clarkies on the road • the chains of liberty review • and more
volume xciv, no. 7 • october 30, 2014 | clarkscarlet.com |
Alex Wiley Brings Village Party to Clark Chicago Rapper Headlines PEC Concert By Ethan Giles sports editor
Clark’s Pub Entertainment Committee (PEC) hosted an eclectic mix of hip hop and electric funk artists for their second show of the year in The Grind on Friday, October 24. Rapper Michael Christmas opened the show, headlined by Chicago rapper Alex Wiley, and closed by The Pluto Moons. The concert kicked off with Mi-
chael Christmas and DJ Oy Vey, who provided an interesting combination of rhythm and rap. His music kept the crowd constantly grooving, especially with his hit song “Michael Cera.” PEC member Aaron Rosenberg (‘17) described Christmas’ performance as “full of life” and felt that the rapper built off the crowd’s energy. Towards the end of Christmas’ set, many female Clarkies made their way onto the stage, prompting the rapper to
exclaim “this is the first time I’ve had mad girls on a stage.” After his set, Christmas was seen enjoying the other acts’ music while wearing a bright pink Frozen backpack. The crowd was ready for Wiley to perform after Christmas finished his set, but had to wait around 15 minutes before the artist took the stage. continued on page 13
Ferguson Forum Encourages Action Dr. Eva Frazer and Steven Roberts Highlight Racial Injustice By Jeremy Levine editor-in-chief
A filled-to-capacity Higgins Lounge sat in silence for the better part of an hour last Thursday as Dr. Eva Frazer and Trustee Steven Roberts (’74) of St. Louis, Mo. gave a presentation on the Michael Brown shooting and its aftermath.
Professor Betsy Huang, Chief Officer of Diversity and Inclusion for the university, whose office co-sponsored the event along with the President’s Office, stated that the impetus for the event was that “Many individuals and groups at Clark have come to [her] earlier in the semester asking for a forum on Ferguson for us to collectively discuss its implications.” She be-
lieved that Dr. Frazer and Roberts’ experiences would provide a backdrop for such an opportunity. The event began with what Roberts called a “grisly roll call,” a list of names of unarmed black men killed by police in 2014. These men were killed after adjusting continued on page 5
the.clark.scarlet
The Petition Heard Round the Campus Clark Students Propose to Resurrect On-Campus Bar By Beatrice Misher contributing writer
If you were on Clark’s campus last week, it is likely that you heard the rumblings of student discussion of an on-campus bar. While the origins of this scoop might have gotten murky in the depths of word-of-mouth distortion, the whole story traces back to a simple petition. The now-famous petition was started by Josh Burger (’15), as part of a project stemming from the Entrepreneurship capstone class here at Clark. The capstone project entails making a viable business plan that could potentially be applied in the real world. Burger, along with fellow students Perri Sylvester (’15), Fernando Pinoargote (’16), and Ye Jung Kim (’16), came to the decision to propose the business idea of an on-campus bar in The Grind at the University Center. “We wanted to do something
that would leave an impact on Clark,” said Burger. He cited the Clark Community Thrift Store as an inspiration for the project, which was started through the entrepreneurship capstone. The group originally came up with the idea of a café in the Grind, but because of Clark’s contract with Sodexo, all of the food would have to be Sodexoproduced. The initial student response to this was not very positive, so the group decided to turn towards the idea of a bar. “We knew that there used to be a bar in the Grind,” noted Burger, “We knew there were some restrictions but we thought if we could make a compelling pitch, we could have a chance at bringing it back.” After some research, Burger was lead to believe that the bar was closed down in the 1990s for possible liability issues. Clark Business Manager Paul Wykes continued on page 3
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The Scarlet THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY CONTACT scarlet@clarku.edu | clarkscarlet.com EDITORS Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy Levine Executive Editor: Sarah Cramer Layout Editor: Rose Gallogly Web Editor: Pooja Patel News Editor: Jenna Lewis Opinions Editor: Alex Grayson Living Arts Editor: Matt Emmer Sports Editor: Ethan Giles Photo Editor: Celine Manneville Managing Editor: Madhubanti Anashua COPY EDITORS Scott Levine SCARLET STAFF Senegal Carty Savannah Cohen Ronald Gerber Scott Levine Jonah Naghi Hannah Rosenblum Tyler Terriault Kate Summers PHOTO STAFF Jonathan Edelman Emily Valante Soraya Madlala Krithi Vachaspati LAYOUT STAFF Erin McKeon Christian Rentsman
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october 30, 2014
UPCOMING EVENTS [ Thursday, October 30 ] Discussion on Gun Violence - 7:00 p.m. in Sackler 121 FED UP Screening - 8:00 p.m. in Sackler 121 OPEN’s Drag Ball - 10:30 p.m. in Tilton Hall Hillel Bagel Brunch - 11:00 p.m. in the Grind
[ Friday, October 31 ] Get Out The Vote Phonebanking - 4:00 p.m., JC 217 and 218 The Exorcist Screening - 9:00 p.m. in Grace Conference Room
[ Saturday, November 1 ] ROCU Presents Dance of the Dead - 10:30 p.m. in the Grind
[ Sunday, November 2 ] Eid Diwali Dinner - 3:30 p.m. in Tilton Hall
[ Monday, November 3 ] Conversation Café: Election Issues - 6:00 p.m. in Persky Conference Room PTSD in the IDF - 7:30 in Johnson Auditorium
[ Tuesday, November 4 ] Noam Bedein: The Reality of Israelis Under Fire - 6:30 p.m. in Sackler 120 Poetry and History: An Evening with Natasha Trethewey – 7:00 p.m. in Atwood Hall
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The Scarlet/News Campus Bar Petition Continued
Clarkies on the Road Emma Craig Compiles Stories of Clark Graduates By Beatrice Misher contributing writer
courtesy of change.org
continued from page 1
agreed. “Liability would be the biggest concern,” he said, “Having a bar on campus would create a host of potential liability issues including possible underage drinking, intoxication, rowdy behavior, alcohol related assaults, etc.” He went on to note that liability concerns would also increase the cost of Clark’s insurance, paid by students. Safety and liability concerns have been a large portion of the considerations made by Burger and his classmates. They recently ventured across town to Holy Cross to ask the manager of the on-campus bar there how they handle such liability concerns. “We realize that the university is going to fear the consequences of this [on-campus bar]. So we found out what Holy Cross does to combat these issues and we think we’re going to combat them in similar ways”. All servers at the Holy Cross bar are TIPS certified. TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) is a certification program that, ac-
cording to its website, is “designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving by enhancing the fundamental ‘people skills’ of servers, sellers and consumers of alcohol.” Burger’s project group is proposing that Clark do the same, as well as paying workers over minimum wage, and not allowing students to work as servers. In addition to a qualified staff, the safety suggestions from Holy Cross also included using strictly plastic cups that only contain less-alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and hard ciders. “This would be a place where students could hang out and socialize with friends, maybe watch a sports game…[but] not the kind of place where students could get totally hammered at,” said Burger. The last, and perhaps most important safety procedure that Burger noted from visiting Holy Cross was a high-tech ID scanner that is updated monthly to scan for the latest fake IDs. continued on page 4
In college, Emma Craig (’13) was with a group of people who were rambunctious, critical-thinkers, deep-feelers, and mentors whom she needed to feel whole. The transition out of college has not been easy for the IDSC major, as she no longer has an institution that provides the things she needs to be complete. It is now up to Craig to find this kind of community on her own. After a year of living in Worcester, Craig decided to hit the road on an eight month road trip across the United States. Along the way she is writing a blog called Clarkies on the Road, which is a collection of people’s post-grad stories that she hears along her trip. “When you graduate college no one really tells you that it kind of sucks a little bit,” Craig explained, “it’s just not as fun as college a lot of the time.” Graduating from college can be a big adjustment and people often feel both lost and excited. “Everyone’s just a little messed up,” said Craig. The issue of life after college is not often talked about. “I feel like everyone thinks that they’re not doing it right or they should be doing something different or at a different pace,” she continued. In Clarkies on the Road, Craig’s goal is to show that everyone she
courtesy of facebook.com
Clarkies Alexander Herlich (left), Emma Craig (middle), Nikoleta Sremac (right).
