HAIRCUT A buzz above the rest February 14, 2012
When you look up ‘alternative’ in the dictionary you see the latest issue of Buzzsaw. And sure all of our editors drive cars fueled with chai tea and are voting for Steve Jobs’ corpse in the upcoming Presidential election. But when Buzzsaw magazine got ready to start their semester, there was one question that probed our mind: how can we get even more alternative?
Pregnant Like Me
One student’s journey to understand the hardships of teenage pregnancy By Kaley Belval
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n Feb. 7, nearly 40 students attended “Conception: The Introspective Journey of a Teenage Mother,” a presentation Introducing Haircut, Buzzsaw magazine’s bastard, by sophomore Cöelis Mendoza, 19, about her alternative lovechild that unapologetically covers unexpected pregnancy during college. Students news more in-depth than other student publica- watched as Mendoza, with her round, pregnant tions as well as news you can’t find anywhere else. belly, turned on the projector and nervously began talking about her experiences. Then, after A Brief History Lesson about 15 minutes, she stopped talking and let out Back when you thought you were making a state- a big sigh. Mendoza then began to remove the ment with that Green Day wristband, Buzzsaw straps underneath her dress and pulled out a fake magazine was still reigning alternative supreme pregnancy belly, revealing the secret she under the name Buzzsaw Haircut. Somewhere be- had been hiding since August. tween getting initiated into Alliteration Alliance of As a child of a teenage mother and America and Birkenstocks coming back in style, someone who watched her cousins Buzzsaw revamped itself and the ‘Haircut’ got go through teenage pregnancies, shaved off in the process … until now. Mendoza was interested in the ways pregnant teenagers were Top 5 Reasons treated and perceived. She You Should Read Haircut decided to do research on the Because you need your alternative news fix topic of teenage pregnancy between Buzzsaw issues, and The New Yorker is and determined that the best too expensive. way to learn was by becoming a pregnant teenager herself. Because you need something to read while “There’s a difference in actually you awkwardly sit alone at the pub and wait being perceived as a teenage mother for your friends. — [in saying,] ‘This is what Because reading a black-and-white publication happened to me,’ rather than ‘This is makes you feel like you’re going against what happened to other people,’” the grain — or because you think color is too Mendoza said. mainstream. Every day, starting in August, Mendoza put on Because you want to sound intelligent and her body shaper and stuffed it with foam, taking it off only at her Ithaca apartment and during winter well informed to your friends. break at home. Near the end of her “pregnancy,” But let’s not forget the most important reason she bought a $500 pregnancy suit from an online — it’s stuff you fucking need to know. website that sold them for theatre productions. She said it made her “pregnancy” look more So, without further ado, read, enjoy and prepare authentic, especially with its realistic belly-like feel yourself for the newest offering in alternative that friends could touch. news (you think we’ve said “alternative” enough Only five close friends knew about the yet?) experiment originally, but about a dozen people, including two professors, ended up knowing Sorry we’re not sorry. about Mendoza’s project before the end of her research. Mendoza performed a whole new role <3 The Buzzsaw Editors
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as a pregnant teenager. She did not go out with her friends often or consume alcohol. She had to be cautious getting in and out of desks. She even carefully walked a few feet behind people so no one would accidentally hit her belly. When asked about the baby’s sex or baby names, she said that she was giving the baby up for adoption — which many people responded with a “that’s good.” Both professors and her friends encouraged her to take the Spring semester off as a medical leave of absence. Mendoza said that t h e r e were not many resources
f o r pregnant wome n on campus. “Ithaca College does not p r o v i d e institutional support for p re g n a n t students,” she said. Mendoza said she began to get extremely frustrated with her experiment (continued in center)
Photo by Daniel Sitts
Introducing Haircut
IC Students: Expect a tuition rise in 2012-2013
By Pete Blanchard thaca College students will more than likely looking in a variety of places to cut costs. “We’re seeing across the institution that receive a tuition increase for 2012-2013. The Board of Trustees will meet Feb. 15 people are being more conservative and much through Feb. 16 in New York City to vote on the more prudent purchasers of items, particularly budget. Carl Sgrecci, vice president for finance since we went through the economic crisis in 2008-2009,” Sgrecci said. and administration at IC, noted that the budget is Sgrecci also said the Office of the Budget is almost always approved. While it’s hard to gather specific details of the taking internal measures to cut costs. “We’re making some significant investments in college’s budget plan until it’s approved, a letter dated Oct. 2011 provides some insight. Sgrecci energy conservation measures,” Sgrecci said. “We’ve replaced a "The college is targeting the