cusc inauguration celebration • admissions opinion • sports updates • and more
volume xciii, no. 18 • march 27, 2014 | clarkscarlet.com |
the.clark.scarlet
New year, new costs
Legally Blonde takes the stage
An analysis of increases in Clark’s costs in the 2014-15 academic year
CMT returns with a bright change of pace
By Sarah Cramer editor-in-chief
President Angel’s annual email detailing the increase in Clark’s tuition, room, board, and meal plan costs for the 2014-15 academic year has no doubt elicited groans from students, but the increase in costs does not represent any major change in trends from recent years. For those of you who didn’t memorize President Angel’s “2014-15 Tuition Letter” sent on March 10, here’s the deal: next year’s tuition will be $40,380, which is an increase of $1,180 (or 3 percent) from this year’s $39,200 tuition. The cost of all required meal plans will increase by $100, from $3,300 to $3,400. A standard (double) room will see an increase of $230, making the new charge $4,400. Collectively, the tuition, room, and board charges for the 2014-15 academic year (assuming a standard room and meal plan) total to $48,180. This is an
increase of $1,510, or roughly 3.2 percent. Table A (on page 5) shows the percentage increases in tuition, room, and board at Clark for the past 10 years. Looking at percentage increases in tuition, next year’s increase for Fall 2014 of 3 percent is actually lower than both the median and mean values of the data set (3.4 and 3.84 respectively), placing it in the bottom half of the data. The board increase of 3 percent marks the lowest percentage increase in board costs in the past 10 years. Inversely, the room increase of 5.50 percent for a standard double is the highest percentage increase in room costs in the past 10 years. Clark’s percentage increases in room and board for the 2014-15 academic year represent the highs continued on page 5
By Matt Emmer living arts editor
This weekend, Clark Musical Theater (CMT) is presenting Legally Blonde: The Musical in Atwood Hall. This semester’s production is a bit of a departure for CMT, whose past three shows featured dull colors, oppression, and murder. Now, it seems that they have swapped their peasant clothes for pastels and their murderous mobs for sorority girls. Based on the novel and 2001 film of the same name, Legally Blonde follows the story of Elle Woods (Allie Russo, ‘14), a blonde and popular UCLA student, who follows her arrogant ex-boyfriend and would-be fiance Warner (Dave Carter, ‘14) to Harvard Law School after being accepted herself. While the show was definitely more energetic than previous CMT productions, it lacked the complex harmonies and deep moral themes of Urinetown and Sweeney Todd. But that’s not what Legally Blonde is about. It’s
photo by jonathan edelman
about a group of friends screaming in unison in a neo-primal expression of excitement, empathy, and sisterhood. The clear change of pace for CMT is evident from the first moments of the show. The giddy opening number “Omigod You Guys” featured a glitzy sequin curtain, a large ensemble of energetic sorority sisters, and multiple tempo and dynamic shifts that were pulled off with skill by a clearly
prepared orchestra. The group later doubled as a cleverly named “greek chorus,” assisting with Elle’s internal interludes throughout the show. The score moved freely between genres, blending boy band ballads with broadway belters. The climactic show-stopper, “Legally Blonde,” even continued on page 12
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The Scarlet
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CLARK UNIVERSITY CONTACT scarlet@clarku.edu | clarkscarlet.com
EDITORS
[ Thursday, March 27 ] “Technology, Memory, and the Narrative of the Self,” a lecture by Ted Chiang - Higgins Lounge at 5 p.m.
Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Cramer News Editor: Claire Tierney Layout Editor: Rose Gallogly Web Editor: Pooja Patel Opinions Editor: Keitaro Okura Living Arts Editor: Matt Emmer Sports Editor: Ethan Giles Photo Editor & Social Media Manager: Anna Spack Managing Editor: Jenna Lewis
Legally Blonde - Atwood Hall at 7:30 p.m.
SCARLET STAFF
“Accounting for Vocation: Social Reform and Mass Culture in Nineteenth-Century America” - Fuller Music Room at 3 p.m.
Hannah Rosenblum Jonah Naghi Maria Rotelli Ronald Gerber Scott Levine Senegal Carty Savanna Cohen Celine Manneville Tyler Terriault
[ Friday, March 28 ] Legally Blonde - Atwood Hall at 7:30 p.m. “Counterpoints Gone Wild - CP Safari” Jefferson 320 at 7:30 p.m.
Salsa Encendida’s “Baila Conmigo” Tilton from 9 p.m. - 12 a.m.
[ Saturday, March 29 ] Legally Blonde - Atwood Hall at 2 & 7:30 p.m.
LAYOUT STAFF Cami Ferreol Hannah Jaffe
PHOTO STAFF
[ Sunday, March 30 ] Relax, Reflect, Visualize - LEEP Center from 3 - 4 p.m.
Jonathan Edelman
[ Tuesday, April 1 ] April Fool’s Day!