encounters are at different stages in their lives. “I just wanted to show everyone’s doing different things and a lot of people don’t know what their path is,” she explained, “it’s all going to be fine… everyone’s fine.” Craig has found that when you get out of college it can feel like you are “floating in space.” Most people have been in school their whole life; in high school people work towards college, in college you work to graduate, and then you gradu-
ate and often there is not that next step to work towards. “I’ve realized that it isn’t about working towards something else. Your life in college [has as much value as] your life in fifty years,” said Craig, “you’re successful if you’re enjoying yourself and doing something that you like and feel good right now, because there’s nothing to work for, it’s alcontinued on page 7
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International Background BY MEHR GUNAWARDENA After 150 years under British rule as part of the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. It has operated semi-autonomously under what is known as the “one country, two systems” policy outside of Beijing’s Maoist rule. A promise was made in 2017 that Hong Kong would be allowed to hold, for the first time, a democratic election, to elect their own chief executive, instead of having that position filled by a legislative body from Beijing. However, during this past summer, the Chinese government decided that a legislative body was still needed, and that they would select candidates for Hong Kong’s 2017 elections. Consequently, unrest has been building up as pro-democracy groups view this as the government’s way of limiting the will of voters. Thus, these pro-democracy groups came together under the name of “Occupy Central” to plan protests and to try to reverse Beijing’s decision. The Occupy Central movement inspired the Umbrella Movement, named as a result of the umbrella used to block off the pepper spray and tear gas. The movement, which is still ongoing, began on the 26th of September this year. The protests started from Hong Kong’s Financial District and spread to the city’s government offices. These protests began as an Occupy Central-inspired student sit-in and developed into an extreme affair. Police responded to these peaceful demonstrators with excessive force— including the use of tear gas, pepper spray and, rubber bullets—sparking a ‘Hong Kong’ wide epiphany. In light of the law-enforcement crackdown,
thousands of more people went to the streets in harmony, shutting down portions of the city, having the opposite effect of what the law enforces intended. The Chinese Communist party’s main newspaper, People’s Daily Online, claimed that the uprisings in Hong Kong were instigated by democratic radicals, who had support from “anti-China forces” in Britain and the United States. People’s Daily Online called them a “gang of people whose hearts belong to colonial rule and who are besotted with ‘western democracy’”. Ordinarily, when protesters take to the streets for universal suffrage it is to drive out dictatorship, to improve social services, or to ease a demanding tax system, but this is not the case with the Occupy Central movement. Considering Hong Kong’s per capita, it is a very wealthy region. According to the World Bank, Hong Kong’s GDP per capita is $53,203, whereas the rest of China’s is just $11,904, which is four times less than Hong Kong’s. It is possible that the recent economic slowdown affecting Hong Kong contributed to this unrest. Regardless of Hong Kong not being an independent nation, it has a great sense of self-governance— including a separate political structure, a different legal system and, protections for free speech—falling inline with the framework of “one country, two systems.” This incoherence causes confusion with regards to the question: why do the protesters want the current chief executive to resign and to have free elections?
october 30, 2014
CUSC in brief By Kate Summers scarlet staff
The vote on whether to remove Clark Cable Network has been postponed until next week’s meeting, while a new bylaw will need to be rewritten to replace the old one. Elections Committee appointed Lauren Howard to the Library Committee; Suaida Firoze to the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion; Brittany Klug to the Undergraduate Academic Board; Miranda Smerling to the Faculty Steering Committee; and Gabrielle Seligmann to the Hate Incident Response Team. On October 30 and October 31 there will be Trick-or-Treat with Student Council. They will be tabling in the University Center and students will be able to come talk to their representatives, ask questions, and give the Council suggestion. Tim St. John, Director of Student Leadership and Programming, reported that this year Clark will surpass the total number of events that occurred last year. Grants: $115 - Clark Entrepreneurship Club for Marshmallow Challenge $250 - Hula Hoop Heaven for Equipment [i.e. Hula Hoops] $203 - Jana Kelnhofer for a Scale for Bickman Fitness Center $240 - CHAS Black and Latino Conference $69 - Clark Sustainability Collaborative for Conference attendance $50 - Clark Sustainability Collaborative for a Trip to Solar Flair Farm $80 - Farah Weannara for the Third Culture Kid/Global Nomad conference $80 - Eliana Hijandreou NAFSA Region XI Conference. $300 - Clark University Ping Pong Club
Campus Bar Petition Continued continued from page 3
“We’re going to make the case that by taking these necessary safety precautions, we can limit the chances of a horrific event,” stated Burger, noting that Holy Cross has not experienced any such incidents in the nearly 30 years it has since it has opened. In addition to current Clark students, the group believes that an on-campus bar could be a big draw for alumni looking for a walk down memory lane. “Many famous acts used to play here in to 1970s such as Jimi Hen-
drix, The Grateful Dead, and James Taylor,” noted Burger. By asking alumni to contribute pictures from these and other parts of Clark’s history, the group proposes that the bar could serve as a place to memorialize these events. Nearly 300 signatures were gained on the first day the online petition was posted. Burger emphasized that he and his fellow classmates believe that an on-campus bar would not increase the population that drinks at Clark, but rather create a safe place for those that do. “If somebody already drinks, they just would not have to leave campus for it. We’re simply being a convenience to students.”
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Ferguson Continued continued from page 1
belts, reaching for wallets, or, in Trayvon Martin’s case, “simply [being] perceived as not having the right to be present at a given place and time despite not violating any law.” Dr. Frazer took over with a harrowing explanation of what encouraged her to get involved with protests in Ferguson. She recalled seeing Michael Brown’s mother being held back as she tried to approach her son’s body, calling it “a very emotional image for a mother, because there he was in the street lying exposed, unprotected, and dead”; Dr. Frazer found that she “could not turn away from the image.” Danielle Strandson (’14) commented that hearing about moments like this “provided a more personal and human response than what we most commonly see in the media.” After seeing this image, Dr. Frazer was captivated by news coverage of the event and the ensuing demonstrations. A friend
of hers said that she wanted there to be “a sea of women that could stand with these protesters… so that they knew they were embraced and supported… and that perhaps then, police shouldn’t feel so threatened.” During the event’s brief question and answer session, Cody Litch (’14) stated that “police forces need to be threatened right now, as this is something that they have been getting away with time and time again.” He was also interested in hearing about some of the other conversations “on the ground” in Ferguson. Dr. Frazer replied that the conversation surrounding the event falls along racially-divided lines: A Remington Research Group Poll states that 62 percent of white respondents called Wilson justified in shooting Michael Brown, whereas only 35 percent of African-American respondents said so. She also cited a conversation with a white Ferguson woman who lamented the media’s portrayal of the suburb and how the events have affected local businesses. The shooting encouraged Dr.
Catastrophe Hits Worcester Streets By Alexis Richards contributing writer
October 14, 2014, a seemingly purrfect Tuesday, will go down as a dark day in Worcester’s history. According to Fox 25 News, Cali, a feline companion of Joanne Murphy, was found in a pool of blood outside her Worcester residence. Cali was once a stray before being taken in by Murphy, and had seemed to settle into her residential lifestyle over the past two years. That all changed in one fateful meowment, when Cali was struck with an arrow. The arrow sliced her ear and lodged into her skull, leaving her with a scar she will live with furrever. Murphy is heartbroken over the extreme injury of her dear pet and hopes that the perpetrator of this pawful crime will find justice. If you have any information about this case, it is asked that you contact the Worcester Police Department meow.
photo by jane salerno
Roberts reenacts the altercation between Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson. Frazer and her colleagues to try to implement change in the community and uncover larger, structural issues which create inequality in the area, such as jailing and fining those who do not pay traffic tickets, as well as police insensitivity and brutality. Specific recommendations were discussed throughout the evening, such as requiring police officers to wear body cameras and having police undergo sensitivity training run by colleges and universities, who have a history “of tolerance, sensitivity, and inclusiveness.” According to Dr. Frazer, who has two African-American sons, this work would eliminate need for “the talk,” in which she tells her children to “never talk back to a police officer, to always keep [their] hands in plain view, [and] to submit to whatever [the police] want to do,” because she wants them to “survive that interac-
tion.” Dr. Frazer explained that this “talk” is necessary because of “implicit racial bias,” and that we as a nation need to work to create “genuine and sustainable equality and opportunity for all of our citizens.” Apart from Dr. Frazer’s fraught introduction, the room seemed most ill at ease while watching a video of Levar Jones, an unarmed man, get shot at a gas station in South Carolina. Eliana Stanislawski (’17) alluded to alarming moments like this one, which were a consistent presence throughout the talk, commenting that Dr. Frazer and Roberts “weren’t afraid to show us things that might upset us or to walk us through the details of disturbing events. It is so easy for people to refuse to take on these problems as our own, but these speakers would not allow us to leave this event continuing to dismiss what is going on.”
It was clear that Dr. Frazer and Roberts were not interested in simply giving a current events update; they wanted to encourage action. Dr. Frazer concluded the talk by stating that “Everyone has a role to play in implementing these changes. Your voices independently and collectively can and will make a difference. Do not stand silently or turn away in the face of injustice.” Dr. Frazer said that “[she] was thoroughly impressed with the Clark community; especially the students, who have a very sincere interest in community service and social justice. It is through their dedicated commitment and resilient efforts that will lead us to a better future.” Professor Huang concurred, stating that “The event showed Clark’s mettle.”