increase...at lot of light fixtures and we’re insulating areas of less than 5 percent." the campus as funds are available to cut down on wrote a letter to various vice presidents, deans, our energy consumption.” Sally Dietz, Director for the office of the directors and department chairs of the college, budget, declined to comment before the Board detailing goals for the 2012-2013 fiscal budget. According to the letter, the college is targeting of Trustees approved the budget. If students are wondering why enrollment has the increase in price for tuition, room and board at less than 5 percent. Another objective is to gone up in the past several years, they need only “target steady growth in net tuition per student.” look at the numbers. According to Sgrecci’s letter, Sgrecci’s objectives outlined in the letter are student enrollment accounts for 90 percent of consistent with increases over the years. In 2010- Ithaca College’s operating revenue. 2011, cost of tuition ran $33,630. In 2011-2012, students saw the price tag go up to $35,278, a 4.9 Read full article at buzzsawmag.org percent increase. Since the 2007-2008 academic ___________________________________ year, tuition prices have increased by an average Pete Blanchard is a senior journalism major who is “Ready” to pay off his debt. Email him at pblanch1@ of 5.3 percent. Sgrecci said all departments on campus are ithaca.edu
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Eyes for the Tiger:
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he Environmental Leadership and ActionscNetwork (ELAN) is an off-campus studentcorganization in Ithaca dedicated to environmentalcand social justice through direct action. cELAN integrates National Greenpeace Student Network campaigns with the needs of our local community. Last semester, we launched Operation Tiger, a national campaign working to save the rainforest of Indonesia from illegal deforestation. We’re aiming to make changes to Ithaca College’s paper policies as part of a global effort to fight this deforestation. Our campaign puts the plight of the Sumatran Tiger front and center. Since the use of paper at colleges like ours encourages massive paper plantations in places like Sumatra, an island in Indonesia, our tiger friends there are nearing extinction — there are less
Photo courtesy ELAN
Student organization campaigns for sustainable paper
By Abby Togliatti than 400 tigers left. We ended last semester with a bang: a flashmob in the library thanking them for upholding IC’s paper policy by using 30 percent postconsumer recycled paper. But 30 percent just isn’t enough. This semester we are planning on meeting with faculty members and the administration to ca paign for IC to use 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Without this policy, 70 percent or more of the paper content we use comes straight from plantation forests, and we want IC to b come a leader in stopping global climate change and deforestation. Keep your eyes open for more flash-mobs, theatrics and tons of ways to plug in! Also on our agenda this semester is recruitment.We’re looking for more students at IC to get involved in this national campaign. Operation Tiger affects all IC students — we all use paper and we’re all responsible for our college’s consumption. Our meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7 P.M. on 505 S. Cayuga St. A group of us usually takes the bus down from Park at 6:45 P.M. _____________________________ Abby Togliatti is a sophomore clinical health studies major who is a member of ELAN. Email her at atoglia1@ithaca.edu.
Pregnant Like Me
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near the end, but her boyfriend, who was very supportive of the project, pushed her to follow through. Though Mendoza said she is relieved the project is now over, she is glad she remained “pregnant” the entire “term.” “Pregnancy was perceived as a disappointment,” she said. “Generally, there was a feeling of pity.” Throughout the experiment, Mendoza noticed that her peers looked at her oddly, but no one would address her directly. They would instead address her close friends, who then relayed to Mendoza the general sense of people’s responses. Mendoza hopes people think twice before they place judgment on young mothers. “If one does become pregnant at a young age, the hardships already involved in motherhood do not have to be exacerbated by social stigmas,” she said. “I want people to understand that the way they look down upon teenage mothers is just as responsible for the teenage mother’s plight.” Mendoza hopes to use her personal experience, along with an online survey she conducted, to create a social justice research project for her MLK Scholar program as well as a project for next year’s National Conference on Undergraduate Research. She ultimately hopes people learn and begin to understand how stereotyping has a harmful effect on expectant mothers. “I learned that, regardless the age of a mother, a mother is a mother and should be treated with due respect,” she said.“Regardless of the decisions that she has or hasn’t thought of, there are so many things that are going on that it’s hurtful to place her in a very small category simply because of her age.” ____________________________________ Kaley Belval is a freshman documentary studies major who wrote a very different article than she was expecting. Email her at kbelval1@ithaca.edu.
HAIRCUT A Buzzsaw magazine publication.
