The Scarlet - 10/24/2013 by The Scarlet

invisible children • grouplove • government shutdown • and more inside

volume xciii, no. 6 • october 24, 2013 | clarkscarlet.tumblr.com |

the.clark.scarlet

Eid-Diwali lights up Tilton

Clark World Cup

Festival combines major Muslim and Hindu holidays into large celebration

South Asia wins it all

By Anna Spack photo edtior

The South Asian Students Association (SASA) held their annual Eid-Diwali dinner in Tilton Hall this past Sunday, October 20. The event is a combined celebration of two holidays, the Hindu festival of Diwali and the Muslim celebration of Eid. According to Suaida Firoze, the Inter-organizational Co-chair on SASA’s E-Board, almost 220 people attended the event. The evening began with an introduction by SASA president Parth Patel, followed by a Hindu prayer led by Bhumika Regmi and a Muslim prayer led by Khaled Omran. Next on the program were various performances by members of SASA. These included both song and dance numbers, most of which were medleys of Bollywood songs. All dances were choreographed by members of SASA. The seniors in

photo by meghna pradhan

By Pooja Patel web edtior

photo by anna spack

the club performed a dance choreographed by Regmi and Sazana Khabir that combined both old and new Bollywood songs. After the performances, dinner was served, with food provided by the New House of India restaurant. Eid-ul-Azha is a Muslim holi-

day celebrating Abraham’s decision to sacrifice his son to Allah. It literally translates to “celebration of the sacrifice.” It is the second of the two Eid holidays in the Islamic calendar, the first one being Eid-ul-Fitr continued on page 4

Soccer and Clark enthusiasts gathered together beneath the spotlights at Dolan Fieldhouse on the brisk evenings of October 18 and 19 to enjoy this year’s edition of Clark’s World Cup. Beating out Team Africa in a final that was much more tightly contested than the 4 – 0 final score suggested, Team South Asia emerged victorious to win the coveted trophy.

With the vast majority of the crowd cheering on Team South Asia both nights, it was no surprise that they blitzed their way through the tournament, earning most of the top honors. The annual World Cup, cohosted by the International Students’ Association (ISA) and Club Soccer, pits teams representing different regions of the World against each other in a heated competition. With gripping contests be continued on page 13

2 | news

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY CONTACT scarlet@clarku.edu | clarkscarlet.tumblr.com

EDITORS Editor-In-Chief: Jeremy Levine Layout Editor: Rose Gallogly Web Editor: Pooja Patel News Editor: Sarah Cramer Opinions Editor: Keitaro Okura Living Arts Editor: Matt Emmer Sports Editor: Brian Kane Community Correspondent: Claire Tierney Photo Editor: Anna Spack

SCARLET STAFF Ethan Giles Hannah Rosenblum Jenna Lewis Jonah Naghi Maria Rotelli Ronald Gerber Scott Levine Senegal Carty Tyler Terriault Will Heikes Alicja Ganacarz Fileona Dkhar

CCN CORRESPONDENT Ethan Goldstein

LAYOUT STAFF Cami Ferreol Hannah Jaffe

PHOTO STAFF Cora Torton Jonathan Edelman Nainika Grover

[ CLARK ] Speak Up! Feminists United Presents an Open Mic Night The Grind on 10/24 at 08:00 p.m. Inside the Hotpot: Laos The Grind on 10/25 at 05:00 p.m. Eid Dinner Dabke Night 2013 Tilton Hall on 10/25 at 06:00 p.m. Peapod Squad Presents: Live Djs, Free Tattos Little Center on 10/25 and 10/26 at 09:00 SKILL SHARE: Winter Gardening Garden on President’s Field, Across Little Center on 10/26 at 01:00 PM Slender Night Jefferson 218 on 10/26 at 08:00 PM Drag Ball Grind on 10/26 at 10:00 PM Outing Club Trip to Davis Farmland’s Mega Maze Sterling, Massachusetts on 10/27 at 01:30 PM

[ WORCESTER ] Canalloween Water Street, on 10/26 beginning at 4:00 PM. The Scary Monster Dash - 5:00 PM

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

news | 3

The Scarlet/News Roadies bring Invisible Children mission to Clark

Sustainability Hub comes to Main South

Promoting new ZeroLRA campaign

Offers first-of-its-kind energy efficient technology

By Sarah Cramer news editor

Representatives from the nonprofit organization Invisible Children came to Clark Monday to screen their 2011 documentary Tony. In an effort to end the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict, as well as to continue to spread awareness and mobilize supporters, Invisible Children has launched its ZeroLRA campaign, its most ambitious fundraising campaign yet. The LRA is a rebel guerilla group of kidnapped child soldiers led by Joseph Kony. The group began in northern Uganda in 1987, but in recent years has left Uganda and moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Sudan. The film was presented by two “roadies,” Invisible Children interns who drive across the country, starting from the headquarters in San Diego, California, and host screenings at each stop. Northern Ugandan David Ochitti joined the roadies and shared his own story of being kidnapped by the LRA and eventually escaping six months later. Ochitti watched the LRA kill his father and take away his mother and two brothers. Though he reconnected

courtesy of olivia cecchi

(l-r) Roadie Dana Gallaty, club member Cassie Grandeau, LRA escapee David Ochitti, club member Miranda Weinstein, roadie Tyler Furtado

courtesy of businesswire.com

By Pooja Patel web editor

with his mother after his escape, he remains separated from his bothers and does not know where they are or if they are alive. After his escape, Ochitti continued his education and won a full scholarship from the government to attend university in Uganda. With one semester of his undergraduate career left, he decided to renounce his scholarship in order to come to America to work with Invisible Children. While stuck with the LRA, he used to wonder, “Does anyone know what we [the child soldiers] are going

through in the jungle?” He wanted to be a part of Invisible Children because one of the organization’s major goals is to educate people about the suffering of child soldiers like Ochitti. The idea for Invisible Children emerged in 2003 while University of Southern California students Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, and Jason Russell were in northern Uganda on a filmmaking journey. There they discovered that, fearing abduction by the LRA, children in the region comcontinued on page 5