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Clark Professors Offer Opinions on Middle East By Thomas Scappini contributing writer
Professors Taner Akcam, Anita Fábos, Douglas Little, Srinivasan Sitaraman, Ora Szekely, and Kristen Williams gathered along with a sizable group of students in Jefferson 320 to discuss the recent instability in the Middle East. The panel seemed to agree that military intervention on the part of the United States is not advisable, with the examples of the war in the Gulf, the recent intervention in Iraq, and Afghanistan being mentioned several times as examples of failures. Professor Little spoke from a historical perspective of the “seductive appeal of rapid-fire interven-
tion,” decrying President Obama’s policy of “SEALs and drones,” which has garnered a large amount of support from the United States Congress and its residents. Professor Akcam suggested that a new Treaty of Westphalia is in order, (which ended the Thirty Years’ War and Eighty Years’ War while redrawing the boundaries of Europe). They also suggested that it would take thirty to forty years to sort out the situation in the Middle East. Professor Fabos discussed the Syrian refugee crisis, which is the most significant refugee crisis since World War II, with over nine million displaced persons, and nearly six and a half million internally displaced. As most refugees are middle-income, they defy the stereotypical image of
refugees as poor and lower-class. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is looking into alternatives to camps, as most displaced peoples go to cities. Professor Szekely spoke of the rise of the proto-state actor, a hybrid of a state and non-state actor which assumes many of the roles of the state. Some examples include Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS. Whereas Hezbollah and Hamas have not engaged in full-scale genocide, ISIS has. The three groups, despite all being radical Islamist groups, have radically different ideologies, as ISIS is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, Hamas is borne out of the Muslim brotherhood, and Hezbollah is of Shi’a influence, different from the other two.
Professor Williams spoke of the varying positions taken by international relations theorists. The realists argue that the Middle East poses no existential threat to the United States and thus is of no concern to the USA. A liberal theorist might argue that it is indeed a problem, but the United States is unsure if it cares to play a role. Feminist theory ponders who is in charge in the Middle East. The answer is overwhelmingly that men control nearly all aspects of the political apparatus. Professor Sitaraman spoke of the idea of Iran’s gradual accommodation program, in which they would freeze their nuclear weapons program in exchange for a gradual loosening of sanctions, as Iran has become an important non-public
coordinator against ISIS and Afghanistan. Near the end of the event, several questions were asked in regards to the Middle East, such as about United States intervention, which nearly everyone was in opposition to due to precedents set by previous endeavors. Professor Szekely spoke to the ISIS phenomenon and reminded the audience of Hezbollah, which was a radical actor outside of the political system and then became a political party. Likewise, ISIS could theoretically be socialized to act within the international system. While the session offered few, ifany, straight answers, the faculty present were able to expose ideas and questions to students who may not have heard them before.
Getting Real About The Recession Dan Sichel Explores the Causes and Implications of the Great Recession By Molly Powers contributing writer
Dan Sichel, a former senior official at the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve, came to Clark on October 23 to administer a lecture titled The Financial Crisis, the Great Recession, and the Long Road Back. Even six years later, we are still wondering what went wrong in 2008, what could have been done differently, and how effective the government’s solution was at the time. Sichel did his best to talk about the crisis without bias, coming across as neither pro nor anti-government, and saved his personal opinions until the end of his lecture. As someone whose focus in the Federal Reserve was macroeconomic policy, specifically tracking and monitoring the U.S. economy, Sichel has a broad perspective of American eco-
nomics. He compared the recession of 2008 to the Great Depression in the 1930’s, the two largest recessions in recent history. In both cases, the economy did not stabilize until the government intervened with new financial policies. Before Sichel spoke about the 2008 policy response, he gave a brief outline of the crisis itself. Housing prices were rising steadily throughout the 1990’s and hit their peak in 2006. There was a lot of capital flowing into the U.S. from developing countries, and much of this capital went into mortgages. Households and financial institutions were taking on excess debt and many people who could not actually afford them were being granted loans for their mortgages. Sichel called these loans “liar loans”, because people could get them without providing any information about
their financial background or credit history. Flipping houses was also popular prior to the recession. With house prices going up by 15 percent, anyone could do it. However, the party ended in 2006 as prices dropped by 30 percent. The economy slowed, unemployment went up, house prices went down, banks started failing, and people started defaulting on their loans. As several large financial institutions started failing, people saw that they were losing money from some of their shares of these institutions, and started selling them. As a result, the market collapsed. What followed was Obama’s fiscal stimulus response in 2009, which included more government spending and tax cuts in order to stimulate the economy, as well as $750 billion to bail out the banks. After the economy
started to improve, the government shifted to austerity, a decrease in government spending, to shrink the deficit. At this point, Sichel arrived at the central question of the lecture: Did fiscal policy save our economy, or was the economy righted by a natural course of events? There are people who think that Obama wasted too much money on the stimulus and that the banks should have been allowed to fail, allowing the economy to get back on track magically, or “naturally,” Sichel said, correcting himself. He said that a country’s recovery after a recession is usually quicker than the U.S.’s recent recover, but that we cannot observe what the result would have been if there had not been a policy response. At the end of his lecture, Sichel said that he believes that the government’s policy response was effective,
and that it prevented the Depression 2.0. He did not talk much about the financial crisis globally, except to point out that it was a global event, and that the U.S.’s policy response was much more effective than the Eurozone’s response or the U.K.’s. Sichel thinks that shifting to austerity was a mistake, and that there should instead have been even more government spending, coupled with long-term reforms in entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. To end his lecture, Sichel said, “policy was effective, if perhaps not sufficient.” He thinks that more should have been done at the time, and that more must be done in the years to come to prevent yet another recession. Recovery after this latest financial crisis has been sluggish. He said that we are getting there, but there is still a ways to go.
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Clarkies on the Road Continued continued from page 3
ready happening.” Craig began her trip from her hometown of Sudbury in mid-August. She went to New York City, N.Y.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago, Ill.; Madison, Wis.; and Minneapolis, Minn. The journey then took her through the National Parks, Wyoming, Montana, and then the pacific Northwest. Craig is currently working at a farm in Northern California. Throughout the journey she has seen many former Clarkies. She has connected with an AmeriCorps volunteer, people in graduate school, an event coordinator, non-profit workers, and many people who are in pre-professional programs, just trying to figure out their next step. The decision to drive across the country was not easy for Craig.
She felt like she was supposed to be on a career track, contributing to society, and paying off her loans. “I feel like there’s all these negative stereotypes about young people; telling them that they’re the selfie generation and that they don’t care about anything and that they’re selfish,” Craig explained, “which is so not true.” It was not until someone asked Craig what she really wanted to do that she even considered doing this trip that she dreamt about for years. “No one knows what they’re doing,” Craig admitted, “we’re all scared and kind of freaked out and just figuring it out and everyone’s going to be fine.” Right now Craig is in Northern California and will be heading down south in the winter and will likely return to Massachusetts in April. To follow her adventures go to http://clarkiesontheroad.tumblr.com/
Important message for Clark students receiving University Grant aid We need your help! You recently received a survey from Dianne Dyslin in University Advancement asking for biographical and other information she needs to match your University Grant (UG) scholarship with endowed funds established by our donors. The interest from those funds is the source of your UG support. Please take a moment to fill it out. We can’t write to our donors without your help. Please complete the survey by Fri., Nov. 7, 2014, at midnight. If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact Dianne at ddyslin@ clarku.edu or at 508-793-8835. She will respond to your call or email as soon as possible.
courtesy of facebook.com
Nikoleta Sremac (left), Alexander Herlich (middle), and Emma Craig (right).
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october 30, 2014
CLARKIE of the WEEK Scarlet: What have you enjoyed most about being the president of Psi Chi? Olivia: I love working with other Psi Chi members to plan and hold events that are truly helpful for students. It is great to learn everyone’s goals and to figure out how we can accommodate them with forums, networking opportunities, and community outreach. For example, we’re planning a career forum for psychology majors who want to work in applied, community-oriented fields. It’s nice having the ability to add to the resources that Clark has to offer students, from the students’ perspective.
photo by jonathan edelman
Olivia Vande Griek Olivia Vande Griek is a senior at Clark from Williston, Vermont majoring in psychology. She is the president of Psi Chi and has been involved in a plethora of psychology research not only in New England, but also in the Netherlands.
