2 |News
December 2, 2013
Black Friday joins the technology age ELISHA KAY ALDRICH ASSISTANT EDITOR With Thanksgiving come and gone, it is now officially “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the song puts it. But it may not be the most wonderful time of the year for just us; retailers have officially kicked it into high gear and are trying to cater to gift-givers needs. But how do they do that? Consumer tracking has been in place among many companies for quite some time, but the technology age has made it even easier for them to sell to customers, especially during the holidays. Using zip codes and cookies in online stores have long been part of a consumer’s shopping experience, analyzing where you live, what websites you visit, and more importantly, what you’re willing to spend. But retailers are beginning to come up with more advanced ways of consumer tracking. According to Anne Flaherty of the Associated Press, “marketers have developed increasingly sophisticated ways to combine offline and online data that create detailed profiles of shoppers. They also are perfecting location-tracking technology as a means of attracting new customers and influencing shoppers as they wander through brick-andmortar stores.”
But this technology not only tells companies what you buy, but what kind of shopper you are, right down to where you stand in the store. A product called “Shopperception” uses motion detection technology similar to that of the Xbox Kinect. It tracks customers’ movements through a store, and analyzes their behavior. By doing so, it can trigger certain digital signs so that they will be more likely to purchase certain products. But, unlike security cameras, the image is never stored, and the movements are only registered as a data point. Other apps link shoppers’ computers and mobile devices, so that advertisers can reach them in both places, offer coupons in both the online and brick-and-mortar stores, and even give extra discounts to customers who agree to be tracked. The constitutionality of these practices has come under question. Such tracking techniques have created a “data broker” industry, where companies collect and sell information by combining it all with other public documents, such as court records, property taxes, and income. The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating it, and the Government Accountability Office has even released a statement saying that existing laws have fallen behind the speed of technology, so there has been no
way to stop the practices. Consumers protecting themselves has become even more important in the digital age. Now that the kick off to the holiday shopping season has quickly become not just Black Friday, but the entire Thanks-
giving weekend, violation of privacy and identity theft have become major concerns. But, officials say that, even though there are risks to keep shopping, because they don’t know what the risks are, there’s nothing to be done about it just yet.
Actor Walker dies in car crash TY DUGAN MANAGING EDITOR This past Saturday, at 3:30 p.m., actor Paul Walker, the 40 year old star of the vastly popular “Fast & the Furious” franchise, was involved in a fatal car crash. Initial reports of his death appeared on the usual social networks and was a confirmed via a report from his official Twitter and Facebook pages. Many fans took to the internet in grief, his name still trending on Twitter as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday. He is survived by his 15 year old daughter. The actor was attending a charity event held by his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend’s Por-
sche Garrera GT while driving through Santa Clarita, Calif., when the car spun out of control and collided with another object at a high velocity. The automobile caught on fire and exploded with the driver and passenger still inside. Final details on the incident are not in, but authorities are revealing that speed was certainly a factor. With “Fast & Furious 7” currently filming, many fans are wondering if he will be cut from the film altogether, or if he is still going to post humously show up in the film after a drastic re-write. As well as being a star of the high-speed car theft films, Paul Walker is also known for the films “Varsity Blues,” “Eight Below,” “The Skulls” and “Flags of Our Fathers.”
Nuclear deal with Iran remains controversial RYAN FOLEY ANCHOR STAFF Last Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry was in Geneva, Sw i t z e r l a n d signing
a nuclear deal with other world powers. A deal concocted by the United States, France, Germany, England, Russia and China finally won the approval of Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. The agreement would allow economic relief for the country, which primarily means allowing the interchange of car parts, in exchange for suspension of Iran’s uranium experiment. Critics of this “new deal” include Iran’s focus of aggression, Israel, and some in the U.S. Congress, who argue that the U.S. should have also demanded a halt to North Korea’s nuclear activity. President Obama later reassured Israel that the United States still has Israel’s back. The deal also attempts to restore good relations between the United States and Israel, who have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Examples of hard feelings include the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Iran Contra Affair, and President George W. Bush identifying the country as a member of the Axis of Evil. Still, Israel’s President Netanyahu is not so sure about this agreement. He is con-
www.theanchoronline.org
cerned that leaving Iran’s nuclear fuel producing infrastructure intact was a very serious mistake. Despite Israel’s criticism, Washington’s Republicans and Democrats are willing to give this nuclear deal a try. The contract ensures the cessation of construction on a heavy-water reactor that could produce plutonium. The agreement ensures frequent inspections by the U.N. to make sure that the rules are being followed. Some argue that these changes in Iran would not be possible without the election of Hassan Rouhani to the presidency. Rouhani is considered much more moderate than his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. One of Rouhani’s missions is to restore engagement with the rest of the world, which means that Iran and the United States may finally be ready to put over three decades of bad blood behind them. The continued cooperation of Iran may mean that the Middle East is one step closer to achieving peace, which has been an impossible effort for many years.
The Anchor| 3
December 2, 2013
@TheAnchor_RIC
4 |Opinions
December 2, 2013 disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TThe Anchor.
Don’t be a bully regardless of size JESS BOURGET ASSISTANT EDITOR Since I talked about fat-shaming last week, it’s now time to address the shaming that thin folks experience. Now, there are many people who think this subject is unnecessary because, well, thin people have a more privileged place in society. They are not assumed to be unhealthy, they fit into clothing in almost every store, and people
just like them are plastered all over advertisements and throughout movies. But there has been a backlash against thin people, which takes the wrong route to fixing things. Countless memes have popped up on the Internet, reading, “real women have curves, only dogs like bones,” or, “skinny girls are for wimps.” These comments are problematic. Here, a group of people–not really sure who, since it’s the Internet–is telling another group that they aren’t real.
