in the opposite direction to throw your uppercut, which leaves your whole body feeling the workout.

So now we have jab and step, cross and step, hook and step, and finish with the uppercut and step.

With another set of ten you will have thrown 100 punches!

The Workout - Integrating these four punches into various combinations makes the workout. Doing three rounds that last three to five minutes should be sufficient for a quality workout.

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KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

By Ashley O’Brien Layout By Adam Orr

Y

ou’re on a first date. You started GChatting a few days ago, and though the person’s email address is potis-luck420@domain.com, you gave the person the benefit of the doubt. Soon after showing up late, though, this gum-snapping, foot-thumping, vulgarly dressed individual admits to lying and cheating in past relationships and professes to being too good for someone like you. You ask for the check after the appetizers. Unless you’re desperate, you won’t call again.

For human resource professionals and hiring managers, the first-date scenario is all too typical. They want people to act like themselves during job interviews, but “at their very best.”

Thinking about interviewing can make your palms damp. But you won’t be able to wipe them on your jeans during the interview; you’ll need to dress up for the occasion. And you’ll need to dress up a lot of other things, like your greeting, manners, composure, and conversational style. You’ll need to talk and shake hands with confidence (and eye contact).

But relax.

You’ve made it this far – you have a great education under your belt. That, along with some preparation and tips for interviewing (read on),will enable you to land a job you’ll love.

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Once your foot is in the door, all you need is a little confidence and a nice set of clothes

On Paper Cheryl Barrows, Vice President for Human Resources at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, said that landing a job requires more than a diploma. It requires energy, creativity, perseverance, and another piece of paper - the resume.

“Check to make sure your resume is spelled correctly and well-organized,” she said. Your resume should reflect your best skills and accomplishments, but arrange and closely edit the document.

“When applying for a position, students should tailor their resumes,” said Colleen Wetterland, Career and

Job Development Counselor at UMass Dartmouth’s Career Development Center.

Bring copies of it, and of your portfolio or samples of your work, if applicable.

But even waiting to get the interview can be frustrating. “When you submit an application, follow up,” said Barrows.

Hiring staff “will remember you and your continually expressed interest in the job. It’s important for graduates to be professionally persistent.”

Online Create a professional-sounding email address. And if you don’t think interviewers will Google you or search for you on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, think again. Hiring professionals sometimes weed out candidates based on their online personas, if they don’t fit the organization’s culture and values.

Online profiles can “often times make or break an invitation for an interview,” according to Wetterland.

On Preparedness “Do your homework before the interview,” said Wetterland. “Research the company you are interviewing for, and know its product and selling points.”

“It’s just as nerve-racking to be an interviewer as an interviewee,” said Catherine Gering, who has worked at a Providence-based handbag and jewelry manufacturer since she graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2010. Gering interviews internship candidates for the company and is responsible for picking the right people for her team.

“One thing I look for is that they learn about the company before the interview.

Most students just want an internship as something to put on their resumes, so they aren’t prepared. But companies don’t want to be just a stepping stone.”

Hiring professionals pick interns who are prepared for the interview and motivated to complement the company. And what applies to potential interns, also applies to entry-level candidates.

On Looking Though you may not be able to judge a book by its cover, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) claims that prospective employers are likely to judge a job candidate’s “cover,” which is

overall grooming and interview attire.

Dress in business formal. In most cases, you should wear a suit. According to Monster.com, “Conservative colors in various shades of blue and gray are best.

Wearing black to the interview could be viewed as too serious. If you do wear black, make sure another color is near your face to soften the look.” Your outfit should accentuate the fact that you’re a professional ready to take your career, and a new job, seriously.

On Impact Once you arrive, shake hands. Smile.

Make eye contact. Act polite and professional. And if the interviewer asks difficult questions, don’t rush into answering them and ramble on with your answers. Pause and consider the questions, and take your time with the answers.

