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October 23, 2007

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Vol. 80 Issue #8

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Inappropriate Use of Free Period Comes Under Scrutiny By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor According to the Rhode Island College Student Handbook, Free Period is defined as “every Wednesday from 12:30-2 p.m.” This is “a time slot during which classes are not scheduled” to promote involvement on campus. For Junior Casey Gaul, Anchor Layout Editor, class during Free Period has been a problem for two semesters. She has taken a class this fall during Free Period and is scheduled to take another in the spring: Art 227. “It’s tough being a socially active editor of the newspaper when a class during Free Period keeps me away from the weekly staff meeting,” said Gaul, a Graphic Communications major. Sophomore Joseph Roberge, the current Anchor Arts & Entertainment Editor and president of RIC Otaku, was frustrated at having class during free period last year. The class he took, COMM 232 (Intro. to Graphic Communications Tech.), was offered on Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.1:50 p.m. “It prevented me from attending organizational meetings for clubs I was a part of, especially since it was during my first semester here and the class was for my major,” said Roberge, who founded RIC Otaku last year. Classes during the established Free Period are, according to the RIC handbook, not supposed to be held. Students with class during Free Period are unable to attend events such as Student Activities Day, Freebie Wednesdays and the various workshops that are held at that time. Rhode Island College President John Nazarian said he was “disappointed” that

classes were being held during the Free Period. “Wednesday from 12:30-2 p.m. is a class-free period,” said Nazarian. “I didn’t know that classes are scheduled at that time.” Nazarian said that he does not endorse these classes and that he did not sign off on them. “That has not been authorized by this office,” he said. He said Free Period was “created specifically to schedule certain kinds of functions on this campus.” Otherwise, students “would not benefit from the services offered by this college.” “I would not approve” of the scheduling of classes during Free Period, he said. “That is against the policy of the College. Classes are not supposed to be scheduled at that time.” Kristen Salemi, director of Student Activities, was unaware that classes were being held during that time. “It was my understanding that Free Period was an intentional time that the College administration had set aside long ago for out-of-classroom experiences,” said Salemi. “I am sure that mounting demands for additional classes and facilities have driven the need to begin scheduling classes at that time, but hope that the new trend is discussed for re-evaluation,” she said. Which classes are held during Free Period? During the past three years, classes that were scheduled at that time were all Graphic Communications and Art courses, including Introduction to Graphic Communications (Spring 2005, Fall 2006), a Topics course (COMM/FILM 450 in Spring 2005) and Introduction to Art Education

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Great Teaching Puts Rhode Island College On the Map By David Matrisciano Anchor Editor This week, almost every Rhode Island College student will enroll for classes. Most students here go to two websites when they enroll. The first is obviously RIC’s Online Services. The second is www.ratemyprofessors.com. This website gives an overview on the professors you are going to choose, with reviews by other students who have taken courses with the professor. It is quite simple. The professors are rated on a scale of one to five in four different categories. The four categories are easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and the rater’s interest. The latter is how interested in this subject the rater was when they took the course. There is also another category that is optional; the hotness total. This website has 574 of RIC’s teachers on file. Donna Christy, a mathematics professor at RIC has had the honor of being ranked number three in the country by her students out of more than one million other professors in the United States. Ratemyprofessors.com is run by mtvU, a television channel that is on a vast majority of campuses in the country. The methodology of ranking these professors as quoted by the actually website is as follows: “RateMyProfessors.com uses a five-point Likert scale, as well as a binary scoring system, for student-generated professor ratings. For each of the professor lists, each individual rating value was first standardized around its mean. Using the standardized scores from the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 to date, weighted scores were computed using the following weights: 15% for 2005, 25% for 2006 and 60% for 2007. The weighted score reflects a combined, long-term performance rating of just over a two-and-one-half years, with an emphasis on the most recent ratings.” For full details on how the top lists are compiled, visit http://www.rate-

myprofessors.com/methodolog.jsp. To give a background on Christy, she is a RIC alumna with a double major B.A in mathematics and eco-

Photo Courtesy of Barry Nickerson

nomics in 1979. She received her M.A.T from RIC in 1985. She rounded off her education with a Ph.D. in math education from Boston University in 1989. She says that she tells students while picking classes that “sometimes students like a teacher, sometimes they don’t. The students should take what fits and, in the case of the math department, everyone in the department cares. ”She also told us that the math department here at Rhode Island College has several teaching awards by student evaluation. She also said that one thing that the department focuses on is accreditation; mainly because this is the best school for teaching in the state. She also said that “it’s great to get RIC on the map. It’s never about me. It’s about the students, the college, and the department. The department has high respect, good cooperation throughout. All have a tremendous regard from their students.” One of her points she pointed out was that “students make us want to come in. Our job is to show that you care and make class fun; make it like a community. I tell my students: leave everything at the door and come in for two hours or so of relaxation and learning.” One RIC student that gave Christy great reviews said, “I would have never taken calculus unless it was with her. She is there to help. There’s a lot of homework but she is so flexible on when you hand it in. You can hand it in whenever you want and she doesn’t mind. There is no pressure in her class. There are quizzes and a lab or two but they help you for the tests. She tells you exactly what is going to be on the test.” Another said, “Dr. Christy is by far the best professor that I have ever had in school; not just in college. She made math fun and educational and her tests are easy as long you study. She is so helpful and caring and she just makes math a fun subject. She really knows what she is doing and I would refer her to everyone who needs to take math 143 or 144.”

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Tidbits Stitch ‘n’ Bitch Tuesday, October 23, 4-6 p.m. Women’s Center

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October 23, 2007

Ducey Student Media Center Student Union Plaza Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue Providence, R.I. 02908

Life Skills: Sewing Tuesday, October 23, 5 p.m. Student Union Learn How to Make Pants! Anchor Meeting Every Wednesday, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Ducey Media Center HORRORWEEN Wednesday, October 24, 7-11 p.m. Student Union Ballroom Sponsored by The Anchor, Programming & more! Event is free, come check it out! Six Flags Fright Fest Saturday, October 27, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sponsored by Student Activities See the Welcome and Information Center Tickets are $25!

contacts & fine print General ...............401.456.8280 Advertising...........401.456.8544 Fax.....................401.456.8792 Web ...........www.anchorweb.org General Info .info@anchorweb.org The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007, The Anchor. If you are a student organization and would like to have an event covered, please contact The Anchor at managing@anchorweb.org.

News

October 23, 2007

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THE ANCHOR

Forty Years Under Che’s Spell By Bienvenue Ndahiriwe Anchor Staff “I know you have come to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.” These are reportedly the words uttered by Ernesto Guevara De La Serna, known to us as “Che,” as he was about to be executed on October 9, 1967 by the Bolivian army subjected to CIA orders. Although more than forty years have elapsed since his death, Che Guevara’s memory has persisted in a way very few could or would have anticipated. A photograph of an unshaved Che, “staring out of the shot with glowering intensity” with “a single-starred beret pulled over his unruly hair” has been reproduced on an endless list of objects. From the Che cigarettes in Peru, to the bikinis in Brazil, to wallets and lighters made in China, to Che-signed Cuban banknotes and coins, and T-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, and posters all over the world, Che Guevara’s figure has become “perhaps the most reproduced, recycled and ripped off image of the 20th century.” Yet, this apotheosis of Che’s image has contributed to the disappearance of the real man and the emergence of a myth. Born on June 14, 1928, in Argentina to middle-class parents, Che grew to study medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. As a college student, Che Guevara went on many trips throughout Latin America. Appalled by the rampant poverty, ruthless dictatorships that beset the region, and indescribable injustice experienced by indigenous people, Che Guevara, a Marxist at heart, came to the conclusion that the only solution to Latin America’s woes was an armed revolution. From 1954 to his death in 1967, Che Guevara engaged in revolutionary movements in Cuba and Congo in Africa. While he, along with Fidel Castro, met with success in Cuba by overthrowing the iron fist rule of Fulgencio Batista, his contribution to the Congolese cause resulted in a blatant failure. Overall, much of Che’s life has been the subject of heated debate and controversies. Will Grant, a correspondent of the BBC, reports that the prevailing opinion in Miami is that Che Guevara is no hero, certainly not a rebel, and definitely not a revolutionary. “Many people [in Miami] see Che Guevara as a brutal guerrilla who brought to Cuba nothing but misery with communist ideals.” Talking about Che Guevara’s legend, Felix Rodriguez, a former CIA operative and member of the team that carried out the capture and execution of Che states: “Most people don’t know about the real Che Guevara- the Che Guevara who wrote he was thirsty for blood, the Che who assassinated thousands of people without any regard for any real legal process.” However, Che Guevara is and remains an inspirational figure for others. From presidents Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, to Evo Morales of Bolivia, former boxer Mike Tyson, and the thousands of “Guevarists” around the world, Che Guevara’s legend lives on. His political beliefs of the nationalization of key industries, popular movements, and dreams of total liberation for the “wretched of the earth” are more relevant than ever in a world with nearly three billion people living on less than two dollars a day and an era of harsh globalization coupled with a disenfranchisement of Third World countries.

