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volume xcv, no. 3 • october 1, 2015 | clarkscarlet.com | the.clark.scarlet
CUSC Faces Internal Struggles
Name Change Aims to Reduce “Disability” Stigma
Council Moves Forward Despite Setbacks
Office of Student Accessibility Services Aligns with Diversability
By Molly Caisse scarlet staff
During the 105th Clark Undergraduate Student Council session on Sept. 15, former Chair of Finance Committee, Dale Watt (’17), proposed the addition of three referenda to the fall 2015 election ballot. The first referendum provided the Clark student body the opportunity to vote on raising the Student Activities Fee (SAF) from $350 to $400, subsequently raising the cost of tuition $50, effective the 2016-17 school year. The SAF produces the funds allocated to clubs by Finance Committee each year. This potential rise prompted a lengthy debate between Council members who viewed the increase as beneficial to clubs and others who raised concerns for students who might experience financial stress as a result. Council members could not come to a unanimous decision regarding the issue, and Watt with-
drew all three proposed referenda. At the following meeting on Sept. 22, Watt resigned as the head of Finance Committee, stating he lacked “the time or the energy” to remain in the position. As chair of Finance Committee last year, Watt was forced to cut the budget of each club by nine percent in light of a lack of sufficient funds to support a twenty percent increase in the amount of clubs on campus. Raising the SAF was part of his continuing efforts to tackle the growing budget problem, which, according to Watt, is something that has become increasingly apparent but ignored by student council for many years. “The issues [Student Council] faces are broader than one or two generations of students,” Watt said. “And it’s hard to see these issues without a long term perspective, but people don’t stick around on Stucontinued on page 5
By Madilyn Jacobsen contributing writer
Over the summer, Clark University’s former Office of Disability Services changed its name to the Office of Student Accessibility Services in an attempt to become a more approachable resource for students. The name change also aimed to better reflect the values of Diversability, a student club that is affiliated with the office. “The Office of Student Accessibility Services embraces an ideology of focusing on students’ abilities and what they can do, even if they have to do it in a different way,” said Emily Tarconish, the office’s director. Tarconish said that by removing “disability” from its title, the office takes on a refreshing mindset, reminding students, faculty and staff that Clark has systems in place working to make
the University accessible to ALL who require assistance. Raechel Segal (‘17), an intern with Tarconish, hopes the change will encourage more students to register with the office. She also feels optimistic that the new name will reduce stigma surrounding the word “disability.” Segal believes that the title change reflects the goals of Diversability. “A lot of people have different abilities and disabilities,” Segal said, defining the term “diversability.” “We have different gifts, different talents, different strengths, and different weaknesses. ‘Diversability,’ the title, reflects that we’re diverse learners, diverse students, and we have a diverse collection of abilities.” For Segal, the first three words that come to mind when she hears “disability” are “gloomy,” “stigma,” and “alone.” On the other hand, the first three words that come to Tarconish’s mind when she hears “diversability” are “empowerment,”
“celebrate,” and “ability.” Together, Diversability and the Office of Student Accessibility Services facilitate a growing conversation surrounding disabilities, while creating a culture of support for students with and without “diversabilites.” Diversability hosts a monthly “Open Dialogue and Dinner” for the Clark community, and hopes to host a speaker series to bring more awareness to the topic. The club also holds weekly meetings to serve as check-ins for students, creating a safe space for them to talk about their weeks, in addition to long-term topics surrounding Clark’s accessibility. Diversability and Student Accessibility Services work in tandem to create a spirit of positivity and change. By shifting away from “disabilities,” the office fosters a more inviting atmosphere. “[Students are] much more able to approach an office that can offer accessibility, as opposed to one that stresses students’ disabilities,” Tarconish said.
The Scarlet
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The Scarlet THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY
CONTACT scarlet@clarku.edu | clarkscarlet.com
EDITORS Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Cramer Executive Editor: Ethan Giles News Editor: Kate Summers Opinions Editor: Alex Grayson Living Arts Editor: Matt Emmer Sports Editor: Scott Levine Creative Director: Rose Gallogly Layout Editor: Christian Rentsman Social Media Editor: Anna Spack Web Editor: Jenny Rubin Managing Editor: Anashua Madhubanti Photo Editor: Celine Manneville
COPY-EDITOR Pooja Patel
CORRESPONDENTS News Correspondent: Alexis Stabulas Opinions Correspondent: Molly Powers
SCARLET STAFF
october 1, 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS [ Thursday, October 1 ] OPEN’s Draw the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow - Red Square 3-5 p.m. Women’s Tennis vs. Roger Williams University - Corash Tennis Courts 4 p.m. Skill Lab 101: How to Make a Living from your Passion - Grace Conference Room 6-7 p.m. Field Hockey vs. Elms College - Granger Turf Field 7 p.m. Watchers Of The Sky Screening - Jeff 218 7:30-9:30 p.m. Hillel’s Pizza in the Hut and Hookah by the Sukkah - Sukkah on the Green 8-10 p.m. Open Jam Sessions - The Grind 8-11 p.m. SPOC Board Game Night - Lurie Conference Room 8 p.m. - 12 a.m. TED Talk Screening: The Psychology of Evil - JC 220 8-9 p.m. WTF J Street? - Grace Conference Room 8:30-9:30 p.m.
[ Friday, October 2 ] Study Abroad 101 Information Session - JC 102 3-4 p.m. SPOC Casual Fridays - SPOC Office, UC Third Floor 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. Games and Wings! - JC 106 7-9 p.m. Salsa Encendida’s Social Dancing Night - The Grind 7-10:30 p.m.
[ Saturday, October 3 ] Clark Unified Sports Practice - meet outside Atwood 9-11 a.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Farmingdale State - Kneller 11 a.m. Clarkies Against Cancer Bake Sale - Kneller and Dolan Fields 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Walk to the Farmers Market - meet in Red Square 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Field Hockey vs. Mount Holyoke College - 1 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Connecticut College in the Kneller - 3 p.m.
T.J. Anania Kassie Benzing Molly Caisse Pat Fox Jonah Naghi Ted Randich Allie Richards Hannah Rosenblum Tyler Terriault Nikolas Wagner
[ Sunday, October 4 ] International Journey: Food Fair - The Green (or Tilton if raining) 2-5 p.m.
LAYOUT & WEB STAFF Erin McKeon Jocelyn Ng Ryan King
[ Monday, October 5 ]
PHOTO STAFF
SPOC Anime Night - JC 204 8:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Conversation Cafe: The Iran Deal - Rosenblatt Conference Room 5:30-7 p.m.
Jonathan Edelman Soraya Madlala Uyanga (Melody) Mungunchimeg Erika Schaper Julia Schroeder Krithi Vachaspati Emily Valante Illustrations: Santiago Jose Herdozia Ponce
[ Tuesday, October 6 ] Women’s Tennis vs. Smith College - Corash Tennis Courts 5 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. Mount Holyoke College - Granger Soccer Turf 6:30 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs. Springfield College - Kneller 7 p.m.
[ Wednesday, October 7 ] WANT TO BE PART OF
The Scarlet? The Scarlet is looking for writers, copy-editors, photographers, graphic designers, cartoonists, and web designers.