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
news | 3
The Scarlet/News Worcester finds newest librarian
CUSC Inauguration Celebration
Former executive of Connecticut library comes to Worcester
photos by jonathan edelman
By Jonah Naghi scarlet staff
On Monday, March 24, Christopher J. Korenowsky officially became Worcester Public Library’s head librarian. He is taking the place of Wei Jeng-Chu, who announced her retirement in November. Korenowsky will be the head of a library that dates back to the 19th century. Wei Jeng-Chu, who was appointed head of the Worcester Public Library in November 2012, was credited for helping make improvements in technology, training, and accessibility. The library’s board wanted her to stay, but she felt it was time to retire. The board then began to conduct a national search for someone to take her place. It was the second time in two years that Worcester had to look for a new librarian. The Worcester Public Library dates back to 1859, and was founded by Dr. John Green. Back then, it was just an ordinary library surviving off donations and local volunteers. It began as a twelve-member board of directors, and remains that way today. The board members are elected by the Worcester City Council to run the library, and they also appoint the librarian. In this case, they elected Korenowsky. With about 200,000 members, it is the largest library in Central Massachusetts and, according to its online profile, contains “more than 900,000 books, videos, audiocassettes, news-
papers, magazines, and more in many different languages and for all ages and reading levels.” The library is also a part of the Central Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing, which is a partnership between 140 libraries that work together to provide efficient and accessible information. The Worcester Public Library’s collection of accessible information is unique in the fact that it contains “U.S. government documents, federal and state codes and regulations, in-depth information about Worcester and its history, a grants resource center, the largest preschool collection (of) Central Massachusetts” and even more, according to its online profile. In addition to running the library, Korenowsky will also be running a complex financial system. Since its founding, the library had a peculiar mix of public and private funds. As for its budget, it is “supplemented in various ways by the WPL Foundation and by the Friends of the Public Library, both raising their own funds and dedicated to the enhancement of the library’s activities,” says Albert Southwick in an interview with the Telegram & Gazette. Despite the complex task he is being given, Korenowsky is certainly excited to be the new librarian. He told the Telegram that Worcester’s unique background motivated him to come work at the library. A graduate from Ohio State University, Korenowsky received a bachelor’s degree in English Litera-
courtesy of linkedin.com
ture there, and then went on to get his master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences Management and Reference Services from Kent University. Korenowsky also has experience in working in the actual library setting. In fact, before coming to Worcester, he was the executive director of the New Haven Free Public Library in Connecticut for three years. In addition, he was once Director of Professional Development for the Ohio Library Council, and Service Manager of the Columbus Ohio Metropolitan Library. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus praised Korenowsky, telling Mass Live that he has “strong credentials, important leadership skills, and extensive management experience with large urban library systems.” Augustus went on to say how at the New Haven Free Public Library, Korenowsky helped develop “programs and services, staffing partners, building rehabilitation, and public relations.”
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The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
CUSC in brief By Hannah Rosenblum scarlet staff
This week’s CUSC meeting marked the transition from old E-board to new E-board. The meeting started with members of the outgoing council sharing their thoughts about the past year and looking forward to the future. Rebecca Sonfist said she “knows Council will do great things”. Rian Watt thanked council for a great year and said he “expects the next E-board to be far better.” Alex Marshall said, “You’re all wonderful and I’ll miss you,” and thanked the Finance and Grant Committees and the advisers. Brittany Klug, representing Council, thanked the exiting E-board. Joanne complimented the outgoing E-board on their hard work. Watt, in his last act as President, swore in Mimi Erlick, Lauren Meininger, Sami Noor, and Brittany Klug; “Ruffles and Flourishes” and “Hail to the Chief” played subsequently. The outgoing E-board left and the new E-board led the remainder of the meeting. In defending spending $950 on materials for Jello wrestling, Rebecca Miller, representing SARC, said, “We don’t want any incidents, so there needs to be a certain level of Jello” which spurred laughs from Council. $600 was allocated to Clark Timmy Global Health for their Glow Run 5k, which take place April 19 on the Green. $250 was allocated to Fest Africa for a cultural experience event. Hannah Martin was allocated $200 to attend Lucky Magazine’s Fashion and Beauty Blogger Conference. $800 was allocated to Clark Yoga for Broga, yoga specifically for men, and Soulful Yoga, which focuses on alleviating stress and anxiety issues. $2,150 was allocated for Just Do It Day; the Making a Difference Scholars are trying to make this year’s event zero-waste and carbon neutral. $400 was allocated to the student
tech crew for Gala for t-shirts. $180 and $200 were allocated to two Management 100 groups benefitting the YWCA and WARL (Worcester Animal Rescue League), respectively. $212 was allocated to the Practicum in Community Development and Planning for a Worcester Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Meeting. After the Grants and Finance Committees reports, new CUSC President Brittany Klug gave a speech and said that for now, Council would “stick to the status quo.” She then appointed Kaitlin McKenzie to Chair of the Communications Committee, Crystal Haynes to Chair of Elections Committee, and Emma Binder to Student Life Committee. Council had planned to create a Campus Programming Board that would combine several groups whose purposes currently overlap. However, Council “thought [the groups] were going to be a bit more receptive, but they weren’t,” said Sami Noor. Council is still considering how to ameliorate the situation. Next week, Council will split $5,000 between approximately 25 clubs hoping to receive more money for their budgets. George Arno, Sally Nguyen, Will Cretinon, and Asniya Iqbal were officially appointed to the Senior Week Committee. At the end of the meeting, Tim St. John said he was “super impressed with the transition from the outgoing E-board to the new E-board,” adding that it happened “so seamlessly that there’s no impact on students.” Overall, the new E-board encountered a few small bumps over technicalities but overall conducted a swift and successful meeting.