Interview with Jen Magaw on WSO’s Lawsuit Settlement By Paula Richer Anchor Staff Many of us are still reeling in the wake of last month’s big campus news – that the Women’s Studies Organization (WSO) reached a settlement with Rhode Island College over the alleged violation of their First Amendment rights. Stemming from the college’s removal of the WSO’s on-campus signage promoting an event that supported reproductive freedom, a lawsuit was filed by the WSO with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and volunteer attorney, Jennifer Azevedo. The event in question took place in December of 2005 when the WSO erected a number of signs near the entrance road to the college which stated activist slogans such as “Keep your rosaries off our ovaries” and “Our bodies, our choice.” A Catholic priest who arrived on the property to celebrate mass at the home of RIC President, John Nazarian, complained about the signs; at which time Nazarian ordered their removal. The settlement requires Rhode Island College to pay the WSO five thousand dollars in addition to pay $6350 for legal fees. The college has also instated a new policy for all campus signage that allows only event names and campus directions to be on the signs. Additionally, all signs must be made by the college. Interestingly, event sponsors will continue to have the right to name their own events. The college has also denied any liability in the dispute over First Amendment rights. The dust has settled a little now and we’ve all had a chance to mull it over. But before you make your opinion on the matter concrete, let’s listen in on an interview with the President of the WSO, Jennifer Magaw. Jennifer, who was a freshman WSO member at the time of the incident, has said that the episode will not deter her organization from its continuing activism. Richer: RIC spokeswoman, Jane Fusco has stated that this ‘…was a matter of miscommunication...that has now been clarified’ and that ‘Throughout (this)

entire matter, Rhode Island College has always supported the First Amendment rights of its students and will continue to do so.’ What do you make of her comment?” Magaw: Well it was a miscommunication that violated our free speech rights so it doesn’t matter what led to it - in the end it was a violation. Every time we tried to put up those signs…we did it by their rules, we did it by our own rules. It didn’t matter if we played their game or not…they wouldn’t let it happen. Richer: Do you expect that, for future events, you will continue to create directional signage, using the new signage rules of course, with still highlycharged titles like the one that led to this lawsuit? Magaw: We’re not going to go out of our way to have an offensive or controversial title but that’s just who we are. The people in the group want people to notice and it’s not to get attention; it’s just to use the most effective title. And we know we’re going to make our own signs and put them up in other places where it’s still ok to put up signs. Richer: Tell me about the event you’re planning to celebrate the win. Magaw: We’re thinking of two different things; a celebration just for the people who were involved to go out and have fun, and also something on campus because a lot of people still have questions about this. They don’t understand what’s going on, which is really too bad. We’re going to try to pull some event together for them. Richer: Now for the fun question. What are your plans for the money? Magaw: There have been lots of suggestions (like going to Washington, D.C.) but I think it should be spent on something that’s in the same sphere as the original thing like a really progressive event with a really radical message…something that has to do with a woman’s right to her body. We want to keep same kind of theme as the last one.

How to Get in the Game and Stay in it By Ashley Dalton Anchor Staff “How to Get in the Game and Stay in it” was presented by Harambee, a student run organization on campus. When asked about the goals of the organization, the president of Harambee, Joshua Laguere, said, “I want the students to leave the event understanding that people do want to help them graduate on time. They also need to know that we aren’t on this road alone.” Marco McWilliams, a RIC student majoring in African American studies, took on the role of panel moderator. He commented that “it’s my hope to expand students’ awareness of self-determination and education.” Members of the discussion panel included Jerome Thompson, Aaron Bruce, Americo Monteiro, Reza Clifton, Mrs. Nkoli Onye, Mary Harrison, and Jacqueline Barbosa. McWilliams posed a variety of in-depth questions to the panel in order to stimulate conversation among the board and the audience. The starting question was “How do you stay in the game and survive freshman year?”

The answers to this question varied among the panel board. Aaron Bruce, the director of the Unity Center, said that “this is not a game. It’s the most serious stage in your life. There’s no more time for games. It’s sad knowing that across the country, more prisons are being built than schools. Opposition to success needs to be taken seriously and dealt with immediately.” Americo Monteiro commented that “school is an investment, and the best way to avoid failing is to manage one’s time efficiently.” This statement was followed up by Mrs. Nkoli Onye. She stated, “Students need to put more time and effort into the things they do if they ever want to succeed.” Mary Harrison, President and CEO of the Child Crusade organization, said that “nothing comes from doing nothing.” The key points stated and agreed upon by everyone were that, in order for all students to succeed, they must be willing to form relationships with authority figures, demonstrate self- discipline, and be willing to find the courage to advocate their own voice. Bruce expressed the consensus best, saying, “Don’t leave until you get the answers you’re looking for.”

News

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October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

What’s Special about Today? By Jessica Albaum Anchor Editor October National Popcorn Popping Month Popcorn Popping Month is celebrated in October because it marks the last time that farmers go out into the fields and harvest their crops. Celebrating this special month includes making popcorn treats and learning about its nutritional value. October 23 National Mole Day This day is celebrated each year by chemists everywhere from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. on October 23. It was created to honor Avogadro’s number (6.02x10^23). This is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Teachers and students celebrate by holding events that focus on chemistry and/or moles. For more information go to www.moleday.org. October 24 United Nations Day This day came into existence in 1948 and has been celebrated every October 24 since. On this day, it is especially important to let it be known the aims that the United Nations has in creating world peace. October 25 World Pasta Day October 25 is dedicated to making the world focus its attention on pasta and how it contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Many events and celebrations are held on this day to help promote the importance of having pasta in one’s diet. October 27 Make a Difference Day Make a Difference Day is celebrated every 4th Saturday in October. On this day, millions of volunteers come out and help with projects all over the nation. Many are honored for doing their part. For information about events going on near you or to register an event, go to www.usaweekend.com

FREE PERIOD, FROM FRONT (Fall 2005). The two Art courses, Art 226 and 227, had actually been given special permission four years ago to run during the Free Period, according to Dennis McGovern, Associate Director of Records and staff member in charge of scheduling. McGovern said, “Nobody should be teaching during Free Period during the spring.” McGovern said that he requested that the Art Department move Art 227 to another time slot. “Outside of that one course there should be nobody,” said McGovern. Professor Nancy Bockbraker, Chair of the art department, said the reason the two art courses are run during Free Period is because the art department only has access to Whipple’s Macintosh lab (WH105) on Mondays and Wednesdays. Because Art 226 and 227 are elective courses, they are the ones that are scheduled to meet during Free Period. “The instructor of these courses is aware that Wednesday is Free Period and will allow students who belong to organizations to participate as much as possible,” said Bockbraker. “Compromise is required however, and all course work must be completed as assigned.” The Student Activity Fee is a $45 fee that every fulltime student annually pays with their tuition. This fee sponsors those events that occur during Free Period, such as Freebie Wednesday. This fee also sponsors the student-run organizations on this campus. Students who take those two art classes are able to participate in activities. Thus, students who elect to take Art 226 and 227 are ideally able to participate, with the consent of their professor to leave class early. However, those students who took classes outside the art department’s special courses were not given that privilege. “I asked, but I was not allowed to leave my class early for meetings,” said Roberge, who took COMM 232 during Free Period in Fall 2006. Dr. Harriet Magen, chair of the communications department, said that “the communications department does not schedule classes during the Free Period. Furthermore, in order to allow our faculty members to advise their student organizations, we do not schedule department faculty meetings during the hour. Our de-

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partment meetings are on Thursday.” However, Roberge, who had a class from the communications department during Free Period last fall, was not allowed to leave class early in order to participate in activities. “I felt it was damaging to not be allowed to go to organizations and meetings because, as a freshman, it’s hard enough to make friends as it is,” said Roberge. Graphic comm. major and Graphics Editor of the Anchor, Christine Cabral, was in COMM 232 with Roberge. Cabral said she was not allowed to leave her graphic communications class early. “We had [COMM 232] Wednesday and Friday, so we wanted to leave early and make up the work Friday,” said Cabral. “We asked, but that was not allowed.” By paying the Student Activity Fee, the students who took COMM 232 that semester paid for a service that was unavailable to them. Several deans and chairs of various liberal arts departments were contacted and asked whether their departments ran class during Free Period. Professors from departments and schools such as computer information systems, accounting, health and physical education, political science, English, psychology, mathematics and computer science, philosophy, nursing, modern languages and sociology all said their departments never have offered classes during the Free Period. Dr. Nazarian is the senior professor of mathematics at Rhode Island College. He said that when he was in charge of scheduling the mathematics courses each semester, he would schedule around Free Period. Jane Williams, Dean of the School of Nursing, said that she supports maintaining Free Period as free as a way to promote student involvement in campus life. “We believe involvement in activities in the School of Nursing and on campus enriches the student experience in important ways and encourage students to participate,” said Williams. Dr. Maureen Reddy, chair of the English department, said that it is enormously important for students to participate in as many campus activities as possible and that Free Period offers the one possibility for scheduling activities that will not conflict with classes. “I believe most English faculty would like to have more than one college-wide free period, as we have so many activities, events, committee meetings, etc., that it’s hard to fit them all in,” she said.

