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October 9, 2007
Nerdy Advice Page 15
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Vol. 80 Issue #6
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You’re on Notice By David Doyle Anchor Staff
A one of a kind radio show will begin airing on RIC’s radio station, WXIN on October 9. The Players’ Club will be on the air Monday through Friday from 10:00 am until noon. Hosted by Nigel ‘Big Daddy’ Evangelista and Levi ‘Luscious’ Garrett, with special guest appearances by Charon ‘Suga Mama’ Rose, expect stimulating conversation coupled with funny skits complemented by urban music. What makes this a one of a kind program is that it will be videotaped and edited for airing on RIC TV. Jimmy Spicola, the treasurer of RIC TV, is excited to begin this ambitious project saying that “RIC TV is looking forward to working with WXIN and possibly doing more shows like this in the future.” Chris Giroux, Program Director of WXIN, says that he expects a lot out of this show because it has been hyped-up. Evangelista and Garrett had a similar show last year. Their show started Friday mornings and was later bumped up to Mondays. Giroux later said that their show held good elements that are essential for a quality radio program. Evangelista and Garrett’s personalities complement each other really well and provide for good argument and better entertainment. According to Giroux, this is “the first show of its kind on WXIN that I know of.” The main purpose of the show is to entertain However, Evangelista and Garrett want to make people laugh as well as think about critical and controversial issues. Both claim that the best comedy is the
truth, and if they can take the pain out of a situation and make people relate to it, they will feel accomplished. Expect them to tackle issues such as racism and religion because they want to make people laugh and think about serious and absurd issues. There will also be a main focal point on current local events on the RIC campus. Evangelista suggests listening and watching with an open mind, because they plan on pushing the limit. Music will also have a role in The Players’ Club. When asked, Evangelista said, “We were considering going Top 40, but we saw the reaction to the performance of LJC on the Media Center steps; there was a large reaction to that and the music we played afterwards. So we would like to appeal to a larger audience.” Look forward to comedy bits from the characters created and portrayed by Evangelista and Garrett, such as The Chronicles of Aloewishus Jenkins, and cultural commentary in the form of Suga Mama’s Cookie Jar. The Players’ Club is always looking for new members; anyone wanting to make a funny contribution to the show will be able to call in. Evangelista is the main producer of this show, conceiving the idea and taking the necessary steps to make the show happen. Garrett’s role is that of radio personality, adding a creative element and making the show more dynamic. Evangelista and Garrett would like to thank Mike Mckenna, Chris Giroux, Nick Rondeau, Jimmy Spicola, Jessica Albaum, Barry Nickerson, Joe Roberge and Rui Montilla. For more information, go to The Players’ Club myspace page at www.myspace.com/theplayersclub1.
Collegiate Hazing Resurfaces in Rhode Island By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Staff
With the recent developments at Salve Regina University, hazing is back in the news. The idea of hazing is nothing new. It has been a part of our athletic and college culture for as long as most can remember. However, the frequency of the act has by no means calmed the rage that these acts can provoke. The Salve incident centers around a confrontation outside a city bar last week. Apparently, several players from the men’s soccer team wore t-shirts with racial slurs and sexually explicit phrases on them as part of the hazing process. The police were called to break up the resulting fight. In response, the school made the team forfeit their next five games as part of a suspension. First, we need to examine what hazing is. By definition, hazing is a ritualistic test and/or task which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation. Hazing tasks are often random and inane acts that serve as initiatory practices into a social group. This leaves it open to wide and varied forms of interpretation. Perhaps the best way to understand what constitutes hazing is in the words of Justice Stewart: “you know it when you see it.” A recent study found that half of all college athletes are involved in alcohol-related hazing incidents, while one in 5 are involved in potentially serious illegal hazing incidents. These incidents resulted in 56 reported hazing deaths between 1970 and 1999, with more suspected but reported as accidents or other causes. Hazing is not new to Salve Regina. This is the third allegation of hazing in the last 18 months. The latest was brought to light in December 2006. This incident focused around an online photo album entitled, “Initiation.” In this album, there are captions, including the names of players on the women’s lacrosse team. The pictures show freshman girls wearing shirts that say “Lax Rookie,” and many are visibly intoxicated. One picture even shows a girl in a dog cage.
NCAA Hazing is an athletic hazing watchdog group that puts out a list called the Dirty Thirty: 30 college athletic programs with hazing problems. Number 25 is Salve Regina’s women’s soccer program. Yet jumping on Salve is not the answer as the problem is too widespread. Just look at number three on the list: women’s soccer at Providence College. Hazing is a serious issue. If you want to give the new kid a little trouble, that is one thing. When it becomes dangerous and degrading, that is another. In these local incidents and many others around the country, things could have gone differently. An athlete could lose his or her life; that is not worth being a member of any team.
F.Y.I @ RIC
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News
October 9, 2007
Page 3
THE ANCHOR
October Holidays Around the World By Jessica Albaum Anchor Editor
During the month of October, there are very important celebrations and religious holidays that take place. The Jewish people are celebrating Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, Muslims will be observing Laila-tulQadr and Eid-ul-fitr, and in Brazil they will be celebrating Cirio de Nazare. The dates for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah change each year because they go by a solar calendar in Judaism. This year, Shemini Atzeret starts at sundown on October 3rd. Simchat Torah starts at sundown two days later on October 5. Shemini Atzeret literally means “the assembly of the 8-day.” This is a celebration that takes place right after Sukkot (the harvest celebration). It is said that God enjoyed the company so much he asked them to stay another day. Simchat Torah is translated to “Rejoicing in the Torah.” On this day, the last chapters of the Torah are read and the Jewish people start reading the Torah again from the beginning. This is a highly celebrated holiday. It often involves drinking and blessings.
Laila-tul-Qadr can also be referred to as “The Night of the Power.” Muslims celebrate this night because it is the first night the Quran began to be revealed. On doing some research there are different ways to spell this holiday and different days on which it is celebrated, depending on which sect one follows. Eid-ul-Fitr is also a Muslim holiday. This holiday marks the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting). On October 13 Muslim families will be celebrating by breaking the fast. It is a time of giving, sharing, and forgiveness. On the second Sunday in October, Cirio de Nazare is celebrated in Brazil. It has been celebrated for 300 years and is based on the discovery of the statuette of the Virgin Mary. The celebration in Belem, Brazil will last from October 11-28 and includes a parade. All of these holidays are filled with culture and spiritualism. October is properly known as Diversity Awareness Month. The breadths of cultural and religious celebrations that take place are a sight to see and are things that all people should experience.
What’s Special about Today? By Jessica Albaum Anchor Editor October
Crime Prevention Month Crime Prevention Month officially started in October of 1984. During this month, successful crime prevention tactics are spotlighted. Some ways to get involved include volunteering for a crime prevention group and writing an article for your local newspaper discussing ways to keep safe on Halloween. October 7-13
Fire Prevention Week This week is dedicated to making sure that, if a fire does occur, all households have a plan. Having a fire safety plan saves lives. If you would like more information, go to www.firesafety.net. October 9
Moldy Cheese Day There are no sources that can say why or when Moldy Cheese Day came into fruition. On this day, one should just appreciate how great moldy cheese can be. October 11
Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day On this day, all workers are encouraged to bring their favorite Teddy Bear with them to work. To make it even more special, dress up your teddy bear in a fun outfit and show him/her around where you work. October 13
International Newspaper Carrier Day This holiday started all the way back in the 1800’s when the first newspaper carriers were hired. On this day, all people who were or now are Newspaper Carriers are honored for their hard work. October 14
Be Bald and Free Day On this day, if you are bald or know someone who is, it is time to walk around without the wig or toupee. Every year on this day, the bald jokes come to a stop and instead, people appreciate the advantages to having no hair.