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
Cost analysis cont. continued from page 1
and lows in their respective data sets, so seem to balance each other out. This leaves the percentage increase in tuition, which was established to lie in the bottom half of the data. With this as the determining statistic then, it seems that next year’s percentage increases are a bit lower than average when compared to Clark’s data from the past 10 years. Not only does Clark see increases in tuition, room, and board costs each year, but health care and library materials costs also significantly increase. In fact, “Health care and library materials costs have gone up at a higher rate each year than most other cost items, which has been true at all schools,” remarked Clark Executive Vice President and Treasurer Julie Dolan. While next year’s health care costs are not yet finalized, members of the Goddard Library staff confirm
that the cost of periodicals increases by about 7 percent each year, and will most likely continue to do so. When comparing Clark’s rates to other schools, Dolan said that the administration looks at comparable private schools to which many students also applied (see Table B). Many schools have yet to announce their rates for the 2014-15 academic school year, so Table B uses data from the 2013-14 academic year. A look at Table B reveals that, for the current academic year, Clark’s total costs designate it the secondcheapest school out of the seventeen listed. Clark is sandwiched between Assumption College, which comes in as the cheapest with total costs of $45,721, and Syracuse University, whose total costs add up to $54,512. While $7,492 separates Clark from Syracuse, only $1,299 separates Clark from Assumption. Essentially, it could be a lot worse - at least we’re not at the level of list-topping New York University.
news | 5
Institution
Tuition
Required Fees
Room & Boards
Total Costs
CLARK UNIVERSITY
$39,200
$350
$7,470
$47,020
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
$40,132
$517
$14,180
$54,829
ASSUMPTION COLLEGE
$34,475
$500
$10,746
$45,721
BARD COLLEGE
$45,730
$640
$13,502
$59,872
BOSTON COLLEGE
$44,870
$752
$12,884
$58,506
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
$43,970
$910
$13,620
$58,500
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
$44,380
$1,476
$12,882
$58,738
GEORGE WASHINGTON
$47,290
$53
$13,200
$60,543
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
$42,472
$2,376
$16,622
$61,470
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
$40,780
$906
$14,100
$55,786
SKIDMORE COLLEGE
$44,820
$1,054
$12,202
$58,076
SMITH COLLEGE
$42,840
$274
$14,410
$57,524
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
$38,970
$1,488
$14,054
$54,512
TRINITY COLLEGE
$45,300
$2,210
$12,300
$59,810
Private
Term starting
Tuition
Room (Standard Board Double)
Fall 2014
3.00%
5.50%
3.00%
Fall 2013
2.90%
1.20%
3.10%
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
$45,590
$1,008
$12,182
$58,780
Fall 2012
3.00%
3.00%
3.20%
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
$46,674
$570
$12,940
$60,184
Fall 2011
2.50%
0%
5.10%
Fall 2010
3.40%
2.60%
3.50%
WHEATON COLLEGE
$44,780
$294
$11,500
$56,574
Fall 2009
2.90%
0%
3.60%
Fall 2008
4.00%
5.40%
5.80%
UNIV OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
$13,670
$2,826
$10,856
$27,352
Fall 2007
4.50%
4.20%
10.60%
UNIV OF VERMONT
$13,728
$1,990
$10,402
$26,120
Fall 2006
6.50%
4.40%
6.80%
Fall 2005
4.60%
3.00%
4.80%
UNIV OF MASS-AMHERST
$1,714
$11,729
$11,166
$24,609
Fall 2004
4.90%
4.80%
5.00%
UNIV OF CONNECTICUT
$9,256
$2,766
$11,722
$23,744
Table A: Increses in Clark’s tuiton, room, and board over the past 10 years — courtesy of Julie Dolan
Public - In State Costs Shown
Table B: Comparing costs for the 2013-14 academic year — courtesy of Julie Dolan
The Scarlet
6 | news
march 27, 2014
CLARKIE of the WEEK Scarlet: How is Legally Blonde going? Lauren: It’s going really well. It’s so stressful – this is crunch time. It’s Tech Week, it’s scary. This is the point where you never really know if it’s going to come together, but you know, it always does. Everybody is working so hard, and we have so much rehearsal time.
photo by jonathan edelman
Lauren Kelly
Lauren Kelly is a junior from Boston majoring in Communication & Culture with a minor in Screen Studies. She talked with me about her experiences as one of the producers of the upcoming spring musical Legally Blonde, as well as her interest in film and various encounters with famous people.
Scarlet: What activities are you involved in on campus? Lauren: I’m a part of Clark Musical Theatre (CMT), I’m a CHOICES educator, I’m on the Ultimate Frisbee team, and I go to Book Club when I get the chance. Scarlet: What do you do in CMT? Lauren: I’m the treasurer for the club and I’m also an [orchestra] pit member, so this is my second full show participating in the pit and it’s my second show that I’m producing. I coproduced the show with the other three E-Board members. Scarlet: Is it hard being in the pit and being a producer at the same time? Lauren: I think it’s more fun than it is hard. I joined CMT as a musician in the first place, so it’s really fun to be part of the ensemble and part of making the show what it is. Scarlet: You play cello, right? Lauren: I do. But In this show, Legally Blonde, I’m playing auxiliary percussion and the mandolin. Scarlet: The mandolin? Did you know how to play that already? Lauren: No, I’ve never played it in my life [before this]. Scarlet: So you learned it for the show? Lauren: Yeah. Well it’s tuned like a violin and I’ve played the mandocello before, so it’s a similar idea. Scarlet: The mandocello? What’s that? Lauren: It’s like a mandolin but it’s a little bit bigger and it’s tuned like a cello. And I can read the music so it’s a matter of practicing a lot. It’s been fun and super educational. I would never say that I actually know how to play the mandolin, but I’m going to be able to play the stuff for the show, so that’s fun. Scarlet: So you originally joined CMT as part of the pit. Was that because you played cello? Lauren: Yeah. I’ve been playing cello for 13 years now, and last year I was in Sinfonia, the orchestra here. CMT was looking for a cellist for Spring Awakening, and [it was] kind-of an emergency situation, so I offered to play. I joined part-way through the production and it was really stressful, but it was the most amazing experience I had had at Clark at that point. I decided that I wanted to be part of that community. And then I was elected to the E-Board for this year.