Sports

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October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

Anchorwomen Continue League Dominance By Samantha Whitson Anchor Contributor On Saturday morning in the Murray Center, RIC hosted the Keene State College Owls for the 2007 Little East Conference Women’s Volleyball Regular Season Championship. The Owl’s 3-0 win brought their overall record to 19-10 with a perfect 6-0 in league standings. Facing the loss, the Anchorwomen now have a 15-13 record and are 2-2 in the Little East Conference. At the beginning of game one, RIC started out strong with a seven point lead. However, Keene State came back strong to defeat RIC 30-28. Game two started with a rapid lead by Keene, but RIC was quickly able to tie up the score. The teams competed for the win with a consistent two or three point separation. In the end, Keene took the game with a 30-24 score. The third game didn’t open up well for RIC as Keene took a 5-1 lead. The Anchorwomen tried to pick up the pace with diving digs by libero Jackie Gervais and middle blocker Mikaela Smith; both sophomores. However, Keene took the game with a 30-16 lead and won the match. Sophomore Carly Newton and Junior Brittany O’Bryant of Keene State led their team with 14 and 10 kills, respectively. RIC’s Kimiyo Garcia (Senior middle blocker) led the team with 11 kills and 8 digs while freshman Nicole Enos (setter) had 15 assists and 6 digs. In future matches, RIC will be hosting Connecticut College on Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. Seniors Sherri Head (hitter) and setters Amy Souza and Jeanne Rosa and their families will be honored before the start of the first game. After their win this week, Keene State will move onto the Bridgewater State Invitation on Friday, October 26.

PROVIDENCE SPORTS BEAT By Kam Spaulding Anchor Staff This will be a weekly column to talk about sports in the city in Providence. I’ll be covering all the high school, college, and professional sports in the city. It’s a good season for sports here in the city. Two of the biggest sports are just starting up: the Bruins hockey team and the PC Friars in college hoops. So let’s get right to it. The PC Friars are looking to have a good season. I was there for their midnight madness last week and the team looked fired up. The school rivaled their enthusiasm. The team has just signed a deal with WEEI to broadcast all their games on the radio. This team could give them plenty to talk about. This year’s team returns four starters and is getting some preseason national attention. To me, the success of this team starts and ends with Junior guard Weyinmi Efejuku. He is an electrifying player that can bust a game open at any point. When he plays well, the team plays well. When he doesn’t play well, not so much. I hate to play favorites but I love to watch Ray Hall play basketball. He is the big man in the middle for the Friars this

season. I don’t know what it is, but whenever he checks into a game you feel like he is going to show you something. The preseason hasn’t all been perfect. Guard Sharaud Curry is out for six weeks. Although the injury hurts, there is plenty of depth at the point. Look for Dwain Williams to step right into the role. This kid looks like a keeper. One other note on this team—if you’re looking for some good dunks this year, keep one eye on Freshman Jamine Peterson. The Providence Bruins are off to a good start. Now, I know that not everyone gets into hockey but get down there and check these guys out. They are off to a 3-0 start and have looked strong so far. Goaltender Tuukka Rask is playing well with 56 saves to date. The attack has been well balanced. I’m looking for a firstclass year from these guys so check them out. How about them Bulldogs? The Bryant University Bulldogs football team is on fire. They are 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in the northeast for Division II football, according to the latest poll. This is the highest ranking in the regional poll for the Bryant football program. What adds to it is that the Bryant program is only eight years old. So hats off to them and best of luck for the rest of the season. To wrap it up, here are the highlights of the next week so get out there and see what’s up in Providence sports. Cant Miss of The Week: Brown vs. Penn, great football game on Saturday at 12:30 One More, If You Please: PC Friars Hoops Kick Off is Saturday at 3:30 in Alumni Hall Free entertainment. Off the Beaten Path: Not much this week but I’ll get you next week.

RIC EQUESTRIAN FINISHES FOURTH AT THE BROWN/ROGER WILLIAMS COMPETITION By Kelsey Kanoff Anchor Contributor The Rhode Island College Equestrian Team competed in their second IHSA horse show of the fall season. Even without enough team members to fill every division, RIC managed to finish an outstanding fourth in the region for the day. First to ride in the Intermediate Flat division was Kelsey Kanoff who placed third in her class. The next division was Novice with Nancy Saucier performing exceptionally well and placing second in her class. Riding in the Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter division for RIC were Amanda Dante, Brittney Karns, and Jessica DosSantos. All three riders placed an amazing second in their respective classes. With her second place finish, Dante pointed up to the Novice division.

In the last Flat division of the day, Walk/Trot, Karla Dias earned another exceptional second place finish; pointing her up to Beginner Walk/Trot/Canter. Also competing in this division were Kerrie Miller, Stacey Cofone, and Tek Ung. Cofone earned a sixth place finish. Kanoff rode again in Intermediate Over Fences; winning her class. With her first and third place finishes, she qualified for the ride-off at the end of the day in which she placed third. For the first time in RIC Equestrian history, the team was full with at least one member competing in every division, Open through Walk/Trot, in competition at the University of Connecticut on October 20. There, Christine Skibski made her debut in Novice Over Fences.

RIC Hockey Team Takes Great Strides Against Southern Connecticut By Mike Simeone Anchor Staff On Friday night the Rhode Island College hockey team took on the Southern Connecticut State University Owls at the Smithfield Hockey Rink. The last time the hockey team played SCSU they lost 12-3, so they were definitely looking for some payback. RIC made a game of this one. The first goal was pretty spectacular. SCSU had the puck in RIC’s zone, RIC intercepted the puck, and took it down to SCSU’s zone to put one in. SCSU quickly returned the goal. The first period ended with the score at 4-2. The second period was pretty uneventful; ending with the score 6-3. The third period started off with a huge bang. SCSU came out and scored two quick. RIC only managed to respond with one goal, making the score 7-5. SCSU added two more later in the period, tying the score up 7-7. The score stayed this way until about a minute and 42 seconds left in the period when RIC got the puck and put the game-winning goal in. SCSU pulled their goalie and RIC got on another breakaway to score the insurance goal. The game ended with a score of 9-7 and RIC getting their first win of the season. The MVP of this game was Dan Nadeau whom scored 5 of RIC’s 9 goals. The next home game is this Friday at 7:30p.m.

October 23, 2007

Sports

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THE ANCHOR

Sox, Rockies Set To Meet For World Championship By Samantha Whitson Anchor Contributer October 2007 will forever mark the Colorado Rockies’ unexpected reception of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) title. Coming up from last place in 2006, this dark horse team has somehow managed to make their way into the World Series. Winning 21 of their last 22 games, the Rockies have baffled everyone in the MLB world; including themselves. Explanations for their success range from divine intervention to pure and simple hard work but one thing is for sure—the Rockies have the golden ticket. Back in September, a Rockies minor league coach, Mike Coolbaugh was hit and killed by a foul ball. In his honor, his jersey was hung in the Rockies’ dugout and Coolbaugh’s two sons threw the ceremonial first pitches. Miraculously, the temperature at the game dropped nearly 20 degrees and wind gusts reached as high as 30 mph. Then, a power failure delayed the game. This did little to hinder the Rockies’ success as they won 2-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies. Clint Hurdle, Colorado’s manager, may also be giving the Rockies a bit of help from beyond. Hurdle, who had grown close to a 15-year-old cancer victim, Kyle Blakeman. Blakeman’s football number, 64, has been written and circled at the top of every lineup card. To Hurdle’s astonishment, the final score of the last NLCS game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was 6-4 with all six runs being scored in the fourth inning.

What’s more is that, in baseball, Blakeman’s jersey number was 21. As previously mentioned, the Rockies’ have won 21 of their last 22 games, the 21st of which being their last game against Arizona. Skeptics may refute the team’s angelic connections but it’s difficult to argue that the Rockies’ haven’t pulled together to play as a tight-knit powerhouse baseball team. This team is no longer known as a group of somewhat specialized players who are unable to meld and get the job done. This year, they’re scoring with 10-5 wins by playing offensively. They’re winning games 2-1 by maintaining a strong defense and allowing only three hits in their first NLCS game against the Diamondbacks. Diving catches, fast base runners, and accurate pitches have all helped carry the team out of the shadows and into the limelight of the World Series. The Rockies may have picked up the pace during their practices and games, but they do have a significant home field advantage. Because of Colorado’s strange climate, all of the team’s baseballs are stored in a humidor to prevent any swelling or cracking. When this practice began five years ago, the stadium saw just over 230 hits fly out of the park. This was the lowest number ever. Visiting teams unfamiliar with these conditions are put in a tough spot while the Rockies have practiced and become accustomed to the changes. Other teams in the league have also started using this method to create a blanket standard. Regardless of their comfort at home, the Rockies have proven that they can hold their own across the league during their away games. Whether consistent hard work and determination has gotten the Rockies to the World Series or divine intervention has played a part, the Rockies have still made their mark. With a nine day wait between their last NLCS game and the first of the World Series, some people wonder if the Rockies will lose their momentum before it’s really needed. They have been able to move up so quickly in the past two months. Even expecting the unexpected isn’t quite good enough for the Rockies. At this point “seeing is believing” might not apply. The Rockies’ have just blown typical baseball out of the water.