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News
October 9, 2007
THE ANCHOR
September Marks One of the Violent Months in Collegiate History
By David Matrisciano Anchor Editor
Every person on campus remembers the horrifying day on which Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at school and wounded several more. This was one of the most terrifying days in school violence history since the Columbine incident in Colorado. As you have read previously in the paper, there were several reports of an armed campus meeting, as well as Rhode Island College, along with most schools, putting into place an alert system for emergencies. These violent acts have not stopped. On September 21st, 2007 at Delaware State Univerisity, a gunman opened fire on two seventeen year old students; injuring both. On September 27 at St. Johns University, freshman Omesh Hiramen walked around campus with a .50 caliber rifle and was subdued by campus police. No one was killed. In Boston, MIT student Star Simpson was found with a “hoax device” intended to replicate the features of a bomb. No one was injured and she cooperated with police. The most recent incident happened on September 30 where University of Memphis football player Taylor Bradford was shot and killed on campus. The Delaware State shooting was probably the most publicized incident of all of these; likely as a result of it being the first since the Virginia Tech Massacre. The shooting took place in the village café, a dining hall on Delaware State’s campus that stays open until 3 a.m. The shooter, Delaware student Loyer D. Braden, was arrested around 3 a.m. on Monday, September 24. The reason for the shooting is that Braden was allegedly fighting with one of the victims in a parking lot in the hours prior to the shooting. Perhaps the most distressing part of the entire incident is that Delaware State initially announced that the gunman could not have been a student and that officials were shocked to find out that their security had failed when Braden was able to get back into his dorm room when the entire campus was supposedly on lockdown. This shows that all of the security measures that Delaware State had put into place failed and are now in need of serious revision. The main question is how was Braden able to gain access to his residence hall after 3 a.m. when the building was supposed to be on lockdown? This shows that the first test of post-Virginia Tech security measures failed and that revisions are needed. Braden was, up until the shooting, considered to be a model student. His high school football coach said that “That would be the last thing I would have expected from Loyer.” Also this month, at Boston’s Logan International Airport, MIT student Star Simpson was found with a “hoax device.” This incident does not relate back to the Virginia Tech shooting but relates to an even more violent event: the 9/11 attacks on America. Since
9/11, it has been commonplace to see military police, bomb-sniffing dogs, long lines at security check points, and no outside liquids on planes. This bolstered security has also led to a higher state of tension in which there is zero tolerance for anything out of the ordinary. Major Scott Pare, the Airport CO for the Massachusetts State Police, stated that “it’s good that she responded. She’s lucky she’s in a jail cell rather than the morgue.” He told reporters that officers with automatic weapons were called to the scene. Star claimed that the circuit board, LCD screen, and Play-doh that she was wearing was, in her eyes, art that she was proud to display. No one was injured and her pretrial hearing is set for October 29. In Memphis, football player Taylor Bradford was shot and killed in what police believe is a gang-related incident since they claim that crimes are rare on the campus and that Bradford was a “target.” Campus police have no leads and are hoping for people to come forward with information. The head football coach at Memphis says Bradford was “very popular within our team, very popular on our campus. Very upbeat, very uptempo personality. Always smiling, always talking. Very well-liked on this campus.” Many have been shocked in the last decade with the several shootings, like Columbine, Virginia Tech, and countless others. These events bring school security policies into question. Many people living on campuses are asking their presidents and deans to review security plans; especially at schools in which something like this has happened. At Rhode Island College we have our text messaging system as well as a lockdown procedure. Schools need to take a look at their security procedures and possibly beef up their campus police as well as, in the case of some schools, arm their police in response to the easy availability of firearms. There are systems in place to protect resident students, such as sign in and escort policies. However, most of those do not start until 7 p.m. and they end between midnight and 2 a.m. Most places on campus are open between 12 and 18 hours a day. Many students at Rhode Island College do not know what the official procedure is for a “LockDown.” With the month of September having drawn to a close, these events should be reviewed, the guilty prosecuted, and all schools should be reviewing their security procedures.
Sports
Page 6
October 9, 2007
THE ANCHOR
A Call for Calvinball
use and can never be used again. Of course, since there are a finite amount of effects one can place on anything, we’ll say that the same effect can’t be used within at least five recorded games. As for equipment, anything’s game. A volleyball usually serves as the Calvinball but many different balls can be used, even all at the same time. Croquet wickets and flags are also standard, though not always necessaryas long as it’s all relatively safe, i.e. don’t throw keys and pointed sticks at each other. As with the zones, game items can have a number of different effects and uses placed on them at different times. The same thing applies to environmental structures such as trees and/or buildings in the playing field. How one scores a point, and how many points are scored, depends solely on what items and/or zones are given scoring effects. The one condition to this is that a player must declare a scoring item/zone to be enough of a distance from all players as to create some kind of challenge. One could also score points by combining items and/or transporting them. It all depends on the whim of the players.
By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff
When comic artist Bill Watterson wrote his classic strip “Calvin & Hobbes,” he created a wonderful sport that I am depressed to see hasn’t carried over into the real world: the sport of Calvinball. The rules are simple. Rule #1: You have to wear a mask. No one can question the mask. The mask is a simple black cloth strip with eyeholes cut out, achieving a sort of Lone Ranger/Ninja Turtle aesthetic. Rule #2: You can’t play the same way twice. What this means is that Calvinball is sort of made up as it goes along, giving it the potential to always be new and interesting. The playing field, preferably somewhere with a lot of trees, is divided into zones. Where these zones are and what effect they have constantly changes. A zone loses whatever effects and boundaries it has each time someone scores, and a player announces where a zone is and what he/she intends to do with it sometime between then and when a player stumbles into it. The other players cannot challenge this unless they have a game item with negating properties. Of course, the effects are all one-time
I would like to know if there are any other people out there who like this game enough to begin some kind of league or even a club. I’m held back from doing the work by my own busy schedule but if there are any others with the time and the passion, please come forward. We need a little more silliness and imagination out of life.
WOMEN’S TENNIS ON A WINNING STREAK
By Marah Roach Anchor Editor
The RIC Anchorwomen increased their overall record to 9-2 and are now 5-1 in the Little East Conference after defeating Plymouth State, 7-2 last Saturday afternoon. Their two games before that, they defeated the University of Massachusetts at Boston 9-0 and Clark University 8-1. Singles Matches: RIC
1. Meg Funk 2. Sasha Doonan Rodriguez 3. Elizabeth O’Connell 4. Julie Bannon 5. Jaclyn Eastman 6. Brittany LaBarre
Plymouth State
Jill Deyermond Meghan Rodier Ashley Boisvert Amanda Arponen Buffy Garland Denise Huckins
Doubles Matches: 1. Funk Doonan Rodriguez 2. O’Connell Bannon 3. Eastman LaBarre
Rodier Boisvert Deyermond Garland Arponen Huckins
Singles Matches: RIC
Clark
1. Meg Funk 2. Sasha Doonan Rodriguez 3. Elizabeth O’Connell 4. Julie Bannon 5. Jaclyn Eastman 6. Brittany LaBarre
Domurad Palmer Faden Willa Dunn Livingston Schweitzer
1) Meg Funk 2) Sasha Doonan Rodriguez 3) Liz O’Connell 4) Julie Bannon 5) Jaclyn Eastman 6) Brittany LaBarre Doubles Matches: 1) Funk Rodriguez 2) Bannon O’Connell 3) Eastman LaBarre
PSU PSU RIC RIC RIC RIC
Scores 1 6-1 6-4 7-5 6-3 6-2 3-6
RIC
8-4
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Winner
Freddie Palmer RIC Kristen Domurad RIC Ashley Faden RIC Andrea Nathan RIC Emily Schweitzer CU Phoebe Livingston RIC
Doubles Matches: 1. Funk Doonan Rodriguez 2. O’Connell Bannon 3. Eastman LaBarre Singles Matches: RIC
Winner
UMB
Aurora Lormeus Emily Johnson Kristen Chan Brittany Engel Katie McPherson Bing Nguy
Lormeus Johnson Chan McPherson Engel Nguy
RIC
9-7
RIC RIC RIC RIC RIC
10-7
RIC
8-5
RIC RIC
8-3 8-0
Do you like football? BaseRugby? Volleyball? Badminton?? Curling???
