Of Monsters and Men: Scary Stories as Told by Clark’s English Professors
The Scarlet THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | THESCARLET.ORG
By Daniel Juarez General Manager
A student presents her research at Fall Fest 2017. Photo by Emily Monahan Morang.
TALES
FROM FALL FEST
Students share their experiences in the Worcester community and beyond By Jessica Macey Editor-in-Chief
Students presented their research to staff, faculty, fellow students, and community members who wandered through the maze of posters and presentations that filled the Academic Commons and Goddard Library for this year’s Fall Fest. Established in 2000, Fall Fest takes place every fall semester, and it is an opportunity for students to share their summer research and internship experiences. Held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 27, Fall Fest featured poster presentations on the first and second floors of the building, and oral presentations in the upper-lev-
el conference rooms. Twelve oral presentations in fields ranging from music to computer science, and 96 poster presentations across 27 majors, concentrations, and programs were a part of the event. Katherine Wallace (‘19) presented her poster, titled “Transitions from Jail to the Community: An Analysis of Statewide Resources,” sponsored by Professor Marianne Sarkis. Over the course of the summer, Wallace made a number of visits to the Worcester County Jail as well as the Hampden County women’s facility in Chicopee, Mass., conducted interviews with jail administrators,
and did research on best practices in the state and elsewhere in order to conduct an analysis of where service gaps exist in these jails. “What we found is that Worcester County Jail is just … really badly off,” said Wallace. In her visits, she found it to be “just this very gruesome, awful scene.” “To be very honest, it was a very hard summer with this, especially … after visiting Worcester County Jail. It’s a very depressing environment,” she said. She highlighted a visit to a mental health unit at Worcester Coun-
FALL FEST PG. 4
Attendees were in for a true Halloween treat when they turned up at the Higgins Lounge this past Wednesday for the readings of the evening, titled, “Terror Rising: The Village Mob,” which focused on the human monsters rather than the supernatural. With beverages in back and candy set to go around, students, faculty, and anyone else in the mood for some ghost stories silently seated themselves in a redecorated and rearranged Higgins Lounge, just as Clark English Professor Meredith Neuman gave some quick introductions to the storytellers. With the room dark except for the small light for whoever was reading up front, with the windows to their backs, the first story up was Edgar Allan Poe’s, “The Masque of The Red Death,” read by the English Department’s very own Professor James Elliott. Quickly explaining to the audience the appropriateness of the short story given the theme of “village terror” and some villager’s need of “comeuppance,” he began his tale. “The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country,” he started. “No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal the redness and the horror of blood.” The whole Lounge seemed gripped with suspense as Elliott narrated his tale about a disease plaguing a small country that
VILLAGE TERROR PG. 3
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nov. 3, 2017
Police Logs 10/24/2017–10/31/2017 Compiled by Jessica Macey Friday, Oct. 27 23:53 - Disturbance reported on Beaver Street. 23:54 - Loud party reported on Main Street. Saturday, Oct. 28 01:01 - Caller reported loud party on Clifton Street. Nothing was found upon arrival. 01:02 - Caller complained of loud party on Birch Street. 01:05 - Student reported two white adult males in a dark blue or black pickup truck driving erratically as if intoxicated and yelling at students on the corner of Charlotte and Florence Street. Units responded but the suspects were gone upon arrival. 01:38 - Birch Street party reported to be loud again. Units found 10-12 people there playing loud music; parties were spoken to. 02:58 - Noise complaint on Beaver Street. Party was spoken to. 19:39 - Caller reported that two men had been going house to house on Shirley Street asking people about their electric bills. Units responded and patrolled the area. They did not find the men, but did encounter a WPD officer responding to a similar call. 23:08 - Report of two young men in a black pickup truck speeding and driving erratically while harassing students near the corner of Maywood and Florence Street. Units responded but the suspects were gone upon arrival. Sunday, Oct. 29 00:51 - Units assisted WPD with a loud party complaint on Charlotte Street. 00:57 - Units cleared crowd at the Bistro. 01:17 - Loud party reported on Maywood Street. 04:56 - Suspicious male wearing a red hoodie reported to be wandering on Woodland Street. Units responded, but the individual was gone upon arrival.