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Creating Communications Communities:
A closer look at IC Women in Communications and the Park Association for Journalists of Color
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s white men continue to dominate the communications field, two Ithaca College student organizations popped up this year to challenge the status quo. The Ithaca College Women in Communications and the Par k School Association for Journalists of Color strive to encourage diversity in the industry. ICWIC started this semester after the organization’s president and founder, sophomore Alyssa Frey, went to a student career conference during the fall. Frey saw a great way for female students to make connections with other females working in the media industry. Aaron Edwards, “All people will reach President of PAJC some parts of their potential individually, but it is only through interaction with others that people can really shine,” Frey said. Similarly, PAJC began this fall after senior Aaron Edwards met other journalists at his internship who had racial minority groups on their campuses. PAJC also hopes to help minority students make connections in the field, and on Feb. 3, they skyped with LaSharah Bunting, the national news editor at The New York Times. PAJC aims to discuss racism and inequalities in the workforce. Edwards explained that even though the climate toward different ethnicities in the workplace has been better than before, people need to be prepared for situations in which they face racism. At a press conference last year, a man came up to Edwards and asked him to
By Sara Lynn McCloskey leave after stating, “A few years ago, people like you wouldn’t even be allowed to do your job.” “To be honest, that experience at the press conference infuriated me, but in a good way. It made me fired up to do even better at my job and show men like him that I am more than my skin color,” Edwards said. “There are still leaps and bounds to be made [in the journalism industry], but the changes we’ve seen in just the past few years — the first female executive editor at The New York Times, for instance — are indications that we’re moving in the right direction.” Edwards also explained the importance of creating a group for students of a similar demographic. He said that when a child doesn’t see someone of the same ethnicity in a high position, like a news anchor, they might think that they cannot aspire for a career in that field. Freshman Jordana Jarrett, a member of PAJC, said, “It’s important to show the young journalists of color that there are successful people who look like you in the world.” Connecting people not only fosters a support system where students can talk about their futures, but it also cultivates a community. Edwards plans to have gatherings in the Commons so members can bond. Similarly, Frey described her vision for ICWIC as a meshing of scholarship and friendship. Frey said, “I think this is another one of those organizations, where you can not only get great contacts outside of Ithaca College, but you can make great friends.” ____________________________________ Sara Lynn McCloskey is a freshman journalism major. Email her at smcclos1@ithaca.edu.
ICWIC Plans to Skype with Good Housekeeping and Alloy
By Alyssa Figueroa Some students have been wondering why the first speakers for ICWIC, a group meant to empower female media students, are Rachel Bowie, an associate editor for Good Alyssa Frey, Housekeeping (Feb. President of ICWIC 22), and Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich, a digital editorial director of Alloy Media, distributor of “chick-lit,” entertainment like Seventeen magazine, Gossip Girl, and Pretty Little Liars (Mar. 7). Frey said that these women have much experience working in various communications fields, and thus sharing their experiences would be beneficial to all ICWIC members. “What you have to understand about Bowie is that she is an editor for Good Housekeeping, but she has also been an editor for about three other magazines in New York, and she does reviews for a bunch of alternative magazines,” Frey said. “[Good Housekeeping] is one of the more wellknown things, because if we were to advertise, ‘Oh we’re bringing this speaker from this place that you’ve never heard of,’ I’m not sure if we’d get the type of response that we were looking for.”
Public Safety Buzz Log
SELECTED ENTRIES FROM EARLY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 8 FEBRUARY 10 FEBRUARY 9 TRESPASSING LOCATION: IC Republicans Pizza Party SUMMARY: Caller reported witnessing a person take the last slice of pizza and not even signing up for the pro-life rally. Student forced to pay for dessert. FRESHMAN TRIES ACID LOCATION: IC Square SUMMARY: Caller reported feeling as though their clothes were strangling them. Student was later found streaking up and down campus center, clothes abandoned. Strong evidence points to a bad trip. Student was forced to watch Requiem for a Dream on repeat until he swore never to do drugs again.
RECLASSIFICATION OF CRIME LOCATION: Quads SUMMARY: Officer reported incident was reclassified from “Homeless Townie Squatting in Lower Quads” to “Environmental Studies Major Sighting”. HARBORING COMPANIONS LOCATION: Terraces SUMMARY: Caller reported hearing loud, indistinguishable sex noises coming from the room next door after quiet hours. Upon further investigation, the noises did not come from a horny couple, but rather an illegally purchased monkey.
SUSPECTED LARCENY LOCATION: Campus Center SUMMARY: Student suspected of taking two sodas at Grab and Go. Nothing has been confirmed but campus center employees made sure not to tell that student to have a nice day.
FEBRUARY 11
DRUNKEN DETOUR LOCATION: Williams SUMMARY: During weekend rounds, student was arrested for DWI in Williams. Officers reported the student was biking in a circle on the first floor...lost. When interrogated, student asked officers where the closest Circle party was.