2 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-3 8-10 6-0
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10-8
Are you obsessed with the Patriots or the Red Sox? Are you involved in sports on campus? Can you recite NFl Draft
8-6
Scores 1 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-1 RIC
LIKE SPORTS?
ball? Soccer? Basketball?
Scores 1 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 7-6 6-3 8-3
Winner
3 6-1
8-2
RIC
RIC
2 4-6 6-3 6-1 7-5 6-3 6-4
Picks for the past 35 plus years?
6-0
2 2-6 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-0
3 10-8 10-8 6-0
In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will host Suffolk on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 4p.m.
WRITE FOR THE ANCHOR!!
Sports
October 9, 2007
Page 5
THE ANCHOR
Rising above Sorrow
By Bobby Kazarian Anchor Editor
On Sunday September 30, the unthinkable happened to the Memphis Tigers. Just two days before their home game with Marshall, tragedy struck when 21 year old Taylor Bradford, a defensive tackle for the Tigers, was found shot and killed in his car on the Memphis Campus early in the morning. Bradford, although not a starter for the Tigers, was a very well-liked player and teammate and beloved on campus. So now, just two days removed from losing a teammate and friend, Memphis had a huge conference game against the Thundering Herd of Marshall. With an entire nation behind them, Memphis came out to take the field a few minutes before their game, arms locked together and marching in unison onto the
By Mike Simeone Anchor Staff
field showing respect for their fallen friend. The Tigers came out wearing blue pants for the 4th time since 2001; a color they only use for special occasions. All of the players had Bradford’s number 93 somewhere on their uniform. Even the mascot wore Bradford’s jersey to honor him. Pre-game, the Tigers have a ritual of touching a golden tiger’s head right before they leave their locker room. On Tuesday, they had Bradford’s helmet lying on a chair near his locker and every single person in that locker room tapped it right before they headed to the tunnel. With all the emotion surrounding them and after a brief moment of silence for the y o u n g s t e r, Memphis rallied together a s one t o p l a y and defeat Marshall 2421. It was an unbelievable win for a team who had to keep their emotions in check and win a game for their honorary captain for that game, a fallen friend and teammate, Taylor Bradford.
Mike: What exactly are the positions in Rugby? Coach Giroux: The game is 15 on 15. Each team roughly has 8 pack forwards, which are the big guys, your lineman, basically. They consist of 2 Props, a Hooker, 2 Second Row, 3 Flankers. Then there are 7 Backs which consist of one Scrum Half and one Fly Half. Those guys are basically your quarterback, 2 centers, 2 wings and a fullback; these 3 guys are your last line of defense.
Mike: How long have you been coaching? Coach Giroux: I’ve been coaching at RIC for a year. I coach both the men’s and the women’s teams. I coached at Bridgewater for 2 years before that and also coached wresting for 3 years on the high school and college levels. Mike: How long did you play rugby before you started coaching? Coach Giroux: I’ve been playing rugby for 7 years and still continue to play today. It’s a great game, once you start playing you fall in love with it. Mike: What made you want to coach rugby? Coach Giroux: Well, rugby has done a lot for me. I felt that I needed to give back to the sport in some way and
By Mike Simeone Anchor Staff
This past Tuesday, Rhode Island College took on Umass Dartmouth in volleyball at the Murray Center. The Anchorwomen shut Umass out, winning 30-18, 30-23, and 30-27. Leading in kills for the Anchorwomen was Desiree Georges with 12. Closely behind her was Tess Heidel with 10 kills. The Anchorwomen have now improved their overall record 11-9 and the record in the conference to 2-1. For Umass Dartmouth, the record is now 3-13 overall and 0-3 in the conference. Compared to Salem State, the Corsairs gave the Anchorwomen a tad bit more competition. For the Corsairs, this was their tenth consecutive loss due to a shut out. The Corsairs actually had some decent players that could actually hit the ball but if it wasn’t for them, sadly enough to say, I think we might have had another Salem State game. The Anchorwomen totally dominated the first two games, yet the Corsairs did come back and try to make a game of it. The Anchorwomen will be taking on Lasell College this Tuesday at 6:00 in the Murray Center.
A Closer Look at RIC Rugby
Rugby at Rhode Island College is not a varsity sport. They are an organization much like this newspaper. The rugby teams are both funded by the students, who do their own fundraising, and by the school (but not as much as regular varsity teams are). I went to go interview the rugby coach, Jason Giroux, member of the Providence Rugby Club, during the men’s rugby practice about his team, the sport, and some background.
Mike: So what are your expectations for this year’s team? Coach Giroux: I’m looking to get the team back on track. I got 13 new guys this year, mostly freshmen, so I’m looking to teach them the game and see what these kids can do.
Women’s Volleyball Tally Two More Wins
the best way to do that was to coach. I’ve met so many new people who share my same love for this phenomenal sport. I hope to teach what my coaches taught me to these players. Mike: I know it’s somewhat the start of the season but do you feel a sense of team spirit from these guys or do you feel like you have to pump them up before games? Coach Giroux: I’m starting to see it from these guys. I mean, most haven’t played the game before so they’re going to be a little nervous. So yeah, I have to pump them up sometimes but it’s something you can’t teach. They have to find it internally and I can see now that these guys are really starting to find it. Mike: Is there any chance you could see rugby becoming a varsity sport at RIC and a professional sport in America? Coach Giroux: Rugby becoming professional in America? Can’t see that happening anytime soon.
Around the world rugby is the 2nd biggest sport. For some reason rugby isn’t noticed here, not really sure why but it just isn’t. For the men’s team, becoming a varsity sport at RIC, I can’t say I can see it happening in the near future. For women’s rugby at RIC I would say somewhere in the next 5-10 years it could become a varsity sport. Mike: Where do you get your funds? Coach Giroux: The funding we get from the school comes from Student Community Government. The other funding we get comes from the fundraisers we put on. Mike What does the school pay for and is there a good balance between the funds? Coach Giroux: There is a good balance between the funds. It’s really good when it’s done correctly. The school pays for the uniforms, replacement of balls, coaching equipment and buses when needed.
Playing lacrosse I can understand where Coach Giroux gets his passion for the game of rugby and being on a club team in high school, I understand the difficulties that a team goes through when they are not recognized by the school as a varsity sport. The team doesn’t have a designated field that they get to practice on. The field they practice on is next to the soccer field near the Clarke Science Building. The field the team plays on is the practice soccer field, and the goalposts that are set up are transportable and flimsy at best. It’s sad to see that a sport that is loved by those who play it is barely recognized by the student body and the school. I can only hope that rugby will be better recognized in the years to come.