On Friday October 18, Clark University and National Grid celebrated the grand opening of New England’s first Sustainability Hub at the newly renovated 912 Main Street. The 2,200 square-foot facility, donated by the university, aims to provide exhibitions, as well as hands-on demonstrations to educate customers on energy efficiency, and newer technologies currently being researched and developed. “We’re eager to learn about these emerging technologies and to

share knowledge of energy-saving techniques with our neighbors,” said President Angel, in his speech. The building houses multiple room simulations using ‘smart’ technologies, including plugs and appliances, exterior wall insulation, and energy-efficient hybrid hot water heaters. It also features Worcester’s first street-side electric vehicle charging station. All the renovations made to the building itself, were shown to be completely within the sprit of the exhibitions; all materials used were sustainable and equipment continued on page 5

The Scarlet

4 | news

october 24, 2013

Eid-Diwali cont. continued from page 1

which marks the end of Ramadan. During Eid-ul-Azha, animals are sacrificed and large family barbecues are held throughout the Muslim world.

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights that lasts for five days. It is one of the most important festivals of the year and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, Hindu families decorate their homes with candles, fairy lights,

and small clay lamps filled with oil called “diyas.” These clay lamps are said to guide Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, into people’s homes. Firoze said that SASA chooses to combine these two holidays be-

cause they “are the two biggest religious festivals in South Asia.” The room was decorated with strings of lights, paper stars, and other festive adornments for the occasion. Performers wore traditional clothing and a slideshow pro-

vided information on Eid-ul-Azha and Diwali. “I thought Eid-Diwali was a huge success this year,” said Firoze. “The night went quite smoothly for us. Everyone seemed to enjoy every bit of it.”

photos by anna spack

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

news | 5

Invisible children cont. continued from page 3

muted en masse from remote villages to the city every night to sleep. After meeting Jacob, a ‘night commuter,’ and promising him that they would take action to end this conflict, Bailey, Poole, and Russell cofounded Invisible Children in 2004. Soon thereafter, they released their first documentary, Invisible Children: Rough Cut. Focusing on four young boys, the documentary depicts their experiences as night commuters and their fear of the LRA. The documentary Tony focused specifically on Tony, one of the Ugandan boys the co-founders befriended on their trips to Africa. The film also told the story of a roadie who was killed by a terrorist attack while visiting Tony in Uganda in 2010. After much criticism over their Kony 2012 film and campaign, Invisible Children’s new ZeroLRA campaign focuses on “no child soldiers, no killing, and no war” instead of specifically on Kony. The goal of the campaign is the raise $3 million by December 31, 2013. Donations will help fund three of Invisible Children’s programs: come home fliers, come home broadcasting, and rehabilitation projects.

Kony has brainwashed his soldiers into believing that no one wants them back home, and has instilled so much fear in them that they believe escape to be impossible. The come home fliers and broadcasting let the LRA members know that this is not true. Come home fliers are being airdropped across areas where the LRA are known to be. They feature a map of the surrounding area, instructions for how to escape safely, and stories of recent successful escapes. With the help of FM radio stations built by Invisible Children, come home broadcasting can be heard across the otherwise isolated areas where the LRA reside. The broadcasting encourages members of the LRA to surrender their weapons and return home. Their last program, rehabilitation projects, provides care and counseling for escapees, as well as education and skill training. Clark’s Invisible Children Club has already raised $250 in the past two weeks, and co-presidents Kelsey Renner and Olivia Cecchi hope to raise much more. For more information about Invisible Children, go to invisiblechildren.com.

CUSC in brief By Hannah Rosenblum scarlet staff

The majority of the student body might have still been on break last Wednesday (at least mentally), but their beloved student council was working diligently to meet their constituents’ needs. $595 was allocated to Debaters of Clark University to attend tournaments. $50 was given to the Clark Investments and Trading Society for event materials. $60 was allocated to Club Basketball for new uniforms. Lauren Meininger was appointed to Assistant Treasurer. This Wednesday, the meeting presented both fascinating and concerning challenges. It was announced that students can now officially use Winton Dining Hall, which has been designated for overflow, as well as the bathrooms behind the Higgins Dining Hall. The Council allocated $3,035 to ISA for Gala and $3,300 to the Millennium Leadership Conference Club for its eleventh annual conference, the theme of which is “Diversity: Face to Face.” Student Sustainability Fund applications are due November 1. Another Safety Forum regarding issues facing off-campus residents will take place in room 112 in Traina at 4 p.m. on November 12. Keitaro Okura was confirmed as an undergraduate representative of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. CUSC will host a Halloween Spectacular that they “just made up.” They will offer doughnuts, candy, and cider on October 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CUSC President Rian Watt says “costumes can be a little inappropriate.” Clubs that overspent their budget have already been given money out of the cumulative surplus, so Council appealed their vote to provide surplus allocations. It was revealed that the majority of CUSC was unaware of the existence of the council’s mission statement. Luckily, Nick Gerber interceded and revealed that there is, in fact, such a statement. A council member immediately, with obvious disdain, said, “It’s not very catchy.” The council is now considering revising their mission statement or adding a vision or something to that effect.