Scarlet: Can you tell us a little bit about your internship experience at Harvard the past two summers? What did you do? How was it? Olivia: I worked in Dan Gilbert’s social psychology lab for the last two summers, which was amazing! I basically spent my days conceptualizing, designing, and running experiments that were going on in the lab. I worked alongside about ten other interns so it was a very tight-knit, intelligent, and inspiring community. We focused a lot on shared experiences, and how being with another person can influence your experiences on both a perceptual and moral level. It was wonderful to learn from a diverse, impressive group of people in a new environment, and really shed light on the research world in a new context. Scarlet: I hear that you studied abroad in the Netherlands? What did you research there? How was the experience? Olivia: I worked in Leiden (near
Amsterdam) researching how having power in a team influences people’s motivation to appear moral to those teams. In (very) short, we found that power actually made people more motivated to appear moral to their teams, which was so encouraging! After so much news on the evils of society and how horrible everything can be, it’s nice to find something where you can say, “See? People really aren’t so bad after all!” Scarlet: How were you able to get to work in the Netherlands? How was working with Naomi Ellemers, PhD there? Olivia: I was able to work with her through the EuroScholars programbasically a study abroad program where you choose your destination based on the research being done. When I first applied, I didn’t realize who she was, just that I liked her research. When I got to Leiden, though, I realized she’s a huge deal! There were photos and articles about her all over the psychology department walls, some with the Queen of the Netherlands! Luckily I met her before I had time to become too intimidated. She was, and continues to be, extremely helpful and insightful in our work, and I’m really fortunate to be able to work with her. Scarlet: If you were to give one piece of advice to an undergraduate student pursuing psychology, what would it be? Olivia: I would tell them to get out into the world and reach out to people! There are so many opportunities out there that are so easily overlooked. You have to be aggres-
by Jonah Naghi
sive about finding them sometimes, even if that means emailing someone within an organization directly and telling them you’re interested in working with them, even if there’s no job listing! I think there’s a big misconception that people don’t want their time wasted with by students- it’s just not true. People LOVE to know that young people like us appreciate their work. You just have to know what you’re asking for and how to ask for it well. People in the working world (seem to) love helping students find a path, and are specifically impressed by those who are willing to initiate communication. Psychology is such a broad field, so it’s important to learn about the different directions it can take through real opportunities. Also just talk to everyone about what you’re interested in! You never know if the person sitting next to you is also interested in that, or if they know someone who knows someone who is the founder of what you want to do. Despite all of our helpful technology shortcuts, I still think talking to people directly about real problems and passions is the best way to get ahead. Connect with people in small ways. Thanks for the interview, Olivia!
Email scarlet@clarku.edu if you have a suggestion for Clarkie of the Week!
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october 30, 2014
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.
Carrying the Weight Together A Challenge to Rape Culture on College Campuses By Jeremy Levine editor-in-chief
By Hannah Yore contributing writer
“Carry that Weight” is a powerful performance piece begun by Emma Sulkowicz, an art student at Columbia University, that protests against sexual assault on college campuses. The ongoing demonstration entails Sulkowicz carrying a 50 pound mattress wherever she goes on campus until her alleged rapist either drops out of Columbia or the university expels him. Sulkowicz began this project as her senior art thesis in the beginning of September and has since received enormous support from fellow students and organizers from across the country. Students at Columbia University have even begun helping Sulkowicz physically carry the mattress on campus to indicate their solidarity. Sulkowicz and her allies intend to draw attention to the difficulty of survivors who feel that their universities have failed to respond appropriately to reports of sexual assault. The subject of sexual assault on college campuses has garnered much public attention in the last year with increasing numbers of Title IX complaints filed against universities. Title IX refers to a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal funding. These include sexual assault, sexual
photo by katherine landesman
harassment, sexual battery, and rape. Students across the country have used the language of this amendment to file complaints about their university’s response to reports of sexual assault by another student, faculty, or staff member. In 2009, the Center for Public Integrity issued a report of universities’ and colleges’ handling of sexual assault reports. Their investigation found that while survivors’ lives are profoundly altered after assault, judiciary school boards fail to adequately hold perpetrators responsible. This same report found that even when judiciary boards find students “responsible” for sexual assault, they rarely expel students- even repeat of-
fenders. The federal government responded to these findings by creating a federal task force in January 2014 to aid colleges and universities in their response to sexual assault. The task force, named the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, is also meant to respond to reports of higher education’s mismanagement of rape and sexual assault. Despite these victories and the bravery of organizers and activists like Emma Sulkowicz, the mismanagement of sexual assault cases on college campuses continues to precontinued on page 11
Nearly every time Wikipedia is mentioned in some kind of academic context, people snicker. We’ve all collectively decided, somehow, that Wikipedia was going to be an academic punching bag, presumably because of its dubious quality control and rampant vandalism. This is a pretty sad thing. A good deal has been said on Wikipedia’s accuracy—some studies have shown that it is close to as accurate (or as accurate) as other encyclopedias like Britannica. But the Wikipedia bashing is not so much about the actual quality of the content–it’s about faith. I believe that people who edit Wikipedia are well-intentioned. They realize that there is a mistake in an article and seek to correct it, or there is a topic which most people could be better-informed about. Most people who hit the “Edit” button are not trying to paint Shia LaBoeuf as a cannibal, and when they do, someone else comes along and fixes it. Disparaging Wikipedia for being by everyone as opposed to a committee of academics is to discourage the idea that people can come together, pool diverse interests, and create something broadly useful. Wikipedia, in actuality, is the most ambitious communal information project in history. It is an incredible thing. Of course, you would not use Wikipedia for academic research–but you wouldn’t use Britannica either. That’s not what encyclopedias are for; encyclopedias exist to give cursory information on a wide range of topics. Using Wikipedia as a source in an academic paper or for a research project is too pedestrian for the kind of thought that should be happening in a college course. But if you just want to learn a little about Michelangelo or British Airways or the natterjack toad, then it’s probably the place for you.
The Scarlet
10 | opinions
Thirsty for Justice
Admitting Privilege Laws Spread Throughout the South By Molly Powers contributing writer
courtesy of ibtimes.com
By Kate Summers scarlet staff
Last Monday I was asked to bring in a news article for my English class. I decided to bring in a piece from The Guardian called “Now the UN is intervening in Detroit’s water conflict. Could thirsty cities riot?” The article went into detail about the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s decision to turn off water to those who failed to pay their bills. My professor began to laugh. He told me that the issue in Detroit was not important enough to bring into class. I noted that the article itself came from a London news source already making international headlines. “Well it looks like The Guardian was having a slow news day,” he replied with a smirk. With all due respect Professor, this issue matters. The city of Detroit is the poorest in the country. According to Democracy Now! the city has a 40 percent poverty rate and over the past ten years the price of water bills have risen by 119 percent. Michigan Radio reported that approximately 27,000 customers of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department had their water shut off during the first nine months of 2014. The only advanced notice came with the words on the bottom of their water
bill, “If past due balance is not paid immediately service is subject to disconnection.” This is a notice that clients had seen on their water bill in the past, but one that had never been acted on. On September 29, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes ruled not to block the city from turning off the water. Rhodes said that there is no right to free water and “The last thing (Detroit) needs is this hit to its revenues.” You know what is not right? The fact 2/3 of those affected by the water shut off involve families with children. Just two weeks after Rhodes’s ruling a delegation from the United Nations went to assess the situation in Detroit. Catarina de Albuquerque, a Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation for the UN, said the opposite saying that water is a human right. “It is contrary to human rights to disconnect water from people who simply do not have the means to pay their bills…The city of Detroit should restore water connections to residents unable to pay and to vulnerable groups of people including persons with disabilities, the chronically ill, and households with small children,” Albuquerque wrote. The last thing Detroit needs is not to “hit to its revenues.” The first thing they need is access to water. Water is a basic human right. It
october 30, 2014
The war on women continues as the implementation of new, more stringent abortion restrictions in the South are making it increasingly harder for women to get abortions. In May, Louisiana passed the Omnibus Abortion Bill which mandates that doctors performing abortions at clinics must have admitting privileges at hospitals within a 30 mile range. Rather than making it safer for Louisiana women to get abortions, this bill may shut down three of the State’s five clinics—which is, of course, the intention of the bill. Laws that restrict access to abortions are not at all uncommon and new stipulations like the admitting privilege have come back into fashion since 2011. Before 2011, the last instance of this particular abortion hurdle occurred in Utah in 1998. After a 23 year gap, Kansas passed a similar law in 2011 and eight Southern states have followed since. The problem with the admitting privilege is that it is not medically relevant. It is a political strategy. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has stated that it believes that physicians and abortion clinics should have a plan to implement emergency services on a patient in case complications ensue and that there should be a mechanism in place for transferring patients if necessary. However, it also says that “ACOG opposes legislation
is one the few things humans need to survive. The Wayne County Health Department recently announced a medical emergency in Detroit, because of the shutoffs. There are issues are sanitation, dehydration, and contamination. Children, el-
or other requirements that single out abortion services from other outpatient procedures … ACOG opposes laws or other regulations that require abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges. ACOG also opposes facility regulations that are more stringent for abortion than for other surgical procedures of similar low risk.” It would be ideal if for every abortion clinic there was a nearby hospital willing to admit emergency patients, but the ACOG recognizes that this is not the case. Therefore, laws that require abortion clinics to have admitting privileges are not making abortions safer, but more difficult. Southern states tend to be Republican, conservative, and religious, and their laws tend to reflect those dominant viewpoints. It is not that there are not enough hospitals per abortion clinic, it is that the hospitals near the abortion clinics may (and often do) refuse to grant them access. As of July 2013, there were 21 abortion clinics in Texas. As of now, there are six. In Mississippi there is only one abortion clinic which has been denied admitting privileges from all seven local hospitals and will most likely close if and when the courts orders it. Courts are heavily divided on this issue. On the one hand, having access to a nearby hospital in case of emergency makes abortions safer for women. On the other hand, an abortion is a relatively low-risk procedure and for the vast majority of women
derly, people with disabilities have been the ones most affected by these shutoffs. While my professor might think that a woman with Ebola going to wedding dress store in Ohio is news, I want you to look to the state just
socialistworker.org
who receive them in a clinic will experience no complications. According to the ACOG, 0.3% of abortions have major complications, but that number will go up exponentially if women are unable to have access to a safe abortion. Courts must consider whether or not forcing through these laws which restrict abortion are unconstitutional on the grounds that they create an undue burden on women. If the lower courts of the state cannot come to a consensus on this, sooner or later the Supreme Court is going to have to get involved. If states continue to enforce medical laws grounded in religious beliefs or political motives then they are denying their citizens access to potentially life saving procedures. Women know better than legislators when it comes to making decisions directly impacting their bodies. Laws with practically no support from the medical community are effectively preventing women from exercising their right to a safe abortion, and that is both unconstitutional and unethical.