FOX ON FIRE: WEEK 8 NFL PICKS Bills just squeaked by in the first meeting, they’re playing at Giants Stadium this time; thus giving the Jets an advantage they really need. Also, with a struggling Bills team, the Jets should be able to pull off a badly needed win. Winner: J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

By Ryan Fox Anchor Staff Hey everybody, sorry about the very long hiatus. Without further ado, here are the Fox’s picks for Week 8 Sunday 1:00 PM Games Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans: Though most people count the Titans out because of the injury to quarterback Vince Young, they have a strong defense and reliable running game to help them out for this match up. Winner: Titans. Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams: The Rams are just playing horrendously on both sides of the ball. And much to their dismay, the Browns have been playing a very explosive game offensively behind quarterback Derek Anderson. Winner: Browns. New York Giants at Miami Dolphins (in London, England): It’s going to be a showdown in jolly ol’ London between the G-men and the flopping fish. However, the Giants have been on a hot streak led by their sackhappy defense and an offense with a trio of pound-theball running backs. Expect the G-men to dine on some fish n’ chips during their game in London. Winner: Giants. Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals may have the best receiving corps in the NFL but they also have one of the worst defense. Expect Pittsburgh to march up and down the field and knock around Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer on defense. Winner: Steelers Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: The only advantages that the Bears have is home field advantage and Devin Hester. Aside from that, you’ve got two horrible quarterbacks, a draft-bust running back, a hobbling receiver core, and a defense that shows up once in a while. Expect Detroit to exploit the many weaknesses on the Bears squad. Winner: Lions. Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers: Though the

Colts have been wracked with injuries to key starters on both sides of the ball, they still find a way to pull out a win. Against a Panthers defense that shows up whenever they feel like it, expect Colts quarterback P. Manning to have a big game and torch the pussycats. Winner: Colts. Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has shown that he’s the real deal. But, then again, it’ll come down to which Philly team shows up. If it’s the Philly team that crushed the Lions, then it’s going be the Eagles. But if it’s the Philly team that was devastated by the Giants, then the Vikings will win. However, I’m sure that the Philly team who crushed the Lions will show up in this one. Winner: Eagles. 4:05 PM Games Houston Texans at San Diego Chargers: San Diego now has a wide receiver threat with the acquisition of Chris Chambers. Combined with the dangerous running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, and tight end Antonio Gates, expect the Chargers to surge past the Texans in this match up. Winner: San Diego “Super” Chargers Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While both teams have been playing well this season, the Buccaneers have been playing exceptionally well despite being devastated with injuries to their running back corps. However, they have shown that even that problem and aging players, they can still contend with everybody else. Expect Tampa Bay to overwhelm the Jaguars on both sides of the ball. Winner: Buccaneers. Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: A tough divisional match-up between two AFC East teams. Even though the

4:15 PM Games Washington Redskins at New England Patriots: I’m not going lie to you. Washington has no chance whatsoever to beat the Pats at Gillete Stadium. The Patriots have too much of an overwhelming offense and a defense full of playmakers ready to swarm a struggling Redskins offense. You might as well just watch something else since we all know what the result will be. Winner: Pats New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers: The Saints have started to come into their own offensively now with improved play by quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush. Though the 49ers have some playmakers on offense like running back Frank Gore, their defense has yet to make a name for itself. Expect the Saints to roll into San Francisco and come out with an add in the win column. Winner: Saints. Monday Night 8:30 PM Game Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos: Lead by their talented defense and by ageless wonder quarterback Brett Farve, the Packers have been riding high this season. The Broncos, on the other hand, have been struggling as of late with injuries, their starting running back, Travis Henry, getting into trouble with the league officials, and little to no signs of improvement to help fix their problems on defense. Expect a strong Packers team to go into Denver and bag up a win on Monday night. Winner: Packers.

October 23, 2007

ComicS

Pages 8-9

Iron Chef: A Tasty Delight By Marah Roach Anchor Editor Twelve college students and a chance to impress the judges with their cooking skills; no, this is not a new reality show. Student Activities hosted Iron Chef on Tuesday October 16th in the Student Union Ballroom. It was yet another fun and unique event held at RIC. Three groups of about

four students competed to win the title of Iron Chefs. Each had aprons on, determination in their eyes, and two burners to cook on. The catch, or shall we say, the main ingredients that they all had to use somehow, were pumpkin and pineapple. Each team used these ingredients in a unique way. Groups 1 and 2 had awesome tasting dishes; both using penne. Group 2’s plate was filled with penne covered in cooked salsa and also pumpkin with crème and sun-dried tomatoes.

Group 3 had bowtie pasta with a side dish that I simply did not care for. The teams had 15 minutes to plan their dish, a halfhour to cook, and ten minutes to plate and serve. While the teams were cooking, witty and enthusiastic student Sam Poku served as the energetic commentator who did an excellent job relating to the audience and covering the actions of the chefs. Eight hand-picked students served as judges or taste-testers. They went around tasting all the chefs’ creations and then voted. They voted on presentation, taste, use of the main ingredient, complexity of the dish, and team unity on a scale of 1-

4, with 1 being the worst and 4 being the best. Group 3 won over the crowd and received the official title of RIC Iron Chefs and their pictures on a banner in Donovan saying so as an award. Also, they received a Healthy Habits for Life cookbook and a Student Activities T-shirt. It was a fun night for everyone who attended and the ballroom lured in students with the wonderful aromas of great food. Hats off to the Chefs!

Photos Courtesy of Mike Shiel

Opinions

Page 12

October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

All opinions in The Anchor are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Anchor. We urge all members of the RIC community to take advantage of The Anchor’s editorial pages and send us their opinions. We remain true to our motto “free access to ideas and full freedom of expression”. Submissions must be under or around 700 words. Since we receive so many letters each week, entries will be published based on relevancy and time sensitivity. All entries are considered and carefully read.

Fire, Fire, Everywhere By Kaitlyn Brien Anchor Contributor “We are not having any more fire drills. When the alarm goes off, get out of the building.” Brian Lalli, the Assistant Director of Residential Life and Housing, is serious. This article is in response to the three previously issued articles regarding the fire alarms in the New Residence Hall. There are some things that should be corrected and some facts that should be presented in regard to the fire alarm systems in the Rhode Island College residence halls. I have actually spoken with Theresa Brown, Director of Residence Life and Housing, Brain Lalli, the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing, and Dominik Licygiewicz, the Hall Director of the New Residence Hall. First of all, there have been a total of seven fire alarms that have gone off in the New Hall; not eight. There were two planned fire drills, as required by law, one alarm due to burnt popcorn, one alarm due to burnt bread, and two fire alarms that went off due to a “dirty” detector. These last two were back to back. The fire alarm system in the New Residence Hall was designed to the new fire code. Therefore, the system passed all fire safety standards. “The system is not faulty,” said Licygiewicz. The alarms are loud, but that is for the student’s sake only. It makes people get out of the building regardless of the time of day. As for the strobe flashes in the sensor, they are synchronized at a pace in which the law designs and are there for the hearing impaired. I believe that personal information about a health condition, which was released in an earlier article, should not have been stated without the permission of the student. The New Hall is well ventilated. The HVAC systems, the ventilation systems, are supposed to shut down when the fire alarm goes off so that fire or smoke does not spread throughout the building. This is required by fire codes. As for the mentioned “hundreds” of students outside at 1 AM, the student count was actually between seventy and eighty. On a positive note, Rhode Island College Residence Life is working with fire safety technicians to create safety stickers with cooking strategies on them to place on all microwaves. Also, students should plan to attend Microwave 101 events planned by Resident Assistants. The Anchor audience should be aware of the fact that the previous articles were opinion-based.

Racism in the System By Kimberly Puleo Anchor Staff Racism is an ugly thing that is clearly still evident in American culture today. One just has to look at the past two hundred or so years of American history to see how racism has overtaken our country. Some think that it has just gone away. That is not necessarily true. One has only to take a look at what is happening in a small town in the state of Louisiana. In this small town, there sits a tree just by a high school. Why would a tree outside a high school be important to the telling of how racism is clearly still evident in our culture? Well, this tree is known as the “white tree.” It is known as such due to the fact that only white kids sit there; no blacks have ever sat there until a black student asked to sit there recently. To make a long story short, the administration told him that he could sit anywhere and he did just that. However, awaiting the black students upon arriving at school the next morning were nooses hanging from the “white tree.” This started controversy and the principal wanted to expel the white boys responsible. That is not what happened, however; the white boys only got a slap on the wrist. What makes this story even more absurd is the fact these white boys only got a slap on the wrist and, when an altercation between a group of black boys and one white boy occurred, resulting in the hospitalization of the white boy, the blacks were charged with second degree battery and conspiracy. These six black boys who were charged were also sent to jail and bail was issued on all of them. The black boys’ families’ could barely afford to give the bail money so some of them are still in jail. The purpose of this rant is that racism

Adam D. Bram’s Top Ten Pet Peeves By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff In the tradition of David Letterman, here is a countdown of my Top Ten Pet Peeves. For those who don’t know, a pet peeve is defined as an annoyance. These aren’t the important battles I fight, just things that tick me off from day to day. 10. Getting a blank stare from someone my age or older when I mention the name of a classic movie/song/actor/band/etc. that has become so engrained in our culture that everyone in this country should have at least heard of by now. There are a lot of things that I haven’t seen or heard yet, but I know they exist. 9. Bus drivers who look at you like something they just scraped off their shoe because you couldn’t just let them drive by the stop you’ve been waiting at for half an hour. 8. Guys who idolize Tony Montana. Yes, Scarface was a good movie. But I think that both Pacino and De Palma would agree with me that it is a CAUTIONARY TALE and that this is a man you do not ever want to be like. Do you really want to end up coked out of your mind, hated by everyone, and riddled with bullets on a staircase? I certainly don’t. 7. People who look for things to raise a stink over. If something deals with, say, religion for instance, or race (the list goes on), there are people out there who just look for things to be offended by. For every one instance where someone is just being a jerk and trying to hurt people, there are ten instances where a big fuss is made over nothing. The scandals these turn into are one of the big things wrong with the world. The people who start them are one of my pet peeves. 6. People who say that the jokes on Family Guy are random and interchangeable as if it is a bad thing. That’s what makes Family Guy so much fun. I love South Park and The Simpsons as well but I recognize they have different approaches. When I’m in the mood for a certain approach, I’ll watch the specific show. Family Guy’s approach is different but it’s neither better nor worse than the others.