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Birds, Bees, and Clarkies: SAFE’s Hookup Culture Talk By Daniel Juarez General Manager
Editor’s Note: Due to the nature of the topics discussed at the event, all participants have been kept anonymous. With the conference tables pushed to the back, blankets and pillows spread out in a circle, and sweet treats up for the taking, the UC’s Lurie Conference room looked as welcoming as ever when it hosted the “Trick or Treat: Hookup Culture” event this past Thursday. Set up by Students Advocating for Feminism and Empowerment (SAFE), and attended by students of all genders, the safe-space social featured discussion of the college relationship culture at Clark, as well as its emotional and social effects on participants and nonparticipants. After some swift introductions and a chance at candy, the meeting rapidly took off as attendees got the chance to write up relationship-related questions to guide where the discussion would go. Reading off from one of them, the first topic of discussion was chosen: “What are Clark students’ attitudes towards sex and hookups? How much hooking up do we think actually goes on?” Going around in the circle, answers ranged from, “a lot” and “a decent amount,” to “less than everyone thinks.” “I feel like it has a lot to do with how people individually view ‘hookup’ as,” offered one attendee, explaining that she believed it to be depending entirely on the person. “If it’s something that’s thought about after it’s done, they’re going to be awkward about it for the next four years if they hookup with someone freshman year, but if your attitude towards it is more as a casual thing, I think you can kind of get rid of the awkwardness.” As more discussion questions were read, more questions and answers sprung from the circle. When the topic of what a “hookup” actually means came up, opinions again varied, ranging from a simple make-out session to anything involving sex. “Yeah, but how do we define
‘sex?’” someone asked. “Anything involving hands,” suggested another. “There are hookups that are just making-out and hookups that are more than making out,” one said, “depends on the person involved.” When the group members were asked for their favorite euphemisms for sex, opinions– amidst laughter– again ranged far and wide, going from “bang,” “boink,” “doing the devil’s dance,” “frickity-frack,” “coitus,” “diddly-do,” “making whoopie,” and the ubiquitous, but simple four letter word. Whether they were shouted out or shared one-by-one, the opinions were plentiful and worthy of discussion. It went about this way for the rest of the meeting, as the group discussed topics ranging from if it were possible for hookups to lead to dating, to safe sex practices, to how hookups are different for queer students at Clark, to personal dating experiences, to whether hookups were better between friends or strangers, to how one might be able to tell if someone is interested in them– each time transitioning as seamlessly as the topic had been brought up. On the latter, one student shared an unfortunate experience she had heard about. “I’ve had so many friends who thought a guy was into them because he held her hand, or took her to a party, or danced with her all night,” she listed, “and one of my friends would come back thinking ‘oh, I think he really, really likes me.’” “But then at other parties,” she continued, “she’d find out that that he’d be doing exactly the same stuff to other girls.” She ended her tale by asking the group how people can hope to enter relationships when seemingly romantic gestures might not mean anything at all. “If all these gestures are supposed to define someone’s romantic interest in you, then it just becomes, like– ‘what exactly is happening?’” It was the question that no one seemed to be able to answer.
Professor Jennifer Plante reads at “Terror Rising: The Village Mob” in the Higgins Lounge. Photo by Emily Monahan Morang.