Criminals (especially murderous ones)
ESOHE IRABOR ANCHOR STAFF A man strolls around a neighborhood at on a drizzling night. The wind blows through the palm trees. Edgily, he aims his gun at the trees for a few moments, ready to shoot. “That was good,” He mutters to himself, “I moved even faster than the police on Cops. They’ll have to hire me
after this. F*** them for not hiring me…” He resumes his stroll. You see, he wanted to be an overseer police officer, but was rejected. He bemoaned his luck: Would he ever be able to kill legally? His dreams of towering above the laws of the land had fallen out of reach yet again. So he had to settle for the neighborhood watch group. For now, he is a mere vigilante. He is— Why, he’s Batman. Tonight, he’s tense: determined to swoop from the shadows to annihilate his “enemies.” As an active, concerned member of the Klu Klux Klan, Confederate States of America, American Colonization Society, Tea Party, gated community, he wants the right kind of people to exist be there— law-abiding citizens who
Wait a second! How can it be acceptable for any group of people to tell a woman that she isn’t a “real woman,” and better yet, what does that mean? Are we required to have a certain bra size or waist measurement to be considered a woman? And if so, who gets to decide if having a B cup or a D cup will get us into the club of “real women?” The biggest issue I take with these claims of “real women” is that instead of changing anything, they make things worse. Instead of responding to fat-shaming by promoting self-love, acceptance of all body types, and awareness of fat-shaming, people have added more negativity to the pot. Instead of fighting against fat-shaming, more shaming has been created, making it bad to be fat or thin; if you’re fat, you’re gross, but if you’re thin, you’re fake. It’s a lose-lose situation now. A better way to deal with fat-shaming would be to address it head-on. Skinny girls are not the cause of fat shaming, although I’m sure some partake in it. Patriarchy and our thin-obsessed society are the causes of fat shaming; people who actually believe that models represent what the majority of women look like are people who cause fat-shaming, but
didn’t eat skittles or drink iced tea. He wanted a homogenous society of— The man freezes, and a deep scowl slips onto his face. “Him,” he thought. It was that freak with brown skin that he’d been reporting to the police for months. “How did this n***** get in here?! He stole something I know it. Look, he’s even wearing a hood to prove it! I should…” He paused suddenly, contemplating on how to get brownie points. Then he came up with a brilliant idea: “No wait, let me call for back up.” So the deranged man calls the police with a smirk. The police explicitly tell him not to pursue the (innocent and unarmed) teenager. “F*** you, I’m standing my ground!” he snarls: “These a**holes always get away!” He stalks the teenage boy, grabbing him from behind. But of course, the teenager wasn’t going to take this lying down. The teenager fights for his life. The man fights for…well…Gotham, Robin, and the Batmobile. The man wins by shooting fatally shooting the teenager. With his adrenaline rushing,
www.theanchoronline.org
thin people don’t directly cause it. Sometimes, there are women who are just thin. They might have a fast metabolism or a small frame, but whatever it is, they don’t specifically work on being skinny. But according to these new statements, they aren’t allowed to be considered women. Even if a woman chooses to work out and is thin, she shouldn’t be shamed as not actually being a woman. The problem with these statements is that they are basically doing the same thing that fat-shaming does. I agree with the people who say that thin people have it easier in our society because, well, they do. But insulting thin people will not make fat-shaming go away. In fact, it just makes women feel worse about themselves and, personally, I think the media does that quite enough. Instead of reacting to fat-shaming by making all of the people not affected by it feel like crap, I think “fat” girls and “skinny” girls should promote the idea that all women are real women. They should start looking at each other more positively, not like enemies; the real enemy is a society that shames women for all sorts of things. If we banded together to make each other feel more accepted and understood–fat or thin–then we could stop a bit of fat and thin-shaming.
the cold-blooded murderer rises, virtually unscathed. “Goodnight.” He mutters to the corpse. Surprised by his wittiness, he smirks: “That was good.” Then he remembers: “I need some wounds in case I catch a case.” He takes his gun and bashes it against his head several times as hard as he could. “That should do it,” He decides. Ten months later, the Murderer waddles out of the courthouse like Penguin. His lawyers are smirking harder than the Joker. “Nice try,” they leer: “But they set us up to win. The jury was all women! Everyone knows that they’re emotional and can be scared out of what little wit they possess. The victim was a Black male. Who’s going to fight seriously for a Black kid in court? The whole court case was for show, because this man is free by popular demand. This man is…” Barabbas. The point here, people, is that murderous criminals need to be locked away for good—it’d be a safer,better world that way.
The Anchor| 5
December 2, 2013
@TheAnchor_RIC
6 |Opinions
December 2, 2013
disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.
Stress perspective ASHLEY ARABY ANCHOR STAFF It’s December, that time when everyone is pretty excited because the end of the semester is nearing. Well, partially excited and part…stressed! The way in which we respond to stress is key. And Rhode Island College students are no different. Exams, essays, reading and presentations give us stress; however, we cannot change these tasks. The more we think about them, the more stressed we get over them. Hence, over-thinking is a foundation for stress. Stuedents respond differently to their course load. There are students that literally say, “Ahhh, I don’t want to think about it now” and will put it off till later. Then there are those of us who want an “A” in each class. It’s great to strive for it, but becoming too focused equals…stress. Sometimes our professors give us a grade other than an A, let’s say a B. Don’t get all worked up about it. Sometimes the grades professors give us do not truly reflect the quality of our work. In Social Psychology, we are learning about Health Psychology and the affects of stress. Remember the optimist verses pessimist way of thinking? Based on social psych research it sounds like optimists have a healthier lifestyle. Why? Because they realize they cannot control the situation. They don’t focus on stress. Focus is the key here. Optimists don’t get absorbed in it. They don’t over-think about what they have to complete. It certainly does not mean stress doesn’t exist for them. Rather, they respond to stress in a coherent way, probably by mapping out how they will complete a task—writing out a plan on paper. Most importantly, while in a stressful situation or environment, they look at what is positive and potential. Be appreciative for being able to go to school. This sounds unlikely during a time when coursework is in-
tense. However, it is all
Anchor graphic by Kelly Beshara-Flynn
about our point of view. Happiness is another topic we’re learning about. Take a moment, literally a minute or two, to write down what makes you happy. Don’t just think about it in your mind, write it out. Now, most of us will agree that getting our degree is on that list of what makes us happy. That means going to school. How can something that makes us happy be a stressor? It’s all about perspective. It’s true that some classes are just requirements, not too interesting and difficult. Remember, that these courses are necessary to reach that ultimate happiness—the degree. Therefore, if learning and getting your degree makes you happy, look at finishing the semester from this perspective. Not as tasks to get done and overcome, but rather as an accomplishment that will make you happy later on. Think about why you are a student here at RIC. When we enrolled, most of us were happy and looked forward to taking the courses. We planned on studying a subject of interest to us that promised some type of joy in a future career, maybe. Therefore, don’t look at school work as a stressor, even though it feels like it. Feels is the key here. Our school stress is based on our perspective. We are just looking at the amount of work we have to complete in a few weeks. Change that perspective by responding to that stress like this: What is the positive outcome I anticipate? What am I working for? Remember the relationships you made with people along the way. You are not just there for a documented grade. Rather, view the end of the semester tasks as accomplishments of learning that will eventually bring about joy.