October 9, 2007
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Opinions
On the “N” Word
October 9, 2007
THE ANCHOR
By Jill M. Smith Anchor Contributor
Before I say what I have to say, let me remind any readers that I am saying this objectively and subjectively. I am not saying it to judge or be racist. I am simply stating an observation. Let us all remember that we are mature adults and we all should be respectful of people’s feelings and rights to an opinion. If you don’t agree, do not respond out of anger or self-righteousness but instead out of logic and rationale. Most of you may have some idea of how controversial and emotionally tied this word is. A month or two ago on the radio, I happened to hear a student from RIC talking about how he believed that African Americans who used the word were doing an injustice to themselves, their families, their heritage, and their race. He made some very intelligent and truthful comments that supported this observation. Here is my own opinion based on my own observations. As a studying psychologist, I must also say that my statements are based ONLY on my own observations and experiences and therefore may or may not be applied in other situations (whether it is is up to you as the reader): This word generally came in to use when slavery was still an operation sanctioned and used by the U.S. To be blunt, nigger was a word that white people used to degrade African Americans. Even after slavery was “abolished”, this racial fight continued for years and when someone called you the n-word you knew that they were doing it out of malice and hatred; it was their way of telling you that they were from a better place than you and, therefore, were better than you and you couldn’t do anything about it. The word obviously has ignorant and hateful roots which is why it is understandable that people would be upset over it. While there aren’t any people alive who experienced slavery or the aftermath firsthand, there are plenty who have family who did (grandparents, great uncles, etc). It is especially understandable when the people using the word tend to be the people that it was originally created to insult. I’m not going to tiptoe around any bushes: we have all heard teens these days use it to refer to their friends, and if we can all be honest, we have all used it at least once as well, whether intentionally or not, or out of ‘humor’ or malice. The way I see it, this word is often used to imply a unity of sorts. It is almost like two people (who have used it) are saying to each other “I know your pain, I know how our people suffered, and I suffer too...WE suffer together.” It’s almost like when these young African-American kids use this word, they are emphasizing a brotherhood, a link, a bond between two people who may not have shared the same exact experience from whence the word came but at least are cohorts of the larger party that did. Examples similar to this can be found when looking at the word ‘Indian’, which was originally the term early settlers used to describe Native Americans. And once we
(European settlers) began to slaughter and steal their land, we used this verbal assault to keep them down and prevent them from voting as well. But today, nearly all references to Native Americans use that word; and not out of malice but because it was used so much that it lost its negative connotation and simply was absorbed into the American lexicon. The word ‘gay’ is yet another example. When that word was first used to actually label someone’s sexual preferences, it carried a negative connotation when used in that context. But now it has been so widely used that it has pretty much lost its negative connotation and is a common word in the vernacular. This is the result of it being used today in numerous contexts. If someone is acting silly or stupid, one may lean over and jokingly tell them to stop acting ‘gay’. Even I have used it myself with friends- someone tells a bad joke and I laugh and say the joke was gay. I’m not saying it is right or that it is as it should be. I’m just saying that people use it so much now that it seems to have lost its power. That brings me into another point. What gives this word the power that it has over someone’s emotions is how we treat it as a society. The more you label a word as bad, hateful, terrible, and try to hide it away or shun it and try to make people forget about it, the more you are keeping it at the forefront of their minds along with its negative connotation. You can see an example of this when looking at the numerous psychological child studies that have been done over the years. What many psychologists have gotten out of these studies, when referencing child behavior modification, is that when a child exhibits a behavior or peeve that you don’t like or is unacceptable socially or otherwise, the worst thing that you can do is to freak out or get completely upset or punish them. You don’t want to let the child know that the behavior in question bothered you because if you do, you will be giving them that power over you to do it even more. The same thing applies to this word, in my opinion. The more people taboo it and label it so, the more negative power we are going to allow it to hold over our heads. But maybe if we just let the youth today use it for whatever reason they may use it (other than to insult a race), it too may eventually lose its negative connotation and lose the hurtful angry power that it holds over so many people’s emotions. I’m not saying that we should let anyone at any age walk around and blurt it out and use it whenever they feel like in any context; maybe instead, especially when it comes to children, we could monitor its usage and censor only when necessary. Eventually, it may be used only flippantly and then it will be us who have the power over it. When this happens, the word becomes just another word…
YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A CAR, SO WHY STEAL A SCHOOL BOOK? By Alex Tirrell Anchor Editor
Imagine getting to class and going to your locker (provided you have one) to find one of your books missing. You missed your Friday class, so the book was last seen on Wednesday. You tell your class that your book has been misplaced, but that you put your name in it, in the unlikely event that it shows up. You check all of the likely places you could have left it or that it could have turned up to no avail. But by the next class, you see your teacher in the hall, and are stunned to find out that one of your fellow classmates went to the Off-Campus Bookstore and purchased your book. This very thing happened to me and several other students in the music department a couple of weeks ago. We now know the thief to be a female, outside of the music department, who raided unlocked lockers and took books that had been left only for moments on the window seats just to make a quick
buck by selling them to the Off-Campus Bookstore. The thief couldn’t have picked a more undeserving target audience. The music department is like a big family, and I was outright shocked at the thought that one of us would perform such an injustice. I was quite relieved to find out that it was an outsider. Off-Campus Bookstore is quite aware of the thefts and has worked with Campus Police and the Providence Police Department, and one very conscientious student, to apprehend the thief. They have also given all of the stolen books to Campus Police so that they may be reclaimed by their rightful owners. I offer my kudos to everyone who was able to help solve these thefts. Alex Tirrell is a fourth-year Music BA major and Anchor Technology Editor.
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.
Opinions
October 9, 2007
THE ANCHOR
ENTERTAINMENT CREATES CONTROVERSY CONTROVERSY CREATES ENTERTAINMENT By Robert Lefebvre Anchor Staff
Ever since there have been entertainers, there have been many things that they have done to cause the public to be upset, despite whether it was their intent or not to upset them. And yet some people would not be offended over whatever the entertainer said or did, leading to many debates or arguments, sometimes even fights and riots. It creates what is called controversy. And over the years it has become more and more frequent, up to a point where the public expect controversy with the next great entertainer. With all of the controversial statements and acts that have occurred in mainstream entertainment over the years, it has come to a point where if it doesn’t cross the line, it’s not entertaining. Take the film Borat for example, a film about a reporter from Kazakhstan going to visit and do a report about America. It went face-to-face with almost every issue of religion, gender, race, and politics that could be dealt with in this country and made audiences nationwide laugh about them. Yet the only controversy it did manage to really raise was that the people of Kazakhstan were outraged about Sasha Baron Cohen, who played Borat, not really being a reporter and suing. The film went on to be one of the highest grossing of 2006. Of course, there were some people who were outraged by the film, but their voices managed to be drowned out by the film’s success and high praise. Then there is the controversy that is found on television. There are television shows on every day that constantly make controversial statements and acts, and yet if the show stopped not being afraid of crossing the line, it would lose its success and fan base. One example is the highly successful Family Guy, an animated series about a man in the fictional town of Quahog (kowehawg), Rhode Island who deals with the “everyday problems” of raising his family.