VILLAGE TERROR CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 caused its victims to die gruesome deaths– all while the country’s sovereigns ignored their people’s plight amidst a lavish masquerade ball. “And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death,” Elliott read, reaching the end of his story. “He had come like a thief in the night.” An atmosphere of gloominess had settled in the room as Elliott brought his tale to a close, and it was only with applause that this field was shattered. Next up was Professor Jennifer Plante from the Clark Writing Center, whose opening paragraphs for her chosen story, “Kids and their Toys” by James A. Moore, lightened the grim mood– for a while, at least. “The ‘angry mob’ for my story comes in the form of six teenage boys,” she disclaimed before starting, “so as you can imagine there are some cuss-words in here.” “Of course they poked it with a stick. What else would twelveyear-olds do with a freshly discovered corpse?” Plante started. “Later, when the fascination was fading, they would do what they were supposed to do and tell the police about the body, but then, at that first moment of discovery, they had a new toy and it had to be carefully examined before it could be given away.” The audience sat transfixed by Plante’s story about a group of sadistic kids and their discovery and capture of a rapidly-decaying zombie. Laughter erupted from time to time while the story went on, with each boy offering their take own take on what they were dealing with. “‘I think it’s demons.’ ‘DEMONS? Like in the movies?’ ‘Like
in the Bible– Jesus fought demons.’ ‘It didn’t react when you put a cross around its neck.’ ‘So? Maybe it’s a Jewish zombie and doesn’t know any better.’” Eventually, the tale took a turn for the worst, and as Plante uttered the last passage, the audience was left shocked and horrified by the outcome of their gruesome activity. The audience applauded as she stepped down and theatre Professor Gino DiIorio stepped up with the final story of the night, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. He opened by first informing his audience of the controversy surrounding the story when it first appeared in “The New Yorker” in 1948. “Critics called the story ‘outrageous, gruesome, and utterly pointless,’” he read off, and talked about how many readers canceled their subscriptions to the magazine and that it suffered severe backlash after its publication. With this said, Professor DiIorio nonetheless began his tale of the mysterious lottery. With a tense build-up, audience anticipation grew as all awaited for what– if anything– would befall the participants of the raffle. It wasn’t until near the end of the story, where everything fell into place. “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones,” Professor DiIorio narrated, ending his tale to the gasps of the audience, and a round of applause that brought another annual round of spooky stories to a successful close.
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nov. 3, 2017
Fall Fest continued from Page 1
Students showcase a myriad of projects at Fall Fest 2017 in the Goddard Library. Photos by Emily Monahan Morang.
ty, where inmates were kept in their cells for 23 hours a day, poor air circulation caused strong and unpleasant odors, and people were screaming. The women’s facility in Chicopee had a much better model, where inmates were allowed more time out of their cells, and were encouraged to participate in more service-based activities. After her research was conducted, Wallace concluded that “ facilities serving Worcester can improve by attending more to the multifaceted needs of inmates ultimately reentering the community,” as her poster explained. The project is continuing into the fall. Wallace said that the next steps are to interview people who have been released from prisons and jails to discuss short and long term recovery. “The results of this research will ideally be used to advocate for policies in the jails to improve conditions and reduce recidivism,” explained her poster. Wallace discussed that the goal is to compile the information from the summer, as well as from the research being conducted over the fall, to bring to City
Council “so they can realize that it’s a bad reality” and advocate for change. Isabella Frederick (‘19) shared her experience as an intern for Planned Parenthood in Portland, Maine. She worked with 12 other interns on a variety of duties, such as phone banking, outreach events, and “knocking on strangers’ doors … asking them how they feel about abortion.” The campus organizer of NARAL Pro-Choice at Clark, Frederick already had an interest in reproductive rights, and explained that she specifically wanted to work with Planned Parenthood. “I got a lot more professional experience in the field,” she said. “Right now I’m transitioning from having this as a hobby to a professional interest.” “My internship was a success in many aspects. I confronted personal limitations, learned from reproductive freedom professionals, and had many difficult but enlightening conversations with voters,” she summarized on her poster. As for presenting at Fall Fest, she found that “it has been good to summarize my experience and tie it
all together instead of just ending it and moving on with my life.” Eli Baldwin (‘19) worked with five other students over the summer to assess the health of trees planted on institutional and private properties in Holyoke, Mass. and Chelsea, Mass. as part of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program. “The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) started a tree-planting program mostly in post-industrial cities,” said Baldwin. The group’s poster gave additional background information, explaining that “postindustrial cities in the northeastern united states face rising summer and winter energy costs for residents in older housing stock, partly due to low tree canopy cover,” and the Greening the Gateway Cities project sought to increase canopy cover by 10 percent in select cities by planting new trees. Conducting the first follow-up on the trees’ health, Baldwin and his colleagues traveled to Chelsea and Holyoke to assess each of the trees. They found that tree location had implications on health. “Trees planted on residential properties had a much higher survi-
vorship,” discussed Baldwin. Furthermore, “trees planted in people’s front yards do better than trees planted in back yards, presumably because people care more about their front yards than their backyards,” he added. The group recommended that in order to best keep the trees healthy, there should be more communication on tree care between the DCR and the property owners where the trees were planted, particularly those owners of institutional properties. The group has already presented to the DCR. Within the physics department, Cameron Mitchell (‘18) presented his project, titled “Frequency Dependent Filtering by Signalling Pathways,” sponsored by Professor Ranjan Mukhopadhyay, a project that combined his interests of biology and physics. In this project, he used MATLAB to model cell signaling pathways expressed in differential equations. “Cell signaling is a very basic form of communication done by cells adjacent to one another through the use of chemical pathways,” explained Mitchell’s poster. In this
case, the differential equation he used represented a generic signaling pathway; however, he discussed that this kind of process can be used to study more specific signaling pathways involved in things such as stem cell research. “I had never seen a differential equation before,” said Mitchell, revisiting the beginning of the research process. He had to learn how to solve them, as well as how to then, according to his poster, “write a program designed to solve the differential equations that represented a generic signaling pathway.” At that point, he was able to make and analyze graphs, and then create a fitness function to understand the signaling pathway represented by the differential equations. This type of work can be expanded on to get a deeper understanding of the role of different components of the pathway, as well as to understand more specific types of signaling pathways. Mitchell described his experience at fall fest as “insane -- I haven’t stopped talking the whole time. My voice hurts.”