m utegraphics.co
Courtesy of myc
The T h
anksg
iving
tumor that is Black Friday Why Black Friday started early this year CHRISTIAN DECATALDO ANCHOR EDITOR Black Friday, that oh-so-wonderful day after Thanksgiving when Americans get out of bed early, head to the malls, and trample other Americans to death for half off an argyle sweater. In recent years, major mega chains such as Walmart, Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, Kohl’s, and many others, have been opening earlier and earlier, some going so far as to open on Thanksgiving night. This year saw the opening of major players early on Thanksgiving Day and staying open through the night and Friday. The question on my mind is simple: Why? The phrase “Black Friday” has been used for the busy shopping day after Thanksgiving since the 60s, but never has its grip claimed Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving was a time when most people did not have to work, as there was little reason to go back to work for a day between the holiday and weekend. As such, many people used this extra day to get a start on their Christmas shopping. The term Black Friday was first used by retail workers to negatively describe the naturally busy day. After a while, the sales started popping up and, before people knew it, Black Friday was less a day and more an event–an event that rakes in billions of dollars
www.theanchoronline.org
for retail businesses each year. So what has changed so rapidly in recent years to make retailers open on Thanksgiving? Typically, Blue Laws prevent all but necessities from being open on major holidays, but lobbying has changed these commonly applied laws in many places, but it is still illegal for most retailers to be open on Thanksgiving in Rhode Island. Many retailers claim their opening early on Thanksgiving as a courtesy to the consumers. Best Buy, for example, recently advertised specifically to that point. The most likely reason for the early opening is Cyber Monday. While it is a less common term than Black Friday, Cyber Monday is essentially the same thing, but on the Internet. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday and features similar sales through online venues. One other term that has been gaining traction is Small Business Saturday; where people buy from local mom and pop shops instead of big name retailers. This has caused a decrease in Black Friday spending because customers are simply ordering online from the comfort of their homes, with no need to fear being crushed to death at the gates of Walmart. Due to decreased consumer activity, retailers are stepping up their game and ruining their employees’ Thanksgivings.
The Anchor| 7
December 2, 2013
@TheAnchor_RIC
8 |Opinions
December 2, 2013 disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.
Religious corporations fight against Obamacare JOSH ESTRELLA ANCHOR EDITOR Although it has already been signed into law and approved by the Supreme Court that it is constitutional, Obamacare is under attack again by those who want it gone. In another attempt to remove the new health reform from law, the Affordable Healthcare act has once again been brought to the Supreme Court, and this time it is in regards to religion. Religious corporations such as “Hobby Lobby” are against this new healthcare because of the requirement to provide comprehensive contraception coverage for their employees. Since these religious corporation owners are against contraception they feel like their personal religious freedoms are being trampled on by Obam-
acare. This argument however is invalid, because Obamacare does not affect the individual corporation owner’s religious rights; however the law is actually aimed at their corporations. Corporations do not have religious freedoms, people do. CNN journalist Elizabeth Wydra wrote an article about how corporations do not have the same rights as individuals do, in it she stated: “Like the right to the free exercise of religion, the right against self-incrimination has always been understood to be a personal right of freedom and conscience that artificial corporate entities simply do not share.” For all legal purposes, corporations claiming Obamacare is destroying their religious rights do not have a foot to stand on in court. Corporations do not have religious freedom, and more so, the corporation owners are not paying for the contraception opportunities
for their employees out of pocket, the corporation is. Religious colleges, universities, hospitals and churches are all exempt from the requirement of requiring contraception requirements for employees. For-profit companies such as “Hobby Lobby” are not and that is why they have brought this case to court. To make them exempt from this law is completely impractical, and would take away the rights of women across the nation. One of the biggest benefits of Obamacare is providing healthcare opportunities for women including contraception. As the Obama administration has stated: “Contraception is a private issue between a woman and her doctor, not a woman and her boss.” A CEO hundreds of miles away from you should not have the power to decide if you
receive contraception methods based on his personal religious belief. Thousands of women will go without healthcare benefits they deserve simply because it is against another person’s religious belief. “Hobby Lobby” and other corporations have made it clear they will not be paying for contraception although it is the law; they now await the decision by the Supreme Court on whether it is constitutional. In January when the healthcare plan begins corporations who will not pay will begin to face extensive fines. Whichever side you are on, for contraception or against, people need to understand it is the right of the individual woman to make for herself. Women deserve the opportunity to have access to it in healthcare, and CEOs should not decide the personal lives of their employees.
You are royalty!