Sustainability Hub cont. continued from page 3

was completely energy-efficient. Furthermore, community exhibitors will be welcome to submit their own sustainability-related work, to the Green2Growth Council, for consideration and approval for an exhibition within the Hub.

Six Clarkies – Melissa Skubel (’13-M.S. ’14 ES&P), Jill Ceplinskas (’14), Brittney Pietro (’14), Chong Lin (’14), Jai Sung Lee (’14), and Kelly Lamond (’14) – have been appointed as Smart Energy Ambassadors to the Hub. Having been trained extensively on the enhancements and implementations of emerging technolo-

gies, these ambassadors will liaise with customers, present to schools, and advocate on energy efficiency through social media. Among the many attendees at the ceremony on Friday, were Congressman James McGovern, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy Richard Sullivan, and other city officials. “I love this collaboration. We all

talk about global warming and being good to the planet. It begins with things like this,” said Rep. James McGovern. “It was a joy to be brought through this new facility and be educated by the students of Clark University.” The pilot Sustainability Hub is an important component of National Grid’s new Smart Energy Solutions

program, which provides participating customers with greater choice and control over their energy use. Following the approval and opening of this Hub, a full launch is planned for the program next year. National Grid is the largest distributor of natural gas in The Northeast, and provides electricity to over 3 million customers.

The Scarlet

6 | news

october 24, 2013

CLARKIE of the WEEK

courtesy of jake klingelhofer

Jake Klingelhofer Jake Klingelhofer is a sophomore from Rockport, Maine majoring in Computer Science. He is the co-director of Pop Rox, the new Disney-themed a cappella group on campus and enjoys other music-related activities as well. He also shares some interesting facts about his life.

Scarlet: What activities are you involved in on campus? Jake: I am the co-director of the new a cappella group Pop Rox. It’s going super well. It’s such a big time commitment that I’m not involved in any other [groups]. Scarlet: How did you become the co-director? Jake: I was approached by the other co-director, Ariel Rubin, who had seen me in the talent show last year and might have heard me playing a Disneythemed song on the piano [another time]. She asked if I wanted to arrange music for them. It seemed like such a great group and they were so nice that I became more involved. [I went] from just writing music to helping lead rehearsals and things like that.

Scarlet: What songs are you preparing and when do you think you’re going to have your first performance? Jake: With a new group there’s always a bit of time in the beginning when you’re not actively working so much as getting everything in line. Right now we’ve done a few songs. We’ve worked on “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (it’s pretty much finished and sounds gorgeous), and “When You Wish upon a Star.” Those are the only two that we’ve really got down solidly at the moment, but now that we’ve hit our rhythm and the members of the group are finalized, we’re going to start doing more and more. Hopefully our first concert will be sometime before the end of the semester. Scarlet: How big is the group? Jake: I believe it is ten people plus the two co-directors. It’s a fairly small group. Scarlet: Do you have any other hobbies or interests? Jake: Yes. I really like singing, hence my involvement in Pop Rox. I’m hoping to do the musical in the spring. I also play mainly the piano and cello, but also guitar. Scarlet: Which is your favorite instrument out of those? Jake: I’m not sure. It’s hard to say because they each have such unique characteristics. I love the piano because of its infinite possibilities. I like cello because there’s much more

of a soul to it. You can apply personality to a note on the cello where you can’t on the piano. Scarlet: How long have you been playing for? Jake: I’ve been playing the piano for about eight years and the cello for two or three. Scarlet: Any fun facts about yourself? Jake: I have one functioning lung and I spent my sophomore year of high school in India. Scarlet: Whoa! Can you explain? Jake: Well I was born with some really rare disease where one of my lungs wasn’t properly formed. It grew to a normal size, but by then the other one had strengthened to a point where the first one wasn’t really necessary. So my right lung does 190% of the normal work of a lung and the left one only does 10%. I’m not really sure what that means for me in the future, but it’s certainly a fun fact. Scarlet: It is. And why did you spend your sophomore year in India? Jake: My father did his PhD in India and he’d always wanted to go back. My family had gone there for a month and a half when I was in seventh grade and we fell in love with the people and the culture. My parents were volunteer teachers at this incredible boarding school with an insane music program, and I was able to go there for free because they were volunteering. It was a really

by Anna Spack

great opportunity to step outside the United States. I love this country so much (I was wearing an American flag pin earlier), but [here] you can go to any city and find the same four or five restaurants. Everything is so safe and sterilized. But in a city in India there was a family that’s owned this one restaurant for four generations…There’s just a lot more character to it. We also got to do some volunteer work. It was incredible. Scarlet: What is your favorite spot on campus? Jake: There’s one practice room on the southeast side of [Estabrook] that has the nicest piano in the building. It has these large windows on either side, and it’s just a nice place. Also, on the fourth floor of the library there’s a room of sheet music that has floor-to-ceiling windows. You can look out across the entire campus and see people walking around and such. It’s a lovely area. I’m not sure what it says about me that my two favorite spaces are indoors. Scarlet: Is there anything else you would like to add? Jake: I am immensely proud of everyone in Pop Rox, and everybody should come to our first concert, whenever it is. Thanks for the interview, Jake! Be sure to like the Pop Rox Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clarkupoprox.