A Profile in Political Change The rise of Conservatives against Trump By Andrew Vontzalides Scarlet Staff
During the 2016 Republican primary season, frequent criticisms of now-President Donald Trump could be heard from a multitude of factions within the Republican party. As candidate Trump’s rise became all too real for a party that risked falling apart, the actions and policies of Trump were ridiculed and condemned not just by the Democratic Party and moderates, but by large factions of the Republican party as well. Those in the more traditional moderate wing of the party such as John Kasich and Jeb Bush were extremely critical of a candidate whose actions they saw as not only an affront to basic decency but also to the preservation of the rule of law and liberal democracy. Constitutional conservatives and those in the party who claimed to be the heir to Barry Goldwater’s ideological legacy also strongly opposed Trump, seeing his rise as the product of a cult of personality absent of true conservatism. Such criticisms of Trump largely came from Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. The only factions within the party that gave strong and unconditional support for candidate Trump were its disaffected and nationalist wings of socially conservative and economically populist voters who had slowly left the Democratic Party since the 1970s. As Trump became the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, he began consolidating his gains, receiving the support of most but not all of the constitutional conservatives and a significant number of moderates (though to a lesser degree). While there were still strong Republican voices criticizing the president, they were now few and far between since the party had been united by its virtually universal animus towards the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Republican support of President
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Trump was further consolidated when he became president-elect and many hoped they would see the realization of their conservative principles, even through an imperfect vessel like Trump. If it wasn’t clear at the time, it is now: the vessel through which conservatives hoped to see the implementation of their policies is an extremely imperfect one, one which cannot, and will not, change. Its imperfection is beyond tolerance -- the effect it has had on our national dialogue, political atmosphere, international relations, and rule of law has been so odious it should be apparent to nearly everyone in the governing class that the necessity of the containment and eventual elimination of Trump must transcend ideology. As candidate Rick Perry once said himself, “he [Trump] is a cancer on conservatism.” Conservatives and Republicans are doing not only their country but themselves a major disservice by associating with the president. If the Republican Party has any common sense and sense of honor for their conservative ideals, they will end their association with the President of the United States as soon as possible. So far this has not come anywhere near happening. However, there has been increasing opposition in the ranks of the Republican Party. The latest of example of this shift was an influential and eloquent speech on the floor of the US Senate by Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona. In his speech, he outlined the conservative’s case against Trump and explained why he was not running for reelection. As Flake said in his Oct. 24 speech, “we must stop pretending that the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal.” Saying that there may no longer be a place for a principled conservative like him in a Republican Party with rising nationalist elements, Flake denounced Trump as a “danger to
democracy.” The immediate effect of the speech was mixed. Immediately the vast majority of mainstream media outlets showered Flake with praise, pointing to his speech as a small ray of hope in the current mire the Republican Party has found itself in. Outside of the center of US politics, reactions were decidedly more mixed. Many on the right saw it as evidence of Flake being a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and declared victory for sacking a sitting US Senator in favor of his (now favored) conservative challenger. A large portion of those on the left found it to be a continuation of the behavior of many Republicans since Trump’s inauguration of verbally dismissing the President’s erratic actions and focusing solely on the agenda they wish to pass. However, I would dismiss both claims. Flake’s speech was a rare profile in courage in a Republican Party that has largely fallen silent on Trump’s more illiberal and authoritarian tendencies. Flake’s speech was eloquent and did not mince words: it was a call to action for other Republicans in the Congress to contain the President of the United States. Further defections by prominent Republicans occurred the same day. Senator Bob Corker said he would not support the reelection of the president, and that history would remember Trump for the debasement of American politics. We must remember our place in history and remember that is it still early in what has been an admittedly chaotic presidency. Such developments should give us a great hope and optimism, and Senator Jeff Flake should be given immense credit for his speech in the United States Senate.