How to make your waitress your loyal subject
NICHOLAS BILODEAU ANCHOR CONTRIBUTOR You are royalty and as such you deserve to go out to eat. Besides, Kings do not make their own food so why should you? You choose a restaurant and you gather up your family and you are on your way. You and your family unit arrive at your destination and you head inside to be greeted. “Hi, how many today?” your waitress says to you. Then you follow her to your seat and she proceeds to ask you, “How are you today?” This is your chance to subject her. Quick, respond with, “I’ll take two waters, two Sprites, lemons on the water.” Make sure after you say this you snap your fingers and send her away properly as a king would. Upon return she should ask you if you have decided upon your orders. This is when you should make sure you decline and tell her you have not. This also gives you the chance to snap at her again and call her over when you think you have decided. When she comes over again what do you do? That’s right! Make her wait. The correct response here would be, “Ummmmmmm, one second.” She gets a call from her other five tables and patiently waits because it would be futile for her to come back a third time. Besides don’t sweat it, you are royalty and she would not dare serve anyone else first! Finally you order and soon your food will be on the way! As you wait remember that most waitresses have families to feed and kids of their own. So they are basically your personal nannies. Let your kids have a ball! Before you send them running and playing around the
restaurant make sure you tell them to scream as loud as their little vocal boxes can possibly function! When your food comes back you have an obligation to tell the waitress it took too long. Make her apologize! She leaves and you get on with your meal. When you are almost done you realize you do not have enough money to pay for the food and the tip so you devise a plan. Thinking on your feet like the exceptional human being you are, you pull a hair out of your head and place it on the remaining food. If this is too hard of a task you can always opt for plan B and tell the waitress the food was terrible as well as her service. Threaten to complain to the management and tell her you absolutely refuse to pay full price for it. You have now mastered the art of going out to eat like royalty. Toss the servant anywhere from a measly quarter to a dollar bill and be on your way! Obviously the previous paragraphs are sarcasm; this is simply a collection of complaints I have heard and if you follow through with any one of the actions outlined above you will probably get a smack. I know many waitresses/waiters and they would like for you to remember that the standard tip price is no longer at fifteen percent. The proper tip is now around twenty percent. Some of your friends at Rhode Island College are servers and they are humans, they are getting about three dollars an hour and are not waitresses because they feel it is their duty to serve royalty. If you do not tip they are essentially working for free. You’re not royalty and your waitresses are not your
Anchor graphic by Kelly Beshara-Flynn
slaves. They are human beings. If you think that they do not remember the joke of a tip you left them guess again. This is basic human compassion! If you cannot practice this basic human compassion in the simplest of the outlets, imagine the impact on the world you are having in the other areas of your life. You may not be able change the world by tipping your waitresses, but who knows maybe you can. Regardless it is a
www.theanchoronline.org
good place to start in your practice of compassion! To those of you who do not, take a second and remember that these are the people who handle your food in private. Remember the next time you go out to eat and take notice of the waitress that you never tip. Take notice that she is watching and smiling at you as you eat. (A little piece of advice, she is not smiling at you because she thinks you’re cute!)
Opinions| 9
December 2, 2013 disclosure: The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Anchor.
Cultural norms
What should I really value?
NICHOLAS BILODEAU ANCHOR CONTRIBUTOR I will start with politics since everything I am about to say is a result of norms of the culture I live in. I remember my first time voting and I certainly did not vote for Obama. It was funny though, because I watched all of my friends around me hail him as the answer to all of the political problems of the country. I even remember one of his campaign speeches and to paraphrase he basically pledged to cut the debt of the country in half by the end of his first term. The problem is not only did he fail to come through on this promise but we have all seen the Facebook meme that claims he spent more money than all of the previous United States presidents combined. I am not sure on the validity of this statement but the fact remains that the debt is not cut in half but also continues to climb. The U.S. debt rises more each hour than I could make in three years of work at this point in my life. I feel like many people did not care enough to look into the man during his campaign. Think I am wrong? Look up “Obama phone lady” on YouTube and then get back to me.
Courtesy of theitcave.com
Which brings me to the second time I was disappointed with the way Obama is handling his political powers. Most Americans have heard of Obamacare and the government shutdown is fresh in most people’s minds. Obama told us there were no problems with his program and that the republicans could end the shutdown if they wanted to. The blame game began and the problem was eventually resolved.
What happened? That’s right, us Americans were lied to again as many people got dropped from their health care plans, around 22,000 senior citizens and over 800,000 in select states. On top of the dropped coverages, the website to sign up for Obama care is still under construction! I believed Obama when he said everything was worked out and all the Republicans had to do was reconstruct the budget to accommodate the Affordable care act. I was mad at the Republicans, until after the budget was resolved and I learned that the leave that was promised to my brother fighting in Afghanistan was taken away. He was supposed to come home for Christmas but no longer is going to be able to due to budget cuts but then again, why should I be surprised? Over and over as young Americans we are given advice on how to succeed in American culture. Whether your parents are telling you to believe in God or your high school advisors are telling you to go to college one thing is left out of their equation. What do you want to do? I recently deleted my social media sites. It seems like the users of social media have so much more than me, including happiness. It influenced my life and my decisions. All over all of the social media sites you see people getting brand new cars, jobs, designer clothes, gadgets, and seem to party every weekend. Television is also an advocate for the luxuries of American capitalist culture. I recently
started to question the value of new clothes, new cars, that new iPhone, even education. These are all things that I was told I needed to have in order to succeed or be happy. So what do Americans do to get the Capitalist treasures that we are told we need? We get a job. We spend money on useless things, live beyond our means and in 10 years the money we earned instead of building our future are forgotten. What really matters is those failed college courses on your record because you were too busy working and you had no time for your studies. Social media made me hate myself for things that I did not have and I realized that it is not my fault that I am not making money yet. How many people pictured when they were younger that they would be working where they are now? I certainly did not. The American Dream is dead. Working no longer helps you achieve your goals it helps the rich get richer. You need a career to survive in this economy. Yeah, you are making ten dollars an hour at Chili’s but there are people making millions while you waste your potential at their corporate chain. Question what you are told to value. It took me a while to realize, but I would rather get my degree than dress well and have a new car during college. This is why I deleted my social media accounts, my values were out of sync with reality.