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

NYPD assumes harmless candy to be illegal substance Love Olatunjiojo was arrested after the NYPD mistook his Jolly Ranchers for meth rocks

news | 7

British groom forgets to book venue - makes false bomb threat as a cover-up Londoner was jailed on Tuesday for the hoax

(Huffington Post) - A New York City resident is suing the police department for falsely arresting and imprisoning him in June, after searching him and another man and finding Jolly Ranchers in their pockets. The police reported finding “crystalline rocks of solid material” on the men, charged them with drug possession, and imprisoned them for 24 hours. The men were released after the candy tested negative for illegal substances.

(Huffington Post) - Neil McArdle was sentenced to 12 months in jail on Tuesday after causing the evacuation of the building where he was supposed to get married. McArdle made the hoax bomb threat from a phone booth in an attempt to cover up the fact that he had forgotten to book the venue for his wedding.

Artist gives Czech president the finger through enormous sculpture

Wrecking ball sculpture removed from school to put an end to Miley Cyrus imitations

University professor sets record for knitting while running

Erected it in the middle of a river

Pendulum sculpture taken down for ‘safety reasons’

Knit 12-foot scarf while running the Kansas City Marathon

(boston.com) - Following the release of Miley Cyrus’ music video for her song, “Wrecking Ball,” more and more students of Michigan’s Grand Valley State University had been swinging on a large pendulum statue on the grounds of the university. The ball was removed on Friday due to safety concerns, triggering student protests.

(ABC) - Forty-one year old David Babcock ran while knitting for nearly six hours last Saturday. He gained a spot in the Guinness World Record Book with the scarf he made, which measured just over 12 feet.

By Sénégal N. Carty scarlet staff

(TIME) - A huge purple sculpture of a hand holding up an elongated middle finger now stands right across from the home of Czech president Milos Zeman. Artist David Cerny placed the sculpture in the middle of the Vltava River yesterday.

The Scarlet

8 | opinions

october 24, 2013

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.

We all lose We need to stop picking winners and losers By Ethan Giles scarlet staff

By Jeremy Levine editor-in-chief

“We fought the good fight, we just didn’t win,” said John Boehner after the resolution of the government shutdown. While it may seem like a straightforward surrender, Boehner managed to show everything wrong with the 16-day government shutdown. In his quote, Boehner implies that while the Republicans lost, another group - the Democrats - won. Sure, the Democrats got what they wanted in that Obamacare wasn’t repealed or defunded (it’s the website that’s having issues), but there was no actual winner. No one won. We didn’t have a functioning government for over two weeks. That’s not winning. Over 800,000 people were furloughed. That’s not winning. At this point the media sounds like Charlie Sheen (#winning). How could there have been a winner? We didn’t have a government! This is more than embarrassing. I know congress has not been able to get much done as of late, but I believed that they would be able to at least keep the government functioning. It’s their job, after all. Is this what politics has come to? Instead of fo-

courtesy of nydailynews.com

cusing on actual policy matters, all we care about are winners and losers. It is as if all of this is a game. Games are absolute: one side wins, another loses, and there is no debating the result. That’s not how negotiating works. One side wants one thing, but another side wants something else. Ideally, the two sides meet somewhere in the middle. Politics is not a game of who won and lost, yet all the media seems to care about is who won. We looked like morons on the global stage. A Chinese ratings agency lowered our local and foreign credit rating from A to A-.

Meanwhile, a newspaper in Zimbabwe printed an article with the headline, “Is the United States a failed state?” Zimbabwe. Nothing against the country, but five years ago Zimbabwe had to abandon its currency because the inflation rate reached an estimated 6.5 sextillion percent. And they see us as a failed state. Maybe next time Sudan can criticize us for our lack of Human Rights or the city of Amsterdam can complain that Americans smoke too much weed. The truth is, this shutdown will continued on page 8

About twice a week, someone comes up to me and asks if the police logs are real. They are. I’m not really sure what motivation we would have for printing fake police logs. That wouldn’t make any sense and would probably be super irresponsible. Basically, Chief Goulet sends the logs to us by email every week, and Maria Rotelli, our confident and intrepid Police Logs correspondent, turns it from Police Speak (which is sometimes a rather strange dialect of English) into what you see in the paper. We highlight two things in the police logs. First are incidents that we think are the most important, like any sort of violence. We also put in things that are particularly bizarre, like “Man in the bathroom,” which is an old favorite from my first year on the paper. The point of the police logs is to give an accurate depiction of police and criminal activity around campus. That goal of realistic portrayal of the community carries over to the rest of the paper. Ideally, you could send a copy to someone anywhere in the world and they would have a decent idea of what Clark is like based on the content printed within its pages. It’s a lofty goal. We don’t come close some weeks. Other weeks we do. We haven’t fully accomplished that ever, I don’t think, at least in my time here. But we’re trying and we’re learning, and maybe someday we will. Thanks for reading.