north to Ohio, which has access to access to the largest body of freshwater in the country. I want you to look at the largest city there and realize that thousands are living without the one thing the people of the “Great Lake State” need to survive.
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
Exploring Clark’s Generous Offering of Sex Toys Pick Your Pleasure By Carlotta Kane contributing writer
Choices is Clark’s on-campus sexual health resource that supplies the Clark community with sexual education, contraception, and sex toys. When I visited the office for the first time today, I got to look around and spend some time talking to Sarah Dys (‘15), a Choices student educator. Dys has worked at Choices going on four years now on a volunteer basis. Choices is entirely not-for-profit, using all of its funding to supply the office. These funds stem from a few different sources. Like all student organizations on campus, Choices is given a budget by the office of Student Leadership and Programming. Clark’s Student Sustainability Fund also awarded Choices a grant two years ago, used for the purchase of Diva Cups, an alternative, eco-friendly menstrual product that dramatically reduces the waste from tampons and sanitary pads. Additionally, Choices has received grants from The Female Health Company, and works with Bedsider In The Wild, a group committed to bringing birth control education to college campuses. The real question I walked into Choices with concerned their sale of sex toys. Choices found the wholesale company they buy from through personal research, and very carefully screens the products they purchase. As we looked through the company catalog, Dys commented, “We do massive amounts of research on our sex toys. We try to make sure they’re all gender neutral, that the packaging is appropriate [and] that it isn’t sending the wrong message.” All items are sold on a donations only basis—there
are suggested prices posted on the wall, but if you don’t have enough to make your purchase, you will not be turned away. Hidden behind a curtain displaying the slogan “Don’t Yuck My Yum,” the shelf was surprisingly bare. “It’s usually not like this,” Dys said, “The beginning of semester rush really wiped us out, so we’re waiting for new orders to come in.” In terms of sex toys, Choices provides cock rings, internal G-spot vibrators, external vibrators, Tenga Eggs, butt plugs, and Kegel Balls—a healthy assortment for both genders. When I asked Sarah whether Choices had felt any opposition to the sale of sex toys, she replied that she had experienced very little, and that most of the pushback had been anonymous. “Since I’ve been here,” she continued, “There’s been a full push for and from educators to introduce sex toys to the office.” I support that push. I believe that a huge part of sexual and personal health stems from understanding. Women, in particular, often grow up without the societal encouragement to explore their bodies that men receive. Consequently, many women report experiencing less pleasure during sex. Choices, as an organization that has pledged itself to educate students on healthy relationships with their own bodies, is absolutely doing the right thing by selling sex toys. College is a place where people of all different backgrounds can find themselves, through exploration and experimentation. Part of that exploration is bound to be (and should be) of a sexual nature. Choices, and Clark University, are only allowing that sexual self-discovery to begin in a safe, supported way.
opinions | 11
Carrying The Weight Continued continued from page 9
vail. Advocates and survivors argue that this is a result of a larger social climate that excuses the behavior of rapists and sexual assault perpetrators. Here, the handling of sexual assault cases is steeped in the silencing of survivors and in behavior that normalizes sexual assault. How do we combat this rape culture and work towards creating
safe spaces for survivors? We need to hold ourselves and those around us responsible for the language that we use. We must also hold our institutions responsible for taking care of the needs of survivors and for responding appropriately to reports of assault. It is imperative that we educate ourselves on how to advocate for these institutional changes and act as responsible allies in centering the voices of survivors. Most
of all, we need to find ways to show survivors that we support them and provide opportunities for them to discuss their experiences. Wednesday’s Day of Action did exactly that in connecting us to thousands of individuals across the country in a demonstration of solidarity. For more information about this national campaign, please visit http:// www.carryingtheweighttogether.com.
“Crimes Against Nature” MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD 7:30pm-9pm Tilton Hall The Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology, in conjunction with the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, is pleased to welcome Dr. Chris Kilmartin to Clark for a performance of his one-man play, Crimes Against Nature, on Monday, November 3rd at 7:30 pm in Tilton Hall. Crimes Against Nature provides an eye-opening and hilarious look at the role of gender in men’s lives. Using autobiographical material, and a healthy dose of humor, Dr. Kilmartin portrays the contradictions of traditional male gender roles, pointing out their consequences for individual men and society as a whole.
12 | living arts
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
The Scarlet/Living Arts American Antiquarian Society Presents Chains Of Liberty by Tyler Terriault
Like The Articles of Confederation, Revolutionary Play is Loose and Undefined If two snowmen run into each other, do they become one snowman?
By Matt Emmer living arts editor
I made the brief jaunt out to the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) on the afternoon of Friday, October 24 for their production of The Chains Of Liberty. The play, written by James David Moran and directed by J.T. Turner, was presented before the annual meeting of the AAS. Thus, the audience was mostly filled with the society’s respectable Board of Directors and Fellows. Written to depict the role of the city of Worcester in the American Revolution, The Chains Of Liberty was commissioned by the Worcester Revolution of 1774 Project. With a 45 minute running time, I can’t make sense of what the intended performative context of the piece is. Not only does it not make any sequential thematic narrative sense, it also lacks historical depth and focus. The play opens with Winslow Worcester delivering the first of his many 15-second soliloquies. Here, he questions how independence for a nation can perpetuate his slavery, pleading with his master, Timothy Paine, for the freedom to pursue his passion for blacksmithing. Instead, Paine decides to allow him to apprentice for seven years while remaining a slave before he is granted his liberty. This plot is barely referenced again, as Winslow is repeatedly sold and even stolen throughout the play.
Every day is Pajama Day when you’re me. Mark those calendars. LOOKING FOR: Someone to keep me company while I sit and lifeguard. Tell that other kid with the colorful hat to step off of my turf.
photo by matt emmer
Mary Stearns, Worcester’s witty widowed barkeep keeps a running commentary with the audience. Her political leanings are eclipsed by her economic interests, making her inn a meeting place for both patriot and loyalist organizations. Much of her lines are her haphazard one-liners about the female perspective which make little sense and shed minimal insight on real women’s’ issues in the
late 18th century, such as, “A woman’s power is only through her ears, her husband’s ears!” The dialogue of the play is rife with these forced interjections of historical facts that are of little-to-no relevance to the action of the play, including long passages where the entire cast addressed the audience while breaking the fourth wall. These sections made the performance seem
like an overwrought spiel from an Old Sturbridge Village reenactor. One scene between Winslow and Timothy Bigelow, his blacksmith mentor (yes, this five-character play has two Timothys), seemed especially ancillary, like it was jammed in at the last moment to explain the title. Bigelow didactically declares, as he is wont to do, that the three links in a chain stand for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He then declares that they are man, community, and God linking the two. He then compares
the middle link to liberty. None of these metaphors are explained or embellished, making them a microcosm of the play itself: A loosely connected and poorly explained series of bad metaphors. Non-white and non-male perspectives are presented in their most minimal and essentialist forms, only to function as brief acknowledgements that the American Revolution was a troubling time, rather than exploring the humanity of what was a deeply problematic period.