By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor
Throughout the show, there are constant statements like commercials directed by M. Night Shyamalan being cancelled because he had something to do with 9/11, or Walt Disney being cryogenically frozen just so he could wait for the Jews to be gone, and other issues involving famous people and places, race, gender, politics, and societal issues. Yet it has become one of the biggest hits on network television. Other shows manage to thrive on controversy and crossing the line. The Daily Show, which has won Emmys year-after-year, has lived on making fun of politicians and other issues that have come across the nation. Saturday Night Live also thrived on making controversial skits about societal issues. But it did once face cancellation in the ‘80s when one actor forgot a line and improvised by saying, “I’m f***ing dyin’.” Although he probably did not mean to offend anyone by saying it, it nearly got the entire show cancelled because people were offended by the use of language on public television. Controversy isn’t just measured by what is being said but also by how it is reacted to. The comic of Jesus as a roommate printed in this paper just a couple of weeks ago is a good example. There were many mixed responses, a lot of them being negative. The comic even made it to WJAR News. The public likes responding to controversial topics or ideas. It’s almost as if they are becoming a part of the news themselves; which is why the next idea that crosses the line is eagerly anticipated. I’m not saying that entertainment being more frequently controversial is a bad thing. Everything evolves, or is intelligently designed, and entertainment is no exception. And I personally enjoyed Borat and I can’t get enough of The Daily Show and Family Guy. But the fact that entertainment has come to a point where it is constantly controversial can be a controversy in itself.
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Let’s Talk About SEX By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff
Yes, I know that the title makes this article sound like it’s going to be very dirty, and some of you will undoubtedly find it so, but I want to talk seriously for a moment. We’re in college and we are supposed to be adults by now so let’s have a frank discussion about this. Sex is in a very bad state right now. There are dozens of diseases floating around and we’ve become overpopulated. Many of you know this, I’m sure. However, there is also a huge problem of rampant impersonality in the average sexual encounter. Most people only focus on the first two problems and the Religious Right in this country (and therefore, the government) would have you believe that the answer to this is abstinence. Yes, abstinence is the only 100% effective protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and if that’s what you prefer, it’s your choice. However, a large part of enjoying sex is being able to relax and to know what you like so you can effectively instruct your partner. The trouble is that a lot of teenagers aren’t getting all the facts, or else they are being misinformed. Studies show that most of the teenagers who go through Abstinence-Only sex ed. programs and who take “Virginity Pledges” (saving it for marriage), still get as many STDs as other teens because they are far more likely to allow oral and anal sex. I’ll spare you a comment about “Loopholes.” Individuals who have passed puberty should be able to be sexually active if they want to be as long as they have the information to protect themselves. I believe in “free love” to a point and that sex is neither immaculate nor is it evil. However, one needs to find a happy medium. At the other end of the spectrum there are a lot of people who don’t treat sex with enough respect. On second thought, it’s not so much that the act isn’t given enough respect (though it still isn’t), but more like people don’t give each other enough respect. A lot of people out there are just looking for the next great lay and they don’t care how many people they go through to get it. A lot of you women probably think that “love ‘em and leave ‘em” mentality is exclusively male, but a lot of women do it too. I will admit that I was used in both of my own experiences, and it is not a pleasant feeling. You’re sharing something primal and physical and if you don’t fall in love with the person, at least a little bit, then you have some serious problems. A lot of people every day have sex for the wrong reasons and they go through the motions trying to find some physical pleasure which they can never attain because they can’t open themselves up emotionally. They become dead inside. I would never suggest waiting for marriage, because a lot of mismatched people have been made miserable that way. What I would suggest is waiting for someone who you know you can trust and who can trust you. At least enough to know exactly what you both want out of it. Whatever else it may be, sex is a very powerful thing and like any power, it’s wonderful in the right hands and devastating in the wrong. Just exercise some caution. Adam D. Bram is a third-year theatre major and a staff cartoonist at The Anchor. He’s a hopeless romantic and is currently single. He also enjoys pina coolatas and getting caught in the rain.
Fake News is Good News
We’ve all had it happen to us. One night, there’s some guy doing anything from researching for a paper of his to looking at porn without his girlfriend knowing and then it happens, he receives an IM from a friend with a link to a funny story. It could be anything from how a man invented a new way to fry stuff to the molestation of a friendly cow. Regardless, all of your friends send you this stuff. Why? Because that’s what people find amusing these days No one cares about the big news anymore. Everyone wants to read about how some guy thought he could fly and landed in a dumpster. Web sites, like Fark (www.fark.com), a site full of stupid but true news stories, show this. Let’s face it, can you really blame people? News has become redundant these days. When I turn on the news I see more deaths in Iraq, gas prices going up, George Bush being stupid, Dick Cheney being so evil that his very sweat is diabolic, and that no one likes Bush, unless you live in Texas. Occasionally, something new comes up that’s worth paying attention to, but usually it’s the same old, same old. It is no wonder people are more fascinated with how many men Paris Hilton hasn’t slept with or how low Britney’s career can go. At least it is something new. People like excitement in their lives. They don’t want to turn on the news and hear a continuation of what has already been happening in Iraq. This is why TV shows, like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, are so popular. They take the dull, mundane, and repetitive news and make it amusing and worthwhile. This, I believe, is a good thing. They may take the news and make fun of the events but at least people are watching. Obviously they twist the news and put it in a very liberal light, but it is no better than watching Fox
News; and at least on the Daily Show, you are told it is fake news and is bound to be twisted. Fox News just twists the facts and hopes you don’t notice the fact that Iraq really isn’t as magical as Disney Land. The sad part is, while Jon Stewart may make some great jokes about the Bush Administration, the reason they are so great is because you find yourself agreeing with him. Fake news is slowly starting to become the new medium where people get their news. Why do you think they run the shows at the 11 o’clock hour, when normal local news runs? Because people would rather watch that then turn on their local news and see stories about two fires, a murder, and a cripple overcoming his disabilities; which is what local news has degraded into. At least fake news shows us the news and gives us the interest in it we need. Also, it tends to express many of our views on the current topics. Most importantly, they inform younger viewers, like ourselves, what is going on in the world, because let’s face it, most of us can’t stand to watch Brian Williams for even ten minutes, let alone a half an hour. Now, I’m not saying we should give up watching the regular news all together, I’m just explaining why sites like Fark, and shows like the Daily Show are so popular. They are what captivate people’s attention, and actually want them to get more involved with today’s society, and with all the apathetic non-voting people we have, we need all the help we can get. So support fake news, it’s a good thing for today’s nation.
Andrew Massey is a third year Psychology major. He’s also the current Opinions editor of the Anchor. He is in full support of Jon Stewart and his runningmate Stephen Colbert for the 2008 presidential election, should they choose to run.