Scarlet: How much do you rehearse this week? Lauren: All of the tech and crew and a lot of the cast have basically been in Atwood from 10 a.m. to midnight most days. So I’ve been there for usually 10-12 hours every day. And then we have cast rehearsals, pit rehearsals, [and] right now we’re doing a cue-to-cue, running lights. In the next few days we will be running the show with everything all together. It’s so exciting. And it’s such a funny show! It’s just so campy and so overthe-top. I think that Clarkies will like it. I hope they do. Scarlet: Did you do theater before you came to Clark? Lauren: I did. I was part of my [middle and] high school’s improv troupe for five years. We were called the Yellow Submarine Improv Troupe. I ran the troupe for two years. [In my junior year] I was shoved into this scenario where I suddenly had to plan every show and run all the rehearsals. It was such a good learning experience though, and I definitely think I was better in that position than I was as an improviser. Scarlet: Is that how you got into the managing side of theater? Lauren: A little bit, yeah. I mean it definitely introduced me to the idea of a more administrative position. I was a solid improviser, I was good enough to be co-captain, but I was definitely more of a supporting role for a lot of other kids who had really great characters and were way funnier than I was. You always need somebody like that in scenes, but it’s not the kind of thing that I would pursue beyond high school. But I really loved being a co-captain; I love working with kids who are passionate about theater. When I was asked to run for E-Board for CMT, I originally wasn’t going to do it. But then I thought, “You know, I had this amazing time in high school.” The CMT kids are a really tight-knit group. They’re all really amazing and they work SO hard to put productions together. It’s been one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done, but it’s totally worth it. And
when it comes together like this, it’s the best feeling. Scarlet: Do you have any other hobbies or interests? Lauren: I’m a Screen Studies minor because I really love movies. I’m super passionate about them, and I especially love bad movies. Scarlet: Bad movies? Why? Lauren: Well I really like good movies, obviously. I feel like at this point I have a good appreciation for the technical side and I really do love good quality movies, but bad movies for some reason are just really satisfying. And I don’t even mean bad in that they were poorly written, but the kinds of movies that just don’t have a big enough budget to be good. Scarlet: Do you have any fun facts about yourself? Lauren: I’ve met some cool famous people. Scarlet: Who? Lauren: I met Obama when I was 13, which was really cool. Scarlet: Whoa! How? Lauren: It was a year before the 2008 election, so he was making his rounds. There was a competition where they wanted kids to send in letters to Obama about why he should be elected president, and my stepmom was like, “Hey, you should try this!” So I wrote a letter and she helped me edit it, because that was a thing that I was practicing in eighth grade. I sent it in and I ended up winning the competition. So when he spoke at BU I read my letter on stage and I got to meet him afterwards, which was so cool. There were like 4,000 people there. Scarlet: Wow. Did you realize it was a big deal at the time? Lauren: Kind-of. I went up and [started] reading the letter and it was totally fine, and then halfway through I realized that there were 20-something-year-olds two feet away from me snapping pictures and shouting my name. So I was totally cool for the first half of it and by the end I was totally overwhelmed. It came out fine though; I got through the letter. Scarlet: What did you write about? Lauren: One of the things I said was I feel like the country needs to be more united. An example [I gave] is that I live in a part of Boston that’s very nice—I live in the South
by Anna Spack
End next to the Pine Street Inn—so I live in a very artsy, upscale neighborhood and the Pine Street Inn, which is the biggest homeless shelter in Boston, is on my block. So one of the things that I said was that I live in a nice area but there are all of these homeless people who live nearby, and getting to see that all the time has really opened my eyes to adversity and why uniting this country is important. So like that, except written by a 13-year-old. I got to meet him afterwards, and I got my picture taken [with him] and he wrote me a little note after. Scarlet: What was he like? Lauren: Well I mean, he was running, so he was SO nice. He was like, “You did such a great job,” and we got the picture with his arm around my shoulder. Afterwards we left and I was like, “Oh man, I forgot to get his autograph!” And my stepmom was like, “One second.” She grabbed the piece of paper that my speech was written on and went over to him and asked if he could sign it. He wrote this thing that was like, work hard and you will succeed, follow your dreams-type thing. Scarlet: What did you do with it? Lauren: It’s framed, and my parents have it hidden away so I can take it when I’m older. That’s the most interaction I’ve ever had with a famous person. Scarlet: Who else have you met? Lauren: Well I worked at the Super Bowl this past February. I got to meet a lot of members of the Broncos. I also saw Shaq twice. [Once] I was walking and I noticed that I was passing Andy Samberg, and I was really overwhelmed by that for a second, and as I was passing him Eli Manning walked up to him and shook his hand and was like, “How’s it going, buddy?” I freaked out and just kept walking. I was like within six inches of them. I got to meet Miss America too, she was a sweetheart. And Questlove DJ’d at a media party [I went to] that was hosted by the Super Bowl. Scarlet: How did you get that job? Lauren: One of my internships over the summer was with a sports PR company, my stepdad’s business. He used to work for NFL Europe so he recommended that I apply. I was on the temporary PR staff for the Super Bowl. On game day I helped out with the international TV booths. It was fun. Thanks for the interview, Lauren!