5. Supermarket deli attendants who hand me a slice of cheese about as thick as a binder cover and say they can’t get it any thinner. This is the case because I have asked for cheese half that width and have gotten it enough times before to know that, yes, you CAN get it thinner. Thick cheese just tastes nasty when it’s uncooked. 4. People who call themselves James Bond fans and actually tolerate Roger Moore. I’m not an aficionado of 007 films, but Roger Moore just isn’t Bond. He’s a capable actor but he’s just not that character. Sean Connery was the only true Bond. Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig created watchable facsimiles. You can put Roger Moore in a dozen movies and I’ll enjoy them. Just don’t call him James Bond because he never can be. The same goes for Timothy Dalton. 3. Girls who complain about needing to lose weight when they are healthy looking or super skinny. I know it’s mostly our society’s fault that these frankly horrific standards of “beauty” have poisoned the minds of much of the female population. That’s really what I hate. But you’d think that in a college setting they’d get wiser about it and not worry so much. We have a long way to go as a society. 2. Referring to a golfing schedule as “Tee Time.” It’s like nails on a chalkboard for me. I think England has my back here. And finally... 1. People who give you a laundry list of reasons why you’re so wonderful, desirable, attractive, and generally the perfect significant other in every way, none of which answers the question of why THEY won’t be caught dead dating you. Adam D. Bram is a staff writer/cartoonist at The Anchor. As a member of the Jewish faith, he comes from a long, proud line of complainers.

is indeed alive and well in the good ole United States of America. I mean, come on people. Blacks are well treated, or so I thought, nowadays in the United States of America. Yet that really isn’t true if one looks at the predicament of the Jena Six, as the Louisiana teens have been called. These boys are being jailed and could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole all because of a very racist district attorney. The white boy that was beaten up by the Jena Six was actually treated and released the same day and, in fact, attended a social function the same night. So how is it that these six black high school boys are being charged and sentenced to life in prison for second-degree battery? And how is it that the white boys who hung the nooses around the “white tree” got off with just a mild reprimand? It is unbelievable to think that what the white boys did was considered just a simple prank? What these white boys did was childish and immature. It was also extremely racist and so wrong. The black boys were just sticking up for what is right and therefore should not be charged and should be released. What is wrong with this country is the epitome of the lack of punishment on the white boys who hung the nooses around the “white tree.” Racism is clearly and definitely evident in this country and in the state of Louisiana. These Jena Six are being held, charged, and jailed for something that they were doing to right a wrong. It is sickening to me that this is happening in a country that is supposedly free for every citizen. Kim Puleo is a third year English major. She will do a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. She believes in bettering our country in a myriad of ways.

Colbert for President? By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Staff Just how messed up is this country? I ask myself this question a lot and as the 2008 presidential election closes in, it becomes clearer. The fields for both parties are already crowded and the in-fighting has been hard to miss. But it was this last week we truly started to get the answer to my question. A few weeks ago, the RIC Political Science club held a viewing of Man of the Year; a great Robin Williams movie where a host of a Daily Show-like TV program runs for president and wins. At first, it’s a crazy idea to even contemplate. But, damn, the system we have now is a joke so why not embrace it? On Wednesday, October 17, a new age in politics was reached. We were given the chance to embrace that very idea. Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, announced that he is running for president. Although he says he is only running in South Carolina, it still will give us a great view at just how angry Americans are. Have we gotten to a point were we just decided: “Screw it, I’m voting Colbert?” But his campaign is not just the joke that many think it is. He has filed paperwork and the petitions are out in South Carolina. He even met with the head of the South Carolina Democratic and Republican Parties. Joe Warner, the head of the Democratic Party there, said, “From what I understand, he does have credible people down here, working to have him placed on the ballot.” On top of that, on a Colbert fan site, there are people going to other states trying to get the petition progress started there as well. There is another point I noticed in his campaign. We are always told that the great thing about America is that anyone can be president. Well, if you are interested and want to run as a Republican, get you check book out. It is $35,000 to get on the ballot of South Carolina alone. What is wrong with this system? I don’t know if Colbert will win or not but the fact that he could, even if just in one state, speaks volumes about just how fed up many people are. So even here in Rhode Island, if you want to make that statement, you can write in Stephen Colbert on your primary ballot next year. And you know what? I’ll be doing just that.

Opinions

October 23, 2007

Page 13

THE ANCHOR

The War on Ignorance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ann Coulter Just Made My Hate List By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor For those of you who do not know of her, Ann Coulter is a conservative columnist, political commentator, and a best selling author. She is also living proof that you can be ignorant, crazy, and still be successful. My friend recently introduced me to her political views and a list of quotes this woman has said. Simply put, I was offended. Now, for those of you who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know me, I get angry, frustrated, and annoyed by things, sometimes easily, but one thing I rarely get, is offended. Enough talk about me though, let us dive into the things this woman has said so you can be offended yourself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.â&#x20AC;? The sad part is that when I first read this, I thought she was joking. After reading more of her quotes, I realized that not only was she not joking, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all for the brainwashing of millions to one religion. Well, I suppose everyone needs a hobby; even the crazies. (To a disabled Vietnam veteran) â&#x20AC;&#x153;People like you caused us to lose that war.â&#x20AC;? And people like you, Ms. Coulter, are why humanity is going down the toilet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote. Women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend itâ&#x20AC;ŚItâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care.â&#x20AC;? I know, what is wrong with these women? Who needs money for education? That is, except for most college students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Originally, I was the only female with long blonde hair. Now they all have long blonde hair.â&#x20AC;? And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the second coming of Christ; go figure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anorexics never have boyfriendsâ&#x20AC;Ś.Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one way to know you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anorexia, if you have a

boyfriend.â&#x20AC;? Damn, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know it was that easy! â&#x20AC;&#x153;The swing votersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;-I like to refer to them as the idiot voters because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have set philosophical principles. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re either a liberal or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a conservative if you have an IQ above a toaster.â&#x20AC;? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, my toaster is pretty clever. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Canadians] better hope the United States does not roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.â&#x20AC;? Yes, the stupid Canadians; with their nationalized health care, hockey, and maple syrup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yours.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Yes, Manifest Destiny works out so wellâ&#x20AC;Śif you enjoy genocide. (When asked how far back would she go to repeal laws.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, before the New Dealâ&#x20AC;Ś[The Emancipation Proclamation] would be a good start.â&#x20AC;? Sure, and while we are at it, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make women complete slaves to men and eat babies! â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to say Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all for public flogging.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m for bringing back stockades and gallows and guillotines. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know we had so much in common! â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Democrats are] always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s do it. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repress them. Frankly, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a big fan of the First Amendment.â&#x20AC;? Well, if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for freedom of speech, then why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you do all of us a favor and shut the hell up?

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Andrew Massey is a third year Psychology major. He is the current Opinions editor of the Anchor. Ann Coulter gives him hope that he can grow up, be crazy, and make money at it.

Opinions

Page 14

October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

LETTER TO AMERICA So Much for the Polar Bears By Stephen Morse Senior British Correspondent If I were Al Gore, I’d be gutted. Ok, so I may have been Vice President of the USA and the subject of several “I invented the Internet” rumours, won an Oscar, an Emmy, the Nobel Peace Prize, be fabulously wealthy and famous, and have hidden aspirations of once again running for the White House…but I’d still be downcast; not because I’d be agonising over the loss of an election some seven years ago, and not even because I’d be worried about a woman – of all things – beating me in the race to become the Democratic nominee for the presidency. No, if I were Al Gore (and I assure you that I’m not), I would be disheartened by the British. We’re not a nation that collectively wakes up in the morning and decides to tackle the informative cinematic works of ex-politicians, but if we were, we’d probably be the best annoying country in the world. It takes some ability to put a thorn in the side of arguably the greatest week in a man’s life, but with our fantastically stoic legal system, we’ve managed it. Whilst Al Gore was awarded his shared prize for his highlighting of the climate change crisis, he must’ve been thinking to himself, “I freakin’ hate those Brits with their facts and their balanced view of the world and their stupid grinning faces. Idiots.” Of course, all of the above is a flight of fancy; it almost definitely isn’t true; especially the bit about having a balanced view of the world! It would be nice, though, to think that just for one minute, the ruling of a High Court Judge in England on Gore’s climate change opera-without-songs, An Inconvenient Truth, might irk him somewhat. Mr. Justice Barton ruled that the film contained nine errors and could not be shown in schools unless accompanied by information balancing the arguments. That was Wednesday. On Friday, Mr. Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. Given that order of events, it is unlikely that he was angry for too long, although I wouldn’t have wanted to have been dining with grumpy pants on Thursday. Can you imagine the scene? Oh, you can. I won’t bother trying to describe how it may look then. Spoil sports. As a movie, An Inconvenient Truth packs a punch. Most strikingly, it is overtly political - because it has to be. Any slight deviation from the overall message of the film and the climate change deniers would undoubtedly have some (fossil) fuel for their fire. The aforementioned message appears to be something along the lines of: “Look you guys, you’re doing some BAD stuff here. You need to stop doing all that BAD stuff as soon as possible or else some EVEN WORSE stuff will happen. Then you’ll be sorry. Thanks. Vote Gore!” (In all honesty, I didn’t get that far through it – his voice really annoyed me). However, as a factual documentary to be shown to children, it is lacking. Think about this, scholars – polar bears aren’t necessarily drown-