The Abbey Monday
5pm to 11pm Beer and Burgers $4 Classic Hamburgers (An American classic, grilled to order topped with American cheese, lettuce and tomato. served with fries) and a bucket of craft beers on special, select four top self craft beers for our limited menu.
Tuesday
5pm to 11pm Wing night with Miller Lite .45 cent wings with pitchers of miller lite on special
Wednesday
8:30pm Team Trivia Pub Trivia with DJ Trivia, 1st place prize $50 Abbey gift card and a little something for the last place team.
Home of 99 Beers & the Best Hamburger in Providence, Rhode Island 1/2 price lunch every Monday - Thursday 11:30am - 3:00pm Watch all your favorite football teams on our new 72” TV screen and don’t forget to see our pitcher special! www.92beers.com @AnchorOpinions
686 Admiral Street, Providence, RI 02908 Phone: (401) 351-4346
10 |The Anchor
December 2, 2013
10% Discount for
Dine In
FREE Delivery
Take out
with RIC ID Phone: 401-331-0008 39 Greenville Avenue, Johnston RI
Not your Everyday Average Pizza, Salads, and Wings Hours: Sun-Thurs 10 am -12 am Fri-Sat 10 am -1 am
www.eastcoastpizzari.com www.theanchoronline.org
The Anchor| 11
December 2, 2013 A Rhode Island Tradition for Over 50 Years
“The Roast Beef Specialists”
THE CLASSICS ARE BACK!
• 1 Classic Roast Beef Sandwich • 1 Small Fries • 1 Small Drink $ .29 $
5
or
2/ 10
Valid through 12/30/2013
Coupon not valid with other offers
As Always, Teachers, Faculty and Students Save 10% with ID
2050 Smith Street, North Providence 401-349-5881
@TheAnchor_RIC
12 |Editorial
December 2, 2013
EDITORS Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Sam Mandeville editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Business Manager
Ty Dugan managing@anchorweb.org
Art Director
Jonathan Kmieciak business@anchorweb.org
News Editor Christian DeCataldo news@anchorweb.org
Liz Di Ruggiero artdirector@anchorweb.org
RIC Life Editor Josh Estrella RIClife@anchorweb.org
Opinions Editor
Sports Editor
Rebecca Allen opinions@anchorweb.org
Sam Allen sports@anchorweb.org
Photography Editor
Graphics Editor Kelly Beshara-Flynn graphics@anchorweb.org
Danielle Franciosi photo@anchorweb.org
Layout Editor
Copy Editor
Bethany L’Etoile layout@anchorweb.org
Jim Brady senior_copy@anchorweb.org
Ads Manager
Technology Director
Ashley Goldberg ads@anchorweb.org
Ryan Bettencourt technology@anchorweb.org
Circulation Manager Jason Metivier circulation@anchorweb.org
If you see news happen or would like to have an event covered, please email editorinchief@anchorweb.org or call (401) 456-8280.
STAFF Elisha Kay Aldrich, Ashley Araby, Fernanda Beziaco, Jess Bourget, Everton Carter, Brian Christie, Nick DeSimeone, Ryan Foley, Esohe Irabor, Thomas Lima, Taylor Lundy, Corey Porter, Brian Simas, Tyler H. Vigeant, Dianna Villa, Ryan Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS Justine Banspach, Nicholas Bilodeau, John Capellan, Stephanie Faria, Nate Grist, Blair Larson, Robert Santurri Jr.
FACULTY ADVISOR
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS Doug Hadden Jim Hummel
Lloyd Matsumoto lmatsumoto@ric.edu
We’re Online www.theanchoronline.org
@TheAnchor_RIC
https://www.facebook.com/theanchoronline
Contact Us
General Information 401.456.8280 info@anchorweb.org
Editor-in-Chief 401.456.8790 editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Legal stuff
Advertising 401.456.8544 ads@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 by the college. 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 Anchor is not funded by and is independent from Rhode Island College. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. Newspaper racks on the Rhode Island College campus are the property of The Anchor Newspaper. Only The Anchor Newspaper publication will be permitted on these racks. Any other publication or advertisement that is placed on the racks will be given one (1) warning for violating this policy. After two (2) violations, the business/publication will be billed at the rate of a full page advertisement. Copyright © 2013 The Anchor. All rights reserved.
www.theanchoronline.org
Time Wasters| 13
December 2, 2013
@TheAnchor_RIC
14 |RIC Life
December 2, 2013 etings! Weekly me
0 pm Wed. @ 1:3 nn 183 Horace Ma
Campus Calendar RIC-END IApril bet 22-24 you all are wondering, “What’s going on around IMPORTANT INFORMATION: campus next week?” Look, If you come to all the events, we all want to know, so you have the chance of winning this time, insteada of lazing $500.00 by entering raffle around in boxers, the answer is in these briefs.
Free Paint balling, customized Bumper Stickers, & food! The Giving Tree April 22 – Dec. 10 Nov. 20 6:30 p.m.
Courtesy of vector.me
Interfaith Center The Quad Make a child’s Christmas a little bit better. Pledge a gift today.
What’s better than that? #Paintballin
Alice in Wonderland
Gina Brillon and Rob Haze from NBC Dec. for 3 a comedy night…
The Spotlight: Anchor TV
7:30 p.m. April 23 8 p.m,
Roberts Hall Gaige
Courtesy of Kristen Salemi
Members of Anchor TV at Student Activities Day this year on the quad. back: Matt Furtado, AJ Clark, Brett Porier, Brian Christie, Jared Ware. front: Emily LeBlanc, Sam Allen, Milka Tolich.