Men’s Soccer vs. Mount Ida - Granger Soccer Turf 7 p.m. For a complete list of events, visit clarku.collegiatelink.net and follow What’s Happening At Clark on Facebook or @clarku_events on Twitter.
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The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
news | 3
The Scarlet/News Earth, Wind, and Greenhouse Gases
Rethinking Humanity’s Role Tucker Challenges Our Priorities By T.J. Anania scarlet staff
Senior Yale Lecturer Mary Evelyn Tucker is rethinking what it means to be human. Her talk on Sept. 24 kicked off the first dialogue of the fall Higgins School of Humanities’ Dialogue Symposium: Being Human. “How do we, as humans, belong?” Tucker asked the 120 students and professors in attendance. Conventional thought would suggest that humans belong to thrive and advance as a society. To achieve this goal we would have to experience technological advancement and economic growth. Tucker had a bit of a different take on this. According to Tucker, the human story thus far has been too human-centric. This conventional outlook is not sustainable. Tucker, who holds a doctorate in Japanese Confucianism, believes that the only sensible way to move forward is completely rewrite the human story. “Stories ignite us and our action. They ground us as a species; for example, the genesis story orients Christianity,” Tucker said. “We need to tell the new story—the universe story that includes science as well as poetry and prose.” Tucker and coauthor Brian Thomas Swimme tell this “new story” in their documentary film project Journey Of The Universe which, she hopes, will shift human consciousness. Tucker argued that we as people
are too focused on life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness, essentially the long standing beliefs held by many Americans. Tucker believes this change will emphasize the right to life for all organisms, freedom with responsibility, and happiness with a sense of belonging. According to Tucker, we are at a major turning point of this ethical change. To illustrate her point she asked those in the room to raise their hand if they attended the UN climate change march last year. “What a powerful statement [the march] made, over 400,000 in attendance with no incidents…. We are moving towards a multinational planetary awareness,” she remarked. During the second half of the dialogue, however, Tucker shifted focus onto the role of the individual
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Clark Works Towards Carbon Neutrality By Kayleigh McHugh contributing writer
courtesy of emergingearthcommunity.org
emphasize the importance of the human narrative. “To be human is to realize… we’re a species among species. When we realize this we feel a deepening
To be human is to realize…we’re a species among species. When we realize this we feel a deepening sense of the interconnectedness of life. We must weave this humanity into our story. —Mary Evelyn Tucker
and science. “We’ve got to have science for the greater good and move out of the realm of objectivity,” she said. The greater good, Tucker continued, is eco-restoration and stemming the Holocene extinction: the man-made mass extinction of earth’s species. “We need to embrace our world citizenship and realize that this is not an exclusive problem.” Returning to the original question of belonging, Tucker elected to
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sense of the interconnectedness of life. We must weave this humanity into our story.” By grounding ourselves in this new story we accept that we, as a singular species, are not the only character in the story. By expanding awareness of all life in this new story, humans, Tucker believes, should realize that they are only a small strand in this immensely connected web that is life on earth.
Clark is headed towards emitting zero greenhouse gases by 2030. “Carbon Neutrality by 2030,” the initiative responsible for this goal, is overseen by Sustainable Clark, an administrative office located in Gates House on Charlotte Street. Sustainable Clark progresses towards this goal by finding greener ways to operate the school, with projects such as Clark’s cogenerational facility, which burns natural gas and uses steam byproduct to heat water. Clark also partners with SolarFlair, a solar energy company located in Ashland, Mass. “We do a lot of paperwork, but it’s necessary,” said Robin Miller, a graduate assistant at Sustainable Clark. “And [the inventory] does help Clark evaluate where we’re using energy.” Miller said that Clark having zero carbon emissions is technically unattainable because people will always be doing things like driving cars for school activities (which are logged in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory). Sustainable Clark recognizes these inevitable emissions and compensates for
them by buying “offsets,” or stock, in green companies or causes. For example, the University buys stock in wind farms and donates money to protect forests to balance out the generated emissions. “We still have time,” Miller said of the Carbon Neutrality goal. “But we’re going to have to do a lot more if we’re going to make it. Or we’re going to have to buy a lot more offsets, which is fine, but we’d rather physically reduce [it] here at Clark.” In conjunction with Clark Sustainability Collaborative (CSC), a student organization, Sustainable Clark is working with all sustainability groups on campus in search of a greener future. To advance environmental work on campus, CSC receives a $20,000 grant for a student project each year. Miller suggests that even little things like turning off a light switch when leaving a room can have a large impact on carbon neutrality - she calls these acts “planting seeds.” “It’s [giving] a little hint and watching those seeds take root, watching those little changes, and watching it eventually turn into something.” Visit http://www.clarku.edu/offices/campussustainability/ to learn about the initatitives and goals of Sustainable Clark.
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Clark’s Trees Part II: Time to Replant By Lynn Pescaro contributing writer
Professor David Hibbett, Ph.D., is surrounded by fungi in his lab at Lasry Center for Bioscience on Maywood Street. He and his graduate student Mitchell Nuhn (‘16) just returned from collecting samples. He held up a leaf and pointed to tiny umbrellashaped mushrooms growing out of the surface. “Fungus is not a plant,” said Hibbett, “It is a living thing that eats; it does not photosynthesize; some are parasites.” Unfortunately, these beautiful organisms are eating Clark’s trees. Hibbett has been teaching biology at Clark for 16 years and has seen his share of trees come and go. “I can tell you that we have been losing trees steadily and it really does seem to be something that has not been a priority,” he said. Hibbett pointed out the window of the lab and reminisced about the Bradford Pear trees that at once lined Maywood Street, the young Elm tree on the front lawn of the Lasry Center, the Hemlocks near Dana Hall that are insect-damaged, and the dead Maple on the driveway. Hibbett, a self-proclaimed botanist, will probably never hug a tree, but he does care about them. “I notice trees and I like them aesthetically. I don’t study plants but I teach about plants. So I have a … you might say I have a professional interest, as well as a personal interest. Well, I mean, this is my workplace, right?” The recent loss of the magnificent Copper Beech tree in the Kresge Quadrangle has spotlighted the ongoing problem. After the tree was removed on August 13, Clark News Hub eulogized it and cited Hibbett’s blog, which “chronicled both the demise of the tree and the unusual mushrooms that grew on its trunk.” Outside the Lasry Center, Hibbett looks over the front lawn. “This Elm out here was planted when this building opened. It’s really grown amazingly. But there was a second one on the other side, which died soon after it was planted actually and
photo by david hibbett
it was never replaced.” Until now, that is. There is a Charlie Brown tree occupying the spot now, lost in a sea of grass. Hibbett is optimistic. “We just recently replaced it with a tiny, little Elm sapling that was started by my graduate student, Dimitri Floudas (‘14). So this little tree…is actually an Elm that he grew from seed by a seed from this tree here,” said Hibbit. One step forward for tree growth is the inventory. “[A] few years ago, the trees on campus were all inventoried by an arborist company called Bartlett Tree [Experts]. And so they produced a map of the trees and all the trees on campus are labelled. So if you go around and you’ll notice … all the trees have blue metal tags on them. Usually, they’re on the surface of the trunk that’s away from the nearest walkway or wherever so they’re not so obvious,” said Hibbett. Hibbett gave Physical Plant credit for “really working hard” and doing a “good job maintaining the campus.” He acknowledges that the recent campus construction is compromising the landscape. “Clark invests a lot in the physical infrastructure and we’ve been building like crazy and we’re always repairing. But, I think the trees have been a bit of a blind spot.” On May 15, when construction began on the Alumni and Student Engagement Center, President David Angel told the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony, “If you’re going to be a good steward of your neighborhood, you have to take care of your front yard,” the Clark News Hub reported. It appears that it is time to take care of the front yard, the backyard, and the side yard, too.