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
Priceless Faberge egg falls into hands of scrap dealer One of eight lost imperial eggs made for Russian royalty (NBC) - A scrap metal dealer recently discovered that a gold egg he bought for $140,00 at a flea market was actually a Russian artifact worth millions. The egg is one of the eight lost Faberge Easter Eggs, and was a gift from Russian emperor Alexander III to Empress Maria Feodorovna.
news | 7
Fiery tornado in Denver Tumbleweed caught in dust devil set ablaze by a brush fire (Telegraph) - A brush fire in Denver went out of control Monday when a dust devil of tumbleweed travelled into it and burst into flames. One of the firefighters present has uploaded a video of the 200-foot high flaming twister to Youtube.
By SĂŠnĂŠgal N. Carty scarlet staff
British school teaches ESL to all students
Vatican receives shipment of condoms full of cocaine
Man calls bank teller to request a spanking
Even British students rarely get good grades in English
Police still searching for intended recipient
Offered her $50 to do it
(Telegraph) - At the City of Leeds School, a secondary school that teaches kids of 55 different nationalities, all students will soon be taking English as a second language, even those who were born in Britain. The decision was made because English is the first language of less than one quarter of students, and even British pupils do not usually do well in the GCSE English exams.
(AP) - The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday that a shipment of cushions containing 14 condoms filled with cocaine was intercepted at Leipzig airport in Berlin in January, on its way to the Vatican. The shipment, which was sent from South America, contained twelve ounces of cocaine and would have been worth tens of thousands of Euros. It was simply addressed to the Vatican post office, and the intended recipient has yet to be apprehended.
(Nexstar) - Fifty year old Drake Parks was arrested last Thursday after a bank teller received a call from Parks and a man who claimed to be his father asking her to come to his house and spank him. The men said that Parks had called her an insulting name and that she would be paid fifty dollars for punishing him.
The Scarlet
8 | opinions
march 27, 2014
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.
Need-aware is convention By Claire Tierney
A response from a rallier
news edtior
By Bryan Diehl contributing writer
As most of us are aware, effective this academic year Clark Admissions has shifted the way in which it accepts and denies applicants. The policy change, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere, has caused controversy around campus, peaking during a student rally on February 20. However, there still seems to be some confusion as to the motivations of the students directly involved in this protest. Allow me to outline what Clark’s need-blind policy retirement means for myself and some of our peers. First, there’s the issue of needblind as a cost-cutting option for Clark as a financially solvent private institution. A need-blind admissions policy refers to a practice in which a university does not consider an applicant’s financial situation while determining their admission. In comparison, a need-aware admissions policy reserves a portion of the applicant pool for those who are financially capable of paying full tuition costs. The central argument for need-aware, as reiterated by the
courtesy of masslive.com
Clark administration, stems from the growing trend of higher learning institutions looking for a way to balance their checkbook. Clark has softened the need-aware blow by stating that only students with “borderline” applications will be affected by the change, leaving most of the admissions still need-blind. Coupled with this argument is need-aware’s purported potential to prevent a problem known as “gapping,” or the practice of offering financially needy applicants poor financial aid packages rather than rejecting them outright. Certainly more appealing than
raising tuition or cutting financial aid across the board, isn’t it? After receiving clarification from a number of administrators about the admissions options on the table, this latter reason struck me as the more reasonable. However, what’s problematic with this argument is that it’s nestled within the narrow purview of admissions, rather than looking broadly at the expenditures of the University. For example, Clark is currently continued on page 10
As I finished my first year at Clark I was concerned about going back home - back to the real world. I worried because I knew that Clark is different. Being at Clark is like being in a bubble where no one is quite sure how to interact with those around them, especially when they encounter the inevitable: an acquaintance. As I write this I feel hesitant to use the word acquaintance because it doesn’t feel right to apply that sort of label to someone at Clark. Whether you’re the girl who took my best friend’s virginity freshman year, or you’re the guy I was in that terrible group project with last semester, we are acquaintances now. And I want to say hi to you, goddamnit. When encountering an acquaintance there are so many factors to consider. What sort of hello do I provide? I want something that makes me seem cool and friendly, but not like I am inviting actual, organic conversation. No no, that would be far too much. The bigger question, of course, is how many seconds should I wait before I make eye contact and throw up a gesture? If I wait too long, they may think I was trying to avoid saying hi and then they won’t say hi either. If I do it too quickly, we will have several seconds of tension before we pass by each other, in which we are forced into a willthey-or-won’t-they-turn-this-into-a-real-conversation situation. This is unbearable to me. Then the ultimate quagmire, do I say hi at all? When I was a freshman, it seemed like I recognized at least half of the people around me at all times. As the years have passed, people I’ve known have graduated. I also moved off campus, and now I recognize maybe a fifth of the faces surrounding me at Clark. At this point, it feels nice to see the girl who took my friend’s virginity because when we wave at each other there is an implicit communication occurring. In that wave there is a shared memory of unforgettable splendor that can, and should be, resurrected. Especially since it is no more difficult than a simple wave and “hello.”