Opinions
Page 14
October 9, 2007
THE ANCHOR
LETTER TO AMERICA Everyone Lies, Even Kidsʼ Shows
By Stephen Morse Sr. British Correspondent
‘Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it….’ This week’s Letter to America is about something that we all partake in, even if we don’t realise it; fibbing. From the whitest of lies to the most impeachable of untruths, they all have their place in society. What is civilisation other than a carefully balanced pyramid of deceit? The first rule of living a gratifying life is to not believe 74% of everything that you’re told. The second rule is to regularly clean behind your ears. If I were to say to you ‘My name is Stephen Morse, and whilst I am highly regarded for many different achievements, I am probably best known for the discovery of milk’ then you would do well to call me a liar and stop reading this column at the end of this sentence. However, this is merely one of thousands of falsehoods that you will see in print every year. There’s no point in blaming me - at least I had the decency to devise a fib that you knew was untrue. After all, it’s a lot more embarrassing to believe something to be fact and then find out that you had been hoodwinked all along. At least I didn’t do anybody any harm - that is, unless you discovered milk, in which case I apologise for discrediting you. Continue with your fine work. Recently, telling the truth has become something of a big deal in Britain. In the last six months or so, scandal after scandal has filled the front pages of the newspapers (and even the papers that only pretend to contain news) related to rigged telephone competitions on television and radio shows. Popular breakfast TV show GMTV (Good Morning TV) apparently defrauded viewers out of millions of pounds by finalising shortlists of potential winners long before lines had closed. Radio 1, the ‘youth’ orientated BBC radio station admitted to rigging phone-in competitions itself, with members of staff being asked to ‘pose’ as winners with the correct answer, albeit without the presenters’ knowledge. Added to
:
countless other exposés or admissions of fraud, the future of the ‘Phone-in Quiz’ in Great Britain looks a little bleak. If you disagree, call 0044 800 567 123 now. Standard network charges apply. Most alarmingly of all, however, was the news that Children’s TV show Blue Peter rigged an online poll to choose a name for its new cat. A few things probably need to be pointed out at this juncture. Firstly, Blue Peter isn’t just any old Kids TV show – it is the longest running children’s TV show IN THE WORLD and, as such, is rather highly respected by those who argue for keeping children’s TV twee and lovely and all those things. Secondly, BP (as it is affectionately known) has several idiosyncratic traits, one of which is the in-house pets that they have on the show. When, in January 2006, Blue Peter had a new cat, they asked the viewers to choose its name, which was swiftly revealed to be ‘Socks’. Yet, it emerged last week that the name chosen for the cat was, in fact, ‘Cookie’, and now an additional feline with that name has been brought in to remedy the situation and restore the viewers’ faith in the show. Whilst this might seem a little irrelevant, the point is that if we Brits can’t trust Blue Peter to be honest with us, then it’s all over.
Actually, is it? It’s a long accepted fact that most politicians couldn’t tell the truth if their careers depended upon it (which, in the end, it invariably does) and yet the system of parliamentary democracy has served a fair few people well for quite some time. It seems to be that in some spheres, the truth is just a bonus, not an expectation. With a General Election looming for the UK, when we will decide our government for the next few years with just the simple crossing of a box, we’d better be prepared for a barrage of worthless promises and fraudulent claim to be heading our way. Otherwise, how on earth would we decide who we hate the least?
ROVING REPORTER By: Kellye Martin
This past week RIC held its 3rd annual Diversity Week; did you attend any of the events? What is your opinion on diversity at Rhode Island College?
Keith Flanagan 2009 I did not attend any of the events. I think diversity is a great thing, it shows how diverse of a community our school is.
Kristina Lemanis Psychology / Chemical Dependency 2008
Nick Partridge History I did not attend diversity week, however, I do feel that there is a lot of diversity here at RIC, and for the most part, I feel that there is also a high tolerance for that diversity.
Kinza Bensoudo Communications 2011 Yes, I did attend some of the events. I think it is a great chance for people to get to know each other and other people’s culture. I attended and had so much fun and I also learned a lot of things. Good job RIC.
‘
I did not attend any of the events, but I did see an event on Thursday from a window of a classroom at the Murray Center. The event had little kids doing tribal dances. I think Diversity Week is a wonderful addition to the activities on the RIC campus.
Do you have a question you want answered? Send your question to photography@anchorweb.org
Lifestyles
October 9, 2007
Page 15
THE ANCHOR
Nerdy Advice
Keeping Your Computer Clean
By Amanda Hooper Anchor Staff
By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor
Crisis Control
Almost all people have friends. If you don’t, it’s best you do not read this article. It can’t help you. As I was saying, almost all people have friends and these friends are people too. They have issues just like you do. Handling them, however, can be a bit of an issue. Some of us don’t really know how to handle crisis-like situations unless it directly involves ourselves. This article is going to help you try to help a friend when they are in a crisis that you are just on the sidelines of. Relationship crises (no, it is not crisi) are some of the most common crises that people will face. Relationships come and go and it’s the going that, in the end, hurts us. Now, how do we handle losing someone relationship-wise? We try to talk it out. We talk to family or talk to friends. That is the smart thing to do. Never, and I mean never, try to go it alone. Needing help and asking for it is not a weakness. Helping someone who is asking for your help is something we should all learn to cope with. If a friend is asking for help after losing a relationship, do NOT say “there are other fish in the sea” because that is not what they need to hear right at that moment. They know there are others, but they can’t see beyond the blinding pain of the present and telling them this will only frustrate them. The best thing to do is to listen, make them feel worthwhile, and tell them
that you’ll be there for them. Plan something to do or even just talk it out. A death in the family is a harder thing to help someone with. Since there is no other replacement for this loved one, you certainly can’t try to find one. You just need to physically and mentally be there for that person. None of this ‘in spirit’ crap. If that friend means a lot to you, you get off your lazy ass and you hold them and you comfort them. Death can make you feel very alone and you need to know just how many people surround you and love you. This is usually a lot more than you think. Crises like these really bring the real friends out of the woodwork and show you just how not alone you really are. These are just two major crises that people go through. There are more like losing a job or getting surgery or something of that nature. Any good friend would just be there for them; sit by the bedside or help them find another job. All you really need to do to be a good friend is be there for them. Just stop everything you are doing and be there. Don’t bring up your own problem as that never makes people feel better. Just sit with the box of tissues and listen. A good ear is a great help in a time of need. And, even though this shouldn’t and doesn’t matter, that friend will remember how you were there for them and they will, in turn, be there for you.
Virus and spyware; to most people these words are the proverbial boogeyman. They can get in your computer and destroy it and you would never know. In a heartbeat, your computer could crash. You could lose data or have your identity stolen. Thankfully, it’s easy to protect yourself from such things; and for free no less. The best method of helping keep your computer clean, other than virus and spyware scanners, is to clean your temporary files. This includes your temporary files, temporary internet files, and cookies. A good way to do this is Disk Cleanup, a program that comes with every computer with Windows. There are some other programs you can try downloading off of www.download.com, but I don’t know of any good ones. Here are some programs you can use to keep your computer clean. Remember, while the programs I’m going to give you are free and legal, they are free, so you get what you pay for. The first program is AVG Free (www.avgfree.com). It’s a reliable and effective anti-virus software program made by Grisoft. It’s a bit awkward to use, but it works well and automatically updates every time you log on. The only complaint I have is that the first time I log on each day, it does an automatic scan of my computer. I haven’t figured out how to shut it off, but supposedly there is a way to do so. The second program you need to get is a firewall. Firewalls help keep out viruses and spyware. Some good ones are Zone Alarm and Sunbelt Personal Firewall. Both can be downloaded off of www.download.com. I prefer Sunbelt Personal Firewall as it gives me more freedom with the advanced options. For any regular person, either or will do. You can upgrade Sunbelt to the full version for $10 and Zone Alarm for $30. The third program you need is a spyware scanner. Some good free ones are AdAware and Microsoft Anti-Spyware. They can also be gotten at www.download.com. I prefer to use Sunbelt Counter Spy myself. It is not free, but for $15 it is one of the best anti-spyware programs out there. It can be downloaded from www.sunbelt-software.com. The most important thing to do is be smart. If you aren’t installing anything and a message pops up to allow a program to run that you’ve never heard of, Google that program. It might be spyware. Also, be careful where you download stuff from. The biggest sources of spyware and viruses are porn and gambling sites, along with illegal music downloads, including peer-to-peer transfer programs like Kazaa. If you follow my advice, download the programs I mentioned, and be smart, you’ll have no problem at all. Andrew Massey is a third year Psychology student. He has been fixing computers since his sophomore year in high school. All your bases are belong to him.