october 1, 2015
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
news | 5
CUSC Continued continued from page 1
dent Council. We go from president to president and member to member every year.” Watt described the increasing lack of funds as something that was “swept under the rug and burst into the light. It’s going to become a bigger problem and, potentially, a new financial crisis” he continued. Watt hopes the contested SAF raise will “start a conversation” with the broader student body about the budget crisis as well as other issues Student Council is aiming to tackle. “Students need to be made aware,” Watt said. “Students do care deeply.” As the meeting on Sept. 22 continued, a moment of tension developed as Elections Committee announced the appointment of Mishel Sikder (’18) to the Judiciary Committee. Lauren Howard (‘17), chair of the committee, opposed this nomination. After a brief argument with President Kevin Kim (’16) over a perceived lack of communication, the nomination was ultimately withdrawn and Sikder exited the meeting. Howard described the events of this meeting as “bad” and said “[Student Council] will do better.” As both chair of the committee and member of council, Howard said her personal philosophy is to ask “’How can we help?’” She described the role of Judiciary Committee as one that “advises and enforces” the rules and constitution of student council. “Traditionally, there have always been struggles between Judiciary Committee and the president of Student Council,” said Kevin Kim (’15), who was appointed as Student Council President in the previous 2014-15 academic year. He discussed the “butting of heads” between the two positions as something he has seen several times in his past three years on Council. “It’s not abnormal,” Kim said. “It shouldn’t be perceived as something extraordinary.” However, Kim has been particularly concerned with the growth
of internal issues within Council. During the first meeting of the semester, he asked members of Student Council to avoid letting any “personal problems” interfere with their work as members of the organization. Kim still feels that this is a struggle that needs to be dealt with. “[Student Council] has spent a portion of this year [dealing with] internal struggles,” he commented. “We’re not looking outward to accomplish things previous councils have also not been able to solve.” Kim described CUSC as a “coordinated forum that collectively represents interests of [the] student body” that is currently in a “transition period.” With fall elections taking place on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, Kim said “[Council members] are stressed out about whether or not they are coming back.” Siddhartha Dogra (’18), who is a newly appointed member of Judiciary Committee as of this year, expressed further concern over the turnover rate of members of the organization. “Not a lot of people are running, and a lot of [current members] aren’t running again,” Dogra said. “People aren’t running because of Council’s reputation. People don’t know anything about the elections, but know about the drama. People are saying we’re a joke, we’re corrupt. But people on Council work so hard.” Dogra hopes Council will “focus less on drama and more on things [Council members] are supposed to do for students.” Dogra’s sentiment is clearly reflected in the viewpoints of many other members, including Treasurer Rohan Roger (’18), who described Council’s role as an organization that “gives a voice to students.” He is currently director of an ad hoc committee that is working with the Clark administration to challenge the rates of tuition for room and board, to increase the amount of work study jobs on campus as well as increase wages, and implement a fixed tuition plan. Roger describes the Clark administration as “very receptive” and said that they are of-
CUSC in Brief By Molly Caisse scarlet staff
CUSC’s session on Sept. 29 was an efficient and timely meeting. Rohan Roger (’18) read a statement regarding the state of Student Council following the prior meeting on Sept. 22. The statement outlined “ineffective communication and a build-up of internal rifts” as key factors resulting in the “withdrawal of the nomination of [Mishel Sikder (’18)] to the Judiciary Committee.” A joint Judiciary/E-Board meeting was held on the following Friday, wherein a discussion was held regarding effective communication, constitutionality, and the interpretation of CUSC’s constitution. Lauren Howard (’17), chair of Judiciary, agreed to several suggestions from President Kevin Kim (’16), including the appointment of seven members of judiciary, an increase in internal communications as well, and an increase of holistic communication between Judiciary Committee and the president of Student Council. Sikder was subsequently nominated and sworn in as a new member of the Judiciary Committee. Sikder cited the strong showing of support from council following the meeting on Sept. 22 as the main factor in her return. Judiciary Committee also accepted the charter of the Music Society of Clark University. The now officially recognized club will allow music majors, minors, and interested students the opportunity to express their musical interests outside of those offered within the music department. Access to instruments will be provided. Student Life Committee announced that there will be no Fall Break buses, but there will buses for Thanksgiving break. Fall Elections will occur on Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. All are encouraged to vote. An ad hoc committee, directed by Roger, that is centered on lessening tuition, room, and board rates, as well as increasing flexibility with scholarships and work study positions on campus, will be meeting with both President David Angel and the provost within the first week of October to discuss and receive feedback on said proposals. President Kim ended the meeting with a brief encouragement to student council members “to think how to reorient [themselves] about what’s best for student council as a whole” and to prioritize “advancing the goals” of CUSC over “squabbling and internal struggles.” Council collectively agreed on the importance of increasing communication to the student body, and would like to emphasize the open and welcoming environment of council meetings to the Clark community. Grants $152 to Net Impact for transportation to Community Harvest Project, where they will be picking apples to be donated to hunger-relief organizations located in the Boston area.
ten willing to make real changes as a result of Student Council members relaying the issues their constituents have brought up with them. Roger, however, feels that there is “no real forum for talking about issues [within Student Council]” and that members often work better in smaller committees. “[In meetings], we follow the agenda and
do grants and we stop.” Roger described the communication of council as something that is “breaking down” due to a “lack of unification” between members. While there is no quick fix, Roger said Council is aiming to bring itself back to its “true roots” by encouraging its members to take on more initiatives, increase Council’s transparency, and involv-
ing students more. “We’re working on everything,” Roger said. “[The meeting on] Tuesday [Sept. 22] was a catalyst to make real change.” Members of Student Council are hopeful the events of the past month will be used as a “mending point” that will allow Council to “grow stronger together.”