march 27, 2014
The Scarlet
opinions | 9
Challenging convention in research Clark should offer open access to published works By Alex Caro contributing writer
Dear Sigmund, I feel as though ever since coming back from Spring Break, I’ve been hit with a dose of senioritis. Even though I’m still completing all of my class assignments and papers, I can never seem to find the level of energy or motivation that I had a month ago. I’m nervous that this feeling will continue. Maybe I will stop getting work done, which would make my grades drop, and I won’t be able to graduate. How can I make my senioritis go away when all I feel like doing is having fun? Thanks, Checked Out Dear Checked Out, Senioritis is definitely a phenomenon that occurs with many seniors. The classic symptoms include a decrease in motivation and energy, a general lack of interest in school and classes, an increase in class absence, and difficulty being productive. There could be a myriad of reasons why it kicks in, from being ready to graduate and feeling done with college, to being in denial that you are graduating and not being ready to leave friends. No matter what the reason, there are things you can do to help alleviate the feeling. First thing is first, don’t blow the situation out of proportion. If you are able to keep up with your work now, chances are you will be able to do it as the semester continues. Think about what is helping you complete your work now and then continue with it. If you feel as though the motivation continues to wane, find other things that can be reinforcements for you. For example, find a way to reward yourself for completing assignments. These rewards can range from buying a specialty coffee drink, to spending 20 minutes online, to reading a chapter in a favorite book. Anything that will enable you to feel good about
completing your schoolwork. However, please keep your rewards in synch with the amount of work you complete. This means that you shouldn’t give yourself 4 hours of free time just because you read 20 pages in a textbook. A great way to battle senioritis is to find something, anything, interesting about your classes. Identifying a small aspect of the material you are learning as interesting can help you fight the lack of motivation. If you are able to do this, you will have found a connection to your classes, which in turn will make completing the work less of a pain. This strategy works because you now have a personal investment in your classes where you may not have before. Finally, make sure to schedule some fun time with your friends. Although this may sound counterproductive, it’s important to make sure you are spending time with your friends and enjoying your last few weeks together. Knowing for sure that fun will happen every day or every week can sometimes make sitting down to write a paper more doable. Balancing work and play is also an important aspect of warding off burnout and exhaustion. Of course, please don’t use what I’ve said as an excuse to avoid schoolwork. It’s meant as a way to help calm you in order to make you more focused for homework. It’s also important to know that these strategies are not going to make your senioritis magically disappear. These strategies are simply suggestions that can help decrease the negative symptoms you’re experiencing. You are still going to have to push your way through it…after all, the end goal is to graduate. Keep graduation in mind as the ultimate motivator. 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.
As all Clarkies know, our university’s motto is “Challenge Convention, Change Our World.” Clark is indeed a very unique school when it comes to research. Founded in 1887, Clark was the first university in the United States to exist as a purely graduate institution. (In fact, Clark was the second university in the nation to offer a formalized graduate program.) Clark was also among the fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities in 1900, along with some of the most prestigious American universities. Although Clark gradually shifted its focus to their undergraduate program (established in 1902), Clark remains a unique institution that is both a liberal arts college and a research university. In keeping with Clark’s commitment to furthering freedom of inquiry and the free exchange of ideas, the university should adopt an open access mandate for research produced by the faculty. Research institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, Arizona State University, and Oberlin College have already adopted such a policy. Doing the same at Clark would enhance our reputation and save students from having to pay exorbitant fees for access to published research. For the faculty who publish in journals that are not open to free access, there would of course be exemptions. However, this policy would make open access the default for Clark research and allow us to join the ranks of the Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions. We already have the infrastructure for such a policy in place: the Clark Digital Commons. Currently, however, the Digital Commons is woefully underutilized, containing only three entries under faculty works. What better way to make use of this excellent platform? Open access is gradually becoming the norm, and we should be a part of this movement. Now is the time for Clark to show that it can challenge convention through where it chooses to publish its research.
10 | opinions
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
Need-aware cont. continued from page 8
70%
of EXECUTIVES THINK ToDAY’S GRADS ARE NOT PREPARED. THE oTHEr 30% HaVE mET a BEnTLEy grad.
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engaged in acquisition of the land across Main Street. However, instead of pursuing such expensive infrastructural growth plans, shouldn’t we be offering financially disadvantaged students better financial aid packages? Another problem is Clark administration’s display of poor communication. It resulted in widespread confusion, anger, and controversy in the form of hasty Scarlet editorials and tumultuous facebook posts. At the forum held during the student rally, miscommunication was the first thing that President Angel acknowledged. Addressing the discontented students, alumni, parents, and community members, he assured us that we would be receiving a “flurry of emails” regarding the kind of administrative decisions made in the coming months. However, Clark students did not rally on February 20 because of misinformation (despite the condescending and overly simplistic explanation offered by the administration). These were not confused Clarkies fulfilling their innate characteristic to just “get angry,” but rather concerned, prepared, and, most importantly, invested students who wanted to speak out as loudly as possible to a power structure that fetishes communication over meaningful participation. This brings us to one of the more contentious issues in the forum held by President Angel: representation and student participation, which deserves another article entirely. What the need-blind policy retirement represents is a direction in which Clark is being steered by those who are responsible for “the long-term vision” of the University. Aptly referred to on
social media as the “New Clark,” monumental changes are coming. Student Council and the administration are dismayed at abysmally low rates of student participation in elections. The number of freshman candidates, all ready to roll their sleeves up and engage with decisions they care about, is incredibly high with first years jockeying even for positions representing dorm halls. But by the time senior year rolls around, you have six candidates to fill the four highest officer positions and representatives. Worse, we have to actively reject positions because people won with three write-ins submitted as a joke. The current channels for student representation are broken and irrelevant to the student body. Students don’t participate because they don’t care; they don’t organize because they know it won’t matter. If Student Council is so committed to representing the students, why has it actively decided against any kind of resolution to confront this topic, despite the fact that the issue of need-blind was covered by four major media sources: NECN, Masslive, the Telegram & Gazette, and Worcester Magazine? How are we to confront the dizzying changes happening at this university with representatives that fear confrontation, with an administration that is confident in its ability to placate us, and a student body that is so foreign to the idea of real participation that it cannot even begin to articulate its own dissatisfaction? So, yes, we as Clarkies “got angry” and held a rally. We got angry at the power dynamics that affect our student culture and warp our ability to represent ourselves. The need-blind policy shift helped us to understand and articulate this anger. The difference is that this time, we are actually going to do something about it.