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
Alex Wiley Continued continued from page 1
During this intermission, PEC member Aaron Meyer (‘17) grabbed the microphone to attempt to lead the crowd in a chant about “a school we maybe kind of don’t like, maybe we are a bit jealous of,” but was stopped by the crowd before his chant started. Wiley then took the stage with Fruchter. He described himself as a “vibey performer” and views his music as the emphasis of his show. As he began his first song, the track behind him began skipping, prompting the rapper to ask “Why this shit skipping?” Once his set started, Wiley was on fire. He had a demanding stage presence and instantly formed a bond with the audience, at one point asking if any students would be interested in “smoking with [him] after the show.” He sprinkled freestyles between some of his songs to change the pace of his set. One of these freestyles mentioned Tim Tebow. While defeating his DJ, Alex Fruchter, 45-37 in NBA 2K13 at a student’s off-campus apartment before the show, Wiley discussed his recent mixtape, Village Party. He said the mixtape did “better than expected” and felt that it “introduced [him] to a lot of new [fans.]” The name Village Party has an an interesting backstory. Wiley is in a music collective with other rappers called The Village. A while back, The Village threw a “super cracking” party, which had the creative name “Village Party.” Months later, when Wiley thought back to “that party and how fun it was,” he felt that “Village Party would be a cool name for this album.” Wiley said he was currently listening to a lot of alternative music, and this taste appeared during the show. During his set, he played “R U Mine” by The Arctic Monkeys, and then proceeded to rap over the beat of the song. Later, Wiley announced to the crowd that before coming to Clark, “[He] didn’t know [Worcester] existed,” but continued, “I’ve been here
photo by ethan giles
for four hours, had a burger stuffed with cheese, and I love it.” A group of female Clark students again made their way on stage, and Wiley affectionately referred to these women as the “extended squad,” explaining that “You know, they’re not official squad, but they extended squad.” Wiley then closed the show by asking the crowd what song he should perform, but did not like the suggestion offered to him, and performed a different song instead. Wiley grew up in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Chicago Ill., and attended Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School with Chance The Rapper. The two are friends and have made songs together in the past, but have no plans to go on tour together in the future, Wiley said in an interview. While Wiley thinks a tour with Chance “would be cool,” he wants to “establish [his] own thing before [doing] something like that.” Wiley talked at length about the messages in his music. He said that his songs have a “spirit of defiance” in them which stems from being a high school dropout. The rapper also emphasized “the imaginative nature of the music” which can be seen in his music videos. Many of Wiley’s videos display a vast array of graphic designs; he said he wants them to be “visually stunning.” After another brief intermission, The Pluto Moons took the stage. The band started out testing the microphones and sound equipment by saying “ebola” followed by “too soon” a few times. After determining that the equipment was indeed functional, the
group described the working equipment as “sexual” and followed it up by saying “sex sex; sex sex sex.” The Pluto moons then began playing, announcing their first song by exclaiming “Clark University. Worcester fucking Worcester.” Like the first two artists, The Pluto Moons also connected with the crowd. During the show the band said they could have performed at a music festival in New York City, but instead opted to come to Clark, since they performed at the other show last year and felt it was a “circle jerk.” While Christmas and Wiley both rapped, The Pluto Moons did not. The group is much more of an electric funk group than hip hop, and PEC Co-President Jacob Fienberg (‘15) explained that ”they actually compliment hip hop very well.” The band grooved throughout their set and the crowd danced with them, feeding off their electricity for the entire performance. After The Pluto Moons ended their set, Meyer again grabbed the microphone, this time determined to have his chant heard. He led the crowd in spelling out “H-A-R-with-aD-V-A-R-with-a-D” and uttered a few phrases supporting the Cambridge school before yet again being asked to stop. The lead singer of The Pluto Moons closed the show by lauding the University’s Escort service for allowing students to “get fucked up and get home safe.” Overall, the concert was a rousing success, as all three acts thoroughly impressed the crowd throughout the night.
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14 | living arts
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
Impossible to Defend The Judge Review By Ronald Gerber scarlet staff
In American cinema, the notion of taking justice into one’s own hands is far from novel. It pervades the Western, gangster, and superhero genres. The ethical dilemmas it poses have provided the foundation for great tragedies like The Godfather. David Dobkin’s The Judge promises to have all the ingredients for a potent parable: a small-town setting, fraught family dynamics, and a taste for revenge. Robert Downey Jr., Vincent D’Onofrio, and Robert Duvall act with all the experience and emotional depths they are known for. Unfortunately for us, none of these qualities can save The Judge from its sluggish pace and harsh touch. Successful Chicago defense attorney Hank Palmer (Downey) smugly puts up the façade of a perfect life, but is struggling through a divorce so ugly that his young daughter (Emma Tremblay) is worried. While news of his mother’s death is especially devastating, Hank takes it as an opportunity to get away from his troubles and revisit his hometown of Carlinville, Indiana. There, he sees his brothers, Glen and Dale (D’Onofrio and Jeremy Strong, respectively), his still-sexy high school girlfriend Samantha (Vera Farmiga), and his prickly elderly father Joseph (Robert Duvall), for the first time in 20 years. Joseph is an old-fashioned judge, holding the law and his courthouse sacred and reacting contemptuously to the kind of huckster tricks Hank, with whom he has a strained relationship, pulls with witnesses. The two are brought together when Joseph is accused of killing a man he convicted years earlier and grudgingly acknowledges that he needs his son for his defense. The case is made more difficult by the patriarch’s pig-headed refusal
to acknowledge his recent illness, as well as Hank’s fear of being outmatched by the slick skill of prosecuting attorney Dwight Dickam (Billy Bob Thornton). It is difficult to say where exactly a premise like this goes wrong. Was it at the scripting stage? It would certainly be a break in tradition for screenwriter Nick Schenck, whose screenplay for Gran Torino was so powerful that director Clint Eastwood decided to follow it to the letter and ended up with an Oscar-winning, thoroughly memorable film. The Judge’s screenplay is far more lackluster. Duvall in particular stumbles over his lines. It is unfortunate that at the times when he should appear imposing and scrupulous, he comes off as tired and out of it. His gift has always been for more heartfelt moments; indeed one of the few memorable scenes in The Judge is one in which Hank helps a struggling Joseph make it to the bathroom, bonding despite the awkwardness and severity of Joseph’s illness. There is a warm humor to the situation that works well for Downey, who touches us most when his overconfidence falters. If only more scenes had been executed with such direct tenderness. Perhaps Dobkin took for granted his veteran actors’ skill, focusing more on the quality of the film’s cinematography, whose sweeping wide shots of the purportedly Midwestern landscape (it was shot in Massachusetts) are inarguably beautiful. Regrettably, they run long, dulling the effect the family drama. Ultimately, for all its ambition, The Judge lacks the punch of a television procedural. I would not be at all shocked to find a remake in twenty or thirty years; the raw materials are there, they simply need to be organized more masterfully.
courtesy of impawards.com
A Story That’s Never Been Told Clarkies Form Original Web Series By Tessa Isis-Bahoosh scarlet staff
In a peaceful universe devoid of religion, a college student named Emma Zebroski is mysteriously gifted with godlike powers. Emma is a girl-next-door type, firmly rooted in contemporary culture—she is the Ugg-boot-wearing, pumpkin spice latte-drinking twenty-year-old we all know. Emma’s life becomes extraordinary when it is revealed (through details hitherto undisclosed) that
she has been bestowed with her new powers, and must decide how they should be exercised. This is the story Skyla Choi (‘16) and Skye Wingo (‘16) plan to tell in their upcoming web series, Project: Emma. With a storyline that is still partially under wraps and a title that was originally a placeholder, Emma promises to be fun not only as a finished product, but as an ongoing and developing idea. While this project is not part of any class, the team plans to give
it special polish. As Wingo plans to study abroad in the spring, a lot of activity is being packed into the current semester. Wingo and Choi are hoping to have Emma up by Christmas, but say they are more dedicated to doing a thoroughly good job than adhering to a strict timeline. “It’s very much a story that’s never been told,” Choi said, “especially in a college-y, amateur setting. We want to make it so we’re not just a bunch of kids playing around with a camera— we want to do something real, something meaningful.” Discussing the origins of Emma, Wingo credited cinematographer Mitchell Gamache (‘17) for initially expressing the desire to make a web series. Although Gamache is designated as cinematographer, the roles will rotate throughout the series, as each member of the team will have a chance to direct, with Wingo and Choi currently co-writing the script. The concept of a normal student given exceptional abilities interested Wingo, and he approached Choi to ask if she wanted to help turn the idea into something concrete. Since then, Emma has garnered enthusiasm not only from the creators, but from eager audience members as well. Choi, Wingo, and Gamache are currently working with the Film Production Society to produce the series. “The club’s really there to give a chance to people who want to create visually,” Wingo said, acknowledging that, in general, students who want access to Clark’s film equipment need to be taking a class on film production. They hope this project will be inviting to people with emerging interests in filmmaking, and will become an opportunity for everyone involved to practice navigating a large film crew. Anyone interested in finding out more about Project: Emma can follow Wingo on Twitter @swingofilms, or friend Wingo, Choi, or Gamache on Facebook. Choi can also be found on Instagram as skychoi16. If you’re interested in helping with prop work, mention your desire to help accomplish what Wingo calls a “Star Warsy feel.” For an even better chance at getting involved, donations of warm croissants are suggested.