The Scarlet
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october 1, 2015
Gender and Garment Manufacturing Professor Enloe Offers Feminist Analysis of Clothing Industry By Jenny Rubin web editor
Professor Cynthia Enloe’s lecture this past Thursday highlighted important aspects of global development that adversely affect women. Her lecture, “Northface, Mango & Nike,” is part of a four-part lecture series by the Women and Gender Studies Department. Several International Development and Women & Gender Studies classes required attendance at this lecture, but many students there came only to hear the famous Professor Enloe speak. Enloe conducted the lecture with a likeable confidence; she spoke casually, and talked to the students as if they were old friends. As a feminist, Enloe explained that her role when
looking at any situation is to look at it with a “feminist gender analysis.” This analytical lens, she explained, allows us to ask questions beyond those of the gender divide, and begin to question the power imbalance in gendered situations. She conducted her lecture by analyzing garment manufacturing in developing countries with a feminist gender analysis. She began the lecture by having all of the students read each other’s clothing labels to find where they were manufactured. She asked everyone to call out the countries they found, and as each one was called, she was able to spout off countless facts about the garment industry in each of the countries. One unique aspect Enloe studied is the gendered interactions between
corporate strategists from the West and government officials in developing countries. She explained that masculinity plays a huge role in how countries are chosen by corporations for manufacturing. She emphasized that a feminist gender analysis does not solely focus on women, rather it focuses on both men and women and how they are affected differently by different situations. By studying masculinity in these situations, Enloe does a more complete analysis. After discussing masculinity, Enloe went on to discuss the idea of femininity and how it makes labor cheap. She explained that the term “cheap labor” usually just stands for feminized labor. She says there are three steps taken by governments to make female labor cheap, and attractive to garment
manufacturers to invest. Enloe explains that their mothers and fathers teach this idea of “obedience” to daughters from when they are born, and corporations depend on mothers and fathers socializing their daughters for obedience in order to maintain such “cheap labor.” Though Enloe described theoretical approaches to analysis, she also gave many examples of these big-picture-ideas playing out in real life. She cites examples of the Tazreen Factory Fire and the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse, both of which took place in Bangladesh. Enloe explained that in both situations, after the factory buildings had been destroyed, human rights groups in Bangladesh ran into the wreckage to collect clothing labels from big brand corporations to hold
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them accountable. Enloe explains that this work is so important because corporations will hire predominantly male subcontractors who own factories. Hiring these subcontractors reduces corporations’ liability for disasters like the fire and the collapse. Enloe ended her lecture by urging all of the students to “think big, so that you can think small,” and also to “think small so that you can think big.” She emphasized the idea that it is the World’s duty to recognize human rights abuses, to understand them from a feminist approach, and to work to fix them. After the lecture, Elyana Kadish (’17) said, “Her talk made me realize that understanding my own complicity is the most important step in waiting to help fix any issue.”
We can’t thank the donors who have helped to make your Clark education possible without the responses you provide in your survey. Most of the rote fields have already been prepopulated to save you wear and tear. Where we really need your help is with the essay questions, which are few in number and should not take long to complete. Please know how much I appreciate you taking the time to do this. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact me at ddyslin@clarku. edu or at 508-793-8835. I will respond to your call or email as soon as I can. Best regards, Dianne Dyslin Associate Director of Stewardship
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
news | 7
CLARKIE of the WEEK
photo by jonathan edelman
Mohamed Elmaola Mohamed Elmaola (‘18) is a sophomore born and raised in Worcester, Mass. He is a Psychology major with a double minor in Education and Entrepreneurship.
Scarlet: So like a regulation size field? Mohamed: More..of like a 6 v. 6 size, if you can imagine like a hockey rink size. And we got that idea from models from different countries. In South America they have a field where people will go and pay a few bucks and play for an hour and so that’s kind of where the idea come from. We’re working towards something like that. So what the Worcester Soccer House is now is a soccer program that offers free soccer clinics to youth ages 6-12. We also offer weekly soccer tournaments for high school students, as well as adults, primarily college kids. This program started a couple weeks ago and obviously we developed a lot throughout the summer. We started off as an idea, which turned into a team, and that team was able to get a partnership with the YMCA, who lets us use their field. With that partnership, we’re able to get sponsored by a couple businesses that were able to fund us for our program that we’re having now. We hope to use this program as a stepping stone in order to get to a more long term goal, which is establishing a centralized soccer hub in the Worcester community that will cultivate a lot of the potential of many low-income and minority youth. Unfortunately, to play soccer in a lot of different places it costs a lot of money, especially for clinics and things like that...At this point, we’re mainly targeting kids who can’t afford those kind of, extra coaching and things like that, [who] needed to hone their skills which can lead into high school, which can get recognized for college. Along with attempting to cultivate that potential, we are attempting to catalyze what
er Soccer H t s ou rce
se
Scarlet: I’ve heard a little bit about the Soccer house, tell me what it is. Mohamed: So, it started off as a text message from one of my teammates, Dimitri Savidis, he’s a sophomore at Holy Cross. He texted me at 3a.m. one night when I was studying for finals in April of last year, saying that he wanted to do something with the community that involves soccer. We both played [soccer] with each other, we both played against each other in high school, and we always had a really strong friendship that we’re able to carry over in developing what we refer to as a Worcester Soccer House. Basically over last summer, we formed a small team and we constructed our idea of what we hope to be a nonprofit organization. What we are looking to do ideally is to build a small soccer field out of turf, fence it up, put lights...and basically rent out the field as well as have free soccer clinics for kids, as well as weekly tournaments and monthly membership.
Wo
Scarlet: What are you involved in? Mohamed: I’m a private tutor, I’m a Scarlet Key Ambassador, I’m a research assistant, and I’m also the owner and Co-founder of the Worcester Soccer House.
by Celine Manneville
worcester soccer house logo created by zizi spak
we believe is a slowly growing interest in soccer in the United States. We believe that programs like the one that we have can catalyze this affinity that’s growing every single year; every World Cup people start to get more interest for soccer. We’re trying to be the tipping point by starting programs like these that can hopefully help revitalize a community. A community that’s constantly being disempowered that has a lot to do with the high cost, essentially. Scarlet: Do adults have to pay for the weekly tournaments, or is it all free? Mohamed: The way that works is [there is] a $5 entrance fee (per person, $30 per team) and the winners get half of whatever we make that day. Scarlet: How has the response been? Mohamed: So for the tournaments, it hasn’t been as strong as we expected. So what we’re doing with that is we’re attempting to...plan a big event in Worcester that basically gets a lot of the colleges to send some of their kids who like playing soccer, and hopefully kind of ignite what we want out of the tournament portion. So long story short, it hasn’t been going as well as we expected. With the clinics on the other hand, we started off at about 15 kids one week and were able to double that within our next week. So we hope to continue that growth.