ing. Given that I thought the whole message of An Inconvenient Truth was meant to be “What about the polar bears?” then this seems to make the entire film redundant. Give me Saw IV any day. This isn’t to say that we have all outright rejected Gore’s apocalyptic vision of the future; quite the opposite. The documentary has been sent to every secondary school in the UK, meaning that every school child will be educated about the real threat of climate change; notwithstanding a few little overblown claims. It would be a nice touch for Gore to specially record an introduction to the schools edition in which he modifies the lyrics to a popular Paul Simon song and croons “You can call me Al-iar,” but it’s unlikely to happen. Yet, with the approach now taken here, children will be encouraged to think about climate change from a more balanced perspective and then, hopefully, all come to the conclusion that because of the industrial output of several huge nations, we’re all screwed. And that includes the polar bears. Stephen Morse was born, raised, educated, enfranchised and disheartened in the UK. He lives and works in Liverpool, a city famed for the Slave Trade and pop music. He has never met the Queen.

ROVING REPORTER By: Kellye Martin

It’s time to pick classes again, how do you feel about this? Will you be able to take everything you want? What is your opinion on the class registration system at Rhode Island College? Christine DeMilia

Elementary Education / Special Education 2010 I feel as though I probably will not get into the classes I want because being a sophomore I have last choice and my date to choose is not until October 25. In addition, most of my classes are only offered in four sections.

Gerald Natini English 2009 Picking classes has always been a relatively painless process. I like the system in use at this time.

Casey B. Social Work 2010 I didn’t even know it was time to pick classes!!

Kait Clavette Speech Therapy 2010 I was able to find everything I want but I’m a geek and got my class “want” list early. I don’t mind the system; it just takes forever to load.

Do you have a question you want answered? Send your question to photography@anchorweb.org

Lifestyles

October 23, 2007

Page 15

THE ANCHOR

Moving On

GEOCACHING: TREASURE HUNTING WITH TECHNOLOGY

By Ashley Dalton Anchor Staff One of the hardest things to do after an emotional injury takes place is to forgive, forget, and move on. It’s easier said than done because there’s no solution to fixing a broken heart other than letting time run its course. Having been the victim of a broken heart, as many of us have been, all I can say is that it’s one of the worst things in the world to be subjected to. Sharing so much with another person, completely exposing all imperfections, fears, and most of all your heart, leaves certain vulnerability. It leaves the individual vulnerable to rejection. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted no matter what. This is along with the fact that ending up alone is one of the biggest fears plaguing many of America’s youth. It’s hard to say why we put ourselves into dead-end relationships. We know they are harmful to us and yet we endure it and hope that things will work out for the best. However, they hardly ever do. Most people are afraid to move beyond their comfort zones and end up staying with people that are hazardous to their self esteem. People who don’t think highly enough of themselves tend to settle for mediocre. It’s not surprising then that these same people find themselves in mediocre relationships. When does one finally decide that enough is enough? Is it after the first fight or maybe after the hundredth? Is it before or after the cheating starts; whether it is in the heart or in the sheets? Is it before or after we find ourselves brokenhearted and in a depressed

By Dan Habib Anchor Staff

state? In order to move on and recover after being tossed around and emotionally violated, we must allow ourselves to climb out of the figurative boxes we set up. We limit ourselves to our current situations rather than be open to what the future holds. Until we’re ready to give up our old selves and embrace a life of uncertainty and potential, we can never truly find a peaceful place to start over. That’s what this article is all about: starting over. Retreating into old habits is easier than overcoming them because no work is required. The best advice I can give is to not be afraid to take chances; you never know what fate has in store for you once you open yourself up to new possibilities. Make rules for yourself and hold people to them. Don’t ever give someone the power to hurt you. The best advice on this is as follows: The only ones who should have the ability to make you cry are the ones who would never want to make you cry. All in all, we’re in this together; one tear at a time. All you need in life are true friends and they’ll always prove themselves when you need them most. The ones who abandon you are the ones who never meant anything at all.

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game involving the use of a global positioning system (GPS). Geocaching is a game where one searches their surroundings according to clues posted online for boxes filled with goodies. The clues almost universally have GPS coordinates to point you in the right direction. Typically, geocaches are waterproof containers hidden out of sight. The bare minimum contents inside a cache are a notebook to log visitors and a pen and/or pencil. More often than not, there are small low-in-value “treasures” inside. There are many variations among caches and some are quite creative. One major difference between caches is their contents. Most caches hold small little trinkets such as small and inexpensive toys. Sometimes there will be a geocoin or a tracker bug inside. Both of these are basically pieces of metal with a number etched into it that you can report having found by entering the number on www.geocaching.com. This is so the original owner can keep track where their coin/TB has been. Tracker bugs (or TBs) are usually attached to what is called a hitchhiker. A hitchhiker can be nearly anything. Some of the more common ones are small toys or trinkets with some significance. Geocoins and tracker bugs are moved by cachers between people and caches alike. There are even tracker bugs attached to airplane propellers. Both geocoins and tracker bugs are popular at geocaching get-togethers. The most obvious change from cache to cache is container size. The sizes vary between 35mm film canisters (micro caches) to five gallon buckets (large or jumbo caches). They are typically watertight and, unless it’s a micro, can hold some sort of a prize. Micros generally hold just a rolled up log book, a small pencil, and a paper describing what geocaching is in case a non-cacher accidentally stumbles upon it. Obviously, the bigger the cache, the bigger and higher quantity of prizes it can hold. Caches vary in their type as well. There are traditional caches, multi caches, where the coordinates lead to the first location in a string of two or

more spots; each location has a clue to the next and the final location is the location of the cache, and a more involved type called a mystery or puzzle cache. Finding these entails doing research or solving a puzzle. There’s another type of geocache called a letterbox hybrid. As the name implies, it combines both a geocache and a letterbox. Letterboxing is a different game altogether but is quite similar to geocaching in the sense that you’re finding containers that are hidden outside. For more information, visit www.letterboxing.org. These are the more common types of caches but there are many other variations. Another fun aspect of geocaching is hiding caches yourself. Although you’d be tempted to hide a cache in the ground with an evil smirk thinking “tee hee hee, they’ll never find it,” there are some rules. You cannot bury it or hide it inside a structure; the exception being unless you can easily get to it using your hands. Some interesting takes on this rule are caches that are designed to look like sprinkler heads. These are allowable. As far as hiding them in walls is concerned, you can hide them behind loose bricks/rocks only. Surprisingly enough, submerging caches in a lake or hiding them on a cliffside is perfectly acceptable. Special equipment like boats and ATVs are allowable but you can’t make the person require shovels or pickaxes. Another big restriction is that there is no hiding of caches on historical property or archeological sites. This is because the extra foot traffic could ruin the site. Requiring cachers to pay admission to enter an establishment in order to reach a cache is a huge violation of geocaching decorum. The general idea is to keep caches out of plain sight because a non-cacher might see it and destroy it (which makes the point that you should be discreet while caching in a public area). And, obviously, you can’t hide anything on private property without permission. You’re probably curious as to just how much stuff is hidden right under your nose. There are about 470,000 caches hidden in 222 countries. There are even 14 in Antarctica. Several are only a short distance from campus. For clues and more information, visit www.geocaching.com.

HEALTH HYPE: ALCOHOL POISONING By Casey Gaul Anchor Editor Halloween is coming up and it’s a fun time for everyone. For the kids, it means costumes and lots of candy. But for the college student, it means some good, hard partying and plenty of booze. Where large quantities of alcohol and possibly irresponsible attitudes are involved, there is a certain amount of possible danger; the most common form of which is alcohol poisoning. Everyone should know the signs and how to respond should someone, friend or stranger, find themselves in a dangerous and possibly fatal situation. The Mayo Clinic defines alcohol poisoning as when the body absorbs too much alcohol (generally due to consuming a large amount of alcohol in a very short span of time), causing direct damage to the central nervous system. This can cause breathing and heart rate to slow and inhibit the gag reflex. In the worst case, the untreated victim of alcohol poisoning may stop breathing, their heart may stop beating, or they choke on their own vomit. These are all possibly fatal results. While the best and most desirable way to prevent alcohol poisoning

would be responsible drinking, few partiers are willing to comply. The second best way to prevent someone from the fatal effects of alcohol poisoning is immediate action, and this means being able to read the signs. According to CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov, the symptoms of alcohol poisoning include: “Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute), irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths), hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, and paleness” Do not wait for all of these symptoms to be present. If someone displays any of these, it is essential that you seek medical help immediately. If you are off campus, dial 911. If you are on campus, dial extension x8201 or (401) 456-8201 for the Campus Police. Campus Police will then call emergency services and direct them quickly to the site of the emergency so that drivers unfamiliar with the campus will not get lost or diverted in transit. Do not fool yourself into believing the old myths like “They’ll be fine if they just walk it off” or “It’ll be fine, he’ll just sleep it off.” Nothing can make an intoxicated person sober except time. Unfortunately, victims of alcohol poisoning may have very little left. Keep your eyes open. Your friends might be angry with you later for calling an ambulance on them but, in the end, that is way better than having to attend their funeral. Be aware of what and how much you and your friends are drinking and keep yourselves safe. For more information, you can contact Mary Olenn in the Office of Health Promotion at extension x8061 or (401) 456-8061. Next week’s topic: Keeping Healthy and Avoiding Disease