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
sports | 15
The Scarlet/Sports Field Hockey Celebrates Seniors in Final Home Game of Season
SPORTS RECAP By Scott Levine copy editor
men’s cross country The men’s cross country team finished third out of six teams on Saturday, October 25 at the Planksy invitational. John Allard (‘16) lead the Cougars with a time of 17:15, good enough for seventh place overall.
women’s cross country courtesy of clarkathletics.com
By Kate Conquest contributing writer
It was a beautiful Saturday for Field Hockey senior day last weekend, as Wellesley College came to town to face the Cougars in a NEWMAC showdown. Before the initial face-off, there was a brief ceremony to honor Clark’s two seniors, co-captains Kiah Murphy and Kelly Hart. The announcer stated their names and majors, and then called their family members up to join them for a photo op. “Kiah and I have talked about how weird it is that our time is dwindling down,” said Hart. “Field Hockey has been a part of both of our falls for a very long time. I associate the changing of the leaves with field hockey.” The game ended with Wellesley coming out ahead 4-1, although the game was much closer than the score suggested. Wellesley scored first, five minutes into the game, but the Cougars responded twenty minutes later with
a goal from Lauren Mackey (‘16), assisted by Murphy. Wellesley scored again, bringing the Cougars within one. The game would go into halftime with Wellesley winning 2-1. It remained 2-1 until deep into the second half, and both teams had opportunities to score. Unfortunately, Wellesley snagged two goals only two minutes apart late in the second half, and held on for the 4-1 win. Christine Tinsman (‘16) played in goal for the first 18 minutes before Olivia Landry (‘18) entered and finished the game. She made 11 saves, a career high. The Cougars put up a fight against the nationally ranked team (tenth amount NFHCA Division III teams) and it is not the first time they have put up a fight against tough competition. “I think the highlight of our season this year was when we beat Wheaton in double overtime,” Hart explained, “we totally transformed our play and had the best game of our season.”
It was a beautiful if not bittersweet day for the team, but especially for the two seniors. The locker room and field were all decorated by the underclassmen to celebrate the seniors and the last home NEWMAC game of the season. “The whole team also did a fantastic job to make the day really special from the moment we got to the locker room,” Hart said. Another field hockey tradition is “Secret Sister”. For each NEWMAC game, each player secretly decorates her secret sister’s locker, writes motivational notes, or leaves little presents. It is a tradition that has long been a part of the field hockey program. On Saturday, since the NEWMAC games were over, each girl finally revealed her identity to her sister. “During season, your teammates become your best friends and it will be very weird to be separated from that community next year,” said Hart. The Cougars will travel to Smith on Saturday to wrap up their 2014 season.
The women’s cross country team finished fifth out of six teams on Saturday, October 25 at the Plansky invitational. Kristen Glennie (‘18) lead the Cougars with a time of 20:40, good enough for eighth place overall.
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
men’s swimming and diving The men’s swimming and diving team kicked off their season with a 143133 win over Gordon College on Saturday, October 25. Lukas Leung (‘16) came in first in both the 50 and 100 yard freestyle, while Jack Hall (‘15) came in first in both the 200 meter freestyle and the 500 yard freestyle.
The Scarlet
16 | sports
SPORTS RECAP
october 30, 2014
Meet the Metz Introducing Clark’s New Men’s Soccer Coach
By Scott Levine copy editor
By Kassie Benzing scarlet staff
men’s soccer The men’s soccer team had a successful week, as they tied Emerson 0-0 on Saturday, October 25 before beating Framingham State 3-0 on Wednesday, October 29. In order to make the NEWMAC championship tournament, the team must beat Wheaton on Saturday, MIT must lose or tie to WPI, and Springfield must lose or tie to Coast Guard.
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
women’s soccer The women’s soccer team had a rough week, as they lost 3-0 to both Wheaton College and WPI on Saturday, October 25 and Tuesday, October 28, respectively. They unfortunately are now eliminated from playoff contention.
field hockey The field hockey team had a rough week, as they lost 4-1 to Wellesley College on Saturday, October 25. They unfortunately are now eliminated from playoff contention.
women’s swimming & diving The women’s swimming and diving team opened their season with a monstrous 187-87 win over Gordon College on Saturday, October 25. Lydia Berry (‘15) came in first in the 1,000 meter freestyle; Natalie Omary (‘15) came in first in the 50 meter freestyle; Melissa Orzechowski (‘17) came in first in the 200 yard freestyle, 50 yard freestyle, and 100 yard backstroke; and Karina Urquhart (‘16) came in first in the 100 yard butterfly and the 200 yard individual medley.
The nine incoming freshman and turf field are not the only new additions to the Clark men’s soccer team this year: Charles Metz began this past August as the team’s new Assistant Coach. The team has won six home games since the start of the season. However, Metz is not only concerned about his team’s victories. In fact, he feels qualified to coach because he has “the ability to pick guys up who are down,” which is a great asset after losses. He is also focused on improving how his players play the game, and likes to “observe before interjecting,” so he can analyze what was done “right and [what they] can do better.” He believes that coaching this way improves both team play and spirit. Metz explained that there is something very unique about this team. Since “Clark is a big academic school,” there is a lot of focus on education, and Metz is proud of his team’s 3.2 GPA. Even when his players have homework, he thinks that motivating them to get “out there [on the turf] for two hours” is really important. Metz loves the game of soccer and truly appreciates the beauty of the game. He explained that what most people don’t understand is how much goes into a game; what goes into setting up a free kick and the effort that goes into learning “what it takes to switch a ball forty yards in the air.” A player since age five, his first U15 team only lost one game. He began coaching during his junior year of college in 2007, and then contin-
courtesy of kassie benzing
ued his winning streak when he helped coach the Eastern Mennonite Royals to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) quarterfinals in 2012. Metz also was awarded Shenandoah District Coach of the Year (2013, 2014) during his time at East Rockingham High School. Though he does not have much experience goalkeeping, he does have a goalkeeping license from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), which allows him to coach goalies. Thus, he is able to coach players all over the field, rather than focusing on only specific positions. The home game against Colby Sawyer marked his fa-
vorite moment of the year thus far. It went into double overtime before the team won with an unassisted goal by Zack Blais (‘17) in the 101st minute of the game. Aside from coaching, he also published a book from his senior thesis, Soccer: Athletics, Academics and Ethics; A Training Manual For Coaches. In his book, he explains that there are “different approaches to each kid,” and does not want any of his players “to fall behind or be left out.” The book also detailed specific “tactics and formations” that worked for his team. Metz hopes to lead the team to the playoffs with a win on Saturday against Wheaton.