8 | news
Scarlet: What’s it like working with the kids? Mohamed: I mean it’s an amazing experience. You know, we have these kids who probably come from impoverished backgrounds, come from low-income housing, these are kids who have dysfunctional families, and they come here and you would not even know any of these things. I wouldn’t say that these kids are like these cute bubbly kids; they got character, and they got heart, and you can see that every single day. These are the kids that are pushing it every single drill, every single game that we have. These are kids that are loving us just as much as we’re loving them. I mean, by the end of even the first day these kids were jumping on our backs and you know, running around with us and it’s a really great bond that we’ve started and hope to continue with a lot of these kids that maybe [would] not have [had] the opportunity to play soccer. Scarlet: What’s the most rewarding aspect? Mohamed: Seeing a kid who starts off...not responsive, and not putting a lot of effort in the first 30 minutes of practice. [Then they become] comfortable enough where they’ll go and run even against kids that are bigger than him. When you have a kid who’s able to step out of his shell simply for the game. When you have a kid who, even while playing in a competitive environment, will still shake his opponent’s hand after the game. I think the most rewarding part is, by far, just these kids and the relationships that we’re able to make with these kids. One of our kids during one of our clinics, he was walking home and we told him to come the next day...and he came the next day just to watch. And I noticed by the end of the day he was just lingering there, he was just wandering around. He [got] there around 12 p.m., staying there ‘til 6 p.m., this kid obviously has nothing going on at his house, and this was the only thing that was to his day, this soccer program. Seeing a kid just wandering around aimlessly is kind of tough because you know that if there weren’t a soccer clinic here, then he would just be walking around; he wouldn’t have anything to do. The fact that we can hopefully be a creative outlet for these kids is a very rewarding experience, and not just for me, I can definitely speak for my whole team who, each and every one of them has interacted with these kids and has been having a blast with these kids. Scarlet: So how do you stay detached from the kids? Mohamed: Right, so I think my- the entirety of our team does a very good job at having a both a nurturing and a mature relationship with all of these kids. We know that we have a job to do, we know that we’re in there to help these kids grow in a particular skill, whether that be soccer skills, whether that be fitness and athletics, whether that be teamwork, and so we have an objective, we have a job to do, that we know going into it. That will be our main focus of the day, to make sure that these kids know how to play with a soccer ball, they know how to shoot, they know how to pass, and so that focus is what’s both keeping the kids to come as well as keeping these kids at a position where they could also learn on their own and not simply have us be, you know, an extended parent. That’s not the kind of relationship that we’re looking for, and that’s not one that we’ve developed.
The Scarlet
Scarlet: Anything else you want to add about Worcester Soccer House? Mohamed: Just an emphasis on the team. Although my name is on the flyers and things like that, my team is a very great and hardworking group of individuals and it is by far a constantly collective effort and that is one of the reasons why we’re so successful is because of the great team. That’s one thing. Another is, of course, any interest, please look at our Facebook page (Worcester Soccer House) and our Twitter (@WorcesterSoccerHouse). Please like our page cause were looking to grow. Hopefully this is an opportunity for kids to hear more about it and spread the word to people that they know from other schools. Our motto is “Shaping the City Through Soccer.” Scarlet: So what do you do in your free time? Do you have any free time? Mohamed: Not typically [laughs]. Yeah, free time is something that I was never really used to. I don’t know. After class, I get back from work at 6 p.m. and so, you know, homework and waking up for the next day. I do freestyle rap though. Scarlet: What’s your favorite place on campus? Mohamed: Fifth floor in the library Scarlet: If you were a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be and why? Mohamed: I’d be a Shawarma, ‘cause I’m Arab and spicy. Thanks for the interview, Mohamed!
Email scarlet@clarku.edu if you have a suggestion for Clarkie of the Week!
october 1, 2015
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
opinions | 9
The Scarlet/Opinions 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.
powers to the PEOPLE The Migrant Crisis
Islamophobia Persists in the US Ahmed Mohammed Wrongly Persecuted
By Molly Powers opinions correspondent
By Pat Fox The United States has agreed to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country over the next year, after pressure from members of Congress who feel that the government should be leading the charge in providing aid and homes to the migrants. There is no reason why the US should not only meet its pledge of 10,000, but increase the number significantly. There are 4 million registered refugees in the Middle East and Europe, and millions more who have been displaced from their homes. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has asked the international community to resettle 130,000 of those refugees by the end of 2016, and several countries have already answered the call. The EU has proposed to resettle 160,000 refugees across its member countries, and Germany has pledged to accept 800,000 this year alone. Not only is the US three times the size of Germany, but this current number is also inconsistent with the country’s past practices. Usually during international conflicts the US has taken half of the UNHCR’s proposed number. A number of US Democratic Senators as well as some human
scarlet staff
photo courtesy of wikimedia.org
rights groups are imploring the Obama administration to do just that, and accept 65,000 refugees this year. It is worth noting that the US already accepts about 70,000 immigrants every year, but given the sheer size and wealth of the country, the proposed 65,000 Syrian refugees is not an outrageous addition. The US has donated over 4 billion dollars to the Syrian crisis response so far - more than any other country - but donations alone are not going to resolve the crisis. Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed asking for Congress to increase the number of refugees accepted by the US by as much as 20,000, but it is unlikely that Congress will pass such a number. There is Republican resistance in regards to letting large continued on page 10
Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was detained and nearly arrested at his high school in Texas following a complaint from Mohammed’s teacher about a self-designed project the young student had brought to class that was believed to be a bomb. The project in question was a digital clock which was crafted and soldered by hand and placed in a small pencil box. Citing the potential threat and the developing situation caused by the device, officers from the local police department handcuffed and temporarily detained the young man, no doubt causing him discomfort and embarrassment while police examined the device. As the next day dawned, word of the incident at MacArthur High School spread quickly across various news venues and social media. Whatever picture the media painted of Mohammed in the days after the incident, there was (and has been) an almost -unprecedented outpouring of support for Mohammed. Luminaries and organizations from Bill Gates of Microsoft
to NASA to President Obama have all extended invitations for the young inventor to visit and share in the U.S.’ scientific achievements. President Obama’s tweet to Ahmed perhaps best sums up the outpouring of support for the teen: “Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.” As of Sept. 23, 2015, Ahmed Mohammed had unenrolled from Macarthur High School. The arbitrary detention and near-arrest of Ahmed Mohammed demonstrates that the rumblings of racism in the United States have not yet quieted. Although the police in Ahmed’s town had every right to evaluate the situation, their placing handcuffs on the young inventor, which more likely than not led to his intense humiliation; was most certainly overkill. The way some corners of the internet community reacted to the news was nothing short of islamophobia. Memes and web comics of Mohammed “planning to blow up President Obama once he had visited the white house” began to appear, not to mention the continued on page 10
The Scarlet
10 | opinions
october 1, 2015
By Sarah Cramer editor-in-chief
Spotted on the Green: three adorable infant triplets crawling in the grass. Over the past week I have seen these triplets three times. With each sighting, I find myself not only captivated by their cuteness, but also wondering what they think of Clark. What does our university look like through their eyes? To the triplets, the Green is a huge playground surrounded by red brick castles. Giants in plaid shirts throw a plastic circle back and forth through the air, while others walk magically on a line stretched between two trees. Monster machines across the street build some sort of new playground, huffing and puffing with every movement. When I sit on the Green, I see the academic buildings I have sat in for at least 12 hours each week over the past three years. I see the doors I have hurried through in my pajamas when I resisted getting out of bed for an early morning class. I watch my fellow students shuffle by and wave to friends lounging on colorful blankets, or keep their heads down looking at their phones. I hear the construction across the street and wonder what Clark will look like once I’ve left. I look over at the baby triplets again, blissfully unaware of the complexities of a college campus, of all the memories, bad and good, made here each day. As they crawl in the grass, I wonder where they will be when they are my age. Maybe one of them will be sitting on a college campus, having the same thoughts while watching me play with my children.