october 24, 2013

The Scarlet

opinions | 9

Republicans losing their grip? Many point fingers at GOP for government shutdown Dear Sigmund, I’ve been dating my boyfriend for the past 8 months and for the most part, our relationship has been great. The beginning was unbelievable and I couldn’t believe that I could be so happy. But since we got back to school, I’ve noticed he’s been a little distant. He wasn’t that big of a drinker when we met last year but now he’s always going out and getting wasted, and he’s not spending as much time with me. So I’ve been suspicious, and last week I went through the texts on his phone (after figuring out his password) while he was sleeping in the other room. I am so upset by what I found. I saw a bunch of texts back and forth with this girl from another school and a lot of them were totally sexual. It looks like the text stopped about 2 weeks ago so I’m assuming that whatever was going on is over. I’m completely devastated by this to say the least. I’m struggling with whether I should confront him on it. For one thing, I really want to say something to him because I’m so angry and I can’t believe he would do something like this to me. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to say anything because I want to stay with him. Also, I’d have to admit that I was snooping and he would totally stop trusting me. I don’t want to screw everything up by confronting him, but I don’t know if it’s already screwed up by what he did. Does sexting count as cheating? What should I do? Thanks and please help! Hurt in Worcester Dear Hurt in Worcester, First off, I think you need to fess up to your boyfriend about what you did, and then you both need to talk about the issues that are going on in your relationship. It sounds as if there is more happening than just you looking at texts and him texting other females. And if this is true, the other issues need to be put out on the table.

You mentioned that your boyfriend’s sexting stopped about two weeks ago. Does that mean you are continuing to look through his phone? If so, it’s probably a good idea to take a step back and look at the nature of your relationship and the trust within it. What’s more important to you: having a boyfriend, or having a boyfriend whom you can trust? My concern is that if you continue the relationship without discussing the issues around trust and commitment, you will always be questioning his motives and behaviors. My guess is this isn’t the kind of relationship that you want. Another aspect of your situation is to look at what led you to check his phone. It may be that you don’t trust him, and if this is the case, it may be important to explore why this is. Maybe the mistrust comes from other behaviors of his or something else that happened in your own life. Regardless, take some time to think about this. Exploring this aspect may enable you to better understand the entire situation, which in turn could help you determine what you’re looking for in a relationship. In terms of your question if sexting counts as cheating, there is no easy answer. What constitutes as cheating is typically in the eyes of the beholder. What this means is that it’s up to the two of you to decide what is cheating in the context of your own relationship. Some people would say sexting counts as cheating; others would not. What matters is what you feel and how it affects you. Unfortunately, it sounds as though you have an uncomfortable road ahead of you. Just remember, take the time to understand your own feelings and then sit down with your boyfriend in order to talk everything out. Sigmund

If you have a question for Sigmund, email SigmundSays@clarku.edu, and keep checking to see if your question appears in a future column. Please remember that the advice given here is not meant to act as, or replace, therapy or emergency care.

By Jonah Naghi scarlet staff

As I was having lunch with a group of friends, a political discussion came up. One of my friends mentioned how the Republican Party has never been as unpopular as it is today. After a 16-day government shutdown, I was not surprised. The congressional Republicans finally gave up trying to destroy the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” as it is known colloquially. It was the first government shutdown since 1995 and 1996. Obamacare requires all Americans to have health insurance. One reason why Republicans are against it is because they feel it hurts employers. Democrats will argue that Obamacare will allow people with poor medical conditions to have access to health care when they couldn’t afford it before. Although I do not have a strong opinion regarding Obamacare, I am strongly against the actions Republicans took. Republicans thought Obamacare to be such a bad domestic policy that it was worth going through a government shutdown to try and stop it, which will almost certainly come back to continued on page 10

The Scarlet

10 | opinions

Republicans cont.

courtesy of media.wbur.org

continued from page 9

haunt them in the future. As Clark University sophomore Ben Berman said, “If people want to legally cut back government spending gradually, through legislation, in a way that won’t suddenly disrupt people’s lives, then that’s fine, but this was a ridiculous way for the GOP to try to advance their agenda.” Berman went on to say that he believes the GOP needs more “moderates” if they want to increase

their chances of winning seats in the Senate and in future presidential election campaigns. I believe that it was a terrible idea to allow the government shutdown to happen. I interpret the attempt to defund Obamacare as unconstitutional because Obamacare was approved by both the Senate and the House and signed by the president in 2010. Just because a political party has a political agenda does not mean they have the right to hold the entire government as hostage. For example, it would be preposterous

if Democrats refused to fund the government unless they got their way on approving gun-control or higher wages. In the same way, I think it is ridiculous that the Republicans refused to fund the government unless they got their way in demolishing Obamacare. I am no expert on politics, but there is no way this is going to be good for the GOP. The Republicans are currently losing popularity and this bodes ill for the upcoming elections.