The opinions enumerated in this section represent those of the author and the author alone. They do not reflect the opinions of the editorial board, The Scarlet, or Clark University.
Mystery Surrounding Troops in Niger Lack of Answers Regarding Military Tragedy Reflects Badly on U.S. By Sarah Reinbrecht Scarlet Staff
For anyone unable to keep up with the constantly updated news cycle, on Oct. 4, four U.S. troops were ambushed and subsequently killed in Niger. Much of the media attention surrounding this incident has focused on President Donald Trump’s botched phone call with one of the widows of the fallen soldiers. However, others are more frustrated by the limited information and thus the limited understanding of the actual incident. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford recently provided an updated account on the situation, and he admitted that he does not know “how this attack unfolded.” Other specific details about the situation are still unclear. Vox paralleled this incident with the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Both incidents were shrouded in confusion about the details of the attacks as well as why U.S. forces were stationed in those countries to begin with. Thankfully, it does not seem as though these mysterious situations are common. Yet when the most militarily advanced country witnesses two tragedies of a similar nature in the span of five years and does not have a complete understanding of the situation, it is an embarrassment to said country. Therefore, the United States needs to improve its tactics in order to ensure that when a tragedy occurs, everyone is able to have a complete understanding of the situation. According to Nationalpriorities.org, the United States spent $598.5 billion on the military in 2015. If the United States is going to invest in their military to the extent they currently
are, it needs to be apparent that that investment is worthwhile. When more than one military incident occurs in a span of five years that leaves questions unanswered, it reflects badly on the United States. The U.S. military should not lack answers about a situation that caused the death of four soldiers while receiving billions of dollars. It is understood that these situations can be complicated. However, the U.S. military has enough resources that it should be able to create a comprehensive understanding of any given situation. Further, for the families the soldiers left behind, ignorance is not bliss. They deserve answers that the best military in the world should be able to find. Arguably, the United States should not have forces in Niger, or in any African country. Though the forces are intended to assist African forces in fighting terrorism, they are at risk of bringing more harm than good, “The Intercept” argued. Whether the United States sends military forces into a country is a decision that our leaders should deliberate carefully. If they decide to send forces into a country, especially if those forces may sow more problems, than at the very least the United States military should be able to communicate understanding of any situation that occurs.
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Marijuna, and Other Drugs
Worcester County Family Indicted for Drug Operation By Jason Fehrnstrom Contributing Writer
According to the Brookings institution, a century-old research institution located in Washington D.C., a fifth of Americans live in a state where the recreational consumption of cannabis is legal. In addition, nearly half of Americans live in states where the medicinal use of cannabis is permitted. Evidently, rank-and-file Americans are becoming increasingly supportive of the relaxation of cannabis laws. However, despite these transformative shifts at the state level, the federal government has not changed its policy towards cannabis since the introduction of the Controlled Substances Act of 1972, which classifies cannabis as a schedule one narcotic. Even in states where cannabis is legal, such as Massachusetts, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) can exercise its federal authority in cases where the defendant has the intent to distribute. The power of the DEA to exercise its authority at the state level was salient this past week in Millbury, Mass., when federal authorities seized 2,200 pounds of cannabis from the headquarters of the Chuck Laverty & Son Plumbing Company. Charles and Andrea Laverty, of Millbury, and their son Thomas Laverty, of Clinton, have all been indicted with felony charges related to the cultivation and distribution of cannabis. Investigators suggest that while the plumbing company conducted legitimate business, its main purpose was to serve as a cover-up for a drug operation. DEA officials cite a series of significant cash deposits made into personal bank accounts as proof of the Laverty’s elaborate drug operation. The Laverty family claims that all of their earnings were generated through their plumbing services, and that they were not engaged in any illegal activity. To explain the immense amount of cannabis seized from their property, the Laverty family has referenced their plans to become involved in the legal cannabis industry. Thomas Laverty faces a maxi-