Ahmed Mohammed Continued continued from page 9
thousands of internet comments playing up the same unrealistic scenario. These and other media reflect one fact if anything: that racism and islamophobia are still very real concerns that deserve to be addressed. If the United States truly wishes to embody the values enshrined within our constitution; that all men are created equal, that our right to freedom is on a
level field, then all US citizens, including Muslims, deserve the right to fair treatment under the law as well as due process, elements of our legal system that Ahmed Mohammed clearly was not given. Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims have been treated unfairly by some parts of the legal infrastructure. This must cease, as all persons in the US ought to be granted the freedoms they deserve. Racism and hatred must fail. In order for this to happen, fairness and justice must triumph.
“
Syrian Tug of War Championship 2015
Migrant Crisis Continued continued from page 9
numbers of Syrian refugees enter the country, the primary concern being that they may be a security risk. They are concerned that members of the terrorist group ISIS may disguise themselves as refugees in order to get past US borders. Migration officials have not given much credence to such concerns, and with good reason. The laborious UN screening process for refugees, taking as long as a year in some cases, is nothing if not thorough. In fact, some officials have proposed stream-
”
by Santiago Jose Herdozia Ponce lining the screening process to make it more efficient. Unfortunatel, with Republicans encouraging this paranoia and, frankly, xenophobia, trying to streamline the immigration process in the US would probably hurt the Syrians more than help them. The last thing the refugees need are accusations that the immigration process has become sloppy and unreliable and that terrorists could be crossing the borders as we speak. With millions of Syrians seeking asylum, the extremely slim possibility that terrorists will enter the country cannot be considered a legitimate deterrent from accepting as many refugees as possible. The US has one of the most successful immigration programs in the world, which is why in the past it has been able to accept
as many as half of the UNHCR’s proposed number of refugees. Opening the door to 10,000 refugees is simply not enough; nor is 20,000, or 30,000. However, it is a start. By the end of 2016, there may be room to negotiate a larger number for the next year, if the initial 10,000 are resettled successfully. It is a shame that partisan politics has to play such a huge role even in an international crisis, but at least the paranoia seems to be largely contained within Congress itself. The Obama administration should continue to press for larger numbers of refugees to be admitted, and hopefully Congress will soon agree to a number more representative of a country that was, after all, founded by immigrants.
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
living arts | 11
The Scarlet/Living Arts PEC Punks Clark New England Showcase Rocks the Grind
by Tyler Terriault
The rain came back but it was still pretty hot outhow can that be right? To eat at the Caf, or to not eat at the Caf, that is the question. You ever load more work onto yourself than you wanted? Me either. Just remember that Fall Break is coming up soon (But so are finals ;)
photo by krithi vachaspati
By Max Elias contributing writer
Drums pounding, guitars growling, and bass thrumming. Those sounds essentially sum up the PEC New England Showcase this past Saturday, Sept. 26, which saw four bands play from 9-11 p.m. in the Grind. The first band to play was a punk-sounding band called UhHuh, which consisted of a drummer, guitarist, bassist, and keyboard player. Their particular sound was a sonic assault of constant barre
chords and relentless drumming. A few songs showed off their dynamic range where the keyboard was able to shine through, in all its futuristic glory. The next performer to take the stage was Tall Juan, who was the only solo artist out of the four acts. He wielded a black acoustic-electric guitar and leaped around the stage, putting on what he must have thought was a sensual, raw performance. His performance was mostly him bashing out open chords while a few loose strings hung from the headstock of his guitar and flailed wildly behind him.
After Tall Juan exited, Ben Katzman’s Degreaser took the stage. They were similar to Uh-Huh, but mixed in some more interesting musical moments during their set, including a few guitar solos. They did an amazing job pumping up the crowd, giving backstory about their songs as well as encouraging the audience to sing along. Degreaser was made up of a guitarist, drummer, and bassist, with the guitarist and bassist sharing vocal duties. Their frontman described themselves as a ‘DIY band,’ meaning that they have no official managers or contracts that they didn’t secure themselves.
The final band to unleash their frenzied instrumental attack was Downtown Boys, whose brand of music is summed up by the phrase ‘dance punk politics.’ The ‘dance’ part might be a bit of a stretch; they had a saxophonist, but she was only audible some of the time. But a punk band with a saxophone is impressive, if only because it’s very unusual. Apart from the saxophone, Downtown Boys boasted bass, drums, guitar, and a singer who was passionate about politics. Accordingly, many of their songs included
long monologues about racism, patriarchy, or injustice in general. During the final song, the saxophonist walked off the stage and played as she wandered through the crowd. The event gave New England artists a platform to perform and entertain college students throughout the night. There was never a dull moment as each band brought their own unique punk spin to the Clark stage.
12 | living arts
The Scarlet
Get Up Clark! your weekly reminder of cool things to check out in worcester
october 1, 2015
Clarkies Jam Out in the Open New Club Welcomes Music Lovers By Matt Carron contributing writer
By Ted Randich scarlet staff
Bancroft Tower A tower is perched upon a hill, looking over the city. This castle, made of masoned granite boulders and cobblestones over a hundred years ago, brings to mind images of kings, dragons, and knights in shining armor. To what distant land does this scene belong? Well, as it turns out, just a short walk down Park Avenue. The castle in question is Bancroft Tower, and it is perched upon the aptly named Bancroft Hill. While there are, in fact, no dragons or knights in shining armor, the medieval feeling is inescapable. However, Bancroft Tower is more than an out-of-place tribute to stone architecture. The tower was built in 1900 by Stephen Salisbury (of the family for which Salisbury Street is named) to honor his friend, and arguably one of Worcester’s most famous residents, George Bancroft. Bancroft might be the original “most interesting man in the world.” He was born in Worcester in 1800, and by 1817 he had graduated from Harvard. In his lifetime, he wrote a 10-volume history of the United States, found the Naval Academy in Annapolis, and gave a eulogy at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral, among other accomplishments.
photo by abigail waldron
It is no surprise that such a remarkable man was honored with a similarly remarkable structure. Bancroft Tower stands 56 feet high atop the 728-foot hill it rests upon. Despite its age, it is in great condition. There is a large grassy area surrounding the tower, with a plaque commemorating the man for whom it is named, as well as two half-compasses, which point to geographic features around Worcester, including the rest of the “seven hills.” A weekend afternoon would be well spent here admiring the tower and the view. The only problem, unfortunately, is that the tower is closed. In the 1980s and 90s, van-
dalism and other criminal activity plagued the tower, resulting in the city closing its interior to the public in 1992. Since then, there have only been a handful of times when the tower and its spectacular view have been made available to the public. Last year showed some promise, as the city opened it on Sunday afternoons during October. It remains to be seen whether the city will do something similar this year. For now, Bancroft Tower will simply have to remain a grand tribute to George Bancroft, an odd feature of an odd city, a lesson in history. Take a walk down Park Avenue to Salisbury Street and check out Worcester’s only castle.