Gov’t shutdown cont. continued from page 8

change nothing. When congress sits down for the next big agreement they have to reach, they will yet again go through this partisan parade of incompetence. And afterwards, the media will go right back to anointing winners and losers. It

is a never-ending cycle. Democrats will complain about Republicans, Republicans will complain about Democrats, and Congress will continue to embarrass the country. If we continue the bickering, the vitriol, and the rhetoric, we will get nowhere. If we continue to try to find a winner in a lose-lose situation we will get nowhere. This is not

a good sign. Nothing about this is victorious. Everybody lost, and we will continue losing until our elected officials can cooperate. But when the Speaker of the House of Representatives thinks shutting down the government for sixteen days was a “good fight,” cooperation seems nowhere in sight.

october 24, 2013

The Scarlet

october 10, 2013

living arts | 11

The Scarlet/Living Arts Grouplove to play Kneller Center Reverb’s Campus Consciousness Tour to take over campus By Matt Emmer living arts edtior

On Wednesday November 5th, Grouplove will visit Clark University as a part of Reverb’s Fall 2013 Campus Consciousness Tour. The band was founded in 2009 by Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper and has released two records in the past three years; Never Trust A Happy Song in 2011 and Spreading Rumors in September of this year. The band was given their first major break in 2012 when their single, “Tongue Tied” was prominently featured in an Apple iPod Touch advertisement. Later that year, it was covered on Fox’s GLEE and used in a major Coca Cola marketing campaign. Their most recent album peaked at 21 on the Billboard Pop Chart. Their performance at Clark is a part of Reverb’s annual Campus Consciousness tour. Founded by Adam Gardner of Guster, Reverb is an organization dedicated to keeping major touring bands environmentally conscious about their touring habits. In

courtesy of grouplovemusic.com

the past, they have “greened” tours from Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies, the Dead and, of course, Guster. Past Campus Consciousness Tours have previously featured Guster, Passion Pit, Ben Harper,and Janelle Monae. The latter appeared at Clark during Fall Semester 2011. The tour presents itself as “an all day environmental experience” on college campuses, complete with booths educating students about various global concerns and causes. It includes an “eco-village” complete with recycling stations, environmental challenges, and “killer prizes”.

The Scarlet

12 | sports

october 24, 2013

The Scarlet/Sports Cougars make assists Clark Athletics Service Trip heads to Guatemala

By Ethan Giles

scarlet staff

From January 3-12, eleven Clark athletes and members of Seven Hills Global Outreach (SHGO) will go to Lomo Linda, Guatemala, to help kids get active and try to help the local economy. Clark Professor and head of Seven Hill Global Outreach David Jordan is leading the trip. Jordan says the goal is to create economic development in the area because, “economic development leads to social development (i.e. schools and healthcare), which then leads to environmental development.” They chose Lomo Linda because SHGO “has worked there before,” so they are familiar with the area. Jordan describes the mountain city of Lomo Linda as perfect because “their economy runs off of a coffee cooperative,” which is a very fickle recourse for an economy’s basis. SHGO has been working with the student athletes to find other ways to develop the economy, and so far they have identified Ecotourism as a possible answer. According to Jordan, SHGO has already “started farms” in the area to continue the development. The Cougars plan to also get kids in Lomo Linda to be active. Hana Chamoun, who has spearheaded the program’s sports development has made a “toolkit” for the trip which she says “combines theory and actual practice… it is something we can draw from for various ideas about

Fantasy Football Add/ Drop for Week 8

ADD

courtesy of clark athletics service-learning

what to do [with the kids].” They plan to “explain the theory behind sport for development” and “supply some practical applications” for the children like “running clinics…playing easy games, [and] assessing skills,” but most of the activities will have the kids “playing on [their] feet.” The idea was the brainchild of trip founder Harris Rollinger. Rollinger, a four year Varsity Tennis player, said he got the idea after winning the Thomas Dolan award when he was asked, “how I wanted to be an active alum?” After much thought, Rollinger realized he wanted to combine the athletic program with “Clark’s motto of Challenge Convention Change our World.” “I really want this to bridge the gap between Clark athletics and the Clark community as a whole,” Harris explained, “I wouldn’t say that there is a huge gap, but the athletics department has been looking for a way to further align themselves with

the Clark community…I think this is a great opportunity to do that.” Rollinger hopes this “shines a spotlight on athletics in a way that isn’t about what goes on on the fields of play.” He believes that “Division III athletes are about so much more than the sport that they play,” and “it’s not about what we do on the field, its about what being on the field does to us… it shapes our character.” Rollinger says he really embraced the idea of going to Lomo Linda because “they’re very passionate about sports and it seemed like a great fit.” He learned about the area after taking the idea to Dr. Jordan and then talking to SHGO. Rollinger says he “really buys into [Dr. Jordan’s] vision, and [thinks] that what SHGO does is really outstanding.” Although there are no trips planned after January, Rollinger really hopes that “this becomes a new tradition at Clark.”

• Percy Harvin, WR, Seahawks: Harvin has begun to practice this week as he comes back from a torn hip labrum. While he might not play Monday against the Rams, Harvin should be back within the next few games. He has a chance to take the already explosive Seahawks offense to another level, as he and Russel Wilson should be a perfect fit for each other. Harvin is owned in only 22% of espn.com leagues, 34% of nfl.com leagues, and 62% of yahoo.com leagues. • Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins: RGIII finally looks like he did last season, and Reed was one of his go-to targets on Sunday, piling up 134 yards and a touchdown. Look for Griffin to throw to Reed more frequently as the season progresses. Reed is owned in only 4% of espn.com leagues, 2% of nfl.com leagues, and 27% of yahoo.com leagues. DROP • Tavon Austin, WR, Rams: The Rams have had trouble getting the explosive rookie touches so far this season with Sam Bradford. Now that Bradford is out for the year with an ACL tear, owners can give up hope that Tavon will produce. • Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings: Although offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave does not hesitate to throw (as Adrian Peterson owners are aware), the quarterback play on the Vikings is terrible. Cristian Ponder, Matt Cassell, and Josh Freeman cannot get the former Packer the ball consistently enough for him to be worth a roster spot. BUY LOW • Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: After obliterating the Vikings D in London, Bell has been relatively cool the last two weeks against two good run defenses in the Jets and Ravens. But things are looking up, as over the next four games Bell plays the Raiders (9th in rushing yards allowed), the Patriots (31st), the Bills (28th), and the Lions (23rd). SELL HIGH • Brandon Marshall, WR, Bears: Jay Cutler is hurt for at least a month, which means that Luke McCown is now the starting quarterback. See what value Marshall has on the trade market.