mum sentence of ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine, while his parents both face maximum sentences of five years in prison and fines of $250,000. In addition, Charles and Thomas Laverty, who are both recipients of medicinal cannabis, have lost access to their medical cards. In my view, the illegal activities of the Laverty family necessitate a significant punishment. According to investigators, there is an ample amount of evidence that suggests that they were willful participants in the illegal drug trade. America is currently in the midst of the deadliest drug crisis in its history. The accessibility and inexpensiveness of opiates, which are to blame for the staggering number of drug-related deaths, can arguably be attributed to the strength of the illegal drug trade. Cannabis, whether it harms its users or not, is a staple crop for this illegal underground economy. Authorities need to punish distributors of all drugs to inhibit the flow of capital into this illegal market. The Lavertys were cultivating and distributing millions of dollars worth of cannabis. The magnitude of their involvement in the drug trade undoubtedly warrants a course of punitive action. However, the decision of U.S. District Court Judge David Hennessy to prohibit Charles and Thomas Laverty from procuring their medicine is cruel and excessive. Cannabis can effectively treat a litany of medical disorders, and its therapeutic effects are well documented. The purpose of the court system is to uphold the rule of law, it is not to decide what constitutes a legitimate form of medicine. The right to one’s medicine is inalienable; it cannot depend on circumstance or the beliefs of others. Charles and Thomas Laverty must answer to their crimes, however, their punishment should not impinge on their essential rights.
nov. 3, 2017
Shipping and Entering Amazon’s newest service allows delivery people into your home By Sabrina Hallal Scarlet Staff
In the midst of deciding the location for a new headquarters, Amazon has announced their newest service, Amazon Key, which allows for packages to be delivered just inside your front door. The service, which is available to Amazon Prime members, includes the use of a smart lock, which is unlocked using an “Amazon key” and a camera. When a certified Amazon delivery person delivers a package, they can unlock the door with their “key,” which is essentially just an Amazon scanner. The scanner certifies that the delivery person is at the right house then unlocks the door in order for the package to be placed right inside of your home. When the door is unlocked, a camera starts to record the transaction and you will receive a notification on your phone and can
watch the delivery live or watch it later. Once the delivery is done, the door relocks itself. You can also give access to other people as well, allowing your friends or people performing other services to get into your house without you having to leave them a key. The idea of the Amazon key is very convenient. It solves some of the biggest problems with delivering packages. People who use Amazon key won’t have to worry about being home when their packages are delivered or about their packages being stolen. Amazon’s delivery people receive strict background checks, and they are often the same people who have been delivering packages for years. The Key will only allow authorized persons to get into the house, and the camera provides some confirmation that your house is safe. The idea is well thoughtout and seemingly secure. Amazon Key does bring up
some concerns that might leave Prime members reluctant to use the service, however. After all, using Amazon Key does involve someone going into your house when you are not home, an idea that many people are uncomfortable with. Regardless of how thorough background checks are, the delivery people are, for the most part, strangers. Even though there is a camera recording during deliveries, some people might still want to be home when their packages arrive. The service itself is impressive, but in order for Amazon to get people to use it, they will have to work around the stigmas that people have about letting strangers into their house, which will certainly prove to be a difficult task.
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The Spread Love Tour Comes to Clark By Nandita Modhubonti Scarlet Staff
Jayson Mick Jenkins, better known by his stage name, Mick Jenkins, is an emerging hip-hop artist. He was born in Huntsville, Ala., but grew up and spent most of his young adulthood in Chicago, Ill. At 25 years old, Jenkins released his debut album, “The Healing Component,” in September of last year. Jenkins’ first single off the album was a song titled “Spread Love,” and the second single was in collaboration with the Canadian music group BadBadNotGood. Jenkins’ style of rap has been said to come out of Chicago’s recent “creative renaissance.” The lyrical structure of his songs is comparable to poetry and alludes to his involvement in Chicago’s poetry scene. Jenkins stands out from the numerous other rappers waiting for a chance to break through because of his meaningful lyrics that challenge social injustice. According to Jenkins, “The Healing Component,” is a way for him to motivate his listeners to speak about love. He believes that love, in its many forms and within its many interpretations, is an all-encompassing force that has the ability to resolve most of the problems that result from systemic oppression. After receiving mostly positive reviews from critics and being ranked at 79 on Metacritic, Jenkins’
Mick Jenkins performs at Atwood Hall. Photos by Sam Damon.