Anyone passing through the UC on Thursday night was able to hear the music emanating from the Grind. Passersby who followed the tunes downstairs found themselves in the middle of the first ever open jam session hosted by the Music Society of Clark University (MSCU), one of the newest and most rapidly growing clubs on campus. The free event was open to anyone interested in playing music, meeting other musically inclined students, or just watching the show. During three hours in the Grind, a variety of acts took the stage, from impromptu improvisations to pre-rehearsed songs performed both solo and in groups. In between tunes, the floor was opened up to anyone in the room who felt compelled to take the stage and showcase what they had to offer. The event was curated by Asir Arif (‘18), who founded MSCU at the end of last year and has been working hard ever since to spread the word about the club and gain stronger membership and support. Arif has been playing music, primarily guitar, for about six years and spent this past summer touring with The Mellophants, a Pittsburgh-based band. Arif is majoring in Psychology and Music and has been working tirelessly to spread his love for the sonic arts to anyone, regardless of whether they play music or just like to listen. Arif started MSCU to make music more easily accessible to
everyone, instead of just those who are actively studying it, noting that the music department at Clark is only able to cater to music majors and minors because of the courses they offer and the funding they get. He claims, “The issue is with pragmatics. When we define someone as a musician we tend to say ‘this person who learns and studies music is a musician,’ while everybody who sort of dabbles on the guitar or sings is not really a musician.” Arif feels as though this is a flawed outlook, that “anybody who appreciates music or creates music in any way is a musician,” and “there are so many musicians like that at Clark who don’t have a platform.” MSCU was intended to create a peer-learning environment through which more casual musicians and non-musicians can broaden their horizons without taking the structured courses which are so heavily dominated by jazz and classical music. Other than open jam sessions, which will continue to be held every Thursday evening, MSCU aims to create open discussions about music, allowing members to decide on the direction of their meetings instead of being instructed on what to do. Arif also wants to make an effort to connect the various musical groups around Clark and help to get more publicity toward students’ individual musical endeavors through word of mouth, social media, and event planning. According to Arif, “The only requirement is that you don’t hate music.”
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
sports | 13
The Scarlet/Sports Rotatori Cuff Clark Welcomes New Strength and Conditioning Coach By Simone McGuinness
Cougars Pounce Into Second Place Men’s Cross Country Finishes Strong at Worcester City Championships
contributing writer
On Monday, Sept. 14, Director of Athletics and Recreation Trish Cronin announced Dan Rotatori as Clark’s first-ever strength and conditioning coach. After a nationwide search, Clark Athletics has finally been able to satisfy the requests of coaches and student athletes alike. “I’ve heard nothing but [that] we need a strength and conditioning program added to the department, so that is a step we’re making to move forward and be more competitive,” said Cronin. Rotatori arrived at Clark after graduating from Springfield College in 2014 with a degree in Exercise Applied Science, and starting his own business, Rototype Sports Performance, in March of 2015, where he was the head strength and conditioning coach. Prior to this, he worked as a personal trainer at All Access Fitness Academy in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and completed multiple internships, during which he trained middle school, high school, and college athletes. Rotatori plans to use his injury prevention-oriented philosophy to help direct Clark teams to be stronger, healthier, and more prepared. “He brings an energy, a knowledge of strength, agility, and conditioning that can supplement what the coaches are doing,” said Cronin. The Clark community has welcomed Rotatori’s arrival with open arms. “I’ve had nothing but support from athletes, coaches, administration, It’s been unbelievable,” said Rotatori. “I have coaches come up to me every day asking me how it’s going – anything I need, they’re there. Same with administration. If I need something done, they’re right there.” Rotatori has already begun working
By Steven Castiglione contributing writer
photo by julia schroeder
with each of the 350 varsity athletes on campus. Teams both in and out of season are starting their training. “This week, everybody’s getting to know everything: the warm-ups, the routines; everything is running a lot smoother,” said Rotatori. Rotatori plans to specialize each strength and conditioning program according to sport. He said he is looking forward to the progress of not only the individual teams, but the program as a whole. “These programs take a long time to build up and become a powerhouse program. Once you have a powerhouse conditioning program, you can really start to see a difference on the field,” said Rotatori. Coaches and athletes are eager for what the strength and conditioning program holds. Student-athletes show much acclaim for Rotatori’s hiring. “I love the fact that we have a strength and conditioning coach. He’s a great addition to the program. I think improvements are being seen right away, and it’s exactly what we need if we want to be competitive,” said Luke LaLima (’17), a member of the men’s basketball team. The varsity athletes are ready for a next-level edge against their opponents and are willing to put in the effort and commitment to becoming better than ever before.
Once again, the men’s cross country team had a strong finish in the Worcester City Championships held at Moore State Park in Paxton, Mass. this past Saturday, Sept. 26. Alex Hull (’18), John Allard (’16), and Rhys Duquette (’17) all finished in the top twenty. Clark took second place at the meet with a total score of 58 points, while WPI took first with a total of 15 points. Hull was Clark’s fastest runner. He completed the
five-mile course with an outstanding time of 27:59. He was also the first non-WPI runner to finish, crossing the line eighth overall. Hull has had his best cross country season yet, ranking among one of Clark’s fastest runners. “I thought the race was great,” said Hull. “We came in with a pretty good showing. After last weekend’s meet we really wanted to build off of that, and I think it is reflected in how the team ran today.” He added that the team wants to focus on having a deep pack of runners together, which will push each runner to improve. Co-captain Tim Conley (‘16), who
has consistently been part of the top pack, said the race was a good experience for the team. “It was good to see everyone come out and support the school,” he said. “Overall it was a really hard course, but our team will take a lot from it...The rest of the courses should seem significantly easier after this.” Christopher Najimy (’19) agreed with Conley, and said this was one of the hardest courses he had run so far this year. Nevertheless, the team is now better prepared for its future meets, having conquered what will seemingly be the hardest course of the season. photo by jonathan edelman
14 | sports
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
Fantasy Football
Week Four
By Ethan Giles executive editor
Adds:
• Leonard Hankerson, WRv, Atlanta Falcons Although Roddy White continues to see the field more than Hankerson, Leonard has outplayed him when he’s been out there. He caught 3 out of the 6 throws that went to him against the Cowboys on Sunday, while White was held catchless. If this performance continues, Hankerson will likely be on the field for more snaps than, which will give Hankerson several opportunities when the ball does not go to Julio Jones. • Lance Dunbar, RB, Dallas Cowboys This is only for PPR leagues, as Dunbar is the Cowboys’ third down and passing back. He has developed a rapport with Brandon Weeden, catching all 10 of his targets Sunday for 100 yards. Considering the Cowboys do not have any other reliable receiving options, as Dez Bryant is injured and Jason Witten is ancient, owners of teams in PPR leagues will benefit greatly from Dunbar’s production.
Drops:
• Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos Latimer is owned in a number of leagues, which would make sense if he played. As a draft prospect out of Indiana, he showed off an impressive combination of size and speed, but he has yet to put them together at the pro level. To put it simply, Latimer never plays. Like ever. If you own Cody, cut him sooner rather than Latimer. • Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick completed 9 passes to his team last week and 4 to the other team. That’s not great. Kaep has upside due to his running ability, but most leagues have enough quarterbacks on the waiver wire to make Kaepernick not worth the risk. Unfortunately, Colin does not look like a keeper(nick) this season.
Buy Low: Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens
• Forsett owners have been unhappy with him this season, as the running back has shown little ability to find room in the stagnant Ravens offense. While he might not return to the dominant player we saw last year, he should play better than he has shown thus far, especially with the Ravens playing a poor Pittsburgh Steelers defense on Thursday. See if a Forsett owner in your league will move him while he continues to struggle.