Meredith Rodman, a 2010 UMass Dartmouth graduate, interned for the State Representative since she was a freshman, which led to her current job as the Representative’s Legislative Aide.

She considers her internship to have been an extended interview where she consistently displayed her diligence and preparedness. “What my boss said that made me stand out from other interns,” Rodman said, “was that I’m able to learn from my mistakes, eager to learn new things, and showed my maturity at such a young age. I understood that in order to catch my boss’s attention, I needed to be personable yet professional.”

“The candidate should remember to get all of the interviewers’ names during the interview,” said Wetterland, “so that when the interview is over, the candidate can send a nice thank-you note.” Make the thank-you note sincere.

On Board or Onward If you don’t get the job, keep looking, and don’t lose hope. “If you can begin looking for a job while finishing school, it’s great start,” said Wetterland.

“Consider working as an intern, especially if you haven’t already, which could open up a door to a job,” as it did with Rodman.

Internships can also give you the job skills and networking opportunities that will help get your feet wet in your industry. d

Photo by RobeRt Vega on Flickr

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ic la ss

K

ee

p

it

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By Courtney Morrey & Stevy Allen Layout by Kelsey Jacobsen

L

iving in one of the first areas in the United States to be inhabited by Europeans, we are surrounded by antiques and vintage goods. And as college students, we are always looking for good bargains. The problem is knowing where to find the quality items for a reasonable price. So, if you’re searching for a look with history embedded in the fabric, here are a few places that offer some really cool one-ofa-kind goods that won’t thin your wallet.

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(1) by Crazy House Capers on Flickr, (2) by Huzzah Vintage on Flickr, (3) by Starsantique on Flickr, (4) Sherry Rose on Flickr, (5) by Kate Bingaman-burt on Flickr, (6) by The Shopping Sherpa on Flickr, (7) by Hobvias Sudoneighm on Flickr, (8) by Shabbyscraps on Flickr

Circa Vintage Wear

73 Cove St. New Bedford, MA Searching for a look with history embedded into the fabric? Circa Vintage Wear is your place to shop. GQ Magazine named Circa Vintage Wear as one of the top 25 Vintage Stores of America and The Boston Globe recognized the store in a feature story.

This historical fashion boutique is just ten minutes from UMass Dartmouth.

Circa Vintage has a wide selection of men’s and women’s accessories, clothing, and shoes. Be prepared to spend all day looking through the treasures that owner Chris Duval has collected over 25 years: “It started as a New Year’s resolution. I had a real fascination with the quality of clothing made in the thirties and forties and decided to open a store with my then girlfriend [in] April of 1986.”

Duval’s collection is reasonably priced, “according to supply and demand.” You can find adorable purses for around $15 – $45 and authentic leather jackets for $125.

Building 19

19 Hathaway Road, New Bedford, MA Building 19 is a huge warehouse-style building with a flea-market feel. Again, there are great deals, but you have to do some digging to find quality items. One whole area is devoted to floor coverings that range from large hand-made oriental rugs to small machine-made mats.

Good finds: All sizes and shapes of reasonably priced rugs and carpeting. Some have minor imperfections, others are in flawless condition.

Calico

New Bedford Antiques at the Cove

127 West Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA Hundreds of off-site dealers present their goods in a very large showroom split into smaller rooms, giving it the feel of a rabbit warren with a surprise around every corner. As there are thousands of items all from different dealers, the quality and pricing can vary drastically. If you dig in and use patience, there are heaps of great deals.

Good finds: A gorgeous ornate dresser from the 1920s, in great condition, for just $85. You won’t find another like it, and, for that price, it sure beats IKEA.

Savers

1024 Kings Highway, New Bedford, MA This is a second-hand shop that carries everything from electronics to kitchen supplies to clothing. They also buy used goods from non-profit organizations. So not only will you be saving money by shipping at Savers, you’ll be doing a good deed.

Good finds: All baking goods and kitchen utensils can be found in near-new condition for about ¼ of the price.