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October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

NEW AGE, FROM PAGE 20

PERCEPTIONS, FROM PAGE 20 entire film is to kill off the original Transformer franchise and introduce new characters so that Hasbro could market new toys. Seeing the success of the show, the producers, Sunbow Entertainment, opted to make a movie to act as the commercial and generate the new “buy me” phase of the “Robots in Disguise.” The movie improved the quality of the animation and added quite a bit of star power to the show. Other than the previously mentioned stars, Robert Stack and Eric Idle joined the cast to breathe new life into this 80s hot commodity. The fact that the show is remembered and even remade for the big screen in this day and age shows that the gambit was a successful one. When someone asks which Transformers movie to watch, consider the original as the one to see. After all, when someone watches the quintessential 80s cartoon hero give his last breathe, nothing else measures close.

ing the robot fights, it was nearly impossible to track who was fighting who. It’s also weird that the showdown takes place on busy downtown streets rather than someplace more appropriate. And the idea of a super model-type as a computer hacker just didn’t sit right; especially after swallowing the idea that Megan Fox is a gear-head who grew up fixing cars. Although it’s possible there are women as beautiful as Rachael Taylor who enjoy hacking and gorgeous babes who love tearing apart engines, it just doesn’t work well to have two such women in one movie. A geeky guy or gal in place of Taylor would have fit in more smoothly. But this is a Michael Bay movie, and he

BANNISTER, FROM PAGE 20

does love to showcase beautiful women, so it wasn’t completely unexpected. The fast-paced action leaves you without a second to catch your breath. You’ll find yourself longing for a remote control to rewind the fights and transformations. There’s so much going on and Bay doesn’t let up once the film enters the third act. But even if you can’t tell exactly what’s going on, it’s incredibly entertaining to watch. The wizards at ILM worked their magic in new and astonishing ways, and the result is a film in which huge robots have their own distinct personalities. If it weren’t for their bulky metallic frames, these robots would almost seem human.

Black community experience.” There, my boundaries as a reviewer are clarified and my freedom to absorb (or be absorbed by) Coppin’s images unfolds before me. I take my first step into the world of another people and I silently observe. It’s like being on the periphery of a small crowd eagerly looking toward its center to see what the fuss is all about. I find amusement. I find knowing glances. I find open life in closed streets. I find unfathomable beauty. It is clear that Coppin honors his intentions. A warmth flows over me as I recognize emotions in faces I’ve never seen. A familiarity pulls me in as I identify with a feeling here and a realization there. It is life itself, breathing from the black and white images into me, through shaded visions remembered. I can almost hear the ambient sounds of the bustling places coming off the canvas. During my gaze I realize I am smiling. Coppin is an Associate Professor of Art at Brown University. His exhibition of digital photographs focuses on the societies of African Diaspora. It is on display at the Bannister Gallery through October.

A Saint Rose Graduate Degree — your handbook for life. Life makes no promises for what lies ahead. It presents you with challenges, choices, moments of truth and joy, and the opportunity to expand your boundaries beyond expectations. For more than 85 years, The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. has taught students to examine new ideas through academic exploration and problem-solving, and to realize their potential by showing them the creativity and talent within themselves. Saint Rose students learn that no matter what — they will make a positive impact on the world. A Saint Rose education instills the ability not only to do great things — but extraordinary things. Your future awaits. Discover how a Saint Rose graduate degree can be your handbook for life.

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SCHOOL OF ARTS & HUMANITIES Art Education English History/Political Science Music Education Music Technology Public Communications

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Arts + Entertainment

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THE ANCHOR

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Arts + Entertainment

October 23, 2007

THE ANCHOR

Bopping Around It’s The Bouncing Souls By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor Last Friday night around 7 p.m., most people were indoors keeping out of the torrential rain. In down-city Providence, however, over 100 punk rock fans gathered together at The Living Room for a chance to be up-close with the Bouncing Souls; one of the most influential punk bands of the ‘90s that still continues to produce excellent punk rock. The show began promptly at 8 p.m. with Philadelphia band, The Low Budgets, performing. The members seemed a bit older than you would expect from a generic opening punk band but The Low Budgets were far from generic. With a combination of interesting keyboard solos and a person disguised as a certain ‘80s former U.S. President running across the stage stealing money, The Low Budgets entertained the crowd quite well. After the show, there were quite a few kids with fresh, dry Low Budgets merchandise on. After the Low Budgets came Modern Life is War, the generic punk band. Modern Life is War consisted of typical guitar riffs, heavy drums and a beefed-up, tattooed singer that sang, to the best of my knowledge, “Blarghurgh growrrrrrr” over and over. Nevertheless, the band had a fairly tight gathering of fans who jammed along with them. Of course, the mosh pit was right behind me, disrupting my photo taking—but that’s part of the challenge of covering punk rock shows!

If this band were headlining, I wouldn’t return, but the show had only just begun. One of the reasons I went to this show (aside from a love for the Bouncing Souls that spanned my adolescence) was that I got a tip that World/Inferno Friendship Society was playing. Supposedly, that was going to be awesome. I was definitely not disappointed by this band! At first, I was skeptical based on their appearance; they would have fit right in at a Club Hell Fetish Night. However, appearances can be deceiving. The music fit the get-up. I had never seen such a unique setup. The band consists of a vocalist, tenor sax player, keyboardist, drummer, another percussionist (complete with cowbell!), bassist and guitarist. There was never a dull moment with this band. Each song was orchestrated to get the crowd going. The music wasn’t quite punk. I really can’t describe it in any other way than a punk rock circus orchestra. The crowd loved this band! I was crushed by the tidal wave of jumping fans who were singing at the top of their lungs, piling on top of one another just to be that extra inch closer to the microphone. Finally, the wait was over for the main act—Bouncing Souls were ready to perform! Crowd chants of “olé” echoed for minutes at a time as they prepared for the final show of the evening. The Bouncing Souls were met with rowdy applause and the crowdsurfing, moshing fiasco of the evening began. Having been a fan of The Bouncing Souls for about a decade, I was also very excited for this act. Playing for about an hour and only interrupted by a very brief intermission before the finale, The Bouncing Souls put on a charged, powerful show that kept the crowd erupting for the rest of the night. Despite the evening coming to another rainy end, the lack of hearing and the wetness that ensued made the trek worth it. I would definitely see The Bouncing Souls again. And be sure to catch World/Inferno Friendship Society the next time they’re in the area as well!

JIMMY EAT WORLD CHASES THE LIGHT …AND CATCHES IT By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor The first thing I thought when the new Jimmy Eat World record came in the mail was, “Yep, definitely going to review this one!” I’ve been a fan of Jimmy Eat World for so many years and I can say that, while this record is different from most of the others, it’s a different variety of awesome. Chase This Light is like the other side of Jimmy Eat World in which Futures was the bridge connecting the band to its previous albums. The new sound on Chase This Light is a fuller, more mature and evolved version of the band complete with slightly higherpitched and better quality vocals. The music is louder and more instrumentheavy as well. What this album brings to the table is a sort of sorrowful sing-along compilation of music reminiscent of driving away from the final football game of the season. The lyrics, of course, are the expected quality from Jimmy Eat World. Highlights on the album include my favorite track, “Big Casino,” with intense lyrics and very heart-stirring music: “Rock on young savior, don’t give up your hopes!” I also really enjoyed “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues,” “Carry You,” and “Chase This Light,” with the dreamful lyrics: “Confetti rainfall in a quiet street, These things I’ve found are special now, The knot is in my reach…Tonight, oh chase this light with me.” The album has a sort of eerie chill about it like an air of something heavy and mysterious; a silent mission begging to be fulfilled. With visual, stunning lyrics and deep music to accompany them, Chase This Light is an album that will stand as one of the best rock albums of 2007. Pick up a copy if you haven’t already. Go for a walk and watch the leaves fall; you’ll listen to it again and again without realizing the time has gone.