–
Come see Alice in Wonderland on strings! Performed the Salzbury There will be freeby hats! Marionette Theater. #GigglesNLaughs
Tunes For A Cause
Solo8Circus- Mike Dubois Dec. Doors open at 7 p.m. April 24 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Tickets $5 before, $10 at the door
Quad during period Street The Spot, 101 free Richmond Including fire by stunts, Brought to you Deltasmoothies Phi Epsilon. andproceeds balloongo artist #FieryLuau All towards the National Association for Anorxia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD).
BRIAN CHRISTIE ASSISTANT EDITOR This week we’re visiting our friends just across the hall from The Anchor in the Ducey Student Media Center; Anchor TV. Of the three media organizations on campus, Anchor TV is the youngest. The club was founded in the spring of 2009, just after the original TV centered club, RIC TV, dissolved. Over the course of the club’s short time at Rhode Island College, Anchor TV has grown quite well. Using some of RIC TV’s old equipment, as well as acquiring some of their own, Anchor TV began broadcasting to the campus 24 hours a day on channel three, a vast improvement from the days of RIC TV, when channel three was often left dark. Much of Anchor TV’s original pro-
graming was coverage of the RIC basketball games, as well as talk shows, such as “This Must Not Leave the Building,” and news shows like “The Goosescoop.” Anchor TV was, and still is, well known as the place to watch live Student Parliament Meetings on Wednesday nights. This past year, Anchor TV has proven to be a force to be reckoned with on campus, as they saw a big growth in numbers for the club, which has allowed them to add more cameras for their basketball broadcasts and Parliament. They also began covering RIC Hockey games. A few new original programs came in with these new members, such as “Pardon the RICterruption,” a sports show, and “Brain Critic,” a movie talk show. The club also held an event known as St. Baldrick’s Day last year, which asks people to shave their heads to
www.theanchoronline.org
raise money for children with cancer. This year is the first year that a founding member of the club is not on the executive board, showing longevity as a club, as well as fresh faces and new ideas abound in the club’s small office. This semester, the club has spent a lot of its efforts working on a new weekly news show, which can be found on Anchor TV’s YouTube channel, as well as laying the foundations for a bigger and better St. Baldrick’s Day in the spring. This is one of the fastest growing clubs on campus and is eager for new members, so if you ever wanted your own TV show or just want to learn how to work a camera, come by Anchor TV’s office in the Ducey Student Media Center, go to one of their Wednesday meetings in Horace Mann 183 at 1:30 p.m., or visit anchortv.org.
RIC Life| 15
December 2, 2013
Dancing the day away for Epilepsy BLAIR LARSON ANCHOR CONTRIBUTOR
Courtesy of vector.me
If you heard music blaring from the Student Union Ballroom on Nov. 24, then you heard the Dance-A Thon for Epilepsy. The Junior Class, along with numerous other student organization cosponsors, put on the first Dance-a thon in recent Rhode Island College history. President of RIC’s Junior Class, Ashley Goldberg, noted the irony in hosting a dance-a-thon. “Well, first, November is the first ever epilepsy awareness month. And secondly, people with epilepsy are normally kept from dances, so why not go for the irony,” Goldberg said. The day saw a slow start, as the Junior Class officers ran around to get things ready. Though stress was apparent in the early goings, the dancing soon started, helping alleviate worries. A small group of six dancers started the event. At one point, it was overheard that there were cosponsors who did not show up to the event, which caused a low turnout. While Junior Class officers seemed discouraged at first, their spirits were turned around when people began showing up to support the event. The atmosphere in the room, as well as the group’s demeanor, certainly brightened at the arrival of participants. After the first hour, a dancer was added
to the competition, but he would be behind the other dancers’ time by sixty minutes. All the dancers were excited and full of energy. There was one person eliminated during the first hour, but after that, everyone was in it to win it. And don’t worry, dancers were given three minute bathroom passes, if needed. After four hours, two more dancers dropped out, leaving just four on the dance floor. Taking fourth place was Julien Goldstick, who also won the award for most enthusiastic dancer. He was there at 9:30 a.m. warming up and getting ready. The last three competitors took the dancing to the end of the night. That’s right, they went all the way to eight hours. Since he was already behind by an hour, Justin Davis came in second place. Tied for first, at eight hours of dancing, were Maggie Keach and Brittany Sands. They were all exhausted, but still had smiles on their faces as they headed home. The Junior Class definitely had everything thought out. They ordered over 100 deli style wraps, so dancers could eat, and, of course, tons of bottled water. There was also a supply of candy and free stuff. Despite the small turn out, everyone had fun joining in on the dancing and having a great time with friends. An official total is not known at press time. Pay attention to this group, because they are taking things over.
is
av D n sti
Ju
Brittan
y Sand s
Ray Camacho
Anchor photos by Everton Carter
Despite the small turn out, student dancers had enough energy and fun to spare.