173 Union St., New Bedford, MA Calico is a perfect balance of vintage clothing and modern fashion, conveniently located just eight minutes from UMass Dartmouth.

For fashionistas who like it new, Elissa Paquette buys from original venders such as Steve Madden and Cheap Mondays. For those who like it vintage, Paquette hand picks items from yard sales.

Paquette founded Calico in 2005. After seven years of business, she knows what her customers like. She modifies her vintage picks in order to make them feel more wearable.

Calico carries beauty products, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories.

Most dresses are under $45. Of course, the shoes and boots are a bit pricier, ranging from $30 – $189, but it’s easy to see why.

“For my higher price points, like Jeffrey Campbell shoes and other independent designers, I want things that are really special and well-made. Things that my customers will want to splurge on!”

What a Find

154 Huttleston Avenue, Fairhaven, MA This consignment shop has high-quality furniture, causing it to be a bit pricier than many of those other second-hand furniture shops. However, the prices are still less expensive than new furniture, and the longer an item is there, the lower the price drops.

Good finds: Full sets for bedroom or living room, so you can get everything in one go rather than searching around for items piece-by-piece. d

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By Jenny Kupper and Adam Turner Layout by Kelsey Jacobsen

Torches

by Foster the People

Crazy for You

by Best Coast

Culdesac

by Childish Gambino You may recognize Donald Glover as an actor on the quirky television show Community, but did you know that he’s also a talented and established rapper? Each song is heavily lyrically driven and often times includes samples from other artists’ songs, strategically mixed in, to create an intriguing new sound. Whether you love hip-hop and are interested in finding a new talent or you’re open-minded and looking for a more obscure type of rap, Childish Gambino may be just what you’re looking for. Some of Gambino’s tracks worth listening to are “Freaks and Geeks,” “Girl,” and “So Fly.”

Each song on the 2010-released Best Coast album Crazy for You is reminiscent of the Summer time and will surely put you in that summer state of mind despite the Massachusetts chill. The grainy vocals of Bethany Cosentino brings to mind a more beachy and pop-driven version of The Strokes. Go ahead, listen to Best Coast, put on your sunglasses, pour a margarita, and dream about the summer. It will be here sooner than you think. Must-hear tracks include Best Coast’s “Boyfriend,” “Bratty B,” and “Miss you.”

The King is Dead

by The Decemberists Kiss Each Other

by Iron & Wine

Bon Iver

by Bon Iver Bon Iver’s first album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was written and recorded by Justin Vernon in a secluded Wisconsin cabin during a self-imposed hibernation in the winter of 2006. His layered falsetto is instantly recognizable, but the album marks a thawing of his sound. The music is still very ambient in nature, but the occasional addition of electric guitar and the increased presence of horns gives the album a better sense of form than its predecessor. The percussion ranges from the simple, driving pulse found throughout “For Emma” to the military snare of “Perth,” the album’s opening track.

Have you ever heard a song that, from the moment it’s played, makes you want to get up and dance? Well, if not, then you need to check out the new alternative-dance group Foster the People and buy their energetic recent album Torches.

Every song from “Houdini” to “I’d Do Anything for You” will inevitably have you in a dancing mood. Tracks worth listening to include “I’d Do Anything for You,’’ “Pumped Up Kicks,” and “Miss You.”

While long-time fans of Samuel Beam’s whispered vocals and delicately woven guitar, slide, and banjo will likely be surprised by their absence on Iron & Wine’s fourth studio album, the move away from being a solo artist creates an experience that’s both completely unique and comfortably familiar. From the eclectic instrumentation, to the jazz and Latin influences, to the multi-layered vocal harmonies, Beam combines many disparate elements into something elegant.

The album opens strong with the swelling “I Was Walking Far From Home,” and devotees will find “Half Moon” to be more familiar territory.