Arts + Entertainment

October 23, 2007

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A Journey of Music: Across the Universe By Bryan Salisbury Anchor Staff Across the Universe is a musical that was recently released into theaters, starting in select cities then going to theaters all over the country. The story takes place in the United States before and during the Vietnam War. This is an amazing movie that is historical, magical, and heart-warming all at the same time. All the music in the movie is based on Beatles songs that are sung by the characters in the movie. Across the Universe is one movie that has two stories being presented at the same time. The first story brings about a group of friends, and the other story portrays the events in Vietnam at the time. The first part of the story is about a dockworker from Liverpool named Jude that comes to the United States to find his father. He goes to Princeton to meet his father and meets Max, a carefree guy who only wants to enjoy life without any cares. The two immediately become friends. When Jude joins Max at Max’s family’s house for Thanksgiving, Jude meets Max’s sister, Lucy, and instantly falls in love. Soon after, Max drops out of college and moves to New York with Jude. As their story continues, more

RENTAL RAVES: THE GROOVE TUBE By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff

people join them, such as Jo-Jo, a guitarist that lost his brother in riots in Detroit, and Sadie, a singer that owns the apartment where Jude now lives. As times goes on, Max is drafted into the United States Army, Lucy becomes an antiwar activist, and Jude spends his time painting. One of the most breath-taking parts of this movie is the songs that the characters sing. All the songs are both beautifully sung and amazingly performed. The music is performed in a different way for each song to get the audience to have a different reaction. Some songs are done in the typical musical fashion where a singer sings how they are feeling or an entire group of people breaks into song in public. Then there are the songs that bring the unrealistic and fantastic to life; from puppet army men to a wondrous carnival. Across the Universe will take you on a journey with its music and vision that you will be caught up in the whole time. You will want to sing to the music and even want to just start dancing at some scenes. If you are a fan of Beatles music, musicals, or even just want to see a great movie, this is a must see.

We take a look this week at 1974’s, The Groove Tube. Written, directed by, and starring awardshow writer, Ken Shapiro, the film is a series of vignettes spoofing television of the time in the spirit of Monty Python’s Flying Circus or, just a year later, Saturday Night Live. Some of the vignettes include a kids TV clown with an unusual hobby, the Kramp TV Kitchen where the chef can’t keep up with the narrator’s instructions, coverage of the Sex Olympics, and an episode of a TV show about a pair of hapless drug dealers; not to mention several good old commercials and public service announcements. I’m afraid I can’t go into greater detail without ruining the surprises in store. The film has a lot of funny moments, despite the fact that “The Dealers” segment runs a bit too long. To enjoy this one, you really have to sit back allow things to get silly

around you. There is a decent (or indecent, depending on how you look at it) amount of nudity in the film from both genders, so those who have problems with the human body on film should stay away. It’s relatively low-budget, and it shows, but there’s something lovable about that. This film is definitely worth checking out if you’re into sketches. Also featuring Richard Belzer (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) and Chevy Chase (National Lampoon’s Vacation). R Rating: 3.5/5

PORTAL: THINKING OUTSIDE THE ORANGE BOX By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor As some of you will remember, I wrote an article about Team Fortress 2 last week. It is one of the games that came with the Orange Box. This week, I’m going to talk about another one of the new games that came with it: Portal. Portal is, by far, one of the most fun games I’ve played in a while. The concept of the game is simple but you’d be amazed at how complex it gets. The concept of the game is this: you have a portal gun, a device that allows you to create two portals (blue and yellow, respectively), and you can travel through said portals. You can create these portals on almost any flat surface and you use them to solve puzzles. Here’s where it gets fun. The portals can be used for a multitude of things. You can use them to get across a pit of fire, drop a box on to an android that’s shooting at you, use the momentum of falling to fling yourself across a room, and even more fun things like creating a portal directly above and below you so you fall forever in a portal loop. The first nine to ten levels are easy as they are meant to get you aquatinted with the complexity of the game. The rest of them are truly meant to challenge you. The game, despite its complexity, has a very gentle learning curve and almost anyone

can learn it with ease. When I first saw the trailer for the game, it boggled my mind and I had no idea how the player pulled it off. After running through the tutorial, however, I quickly got the hang of it. The game, along with being a lot of fun, is very funny. The computer voice that guides you through the levels has a dark humor about it which you can’t help but laugh at. From all the things it tells you and the dry way in which information is delivered, you’ll be laughing between all the puzzles. The funniest part of the game may very well be the ending, but I won’t reveal more than that. My only complaint about this game was that it was too short. All together, I may have put three hours of play into this game. It only has about 19 levels; though the last one was three times longer than the others. After that, all you have are the bonus maps. The bonus maps basically are about six of the original levels modified to be much harder. And while they succeed in this, this only takes up another hour of game play. Supposedly, there is either a Portal 2, Portal expansion pack, or a Portal map pack in the works. But that is just a rumor. Despite this one flaw, Portal is worth every penny. You can pick it up off of Steam’s website (www.steampowered.com) for $20 or with The Orange Box for $50. Either way, get it and start having fun.

Arts

Entertainment

RIC EVENTS Title: Student Poetry Reading Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Time: 5 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Location: RobertsAlumni Lounge Title: RIC Dance: Annual MiniConcert Series for RI school children Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Time: 10 a.m. Location: Sapinsley Hall in the John Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Title: RIC Music: Annual Halloween Collage Concert Date: Friday, October 26, 2007 Time: 8 p.m. Location: Auditorium in Roberts Hall Title: RIC Dance: College Dance Invitational Date: Friday, October 26, 2007 Time: 8 p.m. Location: Sapinsley Hall in the John Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts

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Bannister Gallery: Kerry Stuart Coppin By Paula Richer Anchor Staff

It is always uplifting to witness the passion people can have for doing what they love. This beautiful experience awaits you at the Rhode Island College’s Bannister Gallery this month. There, artist Kerry Stuart Coppin exhibits his photographs which he hopes “may be used to shape a reinterpretation of our understanding of the African continent and its rich human potential.” At the entrance is a statement by Coppin himself which bubbles over with his intentions for his art and the history from which they derived. To read it feels like we’re watching a hand reach out from darkness, carrying a message, and illuminating the murkiness in our own understanding of the Black urban experience. But illumination is all it can do for this (white) critic. For, as the artist explains with a quote from bell hooks, “there is no naked, honest, simple way for it to be done (for a white man to look at a black man).” He continues, “…but perhaps, as Black people, we can look at each other….I am trying to use photography as a tool, an instrument, to change the way we as

Black people look at ourselves and the world…” I believe I have been given my section assignment in this theatre and I am honored to take my place here among the spectators; among the nonBlacks. My stroll through the Gallery is now colored by my newfound understanding of my place within these walls. I am to view, study, and learn from these photographs. I am free to interpret

Transform Your Perceptions By J.D. Salisbury Anchor Contributor Last week, Michael Bay’s Transformers was released on DVD; unleashing a tidal wave of nostalgia. Everywhere a person looks, there are pictures of Optimus, Bumblebee, and the rest of the Autobots proudly proclaiming that the 80s are back in full force. What about those of us who remember the original Transformers fondly or those who remember Bumblebee as a Volkswagon or Megatron as a Walther P .38 handgun? For those of us who don’t agree with last summer’s blockbuster, we can turn to Transformers: The Movie for all of our needs. The movie’s plot is a simple tale: young Autobot Hot Rod (voiced by Judd Nelson) must struggle to find his role among his team while a grave threat looms, both figuratively and literally, over Cybertron.

A dark Transformer god, Unicron (the final role of screen legend Orson Welles), is quickly approaching, eating every planet in his way. The only thing this monstrosity fears is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (what was called “The Allspark” in the new movie); the guiding light of the heroes. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) has been the Matrix’s guardian since he has led the Autobots. Unfortunately, the Autobots and Decepticons have just engaged in all out war with the two leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron (Frank Welker), mortally wounding each other. The Matrix is passed on unbeknownst to Megatron who is convinced he has ended the Autobot legacy. This isn’t enough for Unicron though, who transforms Megatron into Galvatron (Leonard Nimoy), his new soldier. The plot seems simple but complicated at the same time. That’s because it was a marketing tool. The purpose of this

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what I may, but I have absolutely no experience to parallel what I see. I can only hope to be enriched by what Coppin calls his “encounter with reality.” He explains that in an effort to “deconstruct negative representations of Africa,” his ambition is to “produce provocative photographic interpretations that elaborate and celebrate positive aspects of the

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Transformers: The New Age By Levi Garrett Anchor Staff Based on a line of Hasbro toys, Transformers puts the fun back into movie-going. It blends comedy with robot-action, a dash of romance, and some eye candy. The film never takes itself seriously yet it doesn’t poke fun at or offend those who grew up loving the toys. Smartly cast with awe-inspiring special effects, Bay and company have created more than just a movie. Watching Transformers on the big screen is a real cinematic experience. The crowd I was with cheered for the robot heroes and really interacted with the film. They were totally caught up in what was unfolding on the screen. And strangely enough, the idea of robots battling each other with the future of mankind hanging in the balance almost seems plausible because of how ingeniously the make-believe

world of Autobots and Decepticons has been brought to life in the film. Following a brief bit of narration in which the back story of the Autobots and Decepticons is revealed, Transformers focuses on the story of high school student Sam Witwicky (Shia Labeouf) and his desire to own a car. Sam’s dad has promised that he would help buy him his first car if he can raise some cash on his own and if he delivers a report card studded with As. Sam’s so anxious to own a car that he even resorts to using eBay to try to sell some of his great-greatgrandfather’s possessions, which the famous explorer used while making an important discovery in the Artic. I didn’t expect to care about the robots (I’m a huge Bumblebee fan now) and I also didn’t expect Transformers to be so hilarious. It’s not advertised as a comedy but I’d be willing to bet more women would check it out if it had been. That’s not to say the film doesn’t treat its subject matter with respect. While Bay and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman do take liberties with the characters, they never stray from the essence of the popular toys. Transformers does have its faults. Dur-

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