Angela Bua er
Maggie Keach
Julien Goldstick @AnchorRILife
Brittany Helgerson
16 |RIC Life
December 2, 2013
Super Megafest is super mega awesome Twelfth annual convention rocks Mass. audience ASHLEY GOLDBERG ANCHOR EDITOR NATE GRIST ANCHOR ALUM Super Megafest took over the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Mass. on Nov. 23 and 24. The halls, rooms, and main event hall were filled with hundreds of artists, vendors, and celebrities from all different ventures, ready to cater to the thousands of fans in attendance at New England’s largest multimedia fanfest. As we have seen in years past, there were numerous costumed fans, ranging from Dr. Who to the Foot Clan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame, who spent the day running through the halls and the famous Dr. Who time machine, the Tardis. The weekend started with a cosplay and comedy party for the VIP guests. The night consisted of comedians Rich Vos, Shaun Bedgood and EJ Murphy. There were celebrities mingling with the guests and, of course, there were many cosplay front runners there to show off their amazing costumes. The night was filled with raffles and prizes, and all those who came in costume received free Megafest gear. On Saturday morning, people were up bright and early, filling the hotel with anticipation. If you had a VIP ticket, then you were able to receive early admission to the venue. You were taken to a room where the first “Back to the Future” was being shown. As the VIP guests entered the room, they were given a complimentary Christopher Lloyd poster and a Super Megafest patch. The room filled with people as they announced those in the room would be the first to meet Christopher Lloyd himself. The Megafest has grown in size over the past few years and, although the event is great, the size of the hotel is proving small
amidst the convention’s great turnout. They used the grand ballroom, lobbies, lounges, conference rooms, lower level meeting rooms and numerous hallways to host the numerous attractions. With such long lines and the number of people in attendance, getting through any one area proved to be an interesting adventure. The hallways were crowded and the rooms were packed full. Since they had so many people in so many places, the back rooms seemed to get lost. Midway through the day, Megafest staff had to rearrange some talent around so that fans could find them. The only other complaint that was heard from fans were regarding prices. For many of the celebrities, the prices were unclear and they were not known until the fans reached the front of the line. Some said that when they reached the front of the line, they felt obligated to pay the steep prices. These prices were reasonable compared to the New York Comic Con where Sylvester Stallone charged $500 for an autograph and $200 for a photo. Unfortunately, some guests, such as comic book artists Al Plastino and Herb Trimpe, boxing legend Jake Lamotta and actors Shawn Ashmore, Karen Allen and Jenna Jameson, among others, had to cancel due to personal commitments. This just resulted in longer lines for other guests, especially for Ray Park (“X-Men,” “G.I. Joe,” “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”), Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”) and Cassandra Petersen (“Elvira: Mistress of the Dark”). If you were patient enough, everybody got to meet the person they were there to see. Fans could get up close and personal with their favorites by way of the Q & A sessions held throughout the weekend. The Saturday night lineup treated fans to
Anchor photo by Nate Grist
Star Wars actors Femi Taylor, Oola from “Return of the Jedi,” and Jeremy Bulloch, Boba Fett from “Empire Strikes back” and “Return of the Jedi” smile for the camera. the Come Together Mega Music Fest, featuring Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Riders, and Niki Luparelli and Andy Green The Gold Diggers. Fans were not disappointed at all as the musical artists rocked the night. Josh Sussman of “Glee” and “Wizards of Waverly Place” was another guest in attendance at Super Megafest. He noted how nice it was to be a guest at the 12th annual event.
The Bent Bullet Mutant Conspiracy
New X-Men movie rewrites history
FERNANDA BEZIACO ANCHOR STAFF To promote the upcoming movie “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” its producers are releasing several viral videos. The most recent one is “The Bent Bullet,” released last week, which works on the theory that Magneto was really responsible for Kennedy’s death. This is not the first time the X-Men movie
franchise has inserted historical events into their stories, connecting major events with the participation of mutants. According to the promotional site TheBentBullet.com, the new plot point is that Magneto used Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot President John F. Kennedy, thus forcing the United States to create a weapon with which to exterminate all mutants. It is generally accepted that Lee Harvey Os-
wald was the sniper responsible for shooting and killing Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22, 1963. There are several conspiracy theories regarding Kennedy’s death, allowing room for X-Men’s clever reimagining of events. “Days of Future Past” is the sequel to the successful “X-Men: First Class” movie. The major enemy this time around will be Bolivar Trask and his sentinel creation, which are being used to hunt down and destroy
www.theanchoronline.org
“This is my first time at Super Megafest and it’s so incredible and I got to meet lots of fans, which is really nice. I am usually at work or home and it’s really nice to have a place with all the fans,” Sussman said. All the celebrities and artists seemed to love meeting the fans and most of them enjoyed conversation with them as well. The excitement is already building for next year’s Super Megafest.
mutants. As the movie’s story is facilitated by time travel, the gist of the story involves Professor Xavier and Magneto, from a future timeline, sending Wolverine back through time to deliver a message to their younger selves in hopes of creating an alternate future–one which saves mutankind rather than destroying it. Directed by Bryan Singer, the movie will bring together the cast from the original trilogy of “X-Men” films, such as Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan, and the cast from “X-Men: First Class,” such as James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. “X-Men: Days of Future Past” hits theaters on May 23, 2014.