There's a Revolution in This Town: An update on the Occupy Ithaca movement
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By Gena Mangiaratti
here was no doubt that Occupy Ithaca, the local movement in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, is still going strong when a crowd of supporters marched through downtown Ithaca on Feb. 10 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the end of Mubarak’s rule in Egypt. Joined by members of the Occupy Wall Street movement from New York City, who are cur-
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Ithaca College Doesn’t Prioritize an Adequate Learning Environment? Image by Zachary Anderson
The meetings have taken on a more efficient structure, often with specified lengths of time allotted to each portion of the meeting, and the conversations have shifted from expressions of frustration with corporate greed on the national level to locally focused goals and outreach strat gies. Rich Hilliard, Ithaca resident and participant in Occupy Ithaca, has found that many of the group’s actions are toward building the local movement. “I think you need to build solidarity before you want to challenge such widespread institutions,” Hilliard said. “I also think Ithaca is a strong community, and people are concerned about what happens here to their neighbors.” At one general assembly, Occupy Ithaca participant and Ithaca College graduate Mike Amadeo said Occupy Ithaca and Occupy Wall Street protesters celebrate the that he would like to see the group’s one-year anniversary of the end of Mubarak’s rule in Egypt. focus to be on problems based in Ithaca. He suggested the possibility Photo by Alyssa Figueroa of creating rently on a bus tour throughout the Northeast, a working group specifically devoted to holding marchers carried a banner that read, “Celebrate Cornell University accountable as a large instituPeople Power” and shouted chants such as, “Hell tion, whose research and actions have drawn conno, we won’t go / Ithaca to Cairo.” cern from members of the movement. The march eventually spilled onto the streets, On Nov. 21, 2011, some members of Occupy while marchers danced and shouted, “Hands up / Ithaca began an encampment in Dewitt Park, simihands down / there’s a revolution in this town!” lar to the occupation that had been in Zuccotti The marchers blocked traffic for a brief moment Park. The occupants were forced to end their at the intersection near Colle etown Bagels. Fol- encampment in late December when the city delowing the march, participants reconvened at nied participants permission to occupy the park. the Bernie Milton Pavilion in the center of the Remaining is one tent on a patch of lawn belongCommons. A police officer soon addressed them, ing to First Baptist Church.The tent is periodically declaring that while the protest was allowed, the occupied during hours of the day and night. marchers were not allowed to block roads for Reverend Rich Rose of First Baptist Church safety reasons. Police continued to be present but said that he offered the space to the occupiers in kept a respectful distance, at least 50 feet from order to help make a statement of their shared the gathering. frustration with the current economic system The large turnout at the rally was reminiscent and disparity between the rich and the poor. of the early general assemblies that took place in “It’s a conversation starter, it’s provocative. It Dewitt Park in the fall. Since that time, the num- provides a location, a physical location for conber has decreased to about ten or 11 people, but versations to take place,” Rose said. “I think just it appears the support for the movement has not the visible symbol of the tents, whether they’re entirely subsided. literally being slept in, or [are] just symbolic, is Along with the various working group meet- very important.” ings, which also have regular sets of attendees, the ____________________________________ general assembly meetings continue to be held Gena Mangiaratti is a junior journalism major who is regularly every Sunday at 2 p.m. and Thursday at preoccupied with Occupy. Email her at gmangia1@ 6:30 p.m. ithaca.edu.
Buzzsaw Asks Why...
This semester, my discussion-based Park class of 26 students takes place in Williams 225, the large lecture hall in the center of the building because it was the only room available. In order to foster a conversation, my professor sits in the middle of a row with us scattered all around, all twisting our bodies to see one another. The classroom makes no sense for the course.The lack of adequate classroom spaces, as well as the increasing number of crowded classrooms, is particularly irritating because IC advertises itself as an institution “committed to small classes” and “class discussion.” In 2009, when IC overadmitted students, employees at the Office of the Registrar had to walk around the school searching for possible classroom spaces. They converted spaces in the library and conference rooms into classrooms, which have remained classrooms ever since. Yet, as student enrollment continues it upward trend (thus allowing IC to continue to rack up those big bucks), it would be nice to see the college use their money more wisely. Instead, IC recently spent $65 million on the A&E Center and $25 million on the Peggy R. Williams Building so administrators could sit in fancy offices — it’s nice that they have adequate spaces to work. I think it’s time for IC to rethink its priorities and construct a new classroom building to help foster a satisfactory learning environment — after all, shouldn’t this be their main priority? -Alyssa Figueroa
Occupy Ithaca College Update Since the Occupy movement reached the Ithaca College campus in October 2011, support for the movement has remained on the campus, but it has moved away from the structure of consistent GA meetings and working groups that is customary for most Occupy movements. While the GA meetings still take place every Tuesday during the lunch hour, attendance is relatively inconsistent. The gatherings now function more as a way for participants to stay informed on the national movement, said organizer Lee Ann Hill ’13. The main goal of Occupy IC is now to encourage student involved in the local solidarity movement in town, said organizer Gabe Alvarez-Millard ’12.