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
living arts | 11
The Scarlet/Living Arts Like… groovy show, man Scooby Doo comes to the Hanover by Tyler Terriault By Matt Emmer
I saw Scooby-Doo: The Musical this past week; TWO THUMBS WAY UP THERE
living arts editor
Last week, my roommate Tyler and I were diligently working at our respective desks when I was startled by a loud “Oh my God!” Assuming that Tyler had a family emergency or a horrible diagnosis, I quickly expressed my concern. He just silently pointed towards his computer screen, showing a colorful ad for Scooby Doo Live! Musical Mysteries. Not only was the beloved cartoon translated into a traveling stage show, but it was playing in Worcester that weekend. So, last Saturday afternoon, we dutifully made our pilgrimage to the beautiful and historic Hanover Theater. Once we arrived, we were startled to find that the target demographic for a Scooby Doo musical was not, in fact, lazy college students, but rather families with small children. We took our seats at the back of the already dim theater and waited expectantly for the show of a lifetime. As the music started and the brave Mystery Gang took the stage, we learned that the gang had been tasked by the mysterious “Z” to solve the mystery of a spooky haunted theater. But this wasn’t any theater, this was the Hanover Theater itself.
Scooby-Doo: Up close and personal. Imagine. My life, t’is complete Seriously, what a great show. I was IN the Mystery, Inc. Gang!
photo by matt emmer
We were in the presence of the ghost himself! The group of adventurous teenagers, played by clearly aging actors, and their mischievous dog, portrayed by a performer in a Disneyland-style full body suit, masquerade as a band, “Missing Link” (note the clever phonetic similarity to “Mystery Inc.”) to gain access to the theater. Soon after, Shaggy and Scooby’s beloved Scooby Snacks are mysteriously stolen from their dressing room. Then the gang is propelled on a madcap journey through the catacombs of the haunted Hanover.
The show retained key elements of the classic cartoon, including Buster Keaton-esque chase scenes and slapstick humor. Indeed, the musical contained the classic Scooby Doo tropes of the conniving real estate-developing villain and characters breaking the fourth wall. Sadly, many of the characters were left underdeveloped. Despite an affinity for washing the iconic Mystery Van and making traps, the character of Freddy was still a mystery to the audience at the end of the play. Similarly, Daphne’s lines were mainly focused on her unrequited af-
I think Scooby-Doo the musical may best Spree Day *shudders from truth* April is a fun month, 9th time this month I’ve thought that Is Spree Day here yet?
fection for Freddy, though this may be due to persistent technical difficulties that resulted in her microphone being off for the majority of the performance. Velma, oddly enough, was forced into a hasty romantic subplot with Shaggy. Though, at the end of the day, who really goes to a Scooby Doo musical for character development?
Overall, Scooby Doo Live! Musical Mysteries was a fun and engaging diversion, an entertaining and energetic look back at a foundational aesthetic influence in my life. The afternoon was a pleasant and welcome moment of nostalgia in a hectic collegiate world.
12 | living arts
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
Legally Blonde cont. continued from page 1
featured a celtic dance sequence. However, the cast seemed uneven in its ability to cover all of its musical bases, and the chorus occasionally seemed overburdened by the range of styles and textures. The standouts in this production were mainly the supporting players. Ariel Rubin (‘16) stole most of her scenes as Paulette, a sassy hairdresser and Elle’s confidante. Margo Smith (‘14) shone as Enid Hoopes, a driven feminist law student and easily the most Clarkie-like role in the show. Jarrett Taxman (‘16) stole the
show as Emmett, Elle’s TA in law school and later her main romantic interest. He impressed with powerful lead and harmony singing, as well as convincing, empathetic acting. In his first major role in a CMT show, Taxman is a promising player in Clark’s theatrical future. Russo gave a typically wonderful portrayal as Elle, though her chemistry with Taxman felt distant at times. This made Emmett’s transition from mentor to love interest feel sudden and a little rushed. While several actors shone through with perseverant performances, the base material lacked in substance. It is important to note that
CMT originally intended to mount Hair, the 1960’s counterculture musical, but could not obtain the proper rights. Despite the best and most sincere efforts to elevate the production,
Legally Blonde comes off as a second choice. Overall, CMT’s staging of Legally Blonde is a quirky but endearing effort. Its flaws are present, but are
outweighed by the strength of its cast and crew, and the time and persistence clearly put into it.
photos by jonathan edelman
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
sports | 13
The Scarlet/Sports SPORTS UPDATES By Ethan Giles sports editor
men’s tennis courtesy of clarkathletics.com
The men’s tennis team had an up and down week as they defeated Bridgewater State last Wednesday 9-0, but fell to Stonehill College on Saturday 7-2. The team’s upcoming matches are Saturday against Babson and Wednesday against Emerson. Both matches are at home, so get down to the tennis courts and watch! courtesy of clarkathletics.com
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
By Scott Levine scarlet staff
baseball
courtesy of clarkathletics.com
Clark Baseball had a strong start to their season with impressive wins over Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Emerson. The team is 2-2 since returning from their ten game trip to Florida during spring break. They will play Mass. Maritime at home on Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. followed by a double header at home the next day against MIT at 12 p.m.