Health Hype: Sleep By Casey Gaul Anchor Editor
Sleep is one of the many things that college students just don’t get enough of; whether it is because we are always up late studying, partying, goofing off, or just can’t fall asleep. Getting enough sleep is a giant step on the road to becoming a healthier individual; not to mention being essential to function-
ing properly in school. So how much is enough? The amount of sleep a person requires to be fully rested mostly depends on their age. College-aged adults (from about seventeen years of age to the early twenties) need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be well-rested.
Stages of sleep What is restful sleep? The term REM sleep has been tossed around a lot lately on the subject without too much explanation. According to WebMD, there are five stages of sleep based on the types of brainwave activity. The first four stages fall under the category of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. These stages range from the transition between waking and sleeping (stage I), to light sleep (stage II), to deep sleep (stages III and IV). As these stages progress, the brain emits progressively slower and slower waves occasionally interspersed with rapid waves. The last stage falls under the category of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During REM sleep, the stage most often identified with dreaming, the brain shows increased activity almost equal at times to the amount of activity normal during waking hours In a typical 7 to 9 hours sleep period, the brain may cycle through these stages about three times.
Tips for better sleep There are a few ways that MayoClinic.com suggests in order to improve your sleeping experience; quite a few require disciplined changes in a person’s overall lifestyle. One of the hardest things to do, especially for the busy college student, is create a standard routine for your body. Set a bedtime and a wakeup time and keep to it each day, even on the weekend. This will help your body develop a natural sleep cycle and make it easier to fall asleep at night. Other good habits to get into would be applying a cut off time for eating (usually about an hour before you’re going to go to bed), staying away from caffeine and alcohol before bed, abstaining from taking long, afternoon naps, exercising during the day so that you’re tired and get to sleep more easily, and creating a comfortable sleeping environment in your bedroom (dark, cool, comfortable). Another way a person could possibly improve their quality of sleep is proper sleeping positions, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you tend to sleep on your side, try placing a small pillow between your thighs and lying with your knees drawn up partway to your chest. If you tend to sleep on your back, try placing a small pillow or rolled up towel under the small of your back. If you tend to sleep on your stomach, try placing a pillow under your pelvis to lessen the strain on your back. For more information on sleep, you may visit www.MayoClinic.com or www.WebMD.com. You may also contact Mary Olenn of Rhode Island College’s Health Promotions Department at (401) 456-8061 or molenn@ric.edu. Next week’s topic: Eating vegetarian on campus.
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October 9, 2007
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Arts + Entertainment
October 9, 2007
Halo 3 Review THE ANCHOR
Part 2: Changes
By Dan Habib Anchor Staff
Halo has changed in a few ways over the years, but it is still mostly the same. First, the default control scheme: Up, Down, Left, and Right on the left joystick makes you walk forward and backward or strafe left and right. The right joystick makes you look up and down or turn right and left. A is jump; B is melee. The white and black buttons are flashlight and switch grenade, respectively. The right trigger shoots and the left trigger throws a grenade. X reloads and opens doors; Y switches weapons. It is pretty much the same thing on all three games. The exception here is that, in Halo 2, if you have a weapon that is dual-wieldable, Y also picks up the second weapon and the left trigger shoots the second weapon. In Halo 3, things get rather funky. In Halo 3, the controller scheme changes most buttons around. Due to the Xbox 360 having bumper buttons and no longer having black and white buttons, they had to reinvent a new way to do things. Now, to pick up a weapon or open a door, you use the right bumper and to pick up a second weapon when you dual-wield, you use left bumper. You fire the same way, but X no longer reloads. Now you use the left and right bumpers to reload the left and right
Before
guns. If you are not dual-wielding, then the left bumper switches grenades and the left trigger throws them. X is now used for equipment (more on that later). And Y now is only used when you want to switch weapons. Other than the control scheme, the graphics have made an obvious improvement. In Halo 1, things looked pretty good for a console game. The graphics were pretty clean and didn’t look too bad. However, Halo 2 did it better. The water looked more lifelike, the rock walls look more like rocks, and the bad guys and Master Chief even got an appearance upgrade. I got lucky and was able to get my hands on the beta version of Halo 3. It used Halo 2’s graphics engine but pushed it to the limits so everything looked really nice. There was still a lot room for improvement considering that Halo 3 is on the next-gen Xbox system. When Halo 3 came out and I played it for the first time, I was surprised. I was expecting things to be better, but not that much better. Everything got an update. Shiny things got shinier, Master Chief looks more like a real person, and all of his Marine buddies look great too. The backgrounds got a huge advance as well. The game starts you off in a jungle and it actually looks like a jungle. Halo 3 is definitely one of the nicer looking games on the Xbox 360 right now.
C O N T R O L S
By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor
After
American Taxi: Runaway Songs
This past summer, Chicago churned out great new band after band, each more impressive than the last. New to the streets of the Windy City is American Taxi (not to be confused with Great American Taxi, an unsigned folk band from Colorado), a three-piece band which, like The Adios Motherf**kers and Shock Stars, consists of members of long-tenured Lucky Boys Confusion. Their EP, Runaway Songs (What Sharp Teeth You Have Music), was released at a show at the Metro in Chicago on August 31. I had to send out for it, but it was well worth the wait: the album is fantastic. It is apparent from the first track that these musicians are seasoned and have a lot of talent to pour into their music. “The Mistake (Burning Hot Girls)” sets the stage for the rest of the album; the lyrics are fast paced and echo a message that is reminiscent of reading an emo ex-girlfriend’s goodbye letter and daring her to do everything she said in the note. The second track, “Dead Street,” is my personal favorite; the song tells the story of people trapped in the big city landscape with no escape. Something about the lyrics, “She’s has a parked cab begging to leave this, With
a bar tab bigger than Jesus” sticks to the mind like putty. The song is simply classic. “Tanner Boyle vs. the 7th Grade” is the third track and shows the band’s softer side; the song where you can most easily pick out the influence of Lucky Boys Confusion. The best lyrics of the album are found here: “Your fears, they grew into a mountain where you’re freezing alone at the top/ Still I’ll wait everyday at the bottom just to catch you the second you drop.” The following three tracks are, like its predecessors, jams with great replay value. Each song helps American Taxi in its effort to establish its identity as a band apart from the rest. This EP is definitely my second-fa-
vorite release of the year (1997’s …a Better View of the Rising Moon still takes the cake), and if you would like to sample American Taxi’s music, check them out at http://www.myspace.com/americantaximusic.