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
Flag Football Tournament Takes Field for Second Down By Scott Levine copy editor
After a successful debut last year, the Clark University Flag Football Tournament will be back on Sunday, November 9. Last year’s tournament was organized by Alex Turgeon (’16) last year, but this rendition was a more collaborative effort. He has received help people from management students Mike Eglow (’16) and James Conway (’16), as well as members of the athletic department. Turgeon said that last year’s turnout was very encouraging, and part of the reason that he decided to renew the tournament for this year. “We didn’t just have athletes playing in the tournament. We had Clarkies, kids that I had never met before,” said Turgeon, “Everyone was out on The Green watching games, and as a student athlete, I love to seeing that engagement, like really blending the entire student body for this event.” He said that flag football is a good way to unite people because it is “just a fun event to play. Teams can come in and look to be competitive, but we’re also looking for teams to come in and have a great time.” The proceeds from the tournament will fund WooConnect, an app that Turgeon and a few others are working on. One of the main goals of the app is to give students a resource to discover events and restaurants in the Worcester area. “Essentially, a lot of kids have not given Worcester a chance, and gotten out to explore all the great things that it has to offer,” said Turgeon. Another goal of the app is to create more revenue for small business around Worcester, giving them a
larger college market. “Some of the top colleges in the country are in Worcester, and for Worcester to not be an engaged college city is something like, ‘How has this not worked out yet?’” he said. Right now the app is in closed beta stages, but Turgeon and the rest of the WooConnect team plan to launch a full web-based open beta on the day of the tournament, and they hope to have an iOS 8 app in the app store by next February. “If we get $1,000 out of this [tournament] and the upcoming crowdfunding event, we are pumped,” he said. Turgeon expects around twenty teams to enter the tournament, last year’s finalist, the B-Hall Bangerz among them. “Last year was tight,” said Bangerz co-captain Caden Byrne (’17), “We lost in the championship game in sudden death, but we’ll be back this year.” Byrne said that the Bangerz offseason acquisition of quarterback David Mercier (’17) will give them an even better chance to win the upcoming tournament. Because of the likely uptick in teams, the event will be on the Granger Turf Field as opposed to The Green. Turgeon and the rest of the coordinators are also planning to have external vendors at the event. “We’re looking at Annie’s to come down and sponsor the event, so people don’t have to leave for The Caf,” said Turgeon. The event will also likely have local vendors from Crompton Collective. Turgeon stressed that everyone is welcome to attend the tournament, regardless of their inclination to play flag football. “This isn’t just an event for people participating in the tournament; we want everyone to come down.”
sports | 17
Fantasy Football Add/ Drop for Week 8 By Ethan Giles sports editor
AD D • Charles Sims, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: At 1-6 the Buccaneers season is effectively over, so they will probably start giving the ball to young players rather than veterans. Enter Sims: a third-round draft pick in the 2014 draft that Head Coach Lovie Smith and the rest of the Bucs’ coaching staff are really excited about. The running back is eligible to return this week after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason, so he should see a large load of the touches the rest of the season. Sims is a threat as both a runner and receiver, and while owners might have to wait a few weeks for him to get acclimated to the NFL, look for Sims to produce once he finally gets a hang of things. Sims is owned in just 1.2 percent of espn. com leagues and and 1 percent of nfl.com leagues. • Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: The rookie receiver finally has gotten into games over the past two weeks and produced 123 receiving yards and three touchdowns. While he probably will not keep up the incredible pace, look for Bryant to offer serviceable production for the rest of the season. Bryant is owned in only 3.2 percent of espn.com leagues and 7.4 percent of nfl.com leagues.
D R OP • Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While many owners had hope for Martin coming into this season, the running back has simply not produced. After bursting onto the scene with an incredible rookie year, Martin has disappointingly rushed for only 622 yards over the past two seasons. As Charles Sims sees his work increase, expect Martin’s to decrease. He is not worth a roster spot anymore. • Terrance West, RB, Cleveland Browns: While he went into the season as the second running back behind Ben Tate in the backfield, West has lost his position to fellow rookie Isiah Crowell. Also the Browns have not been able to run the ball well since Pro Bowl Center Alex Mack went down with an injury a few weeks ago; all of this indicates that West just is not worth having at this point. While owners may have had high hopes for this AFC North running back, West’s value has clearly gone South this season. He’s going East.
B UY L OW • Reggie Bush, RB, Detroit Lions: Bush has been quiet all season due to various injuries, but he should be healthy after his bye this week. Look for Bush to produce like he was projected to before the season, and see if fed up owners are willing to deal the struggling player now.
SEL L H IG H • Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben had the time of his life last Sunday, as he tore up the Indianapolis Colts to the tune of 522 yards and six touchdowns. There is no way he can possibly continue this production, so see if another owner will overreact to his great performance.
The Scarlet
18 | sports
october 30, 2014
COUGAR of the WEEK
by Scott Levine
Oscar Zapata (‘15) has been on a scoring tear lately; he is fifth in goals this season in the NEWMAC and is leading Clark in goals as they make a late season push for the playoffs. Scarlet: You have scored seven goals so far this October. Have you been approaching the game differently this month? Zapata: Lately, I’ve been trying to just have fun and use it as a stress reliever, and that has been working for me. Scarlet: How much do you think this change in mentality has contributed to your uptick in goals? Zapata: Soccer is definitely about teamwork, so in order for me to score goals, the whole team has do their job. Scarlet: Is the team playing differently lately? Zapata: The team has been getting to a point where everyone is more cohesive, and we have better team chemistry. So that has definitely been a huge factor.
Scarlet: The teams has to defeat Wheaton on Saturday to make the playoffs. How confident are you in the team to get this win? Zapata: Well we have definitely nothing to lose, and I believe on a good day… we’re capable of beating every team in the conference. We just have to believe in ourselves and work hard for ninety minutes. Scarlet: What will it mean for you to finish your college career with a playoff appearance? Zapata: It will be the best way for me to finish my Clark career, because as you probably know, our conference is really tough, and we haven’t been able to make the playoffs in a while. So this year is one of the years that we’re really close to making it, so getting that chance to make the playoffs will be awesome.
photo by johnathan edelman
Oscar Zapata soccer
Scarlet: When did it become apparent to you that the team was improving? Zapata: Through the mid-season, around that game against Coast Guard. They were undefeated, and we beat them. Scarlet: How did that change the confidence level of the team? Zapata: We noticed that even though our conference is really hard… we’re capable of winning if we focus and put our best effort forward.
Scarlet: What are you going to need to do individually to help ensure Clark has a playoff berth? Zapata: Keep scoring (laughs). Zapata scored two more goals against Framingham State, who Clark beat 3-0. He is now at nine goals for the season. Clark hopes to continue this success into their game against Wheaton on Saturday, November 1 in which they will be fighting for a playoff spot.
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
puzzles | 19
The Scarlet/Puzzles CROSSWORD by Ted Randich 1
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11. Hopefully not your mixed drink of choice. 1. Springfield suburb. 12. Canoer’s local river 2. Wisconsin college town. destination. 3. We’re ___ __ see the 13. Assist. wizard... 14. Very large category of 4. Not a ball. wrestler. 5. Hockey’s “Kid.” 15. 2014 NESTVAL location. 6. You shouldn’t have much 16. Respect, e.g. for an elder. Trouble with this clue at all. 17. Worcester river, also known Refrigerator. as the French. 7. “I’m a plumb fool ’bout ___ 18. E.g. “O Say, Can You See?” Red.” 19. Pop quiz reaction. 8. Tombstone alternate. 20. Eskimo home. 9. Cinco menos tres. 21. When you go too far. 10. Visual proof of a spirit? 22. Dana/Hughes quad.
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23. Fin. 24. Soup-holder. ACROSS 1. Local tree-killer. 3. Green-lights. 5. Fed-Ex action. 19. 31-across’ band. 25. Santa’s little helper. 26. You, me, and Dupree. 27. Throwback email provider. 28. Bear’s heat source. 29. Just you and me. 30. Klemperer, e.g.
31. Contemporary fiddle player & 38. Muslim holiday. singer. 39. Obvs. 32. Dream within a dream. 40. Morbid knot. More Puzzles: 33. Pal of flow. 41. A shocking little fish. www.sudoku-puzzles.net 34. Numberless ball. 42. Kendrick Lamar nickname. 35. Actress Watson. 43. Isle between Britain and 36. Standard webpage Ireland. language. 44. Victim of 1-across. 37. Beatles song, album, even movie.
THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS IN NEXT ISSUE
20 | puzzles
The Scarlet
october 30, 2014
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
Police Logs written by Mehr Gunawardena
Last week (October 21-28), University Police responded to 7 medical emergencies, 6 fire alarms, aided in 2 money transports, secured 8 buildings, responded to 1 E-Box calls, responded to 10 suspicious persons/activities, responded to 9 lockout of building calls, 4 burglar alarms, 2 Larceny/Forgery/fraud, and performed 16 miscellaneous services, 1 annoying phone call.
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Sudoku Solution - Hard
www.sudoku-puzzles.net
More Puzzles:
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what happens in The Scarlet office at 2:30 a.m. stays in the The Scarlet office... sort of “I feel like they built up all that sexual tension just to let us down. Those damn chains of liberty.” -Ethan
“Did you have a falling-out?” - Alex “No, she’s a bio major.” - Kassie
Watching the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony... “Whoa, how do they do that?” - Sarah “Lots of practice. Lots of fear.” - Alex
“Who here is Christian?” - Jeremy “I am.” - Christian “Do you capitalize ‘Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?’” - Jeremy “Oh, you mean like that.” - Christian
“Midterm elections are something that people forget about, but they shouldn’t...’cause this is America” - Jenna “Oh whoa, I forgot!” - Jeremy “We’re used to splitting things that are seven letters long into three letters and four letters, because of phone numbers.” - Scott “Woo, Scott! Dropping knowledge!” - Ethan “I made that up.” - Scott (whispering)
“I heard the word ampersand and was like ‘why am I not part of this conversation?’” - Rose