Sell High: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
• Dalton has scorched opposing teams this year, and lit the Ravens up last week to the tune of 383 yards and 3 touchdowns. While he should continue to be a solid player, it is highly unlikely that his hot streak will continue. With a tough schedule looming over Dalton, see if you can get value now.
The Scarlet
october 1, 2015
sports | 15
COUGAR of the WEEK Scarlet: How have you been able to improve some of your times by over a minute this year? Hull: Last season, I was kind of improving from the beginning of last season of my freshman year to the end, and by the end of last year, I was number two on the team. So Coach Gray, who’s also my uncle, pulled me aside at the end of a race and was like, “You know, Alex, you have some potential and you gotta put in the work, do some work this summer, and you can really start off next season where you leave off this season.” I took that as motivation, so I worked really hard this summer, and I think it paid off. Scarlet: What else have you done to prepare for this season? Have you cut back on desserts? Hull: My family’s actually pretty healthy eaters. We shop at Whole Foods all the time, so diet wasn’t really an issue, it was just a matter of keeping with it.
photo by jonathan edelman
Alex Hull Men’s Cross Country Alex Hull (’18) has rocketed out of the gate this season for Clark Men’s Cross Country, overtaking co-captain and last season’s top runner John Allard (’16) in a few races already. Hull also achieved a PR (personal record) in the 8 kilometer race of 27:15 at the UMass Dartmouth Shriners Invitational on Sept. 19. He sat down with The Scarlet to talk about being coached by his uncle, photography, and music.
Scarlet: Nice. I’ve noticed that other runners have also made vast improvements as well this season. Hull: Yeah, I think it’s awesome. We only lost Kyle [Sullivan (‘15)], who’s actually the assistant coach now, and he’s been a great leader. He’s a great coach, because everyone knows him. He knows how the runners are, he knows how to motivate people, what they can handle, so that definitely has helped with the improvement of the team. And personally, it’s been my goal to beat John ever since my first year. And it’s also been other guys, like my classmate Ryan Van Dine (’18). He’s been moving up too. So yeah, it’s good to see kids step up and take the place of John, and to see seniors step up too. But yeah everyone else on our team is looking really good. Scarlet: How did you get into cross country? Hull: My dad actually mentioned it and wanted me to try it out, so I was like, “All right. Fine.” I had played ice hockey before I went to high school. I stopped in high school, so I kind of had the legs, I guess you could say, for running, so I was like, “All right. What the heck, I’ll try it.” So I ran cross country and winter track my freshman and sophomore year, and then I just focused on cross country. The reason I like it is that there is a team aspect to it, but at the same time, you’re running against yourself. And I just like the feeling of being by yourself out there. Yeah, you have your teammates, but it’s a mentality where you’re focused on your time, and you just run and don’t have to worry about anyone around you. And it’s a nice feeling
by Scott Levine
when you beat your PR. You feel proud of yourself, and it is nice crossing that finish line. Scarlet: What’s your major? Hull: I’m going to declare Communications as my major, and maybe a minor in Entrepreneurship, but I’m enjoying all my classes so far, I’m in Writing for Modern Media. I want to try and do something incorporating social media and photography because I like taking pictures. So maybe something along that career path. Scarlet: How did you get into taking photos? Hull: I actually got a camera for Christmas last year, and ever since then I’ve been kind of messing around with it. And when I was home I went to Philadelphia, because I’m from southern New Jersey, and just took pictures. I have an Instagram page, so I just really enjoy it. (Editor’s Note: You can follow Hull on Instagram at @ahull37) Scarlet: What else do you like to do? Hull: I like to listen to a lot of music. I like Grateful Dead, Phish a lot, Bon Iver. I’ve been to six Phish concerts. I went to two this past summer. And I listen to Phish when I run. Scarlet: I can imagine that’s helpful. Their music has positive vibes. Hull: Yeah I just kind of get lost in the jam as I go. And it’s really helped me get through, say, if it’s a really hot day, or if I’m really tired, it just propels me forward. Scarlet: What songs by Phish do you like to run to the most? Hull: Mostly the upbeat ones. “Tube” is a good one, “Bathtub Gin”… Scarlet: Sounds good. So the next race you guys have is the James Earley Invitational on October 10. How was that last year? Hull: It’s a race with a lot of teams, and a lot of NEWMAC teams are also competing. I actually don’t remember that much about the course. If you just put a course in front of me, I’ll just kind of run through it. Read the recap of the Worcester City Championships on page 13 to see how Hull and the rest of the men’s cross country team did last weekend!
The Scarlet
16 | police logs
Police Logs Compiled by Maria Rotelli
Monday, Sept. 21 18:40 – Female party holding a silver box…art project. 19:47 – Disorderly (non-student) removed from property. Tuesday, Sept. 22 16:33 – Male party taking photos of a vehicle. Wednesday, Sept. 23 12:10 – Off-campus robbery that happened earlier today, WPD to handle. 19:09 – Complaint of students breakdancing in the Grind. 20:20 – Assisting with a bike alteration. Thursday, Sept. 24 2:51 – Vehicle in handicap spot with no placard. 12:23 – Phone scam. Friday, Sept. 25 16:40 – Off campus: juveniles broke window playing soccer. 19:24 – Vehicle operating without headlights. 21:11 – Fight in the roadway on Woodbine Street.
Saturday, Sept. 26 00:24 – Female party crying on phone while holding toddler. 8:53 – Assist Fire Academy at the pool. 11:17 – Alarm on ice machine at Jazzman’s. Sunday, Sept. 27 00:54 – Report of a fight, Clifton/Charlotte Street area. 8:36 – Assist MA Fire Academy at the pool. 11:10 – Bird flew into room on Florence Street. 16:40 – Check of a party walking in front of Geography building. 23:03 – Two parties arguing at bus stop. This week 12 fire alarms went off along with 6 burglar alarms. There were 6 parking complaints, 4 vehicle stops, 3 checks of student welfare, 8 money transports, 6 calls to EMS, 6 calls to escort, 2 reports of larceny, 6 lost or found, 7 lockouts, 16 assists of other parties, 9 physical referrals, 2 complaints, and 3 miscellaneous incidents.
october 1, 2015
What happens in The Scarlet office at stays in The Scarlet office... sort of
“I have a professional vacuum cleaner. It’s light. It just works really well. I have it on loan.” - Rose “Like a private loan?” - Chris “No, my roommate’s father loaned it to me.” - Rose “It’s hard for me to explain how to do the movements.” - Chris “Don’t worry, I stopped the process.” - Chris “Did you just call me princess?” - Rose “Is princess capitalized?” - Chris “No, unless it’s the name of a person.” - Alex “Are you reporting on the caf?” - Sarah “Yeah I haven’t been there in forever. It’s like a long lost friend - or a mediocre companion.” Giles “Would anyone call themselves a semicolon journeyman?” - Scott “I think that every good article should end in ‘waffles’” - Giles “Santi out!” - Santiago as he leaves the room. “I am very often being serious.” - Rose “I just laughed so hard I almost stabbed myself in the eye.” - Ethan