Congratulations Cougars! The Scarlet would like to congratulate Derek Dubois (‘14) on being named NEWMAC Pitcher of the Week.
lacrosse Clark Lacrosse comes off a convincing win of 19-7 against Manhattanville College. 11 different Cougars scored at least one goal. Ryan Moore (‘16), Rob Holden (‘16), and Peter Christiansen (‘15)each had three. The team will begin conference play at MIT on Saturday, February 29 and will return to their home field on Wednesday, April 2 to face off against Plymouth State.
The Scarlet
14 | sports
march 27, 2014
COUGAR of the WEEK
by Scott Levine
Second baseman Maya Allen (‘14) has been on fire at the plate so far this season for the Clark softball team. She is currently hitting for her career best batting average in her four seasons as a Cougar, and recently recorded her 100th career hit. Scarlet: Did you realize that you got your 100th career hit when it happened? Allen: Honestly I didn’t even know what happened until [I got to the dugout] and then some of my teammates came out and told me. I was like, “oh… [laughs].” I don’t like to keep track of stats because it gets me nervous. So I didn’t really know about it. Scarlet: So you haven’t been checking any stats this year? Allen: No, it just stresses me out.
photo by jonathan edelman
Maya Allen softball
Scarlet: Even this year when they’re way up like right now? Allen: Yeah. I mean they’ve been up other years too. When I check my stats, it’s usually after the seasons because even in high school, we weren’t allowed to check the newspapers. We were actually not allowed to because [my coach] knew it would put a lot of pressure on the players, so I just kind of continued that [into college]. Scarlet: The team has yet to play a game outside of spring break. How was Florida, by the way? Allen: It was good. That’s about what we have been performing in past years in Florida, around .500. We
definitely have things we need to work on, but it’s a whole new season once we start the real season. Scarlet: What are you most looking forward to about this season? Allen: Well first of all, we obviously want to make the playoffs. It’s my senior season, and the best seasons come from when you’re just having fun and not stressing too much about how many hits you get, [or] how many errors you make. Scarlet: Has that always been your philosophy? Allen: No, I think it’s more so this year because I feel like there is more pressure since I’m a senior to go out [and do] well. It’s good to have some pressure on yourself so that you can compete better, but [not too much]. Scarlet: What’s been your favorite part of being on the team? Allen: Definitely just being with the team. Being with the team all the time, and just hanging out with them outside of softball. Mostly that. That’s what it’s all about. Clark Softball will square off against WPI on Friday, April 4 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at O’Brien Field.
The Scarlet
march 27, 2014
puzzles | 15
The Scarlet/Puzzles CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
copyright © 2013 crosswordsite.com ltd.
ACROSS 7. Evergreen tree 9. Unfastens 12. Agitate 13. Upon 14. Amount a tablespoon can hold 15. Single unit 16. Departed 17. Kind of selling 18. Funeral woodpile 20. Sleeps briefly 22. Knapsacks 25. Drill a hole 27. Also
28. Rebirth of the soul in a new body 30. Examination 31. Steals from 32. Dining cars 33. Directed a light DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Plant science Female child Small animal Gossip Pertaining to a sponge Cause to be out of tune
8. Person who advocates liberty 10. Data 11. Flat-fish 12. Cease 19. Person who plays the piano 20. You cannot get out this way 21. Writers 23. Peanut 24. Male offspring 25. Spawned 26. Temporary stop 29. Stepped
THIS WEEK’S SOLUTIONS IN NEXT ISSUE
The Scarlet
16 | puzzles
Police Logs compiled by Maria Rotelli
march 27, 2014
SOLUTIONS TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLES CROSSWORD SOLUTION
March 20 04:58 - Breaking and entering on Main Street 17:33 - Kids skateboarding at Jonas Clark March 21 12:25 - Threat of violence 14:18 - Kids skateboarding at Jonas Clark 16:52 - Truck blocking dumpster March 22 16:15 - Gas in vehicle 18:11 - Dropping of instrument in Estabrook March 24 00:48 - Stolen phone on Downing Street 13:21 - Laundry room smells electrical in Wright Hall
SUDOKU SOLUTION
March 25 00:51 - Harassment from a male in the UC This week, University Police assisted WPD once, assisted the State Police twice, saw one loud party, one disorderly person, four vehicle stops, two fire alarms, five various complaints, six calls to EMS, and six calls for police escort.
what happens in The Scarlet office at 1:30 a.m. stays in the The Scarlet office... sort of “It’s really hard to stretch your biceps.” - Claire “When do you ever need to stretch your biceps?” - Sarah “Because she’s a powerful woman - that’s why you’re intimidated by her!” - Jenna yelling at Ethan about Claire from House of Cards “Claire, you look like Kevin Spacey” - Sarah “It was so windy today that I got hit in the face by a pinecone” - Jenna “I am one with the street” - Ethan