Arts + Entertainment
October 9, 2007
Page 19
THE ANCHOR
From Daemons to Dust: The Golden Compass By Bryan Salisbury Anchor Staff
The Golden Compass, written by Philip Pullman, is the first installment of the His Dark Materials trilogy. This is a book aimed at younger readers, but it is enjoyable for readers of all ages that is filled with fantasy and adventure. Truth be told, it seems more like a book for mature readers than for kids; aimed especially for high school or college students. This novel is creative and wondrous, bringing the reader on an adventure through a new world; a world that is similar to ours but is different in many ways. With this novel being on a world apart from ours, there are a number of differences that enhance the read and give it more intrigue and excitement. One of the prominent differences is a creature called a daemon. It is a creature that every person is born with to be their partner in life. Daemons are intellectual creatures that are both physically and mentally linked to their human counterpart; feeling the same pains and joys as each other. Daemons take the form of an animal and are able to shapeshift until the human it is attached to hits puberty. It is at this point that the daemon takes it final form. Throughout the entire book, the daemon is referred to as the physical embodiment of a person’s soul. Another big difference is that the church in this world is a powerful political power which
controls events behind the scenes. The Golden Compass is about a 12 yearold girl named Lyra Belacqua, who is swept up into an adventure that brings her all over her world with her daemon Pantalaimon. At first, she is just an orphan being raised at Oxford College, but when her uncle, Lord Asriel, comes to the college, her life changes. From that point on, she is caught up in a conspiracy over a substance called dust, a mysterious particle that no one seems to understand but are uniformly afraid of. She has to deal with a group of children kidnappers called Gobbers, an army of armored bears, a whole clan of witches, and many more obstacles on her journey. As she travels, she is joined by a number of other characters that just add to the story. She is joined by a renegade armored bear named Iorek Byrnison, the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, Serafina Pekkala, the queen of a clan of witches, among many more. From beginning to end you will not want to put this book down. Event after event keeps you hooked and after the book is done, you will want to go out and pick up the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife. I highly suggest reading this book, especially in light of it being turned into a motion picture this holiday season.
Rental Raves: By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff
LABYRINTH
This week’s film is the last theatrical film directed by the late, legendary Jim Henson: 1986’s Labyrinth. The film stars Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) as Sarah, a girl with her head in the clouds who hates being brought back to earth. When watching her baby stepbrother, she accidentally allows him to be whisked away by a band of goblins. The enigmatic Goblin King, Jareth (legendary glam rocker David
Bowie), tells her she can retrieve the child if she can reach his castle within thirteen hours. The catch is that the castle lies at the center of an enormous maze filled with all manners of creatures and tricks, not to mention the Bog of Eternal Stench. Nevertheless, Sarah traverses the labyrinth, picking up some unlikely help along the way in the form of an opportunistic dwarf, a rock-summoning beast, and a Quixotic fox, all the while learning not to take things for granted. The special effects are simply amazing. True to par with Jim Henson, the puppet characters are fantastic and inventive. The script has some funny parts, being written by Monty Python’s Terry Jones, though the beginning seems very rushed. Bowie wrote a set of songs for the film that, although all very fun, are not that memorable (with the exception of “Magic Dance”). Connelly’s character is very unsympathetic at the beginning of the film. This is one thing that doesn’t change quite as soon as it should. Still, it’s a very entertaining movie and a nice diversion. Featuring voice work from veteran Great Gonzo performer, Dave Goelz (Sir Dydimus), and Jim Henson’s son Brian as Hoggle the Dwarf. PG. Rating: 3.5/4
Feist Produces A Pleasant Reminder By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff
“The Reminder,” the third album from Canadian singer-songwriter Feist, was released in the United States earlier this year. The single, “1234,” has been gaining some popularity after being used in an iPod Nano commercial. Feist’s style is hard to pin down. It is a very arty, almost experimental blend of jazz and rock sensibilities. The melodies are infectious but have a subtlety about them. The music has a very relaxing, almost soothing quality. Feist’s vocals are soft but husky in an unintentionally seductive way. This adds nicely to the jazzy feel of things, except that she doesn’t quite make the high notes during “1234.” Many of the lyrics, those to the track “Sealion” in particular, seem very nonsensical, although there is almost definitely a deeper meaning. Still, the lyrics aren’t very important in the long run as they just provide Feist a chance to use her voice as just as much of an instrument as the rest. The production is really the shining feature of the album. Listening to it, one is immediately absorbed into the record’s atmosphere. As previously stated, this is classic example of “unwind after a long day” music. It has an uncanny, almost frightening mellowing effect to it and when one can’t help but dance a little to some of the rhythms, the body just feels loose. Will there be some people out there who just don’t get it? Of course. However, if your mind is open and you need something genuinely pleasant to listen to, pick up “The Reminder.” Rating: 4/5
Arts
Entertainment A Taste of Afrika: A Delicious Evening
By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor
Last Friday, over one hundred people gathered in the Student Union Ballroom for an evening of music, dancing, food and fun—all for a taste of Afrika. The event, which lasted from 6 until 10 p.m., brought together people of all backgrounds to celebrate the beautiful culture of the continent. Tasty
RIC EVENTS Art Gallery: Between Me and The Other World, Oct 10, Gallery Hours ________
Art Gallery: Green Aesthetic s/ Aesthetic s II, Oct 11, Gallery Hours ________
RIC Music: Milestone s, Oct 12, 8pm Sapinsley Hall
PAGE 20
Photo Courtesy of Barry Nickerson
food, fabulous fashion, and wonderful music pleased all the senses that evening. The event was hosted by RIC students Sam Poku and Kamasa, who brought a great deal of fire and energy to the evening. The Black National Anthem was performed with much emotion and heart by the RIC Praise Ensemble and was followed by a performance by RIC’s “S” Krew. After the powerful performance, dinner was served in the conference room. Delicious food from a great variety of cultures was offered and served—I know I had a little bit of everything! Dinner was followed by a speech from Dr. Peter Karibe Mendy on the current status of Afrika and the power that youth there have been given to change things; either for better or worse. RIC student Rodlyne Lewis read her poem, “True Black Women,” which was met with enthusiastic applause. This was followed by a fashion show with at least a dozen young men and women wearing fashions from all across the continent of Afrika. Another poem, “Africa,” was read by Titi. Another dance was performed by the group Lee and Bone, which was followed by a special dance by RIC’s Women of Color. Finally, Aaron Bruce presented awards to several groups and individuals, including Women of Color and Sam Poku. The event was concluded with the crowd dancing to the conference room once again for dessert. In all, A Taste of Afrika was a great deal of fun and is an event that should continue to be held annually. Diversity week does not need to end here—the celebration of so many wonderful cultures should continue until the next Diversity Week!
MODERN DAY CLASSICS
REDVSBLUE By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor
For many a nerd out there, Red vs. Blue is not a new thing. For everyone else who hasn’t seen these classic videos however, this review is for you. The reason I’m writing this review is because one, I like Red vs. Blue, and two, the A&E editor is making me. Over the last two days, I have watched all five seasons of Red vs. Blue and I’ve realized the following: I have no life and Red vs. Blue is an amazing show. For those of you who don’t know, Red vs. Blue was an online show made using the Halo video game. While Halo is only an average quality video game in itself, Red vs. Blue is hilarious. The plot is that there were two teams, Red and Blue, and they attempt to defeat one another. Of course, both teams are extremely incompetent, and hilarity ensues. Each video is about five minutes long and has everything from great oneliners like: “Girls are like Voltron. The more you hook up, the better it is” to
very stupid but lovable characters like Caboose. In fact, just about every character is hilarious; such as Lopez, the Spanish robot or Donut, the only Red member with pink; excuse me, lightest red armor. Everyone will find themselves drawn to at least one character in the series. You don’t have to have even of heard of Halo to enjoy this series. Every episode will have you laughing with all sorts of inane comments, pop culture references, and just plain silliness. The only complaint I have is in the first season. The voice-overs aren’t the best there, but they get much better as time goes on. The quality of the voiceovers does nothing to reduce the quality of the humor, however. So if you’ve ever played Halo, wanted to play Halo, or just enjoy laughing, this show is for you. You can purchase all five seasons for $20 each at www.redvsblue.com as well as watch the latest season online. They also have several other shows based off of video games that are worth checking out, as well as a webcomic.