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

NBA Preview

Clark World Cup cont. continued from page 1

tween all teams, and with both finalists dominating their pools, the final was highly anticipated by spectators, players, and commentators alike. The competition became more pronounced as the teams moved onto the knockout rounds, and the two finalists were set onto a collision course.

Individual players were getting involved in the rivalry, as each team’s top-scorer tried to outdo the other. Eventually, however, it was South Asia’s Jai Sung Lee that took home the award for top scorer. For making the most saves and therefore allowing his team to win, Sanjiv Fernando, South Asia’s goalkeeper, was named top goalkeeper. It was The Middle East, however, who was the deserved recipient of the Fair Play Award. Earlier on

sports | 13

Saturday night, the team thought they were completely done with the tournament and had already left to go home when they were called back to play again. They then allowed members from other teams who were legitimately finished playing to join their team so that they could compete once again. Overall, it was a weekend of fierce competition and good sportsmanship.

Fantasy draft tips By Scott Levine scarlet staff

Let’s fast forward to your fantasy draft. You get the first pick. You know that the best player in the league is LeBron James, but you are supposed to pick Kevin Durant first for some reason. You might just pick Durant because you assume that the fantasy rankings know best, but it is only natural to wonder why Kevin Durant is more valuable than LeBron James in fantasy basketball. Let’s break it down. Scoring: Both players score a stupid amount of points. Durant averaged 28.1 last year while LeBron scored 26.5 a game. It doesn’t seem like a huge difference, but 1.6 points per game adds up as the season goes on. However, one needs to look beyond averages to understand why Durant is likely to help your fantasy team’s scoring totals more than LeBron. Let’s look at all 82 games of last season and see how many games each player had in each tier of scoring. Points

< 15

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40 <

Games missed

LeBron

Durant

Durant scored at least 25 points in 57 of the 81 games that he played in. If one were to pick a random game from the 2012-2013 season, there would be a 70 percent chance that Durant reached or surpassed 25 points in that game. This percentage will probably increase this year. Kevin Martin left for Minnesota this past offseason and the Thunder now lack a legitimate third scoring option behind Durant and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook will also be recovering from the injury he suffered during last season’s playoffs. Durant will have to assume a larger scoring load. Luckily for the Thunder and fantasy teams that own him, he is more than capable of doing so. Pick a random game from last season for LeBron, and there is a 61 percent chance that he reached the same quota. However, LeBron is slightly more consistent. He only played in six games in which he scored fewer than 20 points. Durant totaled less than 20 on 10 occasions. Luckily for Durant’s case, this difference is not enough to justify choosing LeBron over Durant based solely on points. Edge: Durant

photos by meghna pradhan

continued on page 14

The Scarlet

14 | sports

october 24, 2013

NBA Preview cont. continued from page 13

Assists: Durant is becoming a better facilitator for his team. LeBron is one of the best facilitators in his league because of how much the defense focuses on him. LeBron averaged three more assists than Durant last season, but with Westbrook injured for the first month or so of the season, the Thunder will be running the offense almost exclusively through Durant. Durant has also focused on getting better at passing, and he is more than likely to increase his assist numbers this season. LeBron still has the edge, but the assist gap between the two is not as gargantuan as some people believe. Edge: LeBron Rebounds: James and Durant put up nearly identical rebounding numbers last season at eight and 7.9 respectively. Durant could experience a decline in rebounds per game if Serge Ibaka improves on the boards this season. LeBron could see some of his rebounds go to the newly acquired Greg Oden if the big man is able to stay on the court. Edge: Neither Field Goal % Durant routinely boasts great field goal percentages that are a shade over 50%. But just like in real life, he is unfairly compared to LeBron in this scenario. King James shot over 56% from the field last season. Durant’s field goal percentage is expected to decrease from this clip since he will have to assume more of the scoring burden with Martin gone and Westrbrook temporarily out. Edge: LeBron Free Throw % Despite having a reputation for missing free throws at the end of games, LeBron is a decent free throw shooter. He shot about 75% from the line last season. Durant is an excellent free throw shooter and proved this last season with a free throw percentage of over 90%. Edge: Durant 3-Pointers LeBron does not take as many threes as Durant. He is still decent at them, as evidenced by his three-point field goal percentage of 40.6 last year. But it makes more sense for him to take inside shots since he is so efficient from close range. Durant, on the other hand, is almost equally efficient from every spot on the floor, including three-point range. Last season, Durant made 1.7 three pointers a game while LeBron made 1.4. Durant has the potential to make two three-pointers a game this season. Edge: Durant Steals