debut album featured a number of artists including, theMind and Noname. “The Healing Component,” was also number nine on the Billboard charts for Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums. However, even though “The Healing Component” is Jenkins’ first studio album, he has had a number of successful projects since 2012, including a collaboration with fellow Chicago native, Chance The Rapper. Jenkins’ song “Martyrs” is what first gained him mainstream media attention from both artists and fans. This song would go on to become characteristic of his unique style of music, including elaborate lyricism accompanied by powerful, sonorous vocals.
Mick Jenkins visited Clark University’s campus to promote “The Healing Component” on Friday, Oct. 20. The concert was open to all students and took place in the main theatre in Atwood Hall. Excited students lined up with their tickets as early as thirty minutes before the show to get seats that would allow a good view of the performer. The show began with an opening act, Jenkins’ long time collaborator, theMind, who performed a number of his own songs, including one that was based off of his own interpretation and experience of love. This, of course, ran in parallel with Jenkins’ music and the inspiration it draws from love. Mick Jenkins finally came on
stage nearly an hour into the show, sporting a plain white t-shirt, and greeted the eager crowd with a calm energy and a rare smile, which doesn’t appear often on his social media. The theatre had almost filled up by that time, with people continuing to file in. There was a palpable excitement in the room, once again showing how the reach of his music has grown exponentially since 2016. Jenkins began the set with what is one of his (if not his most) popular songs, “Jazz.” Many audience members seemed to know the lyrics and sang along. As the performance progressed, Jenkins continued to reinstate the intro to “Jazz,” eventually making the audience repeat after him: “Drink
more water!” building off of the energy of audience members. However, this idea of water is something that is prevalent in most of Jenkins’ music and acts as one of the creative fundamentals of his style of rap. Two of his mix-tapes, released earlier on in his career, “The Water(s)” and “The Wave(s)” revolved around the theme of water as well. Jenkins claims that he equates water with the essential truths of life. To Jenkins, the element of water represents the qualities of life that are essential but overlooked and forgotten by most people in search for material goods. He sees water as clarity and purpose. This sense of clarity is what Jenkins claims is essential in solving the majority of social problems, including violence, in the United States. In the second single on the album, “Drown,” he alludes to the death of Eric Garner, who was an African-American man killed by the police. The piece incorporates Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe.”. In the music video, Jenkins used the image of a white man and a black man drowning in a river to represent what he believes is the washing away of all traces of previous conflict and detrimental preconceptions, indicating the beginning of a new understanding between both individuals.
A Howlin’ Good Time Clark University’s 2nd annual haunted house provides Clarkies with a real treat By Drashhti Bilimoria Scarlet Staff
Usually known for its seemingly never-ending flight of stairs, Jonas Clark Hall transformed for Halloweekend into a haunted house filled with thrills, a murder mystery, and even a ghost or two! Sponsored by the Campus Programming Board (CPB), the event gave groups a chance to solve the mystery of missing theatre starlet Scarlet Clark’s disappearance. The event was a collaborative effort be-
tween various other clubs on campus, including but not limited to, the Student Activities Board, the Counterpoints, OPEN, and the Peapod Squad. Even though a line formed before the event even started, the CPB ensured there was always something to do. Music was blaring, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was waiting to offer those in line hot chocolate, cookies, and glowsticks. After a long wait, we were finally let into Haunted Jonas Clark,
where we were presented with a film reel giving us clues to begin our mystery with. After the video ended, the two groups went their separate ways and the race to solve the mystery began! Our first task as “consultants” was to question two suspects that the detectives believed could be guilty. Members of our group were encouraged to ask the suspects questions about their whereabouts regarding the night Scarlet disappeared, about their relationship with Scarlet, and
who they thought was the killer. Haunted Jonas Clark made the experience so much more entertaining (and personal) when Hector, Scarlet’s co-star and suspect, “outed” me as his alibi! After questioning suspects, our group made its way to Scarlet’s dressing room, where we encountered more ghosts, cobwebs, and mystery. With the door to Scarlet’s dressing room locked, the detectives– never wasting any time– began looking for clues in the corridor,