The Anchor| 17
December 2, 2013
“Thor” catches lightning in a bottle, again A glowing review for “The Dark World” TY DUGAN MANAGING EDITOR This film was easily one of my favorite superhero flicks of all time, and I am including “The Dark Knight” into this category. The film lacked only subtlety and appearances by Mark Ruffalo, the actor who plays Bruce Banner and his green, behemoth, alter-ego The Hulk. “The Dark World” made honest efforts to capture everything that is great about the Thor comics. Wonderfully, it proves once again you can take a character and world that the mainstream audience is hardly aware of and create a film that not only works, but works great. So great it made over $570 million worldwide. Thor’s story was covered fairly well in the first film, his backstory simply serving as a setup for the 2012 film “The Avengers.” Marvel Studios has practically made an art form out of eluding to the upcoming films in their franchise, connecting all the dots and making sure all their stories align. While “Thor 2” has the same as “Iron Man 3,” a solo film, post-”Avengers,” Thor succeeds where Iron Man failed. “Iron Man 3” dragged a bit as it focuses solely on Tony Stark’s anxiety after the events in “Avengers,” creating a scenario where the other Avengers cannot come to help, even though the scenario was absolutely a scenario the Avengers should’ve been in on, or at least SHIELD and Nick Fury. “Thor 2,” on the other hand, takes us directly to Asgard and transitions between there and London. While the film does eventually have its final scenes on Earth, the vast majority of it takes place in the other realms. It seems the second phase of Marvel Studios films is about transitioning the characters in a post-Avengers world. Bringing them out of their safety zones and into troublesome battles with bigger, badder, and vengeful villains who threaten their personal safety is a way to explain why each character is not in the other’s solo flick. We can safely anticipate that “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” will also be using antagonists from the character’s past to provide a new threat for the viewers. “Thor 2” worked because it did not try to be a successor to “Avengers,” which “Iron Man 3” arguably did, and it did not try to be a direct sequel to “Thor,” either. By safely assuming the viewers had seen
both previous films–if not everything in the entire franchise leading up to it– the writers Chris Yost, Chris Marcus and Stephen Mcfreely decided to write a story where no reverse explanations were needed. The only things you needed to know were that Thor has the hots for Jane Foster; he’s been gone a long time; and an ancient evil force, new to Thor and thus his viewers, has been awoken and it’s coming for her. The film carefully creates strong character development as we see loving interactions between Thor and his adopted, vicious, and traitorous brother Loki, as well as both of the boys and their Mother. Rene Russo gets some awesome screen time in this film as Frigga, wife of Odin, and really plays the hell out of the role. Each of the women in this film are strong characters, well defined and incredibly resourceful. Most notably is Kat Dennings’ character, Darcy, who seems to
steal every scene she appears in. The quirky, fun comedy of the film is well appreciated and does not overshadow the strong, emotional, and dramatic themes of loss and lack of control. Two things Thor is only just learning how to deal with as he is a prince of a world of gods and is quite used to everything working out. If you make time for “Thor 2” this hol-
iday season, try to catch it in 3-D. I don’t press that often, but this one was worth it. I can’t confidently say the film is worth the extra expense in IMAX, but if you are a fan of the massive screen, it probably works out fine. There is certainly no loss in resolving to basic theater standards though. The special effects are splendid, but the acting and story this time around is where it’s at.
Courtesy of nypost.com @TheAnchor_RIC
18 |Sports
December 2, 2013
Anchormen offense stifled by MIT
RIC post season low point total in loss SAM ALLEN SPORTS EDITOR
Courtesy of GoAnchormen.com
Prior to the Anchormen’s loss with MIT on Saturday, senior guard Nyheem Sanders led with 25 points in their game against Bridgewater State, defeating the Bears 76-68 last Tuesday.
Athlete of the Week Cara Paladino - Women’s Basketball
Senior co-captain Cara Paladino helped lead her team to a big victory this past week over Bridgewater State. She led the team with 16 points, although all five starters had points in the double digits. This was the first regular season game Paladino started all season and she proved her position on the starting five. Paladino has experience in conference games, which will serve the team well as the season continues.
www.theanchoronline.org
The Rhode Island College men’s basketball team, now an even 3-3, scored their lowest points total this season as the MIT Engineers held the Anchormen to 38 points on the road, and just 19 percent shooting in the final twenty minutes of play. The home team took a quick 5-0 lead in the first few minutes of play, but the Anchormen went on an 8-0 run, making the score 8-5, thanks to a steal and layup from captain Nyheem Sanders. The first half remained close, with three lead changes and four ties, but MIT went on another run, which gave them control of the game. After twenty minutes played, the score was 32-24, Engineers. The defense for MIT was on top of their game in the second half, not allowing RIC to get a good run going. The score got
to within 10 points after junior Victor Smith scored a jumper with 13:55 to go. But the 10 point deficit was as close as the Anchormen would get. They only scored seven more points on the game, losing by a final score of 54-38. Junior Chris Burton was the only RIC shooter to post in the double digits, with 11 points and a team-leading five rebounds. Tom DeCiantis had nine points on the game, while Sanders and Smith both finished with six. Prior to Saturday’s tough loss, the Anchormen traveled to Bridgewater State on Tuesday, where they defeated the Bears 76- 68. Nyheem Sanders led the team with 25 points on the game. He was followed by DeCiantis with 13 and Burton with 10. After a tough loss on the road, the Anchormen have time to regroup before Elms College (1-4) comes to the Murray Center on Thursday to face off against RIC in front of their home crowd.
The Anchor| 19
December 2, 2013
@TheAnchor_RIC
20 |Sports
December 2, 2013
Ladies drop anchor on Bridgewater State
Anchorwomen starters post double digit scores SCOTT CANCELLIRI ANCHOR INTERN
Cara Paladino lead the Anchorwomen to a 74-61 victory over the Bears of Bridgewater State University on Tuesday night. Paladino scored 16 point in the Rhode Island College women’s basketball win. The Anchorwomen had an amazing start, as they scored the first nine points of the game. The Bears responded with a 15-6 tear that tied the game at 15 apiece. After taking a six point lead, RIC then went on a 9-3 run before the end of the first half, leading the Bears 46-31. The ladies kept a seven-point lead for most of the second half, but Bridgewater State went on a 9-2 run to pull to within six points with just 4:15 left in the game, 63-57. But RIC wanted a bigger cushion, and went on a 11-4
Courtesy of GoAnchormen.com
Senior guard Cara Paladino led the Anchorwomen to victory on Tuesday night, earning 16 points of the 74-61 final score against the Bears of Bridgewater State.
www.theanchoronline.org
run in the final three minutes of the game to earn their second win of the season. Along with Paladino’s 16 points, sophomores Vandell Andrade and Danielle LeBlanc each scored in the double digits; Andrade with 14 points and LeBlanc with 13, 12 of which coming in the first half. Stephanie Prusko and Michelle Lagrotteria rounded out the five Anchorwomen with double figure scoring on the day. Prusko finished with 13 points and Lagrotteria had 11. In total, the five starters had 66 of RIC’s 74 points. For Bridgewater, Megan Boutilette led the team in scoring with 17 points, as well as nine rebounds. Jenna Williamson, the younger sister of RIC’s head coach Kara Williamson, scored 11 points in this game, one of them being her 1000th career point. The next game for RIC will be this Wednesday, on the road, at Connecticut College.