LeBron is a much better on-ball defender than Durant. This difference in ability is not accurately represented in the steals column. LeBron averaged 1.7 last year while Durant averaged 1.4. If Greg Oden can play consistent minutes at center, Chris Bosh will slide to power forward which will allow LeBron to guard perimeter players more often. If this is the case next season, expect LeBron’s steals to increase. Edge: LeBron Blocks: LeBron has mastered the art of the chase-down block and has slammed several opposing fast break layups off the backboard. But Durant and his long arms amassed almost a half a block per game more than the King. Something else to consider: OKC center Kendrick Perkins is becoming less and less reliable. Head coach Scott Brooks might move Serge Ibaka to center and play Durant at power forward for stretches. If this is the case, then expect Durant to have a modest improvement. Edge: Durant Turnovers: Durant had 3.5 turnovers per game last season, significantly more than LeBron’s 3.0. Expect Durant’s turnover numbers to potentially break four per game while Westbrook recovers from his injury. Durant will have the ball in his hands much more often. Since his playmaking skills are still slightly raw, he is likely to turn the ball over more. Edge: LeBron Verdict: LeBron has the edge in four categories, Durant has the edge in four categories, and they are even in rebounding ability. However, not all categories are created equal. The most essential category is points. All fantasy players are expected to score points. It is much harder to outscore teams than it is to out-rebound or out-assist teams. Since Kevin Durant is almost 10% more likely to give you 25 or more points on any given night, he is the better pick. Final Edge: Kevin Durant It is important to pick the right star player for your team, but the later rounds are just as important. Here are some players to look out for while drafting.

GOOD STATS, BAD TEAMS Tobias Harris This guy is fantasy basketball’s best kept secret. After being traded to the Magic last year, Harris averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 27 games. Orlando did not add any major scoring options this offseason. It is likely that Harris will pick up where he left off. Al Jefferson Jefferson may fade into semi-obscurity the way all Bobcats seem to do. However, he should be anything but obscure in fantasy leagues. Charlotte has a dearth of scoring options so expect them to over utilize Jefferson in the post. BREAKOUT FANTASY PLAYERS Eric Bledsoe The Phoenix Suns are rebuilding now. It is apparent that they’re not going to start actually rebuilding until they pick their franchise savior in the star-studded 2014 NBA Draft. In the meantime, they signed Bledsoe. Bledsoe is an up-and-coming point guard who spent the last two seasons studying under Chris Paul on the Clippers. He is freakishly athletic and will be given the green light to shoot a lot because of Phoenix’s lack of all-around talent. Larry Sanders Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis are no longer on the Bucks. Sanders will not have as many offensive rebounds from corralling their terrible shots, but he is likely to have the ball in his hands more this year. One can also expect around 10 rebounds and two or three blocks a game from him. NOT AS VALUABLE THIS YEAR Josh Smith He was a hot commodity in fantasy leagues last year, but he’s on the Detroit Pistons now. Smith will have to share the ball with Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond. While he will still produce, Smith will have a lower usage rate this year. Kevin Garnett He is going to be the fifth option on his new team and will need to take a backseat to some of his younger teammates. He would be immensely valuable in fantasy basketball if locker room leadership was a stat, but it is not.

The Scarlet

october 24, 2013

The Scarlet/Puzzles CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Reposes (5) 6. Countryman (7) 8. Provide a substitute for (7) 9. Tavern (3) 10. Stout pole (4) 12. Domesticated (4) 15. And not (3) 16. Forsake (7) 18. Phantom (7) 19. Vends (5)

1. Stands for (10) 2. Jump lightly (4) 3. Talk (5) 4. Entrances (5) 5. Spittle (6) 7. Gentleness (10) 11. Concurs (6) 13. Containing fat (5) 14. Bundles (5) 17. Double (4)

THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS IN NEXT ISSUE

puzzles | 15

The Scarlet

16 | puzzles

october 24, 2013

SOLUTIONS TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLES

Police Logs

October 17th 13:45 - Complaint of two suspicious males looking at a female on Charlotte Street. 14:32 - Escort FBI agent to DOS office. October 20th 16:34 - Washing machine won’t open in Dodd Hall. 17:20 - Swipe system not working in Wright Hall 22:20 - Washing machine not draining in Bullock Hall. October 21st 9:19 - Male going through the dumpster on Woodland Street. 10:39 - Door was left open to a red van in the St. Peter’s lot with out-of-state plate. 13:31 - Off sabatalo. 14:05 - Suspicious man with bandana on Main Street. 17:10 - An event/pillars. 17:25 - Kids skateboarding...comp wants them removed. 23:54 - Group skate boards. This week there was one motor vehicle accident, one count of trespassing, one check of welfare, one count of destruction of property, two investigations, two counts of larceny, two reports of suspicious persons, there were three complaints of loud parties, four marijuana-related incidents, eight fire alarms, eleven calls to EMS, and thirteen calls for a police escort.

SUDOKU SOLUTION

October 16th 1:04 - Suspicious kids looking through window in Sanford Hall. 3:38 - Escort van died. 23:31 - Need to assist person trying to get into alumni affairs. He may not know code.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

compiled by Maria Rotelli

what happens in The Scarlet office at 12:59 a.m. stays in the The Scarlet office... sort of “The President of the United States?” - Maria “No, the President of Czech.” - Sarah “So it’s like “Two Girls One Cup,” but with a piano.” - Matt “Well, now I feel obligated.” - Jeremy “Yeah. So do it.” - Maria “Can we talk about–” - Pooja “Yes, we can talk about that. You start.” - Jeremy [Into the phone, referring to herself] “Oh. You know what grandma likes…” - Claire “Oh those bathrooms are huge, and there’s a chair near a window, for contemplation.” - Matt