coming across a bloody knife. Before we even knew what was happening, we were whisked into another room, and were reunited with the other group we entered Haunted Jonas Clark with. Together at last, both groups went over the evidence we had gathered. During our discussion, however, Scarlet herself appeared – and revealed that she was behind the murders! To save ourselves, we
HAUNTED HOUSE PG. 8
8 | living arts
The Scarlet
CUFS “Rocky Horror” Frolics to Terrifying Success By Monica Sager Scarlet Staff
Clark University Film Society (CUFS) hosted a showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Friday, Oct. 28. “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is about engaged Brad (played by Barry Bostwick) and Janet (played by Susan Sarandon), who find Dr. Frank-n-Furter’s (played by Tim Curry) mansion after getting stuck in the middle of nowhere during a rainstorm due to a flat tire. The two go through the night, experiencing things they never have before and encountering all the crazy characters the mansion holds. Frank-n-Furter, a transvestite scientist, unveils his creation, Rocky (played by Peter Hinwood), a muscular man. “Rocky Horror Picture Show” was released in 1975 and is rated R for sexual content and language. The event started at the door, before even entering Jefferson 320. “Rocky Horror Picture Show” “virgins” were branded with a red lipstick “V” on their cheeks. They also received a red balloon, symbolizing a red cherry, to pop before the movie started. Virgins were also requested to sing “I’m a Little Teapot” before the movie commenced. Before the movie started, there was a costume contest. As announced by a CUFS member, “whoever gets the most claps [from the audience] wins.” Costumes included a soldier, lumberjack, drag queen, and Pollystring. Nora McIntyre (‘21) won in her all-black outfit of boots, tights, corset, and cape. “I’m just an average citizen,” McIntyre said in response to what she was wearing. With over 60 students in at-
HAUNTED HOUSE CONTINUED FROM PG. 7 made a mad dash towards the exit, ending our journey through Haunted Jonas Clark. Although some figured out that Scarlet was the culprit before the big reveal, many participants found themselves surprised by the reve-
tendance, it was the club’s biggest event of the year, according to Mitchell Dumke, who helped out with the event. The event seemed to be well received, as audience members sang along and danced throughout the whole movie. “There may be times that you want to come to the front and dance, like to ‘The Time Warp’,” Dumke said. “Please remember to have fun tonight.” And people did dance. Numerous audience members stood at their seats and danced to “The Time Warp,” jumping to the left and thrusting their pelvises back and forth along to the lyrics of the wellknown movie song. Besides dancing, throughout the whole movie, shouts from the attendees livened the movie. Jokes were made at the expense of Janet and Brad. A lot of interjections made the dialogue of the movie very funny and enjoyable to watch. Many audience members had smiles on their faces the whole time. CUFS planned the movie portion of the night very well. The club members handed out last week’s publication of The Scarlet for audience members to cover their heads with as CUFS members ran around with squirt bottles full of water, as Janet covered her head in the movie with a newspaper in the pouring rain. Toilet paper was also thrown amongst the audience. At the reference of cards, a deck was tossed as well. Birthday hats were also provided. Audience members were encouraged to put them on as Dr. Frank-nFurter did while singing to Rocky “Happy Birthday." And, of course, there was candy.
lation. After our harrowing Jonas Clark adventure, Counterpoints, the Clark Keys, and the Clark Bars performed an impressive arrangement to end the night, all while OPEN offered face painting for those interested. Overall, Haunted Jonas Clark was a FANGtastic time!
nov. 3, 2017
STUDY AND TRAVEL IN The GRAND-DUCHY of LUXEMBOURG in EUROPE from May 15 to June 8, 2018 APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, February 7, 2018
The May Term Program in Luxembourg Do you want to travel and live in Europe? Do you want to earn a Clark credit while studying abroad? Do you want to meet and travel with other Clarkies?
The May Term in Luxembourg can provide you with all of the above. ******
PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS IFNROMATION MEETING ON Wednesday, November 15 at 6 pm, in Lurie Conference Room in University Center
Individual meetings are available at any time during the semester. Email us at LuxembourgPrograms@clarku.edu to set up an appointment. Join us to hear more information about the program, see photos, pick up applications, meet the professors, and to hear from previous May Term students.