Lauded for their blend of ’60s British folk revival, traditional Irish ballads, ’80s British Rock, and Americana storytelling, The Decemberists have found inspiration for their latest album – most of which was recording in a barn in Oregon – in more traditional American music. Though lacking some of the lyrical complexity of their earlier albums, the relative simplicity of The King is Dead is part of what makes it so charming. It’s difficult not to get caught up in the exuberance of “June Hymn” or picture the rousing chorus of “Rox in the Box,” an Irish-ballad inspired song about coal miners, shouted out before last call at the neighborhood tavern.

Embarrassed (...and it’s hilarious!)

at UMass

Hey there, toots!

When a star athlete is preparing for a big game, the last thing she needs is an embarrassing moment to haunt her. But Tess couldn’t see, or prevent, what was about to happen.

Tess and her friend Laura were stretching in the training room, getting in the zone for their upcoming volleyball match. Tess was the best player on the team, and she took special precautions to make sure she was in the best shape possible.

Laying on the stretching table, she asked the trainer, Kevin, to crack her back. Kevin requested that she sit at the edge of the table, and he got in position so that Tess’s back was pressed against his chest.

Right before Kevin began to manipulate her body, Tess yelled, “wait!” Kevin assumed the shriek meant she was sliding off of the table, and he was quick to prop up her butt with his knee.

But that wasn’t why she shouted wait.

Upon knee-to-bum impact, Tess let out a big one. And she wasn’t the only one in the training room. Cute jocks aplenty.

Her desperate attempt to make a silent release was ruined. And so was her reputation.

From that day forward, Tess was known as “Toots” by all the trainers, and her dreams of being surrounded by attractive athletes became her biggest nightmare.

No pain, no shame When you think of falling head-over-heels, it’s in love. But this time, it hurt. Allie had just left a class in the Liberal Arts building, and she was heading down to the first floor when disaster struck.

No one knows exactly how it happened, but all of a sudden she was tumbling face-first down the dirty cement stairs. Notebooks, binders, pens - and even her left shoe - were scattered around her sprawled body. It was like a CSI crime scene.

There was a mass of people around her moving between their classes, and from the cluster she could hear, “DUDE, are you okay?” But she was too afraid to look up and make eye contact with anyone. While she gathered up her belongings (and missing footwear), she noticed that her foot was bleeding. Could it get any worse?

She didn’t wait to find out. She walked over to the Science and Engineering building, praying that no humanities students would venture into foreign territory, saving her - at least for that day - from being recognized as the girl who came crashing down.

Bathroom Blooper Tim needed a bathroom. There was no time to lose. As a freshman, it was his first time in the Science & Engineering building, and he was asking every student he saw where the nearest restrooms were. Finally, he got an answer. “Bottom of the stairs to the left!”

Now, both the men’s and women’s bathrooms are, in fact, to the left of the stairs. Combine that with the fact that all men’s bathrooms are to the left in Liberal Arts building, along with the impending catastrophe that was consuming Tim’s thoughts, and it’s easy to understand how he could mistake the two doors.

As he threw the bathroom door open, he felt relief when he saw there was an open stall. After sitting down in the stall, he felt a different kind of relief.

His nightmare was finally over. That’s until he shoved his hand into the toilet paper dispenser and felt nothing but cardboard.

“All I thought was ‘shit!’” Clever.

Fortunately, he heard an ally in the stall next to him, and he had to man up and just ask, “Hey dude, mind tossin’ me some paper?” As a small hand with sparkly pink nails emerged from underneath the stall wall, his stomach felt funny again.

He looked up and saw female writing on the walls. “There was freakin’ poetry on the walls. I felt fucked.”

Had he seen any urinals when he sprinted into the stall? He didn’t know.

He said thank you, finished up, and emerged from the stall to see two wide-eyed, giggling girls staring. With nothing else to do, Tim nodded and left.

“I felt like an idiot, and I felt bad for those girls.” Now that’s a stinky situation.

By Christienne Santos Layout by Adam Orr

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